New Year, New Jewelry!

Here we go again with the start of another New Year.  I thought you would all like to see a few of the new necklaces.

This cardinal and chickadee necklace is double sided.  The darling little pine cone charm can be flipped from the front to the back no matter which bird  you want on the front.

This sewing machine one is one of my favorites.  The thimble  charm and the measuring tape on the back makes a great purchase for anyone that loves sewing!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

BERRIES In The Yard

Blackberries

Blueberries

Raspberries



I am so excited about the berries in the yard.  They are all starting to pop into some yum, yum, yummy berry goodness.  The raspberries have been here now for 3 years.  I brought some wonderful little transplants from my moms house.  We just planted the Blackberries and 3 different types of Blueberries this year.  The new ones don't have much but I am excited about every last one.  



Fuji Apple

We also added a Red Delicious, Fuji apple and two Pear trees, a Bartlett and and Keifer.  The Fuji is a Dwarf that was already about 6 feet tall and we got it for a steal.  It was on sale at Home Depot for only $14.98.  Already they consider this the end of the season, that's okay, I'll take it.

Growing our own food can be work but we are trying to add things to the yard that we will have around for years to come.  I love the idea of walking out in my yard and grabbing a piece of the fruit.  And with 4 kids and the price of food, it is a great investment in our health as well as our financial future.

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!



So just a quick hello to the world.  Today my son was a Leaf Cutting Ant in the Rain Forest.  He is in the top pic in the center and my daughter started her first real job.  She has done all of the girly things over the years like babysitting but this is the real deal with paychecks and everything.  The funniest part was when she found out that what you get paid an hour is not what you take home.  The look on her face was priceless.

Well the thunderstorms are starting so I better hit publish and get off the web for now!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

From Gram to Me

Many years ago I was given a few of my Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers peonies.  My mother had a couple in her yard and my great aunt(grams sister) had some in hers.  Unfortunately, about 13 years ago I had to move from the home. I had transplanted them there and my wonderful parents where kind enough to dig them up and adopt them for me until I landed in my home.  In the moving here and there we had many roots multiplied so we where lucky enough to separate them again and have more. 

But when I moved this plant you could tell it was very old.  The root system was giant.  As I walked across the yard to place it in its new home I realized that my grandmother had one day long ago, planted these peonies just as I was.  In my hands was something that she so lovingly took care of and I wanted to do the same. 

Now I know that everyone has something passed down like a wonderful vase or a beautiful tea cup and that is very important.  But the fact that I am the third generation to take care and grow these plants every year seems to me to be very special.  Just like my Grandmother was to me!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

Busy Time!

 I have been working like a crazy person on the new line of jewelry that features my prints.  I am trying to design and build as quick as I can before the kids finish school for the year.  Above are a couple of great ones.  First is a travel poster and the second, the face of Les Miserables which is coming out as a movie shortly.

I have also added a couple of Marilyn.  I fell in love with the new show Smash on NBC so I decided to go along and bring a couple of Marilyn ones along for the ride.

I have a bunch more black and white on colored backgrounds coming out this week and I will up date those here shortly and of course the holiday ones are on the way.

Hope you enjoy these and check them all out on our jewelry site  http://www.winterberrycharms.etsy.com

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

Prom Time!

Mo before Prom

Josh and Amanda

Patrick and I with Morgan

Chuck, Annie, Morgan and Patrick

                                                                   Well at least for me, Thank God Prom Is Over.  It has become a monster of giant size.  It was Morgans last because she is a senior so that was bitter sweat.  But Josh still has a couple more years of this fun.  How exciting.  They all look fabulous and it is a moment in time that I will not forget. 

Now that prom is behind us it is time to get ready for graduation.  I am currently trying out many different waterproof mascaras.  Here come the waterworks and there is no holding them back!

Sunday Morning In Upstate New York

We woke up at 2:02 am to no power. Lucky for Pat and I, our new bedroom linens are so warm. before we new it both boys(the two little ones) climbed in until morning to stay warm. But we where so happy to wake up to this beautiful scene in our backyard.

The geese are above the trees trying to land on the water down back. The entire family has been sitting with our nose pressed against the window waiting to see the snow drop and the beauty we are so lucky to see in our own backyard.

Hopefully we don't have too many down branches with so many leaves left on the trees.

Oh and this last one is my wonderful little student of the month for the month of October. He loves to rub it into his sister and brothers that he has had that honor 4 years running now. I am not the bumper sticker kind of mom, but I am a blogger mom so here is my cyber bumper sticker....MY KID IS STUDENT OF THE MONTH!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

It Started With Greece

I was getting some of my new prints together today when I needed to pull some atlas pages. When ever I get a new (old) book, I like to take a minute to look it over. I like to see what is inside. The condition it was left in by the original owner. I love running into the occasional note or pressed flower. It gives you a real since that it truly meant something to someone at a time that has gone by.

Today was the two atlas hard cover books that just arrived. I opened up the larger of the two and it went from being a simple old book that I was going to use as the base to all of my creations, and turned into a walk down a lane that I never took the time to think about before.
As I turned the pages I found myself saying..."I've sent one there, I've sent another one there" and so on. So I went and got piece of paper and decided to start a quick list and see at least a few of the places my work has traveled to. OMG....The list brought a smile to my face that I could not believe. And then I realized, like how haven't I already realized this, but can you truly imagine that some day your creations would be hanging all over the world? Well mine are and I am giving myself the moment to be so proud of this. So to all of those people that think I sit around all day and do nothing because they have no idea my wonderful hubby created a studio for me, these are some of the countries around the world that my work hangs in. Not bad for the artist in the country!

USA(FROM SEA TO SHINNING SEA) GREECE RUSSIA POLAND

FINLAND SWEDEN NORWAY GERMANY

IRELAND ITALY FRANCE CANADA

CHINA JAPAN ENGLAND SCOTLAND

BELGIUM AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND NETHERLANDS

DENMARK SPAIN MEXICO HUNGARY

TURKEY MOROCCO THAILAND KOREA

INDIA AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND BRAZIL

PERU CHILE VENEZUELA MADAGASCAR

I am sure there are many I left out but even this list leaves me tickled pink. My first one outside the US was Greece and it seemed to just roll from there. Be proud of something you have done and you will find self fulfillment where you may have least expected to....inside of you!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

Workin On Holiday Ornaments Today!

Back n forth, back n forth and it is only the beginning of the season. Started playing around with some rounds today.

This one is waiting for a little more glue to connect it with. Some how, the one time I am trying to finish something, I run out of glue sticks. Arrrrrrggggghhhh. Any who, last year I had purchased the Martha Stewart tool that makes all of the folds the perfect distance apart. You just run down the lines with a bone folder and you have the perfect fold. Around the edge I used the crepe paper and glitter look. I have been looking at many antique ornaments and I can't believe how many incorporate paper or are totally made of paper.

I better be off. Need to get some sleep before I take a trip to find glue sticks Friday!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!!!!

My New Keep Calm Line

Whether on Atlas, Dictionary or regular old(vintage) book pages I am Keeping Calm and carrying on! I have a list a mile long and counting. If you have requests that you don't see on my site please let me know. Sometimes I have them but just have not listed them yet.

I love this sewing one. I know how many crafty gals are out there so I also have a scrapbooking one and a couple others that will be wonderful to decorate your creative space with.
Then the tea one. I know that you all know my GIANT love of coffee and I have one for that. But it is green tea that I drink twice a day that has totally saved me from the roller coaster ride of sinus infections that I lived with for years. Yes I know it is hard to believe, but I drink two cup of decaf green tea(hot) per day and I do not take any meds that I had been taking daily for many years. It is one of the best things I have done for myself. No more steroids being sprayed in my nose each day, no more Advil to reduce the swelling in my sinus(which gave me a ulcer by the way) just the sheer will to drink two cups of green tea a day and I feel fabulous!

And this last pic is of my Mothers Day Gift(the best one ever). This is my puppy Bella. She is now 6 1/2 months old. She is so loving. If you have ever had your own Boxer you know how loving, loyal and down right beautiful. She chews things a little more then she should but I hope that changes soon. But never the less, she is the best little girl and I love her to death. I thought you would all like to meet her!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

7:30 IN THE MORNING IN MY BACKYARD

My husband was off to work. Noah, both dogs and the chickens have been fed so it was time to take the camera out in the yard. There is a totally different light in the morning in the fall. The lawn and everything else that will sit still is littered with leaves.

The Cat tails are starting to change form down by the water.

The shrubs I moved this summer are such a beautiful red.

The pond has a wonderful light that only hits the top of the trees as the sun is coming up.

The flowers are still here and there around the yard but are almost gone for a long winters nap. And the chickens are not sure why the leaves keep dropping from the trees and landing on them.

The swing is my favorite place to hide while waiting for the geese to land on the pond.

And I guess now I have become a part of my Autumn back yard so a picture of me is in order, well at least of my boots!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

Party On A Thursday Night!

Last night was my dad's 29th Birthday. Well, he is not really 29 but I will not out his age to the world! Any who, we had a wonderful time and celebrated my moms at the same time. Hers was just a couple of weeks ago. So last night was the perfect time to get the 13 of us together to eat laugh and celebrate!

There where contests to see who could keep a spoon on their nose the longest.

There was a height contest that Joshua won every time except for against my dad.

We had the evening catered by this wonderful Italian restaurant so there was no cooking on our part.

And then time to blow out the candles.

And as always, when this group of 13 family members get together there is no lack of laughter, loud stories and the knowledge that none of us walk alone. When ever we are out there in the world no matter were we travel we are part of something larger and more then just ourselves. We are part of this incredible, wonderful and loving family!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

THURSDAY'S RECIPE SIMPLE BUT YUMMY!

So I really never cared about what I ate. I was never a package label reader but my husband is. So this weeks recipe is for something simple that I am sure, like me, many of you probably have never paid much attention to, croutons. My boys LOVE Cesar salad. So croutons are used around here weekly. But if I am eating these little tan cubes of bread, why is red dye#40 and yellow dye #5 in the ingredients. Nothing looks red to me, plus when I went to the market, there was not a bottle of red dye #40 for me to add to my own homemade croutons so I needed to find a different recipe I guess...lol!

So here is my great recipe for croutons. The entire house loved them and you know what....no preservatives, yes world, it is possible!

• 
  
  5 Thick Slices of Bread


• 
  
  2 Tablespoons Butter


• 
  
  2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• 
  
  1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic


• 
  
  1/4 Cup Parm Cheese


• 
  
  1/2 Teaspoon Oregano Crumbled


• 
  
  1/2 Teaspoon Thyme Crumbled

Preheat oven to 300

Cube bread. In a large saucepan combine butter, EVOO, garlic and melt without burning it melts quick. Remove from heat, add herbs and stir. Add cubed bread and mix to cover all of the bread. Transfer to 9 x 13 and sprinkle with parm cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. I stirred them every ten minutes are so for even cooking. I also added a little more EVOO before I put the pan in the oven because I used a very thick bread so you may want to do that is needed.

And it is that simple to know what you are eating. We used some that night and put the rest in a freezer bag. They are there to be used as needed, just take out 15 minutes or so before use and they are perfect!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!