Ahhh, The First Rose of 2010!

I've been waiting on this little Rose to bloom for what seems like weeks but then we would get an overnight freeze or one of this year's freaky snowfalls and the bud quite naturally refused to open.

Yesterday, I thought it would surely open but it wasn't ready. Then this morning when I checked...it had started to open to the world and I am thrilled!

I'm so proud of this little beauty! It has a few scars from freezing weather but it persevered and demonstrates once again...tenacity has it's upside!

Newest Etsy Listing, "Texas Sunrise"

This is my newest Etsy listing!

Ever seen a Texas Sunrise? Sometimes the sun makes it's entry into the morning sky with bold reddish orange colors that announce I'm here...so does this necklace!

Rhyolite-Tigers Eye-Malachite Bracelet

Well, it started out as an Etsy shop item...now I'm not so sure...

Since photographing this bracelet and trying to come up with a title...the phrase, "Lions and Tigers and Bears" keeps running through my brain, totally nonsensical but what can I say?

I have two other rhyolite bracelets in the works...hopefully they make it to my Etsy shop!

Weeds or Flowers?

For several weeks now I've been watching several plants in my gardens because I'm just not convinced they are weeds. For now I'll just keep my eye on them.

This photo was taken in the early morning before the the sun's rays touch the plant.


This is a close up of the same photo...do you see the baby blue blooms still covered in their protective sepal?


Now the sun's rays are just reaching this plant and the blooms are opening.


This is a close up of the same photo. When I look at these lovely little blooms I'm convinced they need a chance to go through their life cycle. The blooms remind me of a tiny iris but the leaves of the plant are nothing like an iris. The blooms are so tiny and measure 1/4 inch across. So I'll enjoy them and see what happens.

It could be an interesting journey

My Shelby Girl!

May I introduce Shelby, our 8 year old white Lab. She walks more than she runs, she snoozes more often than not and yet after she's warmed up her faithful bones she comes running towards me with the same love as her puppy days.

She is always beside me, no matter the weather or what I’m doing. She’s not a gardener but she’s my right hand. She not a photographer but she follows me on my quest for just the right light. She’s not a cook but she'd love to be the taste tester. She’s not interested in cleaning but she definitely makes way for my vacuum. She is a Labrador Retriever who hates water.

Shelby is my loyal friend, she is my protector, she greets me after 15 minutes of not being with me with the same enthusiasm as a 3 day separation. She sleeps at my side of the bed and when it’s time to wake up she lays her head near my face and exhales deeply and slowly until I open my eyes, then I hear her wagging tail thump upon the floor. She is mine and I am her’s. She knows when I’m sick, sad or in need of a hug and when I’m happy she is there to share in the glory.

She’s a big girl, all 100 pounds of her. When she gallops towards me with a full head of steam, I prepare to be knocked down but she always slows down and gently puts her head to my leg so I can pet her. I love her - totally, completely and with gratitude.

When the grandbabies visit, she wakes several times during the night to walk around to each bed and check on them when she is satisfied that they are safe then she settles down to sleep til the next check. The grandbabies crawl all over her, lovin' her and she never blinks an eye...I think she loves all their attention.

Yesterday I visited Charlene's blog My Heart's Ease and was deeply moved by her post. Charlene has a video from years ago of The Johnny Carson Tonight Show and his guest, Jimmy Stewart reading a poem about his beloved dog... go here scroll down to the Jimmy Stewart video…his poem will touch your heart!

Now I've gotta run...cause it's time to play with Shelby!

Garden Flowers...THRIFT!

These blooms grace a lovely little plant I know as "Thrift". The leaves resemble clover and soon the blooms will cover the entire plant! I'll post more photos as the blooms take over.

One side note....can you believe I did not make any adjustments to this photo? When I put the camera's memory thing-a-ma-jig into the computer, pulled up the photo...this is exactly what I saw...God does good work...the flowers...not the photo! Smile!

The White Irises are Blooming!

The first of many to come! My white irises are the first to bloom, then the yellows, lavenders, the purples and last a coffee colored hybrid....so happy but must keep this post short...we're in the middle of a THUNDERSTORM!

Sweet Coincidences in the Land of Blog!

This was my original post for today BUT then the sweetest coincidence happened....scroll down to the ****~~~**** and read on!

Newest Etsy Listing: Wire Wrapped Pendant "Regal Copper and Agate"

This is a free form agate wire wrapped in a dark coppery artist wire by me. I love taking a free form stone and turning it into a piece of jewelry that the owner is proud to wear.

I hope you like this and you can see it in my Etsy shop!


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SWEET COINCIDENCES IN THE LAND OF BLOG...

This is an example why I love the Land of Blog ...

February 27th I posted about "A Place of Dreams".

Well yesterday I was visiting some of my favorite blogs when I stopped in at LeAnn Weih's blog Summers Studio and here is her March 23rd post and photos ...When I saw her post I could not believe my eyes...her photos look exactly like my treasured photo!

Now I know the true name of the Church in my photo,it's history and after a thoughtful email from LeAnn...I have another new life goal...to visit my "Place of Dreams"! (I hope soon....as Mr. B has been hearing about it all afternoon and evening!)

Thank you dear, sweet LeAnn!

Today I want to bring something to your attention that you may not be aware of...

Have your ever visited Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage? Oh please do...if you've not found her before...then go as soon as you can! She is a dear person with lots to offer in the way of artistic talent, classes, decorating and most of all she's a really nice person with a positive attitude that's contagious!

Now Karen has another venue to help all of us in the Land of Blog! She has opened "Valentine Design... Building Beautiful Blogs"!



You simply must go there! She has freebies, tips and tricks, pre-made backgrounds, examples of makeovers for some of our favorite blogs and she does consultations, makeovers if you choose and very reasonable rates for her services!

I know you will be as thrilled as I was when I visited her today!

Newest Etsy Listing: Not So Neutral Memory Wire Bracelet

This is my most recent listing in my Etsy store! I call it "Not So Neutral Memory Wire Bracelet" for a reason...it displays a little bit of everything Mother Nature has to offer; turquoise, shell, silver, crystal, tigers eye...but most of all it is so lightweight the wearer will forget she is wearing it until the compliments start coming her way!

I hope y'all like it as much as I do!

The Last Day of Winter...The First Day of Spring 2010 !

This was the sky from my backyard on Friday...it was warm...it was sunny...it was feeling like Spring...and it was the last day of Winter!

Notice I don't have a photo of Saturday's sky...it was the first day of Spring and it rained, the temperature dropped to the 30's with the wind chill feeling like the 20's! Then if you can believe it we got SNOW flurries!


So this photo is EARLY Sunday morning the second day of Spring 2010, yes that's snow!

Did I cover my Hydrangeas? Nope...but I sure moved my Mindy/heater/antique art piece into the garage to protect it...I am a woman with her priorities in line...well sort of...

Not to worry by Tuesday the temperatures will be in the 70's again and then I'll apologize to the Hydrangeas!

Chrysanthemums - So Easy!

This is a pot of Chrysanthemums from last Fall...they don't look like much now but read on and see the potential they have, not just for my garden but for yours as well!

Have you ever been gifted with a pot of Chrysanthemums? They arrive full of blooms that last for a few weeks, then the blooms fade and more often than not the plant is forgotten only to be dumped in the trash.

Well, today I encourage you to try this! When the blooms fade, pinch back the leaves on the potted plant to a height of 2 inches, dig a hole the size of the pot in your garden, place the plant there and now you can forget about it...well sort of ....

Mine do best in a sunny spot in the gardens and they bloom twice a year...Fall and Spring.

Here's the secret to HUGE, BUSHY Chrysanthemums that are FULL of blooms...

After the Spring blooms fade...I pinch the plants back to a height of 2 inches, then every couple of weeks I pinch the plants back to a one inch higher height...so start at 2 inches-then 3-then 4 and by the middle of July STOP PINCHING BACK THE PLANTS!

Remember to water them during the hottest months....and wait....by the beginning of September you will notice the plants you've been pinching back unmercifully are thriving...by early Fall they will be HUGE mounds of greenery! Then stand back...here come the blooms! There will be a thick blanket of blooms covering the plant surface!

I have some plants that started out measuring a maximum of 4 inches across...by Fall blooming they measure more than 2 feet across!

About every two years I thin out my Chrysanthemum plants. After the Fall blooms fade but before the first freeze, I water the soil enough to make it easy to "dig up" the plants, separating the package of "root to stem plants". Now pop the original plants back in their spot and the new babies into another location in your gardens or even into a pot. Remember to pinch them back again to a 2 inch height.

During the Winter you will think they have died and they will look pitiful until the new cycle starts again in early Spring.

So have fun, throw some color in unexpected places around your gardens! Chrysanthemums take a little effort on your part but the rewards they give back are astounding!

Once you try this I bet you never throw out a pot of Chrysanthemums again!

The plants in the photo actually started as 4 scrawny plants last October and as you can see...they've thickened up nicely and will be blooming by May!

Newest Etsy Listing: The First Patches of Green in a Texas Spring

This is my latest listing for my Etsy shop. Sometimes a piece of jewelry just speaks for itself...

This is one bracelet made with 4 coils of silver plated memory wire filled with Bronze beads surrounding 4 Green Turquoise beads.

That's it...and to me that's enough...just oh so pretty!

Hope y'all like it!


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MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

IF YOU HAVE EVER COVETED A PIECE OF JAIME'S JEWELRY FROM Bella-Bijou Jewellery here is your chance! She's having a major giveaway RUN over here on her blog and check it out...enter...browse around...she is incredibly talented and her jewelry is gorgeously unique!

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Poetry, Texas - Primitiques 'n Poetry!

Hooray! Today we took a "family" trip to visit Poetry, Texas. I read about Poetry on Mindy's blog Primitiques 'n Poetry! If you live near Terrell, Texas then you're just a hop-skip-and a jump away from Poetry and it's well worth the trip! The drive was fun and Mindy has the perfect map on her blog!

Of course, I had left the directions at home so we were using Miss M's iPhone to find our way - never will I complain about the cost of that little beauty again...well at least not when traveling!

Now if you're wondering...WHERE ARE THE PHOTOS from Poetry???? Well, suffice it to say...I was so excited about seeing Poetry and then Terrell that I only made one photo, it's the FIRST NATIONAL BUILDING in Terrell. SORRY but I was on a shopping mission! The towns-people were super friendly, the shops were fun and even Miss M got a deal camo-blinged out purse at Rosewood in Terrell!



Back to the story....we stopped at the Poetry gas station/general store/gathering place (nice people again!) for some drinks and snacks. We asked about Mindy's shop Primitiques. They told us it was located next door, inside Jack's Town and County Store!

We walked into the feed store, introduced ourselves to Jack, he is too cool - love his dry sense of humor! Jack said Mindy was away at an antique show. Oh yes, I forgot...duh...but hey no problem, may we look around and buy?

Jack said sure but a lot of her "stuff" which I knew was MANTALK for COOL TREASURES went with her but there was still some "stuff" there.

So I crossed the threshold and there it was Primitiques...

Boy 'o Boy I was in heaven! Mindy has neat wooden spindles, mirrors, lighting parts, wooden cabinets, kitchen implements, a baby carriage (to die for) so many gorgeous treasures!

Then I turned around to make another sweep of her cute shop AND THERE IT WAS! I found exactly what I needed and had been looking for, honestly I had no idea what it was but I loved it! Besides Mr. B needed to be sure that I was serious...you understand that he and I have a different "vision" of art!



So I paid for my treasures, left a little present for Mindy (I hope you like it - it's a bookmark) with Jack and thanked Jack!

Thanks Mindy...I'll think of you as I admire my ...let me see what is it again? Oh yes! It's an electric heater...but to me it an antique conversation piece to put in an esteemed place in my garden and on hot lazy summer nights...it will hold a muted light...and I will gaze at it and and remember how much I fun I had at Primitiques located in Poetry, Texas!

Here we go again...The necklace I just couldn't part with.

This necklace started out as a DEFINITE ETSY ITEM !

I invested so much time finding the perfect turquoise stones to use with the Egret pendant and I wanted the necklace to define Balance in Nature.

I researched the symbolism of the Egret...took the photos...wrote the text...

But each time I picked up the necklace and thought of the symbolism of the Egret...I loved it more and more - done deal - it's mine...but I just had to share it with y'all...

If you're interested - here is the Egret symbolism info I found...

Native American… The Egret is recognized as a symbol of wisdom.

Chinese… The Egret defines strength, purity, patience and long life.

Egyptian… A double headed Egret is symbolic of prosperity.

According to Animal-Water-Totems, the Egret is known for working with the elements of Mother Nature rather than struggling against her.

See what I mean? How could I not love this necklace once I understood the symbolism of the Egret?

Newest Etsy Listing - Turquoise, Turquoise and More Turquoise!

This is my newest Etsy listing and this is definitely the necklace for the turquoise lover!

Do you ever just want to be surrounded by turquoise?

Well here is your chance to do just that.

Newest Etsy Listing: Ode to Those Cowboy Charms!

This is the newest listing in my Etsy shop, you can go here to get more detailed information!

This western charm necklace is made with dyed magnesite nuggets and western charms that define a cowboy’s loves…his woman and his horse!

I hope y'all like it...I love it so much I made a RED TURQUOISE one for myself!

Newest Etsy Necklace, Caliche Roads!

This is my newest addition to my Etsy shop. This necklace is made with white turquoise and re-purposed earrings for conchos.



I hope y'all like it.

Beautiful Blogger Award and I Get To Pass It On!

What an exciting morning in my small part of the Land of Blog!

I received this Beautiful Blogger Award from my dear blogging friend Saskia at Join my Joy. Saskia's blog is a constant source of beauty and pleasure for me and I know it will be for you as well!


As with all awards there comes responsibility...

FIRST I am to share with you lovely members of the Land of Blog 7 things about myself...here we go:

1. My Favorite Color.....Turquoise Blue/Green
2. My Favorite Book......The Shell Seekers
3. My Favorite Movie.....Under the Tuscan Sun & MaMa Mia
4. My Favorite Actor.....Then...Paul Newman - Now...Denzel Washington
5. My Favorite Actress...Then...Audrey Hepburn - Now...Diane Lane
6. My Favorite Food......Grilled Shrimp
7. My Favorite Place I have visited.....The Texas Hill Country

Second, I am empowered to present this award to 7 members of the Land of Blog. My choices column far exceed 7 but I narrowed it down...so if you receive this Beautiful Blogger Award...pass it forward with the same 7 bits of information about yourself and your selected award recipients!

1. Rose at Delightful Clutter
2. Dawn at The Feathered Nest
3. Leigh at Braborne Farm
4. Robelyn at Red Neck Chic
5. Mindy at Primitiques 'n Poetry
6. Jaime at Bella-Bijou Jewellery
7. Lisa at Tarnished and Tattered

I want to thank Saskia again for this Beautiful Blogger Award, I am thrilled and humbled. If you have time go to this post...it so clearly expresses my gratitude to all members of the Land of Blog!