The Initial of my True Love

 

Lately I've been off-line due to a hideous cold that has left me tired and fighting to regain my energy.  For those who've seen this as an opportunity to delete me from your followers list ... well ... c'est la vie. 
Back in the days of cavemen and dinosaurs I went to a friend's birthday party; the invitees, all young ladies, were not yet going steady, let alone engaged. We were a giggling bunch and all dreaming of our future prince charmings. There was a game we played that day; each girl was given a small apple and a vegetable peeler or paring knife, with the object of peeling the apple in as long and as thin a strip as possible. Once we each had our covetous apple peel spiral we were instructed to drop it over our shoulder and let it fall to the floor while reciting " Apple peel please reveal the initial of my true love". Perhaps it was wishful thinking but we would always see the initials of someone special in our apple peel pile. As for all those peeled apples ? Well I suppose my friend's mother ended up baking a lovely apple pie ... what a sneaky way of getting us to peel her apples for her.

Now step back about 3 weeks ago. I saw a recipe on another blog (thank you LanyardLady) for an apple crisp; the tender slices of juicy cooked apples topped with a crispy, crunchy crust of brown sugar and cinnamon truly looked delicious and I decided to try making it. So John and I headed to the store where I purchased a few nice Granny Smith, green, tart apples. Upon returning home I washed the apples and as I began to peel the first one I was jolted back to that day a million years ago; seeing my group of girl friends giggling over the initials of their true love revealed in apple peelings. Carefully I peeled, round and round and round ending up with one long continuous spiral. Since I am already married the formality of dropping it over my shoulder and onto the floor became irrelevant and instead I held the spiraling peel high above the kitchen sink and then ... released it. There in my sink was the initial of my one true love. Normally the last place I'd wish to photo would be the inside of my kitchen sink but as I peered at the apple peel it was so unmistakably clear that I had to get my camera and take a photo; otherwise no one would believe it.

 Photo above - The peel looks like a perfect cursive J, the first letter of my hubby's name, John.

Photo below - However when I looked closer I noticed that below the J was a perfect e, John's middle initial is e for Evan.  Yes coincidence but still very interesting.

Another silly game involving the apple was to take firm hold of the apple stem and  turn the apple, with each full rotation of the stem we would start through the alphabet ... a ... b ... c ... d etc.  At the letter where the stem finally breaks off would be the letter of one's furture boyfriend.  So while we girls were busy with frivilous games trying to foretell who our prince would ultimately be the boys had their own game that they played with the apple.  After eating the apple and left only with its core the boy would shout; "Apple core" to which someone replied; "Baltimore ... whose your friend?"  Someone would shout out a name of another boy in the group and then the apple eater would throw the apple core at that boy and shout out; "Not no more !"  Just one of the many ways that the sexes are different. LOL

Do you recall any cute little games or traditions such as these and if so please share them with me, I'd love to read them.

NEVER Write a Blog Post While Under the Influence ...

Recently I wrote and published the following post but probably should not have. At the time I was fighting off a bad cold or perhaps it was the flu, and was under the heavy influence of cold/flu medication and cough suppressants. Though drugs have been known to induce vivid and creative writing, this was not so in my case. After reading through my article I realized it was incoherent and in fact was missing a complete paragraph; well, perhaps it wasn't missing, the paragraph was there but inserted into the wrong place.
If you've read this before you will find that the corrected version below should make more sense.
I know not to drive when taking cold medications and now I will add to that to also refrain from publishing blog posts.


Not long ago my Creative Arts group had a guest speaker, an artist known for her mixed media art and for her woven textiles. Her presentation was interesting, especially when she came to the part of having an online website and how she utilized Search Engine Optimization during the busy gift buying season of the Fall Winter holidays. When questioned "How" she optimized her site, it was a let down to find out her husband worked for a company that specialized in designing websites and SEO enhancement. Basically she just handed it over to his company to help direct traffic to her web-pages. Must be nice if you have someone on the inside to help you but most of us don't.

SEO has always been a mystery to me, seems that no matter what I do it doesn't change things much. Friends have told me how they've spent far too much trying to improve their websites visibility by hiring someone to optimize their site but ultimately found it to be a waste of money.
I must admit that the mumbo-jumbo, techno talk of SEO intimidated me and there was a lot that went way over my head however recently I found a website that offers a free booklet that explains SEO in simple terminology. No techno babble, just clear English with a pinch of humor added for flavor. The booklet is called: "The Care And Feeding Of Search Engines" a simple guide to SEO.

And yes, it is free.   That may be changing in the near future as the website grows and accumulates more followers and more business. The thing that I liked best was there's no pressure for you to sign up for anything and you're not required to commit to anything. Conrad Walton started this website, he's a techie guru and he offers website design and also SEO services for those wishing it. His booklet is an accumulation of his own experiences and knowledge and, granted it is just the first rung on the SEO ladder, it does give a lot of insight and information about SEO.


One thing that I learned from reading his booklet is the true function of our Blog List. You know, it's that list of blogs most of us have along side our blog posts. I thought they were just there to say; "Hey these are some of my favorite blogs" and though that's true, the real purpose is to provide "links". Every blog that features your blog in their list or roll provides a link back to your own blog and these links are counted by the search engines; so the more links we have out there the higher our standing is with search engines. All in all it's a good thing to have a Blog List and even a better thing to be on other blog's Blog List. How about all those cute little button or badges that blogs ask you to take and put on your blog ? It's the same thing. It provides a link back to their blog and is free promotion. Maybe I was a bit dense that this had not dawned on me before, but it's nice to know ... better late than never !

If you care to check "The Care And Feeding Of Search Engines" this post is filled with highlighted links that will take you there. Hope it will be as enlightening for you as it has been for me.

Here's a Scary Thought ... SEO ... How to Optimize?

Have I got your attention ?

SEO has always been a mystery to me, seems that no matter what I do it doesn't change much.
Friends have told me how they've spent far too much trying to improve their websites visibility by hiring someone to optimize their site but ultimately found it to be a waste of money.

Not long ago my Creative Arts group had a guest speaker, an artist known for her mixed media art and for her woven textiles. Her presentation was interesting, especially when she came to the part of having an online website and how she utilized Search Engine Optimization during the busy gift buying season of the Fall Winter holidays. When questioned "How" she optimized her site, it was a let down to find out her husband worked for a company that specialized in designing websites and SEO enhancement. Basically she just handed it over to his company to help direct traffic to her web-pages. Must be nice if you have someone on the inside to help you but most of us don't.

 Searching for the answers?

I must admit that the mumbo-jumbo, techno talk of SEO intimidated me and there was a lot that went way over my head but recently I found a website that offers a free booklet that explains SEO in simple terminology. No techno babble, just clear English with a pinch of humor added for flavor. The booklet is called: "The Care And Feeding Of Search Engines" a simple guide to SEO. And yes, it is free, however that may be changing in the very near future as the website grows and accumulates more followers and more business. The thing that I liked best was there's no pressure for you to sign up for anything and you're not required to commit to anything.
Conrad Walton , the man who started this website, is a techie guru and he offers website design and also SEO services for those wishing it. His booklet is an accumulation of his own experiences and knowledge and, granted it is just the first rung on the SEO ladder, it does give a lot of insight and information about SEO.

Yep it's all about attitude !

One thing that I learned from reading his booklet is the true function of our Blog List. You know, it's that list of blogs most of us have along side our blog posts. I thought they were just there to say; "Hey these are some of my favorite blogs" and though that's true, the real purpose is to provide "links". Every blog that features your blog in their list or roll provides a link back to your own blog and these links are counted by the search engines; so the more links we have out there the higher our standing is with search engines. All in all it's a good thing to have a Blog List and even a better thing to be on other blog's Blog List. How about all those cute little button or badges that blogs ask you to take and put on your blog ? It's the same thing. It provides a link back to their blog and is free promotion. Maybe I was a bit dense that this had not dawned on me before, but it's nice to know ... better late than never !

If you care to check "The Care And Feeding Of Search Engines"  this post is filled with highlighted links that will take you there. Hope it will be as enlightening for you as it has been for me.

Officially It's Scooby ... Scooby Doo

Little Lexie turns 10 this Monday.  When asked what she wants for her birthday her answer is nothing for herself.  She is now the proud and loving owner of her very own horse and all she wants are things for Scooby.  BTW for those who've read the post about "A Child's Dream Come True" you know who Scooby is and will be pleased to know that his full name is indeed, Scooby Doo. 

Our daughter helped us out by suggesting a nice birthday present; a plaque, with Scooby's name engraved, for Scooby's stall .  So yesterday John and I hightailed it over to our local mall where there's a "Thing's Remembered" kiosk and we had Scooby's very own plaque made up. 

Unfortunately the engraving isn't as pronounced as we would have liked as it is carved into brass ... maybe if we dabbed some black paint into the etching and then wiped it off ?    What type of paint should we use ?  Or is there something better on the market ?  Any suggestions or recommendations ?

A Child's Dream Come True

This October my granddaughter, Lexie, will turn 10. If she could have only one gift, her request would be for a horse of her own.

Photo above ... Lexie, the taller child wearing the cowgirl hat, and her new love Scooby. 

Lexie took to horse back riding much like the proverbial duck takes to water. After just a few short lessons she was infatuated with the sport and with the animal. So it was with no surprise that for the past few months she had been asking, well perhaps more appropriately begging, her parents for a horse.


Everyone told my daughter to wait until Lexie was older because children's whims change and what she is fervent about today may be different by next year. But Lexie seemed head-over-heels in love with horses and with the sluggish economy many horse owners were now relinquishing their beloved animals; the cost of feed and care having cut deeply into their once well padded wallets.  Now is a prime time to purchase as there are many fine horses being sold well below cost and many come complete with tack.



Lexie and her parents looked at several fine steeds and narrowed the field down to 3 of the most gentle that were within their budget. In the end the winner, hands down, was Scooby. Scooby is 9 years old, not a huge horse, he is very docile and for $500 comes with all his tack ... a match made in heaven!
As Roy and Dale used to sing; "Happy Trails to You".  May they have many happy trails together!

Faded Pictures ... Of The Way We Were ...

It was the 60's and fashion ... well what can I say about fashion in the 60's other than it was a time of women's lib; fashions were wild, crazy and short, very short ... the shorter the better.

Photo above - Taken December 1969 of friends and family.  Notice the lady standing at the back of the group, her flamboyant dress had a 3" hem of  black fringe.  It was the fringe alone that made the length of her dress almost respectable.  But that was Gin, she liked her legs and as Flip Wilson used to say; "If ya got it,  flaunt it." 

Burrowing deep into our photo albums, rummaging amongst yellowed, grainy photos of a time long ago, old memories surfaced.

Photo above - This is the full version of the cropped photo at the top of my blog post.  Most of the ladies in the room showed a lot of thigh when seated. The 2 young men in the foreground are brothers, Steve and Terry, their mother, Patty, is seated next to them in the blue dress.  Steve is the older, taller brother; Terry, the younger was a free-spirited young man who later lost his life in a silly car race of "chicken".   Perhaps had he not been so drunk and not had that teenage sense of immortality he would be alive today; married and with a family of his own.

The year was 1969, the occasion my wedding to John, a marriage that has lasted 40 years and counting. No big fancy church, no rented hall or catered services, just a few close friends and a quiet civil ceremony performed at the courthouse by a judge. Funds were low as we had just purchased our new home and, since it was a second marriage for both of us, we decided that a lasting marriage was not built upon a formal ceremony with all the bells and whistles.

Photo above - John and I, the bride and groom; next to us, Jan and Don, our best man and maid of honor.  I always thought Don and Jan would end up together but fate had other plans.  Dig the skinny tie on my darling hubby.   I had on at least 3 inch high heels, otherwise the top of my head would barely reach John's shoulder.

Yes I have to admit that I've use photo editing to remove the yellow patina of the old photos and corrected the contrast to compensate for what time had faded but my editing program was not sophisticated enough to do much about the old grainy look.

Small Space Photo Studio

Many of us find ourselves searching for more space; a cabinet in which to stash that large crab boil pot that we use maybe once a year or a cupboard for the old set of Grandma's china that we've inherited. Constantly we're seeking places to store our old and newly acquired treasures.  In today's life style not only do our belongings need space, so do our hobbies; it may be well and good to commandeer a corner of the dinning room, a nook in the living room or even converting a small closet into our "studio" but what happens when space runs out?

For some time now I've been using the top of our guest bedroom dresser as my "photo studio". With a top that measures 20 inches deep and perhaps 40 inches long, plus a large mirror that infringed upon this space making photography awkward, something had to be done and adding an addition to our home was not an option.


Then a friend gave me a great idea on where I could garner my much needed photo studio space and though it may work for me you may find it unfeasible in your own situation.


My home is small but it does have 3 full bathrooms.  The smallest of the baths held little usable space; counter tops are small, floor space meager...however there is a tub. Could this tub alcove be used as a workable photo studio ? Well I'll let you be the judge of that.

Photo above ... John, my darling hubby, cut a large sheet of 3/4 thick plywood to fit across the top of the tub. He knew the weight of the plywood would not be enough to keep it from slipping about on the tub rim, therefore he measured exactly where restraints would have to be placed to prevent the plywood from shifting. I certainly would not want to be photographing items and suddenly have my photo studio dumped into the bathtub. Chunks of 2 x 4's are securely screwed to the underside of the plywood sheet and act as a brace keeping it from sliding.

Photo above and below ... Using more plywood and 2 x 4's, John constructed a table that pretty much fills the space within the tub alcove and then anchored it firmly to the foundation sheet of plywood. Everything is a solid as a rock; no wiggles, no jiggles, no sliding, no slipping.

Photo above ... The table is covered with a white sheet to hide the less than decorative  wood and now all is ready for setting up my "photo studio".

My light box, camera stand and a couple of halogen light fixtures were acquired by way of a lucky eBay bid, in the finale moments of its auction, I made a bid that was just $1.01 over the highest bidder and won the light box set...a $60 value (supposedly) for $21 with FREE SHIPPING ! I figure I probably couldn't beat that price again even if I had a baseball bat to do it with.

The aluminum reflector lights were purchased at my local Home Depot for about $5 each. A friend, who's a semi-professional photographer, suggested I get some daylight energy efficient bulbs to use in my reflectors, even gave me the name; "GE Energy Smart Daylight 6500K" .  They are fantastic and I'm passing the recommendation on to you.

 

So there's my "Photo Studio" and when I wish to hide it...no problem.

Red and White Was Picked For A Treasury ...

News Flash ... Blog update ...

Just listed my Red and White necklace with the red marbled Alaska Boro bead today in my etsy shop and just got an email telling me it is featured in a treasury and a truly lovely, sweet as a candy cane treasury  at that.  Check it out and please give it a little love as it could use a few more comments.  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c9394784a586d9131c21a17/original-red#4c939772c7768eefb5723174

If you haven't read my blog about my beaded rope necklaces and Alaska Boro Beads but you'd like to, then please scroll down  to the next post and catch up. :)

North To Alaska For That Elusive Large Hole Bead

Lately I've been occupied with making a few beaded rope necklaces using tiny 3 mm Czech glass beads. So far I've crafted 3 ropes in a combo of sapphire blue and deep garnet; and 1 each in a combo of red and white pearl opal and in deep red and light wine. These ropes look lovely on their own but are striking when used as a necklace for a slider pendant or large hole glass art bead. My only problem was trying to find large hole glass beads with a truly large hole.

Jim of Alaska Boro was able to solve this dilemma for me. Jim took on the challenge and began to experiment with creating a bead that would fulfill my requirements. This was no simple task as glass has its properties and a glass artist must recognize and respect the limitations that molten glass has. But Jim persevered, ultimately using not only a much larger bead mandrel but a hollow one to allow the metal mandrel to attain higher temperatures more quickly than the solid metal one. He also had to somehow intensify the flame on his torch so that it would produce more heat. 
To be truthful I didn't understand the technical details but did get the general idea of the challenges that had to be met and vaguely comprehended such things as;  a hotter flame but not necessarily a bigger flame was required because these large holed beads are made on a larger steel mandrel the mandrel itself takes more heat.   The exact "HOW" all of this was technically accomplished is in the realm of the true glass bead artist and totally alien to me.  However, I got my large hole beads and I have  Alaska Boro (Jim ) to thank for helping make my vision a reality. :)

Since I have recently taken up the art of kumihimo these large hole beads will be doubly useful. If there are any jewelry makers out there that fabricate either beaded rope necklaces or kumihimo braided cord necklaces Jim's large hole glass masterpieces might be just the perfect element to set it at center stage. The beads can vary slightly in diameter but the center hole measures very close to 1 centimeter or 3/8 inch. Be sure to check out Jim's website at: http://www.alaskaboro.com/


Below are some photos of my beaded ropes and the Alaska Boro Beads that I purchased. I think the beads are stunning and the perfect adornment for my simple beaded ropes.

I would sincerely appreciate your viewpoints and comments about my beaded ropes, Alaska Boro beads  and the combination of the two.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

Our local hawks come visiting with frequent regularity and for some reason this particular utility pole is a favorite perch.  Unfortunately I'm still packing my old camera around, yes the one held together with a big purple rubber band, so I continue to be without the zoom capacity that is required for sharp close-up shots.  Earlier Jr.'s dad was perched on the wire alongside of  him but since I had to approach so close the older, wiser patriarch flew off to a branch of a tall tree just a short distance away. 
Our front yard is a favorite hunting ground for them,  I certainly hope they've been busy catching the little moles that have created a major highway system of burrows in our yard.

Hoarders ... Living in the Rubble

TV's Hoarders is strangely mesmerizing, in the same way that a train wreck is...no matter how much you want to avert your eyes away from the carnage, you can't.


Over a year ago I watched my first couple of hoarder shows and it was obvious that people afflicted with this problem have some type of mental aberration that compels them to acquire, accumulate, salvage and save all that they can. It is a mental condition much like obsessive/compulsive, or bi-polar disorder or a number of other real and tangible mental conditions that affect humanity. Even with today's advances in medical technology the human brain is still a complex mystery and the cause of a number of mental disorders remains elusive.

The people in the first few episodes, a year or so ago, seemed more believable, more genuine, theirs was a problem that wouldn't, couldn't go away in just a day or two. They along with their therapist spent months trying to cope and get control over their obsession; this compulsion that made them cling to any and all objects, unable to discard or relinquish the smallest thing. At the end of the first few episodes the hoarder was still in a struggle with their disorder, their living spaces may have been cleared enough to allow for a semblance of normality in perhaps a room or two, but definitely not more and some were not able to achieve even that level.


With this past week's latest Hoarders episodes, the people affected were given time limits and ultimatums, doing all the things that psychiatrist said were counter productive in this disorder. Teams barged through the homes like a swarm of locust and in a short amount of time all garbage was tossed, all clutter ditched, things were cleaned up and the home returned to a habitable condition. Can it really be so simple?


It was during my first viewing of a hoarder's program that I realized my stepfather had been a hoarder. He was forever buying items at garage sales, liquidation sales, going out of business sales, as long as the item was at greatly reduced prices he could not resist the bargain and soon his basement storage area was packed waist deep in clutter; items stashed so compactly that it was impossible to gain access into the basement. Every nook and cranny of his small apartment was filled with broken phonographs that he wanted to repair, boxes of old LP records, knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. My sisters and I just laughed and said that dad was a pack rat but now I see it was really more than that.   Once, while dad was away,  the owner of the apartments, Tom, came in and cleared everything out of the basement...every thing !  Tom said it took two dump trucks to haul it all away.  Tom and dad had been good friends for a number of years but when dad returned home and discovered the basement empty, he was enraged over the loss of his "things".  It was a loss that terminated their long standing friendship.


To this day I wonder what would have happened if my sisters and I had the knowledge that we have today about hoarding. What would have happened had we gotten together and actually helped dad have that yard sale that he always talked about but never got around to having? Could we have intervened some how? Could we have made a difference ? In hindsight there are always so many more questions...so many more could've, would've, should'ves.

A 2nd Etsy Shop ? ... Oh Bother !!!

I would really love to open a second shop on Etsy but I find the idea of having to open another email account to do so a big turn off.  Etsy admin says they're going to be working on a feature that will allow us to have multiple shops under one email account, however the question is "When?"

The last few days I've been preoccupied with doing seed bead jewelry and when I pick up my beading needle and seed beads it becomes like an addiction.  I become consumed with the desire to complete the project and find it hard for me to break away from my creation.   Busy as a bee I completed not one but 4 beaded rope necklaces.

This Sapphire Blue and Dark Garnet Beaded Rope is one I would love to post on Etsy but since my only shop is a Beading and Jewelry Making Supplies shop I don't want to saturate it with my handcrafted jewelry. 

Photo above...Beaded Rope Necklace made with small 3mm glass beads. 

Photo above...The beaded rope is very flexible and has my unique hand beaded ring and loop clasp.

Photo above...Shown with clasp towards front.

Photos below...Now to dress it up a bit with my own handcrafted beaded pendant.

Photos below...show that my pendant is reversible, for 2 different looks.

Photo below...Here's the blue side.

Photo below...And here's the deep garnet side.

I think it would make a fabulous gift for the holidays or a lovely Christmas present, but I'm afraid that the holidays of 2010 will long be over before etsy gets around to implementing its multiple shops under one email account.   So my dilemma is should I open another shop now or wait ?

Gorgeous Pillow Giveaway

As I was tripping through blogs I fell into another lovely giveaway ... Beautiful pillows the winner gets a choice of either pink or blue ...  over at The Penny Candy Blog ...

The prize a lovely handmade pillow.   I think they are just divine and yes, they're very special,  designed to be a baby's keepsake pillow or just as lovely as a ring bearer's pillow. 

But for me, should I be so fortunate to win, I have my eye on the blue pillow and it will hold a special place of honor in the very middle of my pile of decorative bed pillow.  So go on now, check out Jamie's :  The Penny Candy Blog.   I figure the more giveaways I enter, the better my odds are of winning something. :)

REMINDERS

Plantress has taken some new photos of her large baroque pearl earrings and they look better than ever in the proper lighting...hey, don't we all, hee, hee.
What a pair of gorgeous earrings and they will be absolutely free to the winner of Plantress' Giveaway Drawing...but hurry as the drawing is just about coming to an end, only 1 day remains.

ANOTHER GREAT GIVEAWAY.

Lately I've been finding that giveaway fever has seemly struck the blogging kingdom. So for those of you who love giveaways, and I haven't met many who didn't, I've discovered another great blog with an amazing giveaway.    
One of my lovely blogging friends is having one outstanding giveaway!
The blog is Freely You Have Received - Freely Give

The prize is :

A GOLD LIMITED EDITION IPOD SHUFFLE. Now there's a giveaway prize just about anyone would love to win.  Post a comment on her blog and let her know you found her through A Beader's Blog.

A Pearl of a GIVEAWAY from Plantress...

Now confess, you love getting something for nothing...right? Well I know I sure do! That's why we all love to enter giveaways, the chance to win a prize, get a lovely gift, a little freebie.

Well here's a wonderful giveaway that you have to check out. Plantress has a pair of enchanting pearl earrings that would look divine on any girl or lady and her requirements are simple and easy...Just head on over to her blog and check it out ... tell her aBeader'sBlog sent you. :)
But hurry as this Giveaway ends on Sunday...

MysticWynd

I have been away from my blog for a little while and allowing my batteries to recharge but this morning I received a notice from Karen at the  MysticWynd  blog, that drew me back into the lovely world of blogdom.  Karen has featured my handcrafted beaded flower bead in her blog post.  Today's MysticWynd post is all about plum and purple, it begins with a mouth watering recipe for plum pierogies, followed by some absolutely gorgeous etsy finds in rich and regal plum-purple.

HOPE FOR A CURE

Rose Quartz Heart Pendant with Sterling Silver awareness ribbon bail.

This morning I listed a new item in my supply shop on Etsy. Being that October is not that far away and happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month, I thought there'd be many shops featuring a few Hope For A Cure items in their inventories. I went into the Etsy promotions forums and proudly posted a thread encouraging others to post their own Breast Cancer Awareness items. Pink ribbons, hearts anything!

Now I'm not sure if no one really had absolutely nothing or if everyone was so eager to participate in all the many BNR's on the promo forum that they could not take a moment to check out what they might have had in their own shop that would qualify.  All I do know is that October is just around the corner and people should be focusing on a very important calendar event, a reminder to all women ... as we all share this common fear and if we haven't battled this enemy personally we all know someone who has.  Breast Cancer has left no life untouched by its indiscriminate hand ... any color, any race almost any age. 

Maybe I just expect too much and find this subject close to my heart as I've lost a couple of close friends to this disease and have had several other friends who've had to go through mastectomies and chemo.   All that's left to say is I pray and HOPE FOR A CURE.