I'm smelling good and looking clean.....

I just had a wonderful experience with a great soap maker, Juanita Barr, of a Barr of Soap Gift Shop that can be found on etsy. I had been looking for some cranberry/orange soap and she made some special, and now has some available in her shop. Believe me, it is really yummy. What a generous shop owner Juanita turned out to be.

Take a look at her shop when you have a chance. You can find some really nice soap there, even vegan for those so inclined! Oh, and be sure to look at here sold items, the soaps and displays are lovely.

Here are two items Juanita liked from my shop, Rosevine Design.

Beautiful Stuff!

Simple, clean, shiny and fun. That describes the fine jewelry made by Amy Taylor out of Illinois. I came across her etsy shop because she had favored an item on my etsy shop, a bracelet named Garden Path.

Here are a few pics of her beautiful work!

Miss Olivia, of course!

Thanks, Amanda, for taking this sweet picture of my sweetie pie!

Things have been busy around here (like when are they not???) Thanksgiving was very nice with the family and extended family. Lots of parties and dinners coming up and trying to figure out new things to bake and take. Also working on Christmas items like baby girl's dress and other gifts. Trying to make tons of jewelry, bags and other appropriate items to sell at a Christian motorcycle rally in May. Do you know how difficult it is to find decent, small, low cost motorcycle charms??

Anyway, life is good and I am a happy person. Hope the same for you, especially during this busy season. Take time to relax a little, have a nice cup of hot chocolate, read a book, put your feet up.

Cricut Search

This is pretty neat! Search for designs and find out which cartridges they are on. Go here for more info:

http://cricutsearch.com/

Or click on the button further down the page here on the left!

It just gets sweeter and sweeter!

What grammy could resist sharing these pics? Olivia is 3 years old.

Just Hello

Well, it has been a busy summer. I am ready for things to slow down a little!

We had a wonderful visit with friends we haven't had contact with for over 30 years. Why over 30 years? Mainly because I am such a bad letter writer!

We were in Key West, Florida for 5 years during the 70's, made friends with lots of Navy couples but 2 very special couples. The six of us went to church together, shared meals and were family for each other while so far away from home. One of the gals lived with me for 10 months while our husbands were gone to sea together in the West Pacific during Vietnam. We were all pretty close. We all left the Key West at different times and left the Navy at different times, moving to various states. Some of us kept in touch for a long time and there were a couple of actual visits at the beginning. I am very bad about writing but quick to pick up the phone and call. We moved a lot after getting out of the Navy, same area but we moved about every 9 months for the first few years. Long story short, life gets busy, I always had good intentions but finally lost track and they couldn't find us because our phone number was always unlisted. Long time later I started looking online for my friends ever so often without much success.

One day when cleaning out an old box of stuff while looking for a lost chocolate pie recipe, I came across an old rolodex (remember those??) from the 80's. On a whim, I flipped through it to see who was in there and found my friend's name and phone number. I thought, "It has been ages, they couldn't possibly have the same phone number" but I tried it and guess what? It is still their number!!

So, in a round about way, both couples were able to come to our location and we visited for several days, catching up with our lives and talking as if it was just yesterday that we saw each other last. It was so wonderful! And this time we won't lose each other.

So, keep track of those good old friends, you will be glad you did.

Finally Done!

It seems like I have been working on this painting for a very long time but it has just sit a lot waiting for me to find time to paint! But, it is finally done and I couldn't be more relieved. It has been delivered to the powers that be with the National Veterans Wheelchair Games so they can frame and get it ready for display in Denver, Colorado where the games will be held this year. I haven't updated my website yet with the newest canvas, but here is a peek for those interested.


We did have a little trouble with getting a good picture, for some reason so if you see some blurry areas that is why. Anyway, now it is done and I can concentrate on other things that have been waiting unpatiently to be accomplished!

Oh My Word!

Well, looks like 2009 is gone and now 2010 is in full swing. I haven't touched a bead in at least 4 months and I really am wanting to get started on several projects but it will probably be a while yet before I can think of it. All my jewelry is still on display at the local library, since June 1, 2009, if you can believe that! Every time I go to remove the display they request that I leave it and since I am not doing any shows now, I have. I just go raid the display every time I sell one of the pieces!

I have purchases some new beads. For some reason everything seems to be yellows, golds, tans and blacks. My fingers are just itching to get with it!

One reason I am not beading right now is that I have taken on new responsibilities. My son-in-law is the director for a newly formed missions group named Psalm 67 Missions Network and I am the volunteer office assistant. That really means that I do everything to make sure the short-term mission groups get where they are going, have what they need while there and get home again. My day job is approximately 30 hours a week, my Psalm 67 job is taking approximately 25 hours per week, so, do the math! I am pretty busy these days plus I have been doing some volunteer work at the local veteran's administration office. Plus I still haven't finished painting the canvas for National Veteran's Wheelchair Games that I wanted to have done by January 1. It has been busy.

I just want to be able to do everything at once!

God has certainly been good to our family this winter, no major illnesses or struggles. I had a sinus infection which caused me to have no voice for most of December but I am sure some would not find that to be a catastrophe! Pretty hard to answer the telephone when you can barely squeak out a sound, though.


For lack of anything better to show, here is a digital scrapbook page that I made in 2008 using a picture of the outside light on my front porch. You can't really see them but there are three little baby birds in the nest!

All I can say is, "Hurry Spring, hurry back soon!"