Style

Fashion fades, only style remains. Coco Chanel

I am a big fan of Chanel. I cannot wait to see the movie! I love simplicity and feminine style and Chanel always seems to be that. It's odd as I get older I seem to have a drive to be more feminine. Maybe it's downsizing our horses so I don't feel like such a tom girl. When I go shopping now I seem to be drawn to floral prints, where as before I seemed to be drawn to whatever would survive barn work the longest!

I have a new bead set, Rapture. In my etsy. I am still a bit obsessed with Clio glass from double helix. I have been playing with disks a bit so I may get some of them listed soon.

Back at it

Taste concerns itself with broad, lifetime progress and never makes mistakes, style moves by fits and starts and is occasionally glorious. Kennedy Fraser

Sorry I've been slack about posting quotes. With all the outdoors work I've not spent as much time in the studio as I should. I wonder as an artist if my work should have a more specific style to it? So when people see a picture of my beads there is something that says they are mine? I tend to flit about when it comes to beadmaking, maybe diversity is my style?

Pond

Put my pond together today, I got it from BC Ponds. I highly recommend them. It came in three boxes and went together like a puzzle, I did the whole thing by myself! It's 300 gal and I may get some koi, for now it's got a water lily in it and a water iris. I may plant some clematis behind it. Thinking of getting a magnolia tree and a wisteria, anyone got any pros or cons to them?

Special Delivery!

Today was a happy day for me! My studio arrived! I desperately need more space so we bought a little building. I'll be moving my silver equipment out there and possibly setting up a couple torch stations. I've named it " Little Piece of Heaven". It's amazing how they can crane a building around!

I've had to move a lot of my garden but it's worth it! I'll have a large outdoor sitting area in front of it, my pond! Possibly a small deck!

My after 40 face felt far more comfortable than anything I lived with previously. Self-confidence was a powerful beauty potion. I looked better because I felt better. Failure and grief as well as success and love had served me well. Finally I was tapping into that most hard won of youth dews, wisdom. Nancy Collins

This one I am going to let sit alone. I need to think on it.

Moved my lavender and asparagus

I've moved my lavender and asparagus bed, in hopes of having a building moved into my veggie garden space. Possibly more studio room! We shall see though these things often do not go as planned.

The Bloomin Again show is at Coast Collective, it's a wonderful show. One of my favorites! I've got a few pieces in it here's one of them. I've called her Daystar.

I've been playing more with Double Helix's Clio glass. Here is Masquerade.

Hero?

We are the hero of our own story. Mary McCarthy

I wonder sometimes what I'll be remembered for? What stands out about me? What people think on first impressions, then after they get to know me?

I try and do good, at least every day. Even if the only good I do is scritch each horse as they get fed. Stroke the cat and he bolts by me up the stairs, it IS a race you know. I find my animals always get simple honest attention. People sometimes I wonder if I blow by them, too busy to notice?

Ever wonder what people will remember you for?

Pekingese?

If one is a greyhound, why try to look like a Pekingese? Dame Edith Stidwell

Not sure which I am? Not being a dog person I'd prefer neither. I'll liken myself to a cat, maybe a red tabby.

Evenings are a bit of a routine for me. I often feed the horses at around 6, then spend some time getting dinner ready, then blog, check out my facebook, then relax. Variations from that routine often make me grumpy. I like my time to wind down. I tend to list new beads etc at dinner time, not sure why but it's become a habit over the years.

My beads seem to be having a bit of a girlie look to them lately, at last I think they do? Pinks and purples seeing to be running amuck everywhere! It's that new Clio glass from Double Helix I can't seem to put it down.

Nouvelle Pink, definetly a bit of a girlie theme to them. Juicy is how I think of them!

If you want to find the answers to the Big Questions about your soul, you'd best begin with the Little Answers about your body. George Sheehan

Interesting time for this quote to rear it's head. I've been working on reducing my little buddha belly that's developed for about a month now. You know, that little belly that grows above your waistband? Well, if you don't know I hate you LOL

I was just wondering why it's not going away?! I've been doing reverse sit ups, some butt lifts and regular cross over sit ups. But it really looks about the same size to me, hrumpf! Maybe I'll add walking into my regime.

I guess I do have a rather stationary career. While spinning glass all day makes me smile (a lot!) it's not the most active thing in the world. I'll have to mull this over I guess.

I've got another set of those yummy beads in my etsy shop. Vibrato I am really loving the reactions I'm getting out of this glass. See all the colors in the photo above? Did I mention I LOVE this glass?!

Vivacious

Any little bit of experimenting in self-nurturance is very frightening for most of us. Julia Cameron

It's often hard to nurture yourself. Nurturing others is often a cinch, but yourself that's a whole other story.

I succeeded about 50% at it today. I was determined to take the day off and do stuff for ME! I did get some shopping done this morning, went to Winners my favorite new store for great finds. Didn't find much but had a good time. Got some of the new Dark Cherry flavored coffee syrup from Starbucks, YUM!

Then I got my house totally cleaned, boring I know. But it sure made me feel good! It smells great thanks to the almond oil hardwood cleaner and I have the whole rest of the week to make beads.

Speaking of beads, see those up above. I LOVE THEM! LOVE LOVE LOVE !! They are called Vivacious and they are in my etsy!

Be kind to yourself

I did not loose myself all at once. I rubbed out my face over the years washing away my pain, the same way carvings on stone are worn down by water. Amy Tan

We women often find it hard to be nice to ourselves. It's something I'm trying to be more aware of. Show weekends are exhausting, all though it's mainly stationary work the questions, setup, take down, commute to the show all adds up to a lot of time and energy.

I had a decent how weekend, my classes were full my students seemed happy and my sales were decent. I enjoyed myself! Met some nice people and chatted with some other great vendors.

But today I treated myself kindly. I went for breakfast with my husband, after a 1/2 hour sleep in. It's become a bit of a ritual for us, one weekday morning he feeds the horses and I get a bit of extra sleep. Then we go for breakfast, it's become a nice little way for us to spend time together.

I am feeling like I'm getting a cold so I puttered around the house and planted my blue berries. I am hoping to get a few more bushes so we have lots this year!

Now it's gently raining. When I fed the horses supper the song "I love a rainy night" got stuck in my head. I realized I DO love a rainy night, the sound of the rain on the roof when I am safely indoors to stay dry is soothing.

If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change. The two women you are, they can make you over. Ponds Cream Ad 1947

I think tomorrow I'll practice sending out a confident vibe. I was a bit upset when I realized today there was a import bead seller at the sewing and craft show I am at friday and saturday.

Often when I a importer is at the same show as a lampwork artist it can really affect our sales. But I am going to put on my confident face, my beads really ARE amazing, unique and one of a kind, and explain to everyone who'll listen why artist made beads are so amazing.

It'll be a long day I have to be out of the house by 7:30 to be in town in time for the 9:00 start. I teach from 2:15 to 4:15, thank goodness for Mom's she is running my booth for me then. And the show closes at 6, then home to feed horses and collapse!

Here's to a fun day and decent sales!

The tragedy of our time is that we are so eye centered, so appearance besotted. Jessamyn West

I do think appearance if often judged. But I also think I like looking good! In fact today I've felt grubby all day. I spent this morning grinding pliers, which is messy and stinky. Then I madly made a LOT of beads!

I'm in the Sewing and Craft show this friday and saturday. I am teaching a byzantine class (beginner) and I normally teach 6 students for four hours. I have 11 students for 2 hours! Yikes! I didn't have enough tools, so that's why I was grinding pliers today. So if one of my students happens to read this please cut me some slack, I didn't handle the class bookings the show did.

Needless to say after grinding and beadmaking I felt grubby. I had a wonderful luxurious bath, trying to recharge and feel human again.

Buffy

Buffy the frog, possibly inspired by all the noise the frogs make at night now!

Fancy

A little of what you fancy does you good. Marie Lloyd

I admit while I took my Simple Abundance Daybook with me to Pt Townsend, I didn't post much for quotes from it did I?

I did read it though, determined to stay on track with it.

Fancy, humm I am not sure things have to be fancy to do you good. One of my new joys is leveling the riding ring with a little used golf course tractor we bought. It has this wonderful set of miniature hydraulics that lift and drop the harrows and it has forward and backward, making it idiot proof! Just my kinda tractor.

It's become my weekend ritual, usually sunday's I level the ring. The boys tear it up during their play time and being as it's a bit of a smaller riding ring we tend to use the track a lot. Keeping it leveled helps the footing stay good.

My husband gave me a rather odd look when I covered my footsteps as I drove the tractor out to park it, stopped and had a look and the lovely flattened sand. It makes me smile to use the ring (I've never had one of my own!) and it makes me smile to keep it all "fancy".

Indy Update

It was a gorgeous day here today. I torched most of the morning and afternoon, I've got a kiln full of beads and was pretty happy about it. I ran out of dipped mandrels at about 4:00 and figured I still had time for a ride. What a great ride it was! Indy is starting to lighten up a bit and get a bit more supple. His breathing is still not was it used to be, I may put him on some herbs to help his lungs but he's really starting to feel a bit more normal. I really do want to thank everyone who sent him healing thoughts, I sometimes think that's why he pulled through. There were many days we really thought he wasn't going to.

To put it into perspective for those who didn't follow his saga, here's a picture of him at the height of his illness last year. He was down for almost 2 weeks straight, in the middle of a heat wave. We had two fans running on him during the day, his shoes were pulled because they were giving him bed sores from lying down so much. You can see the sores in this photo. This was just after his surgery to drain the fluid off his lungs.

And this is today, his weight is holding steady. He's always gained weight easily and we've got him on a new grain that seems to be helping him stay at a normal weight. Being overweight will stress his lungs so it's important he stays at a normal weight. Considering he tore off across the yard like a crazy man about 10 seconds after I took this picture I think he's feeling a lot better.

Connections Show at Coast Collective

The Connections show at Coast Collective starts this week, I have a bracelet, pendant and earring set in the show.

It runs March 4-14th the opening reception is March 6 2-4pm.

Sorcerer

A new pair of earring beads in my etsy! I love making these, oddly enough I find making tiny matching pairs soothing.

Glass Beach

I went to a place they call glass beach while I was in Pt Townsend, in fact I stayed an extra few days to hit the tides right so we could go.

This photo is taken from the end of the beach looking back to where we started from.

There were tons of spark plugs, some car parts, glass and ceramic bits. The bluff above it was a old dump at one time so there is an amazing amount of goodies on the beach. Here's a picture of one of the car parts and my goodies!

March 1st and what a day it was!

Still in Pt Townsend !! And what a blast! This morning started with me a bit foggy but a trip to the gym seemed to get me going, I think I am liking my new running shoes. I've been trying them out on the treadmill I think I was convinced they would NOT fit but today I think I decided they do! That'll make my feet a lot happier. After loads of blisters from the walking in crappy shoes in Mexico I've decided I need good shoes.

I had lunch with Nicole B another good friend, she's getting married and I forgot how much fun it is to plan weddings. Well we didn't plan a whole lot but we had a great visit! Seeing her so happy you can't help but feed of the joy.

An afternoon spent playing in the studio, then mexican with Andrea's Dad and Sally made for a fun dinner! Then back into the studio from some great creative evening time. I rarely work in the evenings but something about being here got me on a roll! I'm pretty excited about what I made today and have a few more ideas.

Tomorrow we go to glass beach !!!!