Lord it's Monday... hold on to your pants I feel a long meandering post coming on. Renovations are in full swing. I know it looks like *Hell*.. and well it is.... but this does constitute progress. Some drains topped with gravel and we are ready to pour! Maybe even by the end of the week. PROGRESS! Unfortunately my space, she still looks like this. Did you shudder? I have visions of spinning around in my Julie Andrews dress - however it ain't happening in here. We still have all this to put up on the garage walls as well. Blrugh.... Continue reading

...like dog kibble from the sky. First in the small tap,tap,tap, of tiny pieces leaking out, then the loud barrage of emptying buckets. No matter these two are not getting out of bed. The exhaustion a good rain brings on permeates everything. The bed ...it calls me... zzzzzzzzzzz Two sick kids and two sleepy dogs- what am I really going to get done today? Hope your cozy and dry! Happy Wednesday, Patty Continue reading

This weeks focus was abstract. Meh...what the heck is that? It sort of made me itch. I'm not abstract at all. Eeek...what to do? Well I wasn't even going to do it as I had no inspiration all week. Then at about 4:30 this morning I had to wake one of the boys up for a day trip. Stepped out the door to the sun coming up and thought hmmmmmm. Then I got on Picmonkey and played a bit. Originally I thought the trees looked a bit like coral and was going to put some sort of fish in there.... Continue reading

Gasparino residence - side entrance. We bought this house about 6 years ago as a major fixer upper. That is to say it was more of a disaster then we even originally suspected. Things happened. Things I never want to speak of again. Things we laugh over at parties. Like the 1/2 a Xerox machine the previous owner buried next to the driveway so he didn't have to pay to get rid of it. ...Or the pipes that got eaten away because he didn't service the water treatment equipment. ...Or the tub drain - that separated from the tub when... Continue reading

I have a running joke on my Facebook page about my love for bacon. Really I don't get it as much as I used to but my love remains true none the less. You know what they say - those that are talking about the bacon are probably not getting much bacon at all. Well a lovely Facebook friend sent me a bunch of bacony goodness including DANCING BACON!!! So now I can have all the guilt free bacon I want AND a new assistant. I am having some issues with the other two. Sleeping on the job AGAIN! That... Continue reading

This weeks challenge from Sally Russick was color. Sally wanted us to note how color affected our moods or perceptions. It's been a very long winter here and Spring has been delayed so all the color I found was in these vinca and some forsynthia on our property. My eyes just soak up the color after a long grey Northeast winter. They make me feel happy. We are still waiting for the trees to bloom! I love how - depending on the light - these will show up as blue, purple or lavender. If I was a sawing girl I... Continue reading

Spring showed up with an ice tray this year. Still waiting for the warm breezy days where you can open your window and let the fresh air fill the house. We drove my eldest up to encampment ( think mini boot camp) for Civil Air Patrol this weekend. He really wanted to go - I swear- even though he LOOKS like he is going to throw up- he was dying to go. Poor guy. I have plunged into Spring cleaning even though it really doesn't feel like Spring. My current creative space has no heat nor insulation which means all... Continue reading

I think we all have a few sides, facets or layers. Certainly I love both bohemian style jewelry sari silk ribbon and ceramics as well as rhinestones and chippy paint. I've made the decision to separate the two as I think they look better not competing with each other. You can check out all these goodies in my new shop Fleur Par Le Junquerie A little bohemian, a little shabby a few more rhinestones and a lot more flowers! You get get there from here by my Etsy mini in the side bar too! -------> I think it took me... Continue reading

I am on a few on the local tag sales sites on Facebook. You never know what might turn up. It's where I found my 25.00 desk and it's many reincarnations you can see *HERE* My best score to date is a huge half finished doll house I got for FREE! EEK!!! Well once again cruising looking for something completely different and I saw this baby and the $10.00 price tag was right in my range. Can you guess what it is? OMG!!! I loved her the minute I saw her - drove around staring at her in the car.... Continue reading

Took a bit of a blog break unintentionally but didn't stop playing with jewelry bits. Came up with some initial pendants in a few colors and shapes. Here is just a sample. Trying to choose between ribbon, chain, beaded chain maybe I'll offer all three? Decisions, decisions.... I don't know where you are but here it's still FREEZING not good concrete pouring weather : (. Better just snuggle up with a friend... Happy Monday! Continue reading

Well here again is one of Nan Emmetts fantastic pictorial collages. Me looking for Easter baskets in my attic! Life has gotten crazy and I haven't had much time to post so I thought I should get the ball rolling again. I've got some new things to list - including fun initial pendants. We are also waiting for the weather to warm up to start some cement pouring and remodeling - including a new studio for me - YAY! I'll be recording it all here so be as nosey as you want. I hope this finds you all well. Oh... Continue reading

A bunch of goodies already in the shop HERE and more going in today. An "ice" day today the boys are home - going to make some cinnamon buns for them, oatmeal for me, and treat myself to some coffee. Hope everyone survived that debacle of a storm here in the Northeast! XOXO, Patty Continue reading

Once again Nan Emmett has captured the moment seamlessly..... Let's be careful out there. Continue reading

Fresh off the Focus on Life Challenge this week to see hearts in unusual places - I am seeing them EVERYWHERE!!! These lovelies are from Gaea They offer up all the things to love about beads. Handmade shiny crackly colorful textured shabby cottage style boho goodness! ...oh yeah and there's a heart! Squee! Join in with Lori Plyler at Studio Waterstone Continue reading

This weeks focus was to find hearts in unusual places. My husband had bought me some flowers of course the hydrangeas always remind me of old school romance. I had visions of hundreds of petals. My fingers did not lol. So I stuck with something simple. Want to join in? Visit Studio Sublime Happy Saturday!!! Continue reading

I haven't shown my bead table in awhile. Frankly it would scare a dead person. I just got asked about some of my favorite magazines and books for learning basic beading and wire techniques so I thought I would share them here. First and least expensive would be magazines. Stringing Fun for the variety of eye candy and basic techniques presented. Belle Armoire Jewelry Just plain GORGEOUS. Printed on heavy paper Each issue is a keeper. I have all of mine from about the Cretaceous Period foward.... organized by date. Step by Step Wire Fun things for me not so... Continue reading

Todays lunch brought to you by chick peas! I love them and seem to be living off them lately. This salad adds in roasted peppers which I could also live off of. Add in a little (very little) of this I could eat this out of the jar too. Don't tell my trainer - it's my one indulgence! I like the chick peas and they probably provide most of my protien which I should be switching up. I've also been throwing kale into everything which has all sorts of good things (Including protein) in it. Here is a list of... Continue reading

Corset Laced Mannequins Spring and fantasies of a new craftroom (which I haven't made a decision about yet) make me think about display. Of course on my bucket list is a dressform from Corset Laced Mannequins. I still have my wicker mannequin Lola. How cool are these stretch to fit Mannequin covers? House of Display Great for those of use who don't sew well! I also adore this girl from Pinterest Display I would love to find the original post to give credit if anyone recongnizes it! These hands are only $3.97. How much fun would this be to customize?... Continue reading

So sooner or later we are going to have to discuss the "I'm Not Dieting Diet" lifestyle. For the most part I've try to be practical I've cut out the habitual coffee and creamer, I've mostly cut out meat, I am eating tons of veggies all day long not just as a side dish, I am actually USING my treadmill ( I even ducted taped my laptop to it!) so I am on my way. Best of all I had the pleasure of being introduced to another beaders husband who is an actual trainer! Drew Asbury He kindly offered me... Continue reading

One of the biggest stumbling blocks of NOT DIETING is feeding a family of six. Meal planning can be exhausting around everyones likes and dislikes and while I don't cater to ridiculous requests - if they are really miserable they have cereal I don't make a different meal. Uh well except for myself. I made the kids the usual chicken noodle soup last night. I make all mine own broth because I can control what is in it ( like salt) and I always have some on hand. I split 12 cups between the kids and my husband and myself.... Continue reading

What started out as a pretty average weekend changed drastically when my husband went out for coffee early Sunday to find 3" of water sloshing about in our basement. ( This - once again - is Nan's interpretation of events.) Did not plan on gutting the basement this weekend! However much it sucks we are all safe and nothing burnt down so I really can't complain. The main disappointment is for the kids as their hangout was down there along with a storage room and furnace room that got flooded out. On the upside my husband was talking smack about... Continue reading

Philosophical question... is the picture of a picture still a photograph??? Running around all week I didn't get the chance to "Take Time". HOWEVER every Sunday night from 8:00pm - 10:00pm Mama's watching Downton ! No speaking, no fighting, no catching yourself on fire! PERIOD! The beauty, the history, the clothes The Dowager, the plots and subplots.... my mind is a thousand miles and a hundred years away. How does a show bring such joy? The costuming, the camera angles , the glimpses of true finery. Why in Gods name would anyone even want to look at the Khardashians??? In... Continue reading

Yeah...I know...oh look a diet post. I don't want to diet I want to be healthier and feel better. At some points in my life I have been a vegetarian. I have to admit I usually feel better and lose weight quicker when I am. SO.... January first I got simpler and figured I'd get back to the treadmill. You know the treadmill I hid the key to so the kids wouldn't break it? ...The key I put in a "special place"?.... Well I must have stuffed it into a pork roast and eaten it because a week of searching... Continue reading

This week we were supposed to choose a word to follow as inspiration for the year. Not an easy thing for me to choose. I don't so much like to be tied down and beholden to just one word. Then again maybe I am just not that deep....lol. Sally had sent a prompt with the word "Journey" on it as an example and it stuck in my head. Up top is the view from the end of our property and where I wait for the school bus everyday. It is actually a road up to another house after a whole... Continue reading

I'm joining in with Sally Russick and her Focus on Life weekly photographs. This week is the self portrait. She wiggles too much lol. If you kiss her little head she'll kiss you back! You can join us anytime - and the self portrait is out of the way! This is much more me anyway... Made for me by the lovely Nan Emmett Inspired by the actual events of late night dog walking and a random bear encounter. Happy Monday! Continue reading