Saying Goodbye....

It's never easy is it?  

And yet we somehow manage to do it and go on our merry way, getting wrapped up in the crazy bizzy-ness that life is.  

Today I had to say goodbye.  

It wasn't easy.  

It's not going to be easy.  

This one will be tough because I have been left with a little hole in my heart.  Saying good bye to someone that is such a big part of my life.   

 Gina, myself and Iva the deserter!

Yes...there is the phone/chat/text/email and even Skype.  But it's not the same.  There isn't any more....hey what are you doing at noon...wanna go to lunch?  shopping?  come over and help me on this project???  

sigh....  

No, that's not a simple sigh.  

That is a big 'ol dramatic, sad, over the top, blow the wind out of your sails... sigh. 

I said goodbye with a smile on my face.  I gave a big hug and took a mental picture as I drove away...and I told her I was taking that picture...and we laughed about it...like only we can. 

Then I cried quiet alligator tears the whole way home. 

Tomorrow...I'm staying in bed.  

I'm going to refuse to get up.  

I'm going to be cranky and hard to get along with.

I'm going to make the kids make their own lunch (that won't go over well).

Shoot....they can make their own breakfast too (sounds like I won't be the only cranky in the house)!!

I'm going to lay there and feel sorry for myself....that a little piece of me is gone....

TO FLORIDA !!

OH heck...

Who am I kidding?  I'm going to bury myself in Bizzy-ness and try to be happy and move on with life....because I have to plan a trip to Florida !! 

Holiday Craziness....

 

Won't y'all stop running around like crazy and give me some lovin'?

Pop on in...

for a visit

My Winter blog sale is today at 5pm PST. 

Hope to see you there!

A bit of a tangled mess.....

and isn't it purdy !

Busy getting ready for my web sale.  This Sunday, December 4th at 5pm pst.

Find it here.

Back in the studio!

After my wonderful trip to Gilding the Lily in Southern California I took a couple of days off to get caught up with the laundry and such.  Man does that pile up!!  I am finally back in the studio, getting ready for my December web sale.  I can't believe December is in less than two weeks.  Crazy!! 

Thought I would show you some tree topper girls I made for my sweet friend Marcia at Cottage Jewel.  These girls are making their appearance tonight at the Spirit of Danville event held in our lovely little downtown.  Marcia asked me to make these for her store and I was thrilled to do it for her.  They have a cone base which slips right onto the top of the tree and they are wearing the most gorgeous vintage lace skirts. 

I wish I could make it downtown tonight.  It's so much fun to see it all lit up and to watch the fun little trolley that rolls around giving shoppers rides from one end of town to the other.  Unfortunately....but fortunately...I have a soccer meeting to be at.  That is a good thing as it means my boy made the team!  Yay!  

Road trip!!

The girls and I are packing our bags and heading to Santa Ana, CA.

Hope to see you this Saturday at Glitterfest from 10-4.

These girls were troopers!

Last weekend the 21 sweetest, hardest working gals around came to my home to create.  They came from as far away as Texas and Montana and as close as just a few miles away.

They had their heads down and their creativity ON as we sculpted, painted and sewed.

 They came armed with fabulous fabrics, ribbon and trims...

and a plan of action.

We munched and sipped on all kinds of goodies...

 and chit chatted the weekend away...

 I am so honored to have been able to spend the weekend with these wonderfully creative women.

 What a treat!

A special thanks to Sally and Carol for their yummy baked goodies.  They were incredible!

Here are some snaps of some of the nearly completed pieces.  I love how they are all so different...

When it was all said and done....it was a fantastic weekend with some old friends and lots of new ones.

It felt like a mini vacation...little umbrellas and all!

I was sad to see it end....

But Albert and Lola hope y'all will come back again real soon!

I do too!

a few more peeks...

Of the Tinsel and Treasures show.

 I have to say that I think this was my favorite piece of the day.  So magical...

 Arbutus

Charlene Geiger

Debby Anderson

Iva Wilcox

Natalie Hansen

A little glimpse....

into the 2011 Tinsel and Treasures show!

 creamy and dreamy....

um...hello....swoooooon!

charming...

always some fun...

Tick tock ....

I'm counting down the days, hours and minutes until Saturday!   

Tinsel and Treasures is just about here.

The girls are piling up...

and the bling is looking especially sparkley!

And even though my new little helper has thrown a bit of a wrench into my daily routine....

 

It's all good!

Hope to see you Saturday!!

Happiness...

A bundle of energy.  Don't let this calm sweet face fool yah!

Consuming all my time at the moment...

Lola

 

 

 

12 weeks old and as sassy as can be!

Hovering....

 Goodness Gracious!

I certainly did not plan on being gone from this blog for so long!  The last time I posted I felt that I was soon to be on a blog post roll!  There was going to be so much going on and so much to post about.  Then the husband and I had to put on REALLY big catcher's mitts for the curve ball(s) that life has thrown us!! 

 We celebrated our first high school graduation and an 18th birthday soon after that.  Such good times.

 

Somewhere in between we had an emergency, middle of the night, surgery on the 15 year old.  A four day hospital stay and 6 week recovery of not lifting more than 5 pounds, no physical activity....not so easy for a teenager in the summer!!  The flu hit our house...twice...and my momma took a spill and ended up in the E.R. with dislocated fingers and a huge gash above her eye.

We also have been through the tragic death of a 4 year old nephew.  No words for that.

On the happy ~ happy front...the surgery patient is doing great and we are excitedly looking forward to the birth of my great nephew, Liam, and my sisters wedding to the love of her life.  It just goes to show that life does go on and happy times are to be cherished. 

During my "hovering" days I had a chance to clean up the studio and organize a bit.

 

I've been using up some of my blingy collection to work on some fun jewelry pieces.

 It's hard to part with some of these jewels but they aren't being enjoyed just sitting in a drawer!!

 I'm loving my plastic rhinestone lovelies...

Along with the creamy white goodness of these.

 I've been doing some sewing, getting ready for both Tinsel and Treasures and Glitterfest.

 

 

  I've also been working on getting ready for my Studio Workshop (2 spots still available) and LOVE that my students have not given up on the hunt for the seemingly elusive "perfect frame" for their project.

 I'm meeting a sweet friend tomorrow for lunch and some antique shopping as one can never have too many old linens...

and trims!

 Having to cancel our summer vacation and weekend trips due to Shane's recovery has allowed me to catch up on my favorite show...

 (Do you watch this one?)

And spend a day in the kitchen canning apricots and making jam with one of my favorite people.

 I've also done some hovering in the garden....but unless Mother Nature wants to smile on us with a little more heat...I don't know how many of these babies I'm going to see this summer.

 I hope you are having a wonderful, warm, creative and safe summer. 

~~~~~~~

On a side note....please remember not to use your cell phone while driving.  No phone call or text is so important that it can't wait until you arrive at your destination or pull to the side of the road.