Where do I get my Antique Beads?

Someone asked where I get my antique beads. They come from several sources. I scour antique shops for loose beads. I also go to estate sales and buy jewelry that looks very dated and rework the design. Voila! It's fabulous and chic all over again.

I got hooked on estate sales and used stores when I wanted to purchase a bicycle. The versions I liked were more expensive and out of my price range. The bikes were $300-$500. Yikes! friends pointed me toward a store in Lansing, Michigan called, "Dicker and Deal". Apparently they have several locations in the area. Each shop specializes in different products. One shop is known for sporting goods, another for leather jackets and still another for furniture. I guess it's all what the market demands. I ended up with a terrific bike for under a c-note.

The best part about buying items with a history is you are recycling :)

Latest Fav Blog Site

The Sartorialist is my new favorite blog site dedicated to fashion. Yes, I am fickle. I went through all the posts. Such fun. Take a look http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/.

Unusual Weather this Week

There is a saying in Michigan, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes, it'll change."
That saying sums up this week's weather.

Temperatures were chilly at the beginning of this week. I even rooted out some sweaters to wear during the day. The mornings started in the fifty degree range and warmed up to the mid-sixties. Very unusual considering that summer would officially begin on Friday.

On Thursday, I volunteered to spread mulch around trees at a nearby church. It poured rain for a half hour after I arrived at the church. When I was done with the mulch, I started trimming boxwoods only to look up and see a double rainbow in the southeastern sky. Gorgeous!

Today is the first full day of summer and it brought warmer weather. And thunderstorms. I have been in four storms today. One storm had five minutes of hail. What was unusual was the hail was limited to my area. People I called just a few miles around never saw any hail just the rain. There was enough hail to cover the bedliner of the truck.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has an interesting article on the weather. Click HERE to read their latest report.

Dangling Earrings

Puppy was barking at something at 5 a.m. today. Nothing wakes you like a dog barking, unless it's a squeaky toy being played with next to your ear. Who needs an alarm clock when you have a dog?

Since I was up, I decided to make a pair of earrings. (Who knew it just took getting me out of bed on a Sunday morning before 6 a.m. to accomplish this?) Dangling from a silver clasp are citrine and amber colored glass beads with seed beads and an antique resin bead in a scarlet hue.

I call these earrings BECCA. They are an unique mix of colors. The cost is $12.00.

Did I mention that all my creations are one of a kind. When you purchase my jewelry, you are getting something no one else will ever have, unless you give them the jewelry.

Racing after Rabbits

Puppy was hanging out in the backyard, sniffing plants and weaving throughout the garden areas. I was in the back portion of the lot, weeding...again. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a rabbit by the fence. Puppy was too interested in spiders and grubs to take any notice. Then Zoe realized there was an intruder on her property. She sprang into action racing after the rabbit. They flew through the yard. At one point, right in front of me. So close, I thought the rabbit would run into me!

Now, this is a pretty normal day in my yard except I left the patio door open. Wide open. Too far for me to run and close it before the chase began. Lucky for me it ended with the rabbit running under the fence and across the road. While I have no fear that any animal or insect that crosses Zoe's path in the house would meet with an untimely death, it's the turmoil the would ensue that brings terror into my heart. Broken lamps, papers and rabbit poop everywhere...you know it would happen. Either I need to drastically reduce the amount of "stuff" in my house to the sparse level or close the back door.

Seems like a simple choice, doesn't it. Problem is puppy ran into the glass door and had a concussion once before. Since that incident, I started to leave the door open. I think it's time for more puppy training.

Starting tomorrow, puppy will review the "sit, stay" command. Guess I have been lax of late.

Ying Yang Bracelet

Things have been very clear cut for me lately. Does my car run? Yes or no. To honor the decision making process, I made a white and black bracelet. Most things in life are shades of gray. The answer isn't clear and choices are difficult. We must all make choices. The white side of the bracelet is the YES answer and the black portion is the NO selection. If you prefer, flip the color selection. Sort of the 21st century version of the "Magic 8 Ball." Ask the bracelet a question and count the number of black or white disks to get your answer. The bracelet has an odd number of resin disks so you will never need a tie breaker. The cost is $15.00.

Flowers

I've been busy lately looking for a car to purchase. Here's a quick look at flowers in my yard. A lovely pink rose, some snow in summer with small, white flowers and silver/gray foliage.