The Honey Do Challenge: May 2016 Hoot Hoot!

Late but not NEVER! Ha!!!!

Here are my two pieces:

The first features a swoondimple pendant with speckled round glass beads, peachy pink seed bead spacers, and one lone pink striped druzy round bead to bring out the pink from the owl's heart.

My second piece features a quartz focal that I found on ebay for $6.50 plus free shipping (SCORE!!!!) The focal was made by Deva Designs of Sedona, AZ but it looks as though they have changed their style to celtic metal pieces now.... I used these incredible faceted moonstones and 

Vintage silver toned seed bead spacers to pull the piece together but almost used gold seed beads to bring out the gold tones in the owls eyes. I am pretty sure that I like it this way best!

I am pretty pleased with the results, and looking forward to this month's (june) challenge!!! 

Let them eat Lemon Cake!!!!: Inspired by Reading Book Club May

Ok- so not only did we eat a homemade super scrumptious  and chocolate covered lemon cake that Andrew made, we drank cake vodka that I brought along to mix with a bottle of birch beer.

I didn't get too far in the book club selection this month, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. In fact, I found myself stuck at the end of Chapter Nine with no chance of finishing it by the meetup!

I had a hunch that a lot of folks were going to take the sea glass, geode route, and so I just decided to go the yellow route.

In fact, I designed one of my beading basics class necklaces with this in mind:

This is made of vintage plastic and vintage seed beads. The plastic beads have a really cool faux woodgrain look and the necklace makes a great addition to a crisp white shirt. 

No sadness when you wear it!!!! Promise!!!!

So, back to my actual book club project....

The week of the meet up, I was a single white Mom. Erik (my husband) had flown to Portland for the week for business, Elliott graduated from Kindergarten, and the week was the kick off of the summer T-ball season. 

I almost missed it because I had no other option but to come late and with two kids in tow... Not the best option, and certainly not my favorite, but it got us there!

We enjoyed chips and salsa, Andrew's delicious spaghetti and cake, and of course some of my liquid cake.

We also celebrated my belated birthday (thank you all!!!) and also that I hadn't actually missed the evening afterall. 4 years strong and haven't missed one yet!!!!!

So, really, I enjoy the meet ups more than the books now... And because I really don't have too much to say about this book, I can show you (finally) what I came up with.

Ok, I'm lying...I can show you what I INTENDED to make.

Ta-da!!!!!!!! 

Isn't it beautiful?!?!?!?!?!

So, hope you enjoyed my post.

If I get to it one of these days, I will be sure to post what I made with this assortment....

Had the best of intentions, but I just couldn't make this miracle happen this month.

Until the next book!!!! L

Mystery Challenge-Allegory Design Challenge Reveal

This post is only a week late!!! Woo hoo!!!

I didn't have as much 'utz-pah' to give to this challenge for some reason.

Loved the colors, loved the beads, just didn't have any extra time to create.

So I made some earrings, and in my tried and true and recently adopted half-assed style, there are no ear wires on these babies! 

That was also partially due to the fact that the day of the reveal, we were headed out of town to Harrisburg for the Fire Expo...

Let me explain THAT. 

Nope, I am not in love with fire trucks, or other such apparatus. (Although I do really like flashing lights and guys in uniforms and I might currently work for the local police, which is really fun at times...) 

Is it getting hot in here?!?!?! Lol

Ok, back on track...

So, before babies, my now husband (and volunteer fireman for 25 years) would attend the Expo on his own, and one year when we were newly sweethearts, he asked if I wanted to go with him. Let's just say, that was like 11 years ago and we are still making the pilgrimage....

Did I mention that this thing happens EVERY SINGLE YEAR? And that each year it is on my birthday weekend???????????????????????

The look on my face says it all...

BUT how about that??? It's the first year for a Laurel fire truck....

Anyhow, it has turned into a trip to Hershey Chocolate World to stock up on stuff they don't sell in stores and lots of dark chocolate... 

Check out this amazing chandelier:

And also, this T-shirt: 

And it's not just Hershey World, we have to take a trip to the outlets too... 

Yep, sorry honey, momma needs new shoes and clothes!!!!! (Wink wink nod nod) But he always indulges. I love him for that!!!

As for my little nuggets, they are pretty funny. We stopped by the Carlisle Car Show and they let me take their pics in this car. (No gang signs!!! Yay)

I also found myself drawn to some other orange cars as well:

Isn't this vintage Citroen the best??? We passed it on our way to Harrisburg and it was really great to see it shown when we stopped on our way home. 

You can't see it, but it has a royal blue interior which was so cool!!!

The second orange car was this Saab. OMG- I would have driven it home if I hadn't have spent all our money on shoes and chocolate... Hahahaha

As always, the best part of going away is coming home and the puppies were thrilled to have us (well, me) back.

Can't remember what the next AG challenge is, but I have three more posts that will happen this weekend as I play catch up.

Stay tuned!!!!

Grasslands Challenge-Allegory Gallery

This post is about 2 weeks late, but it's better than never!!!!!

I am finding that earrings are giving me quite a bit of a feeling of satisfaction lately...

Andrew Thornton always would tell me to make 'a quick pair of earrings' for our book club. Well, it sure isn't book club, but the concept is working out well with how little time I have had lately.

Oh yeah, have I told you that I am so low on time that I may need a clone? Yikes!!!!

Bead therapy helps though, so here is what I came up with. (Please note that I have about one or two days a month that I get SUPER creative and extra productive, then I put it all away and forget about it until I am late to the posting party... Anyone else????) So, here goes:

Ok, so a few still need ear wires, and that is OK. Easy to do!!!

I also made a necklace a few weeks ago that was for this challenge:

And another piece that I made from a mixed bag of goodies that I scored from an Allegory Destash...

I used the one step looper tool to make this one and I LOVE it!!!!

I am posting all of my updates today, so stay tuned!!!!

Thanks! L

What the Hell is going on?????

So lately I have been really really really overextended. I am doing everything that I love to do, but I am having trouble finding enough hours in the day to do it.

It is also really hard to find a job that you love and that compensates you accordingly...

When both kids headed off to school, I had a few part time jobs where I helped my friends out at their shops a few days a week.

I wanted some more days and some more consistency and so I applied for another job to round out my newly freed up time.

Throughout the fall and winter, my time at the shops slowed down, so it was easy to work a lot at my consistent job.

But now, summer is here and I have two kids and four employers who all want and need my help.

I absolutely LOVE my time at the shops. I know in my heart that I am meant to have my own store, but the time is not right yet. The kids are too small and would hate me for making them sit there all day when they are out of school.

But three months is a long time to have off and have no schedule, so I have been looking at a few summer camps for them to keep them busy and socialized!!!

I am currently looking at hiring a babysitter for a few other days a week and some summer camps for the kids on the days that I need to be at my jobs in person.

This is a new concept for me because I stayed at home for 8 years and now, I have guilt that I am doing too much for myself and not enough with them! Why do we Moms have these feelings????

I guess I can really look forward to those days that I will be working at home by the pool while the kids swim and play for the job that needs my help with so many projects.

I just hope that I don't have a nervous breakdown trying to get everyone every place they need to be and everything done that I have to get done though.

It is a really fun and crazy ride, and I kinda love it, but I also really just need a nap! 

Made it through Mothers Day!

I wasn't really sure what to expect this Mothers Day considering that we had lost my grandmother a week before. But it turned out to be a great day! 

Grandma was sadly missed, but she was definitely with us!

The kids spent the night at my aunt's house, so I woke up to a quiet house and  had some time to relax before I started the big day.

First stop: Warrior King Pastries!!!!

These beauties are Shortbead Cookies with Violet/Rose Sugar Topping. They were sooooo good!

And, this gorgeous beast:

A Shortbead Cookie with a Scottish Thistle. It was so beautiful!!!!!

I took one to my friend Jen who owns a Scottish Pub called Hansleys and she was super thrilled to get it. Hopefully they can partner one day.

We treated my Mother In Law to a late lunch/brunch at the Ligonier Country Inn (which was fabulous) and then we headed home to clean up the pigsty before my family came over for dinner!

Isn't it funny that Moms really do not get a day off????

I did have fun setting the table though. I tried not to be super fancy, but it ended up a little mix and matchy. I also got my Mom and my Aunt a pretty cookie from Warrior King. Don't they look pretty in their gorgeous packages?

I finished my night off by doing some laundry, running two loads of dishea throught the dishwasher and catching up on the latest episodes of Empire.

And that my friends, is a dang good day!