Happy Thanksgiving - a few days late

So I realized as I hit new post that this is my 100th post. Wow - and it has been a long time coming. I have been slacking in the blog department - I have to decide how I want to deal with this thing in the personal vs. business end. Oh well - so Thanksgiving.

I was supposed to visit a friend for Thanksgiving, she just had a peanut who is a beautiful bundle of joy. But plans changed so I stayed here. Mom and Dad did manage to stop by for a total of 3 nights over the break as they were dealing with some family issues out west and I was on the way. But, I did get to make dinner for myself and a friend, with enough leftovers so Mom and Dad could have Thanksgiving dinner the day after.

Its been a long time since I made a full Thanksgiving dinner on my own. Usually Mom and I take over the kitchen and create. But it was fun, and I am proud of what I came up with. We started with Brie, apples and crackers.

Dinner was turkey medallions stuffed with sausage and prosciutto, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans with carmalized onions and roasted almonds and bread.

Dessert was both pumpkin and oatmeal pie and hot coffee.

It was a great day in the kitchen and then fun to have a friend for dinner and then another friend joined us for a chat later in the evening.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful day!

One is Silver and the Other Gold

I've been terrible about blogging and posting jewelry lately. I could make excuses - that I haven't felt well, that I have been busy at work, etc. But I think it is really just my personality. I am a bit Obsessive compulsive and I pick something up, obsess about it completely unhealthily and then drop it. So I am trying to find a happy medium. I haven't stopped creating, I've just gotten out of the habit of writing about it. It was painful to look at the computer for so long that I got out of practice - so I am attempting to get back into it!

I made something for me - scandalous I know! I love simple silver beaded bracelets - but I cannot afford to by the sterling beads to just make myself a bracelet. However, mom and I have bough me bracelets over the years that are beads and charms that I never wear. I doubt they are sterling - actually I am sure they are just plated. I took them apart, added a cute pewter shoe charm and a magnetic clasp and am smitten with this little bracelet I made for me. Its not flashy or even all that pretty just simple and fun and I love it. Its kinda fun that I was able to repurpose stuff I wasn't using!

I made something gold. I can't believe it either. I don't like gold. I never wear it and I don't know why but I bought these beads. Yep - I bought them they aren't even beads that mom send me to try and stretch my creative juices. I saw them and really liked all the different colors. I have to admit the bronzy colored chain mom sent a while back and I could not figure out when I would ever use it. But I really love this - Its heading into the shop tonight!

But Keep the Old

I caught up with a pair of old friends over the recent holiday weekend. It was wonderful. I hadn't seen them since their wedding in 2002 - where I was the maid of honor. I was blessed to be close to both the bride and the groom, and loved the role I got to play. I suck at keeping in touch with people. We had done well with phone calls and letters till about 3 years ago and then we drifted apart. After being sick lately, I realized that there are important things in life that I had let slide - like good friends. So I decided that I would see if by chance we could connect - and we could. We spent the weekend in Nashville and had an amazing time catching up. I also got to spend time with the Bride's family whom I love. And then there was the time I spent with me - reading - shopping - sleeping - I never just get away. I realized that I have not taken a vacation (with the exception of Homecoming at the College on the Hill - but that was in conjunction with a family trip) that was not family oriented with the exception of conferences since before I moved here. Thats over two years - and not that I don't love my family but sometimes its important to see your friends. This was an amazing trip - I made the Bride one of my Japa Mala bracelets to remind her that no matter how far apart we are physically or how long it has been since I have talked to her I love her and value her friendship! I made it in blacks and whites because those were her colors - some things never change - they were the colors she was wearing when we met up for dinner!

Make New Friends...

I missed a friends birthday this passed week. I missed a lot this passed week - the doctor has me on meds that make me forget things - like what I said 5 seconds ago :-) Thank goodness for post it notes. So a week later - I realized that I never said happy birthday, sent an email, a phone call, anything to this friend, Cash. She is totally my work buddy and her birthday deserved recognition. So I made her these flirty yet funky earrings. I don't know why but as I made they they screamed her name at me! I think because she has a pair of gold round earrings that when I saw her wearing them made me think of the silver pendants i used to make these. I also used yellow milferoni beads and glass beads just cause they all looked pretty together. I will wrap them up run them to her office with my sincerest apologies for being that person - the one that always forgets the actual birthday and attempts to make it up later - that is just so me!

Catching Up

I am so far behind in posting. I have a headache that makes it hard to type - I know that sounds lame but the doctor says I am not crazy the computer is painful! But I have all sorts of jewelry that I need to share so I want to catch up!!

Move in has happened. The students are back. We are in the third week of classes. I am overwhelmed. They are such blessings and sometimes curses as well. I love the moments when they come in and tell me that they are excited for the semester and want to give me a hug or ask advice. I hate the moments when I know that the decision I have to make about their future is going to have an impact that in the present will not feel positive. I made myself this set of jewelry to celebrate the start of the new year. I made them in school colors so that I would have plenty of occasions to wear them. I had so much fun with the three tiered earrings that mom and dad had given me a long time ago but hadn't decided what to use them for. I have been wearing them every chance I get. I also made this funky bracelet - again school colors. The necklace was way too much fun. I found a new section at Hobby Lobby for chains and although they are not sterling silver they are a lot of fun to practice on for me!

Darkest of Days

I have spent the last week in the dark - literally. I only left the dark room to go to the dr.s or to have tests done. So - this darkness made me want to work with blacks. Although I believe they need to be tempered with the light - hence the white and clear beads worked in as well. I love this necklace, I don't always create things I would wear - but this is one I would wear every day (unless of course I was wearing brown!) I don't play with multiple strands often - and have never done it quite like this before. I purchased this clasp only because it came in a set and I needed a three prong clasp for one of the japa mala bracelets - and now I want more. Its so easy to take on and off and is strong enough to hold the weight of this substantial bracelet.

Maybe I need to make something like this for me.

A little more Lavender

Kendy asked for more lavender as a nod to our favorite residence hall - here it is. My new organizer is lavender (with a touch of pink as well). This was my weekend project - to reorganize my bead stash. I decided I had too many to keep them in the boxes as I had before. I wanted them organized by color and easily accessible without having to empty boxes of beads.

So I headed to Kmart. Not a normal shopping place for me, but I had found exactly what I wanted on their website. I got there - they didn't have it. So I wondered the store, and found this lavender drawer storage. Its great. I then invaded the fishing section (not to buy lures - sorry dad) and found that tackle organizers are much cheaper than bead organizers. They work just as well if not better!

Once I had myself organized I could create. I made this almost a chocker necklace in green, pinks and creams. I found these lampwork beads a while back for a great price and had to have them. I wanted to do the right thing with these so I have been letting them call to me, when I was organizing I found the pink glass and green cat's eye beads and knew they were going to become a necklace with the lampwork beads. Its quiet but pretty and I love it - Its one of those that was hard for me to put in the shop - but I did!