Snowy days....

.....are made for baking, shoveling, cuddling with the kitten, reading, laundry, and watching Masterpiece Theater (Grantchester). 

homemade pretzels - super yummy

catnapping on her favorite chair cushion

what I'm currently reading and a cuppa English afternoon tea

Okay, I may have sneaked a nap in there too.  Isn't winter, in general, conducive to napping?  Not that I need an excuse, mind you.

Stunning.....just stunning.

A few new pairs of earrings

Somehow I managed to score a long weekend last week, and boy did I have plans!  I was going to catch up on paperwork, get some necessary shopping done, deep clean and rearrange my creative space, wash lots of laundry, do some baking and hopefully squeeze in some Netflix viewing.  What is it they say about best laid plans?!

On my first day off, I only managed to make a few pairs of earrings and leave a tremendous mess on my desk!  Well, I also squeezed in time for a blog post.  And I finished a novel.  And we watched Belle, a rather stirring period drama based on a true story.  Lots of beautiful people and gorgeous clothing in addition to an interesting story.  (Here's a link to the trailer, in case you're interested: Belle.)   

first pair of earrings:

Dusty rose peanut beads (Let's Bead), coral Czech glass rounds, faceted red aventurine stones (Fire Mt. Gems), polymer clay discs (Joni's Touch of Art) and carved garnet rounds.  The garnet rounds came from a friend who bought them while living in Japan.

second pair of earrings:

All of the beads, except for the seed beads, were bought from a flea market vendor.  I wish I knew the woman's name and whether or not she still sells vintage beads!  The thin gold-toned bead caps are from broken rosaries.  I don't wear yellow often, but these might make a cheerful addition to any outfit, especially come spring and summer.  The china is from my aunt who gifted me a cup & saucer for Christmas.

This weekend I plan to explore a bit of Hudson, NY with friends and spend time with family as my great nephew is about to turn three. I think there is a round of Ants in the Pants in my future.

Hope you have a great end to your week no matter where you are or what you do!

I left my heart in...Prague

Wait a minute.  That's not how the song goes!

But perhaps I did leave part of my heart in Prague when Tim and I visited last year around this time.  My little sister has just returned from a trip to the Virgin Islands so thoughts of travel are in my head.  I don't have any plans to step on a plane or train or take a long journey in a car any time soon so I thought I would reminisce about a trip to a beautiful city in Europe instead.

I think we may have been in the heart of Old Town for less than 15 minutes when I asked Tim to promise me we would return to Prague for a much longer visit.  Rent an apartment and eat in local restaurants.  Learn enough of the language to greet people on the street.  Go for a tour of the factories where the famous glass beads are made.  Attend a service at one of the many gorgeous churches in the city.  Explore the historic Jewish part of town and learn its history.  Watch the traditional glass carvers at work.  He agreed.  He may have forgotten by now, but he agreed!

Here are some photos:

The roof spires on the Church of Our Lady Before Týn, finished in the early 15th century

winding street off the Old Town square

how fun to imagine living in an attic apartment in one of these old buildings

the famous Prague astronomical clock, the oldest of its kind that still works

one of the many stunning windows of St. Vitus Cathedral

part of the gorgeous Gothic exterior of St. Vitus Cathedral

a romantic time of day to stroll the city streets

a glass carver working inside a shop at the Prague Castle complex

I don't recall what this shark was selling or advertising, but I remember he made us laugh.  Note the fake dismembered hand in his teeth.

view of the skyline from the Charles Bridge

nice vista from the top of The Petřín Lookout Tower

adorned in the Art Nouveau style, The Municipal House is a venue for concerts, balls & fashion shows and has at least one lovely restaurant we could see from the street

street performers headed to work

This scene is what I remember most about Prague's beauty.  The water, the gondola, the lighting, the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral - it was all so romantic.  This city oozes history and charm.  You can't help feeling the past here.

extraordinary metal work on a gate outside St. Vitus Cathedral

Happy New Year

At the start of a new calendar year, a lot of people start talking about change.  Exercise more, eat less.  Spend more time with family, work less.  Save more, spend less.  Cook more, eat out less.  Look on the bright side more often, eliminate cynical leanings.  It makes me think of the first time I heard the phrase "life lessons."  It came from the mouth of a manager above my manager, and if I'm recalling correctly it was in reference to the proverbial golden rule - treat others as you yourself would like to be treated.  She said something along the lines of "it's one of those life lessons, isn't it?  We know it, but we actually have to practice it."  How true of two-way kindness, self-care, finding the time for the most important people in our lives, living within our means and so on.

This is often the time of year when folks make resolutions to make those changes, right?  That list of things we want to acquire or become.  That list of idealized desires and goals.  This isn't something I've ever really practiced.  Instead, I choose to make two mental lists sometime between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: what I like about myself and what I'm grateful for in my life.  As I've read in many Oprah magazine articles and self-help type books, gratitude is believed to be the true path to joy.  Perhaps you've kept a gratitude journal or simply count your blessings on a regular basis.  Many may believe it's a bunch of hokum, but perhaps joy is truly found in recognizing and appreciating the good in our lives, no matter how large or small.  

Some days, being grateful for my cat cuddling and purring on my lap brings me delight.  Experiencing a sunny day when I'm off work and have time to appreciate how the light filters to the forest floor brings gladness.  A good meal.  A conversation with an old friend.  A nice customer.  A belly laugh or even a quick giggle.  Jubilation isn't far away if we make the effort to simply see it and value it.  

With that, I've thought of a word that I plan to work into my existence during 2015.  

That word is PURPOSEFUL.

Day trip to Stockbridge, Mass.

A pretty spot in front of the Red Lion Inn.

One day last week, I took a drive over to Stockbridge, MA to meet with an old friend and her sister.  It had snowed the night before so the ride over was absolutely gorgeous.  I wanted to take some photos along the Taconic Parkway, but that's pretty much impossible since there are no shoulders along the road side and my camera is currently held together with electrical tape - no easy snapping of pics can be done with it, believe me!  It was quite magical as there was little traffic, and the trees were loaded with fresh snow.  I was half expecting Mr. Tumnus to walk out from between the pines as in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I don't recall having been through that part of Massachusetts before - through the Berkshires, into Great Barrington and north up to Stockbridge which is famous for a Norman Rockwell painting of its Main Street, among other things.  Quintessential New England at its best.  The only thing missing was the white church with a tall steeple in the center of town, but then again it likely exists and I just didn't see enough of the side streets. 

I met my friends at the historic Red Lion Inn which was splendidly decorated for the holidays.  There was a fire going in the lobby where a large Christmas tree was laden with what seemed like hundreds of ornaments.  Very quaint and cozy.  I could have settled in for a hot toddy and called it a day, but I only had the afternoon to catch up.

The festive porch, decorated with kissing balls and lit trees on the roof.

Even on a cold day, this is a lovely spot to take a quick rest.

The Christmas tree in the lobby.

We had lunch at a lovely cafe where we lingered to talk and talk and talk.  My friend, Louise, is amazing.  She is inspiring, funny, loving, warm, hilarious, generous, energetic and largely responsible for some of the best times in my life.  I went to Europe for the first time because she invited me to go.  I worked and lived in Antarctica because she had been there before me and knew all the contacts to get a job.  Even beyond that, she has always been a good friend, tried and true, no matter what.  How lucky I am!

Louise in a phone box in Vienna. 

After our meal, we shopped a bit and then wandered into Williams & Sons Country Store.  It's a general store that is full of nostalgia (old tins and signs, original shelves and fixtures) and has a bit of everything - from soup to nuts, as they say.  What a fun place to meander.  I was happy to see that Swedish fish are still a penny each, just like they were when I was in elementary school and shopped at Kaz's, the mom & pop store I passed on the way to and from school every day.  

Gingerbread house (structurally sound but inedible) in the window at Williams & Sons.

I took a different route home which was a little precarious, but I was rewarded with the sighting of an owl and several deer.  I hope to visit that area of The Codfish State again.

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop!

It's here!  Reveal Day for the Bead Hoarders Blog Hop!

In looking through my um...collection of beads, I realize that my attachment to travel memories is largely why I hoard beads.  They help me recall funny things that happened on a trip or with whom I was traveling.  I am reminded of friendly bead shop owners who took the time to talk about their wares.  I think of friends I visited in their hometowns who recommended a particular shop.  Perhaps, in part, I keep beads to retain a tangible record of my journeys.  Maybe that reads as silly, but then I can be silly.  And sentimental.  Obviously.

Bits and pieces from my bead stash:

The flower pendants in the top photo came from all over the US.  The seven of the same design were bought in MA & MT  from bead shop owners who separately found vintage clay beads from the 70s.  The foil glass beads came from a lovely lady who ran a bead shop from a booth at an antiques shop in Florence, OR.  She was a hoot to talk with.  The lentils were handpicked at shops in Sedona, Arizona and West Yellowstone, MT.  I think the blue ceramic and glass came from a shop in Springdale, UT - Regalo Beads.

I once wore the super chunky magnesite strand as part of a Frida Kahlo costume.  Those gorgeous pendants came from a small bead shop in Pasadena (Farrin O'Connor) as did the jumble of ocean jasper.  The reds and oranges came largely from bead shows in MA and NY.  The Labradorite strands were found at a bead show and online at Fire Mt. Gems.

Vintage Belgian sequins found in Santa Fe; Czech glass (Easter eggs) bought in Christchurch, NZ at a shop that doesn't exist any more due to earthquake damage; pink glass purchased from an estate sale junkie at a flea market - she bought broken old pieces and sold the bits in baggies; sea green ceramic & glass from a bead shop in Eureka, CA (Talisman Beads); those fused glass pendants all came from a tiny store in Venice, Italy.

Borosilicate strands bought in Florence, OR; sheep, dog and kitties by Kaylee Lampwork (aka Vicky Kerr); three strands of large spacers from J. Karnos (Silver Sage Creations) ; on the red / white fabric are glass beads by beginners from bead stores in CA & CO; a small collection from lots of difference places; spacers, long chevron, focals and a spider body all made by Wesley Fleming, an amazing artist who makes glass insects you can read about at wesleyfleming.com (I took a class taught by him in 2009).

Here is what I made:

I designed a necklace with this color scheme, using some of these same beads, months ago.  There are so many color facets to the orange / green / blue stones that they could be paired with almost anything.  The hoarded beads are the stone squares, the amazonite rondelles, the orange seed beads and the small Czech glass rondelles - I've had some of these since the mid-2000s.

For me, there are lots of interesting beads in this memory wire bracelet.  The lampwork beads came from a bead shop in West Yellowstone, MT that closed its doors years ago.  I bought a baggie full of this particular bead - the purple swirls spoke to me!  The glass pearls came from a woman at a flea market - parts of a broken necklace that belonged to her mother.  The large matte purple seed beads were some of the first beads I ever bought back in the late 90s.  Same for the matte yellow tear drops (Saratoga Beads).  Other ingredients have been in my bead boxes for years and years as well.

I actually made this bracelet a few years ago with beads I found at a flea market.  The woman selling them told me they were from pieces she bought at estate sales that were damaged or broken.  She coordinated them by color, packaged them and sold them so they could be made into new jewelry.  This was in 2007.  I made this with the intent to sell it, but I think it might be too girly for many. 

So after work today, I came home and took more photos of this necklace.  These are a bit brighter than those in the original collage I posted this morning.  The enamel pendant is vintage from the 70s.  I found it at Garden of Beadin' in Missoula, MT at the end of a six-week road trip in 2008.  The other components I've collected over the years.  The tiny plastic flower above the pendant is from a 1960s necklace I found in tatters at a garage sale.  I ended up getting it for free.  Score!

 I had another necklace designed for this blog hop, but I didn't find time to actually put it together.  Another day....

Click here to get to host Lori Anderson's blog.  See what she made and find the list of links for all participants.  Have a great time looking at all of the creativity.  I will be taking lots of time to visit and leave comments.  Hope you will too.