2008 Is Ending

Well, another year has gone by and so much has happened!  I won't bore you with the details but it was full of cheers, tears, laughter, smiles, friends, family, a few E.R. visits (my dear little girls), and lots of love.  Isn't that what is important anyway?  The love of family and friends?  God is so loving and I'm thankful for all He has done and helped us through during this past year.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy but all in all I remember the year with fond memories.  I look forward to 2009!  

I want to thank each of you for making this a truly delightful year for me and my business.  It has been so fun to make new friends and to work with each of you.  I am thankful you have taken the time to visit my website and that you purchased my designs.  The feedback and comments I received from everyone makes me so happy and I have appreciated it more than you will ever know.   Thank you!

May 2009 be a blessed year for each of you.  Happy New Year!

Love to you all!

Robbon

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all get to enjoy this special time of year with your family and friends. I look forward to hearing from you all when your loved ones open the presents we worked on. So many of you have little surprises and I can't wait to hear how everyone liked their gifts. Do tell me!!!! 

I love Christmas carols and found this version of Oh Holy Night by Celine Dion.  Such a beautiful voice!  

Merry Christmas!

Silly Fun

more animals

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and looked and shopped. It was fun for me and I hope you enjoyed shopping, too. I will ship your orders this week. I just wanted to say a BIG "Thank You" to everyone who purchased and I hope you enjoy your gifts!

TODAY is the day!

Come back tonight at 7:00 p.m. for the Christmas Open House. I will have a special page loaded with all of the items I have been working on for the past few weeks. Yippee! I only have ONE of each item in the Open House so it is a first come, first serve type of event. The first two people who purchase items totally more than $23.00 will receive a free pair of earrings! I look forward to this evening and I will be available if anyone has any questions. Happy Monday!!

Happy Friday!

Something silly and FUN to watch. Not your traditional Christmas display and I must admit, I'd hate to be their neighbors!

I'm close to having everything ready for the Open House! I'm excited about it and I hope that you stop by on Monday night to visit (online mind you). Happy Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day and have fun sharing with those you love what you are thankful for in your life. I'm thankful for my God who loves unconditionally, my precious little girls, my loving and amazing husband, our health, and that we are blessed to have wonderful friends and family. Of course it is wonderful to have all of the other comforts but having loved ones near is priceless to me. I am richly blessed!

Here is a picture of one of our turkey cupcakes we made. Funny little thing, isn't it? Home projects just don't turn out like they do in the magazines, do they? Our turkey -


Turkey from the magazine -

Just a teaser

I took some pictures yesterday and thought I'd put up a little teaser. ha ha

OH JOY!

Oh Joy! I have found a recipe I like that tastes like my Starbucks drink I like. I made it this morning and tinkered with the measurements a little, but boy, it is good! I'll put the recipe at the bottom. In other news, I have been working on the Open House items and I must say they are cute (at least I think they are). :::giggle::: The Christmas items are a little whimsical and fun and I hope you like them. I finished a holiday bracelet this morning. I couldn't sleep after 5:10 a.m. so...I made a bracelet. How fun to get that done, make a drink, and be ready for the girls when they woke up ready to start the day. I think I'll get up that early every day from now on and get a few things done. NOT!

Here is the Mocha Frappuccino recipe that I found on recipezaar.com
1/2 milk
2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup (I added more) :)
1 tablespoon of sugar PLUS
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/3 cup strong coffee or espresso
1 cup of ice (again, I added more)

Put all of the ingredients into a blender except the ice and blend until the sugar dissolves. Add ice and blend until smooth. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Voila! Yummy!

It is hanging in there

This is my little begonia. It is the only one left and isn't it cute? I LOVE the color of this flower and it greets me everyday on my front porch. I think I'm going to have to try to winter this plant over since it is trying so hard to stay alive.

Christmas Open House

Please come and join me for Christmas Open House (online) on December 8th at 7:00 p.m. Won't that be nice to go to an Open House and not dress up? Well you can if you want to. : ) I am making some Christmas items and will have earrings and bracelets and other items available in various price ranges so hopefully you will be able to find something you like for yourself (you can help your husband with his Christmas shopping :::giggle:::) or a loved one. Take a few moments that evening to shop around and steal a few moments for yourself. I'll be available that night if you want to email me or ask me any questions about the items for sale. The only thing you might want to bring is your own drink since I won't be able to serve beverages. LOL

Oh what FUN!

Bead shows are SO fun for me and I enjoy going to them! We had another one here in town this weekend that was new, so not many people knew about it, and that was just fine with me! I can go CRAZY at the bead shows and have to stop myself. There were so many wonderful sterling silver beads and gemstones, and pearls there that I could carted home half of the items if I had the money. LOL I purchased a few strands of beads that I have been wanting to get so I was tickled to bring them home with me. I showed them to my daughter and we had fun looking through the different strands of beads and silver beads I purchased. Each new strand became her "favorite one"! She gasped with each new strand I pulled out of the bag. I guess that means I feel just like a three year old because I love it just as much as she does. :::giggle::: I can't wait to use my new items and will have fun making them for the Open House that I'm going to have in a few weeks. Yippee! I will have more news on that in a few days. You just can't wait, can you? Enjoy your Sunday!

Celebrate Life Lampwork Bracelet

For some time I have wanted to create a bracelet that could be purchased by and for women who are breast cancer survivors. So many women are affected by this horrible disease that I wanted to create a bracelet that would honor those women and the amazing strength they show to fight this cancer that rages within them. I know quite a few women who have battled this and won and I am amazed at their outlook on life. It is a fight for your life when you are diagnosed and I'm proud to know just a few of these women and be inspired by their testimony. I would be honored to make one of these for you or someone you love who has battled this cancer.

Up and running again

Well, that was easy. I loaded the tank in my van, drove to the store, exchanged tanks, drove back home (with stops in between), hooked up my new tank and I'm up and running again. No fuss, no problems! Very easy. :::phew::: I also received my book yesterday that I ordered and let me tell you, I am one happy camper. I received my Passing the Flame book yesterday that is signed by Corina Tettinger and I wanted to read all 224 pages last night but...a girl has to get some beauty rest. This is an awesome book because it shows how to make beads and gives instructions. I LOVE IT!!! Well, I need to start my day now and go grocery shopping, clean, work, carve pumpkins, and make meals in there somewhere.

Two kinds of fuel

Every day should be a Starbucks day! I get SO much done when I have a Mocha Frappuccino in the morning. Sometimes I even stretch my drink out over two days just so I can have TWO really good days. There is something super-duper special about that drink that makes me happy and helps me get so much done. I now need to figure out how to make that drink at home and WITHOUT the calories. I'll put that on my list of things to do. LOL I also have to add getting more Chemtane (fuel that I use to make my beads) to my list, my REAL to do list. I ran out of fuel last night and now need to get my tank refilled as soon as possible. I haven't had to get fuel for over two years so I hope the place I normally go to is still open. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope they are because it was hard to find them in the first place. Have a good day everyone!

Amazing Strength

These past few weeks I have not felt well, as you know by my previous post, and it has made me think about the women in my life who are battling cancer. I feel yucky but what I feel is nothing compared to what they must feel. The treatments to fight cancer can make people feel flu-like symptoms among many other things. It brings to mind my mother and how she must have felt going through her chemotherapy treatments. I would love to spare the women who have to go through the process to get rid of the cancer and I wish I could help them and take away their struggle. My heart aches for them and I have the utmost respect for these women and the fight they are waging. The strength women (and men) have to fight this horrible disease in all its forms is....amazing. My thoughts and prayers are with you Cheryl and Joanne!

Sick of being sick

It has been nearly a month now that I have been sick and I'm sick of being sick! Nothing serious just colds that start in my head and grab my throat like crazy and then end up in my chest. cough...cough... My kids are now used to my weird voice and don't think a thing of me talking funny. I ache all over today and have now for three days and I'm ready to feel better. Has anyone else ever felt that way? I guess it is that time of year when everyone starts to pass around stuff but I think I have had my share for the sick season! I'm done...that is it. Have a good weekend!

Clean the house....why?

How can it be that hours before my company arrives the dog starts acting frantic? Could it be because I am frantically cleaning and picking up in a way that I normally don't do around the house? Possibly. The dog knows that something is going on and so she jumps into our bay window periodically just to see who will ring the doorbell. Between jumping up into the window and following me around, I have a frantic dog on my hands this morning. She knows guests are coming today. I also have a one year old daughter trailing around behind the vacuum trying to sit on it so this is becoming an adventure to even get a little bit of cleaning done. Meanwhile the three year old is pulling toys out on the newly vacuumed carpet so I should just forget about a tidy house for the quests. Don't you think I should just stop? Me too.

Little Pumpkins

Last year when we had a few pumpkins we took the seeds out and grew our own this year. I can't believe it but it worked. As you can see we had quite a few of them and we have had fun watching them this summer and now we get to use them for the next few weeks. This is my attempt to enjoy this season since you know this is not my favorite time of the year. Silly me, I know but I'm trying.

68 years

Today would have been my mom's 68th birthday. It is still so weird that she is not here and it is sad that she is gone. Does it get easier? The grief lingers on. Yes, it has only been a little over a year but it still seems hard to grasp and believe. I don't think the weather helps my mood today. It is raining here and the leaves are falling. Despite my best efforts, I do not enjoy this time of year. I love Spring and Summer and so I get sad when my flowers fade and the leaves rustle on the sidewalks and streets. I will continue to try to enjoy this season but it just signifies that Winter is coming and I will not be able to garden and enjoy the outdoors. I sound like a sad, old thing today, don't I? It is just a weird day for me. Enjoy YOUR day. LOL

In Stitches

I am pleased to announce that some of my bracelets are available at In Stitches in Waynesville, North Carolina. Michelle, the owner, has been a fabulous help to me and we have put together a few bracelets that complement some fabrics that are popular right now. Michelle uses the fabrics to design custom purses. Please check out her store and tell her I sent you.

This is just one of the bracelets that is available at In Stitches.

Autumn Breeze

The wedding we recently attended was done in lovely shades of cinnamon and it was beautiful. Aunt Debbie, mother of the bride, wanted a bracelet for the wedding that would coordinate with the colors and yet be a piece that she could wear at other times during this season. I think it was appropriately named (I named it before the wedding) because it was so windy on the wedding day from Hurricane Ike. I guess I should have named it Autumn hurricane winds, not breeze. We had a good time and I'm glad the wedding wasn't postponed due to the weather.

Vacation Adventure

What an adventure it was to go from Ohio to Louisiana with two little children in a van for two days. We finally made it to Louisiana just before Hurricane Ike hit and hunkered down in a hotel with the rest of the family that was meeting there for a wedding and rode it out on the 15th floor. We stayed in Lafayette so we were just on the outskirts of that huge storm and so the most we had was LOTS of wind and rain. The funniest thing was we were driving south while everyone else was driving north. hmmm... After the wedding we drove over to Gulf Shores, Alabama and enjoyed a few days on the beach. The amazing thing about that leg of the journey was that for HUNDREDS of miles we saw tree trimming and electric truck after truck heading towards Texas to help with the clean up. I was incredibly impressed and moved by that site. It made me proud to be an American. I tried to capture a picture of one stretch of the highway to show the trucks but this is all I was able to get. Just picture it though.

I thought I'd show a few pictures of my girls on the beach. Yes, we are incredibly fair so don't laugh. Really, don't laugh!!!
This is a picture of the beach from our condo balcony. Beautiful colors!

This is Mia running back and forth with a watering can watering her "flowers" on the beach. Oh the innocence.

The last picture is of Ashley in her hat at the beach. No, the suit and hat don't match but I had to keep something on her nearly bald head. Simply precious.

Lottie Dottie

Lottie Dottie is a new bracelet that I recently finished. I made the beads a while ago but have hung onto them until now. Isn't it a fun bracelet? So cheery and whimsical. I love polka dots and black so I enjoyed making this piece. I hope you enjoy it, too.

A Personality Quiz

Someone sent me this link and I took the little quiz and found it to be fascinating. It is funny how picking a few pictures can categorize a person so quickly. This website has you look through a series of pictures and you pick the picture that best answers the question. If you are interested, here is the link. Youniverse.

Mmmmm.....Onion Rings

Every now and then we eat at Long John Silver's. We always say that we won't eat it again for a LONG time but we end up going back. You know how it is. :::snicker, snicker::: This time we tried the onion rings. WOW! Let me tell you, they are surprisingly good! Mind you, this isn't a nutritional choice, but they are good. If anyone out there likes Funyuns, you will like (maybe love) these. They taste like hot, fresh Funyuns. It sounds silly, but they are worth trying. Mmmmm...

Oh, no! A mouse????

I would have never believed that it is possible but apparently...it is! A mouse crawled up into our dryer and decided to end his little in there. I doubt that was his intention but that is the way it played out. The stench has been UNBELIEVEABLE and I wouldn't have thought it to be possible. Believe me, it is! My husband pulled apart the dryer last night trying to find it and after he did, we decided it probably was not worth it in the first place. Who wants to have a stinky dryer with who knows what presents the mouse left behind. So...off to the stores we go to purchase a new dryer. Just what I want to do this weekend!

A little guest

The other day I was on the deck and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Well, what should I see but a little praying mantis. VERY LITTLE! It was so cute that for some reason I took a few pictures of it. The funny thing is they act like they are huge and try to hit you whenever you come near them. They act like they are boxing with you. My three-year old that it was very cute and talked to it and told it stories. Here are some pictures of our guest during his brief visit.

I want to PEEK

I spent a little time working on beads tonight and I wanted so badly to peek at the finished beads. To keep the beads from cracking, I put them in the kiln while they are still warm so I don't get to see how they really look until they come out of the kiln many hours later. So...that means that I don't get to see my little works of art, (or not), until the morning. It is fun though to look at them and see if the time invested in each bead pays off. Sometimes the beads look great and sometimes they go in the "junk" bowl. My three year old daughter thinks they all look great and cherishes them. I guess it lies in the eye of the beholder. LOL

A little funny

I thought this was so funny. It's a cute little joke (and I hope not a story).


The boss wondered why one of his most valued employee had not phoned in sick one day since he was not in the office. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. ' Hello ? '

'Is your daddy home?' he asked.

' Yes ,' whispered the small voice.

May I talk with him?'

The child whispered, ' No .'

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mommy there?''Yes..'

'May I talk with her?'

Again the small voice whispered, ' No .'

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?'

' Yes ,' whispered the child, ' a policeman '.

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?'

' No, he's busy ', whispered the child.

'Busy doing what?'

' Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman ,' came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?'

' A helicopter ' answered the whispering voice.

'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.

Again, whispering, the child answered, ' The search team just landed a helicopter .'

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?'

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle... ' ME .'

The Chapman Family

Steven Curtis Chapman has been my favorite Christian songwriter and artist for as long as I can remember. Throughout the years I have enjoyed every CD he has put out and the most recent one is no exception. I love the songs and find them to be inspiring and challenging to help me with my walk with the Lord. I REALLY love the "Cinderella" song. It is so precious. It is even more touching now that the family has suffered a horribly, tragic loss. On May 21st of this year, a vehicle in the family’s driveway struck his five-year old adopted daughter, Maria, and she was killed. Recently Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, were on ABC telling their story of what it has been like for them and their family. I was so glad they took the time to let people into their lives during this emotional time. I can only imagine the anguish they feel but something wonderful is coming out of this horrible loss. Maria's Big House of Hope is being built in China with the money that has been donated from the outpouring of caring individuals. How wonderful that so many little children will be able to be blessed at this facility.

Once again I am reminded of the frailty of life. Sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up in the trivial things and forget the bigger picture, but this story serves as a great reminder of what is important.

New Beginnings

How many people are blessed to find love twice in a lifetime? I'm sure the answer would surprise me but I think it would be a blessing to find love again after losing a spouse. My father became a widower when my mother passed away but was blessed to find love again when he met Carol. They got married last week and are now starting on their new life together. It will seem odd to have another woman in the family but I'm sure we will enjoy what she will add to our family.
I designed the bracelet above for the wedding. As you can see in the pictures, the wedding party wore black and I felt this bracelet was an elegant, yet simple addition to the dress.

The New Family Photograph

My little family - Robbon, Mark, Mia and Ashley

My Little Girls

Last week we attended a wedding and someone took this picture of my two little girls. I thought I would share it. Mia is three and Ashley is nearly 10 months old. This picture makes me smile because they look so innocent and precious.

The Silent Treatment

I received a funny e-mail today with some jokes and wanted to share this one because it made me laugh. Have you ever experienced the silent treatment?

The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, 'Please wake me at 5:00 AM.' He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM . Wake up.' Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

Torch Time

I work on the torch making beads when I get, no, MAKE the time. I haven't been making beads for a few weeks now, so I sat down last night and tried to create a few beads. I have two new presses and couldn't wait to try them out. HA! HA! Oh good gravy, I should have known better. Everything is a learning process with lampworking, so I don't know why I thought I could whip some beads out in one try. LOL Silly me. The beads didn't turn out looking very good so...I shall try again tonight. Hopefully these will turn out better. Wish me luck!

Crazy Weather

Our weather has been so unusual. I feel like I am in Florida. We have had rain-showers off and on for nearly a week now and then we have beautiful sunny weather after that. I'm fine with this kind of weather just as long as we are not experiencing the really hot and humid conditions. That is the weather that I can't stand. You know the kind that makes you feel uncomfortable the moment you walk outside? Ugh! More rain and sunshine in the forecast for today so I'll enjoy it while it is here. You enjoy your day, too!

Carnage!

I felt so bad today when I walked out the back door and found a pile of small feathers. I knew exactly what it meant and where the feathers had come from. Ugh! A few weeks ago a little bird decided to make her nest in my ivy topiary on my back deck. By the time I discovered the nest, she already had four eggs in it and I couldn't bear making her leave those eggs so I have anxiously watched out for that nest hoping to keep everything safe. The eggs hatched last week and the babies grew quickly. I was so proud of them that they weren't chirping or being loud because I didn't want them to draw attention. I have no idea how it happened but the nest is now empty and there are feathers around the deck. So very sad! I wish I could have stopped this and feel bad that I couldn't do anything to protect those little lives. I'm a sensitive person so this really upset me. The circle of life doesn't seem fair sometimes.

Crickets

How in the world do crickets make such a loud noise? I KNOW how they do it, but a wing and a leg should not be able to generate so much noise, especially at night!!! We have one near our bedroom window and that thing is so noisy. It drives me NUTS! They are also impossible to find which makes them exasperating. I tried to show one to Mia this week but it could feel us coming and would get quiet every time we came near. I love God's creations, but sometimes they can be annoying. Does anyone else have the illusive insect near their window? If so, I feel your pain. LOL

A little Pug

My addiction is looking at blogs and websites that inspire me and make me smile. I could sit in front of the computer screen for days upon end, I think. You know how it goes. You sit and look at one website then they have links to other sites and they have links and so on and so on and next thing you know an hour has just flown by. Surely I'm not the only one that does this, am I? I came upon this website and just had to share this cute little pug that I found.

I think it looks like the dog is smiling and I just couldn't resist sharing. I had such fun looking at this site. Very cute if you like dogs. Holly McCaig Art & Design.

A Wonderful Weekend

The weather was hot and humid this weekend but it was still nice to see the sun after the weather we had a few days this week. We had lots of fun playing and swimming in the pool. I use the word "pool" loosely since it is a five-foot round, blow-up swimming pool on our back deck. With two little children that is all we need. That makes me happy because I don't really want to cart myself and the babes off to a real pool, which requires packing too much stuff with kids this age. We had a family gathering today to celebrate birthdays and a nephew who graduated from high school, so all had fun. I'll put a picture up soon of our pool. Ha, ha!!

An Illusion

I received this recently and thought this was unusual. See what you think. You will have to get out of your seat and walk away from your computer about ten to fifteen feet. People may think you're crazy, but the illusion is worth it.




When you look at this picture in a closer look you see it's Albert Einstein. But if you stand back, it will become Marilyn Monroe.

Just something silly for those of you who want to see an illusion.

Peonies

I love my gardens this time of year. Going outside, picking flowers, and putting them in arrangements all over my home makes me happy. I have this arrangement sitting on my desk and I LOVE IT!! Beautiful pink Peonies. Flowers add that special touch for me and I wish I could pick them year round but that is not the case here in Ohio. grrr. I just had to share these lovely flowers.

Wrap Me In Your Arms Bracelet

Wrap Me In Your Arms was a custom order and I loved the colors together. My inspiration came from listening to a few worship songs the customer told me were among her favorites. It was wonderful to create to such moving songs. Wrap Me In Your Arms was one of the songs. Thanks Michelle for sharing with me.


If you want to see a corresponding video, please click on this link.

Moving Weekend

Well, I'm moving my website and working hard at trying to get it all set up. grrr. Please hang in there with me while I get this done. Thanks for stopping by.

I LOVE These Spring Days

I adore these days when I can open my windows and let the fresh air in. The temperature is just right today and the breeze is soft enough that is is filling the house with fresh air. Thank God for that. I always get inspired on these days to do a million things within my house but I just end up running around in circles doing much of nothing. I did make a To Do list to get all of my ideas out of my head and onto paper so that counts, doesn't it? My little daughter Mia (who is nearly three) made a list, too. Her list looks better and shorter than mine so I think I'll take her list instead. Off I go to tackle at least ONE of the items on my list. Hooray!

A Few Beads

Here are a few beads that I worked on recently. I love working with polka dots on beads. There are pink flowers on top of the beads to make it a little fun. I plan on making a bracelet with these soon so I'll show you the bracelet when I am done.

The Never Ending Beckon of The Torch

It has been almost two weeks since I have been able to sit down and make beads. It feels much longer than that and I can't wait to work on some this weekend!! Hopefully I will get the opportunity to do that. Every time I think I will take a few hours to work, I end up getting side tracked and don't get around to it. I have a few sets that are incomplete and I want to get them taken care of so I can create the bracelet designs that keep running around in my head. Maybe, just maybe I will finally get to it!!!

A Mother's Touch Bracelet

A mother's touch is...irreplaceable. It can calm us down when things seem to be falling apart, mend our wounds, and make us feel safe and loved. Too often we take for granted the touch of a mother and don't REALLY cherish it until it is gone.

This bracelet was made for my mother. My father asked me to make a bracelet that he could give to her on their 47th wedding anniversary. A few months after he gave this to her she passed away due to cancer. Her touch will be missed!

I designed this bracelet with her in mind. Since she loved her garden and often wore beautiful pastel colors the lampwork beads were created in a rich, light yellow and a soft pink with flowers on a few of them. Mom only wore gold so I used 14 karat gold and a few vermeil pieces, crystals and freshwater pearls were also used to create this feminine bracelet.