Canyon Earrings

It's been a slow couple of days around the studio...I did however get a pair of earrings made using Tree Wings Studio by Rebekah Payne "ridged round" beads.

Asymmetrical polymer clay canyons, coral, and moonstone with sterling earwires...

And I did get my Art Bead Earring Hop partners packages in the mail this week too!!

New Obsession!

We do A LOT of hiking the on the Appalachian Trail during the summer.  Usually I just borrow some outgrown shoes from my 13 year old, and bitch afterwards about how much my feet hurt!  This year we're planning on doing a few days to a week of section hiking, so I treated myself to some unconventional footwear.   Granted, I won't be able to hike over extremely rough sections of rocks,(no worries here in VA) etc. but so far I'm in love with these!

Vibram Komodo Sport

My new collection

Yeah, I'm one of "those people" :)  

My 23rd Birthday...AGAIN!

We had big plans today, and I have to admit, I woke up in a bitter mood.  Simply angry at the world...for lack of better words.

As we headed into the mountains though, the mood faded, and by the time we got down to The Natural Bridge I realized that even though sometimes I feel as if the world took away the most beautiful person in my life...there's still SO much beauty...if I'd just look for it!  Ok, that's about as philosophical as I get...on to the day's adventures!

First stop was the gift shop (where the tickets are purchased), I paid for our tickets and went looking for the kids who were browsing.  Here's what I found...

Yep, in the 2 minutes they were unsupervised, they had found guns, hats and a victim!  Pictured is 3 of my foursome...and even though Ashley isn't pictured she was laughing hysterically...just as guilty!

Gangsta Daniel Boone...5 minutes in to the trip and I was worried we were going to get kicked out!

I herded up the group and headed down to the butterfly gardens.  The lighting was TERRIBLE and this is the only shot that was decent:

These butterflies were HUGE!  They were flying all around and landing all over us!

On to the main event...The Natural Bridge!!

And then there's the wild life:

Snake #1 of the day!!!

Awesome metallic green beetle...complete with tiny silvery dots!

It's actually a six spotted tiger beetle.

Snake #2...snake #3 (I think they are rat snakes) was a little camera shy and wouldn't come out of his hole in the rocks!  And yep...my 4 poked and prodded...

I'm not sure what these creatures are....

And it doesn't matter where we go my crew ALWAYS ends up in the water!!!

Even the Mr.....

...tried to give me a heart attack with his "I'm falling" fake-out!!

And a few artsy/scenic shots:

Moobie's Converse...she's my rebel!

Thatched fence around the Monacan Indian village.

The Lost River

Flora

Of course we can't be so close to the AT and not at least take a short hike!!

One day I'll complete a thru hike!

So I came home and ordered myself these...as I'm not a tennis shoe girl and wearing my son's outgrown hiking boots (that are still too big for me) just aren't working out!

And the sweet man who made the trip possible...he's an absolute doll!!!

One of the rare pictures of us!

I have a few cavern photographs, but I'll save those for another time!!  So, all in all...although there were a few tears...I had an awesome Mother's Day & birthday!

Button Swap Reveal!

Not long ago I signed up for Cindy Wimmer's Button Swap.  My sweet husband would like to personally thank Cindy for getting me hooked on vintage buttons, and dragging requesting his presence as  I went on my search through many antique stores looking for treasures!  I did happen upon a LARGE bag of buttons, and then as if guided by The Good Lord Himself, found a bag of antique mother of pearl buttons in his grandmother's sewing box...little sneaky compartment!!

We're off to Natural Bridge today to celebrate my birthday/Mother's Day, so I won't get a chance to hop til later this evening...

My partner is Teresa Gagne of Going to Pot! Teresa had a visit from good ol' Mr. Murphy and his laws...and received more than a headache when someone ran their car through her yard...causing ALOT of damage.  Hence, Teresa's buttons got delayed, but I received them this afternoon!!

So, unfortunately I haven't had a chance to create anything with these beauties yet!  I adore the colors though, and ideas are already coursing through my wee little brain!  There will definitely be a funky fabric cuff made with at least one of these!!

And being the scatterbrain that I am, I didn't photograph the buttons I sent Teresa...so typically me!  I made some resin buttons from antique photographs, some of the vintage mother of pearl buttons from Granny's hidden treasures, and a few buttons left over from a stash that Tari Sasser sent me during Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party! 

Please visit the participants....and I will post my reveal some time in the upcoming week!

Alice Peterson  and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

 Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

 Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

 Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

 Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

 Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

 Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

 Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

 Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

 Christine Stonefield and Dana James

 Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

 Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

 Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

 Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

 Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

 Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

 Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

 Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

 Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

 Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

 Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

 Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

 Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

 Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

 Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

 Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

 Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

 Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

 Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

 Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

 Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

 Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

 Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

 Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

 Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

 Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

 Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

 Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

 Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

 Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

 Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

 Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

 Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

 Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

 Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

 Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

 Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

 Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

 Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer 

 Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

 Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

 Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

 Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

 Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

 Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

 Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

 Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

 Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

 Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

 Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

 Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

 Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

 Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

 Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

 Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

 Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

 Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

 Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

 Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

 Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

 Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

 Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

 Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

 Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

 Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

 Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

 Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

 Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

 Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Mother's Day

No, I haven't completely lost it...I know Mother's Day isn't until Sunday, but Mother's Day without your Momma just doesn't hold the same meaning.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE spending the day with my foursome...I just miss being "a daughter" on Mother's Day.  Like many, I have SO many "shouldas, couldas, wouldas"...but I never dreamed those sands of time would run out so soon....

This year, I decided to make myself a little something.  My mother was cremated, and although I respected her decision, I don't think she could have ever realized how hard that was for those left behind.  Almost 8 years later, and I still haven't found a place that's worthy for her ashes...

PMC sterling pendant with angelite (how appropriate) & Czech flower beads.

The back...a pinch of my Momma's ashes are encased between the front and back,

then stamped with a butterfly (symbolizes change)

According to my children "it's a little creepy", and my dear sweet Mr. looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told him what was inside!  It probably isn't exactly conventional (of course there's the argument that I've never been conventional), and I'm ok with that...but it's comforting to finally have something tangible (my own little secret), and because carrying around an urn would have gotten me a one way ticket to the mad house!

I'll still miss her like crazy on Sunday, and my way to deal with the situation is to simply "not deal with it"...hence my post 2 days early...

If Roses grow in Heaven
Lord, please pick a bunch for me.
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.

Tell her that I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.

Because remembering her is easy,
I do it every day,
but there's an ache within my heart
that will never go away.

God saw you getting tired

and a cure was not to be

so he put his arms around you

and whispered,

"Come to Me"

With tearful eyes we watched you

and saw you pass away

and although we love you dearly

we could not make you stay.

A Golden heart stopped beating

hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best

You can only have one mother
Patient kind and true;
No other friend in all the world,
Will be the same to you.

When other friends forsake you,
To mother you will return,
For all her loving kindness,
She asks nothing in return.

As I look upon her picture,
Sweet memories I recall,
Of a face so full of sunshine,
And a smile for one and all.

Sweet Jesus, take this message,
To my dear mother up above;
Tell her how I miss her,
And give her all my love.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOMMA!!