Deck the Halls~~Fa la la

Woo Hoo!  Got my tree decorated!  I'm never ever this early.  Sooo Coool!

 DH got his Christmas Village up....first time in a few years~  This is wonderful!

 Sweet Granddaughter visited last night.  She decorated my face with stickers and we read books together.  Talk about fun!

Yes, she's dang cute.  She just is.   Try to get me to change my opinion.  Just try!

Did Thanksgiving break speed by like a lightning bolt?   Tomorrow, back to work.  Bless you all!

Thanksgiving Heart

My Daily Bible Verse:

Thank the Lord!  Praise his name!  Tell the world what he has done.  Oh, how mighty he is!  Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.  Make known his praise around the world."     Isaiah 12: 4-5  NLT

As I sit here, early in the day before the traveling to my daughter, before the cooking, KP, eating, laughing, loving, talking, sharing, I thank Him.  I thank God for my good life.

I can use my wrists!  I can work again!  I can play at my jewelry bench---oh I do thank Him for that!   I have such a loving husband, lovely complex family, dear coworkers, sweet church family.   What a rich life.  I'm very blessed and will try to count them all today.

Thank you all, all of my blog and internet friends.  You bless me.   May this Thanksgiving be joyful.  I send you my love.

I've Been Busy! Copper Earrings Day

I've been busy today!  This pair was lots and lots of sawing.  I started them last week and finally got to patina them yesterday.  I LOVE the way they turned out!  And they kinda resemble Christmas ornaments, right?  Perfect for Christmas parties~~:-)

 These hearts make me smile~~I drew them on the copper with a very fine point Sharpie.   Hearts...I just love 'em!    And I wanted the copper circles to frame them.  The turquoise was a last-minute decision.  Originally I was going to use abalone beads, but the turquoise called out to me.  Yep, called my name! lol

Copper, Citrine, Prehnite and Copper chain.  Fun and light to wear.

OK, all I need to do now is get out of my jammies (2:43 PM Pacific Standard Time...for shame!), brush my hair and teeth and run to Studio 41.  

I'm so very thankful for you all.   Thank you for reading my blog and sharing your thoughts.  You are important to me and I wish you the best Thanksgiving and lots of blessings as we head into the Christmas season.   Mmmmmmwah~!

Giveaway at Love My Art Jewelry

Psssst!  Hey, over here!  There's a cool giveaway at
Love My Art Jewelry
A wonderful necklace created by Mary Jane Dodd is being given away, and all you have to do is comment on the blog.   Go on over!  Take a look!

The Case of the Missing Shawl

Here I am with my niece.  We are getting ready for her little brother's baptism last week.  I was wearing a wonderful Irish woven shawl that my DH got for me at the Scottish Games.  I love it!

After the baptism, I visited the church restroom, and before I "did my business", I took off my long shawl and draped it over the restroom door.  Apparently, when my back was turned, the shawl was taken.  When I realized it was gone, I rushed out and no one was in the room.  I saw my DD out in the hallway and I laughed because I thought she'd played a little prank on me.   But she hadn't.   We both walked quickly around the church, searching, asking...no shawl.  I was getting quite discouraged when my goddaughter found it in the church narthex, quite a distance from the restroom!   Smiles, relief, but how did this happen?  My favorite theory is that a child that was in the restroom when I first entered grabbed the shawl and trailed it like a favorite blankie to the narthex.   Then her mommy saw it and put it on the table.   Or my shawl crawled away by itself, trying to escape!  :-)   Anyway, I love a happy ending!  And I've learned to never be so foolish with my possessions. 

Happy Weekend all!  I don't know about you, but I can't really believe that it's Thanksgiving next week!  Wish I could slow down time....:-)

New Earrings: Copper & Brass, Etched & Hammered, Quartz & Onyx

Pair of earrings ready for Studio 41 in Benicia.  Etching brass or copper is such a satisfying process.  You write on your metal with a Sharpie, suspend it in ferric chloride and tah dah!  Etched & textured to your specifications.  My kind of fun!

Women of Faith conference in Sacramento.  Could only attend Friday...but wow!  Sheila Walsh's story and encouragement brought me to tears of joy, tears of breaking open to God's love.   Amazin' day.   Effects still lingering in my heart and thoughts.

Saturday~fun family day when my newest nephew Kevin was baptized.  Lots of laughs and too much delicious Mexican food.  We are a blessed family!

Monday tomorrow....may we all sail smoothly into our weekly duties.  I'm prayin'!  Hugs to you all~~~

Cold Connection Encouragement~Citrine, Heliador, Copper and Brass

 That's what my workbench looked like last week.  I was riveting another "Encouragement Pendant".  See my cute little clamps?  They really help.  And the painter's tape helps keep marks away~~

Tah Dah!!!  It's finished today.  I get to test-wear it to Women of Faith conference in Sacramento on Friday.   I'm so looking forward to an amazing time with friends and a bunch of other Christian women.  How lucky I am~ How blessed I am.

And here's a present for a lovely niece.  She'll get this Saturday.  I hope she likes them!  She specified "small and hearts"....OK!
Have a wonderful Thursday, all.  Veteran's Day.  Thank you, every Veteran.  Thank you for protecting my wonderful country.  God bless you.

In-My-Jammies Saturday~

 Awesome Saturday mornin' all!  Here I am sipping my nonfat latte~~still in my jammies and obviously no hair or makeup attention.  Scarey!  But it's a quiet day today.

 Fakey smile time~I'm just so naturally glamorous!
 My sweet DH is away at my little brother's ranch for a "guys weekend".  Branding cattle, shooting rifles at targets, eating steak and beans, cutting and loading firewood.  I've been sending up some prayers that he doesn't strain or injure any body parts.  The doggies went too, so they're having the funnest time running free over 81 acres.

Here's the latest book I'm reading snippet by snippet.  Got laundry, bills to pay and a lovely citrine-and-heliador etched copper and bronze encouragement pendant to keep me busy.  I'm so very lucky.  I'll keep thanking the Lord and wish you all a lovely weekend, no matter what you are doing.  Thank you all for stopping by.  :-)

"Always be joyful.  Keep on praying.  No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
                                                                             First Thessalonians 5:16-17

I am blessed.   So much beauty, so much good surrounds me in this life.  May I always appreciate.  May I always exhibit gratitude. 

Hugs to you all!

Healing Halloween

 Sunday night was a special night for me.  No, not because it was Halloween.  Our Halloweens are very low-key with the kids all grown.  No decorating, we never get trick-or-treaters.   Quiet.  We like it that way.  This Halloween was special because my Mom and Dad finally met their first great-grandchild. 

 Circumstances have made it difficult for Mom and Dad to see my Punkin' Granddaughter, but I was grateful to God for this opportunity on Halloween night.  I've been longing for this to happen, and it did.  And it went smoothly.  God is good!

My Mom bought a Disney princess book for Great-granddaughter.  She LOVED it.  She explained about the princesses and their outfits and the castle.  I'll always treasure this evening deep in my heart.  A little hole there has healed.  I'm so grateful~~~

Have a blessed Wednesday, my friends.  I'm going to clean house, work on a pendant and run an errand or two~~bliss!