How about a little spring?

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of winter this year! I look out onto my deck and all I think of is...in a month from now I'll be out on the river fly-fishing! I just shiver when I think that! It's going to be so cold! I just want a few days of sunshine and temperatures above freezing...and please...NO MORE SNOW! I'm not sure why this year is so different, there's always a lot of snow in Michigan. I feel sorry for everyone in the Northeast section of the US-they've really got hammered! Friends and family in Pennsylvania and New York have had a lot more than us. I decided I try to make something that would put me into a springtime mood. So I dug out some beads and these are what I came up with. I hope you like them!

What do you buy on Etsy?

We share with others what we have for sale in our shops, but what about our purchases? What have you been buying? I thought I'd share with you some of the latest things I've bought. From 808Sunshine I got these beautiful bits of sea glass. Well, I really haven't gotten them yet-they just been shipped-they're coming to me all the way from Hawaii! I just love the look of beach glass. I used to collect it on the beaches of the Great Lakes-but since I didn't have any of my own I decided to buy some. I can't wait to use it in some necklaces that I'm planning to make! From one of my favorite shops on Etsy, StoneMe, I got these wonderful striped beach stones from the shores of Lake Michigan. This is the place to go for quality drilled beach stones. I am always pleased with my purchases! If you love Petoskey stones like I do-check out this listing for this Petoskey Stone Combo but just be warned-I have it marked as one of my favorites! I With over 2200 sales and a 100% percent good rating-you know this shop is doing it right! From beadsogemstone I got these beautiful aqua blue Chalcedony drops. I think I might use them as focal pieces with my beach glass! This was the first time I purchased from this supplier. I'm usually a little leery about buying from new shop-but hey we all were there once. He just started in December of 2009 and hadn't gotten much feedback yet, and on top of that the shop's in India! But I figured I'd give it a try! I wish I has taken a picture of the packaging. I was so impressed! the package came from India in a hand sewn fabric covered box complete with sealing wax on the seams! I felt like I got delivered the royal jewels. I wonder what my postman thinks? So what have you been buying? I hope you post one of your latest buys! If you haven't bought anything lately-what would you buy? I've got a big list of things I heart!

Breaking up is hard to do...

It's hard to say goodbye. You know it wasn't right from the beginning of the relationship. Yet you stuck with it for over a year. You know how it feels. First it's exciting, you think there's nothing better for you. Then one day it happens, you look around and there's something that catches your eye, but still you hang on, hoping it's all going to work out. You get restless, now you find your eyes wandering more. Life's not the same, you're just not satisfied like you were before. You start thinking to yourself-is there something better for me out there...and then one day you find you just can't stand one more day. It's no ones fault. It's just time to move on. Say goodbye. It was good while it lasted... Say hello to my new banner! What, not what you were thing-LOL! I'll keep my old one here for a little while, after all I've kind of gotten used to its dirty laundry and bad habits. But, don't say I didn't warn you!

Shouldn't every day be Valentines day?

Today was a wonderful Valentines Day for me. I decided I really didn't want a lot of fuss-just a nice simple day with my significant other-Bob. I made a scrumptious breakfast of Eggs Benedict-my favorite breakfast indulgence. I worked a bit on Etsy while watching Coronation Street. I've been a Corrie fan for years-I know it's just another soap opera, but it's my "secret" vice! I watch it via the Canadian station CBC-so we're a bit behind those of you in the UK. I spent the afternoon doing taxes for my best friend Mary Lou, and her son Casey. Casey and his wife brought over the newest addition to their family-Emmaline and their older daughter Elizabeth-it was wonderful to see them again! For dinner I made Bob Beef Wellington-it's one of Bob's favorite dishes and I had never made it at home. It turned out so easy! you'll have to click on the link for the wonderful recipe I got! I have a special desert made for later-we're planning to watch a Sherlock Holmes-one of his likes, the Olympics and then later some Bogart films on TV-Casablanca and African Queen. What could be a better Valentines Day? Nothing. Oh those flowers-Bob surprised me with them this morning!

Something's Fishy!

I love curating treasuries on Etsy. It gives me the opportunity to let my mind wander thru the many shops. Once I pick a theme I use the poster sketch tool to arrange and rearrange the treasury page until I make it something I really like. Here's a few of items from my latest treasury. If you haven't tried making a Treasury-you should! there's a wonderful group of artisans just waiting for a bit of exposure!