A lovely day in the Pacific Northwest...

I am almost ashamed to be so happy about our weather today, when it looks like most of the

country (including my parents in Ohio) will be facing what looks like a heck of a winter

storm.  But here in Western Washington, we are to be blessed with a week of clear, sunny

skies.  After last weeks rain, its nice to see Mr. Sun.  We don't often see his cheery face

around here in the winter.  While out running errands today, I had to stop and take a few

pictures to show what a sunny, winter day looks like in Washington.

This is a picture of downtown Seattle with the Olympic Mountains (across Puget Sound)

in the background. 

These silly looking things are the snags left when the city of Sammamish cut the trees down.  I

guess the original idea was to turn them into Totem Poles, but the cost was prohibitive.  So

for the winter, the city had the snags covered in sweaters.  They look silly enough in the

pictures, but up close they look even sillier.  I have to say this is the first time I've ever

seen a tree wearing a sweater.  At least they all coordinate.

My Bead Soup has arrived...

I received a most lovely packet of beads from my Bead Soup Blog Party partner, Valerie Norton of

Hot Fused Glass.  Ohhh, I can't tell you how excited I am and the tingle I got when I opened her

package. 

I have to say I really admire her Dicroic Glass pendant and clasp.  Her work is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get started.   

I can't wait to get started.  But I need to let them sit out so I can get the ideas percolating in my head.  I don't know about everyone else, but the planning and dreaming is as much fun as creating the finished piece. 

Thanks to Valerie for a beautiful set of beads and findings to work with.  I can't wait to see what all my fellow Bead Soup Blog Party goers create.

I wish Martha lived here......

Well, I had great hopes at the end of my last post.  I've managed to continue my dejunking of our home.

I tell you, clutter breeds.  But I'm staying one step ahead of it.  Now I have got to get my husband on

board.  He is definately a keeper and I'm not.  I think he feels that if you buy it once, you should keep

it til you die so that you don't have to buy it again.  Or somebody might need it someday.   I've got to

work on changing that mentality, because our garage has become a staging area for Goodwill or a

storage unit for our posterity.  I am convinced clutter causes stress.  I know I get stressed everytime I

go into our garage.

Bead Soup Blog Party

 On the brighter side, I've exchanged a few e-mails with my Bead Soup Blog Party partner

Valerie Norton of  Hot Fused Glass.  Check out her blog and her

Etsy Shop Artfull Adornments by Valerie.  I had quite a bit of fun putting

together her "Bead Soup" and hope she likes it.  A big thank you to Lori Anderson of

Pretty Things for hosting this wonderful blog party.  I can't wait to see what

everyone else creates with their 'Soup.'

I've been busy doing some crafting that is totally unnecessary, but totally fun. 

The next holiday is Valentine's Day and while I was out at Michaels Craft

Store, I found these really cute scrapbook embellishments that I just had to have.

So I thought I would decoupage these cute little cutouts onto small pieces of painted wood.  Sprinkle

a little of Martha Stewart's Glitter over them while the decoupage is still wet. (I have never used this product before, but it is absolutely the best.  It is so fine and powdery.  It adds the perfect glisten without being obvious like coarser glitters.)

After the decoupage has dried, I used a tacky glue around the edges to attach pieces of ribbon to

frame the little Valentine's.  I used pieces of ribbon I had to create a loop and bow to hang these

adorable little Valentine ornaments.  I just love making things that give me instant gratification.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Hopefully, I'll have my Etsy Shop Everyday Gypsy Designs filled this weekend.

Martha definately doesn't live here.....

I went to bed last night with high hopes of getting up bright and early and starting my new plan

of attack.  Get this house in shape!  But being the procrastinator that I am, I was able to elude

my plan yet another day.  I had to exercise (that is one of my New Years Resolutions),

(These are my feet, in my sneakers, in the parking lot of the gym)

 I had

to do a topical cleaning of the kitchen and baths, I had to play with my beads, and I had to

watch Martha Stewart.  Notice that 'I had' to do all these things.  Not only do I have crafting

ADD, I also seem to suffer from cleaning ADD. 

As I was saying, I had to watch Martha today.  Boy, I can sure tell you that Martha doesn't

live at my house.  Do you really think her home is as spotless and organized as she portrays in her

books and on  her shows, or is she just 'putting on airs.'  I truly hope she has a disorganized

closet or two.  A junk drawer somewhere where she has no idea what is in it.  Perhaps a

dirty towel left lying on the floor.... A spoiled carton of milk in the fridge  (I have to honestly

say that one has never happened in my home.  My kids drink so much milk, I have to

restock the fridge a couple of times a week).  Anyway, one can only hope.  Martha

did share a couple of ideas that might help me solve some of our kitchen clutter.  I'm

going to give that a whirl and see if it works.  If it does, I'll have to share it.

I subscribe to numerous feeds and such from not only bloggers, but stores, companies, magazines, etc.

I did recieve one from Better Homes and Gardens - Life Made Better that suggested 18 things to get

rid of that you won't miss.  Now I do have to say that my past purging attempts have gotten rid

of a lot of stuff, I seem to have missed a lot too.  Things like extraneous kitchen utensils,

coffee mugs, extra plastic containers, magazines, unread and read books, clothes, clothes, 

and clothes,  food,  and linens.  They mentioned other  things, but I'll just say that I am on

top of those (ha, ha).  Thats my 'Mission Possible,' if i decide to accept it.  I'll let you know

how it goes.  

In the meantime, I did play with my beads and little bit of my fabrics and such.  I'll just leave you

with those images for know.

 

New Year Resolutions....

Well its 2011.  A new year and I've made a few resolutions..

1.  I am going to exercise regularly and eat better... (I am almost sure I'm not alone on this one)

2.  I am going to get my blogging act together and make regular posts.

3.  I am going to get my Etsy shop up and running.

4.  I am going to get my house cleaned out and organized (again)

5.  I am going to get my crafting mess cleaned up and organized (I have trouble creating in a neat environment, but we'll give it a whirl.

That should do it.  I think this is the same list I had last year...

But this time I'm really going to do it.  Don't laugh.

I've been working on a few new designs. 

                 I suffer from beading ADD I think.  I love to try anything new and will devote my time

to making a certain style of jewelry for awhile and then I have to try the next new

thing.  Like I said I have beading ADD and I have it BADD.... don't laugh

But then I have to admit I have crafting ADD.  I love to bead, but I also get

occasionally sidetracked to pursue other crafting adventures.  Needless to

say that my house is cluttered with not only beads, but fabric, yarn, paper,

and all the things that go along with crafting with those materials.  Oh, I am

really ill (with the crafting bug).