I Heart Macro

My wonderful husband started a garden this year. I hate dirt, and bugs, and snakes, and worms, and being hot, and hard work. So the garden is his project. He brought these in for my daughter tonight.

Yum!

As you can see they were well received.
Wish I had gotten to try some :-)

Why don't you visit the rest of the I Heart Macro Participants!


Have a great day!
~Shannon

Last Friday in July

In the salon I work 3 days a week. On the last day I work for a particular month I will pause at the end of the work day to reflect on the events of that month and to plan things for the following month.
Yesterday was that day. As most of you know 2 weeks ago I lost my cat of 9 years. That was a very difficult part of the month of July but July wasn't all that bad. Despite the sadness in my heart at his passing I would say July was a pretty great month.
I was able to participate in 3 design challenges! J-Lynn Jewels, Chinook (which will be revealed soon) and today's reveal Artisan Clay.
I am still high from receiving my first piece of jewelry being in a print publication (Bead Trends) and I had a piece of jewelry in an e-magazine (Everyday Bracelets) So awesome!!!
I was able to attend a bead show, buy some truly awesome beads, and spend a wonderful day with my husband. Speaking of my husband, we celebrated our 10 year Anniversary in July! He took me for lobster and crab legs right on the Hudson River. It was a wonderful evening, the food was delicious and the view was amazing. We live minutes from the river and seldom get to go down there because the restaurants are very pricy, so it was such a nice treat.
We had a wonderful time with new and old friends at a barbeque to support a friend who is running for a political position.
On Monday night I was listening to Nail Talk Radio and won a $1500.00 Gellish gel color kit from Harmony Nails! It contains 72 colors, all the supplies needed and the LED lamp! This kit will be life changing for me and so wonderful for my salon and the future growth of my salon. I am still in shock that I actually won. You see there were 2 of us named Shannon on the call so I thought for sure they meant her.
I hope that the month of August will hold many more special moments for my family and I. I will be celebrating my 35th birthday in about 2 weeks. I hope to achieve my goal of submitting designs to magazines every month for the rest of the year and I hope to spend more time on both my salon and my jewelry.
What did you do in July?
What are your plan for August?

Now I want to reveal my design for the Artisan Clay Design team:

 I chose the beautiful purple donut bead because I knew the color would present a challenge and the shape. I rarely use purple and I have never worked with this shape before. This necklace is inspired by the designs of one of my friends Staci Klinger Smith of StaciLouise she uses this shape in many of the pieces I admire in her shop. How'd I do Staci? Thanks for being an inspiration!!!

 I hope you'll take a second today to reflect on July, plan for August and visit the other members of the Artisan Clay Design Team.

~Shannon

 

The Worst Day

In December of 2000 my ferrett George died. My husband and I had just bought our house and I was working as Head Teller at the bank. One of my co-workers had heard of a bunch of cats that were found in a dumpster behind Ames (now Target). I went to visit the kittens and came home with the cutest grey and white striped kitten we named Ashley. We took her to the vet to get checked out and found out the she was a he :-) So Ashley became Ashes.
He was a great cat. I had cats growing up that were crazy, pulling down the ceiling tiles, biting and scratching. Ashes never did any of those things. He was a big cat weighing almost 28 pounds. He loved to be brushed and let me give him baths and clip his nails with no complaining. He loved to be carried around like a baby and he would put his head on my shoulder. I started calling him Cat because he would run if you asked where the cat was :-)
After we had The Girl we bought a new couch. Ashes had it out for that couch. If he got around the couch he would mark it. She we made him his own room. The dogs slept in that room and his food, water, litter box and bed were in there. My beads are also in that room. The girl and I would visit and play with him every day. My wonderful husband took over changing the litterbox while I was pregnant.
On Wednesday I noticed he was looking funny. He looked a little thinner than he did the day before and he was breathing hard. I thought it was the heat so we put a fan in his room to circulate the air conditioning. (We only have window units)
On Thursday I was off from the salon in the morning to work on some Etsy shop stuff and make more etched copper pendants. I checked on him when I woke up and he was still breathing heavy but ran to greet me when I came in the room. I brushed him and asked him what was wrong. He wouldn't leave my side so I let him out into the kitchen with me while I worked. I took a shower with him in the bathroom. When I sat down to do my makeup he ran over to me. I knelt down and cradled him in my arms. He took 3 breaths and went limp. I knew he was gone but I kept running in and out of the room yelling what's wrong, what's wrong. what can I do?
My husband was gone for the day and out of cell phone range. I didn't know what to do so I just sat with him for a long time and wrapped him in a new green blanket, he loved fleece blankets.
He was buried this morning and I still can't believe he's gone. It seems so surreal. I haven't been able to go in his room yet and I am not sure when I will feel okay to go in there. I know he was just a cat but he was my cat, he was a part of our family. When The Girl first started talking we would laugh because she would say "Cat, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie" we figured out it was because we have 4 dogs but only the one cat.

Dear Ashes,
Thank you for picking us as your forever home. I was happy to be your mom and although it was very hard on me to be with you when you passed I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I hope you know that you were loved and will be missed. I know the pain in my heart will fade but the memories of you never will. 

Ashes December 2009

A Treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTY1MjM5OHw0MzM4NjA0MjI/a-posy-for-your-pocket

My necklace is featured in this beautiful treasury!
I love coming home to an e-mail saying a piece of my jewelry was chosen to be in a treasury. They aren't all that easy to make so it always makes me feel special to be featured. I hope you'll stop by, check it out and leave some love for the curator.
~Shannon

Gross...

...and yet so intriguing.
This afternoon while The Girl was sleeping hubby came running toward the house with a cicada. Let me tell you I was not overjoyed by his presence, the cicada not my husband ;-)

I think they are so freaky looking although I have never gotten this close to one before. I remember finding their "shells" all over the neighbors house when I was little. I remember thinking what a huge bug it must be.

In my book this thing was big and had these huge dark eyes. It never moved. It let me take picture after picture and it didn't even blink. Not that bugs blink but you know what I mean.

Have a wonderful day and check out what the rest of my friends are up to at I Heart Macro :-)

~Shannon

Christmas In July

I am participating in The Christmas In July Sale with The Etsy Mom Street Team.

Click on banner to go to my etsy shop

I am thrilled by this idea because my 10th wedding Anniversary was July 6th.
The Christmas In July sale will run from July 14th-July 24th and all the items in my shop are 10% off and I will be adding new items daily.
I hope you'll stop by and visit my shop and all the other members of The Etsy Mom Street Team during the sale.
~Shannon

Inspired by!

I was inspired by a necklace to make a necklace I made for the Muffin Tin challenge. At the time I could not remember where I found the one I was inspired by. You see when I am online, which is a lot, I see pictures of pieces and sometimes my brain says "oh that's how you can use that bead" which I will sometimes do. Then by the time I get to make the piece I have forgotten where I saw the piece of jewelry that inspired me in the first place.

I was clicking around tonight after dinner and found this:

Pink Grapefruit Chunky Choker Necklace by Cherrie Fick

EnLaLumiere

The inspiration for the necklace I made. I am so glad I found it to share this wonderful artist with you and thank her properly for the beautiful inspiration for my necklace. I hope I didn't offend by not posting sooner that you were my inspiration   :-)

For My Sweet Daughter

Margie and Me Challenge

Marcie from La Bella Joya invited me to participate in her color challenge. 

Margie and Me: SoBe Style

Although you saw this bracelet already I thought it only fair that you saw the inspiration behind it.

 

 

You should stop by her blog and check out what she and the other participants made with this and the other color palette. La Bella Joya Blog

I Heart Macro

Time for I Heart Macro.
This week I had to give you a macro shot of The Girl. She's just so cute I can't help myself.
I hope you are enjoying your weekend :-)

Oh and I had to add this little guy. He's quick so it's hard to catch a picture but I snuck up on him the other day :-)

Check out what everyone else is up to: