Monday, December 31, 2007

Out With the Old...In With the New

Isn’t that what New Year’s is all about? New beginnings? I definitely have some planned. First, I thought those of you following the dollhouse progress would like to see some pictures of it fully loaded. You can click on the pictures themselves for a larger view. The girls had been watching me redecorate the walls and floors (still haven’t finished that darn molding…), but Santa brought all the furniture. The house was sitting next to the tree Christmas morning all decked out when the girls got up before dawn. I did the furniture shopping in a variety of places, but the majority of it came from Maria’s Dolls here in Jacksonville in Avondale. A friend of mine told me about Maria’s and I’m so glad I stopped in! The piano, living room furniture, dining room table and chairs and the animals all came from Maria's. We started out with two dogs and two cats, and are currently down to one dog…I think the girls put the other three animals in the Christmas tree…

My favorite pieces are the three hand painted pieces I found on Etsy. And my most favorite is definitely the painted dresser in the blue room. The same artist painted the dresser and the trunk on the upstairs landing. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more little lovelies in her store; she‘s from Maine and her name is Grazhina. The girls have enjoyed redecorating constantly and it’s been fun watching them. They really play well together when playing with this dollhouse so that’s definitely a blessing.

I have to say the most magical Christmas morning moment did not involve the dollhouse. Any of you who have been reading this blog for any length of time or who know my girls know of Sarah’s attachment to Bunny. We had two bunnies for a while: Bunny Susan and Sister Bunny. Sister Bunny went missing a few months ago. Still haven’t found her. So believe it or not, the only thing Sarah asked Santa for Christmas was a new sister for Bunny Susan. Well, Santa came through. Acting as one of his little helpers, I found the exact same bunny at JCPenney’s, the last two actually, and bought them both…never know when we’ll need another one! Christmas morning, the new bunny was sitting on the piano next to the tree. DH and I had gotten up at 5am to turn the tree lights on and then just layed in bed watching…with a perfect view of the tree and the new bunny…until the girls came down.

Sarah came down first. She must have seen the bunny from the top of the stairs. When I first saw her, she was standing at the bottom of the stairs just looking at that bunny, dirty old Bunny Susan in hand. Then she slowly walked over to the piano…walking right past the dollhouse…and gently picked up the new bunny. She just stood there for a minute, looking at the new bunny and then looking at Bunny Susan. Then she turned around and ran into our room saying, “Mommy! Santa brought Bunny Susan a sister!” As DH would say, “bring a tear to a glass eye…” I think Livvie’s favorite present has been the dollhouse. She’s a great redecorator. I'll post some Christmas morning pictures and video when I get my film developed!

So about this New Year’s stuff…really makes your reevaluate your life, doesn’t it? I’ve been very lucky to have three weeks off over the holidays and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and doing the things I love to do most…create stuff. My mind has not stopped thinking of new ideas. My only problem is, with a full-time job and twin four-year-olds, there’s just not enough time in the day to do the things I’d like to do. So I hope to become better organized with my time. I guess that’s my biggest New Year’s resolution. Santa brought DH and I a couple big ticket items for Christmas...a new flat screen TV for him and a new computer and camera for me. So with the help of my new computer and camera, you’ll be seeing lots of new things coming to my website and Etsy store. Things other than jewelry, too! Just have to find the time to bring the creations out of my brain and onto my workbench.

This is a time of renewal…out with the old and in with the new. So in addition to your trips to Goodwill to declutter your closets and your house (I can’t be the only person who does a major declutter at the first of the year…), I hope you make time to pursue your dreams and your passions and what truly brings you joy. I plan to, and I hope to help my family do the same. Best Wishes for a very Happy New Year! Like this post? Click here to sign up for free weekly email reminders.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Work in Progress...

We're getting there! I don't think I ever even stopped to eat lunch yesterday! DH and the girls got home about 4pm and played with me for a little while and then I finally came up for dinner about 8:15pm, then went back downstairs and went back to work! Here's what we've got so far...no floors or molding yet, but the walls are almost done!

I started with these two rooms (below)...the smallest! Since I've never really worked with paper, I wanted to start small. This will be the bathroom and one bedroom. The laminate flooring is a leftover from the previous decor!

This is the attic room. I just realized there are no stairs going up to it! It was here I learned that paper really does make a difference. I had been using card stock up until this point. I initially did that back wall with the window with just regular paper stock and couldn't get rid of the bubbles so I tore that out and put this funky card stock in.

This was my first big challenge and light bulb over the head moment. I hadn't noticed that archway until I really looked at the room and then said, "Yikes! A straight line cut that is not!" I looked around my workshop and, as luck would have it, the lid of a coil of copper wire was the perfect fit for the arch. It was about 9:30pm by that time, so I had to run upstairs and wake up DH and show him my ingenuity!

And lastly, this room is my biggest challenge. This is the largest room and not only has the staircase in the middle of it, but also has two little nooks. One, to the back right in this picture, seems to have no purpose other than to aggravate me. The other is the front door foyer around the corner to the left behind the stairs...hmm...maybe if I take the front door off. More updates to come!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Time's Running Out!

Well, it is December 18, and I can procrastinate no longer! My biggest goal for this Christmas was to get my sister's old dollhouse refurbished for the girls. My sister never took it with her when she moved out of Mom's house, so when Mom died, it came to me. It lived at my good friend Jim's house in Tallahassee for a year or two while his daughter Morgan played with it, and then a couple years after my girls were born, it traveled back to us. It's been sitting in my garage for two years now! First, the Granddad said he was going to refurbish it and give it to the girls last Christmas. He got distracted (like me, he easily does) and never got around to it, so he brought it back up to me this summer, and I've been staring at it ever since.

Now this latest batch of procrastination hasn't been entirely my fault. First I had to wait for DH to clean out the old stuff (very ugly 1980 wallpaper and flooring) and then sand the walls and floors so I could bring it back to life. Then I had to visit numerous arts and crafts stores looking for just the right papers and flooring. And then there was the hunt for just the right furniture, which is still not completed. And then, of course, it is Christmas time after all, so I've had lots of Christmas shopping and wrapping to do. You know, so I have been busy! But really, I'm just a professional procrastinator; I truly could have started it last week. I just work best under pressure!

Anywho, I thought I'd show you some before and after pictures. I wish I would have thought about this before DH pulled out the old wallpaper and flooring, but oh well. We have saved the kitchen intact. I just don't think we can safely pull out the cabinetry, so maybe we'll just have a retro 80's kitchen and keep that snazzy brown, green and orange metallic floral wallpaper, the same wall paper that was in my kitchen in high school on Dillon Drive. I'll save that for last and see what I think. To give you some scale, the house is rather large; it's about 3 1/2 feet wide x 2 1/2 feet tall. My stepfather #1, John, built it in 1980 and it's structurally very solid and the exterior still looks great. Just some minor clean up work needed there. Now my job is to make the interior look fabulous again. Somehow over the next three days, since we'll be traveling this weekend... I"ll keep you updated with pictures as we go!

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Friday, December 14, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 32!

Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Ellie B. from Orlando, Florida. Yeah, Ellie! This week's entry will bring you a touch of royalty. I've combined gorgeous purple and gold hand-torched lampwork beads with 14K gold-filled accents and Swarovski crystals for sparkle. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total in length on 14K gold-filled French wires. To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, December 20, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Monday, December 10, 2007

New Works by Up-and-Coming Artists

Since I love to profile outstanding artists and craftsmen here, I thought I'd share these two little jewels with you. Twin sisters, these artists share a very similar style. They work primarly in Crayola and newsprint and seem to be most heavily influnced by Picasso's early works, particularly his animals and sealife series. Note their choices of rabbit and mermaid as compared to Picasso's Rooster, and well as their advanced use of line and texture, with spectacular color stories.

Though I sense some outside assistance in these works, it's obvious these two young masters in the making have very long, successful careers ahead of them. I'll be sure to keep you updated on new works. :-)

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Friday, December 7, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 31!

Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Rhonda F. from Milton, Ontario, Canada! Yeah, Rhonda! This week's entry is another fun one just in time for Christmas. I've combined yummy pink chalcedony semi-precious gemstone briolettes with red polymer clay roses and creamy freshwater pearls. They'll be perfect for your family Christmas dinner! They hang approximately 1 1/2" total in length on sterling French wires. To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, December 13, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Friday, November 30, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 30!

Can you believe December is upon us? And it's time for Free Bling Friday once again! Last week's winner is Susan T. of Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Susan! This week's entry is a neutral pair that will coordinate with just about anything in your wardrobe. I've combined smokey quartz gemstone briolettes with dangles of lt. Colorado topaz Swarovski crystals, all hanging on sterling silver hoops. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total in length. To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, December 6, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Monday, November 26, 2007

In Support of the Donna Hicken Foundation…

This year I was given the opportunity to donate a silent auction piece for the annual Donna Hicken Foundation Christmas Luncheon at the Florida Yacht Club. I knew I wanted to do one of my Showstopper style necklaces and I got on a purple binge this weekend and came up with this. I love the way it came out! Hopefully it will bring in some big bucks for the Foundation. Started by First Coast news anchor Donna Hicken, the Foundation supports women battling breast cancer. Donna is a two-time breast cancer survivor and has journaled her experiences online and in book form. A triathlete and avid runner, she’s also started the first 26.2 with Donna: The National Breast Cancer Marathon, scheduled for its first running February 17, 2008. And she’s a Florida State College of Communications graduate, like me!

I’ve met Donna a couple times in passing but the one instance that sticks out in my head was at one of the Beaches Fine Arts Triathlons. I used to do those regularly, as does she, and since I was injured one race, I came as a volunteer and manned one of the water stations. When Donna came by, nowhere near the front of the pack, she said to me with a grin, “Am I winning yet?!” Gotta love that spunk.

Not sure if there are still seats available for the Christmas Luncheon, but if you're interested, contact the Florida Yacht Club at (904) 389-1011. I'll be sitting at Peg Greene's FCCJ table! I have two close friends who’ve battled breast cancer, so maybe I still have time to get back in shape for the marathon, though after running the Alaska Midnight Sun Marathon in 1997, I swore I’d never run another marathon…but this is a good cause! If you have someone in your life that's been touched by this disease, I hope you'll consider a donation to the Donna Hicken Foundation. Or would you rather run the marathon with me? :-)

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Friday, November 23, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 29!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now, it's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Leah K. from Wellesley, MA. Congratulations, Leah! For this week's entry I got into the Christmas spirit. These are petite lampwork beads, really just a little bit bigger than your average pencil eraser. I've added a little holiday sparkle to the traditional Christmas colors with 6mm siam Swarovski crystal donuts. They are all wrapped up with sterling silver accents and hang just a tad over 1" on sterling French wires. To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, November 29, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

REALLY Taking Chances....

Here’s another one of my new pieces that I really love. I have a box of beads that I keep separate from the rest and it contains some of my favorite, and most pricey, lampwork collection. They were torched by two German beadmakers that I found on Ebay. I’ve finally started working some of them into these new pieces, but I’m still hoarding most of them!

So I had an interesting conversation with my guitar teacher last night. I take guitar once a week, and because I typically can’t find any other time during the week, Gary and I call my weekly lesson my “once a week supervised practice”. What the hey, at least I’m picking up my guitar once a week. I really enjoy my lessons, as much for hanging out with Gary as for the musical development. We have a great time cracking jokes on each other. I always joke with him that I’m his favorite student. :-) Anywho, we were working on a new song last night, Sugarland’s “Stay”, and I was picking it up pretty easily. He felt this was a great song for me; it’s in my vocal range and it has minimal accompaniment. Most of the song just has a simple guitar strum background, so it would be truly easy for me perform in a solo acoustic setting. So here’s the thing. As you know from reading this blog, I have no trouble sharing my jewelry or my writing with people, both creative pursuits. I think I’ve developed a good eye for jewelry design and color blending, and I know I’ve always been a very strong writer. Yet, I have terrible stage fright when it comes to sharing my music, another creative pursuit.

Before taking up guitar, I had years and years of piano training, classical mainly, but I loved to branch off into Blues and Broadway. When I can warm up my dusty fingers and play at the top of my game, I know that I really am still very good. Yet I really don’t like to play for people, not even my family, but my cats and dogs have enjoyed numerous concerts! Hmmm….actually I think I have a much easier time playing for strangers than I do for my friends and family. I’m the same way singing and with the guitar. I’ve sang in public a few times for very special occasions, three or four times on campus for special events and several times for my statewide student government buddies, accompanied on guitar by my good friend Jim Phillips. I’ve also sat in on a couple gigs with friends who are professional singer/songwriters. And every time, I’ve had numerous people come up to me afterwards wowed that I can really sing. Yet, other than my DH and the girls, who I truly haven’t played much for, the only person who has really heard me play guitar and sing is Gary, and even he hasn’t heard me truly belt it out vocally. And I’ve been taking lessons from him for at least five or six years now.

So back to that conversation we had. I was talking to Gary about my stage fright and he told me a story about when he was asked to play drums to accompany a woman that was recording some new songs. The person making the connection asked him what he charged, and he gave her a ridiculously low fee for both rehearsal and studio time. She told him, “Oh no, I can’t tell her that. We’ll tell her $50/hour for rehearsal time and $100/hour of studio time.” She told him that he was very talented with years of training and experience and should not be afraid to charge a much higher rate for his talent. He used this as an example to get me to see that I have a gift, a talent that I should not be afraid of sharing, just like I have no fear of sharing my jewelry and my writing. In his opinion, I am musically gifted both vocally and instrumentally, gifts most people don’t have.

So that said, to try to break out of that stage fright a little bit, I have decided to start small by sharing some of my music with you here. If you’ve read this blog from the beginning (tee hee, Kelly made a funny!), then you know that I lost my mother to suicide just after Christmas in 1999. It’s hard to explain what that does to you, other than the huge sense of abandonment and loss of self-worth you feel when someone that close to you chooses to end her own life. It’s very different from losing a parent by natural causes like cancer or a heart attack. At only 54 and going through a nasty divorce from my step-father, my Mom thought she had nothing to live for, yet she had me and my sister, and in my case, possibly grandchildren on the way. (Click here and here for posts in which I talk about Mom.) So of course, my husband decided I really needed to go to therapy. I really didn’t want to go to therapy, just didn’t think that was for me, but I went just once to appease him. I was right; it wasn’t for me. I deal with things better working them out creatively, whether it be by writing, creating something physical like art, or as in this case, creating music. So as my therapy, I recorded a CD and dedicated it to my Mom. I gave a copy of it to my closest friends when I finished it, but other than that, not very many people have heard it. So…you want to hear some of it? I’ve uploaded a few of the songs off the CD. Be gentle; I can carry a tune but I’m not Faith Hill. :-) Click here to hear the songs. They're a mix of country and blues. I'll hold my breath now...

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Sunday, November 18, 2007

Taking Chances and Learning New Things!


I have news! I'm included in the 2007 BussBuss Holiday Shopping Guide for Her! BussBuss is "the online shopping Bible" so we'll see how many followers I gain from it. For the secret BussBuss Happy Shack Designs sale code, visit BussBuss here, find the Holiday Shopping Guide for Her, and then find me! It's a little treasure hunt!

And as for learning new things, a few of my students have finally convinced me to do a MySpace page (yes, I really needed just one more thing to keep up with...) So if you are a MySpacer, check me out and let's get on each others friends' list. Find me here.

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Saturday, November 17, 2007

Great Day for a Football Game

I traveled over to Tallahassee last night...got to eat some of my favorite Barnaby's Pizza (yes, I still prefer Barnaby's to the new Red Elephant, 1970's tavern decor, cobwebs on the chandeliers and all) and enjoyed a great FSU vs. Maryland game today. Great weekend for a college football game, so I must talk about my 'Noles for a minute tonight! Today was the last home game of the season, which has always been a favorite of mine. Some colleges recognize their seniors earlier in the season, but FSU has always saved that tradition for the final home game. I dated a football player in college, and I remember what that last home game meant to him, so I feel like I have a little insight into what those young men were thinking as they came out of that tunnel for the last time today, arm in arm with their families as they were introduced. It's really a very special moment.

Today was also the last home game for Chief Osceola John Haley, who's graduating in April. Quite a priviledge he's had for the past four years, and I'm sure he had some tears in his eyes as he and Renegade trotted off the field after planting the spear together for the last time. The Marching Chiefs also have a neat tradition. As they are wrapping up the final half time show, all the seniors take off their shoes and leave them on the field as they march off, literally and figuratively leaving their footprints on the field. Pretty cool, huh? All in all, a great day...the dancing letters were back in the 4th quarter end zone, the Glitter Boys were cruising the aisles, and the 'Noles came out with a win to close out the home season. Though I truly love my 'Noles, unfortunately I'm not holding out much hope as we travel to the Swamp to face the Gators next weekend, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. It wouldn't be the first time we've upset the Gators in the Swamp!

Lastly, I can't take credit for these awesome pictures, except of course for the one of that stunning bracelet, which you can find on the Happy Shack Designs website. :-) The game shots were taken by Abby Reynolds of the Tallahassee Democrat. See more great shots from today's game here! This site also has a good "Old School" gallery filled with old Florida State shots. DH is headed to the Jaguars game tomorrow so we both get our football fix this weekend!

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Friday, November 16, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 28!

It's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Carla M. from Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Carla! This week's entry combines tanzanite Swarovski crystal rondelles with lt purple Czech glass teardrop briolettes, all wrapped up in 14K gold-filled accents. They hang a little over 2" on 14K gold-filled French wires. To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, November 22, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck and be sure to register before you tire out from all that Thanksgiving Day turkey! ! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Jungle Love and Other New Pieces!

I was up late last night (and early this morning!) updating my Etsy store with new pieces since I have an Etsy Showcase spot today. Yeah! I'll have the website updated with these pieces soon, but for now, check out my Etsy store here for lots of new pieces.

I've named this piece "Jungle Love". Now if you are near my age, you should be dancing in your seat right now humming Morris Day and the Times "Jungle Love"! Oh those days of dancing late night at Clyde's in Tallahassee...

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Saturday, November 10, 2007

Behind the Camera: Halloween!

Of course, you know I think I have the world's most beautiful children (don't we all?), so I thought I'd share some Halloween and Fall Festival pictures with you. The girlies dressed up as princesses for Halloween, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to be exact. Before Halloween night even arrived, they had three rounds of "trick-or-treating"--Spooktacular at the Zoo (top), trick or treating on my campus, and their Fall Festival at their school--so we convinced them to stay home that night with the carrot of a movie and popcorn! Yeah! Though we still have enough candy to last the year...

This one surprised me, since Livvie usually doesn't like large customed characters. For those of you not from Jacksonville, that's Jaxson deVille, the Jacksonville Jaguars mascot.

Here with the JU Dolphin, Sarah's giving her best "Don't you know I'm a DIVA and way too important to pose for pictures with some big stuffed dolphin" pout.

And lastly I thought this was one too cute: their VPK class on a hayride at their Fall Festival at school. The girls are hanging out with their teacher on the left. Thanks for indulging me!

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Friday, November 9, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 27!

It's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Carol I. from Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Carol! This week's entry combines deep purple-gray peacock coin pearls with Swarovski crystal rondelles and Balinese sterling silver beadcaps. They hang a little over 2" on sterling French wires.

To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, November 15, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Trouble with my Restless Mind....

...is that I get bored way too easily. I've been getting more and more fascinated by collage work here lately. Recently, a friend and one of my dedicated blog readers (thanks, Cristi!) was looking for a new home for a large variety of collage supplies she was no longer using. She emailed me and asked if I knew anyone who might be interested, and never one to turn down a good deal on art supplies, no matter what they are for, I took the bait! So much fun stuff! Then, of course, it took me a while to get to it and get it all organized, so by that time, as I was going through everything, I kept saying to myself, "No, what was this for again?!?!" And my DH pointed out that taking advantage of this opportunity was such a great idea because, "Sure, Kelly, you just have so much free time on your hands! Why not add another project to your list?" The sarcasm was thicker than my favorite brownie batter. So I came up with an idea to incorporate collage into my jewelry, kinda sorta....I'll keep you guessing on that one until I finally get around to it. Ya know, 'cause I have so much free time on my hands to try out new projects.

I came across Linda Woods' collage art on Etsy and immediately liked the simplicity of it. I checked a couple of her websites and saw that she also wrote a book called Journal Revolution. Looked really interesting, so I had to order it. I've been a writer my entire life and have always kept a journal of sorts, but this concept of keeping an art journal is intriguing. Could be another project to add to my list. You know, 'cause like I said, I have so much free time on my hands. :-)

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Monday, November 5, 2007

Halifax Arts Festival—Great Show!

Whitney and I traveled down to the 45th Annual Halifax Arts Festival in historic downtown Daytona Beach this weekend and had a fabulous show! The weather was perfect, the crowds were wonderful and full of happy shoppers, and the hospitality was top-notch. Of all the shows I do, this one is by far the best run. This was my second year and I hope to be back for many more. Set up is incredibly easy, volunteers are plentiful and stop by your booth four to five times a day, the mix of work is just right, they do a great job jurying, and the advertising is extensive. They also do a very nice artists' reception Saturday evening with wine and heavy appetizers. It’s organized by the Guild of the Museum of Arts and Sciences and run totally by volunteers of the organization.

And as with many of the shows I do, I always meet incredibly talented artists whose work I love to marvel over. Let’s just say there were way too many I truly loved this time, so I’ll force myself to narrow this down to just two! First, Augusto Sanchez. Oh…my…gosh. I absolutely fell over backwards when I saw his work. He paints the most ethereal and colorful angels I’ve ever seen, and then adds mixed media elements into the paintings. Oh how I would love to have an original, but I was quite certain DH would limit me to a strict prison work release program if I came home with a $3,000 painting so I had to settle for two prints and cards. The green themed angel above is the original I would have walked away with, though the blue themed was a close second. One of his paintings included the words “While we are sleeping, angels have conversations with our souls.” These truly did speak to me. Visit Augusto’s website here to view all his angels and read more about him. And if I have a very wealthy benefactor out there who's in a generous mood, the "Green Dreams" angel would be a great addition to my home.... :-)

I also met Chrissie Grace and loved her work as well. This was one of my favorite pieces in her booth and since we don’t have any “brothers” in our brood, she’s doing a custom piece for me. Can’t wait to get it! I love the idea of the “Family Rules” in such a colorful, playful presentation. Chrissie is a mixed media mosaic artist who also works some in collage. Visit her website here. She’s also on Etsy here, but for now, just look in the SOLD works to see some samples as she currently doesn’t have anything listed, but mark her as one your favorites to check back later! Chrissie is nationally recognized and is now working on her second book teaching mosiac tile art! You go, girl! You can order the first on her website.

All in all, a great weekend! Whitney and I enjoyed having time to catch up here and there, we had great sales, met some wonderful new friends, enjoyed fabulous weather, ate great pizza and some amazingly decadent fresh chocolates. What more can you ask? See you next year Halifax friends!

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Monday, October 29, 2007

Do you Believe in "Meant to Be?"

So what’s your take on fate, destiny, and what's "meant to be"? I took the girlies over to FSU Homecoming this past weekend so the DH could have a weekend to himself to do all those guy things without having to worry about us girls getting in the way. Great trip. Exhausting trip. Entertaining Sarah and Olivia for three days away from home is quite a feat! We went to the Homecoming parade, did a little Seminole shopping and had some of my favorite pizza…and that was all just on Friday! (These three pictures are from the parade; Sarah says the motorcycles “scare her ears”.) Though I visit Tallahassee frequently, this trip in particular brought about a change in perspective for me. Why? After months of contemplation, in August I applied for a job that would have required a move to Tallahassee. It was a great opportunity for me career-wise and Tallahassee is certainly a great place to raise a family, yet I was still very hesitant in applying simply because of the move. Obviously, I went to school in Tallahassee so I do love the town, so that’s not the reason. I have very little family left here in Jacksonville, but DH was born and raised here and has never lived anywhere else. Given that, my greater concerns were for him, yet he’s been far more enthused about the idea than I have. Though we’ve both been having a really hard time with the idea of giving up the dolphins in our backyard...

I did lots of praying… not that I’d the get job, just that I’d get an answer to the question “Are we meant to move to Tallahassee?” And though I was one of three finalists, I recently learned that I did not get the job, so I guess I did get my answer. I think. Normally when I go over to Tallahassee, I stay with my old roommate KT, but this weekend, I stayed with my Chi Omega big sister Kathy since she has kids, one of whom is an excellent babysitter who was happy to keep the girls while we went to the game! Spending the weekend with a Tallahassee family confirmed that Tallahassee truly would be a great place to raise a family. It’s a very pretty town in general and Kathy and her family live in one of the most beautiful areas…canopy roads, parks and hills everywhere. Saturday morning her son had a flag football game, so we went to that and the girls played at the park there. I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie of both the boys and the families watching. (DH is still having a hard time accepting the fact that his children do not have male anatomy and won’t be playing football….which means he won’t be coaching football like Kathy’s husband David does.)

The rest of the afternoon was spent just hanging out, getting ready for the FSU game Saturday night. So, was I disappointed I didn’t get the job? Sure, but amazingly enough not as disappointed as DH. He really wanted that for our girls. Are we still considering moving to Tallahassee? Who knows…I guess we’ll have to see what the Man upstairs has planned for us. Am I actively looking for a job in Tallahassee? No. But if a good job in Tallahassee were to fall in my lap, I think we’d have to reconsider those dolphins. Maybe a nice mural and a weekly trip down to the coast could substitute?

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 26!

It's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Nery D. from Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Nery! This week's entry is a neutral pair that will dress up or down with ocean jasper semi-precious gemstones and intricately detailed Balinese sterling beads caps, all hanging on sterling French wires. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total.

To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, November 8, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Angel in the Post Office

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I'm a sucker for animals. Currently, I’m trying very hard not to get attached to Gus Gus and Jacques, the two mice from my girls’ class that came to live with us last night. Long story short, their class had a hamster named Wilbur. One of the little boys in the class knocked over Wilbur’s cage one day and, unfortunately, Wilbur met an untimely demise. About a week later, DH shows up at the school with two mice in a cute little mouse condo. He swears one of the guys at work brought them to him, but that still sounds a little fishy to me. Anywho, he took them to Ms. Tammy to replace Wilbur and, since their daddy brought them, Sarah and Livvie got to name them… favorite current movie is Cinderella… Cinderella’s two best friends are the little mice Gus Gus and Jacques. Are you following this?

As luck would have it, Ms. Tammy has now decided she probably shouldn’t have two little mice in her classroom, no matter how elaborate their mouse condo, so when I got home yesterday afternoon, there they were…on top of Isabelle’s crate. I’m sure Izzy can smell them when she’s in her crate, though I think DH decided that Kitty and Savannah would be less likely to terrorize them up there, and, of course, they'd have that nice view of the aquarium. So that means our household menagerie now includes one dog, two cats, two fish, six hermit crabs, one starfish, two mice, and a yard full of fiddler crabs. Thankfully, the girls have yet to catch any of the marsh rabbits that live next door and often visit our yard. So, all that said, here’s the absolutely wonderful animal story I received via email today.

“This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a kind soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service. Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my four-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to Heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in Heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in Heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day, and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I am wherever there is love.

Love, God.

Okay, now go get your kleenex, and thank God for children, animals and angels in the post office. Like this post? Click here to sign up for free weekly email reminders.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Happy Shack Designs Featured on Blooming Lily

Thanks so much to Laurie Warshawsky, the fabulous designer behind the independent design blog Blooming Lily for featuring me! Free PR is always a wonderfully welcome thing! Be sure to check out Laurie's blog here and her gorgeous Elle-a-Belle gemstone jewelry line here.

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Free Bling Friday Number 25!

It's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Jacinta S. from Pensacola, FL. Congratulations, Jacinta! For this week's entry, I'm sharing one of my new pairs. In these little beauties, I've wire-wrapped aqua quartz briolettes and Montana Swarovski crystals onto sterling rings and hung them from sterling lever backs. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total.

To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, October 25, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Favorite New Happy Shack Earrings!

I've been posting lots of new pieces on the website this week and these are my favorite new earrings. I've started working more with gemstones and these highlight four, from the bottom up: chalcedony, citrine, amethyst and peridot. Aren't these yummy? Check out the website for all my new pieces! Like this post? Click here to sign up for free weekly email reminders.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Treasures Found...

Back in June, I told you about my anniversary bracelet that I lost that day...here's the initial post. Well, look what turned up!

We always take the rear seats and the car seats out of the van for my arts festivals, and when we finally got around to putting them back in a week after the San Marco show, this is what we found. Livvie takes the credit, as when DH was shaking the Cherrios out of her seat, the bracelet shook out instead, and she ran upstairs to give it to me. Let me tell you, I am one happy camper. I guess something this special had to turn back up somewhere... again, since this was actually the second time it's been lost and found. The first time I lost it, it only had two charms on it and I lost it in Lake Tahoe. Believe it or not, we found it in the gutter just outside our hotel. I guess I better not lose it again. Time for a new clasp.

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Friday, October 12, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 24!

It's Free Bling Friday time! Last week's winner is Charlotte P. from Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Charlotte! Charlotte is actually the Mom of my wonderful arts festival assistant Whitney! Here's this week's entry. I've combined yummy crazy lace agate with Swarovski crystals and sterling accents for a very versatile go-with-everything pair. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total on sterling French wires.

To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, October 18, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!


Tuesday, October 9, 2007

San Marco Fall Arts Festival: Um, Duh!

A big thank you to those of you who ventured out for the San Marco Fall Arts Festival this past weekend! I can't say it was my best show, but I can't say it was the worst, either.... I did about 1/3 of the sales I usually do in San Marco. I guess it was a combination of factors, with weather bring the primary culprit. But lucky for you, gentle readers, all the new things I created for that show will soon appear on the website!

For the bright spot of the weekend, Whitney and I had plenty of time to chat, and I was finally able to use my new sign Gypsy painted for me! Not a great picture here since you can't really see the mermaid, but I hope you get the general idea. And let me tell you it was quite a feat getting it up there. On Saturday when we were setting up, since the sign was a new addition, we didn't think about it until we basically had the whole booth set up. So even with my height and a stool, we were struggling. I brought some small white garden chain and hooks which I had planned to use to hang the sign from the rafters of my tent. For whatever reason, we were bound and determined to use the chain. Tried the sign in the center rear. No luck--fell forward. Tried it in the center over the center rafter. No luck--fell forward again. Hit Whitney in the head. Tried it in the corner diagonally. No luck, crooked, and it w0uld have hit me in the head all day. Gave up and said we'll just have to figure out something later. Dad-gumm it. Paced around at little bit. Not quite ready to give up. Tried it in the center again. Knocked one of the shelves down in our zeal to make it work. Set it on the table before serious bodily injury occured. By propping it on the table, at least we could say we did use it.....we just didn't hang it. :-)

So that afternoon, as we were sitting around due to a lack of customers, inspiration hit. Why the heck were we so set on using the chain? Get rid of the dang chain and we have no issues. That was our "um, duh" moment. Thus the picture you see of our set up on Sunday.

Not much other excitement to report. I did enjoy getting to know Kathy Frosio, the artist next to us, a little more. She's another local who paints some really fun beachy pictures that would look great in my house. One day.... For now, check out her work here. Whitney and I did have one strange moment when we thought we heard something fall, and discovered that the glass disk on the Ferris Wheel lariet had become possessed by the glass demon and split itself in two. Luckily no one was around or they could have lost an eye! And there was the moment we saw a child go by in a stroller holding what appeared to be a glass snowman with an electrical cord coming out of his butt. You know, those ones you see lit up at Christmas time? We were pretty punchy by that time so, when we finally did stop laughing, Whitney had to check it out closer and we discovered that it was a ghost with a cord coming out of his butt. Much better. At least the season was right. But regardless, seeing a child in a stroller clutching anything with a cord coming out of its butt like a well loved bunny was pretty funny. And no, Sarah's Bunny does not have a cord coming out of her butt. Most days anyways...

Hmmm....something just hit me. At this show, one of my least productive in three years of doing shows, I was able to use my new sign made by the person I met at the least productive show. Since Gypsy is one of the most positively infectious people I've ever met, I choose to think that's just a freaky coincidence! Read more about our first meeting here.

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Friday, October 5, 2007

Free Bling Friday Number 23!

It's been a crazy busy week, but it's finally time for Free Bling Friday! Last week's winner is Danielle G. from Jacksonville, FL. Congratulations, Danielle!

Here's this week's entry. I've combined beautiful green and silver lampwork beads torched by Annie Devilbliss with Czech crystals and sterling accents. They hang approximately 1 1/2" total on sterling French wires.

To be eligible to win this pair, simply email me by midnight Thursday, October 11, with the subject line FREE BLING and include where you're from. Good luck! Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Sign up for free weekly email updates here!