Valentines Day

Here's a few shots of the family with my niece's new puppy. He's just the cutest little thing I've ever seen, but then again, puppies are always cute.

Busy Weekend

So, yesterday we went on an exotic excursion off the island to thrift - find cool used stuff at second hand and vintage clothing stores. The hubster made out like a bandit. He found an amazing grey wool coat at the Antique Mall in Fremont; a cool grey vest at a vintage clothing store, also in Fremont; and a real neat black pinstriped shirt at Buffalo Exchange in Ballard. We were able to find all of these great stores thanks to a fellow blogger, Dottie Angel. She so kindly answered my email request for names of thrift stores in the greater Seattle area. She has a wonderful blog you should check out sometime. You can find a link to her website to the left if you are interested.

No jewelry making of any kind went on this weekend due to the urgency of finding the above-mentioned pieces of attire for hubbie's Mystery Weekend costume. His character has changed and thus the costume change. He's been Hershel Barr for the last four years now. His new alias is Al Betseroff. Being a reformed gambler, it was imperative that he have a new, cleaner image.



Langley's Mystery Weekend is in its 26th year of production. If you want to have a weekend of good clean fun, come visit us on February 27th and 28th in downtown Langley. I, unfortunately, will not be participating this year. A much needed educational opportunity has come up and I will be unable to play Al's wife this year. As far as I know, he has a new wife this year.

Today was picture day for the cast. So, here's a sneak peek at some of the usual suspects...









If you want to know more, just visit the Langley Chamber of Commerce's website.

Eagle in Flight

This is probably one of the worst photos I've taken, but it couldn't be helped. Steven and I were sitting in the office surfing the net when I saw a BIG bird fly in front of the window. It started to land when I realized that it was a bald eagle. It came to check out our pond. I quickly changed lenses and tip toed into the living room. I didn't even have time to change the settings on my camera or compose the shot. It knew I was there instantly...



You can't see its head because of the divider between our windows. That was too bad. It wouldn't have been half bad if that weren't there.

My New Favorite Photographer

I don't know who he or she is... More research is required! But, http://bomobob.blogspot.com/ is my newest favorite photographer I've found on Etsy to date (www.bomobob.etsy.com). You can find some wonderful photography that brings you back in time and around the world... Check it out!

New Items for Shop

I have this thing for old buttons... It's not like I have a ton of them, and they are all mostly white, but I've been hording them for years, trying to come up with something to do with them. Well, voila! Button and bead bracelets!!!

This was the first one:



Last night I made another, plus two bead only bracelets. They'll be on my Etsy shop this evening...

Still Working on Garage

Am I the only one in the world that can't cook until the kitchen is completely clean? The same thing goes for creating at my make-shift jewelers bench in the garage. It's no fun jumping over various obstacles, weaving in and out of sheets of plywood to get from the house to the bench. Last weekend I ran in and out, in and out. Every time I sat down there was something out in the garage that I needed. Every time I went to my bench there was something in the house that I needed. The universe is simply testing my patience. Creativity would flow so much more smoothly if I only had one place to create...

Half of the shelves are up in the garage. We gave ourselves a break yesterday to go to town for a movie. We had three rides left on our ferry pass - don't want to waste that! We saw "Leap Year." It was good, a bit predictable, but a nice twist on the usual romantic comedy. The scenery was absolutely awe inspiring. I knew Ireland was a bit rocky, but I'd never seen so many rocks in my life... My kind of place.

Earrings Sold to Benefit Haiti

I just sold my first pair of earrings on the Hearts for Haiti Etsy shop!!! Way to go Erin! Thanks for your help!!!!!

News About Haiti Fundraiser

The Etsy shop - Hearts for Haiti - has raised just over $20,479. Please do your small part to help. Go to www.heartsforhaiti.etsy.com and buy something for yourself or a loved one. All of your dollars go to Doctors Without Borders. All of the items in this shop are donated. Shipping is free - paid by the donors. Take a look. What do you have to loose? You can sit in your comfortable chair at your computer, with your lights on and buy something for yourself that supports a wonderful group of doctors who donate their time to help those injured in the earthquake in Haiti...

Hearts for Haiti

We can make a difference in the lives of all the Haitians affected by the earthquake January 12th if we do one small thing. My one small thing has been to donate 5 pairs of earrings to the Hearts for Haiti shop on Etsy - www.heartsforhaiti.etsy.com - they should appear with the next 24 hours. If you don't find it, got to the Hearts for Haiti shop and type in mybrownwren in the search window. Here's a sneak preview of what they look like:



Hearts for Haiti has raised over $14,857.76 for Doctors Without Borders. Please do your part and buy something. It's a win win for you!!!

I am also donating 10% of all the proceeds on my Etsy shop to the American Red Cross to benefit Haiti. You can click on the widget to the left to be redirected to my Etsy store...

Now Christmas is Behind Us

We had a very enjoyable holiday here in the rainy northwest. Christmas day was crisp and dry - unusual and very pleasant. We were able to get outside for a family portrait. This was the only good shot out of all those taken. Invariably someone had their eyes closed, looked the other way, or had their tongue sticking out.



Steven got a shot of our grown up Christmas tree. It's 9 feet tall and touches the ceiling if you don't bend the top down (which we've done). This was the first time in eight or nine years that Steven took any interest in the tree and shopping. He bought the tree, the decorations and he helped decorate. There's even one of his trains at the base of the tree. He even got techie, which isn't hard for him, and put the lights on a dimmer so we aren't blinded when we turn it on.



Unfortunately, the tree is still up and the dreaded chore of taking it down will probably land on my shoulders. There are so many more fun things to do like make jewelry. The tree will just have to wait until I have more time. Hmmmm, will I ever have more time???

Here are my newest creations...





These are both etched metal that is cut from flat sheet stock. The design is hand drawn on each piece after it is cut, filed and drilled. Each piece is then submerged into an etching solution for an hour or so. Once the acid is neutralized each piece is cleaned, polished and adorned with beads and findings. I made the ball end headpins for both sets of earwires. Getting out in the garage to play with the torch has been something that made me nervous, but I'm getting over it...

Steven and I spent New Years in Victoria, BC. We had a lovely four days walking around the city, visiting museums and eating fabulous food. The drinks weren't too bad either. I got several shots of two harbor seals that were begging for food in a little marina in the inner harbor. We also got a few shots of some of the more interesting boats. I had wanted to get some night-time photos of the Parliment building, but we both forgot.



The sky was getting very dark, as rain was approaching. This was the only day we had an opportunity to see the sun whilst we were up there in Victoria...

Much to Be Thankful For...

So many changes have transpired this year - many devastating. We have lost two dear family members - my mother-in-law and my grandmother. My father-in-law has suffered the loss of his wife and the use of his lower extremities. I am thankful that we are in good health, that my Dad's cancer is gone and that both of my girls are in school and doing quite well. Lauren will graduate in June and has been nominated by her teacher for a full-ride scholarship to the dental hygienist program of her choosing. Our house is complete (as complete as any new house can be). We just spent a small fortune getting rid of Mt. Claymore (a ridiculously large pile of dirt in our back yard) and having our yard shaped and the driveway loaded with crushed stuff??? It looks marvelous! Now, I hope for lots of money to come my way so that I can plant lots of greenery!

I am absolutely thankful that my husband has finally gotten the Christmas spirit after eight or nine years. He called me up last week and told me he was looking for a Christmas tree. He even got inspired to buy all new ornaments. We now have a very modern looking Christmas tree that matches our house. I must take a pic tomorrow and show you.

We are going to Victoria for our anniversary on New Year's Eve. I am very excited. Oh, what to wear? Who cares! No one knows us there!

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope that your year has filled you with many blessings and the new year brings you many more!

Thanksgiving is Behind Us and Christmas is Looming

We're in the home stretch. Christmas is less than a month away. Thankfully, we drew names during Thanksgiving and each of us is buying a gift for one person, with a $100 limit. Of course, we can all do stocking stuffers for everyone else if we choose. I choose! We've never done this Secret Santa thing as a family before. It should be fun, and a lot less stressful.

If anyone is looking for a little something for that female on your list... I have lots of beautiful earrings for sale on my Etsy shop. You can link to it via the widget to the left. Here's a closeup of one of my new designs:


I made a few of these if you need more than one pair for you, your friends, or your mother.

I Took the Facebook Plunge

I was never really interested in Facebook, but so many people I know are using it to connect with old friends. So, I did it. I took the plunge. It was fun. I spent way too long on there today chatting with people and looking at their pictures.

Great Distraction

Just a little thought... Murder mysteries are a great distraction from everyday life!

Last week Steven and I participated in a murder mystery dinner (a fund raiser for WAIF). We were two of seven characters/suspects in the story. It was quite fun. I have to say that I was a bit nervous prior to its start. We had very little background info - much like the murder mystery weekend in our home town - it's all ad lib. But, all in all it was quite a blast. A little bit of wine certainly helps - unlike mystery weekend experience.

Pausing for Life

Here it is the middle of November and I haven't written in over two months. So much is going on. It is totally my personality to fold inward and cut off all ties. Too much is going on. Where do I begin?...

Steven's dad went into the hospital after having congestive heart failure. They discovered some weird blood vessel or artery that was bypassing the normal pathway of blood/oxygen to his lower extremities. So, we all told him he should have surgery to correct it. The doctors recommended surgery to prevent paralysis. So, Dad had the surgery. And, despite what the doctors said, he became paralyzed.

Three weeks later, his wife, Nita, died.

Since Nita died, we have been going to Everett to visit Dad every weekend. He has been in the hospital and a nursing facility for the last two months. A visit to the mainland requires at least five hours because of the ferries. It's been overwhelming - more so for him.

Now, he's over here. My sister-in-law got him in a great assisted living facility. He was there for all of four days and it was obvious that they couldn't care for him. He's diabetic. He has some pretty serious wounds. He's paralyzed from the waist down. They aren't equipped to transfer him from the wheel chair to the bed as often as he needs to be transferred. So, today he was transferred to a nursing facility about 30 minutes north of us. I don't know what we'd all do if Steve's sister, Marsha, was working and couldn't deal with all of the details. It's so overwhelming! She's doing a great job, despite being totally overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done.

So, I haven't listed a single item on Etsy since this all started. I've been dealing with a dislocated tailbone since well before this started, but now it's much worse with all of the sitting in the hospital, in the car on the way to the hospital and on the way home, etc. Besides, it's just been too darn hard to focus, to find creative inspiration.

Well, now that I've totally spiralled into a downer, I'll let you go. Ta ta for now. Next time will be more uplifting - I promise!

Last night I finally did it. I got out in the garage and cleaned a spot for my workbench. It's small and partially adequate, but it will have to do. Now, I just need some better tools!

I etched six small pieces of brass for earrings and lost one in the etching bath. I'm still learning about the intricacies of this process. It seems so hap-hazard. Some of the pieces have such a nice etch and the others have too much tooth, making them almost sharp. This is the process of trial and error, but it makes little sense. All of the blanks were in the same etching bath for the same amount of time...


There's the start of a necklace in the upper left corner of the board. We had rented two movies to watch earlier in the day but didn't get to them, so I set down to watch the movie and create. We watched Duplicity with Julia Roberts. That's not a movie that you can half watch. I had to start it over to make any sense of it and put the necklace down. I had such high hopes to get it and the earrings finished. I could have finished the earrings, but I broke two drill bits on the necklace - the only two I could find. We have millions of the darn things, but the garage is such a jumbled mess that nothing is where it should be right now.

Summer's Last Horrah!

Yesterday was the coldest it's been all summer, torrential downpours, and we spent it at the Evergreen State Fair. That was fun! There were breaks in the rain with some sun. Steven and his sister, Marsha, enjoyed a few rides, along with my youngest and her boyfriend. However, they didn't enjoy the Crazy Train. It thrashed them all about and messed with their equilibrium. So, if you're thinking about going on that ride - Don't!!!

Today has been a mixed bag of clouds and sun. My hubbie and I went for a walk on the beach. The sea was so calm, we cut the walk short and went back to the house to get the kayaks. I wasn't too keen on going out today. I'm so behind on making jewelry, but it was too nice to say no.

When we go on our walks, we usually see lots of eagles, great blue herons, gulls and the occasional whale. Today seemed pretty quiet. The beach was devoid of most of the usual wildlife. We got half-way to the island before we realized we were being stalked. Yes, stalked I say! There was a bevy of seals that were quite interested in us. When we got to the right side of the island we were surrounded by 20 plus of the doe eyed wonders. We sat amongst them for the longest time - they mesmerized by us and us by them. It was so cool. We wanted to stay longer, but the wind was kicking up, and the sky was getting darker. As we came around the back side of the island, heading back to our boat launch, I had a smallish seal pop up within a foot of my bow. I think it was as surprised to see me as I was of it. It promptly tucked under the water and flanked me on my left side. How amazing! It never gets old...

Well, I've lost most of the day's light, and I still haven't worked on my jewelry. Before I go, here are a few pictures of my new stuff...



Ta ta for now!

Getting Home Delayed

Well, it took an extra day and a few extra hours of travel, but I finally made it home Sunday at 6pm. Saturday afternoon we had a horrendous downpour. It started raining just before we left for the airport. Dad was driving, and he could barely see the cars ahead of him. I was so disoriented sitting in the back seat of the van that I had no idea where we were for quite sometime. I never thought that a little rain would delay my flight, but delay my flight it did! My connection in Chicago was going to be held - only if we left the ground at 4:40 p.m. The ticket clerk told me if it left one minute later I wouldn't make my connection and there were no open seats out of Chicago until Monday or Tuesday. So, needless to say, I found another way home. They flew me on the last seat to Las Vegas. It was much longer, but I got home. Home sweet home! It was nice to sleep in my own bed, with my hubbie. Now, I miss my family! This living on two different coasts really stinks sometimes. I think I shall have to win Mega Millions tomorrow evening. That should help to shrink the distance between coasts!!!!!

Heading Home Today

Leaving is bittersweet. On the one hand, I miss my folks, sisters and extended family - one the other hand, I miss my husband, kids and my other extended family. Why can't we figure out a way to beam up?

Etching and Stamping

This morning Mom and I went out by the pool, in the screen house, and played with rubber stamps and etching solution (just me). I etched a piece of brass sheet stock and stamped it with a cool vintage handwriting stamp. Later, I'll put a couple of pieces in the etching solution and let them sit for a few hours. I'm experimenting with all kinds of metal techniques to make my jewelry one-of-a-kind. I feel like anybody can put a few beads together on a earwire and make earrings. I want my earrings and necklaces to be unique pieces of me - something you'll want to keep for a long time - maybe even forever.

We are going to the hairdresser to get Mom's hair cut like mine, then to Curves to meet her co-workers and then to the local antique shop for more goodies. Yesterday's trip to the antique shop in Amesbury was a wash. They only had furniture. Too bad!!!!!!