After the Hoopla of the Holidays...

Been feelin' crafty and creative the past couple of days! Christmas is over and with the new year soon approaching, I'm feeling motivated and inspired to devote time to doing what I love...create! My artistic mojo has hit...and "finally" I say!  I sat at the torch and made some beads this past weekend. Great feeling but I'm out of practice for certain...lots of clunkers.  Practice makes perfect though, right?
For those glass beads that passed inspection, I put together some colorful and fun bracelets.  These three goodies were produced last evening...ya like? So simple, but have such a fun impact! 
I merged an eclectic mix of candy-striped furnace glass, felt balls & flowers, silver accents, and my own vibrantly-colored lampwork beads! Can you say...those January blahs won't get me down!  They're a reminder of all things bright and colorful for sure.

These are so easy to wear, made with elastic!  They are not for the shy that's for sure...but for the fun and HaPpY at heart!  I can't wait to put one on with a simple black tee!  A necklace is next!

The Holiday

Want a great holiday dvd to rent this weekend? Watch "The Holiday". It's a story about two women who find that a change in address can change their lives! Great, wonderful, and touching movie. Jack Black is adorable and Jude Law is stunningly handsome! I highly recommend it for an afternoon relaxing on the couch! Yeah, I know...what time do you have to relax during the holiday season? But, I say make time for a movie this weekend whether you venture out or stay at home and rent! I watched "The Holiday" last weekend as I was tying bows on my wreaths. Each time I see it (yes, I've seen this movie a few times over), I find something else I enjoy about it! This time, I heard what will be added to my all-time favorite movie lines (I'll share more of those down the road). Yes, I'm definately a fan of "chick flicks"! In her beautiful English accent, Kate Winslet says,..."I like corny! I'm looking for corny in my life." Ladies,...who isn't...right? Watch a quick clip & enjoy! http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehUOLjuV_E8&feature=PlayList&p=ED1171F7D35ADBB8&index=5

Trimmin' that Tree...Deckin' the Halls...

Welcome to our home! Merry Christmas!

Yum....hope the neighbors like the goodies because they been so "goodie" to us over the past couple of years!

Not the best shot of me up there (horrible angle...yikes), but you get the "idea"! As overwhelming as it was to decorate, I have to admit,...it's a beautiful tree!

I'm diggin' the lime greens and turquoise combo this year!

That crazy, mysterious elf is still keepin' an eye on the girls!

I hope you enjoy all the holiday trimmings! I've been decoratin' the tree, deckin' the halls, and bakin' goodies galore! And, that doesn't include the shoppin'...runnin' here and runnin' there,...more ornaments, more ribbon...more, more, more! The house is full of warmth,...lights, color, wonderful scents!

I'm a "theme" kind of gal when it comes to decoratin', but of course a sentimental one too. So, you can find ormanents that represent wonderful memories, some the girls made in grade school back to a couple of ornaments I made myself oh,...over 35 years ago...can it be that long?!

We're ready to enjoy the rest of the season with family and friends! This weekend, looking forward to a neighboorhood walk-through with good company, delightful company and a "spirited" evening! I can't wait to see everyone's homes during this beautiful Christmas season and open ours up to them! Merry, Merry,.....

Kickin' off the Christmas Season...Tree Cutting Tradition...

Well, there it ya have it...what a tree we found this year! We enjoyed a sunny, warm day for our annual tradition of choppin' down our Christmas tree!! That's the big honkin' tree we picked! Our largest one yet! See what happens when you have cathedral ceilings in your new home...the kids want the biggest we could find! It's awesome though....very grand indeed!

Charlie boy was so happy and free running through the woods as we searched for that perfect tree...ahhh,...the wonderful scent of the pines! There was definately a pep in his step...he was so excited to be along for the tree-cutting festivities!

Excited,...but tired for sure! Ahhh...the life of a dog...waitin' in the truck until we loaded the tree. Whew,...I haven't run like that in ages...panting panting panting! Love my family for takin' me along, love ridin' in Jack's truck!

How quickly times flies though, doesn't it? It seems that I was just yesterday posting pictures of the colorful fall landscape, and it's already Christmas-time (whether these pictures look like it or not)....poof,...time quickly passes by! I've had no time to post, no time to create, just no time! The holidays can be a crazy time if you let em, but I do LOVE this time! I'll post more of our Christmas tree when it's adorned with decorations and sitting comfortably in our home!

"Colorful Personalities"

Briana & Megan...

Inbetween my busy teenagers' schedules, I dragged them out to snap some pics before one had practice and the other had to race to work. There was a wee bit of sunshine peeking through the trees. We certainly haven't seen enough of it lately. So, we pulled over on the "side of the road", parked the car, and jumped out to engage in a fast photo shoot....no preparation, just an impromtu! I'd like to venture out again before the color fades away, but these weren't too bad for literally ten minutes of smiles! We'll see if I can get these busy gals to head out again. These photos seem to capture their relationship though...they really do love one another, and I'm so glad that they're close...despite their petty arguments over gettin to school on time, sharing clothes, make-up, and friends,...they're great girls and I'm proud of them.

It's beginning to hit me and my emotional nature that Megan is a senior this year and will soon be on her own! I'm trying to keep positive and focused on the journey ahead of her, her independence, the wonderful experiences that lay ahead for her instead of thinking about my own "loss", etc. I know that I need to let her go, but it isn't goin' be easy!

Even more reason for MORE picture taking!

Happy Birthday, Charile!

Charlie began his fourth birthday by resting comfortably on the couch! "Get down", "bad dog", "off the couch",...awww, we're suckers for that face..."okay,...guess you can stay up there...it IS your birthday!"

He looks so relaxed doesn't he?! So peaceful...a dog's life...not too bad! What a great dog he has been for our family! We all love him immensely! He has certainly touched our hearts over the last four years! It's interesting that he was born on "sweetest day" four years ago because he's such a "lovey" boy, the most affectionate pup we've ever had!

I made a special "treat" for the celebration...cupcakes for his sweetness...
It's been a wonderful journey thus far, Charlie! We love you for being our companion, always stickin' by our sides (literally), keepin' our feet warm, ridin' shotgun on errands, taking US for walks, scratchin' our new wood floors as you race to the door, those endless kisses and affectionately sweet looks!

Happy Birthday to You! What a good boy,...he even waited until we told him it was okay to eat his little birthday cake! Sittin' Pretty for the camera and lickin' his chops! He's pretty comfortable in front of the camera!

Three Essential Practices in Life...

It seems that "drive-time" usually provides me with the best opportunity to reflect on various things. Recently, I was listening to a talk-radio station (gotta love those XM stations) when a motivational speaker captured my attention. He was talking about what he believed were the essential steps to achieving a Fulfilling & Succesful life.

"Shoot, who doesn't want to experience those two things...!"

These three simple steps struck me,...and so much so, that I jotted them down quickly in my notebook. If you're like me,...I can't remember anything unless it's in INK, so the notebook keeps me on track...love my notebook!

Oh yes, so, anyway, back on that track, back to the purpose of this entry today...

I'm continously recreating myself and trying to determine where I wish to be in my life. Yup, even at my ol' age, I'm STILL tryin' to figure it all out! These steps really ARE the essentials, aren't they?! I think our outlook on life is so important; attitude is so much to one's "SUCCESS"!

Step 1: Exercise!
Step 2: Feed Your Mind!
Step 3: Vision Beyond Now! See it better than it is...always!


Try these steps yourself for a truly
fulfilling & Successful
life......jot them down in your own notebook!

Beautiful Autumn Day...

Okay, so I'm not sure what happened but I deleted a good number of my previous postings! Can you say,...extremely disappointed!

Being the efficient soul that I tend to be, I went into the "draft" area and started deleting old posts thinking I was cleanin' shop. Well, I guess if you delete the "drafts", the final entries disappear from your blog too...who would have known!? Oh well, I'm trying not to sweat the small stuff. It wasn't like it was a lifetime of exciting journal entries. My life is hardly a novel that you struggle to put down because of the thrilling details, but it really IS a bummer that these postings are gone, pictures of my travels, my misc. creations, thoughts, etc.

So, here I am today, on a beautiful fall day, to begin my journaling again. It's a sunny day with the leaves beginning to show their colorful display...ReDs, ORanges, gOlds! I love this time of year! The scenery is so spectacular; the sunshine accents the warm colors on the trees, with the crisp blue sky as a backdrop! If only this season lasted longer here in Michigan. LOVE the seasons, but with a long winter coming before us, I'm soakin' up as much of this as I can. I am so blessed to be able to enjoy this view out my back window and each day, more colors appear....isn't it peaceful?

Gloomy Day...

What a better day to sit down and surf the net! I experience so much joy while visiting the websites and blogs of those many talented artists' out there in cyberspace. Their sites really do take me away on a gloomy day.

Their cheery colors and collections of wonderful treasures is such a retreat for me. As I enjoy my "cup of joe" and soak in their amazing talents and creativity, I aspire to share my own love of "creativity" and MY "creations" too.

I've got some wonderful ideas, so please stay tuned. At some point, I'll link you to my website where you can get your hands on some beautiful, wearable art!! Stay tuned...

Discovery...

Welcome to my journal of "discovery" and all things beautiful to me!

It's summertime and the living is...."easy"? Not really! It's been an extremely busy month thusfar. After a crazy few weeks, I'm ready to enjoy some "me" time! So, here I am beginning a journal of discovery and beauty. Summer is the perfect time to stumble on beautiful things.

"A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson