Snow Melts Into Crunchy Ice To Be Stomped On...

This was just the other day. 

Snow. 

Pretty soft to stomp on…

This following picture is Tuesday evening. 

After 2 days of melting temperatures, then refreezing overnight…

Chloe was checking out the areas she had previously stomped in the snow up on the front walkway...

I meanwhile saw some pretty ice areas to capture with the hipstamatic…

Like this one...

Ooohhh… And over there…

Oh, wait…

STOMP…

Never mind…

I do love her little cow girl boots…

And there is plenty of ice and snow to go around!

Want to see more funny with the little ones?

Ok. So we love Dr. Seuss.

Wacky Wednesday is on our read almost every night list of books.

Well, those Sutherland Sisters - they were wacky!

And so were some of the ladies we saw at the store...

"Yook Mom - She has NO feet! That's Wacky!!!"

("l" is pronounced "y" - we're working on that - but giggle at the way things come out sometimes - "can I have some chapstick for my yips?").

"No head! That is Wacky Too!!!"

Chloe, maybe you should put your head up there and I'll take a picture…

Oh - the things she and I are going to get in trouble with in the future!

She was pretending to be a little pig and I was going to blow her house of dresses down…

Lots of giggles were heard in JC Penney's dress department that day…

Meanwhile - Riley was at home with a stomach bug…

Two things here:

1. He will not be going to play in dresses like his sister with messy hands and face like that. Must keep them clean or we would be bringing a lot home with us…
2. I wonder if eating this much home-made gnocchi is what made him sick? He ate a full serving on Friday night, but got sick Sunday morning… So probably not. 

Here is a peek at unfinished backs to some of my "focus" tiles that are ready for glazing.

I just really liked seeing them lined up, face down…

I have a test kiln that should be unloaded tomorrow morning.

Then hopefully a day of glazing will be in my sights and not a day of taking care of a sick little boy…

Not that I would mind taking care of Riley - but I don't want him sick.

And I've got deadlines…

Oh, well - so is life!

Thanks for stopping by!

W is for White, Weddings and Winter...

Have you ever been asked to make jewelry for someone for their wedding?

I have. And for me it comes with a range of emotions starting with excited, then honored sets in, ideas are thrown about, photos of dresses are looked at.
Then the - oh, crap! questions & doubts start to come up (all in my head of course)...

Will my design sense and know how be good enough? 

What about supplies? 

Better get one of everything in "white" since I only seem to have silver. 

And grayish silver at that, not white silver… Darn! 

Leslie!!! (from Twisted Sistah Beads & Fibers) - HELP!!!

I need more seed beads!

Then the fall back: Well, if they don't like it, I guess they can go buy something pre-made from the store or better yet a boutique that carries handmade jewelry like this handmade sterling silver, pearl and rhinestone head piece...

I do not consider myself a "jewelry designer" as much as I do a "bead maker" and "jewelry maker".

I can whip some stuff up, but it takes a lot of inspiration and practice with various techniques.

So why this post? I've been thinking about posting it since last summer when I was asked to make some wedding jewelry for my aunt (I did a simple strung necklace & dangly earring set - no pics - oops!) which was perfect for her style and dress. And I really enjoyed making it. Casting all doubts aside once I got to the making part and was able to hone in on what it meant to my aunt and uncle to have something handmade just for them for their special day...

Silk bundle #0 Almost White Color Palette.

And for those of you in need of some "white" silks for a wedding, baptism, etc jewelry project - I added some bundles to the silk section of my Etsy Shop that have (1) 2mm, (1) Silky Ribbon, and (1) Fairy Ribbon. 

Perfect for trying out the different kinds of silks in any of the 75 colors I carry in my Etsy shop or Website.

If you want "white" pick the #0 Almost White (trust me - these are as white, as un-dyed silk gets).

I think these ribbons are perfect to hand a small pendant from.

And often, these ceremonies have heirloom pieces of jewelry that are passed down…

That may need just a little something different 

It is now winter. The end of it I hope…

Goodbye cold blustery days…

Really - good bye! I want to see green again…

I have enjoyed some of the photos taken outside in my frozen, decaying garden like this one:

Marsha Neal Studio photo altered through Instagram iPhone app.

But really - I am ready for spring weather and gardening…

I am ready to grow my brain within the Master Gardeners Program starting in March…

And apply what I learn to my garden to really learn about it, then share with others.

I hope to be glazing all week long.
I have some deadlines upon me and a new glaze order arriving any day now (counting 10 days overdue from the original "delivery date" - darn blizzard in Oklahoma stalling UPS…)
So hopefully no posts here, just photos on my Facebook page with my progress.
Riley has a stomach bug, so unless he is 100% tomorrow, he will be home with me all day and I'll be getting nothing done in the studio…

A Week Ends. Week 8 Challenge. Frosty Goodness...

This is a photo filled post.

So I won't bore you with long details...

My Entry for this week's I Am The Diva Blog Zentangle Challenge.

So relieved that Laura's (she is the above blog's author) baby "Artoo" is out of the hospital and home...

This Top of this "heart" tangle was drawn "blind".

Then I focused on how hard it was not only for him to breathe,

But also the feelings that his parents and others were feeling - wanting him to get better…

How you ache for your child - any child - to not be sick and suffering...

This is a quick snapshot of my week 7 and 8 challenges side by side…

On my way to dropping my little ones off to school this morning I saw this…

I hoped that it would still be there on my way home.

Little ice crystals were clinging to everything in this catch basin. 

I only had my iPhone with me - but I should really start driving with my DSLR…

This area here in Hockessin has a totally different look in summer…

I love living somewhere that we get to experience all the seasons...

Even the trash discarded to the side of the road looked kinda cool with the ice crystals on it.

And this year, the bells stayed out in the garden over winter.

St. John's Wort behind it…

Shadow casting large trees up the hill and into the woods...

Four O'Clock Stem. Picked before the plant totally died. Left on the top of the stone wall. Forgotten about - but not really...

Morning sun peeking over the hill...

Ice in some areas - the snow has been melting, then water freezing…

Pretty when it is out of the walking and car paths...

Yeah. This. Not. So. Pretty…

I despise chewed gum and cigarette butts thrown into my garden or driveway or wherever outside where it can be seen or stepped on… 

Not like the animals can use this…

Although I used to have a dog that would seek out a pack of gum no matter where it was, and would chew and chew and chew it…

Giggling at remembering seeing that happy dog, head tilted sideways, mouth open chewing - big chewing, tail wagging and wagging, just sitting being the happiest of dogs…

Her preference was bubble gum flavor, juicy fruit or a mild mint...

You could hear that dog chewing and salivating from rooms away and would run to get it out of her mouth…

And with that, I am off to the studio to glaze for the rest of the day…

Happy Friday!

Oh, and remember, you have until tomorrow for my silk bundle giveaway on previous post from Wednesday.

Have a great weekend - Do Something FUN!!!