Autumn Morning Stroll

{All photo copyrights of all photos on this blog are reserved by the owner.}
I went out to do a photo shoot this morning using the morning sunlight to shoot some pictures for uploading to an online shop. The surprise sun and even more surprising 80 degree morning led me to amble through the property shooting photos of my witness to the changing autumn colors. It was a delight to be able to actually walk around our property for a spell by myself without help and take in the colors, trees, flowers, and wildlife. Not an hour later a strong wind blew through and it rained for less than 20 minutes and the temperature dropped 20 degrees. It was just a little gift to enjoy the morning before the storm came.

Happy Autumn

Happy Autumn. :)





We took the wee one to pick out a pumpkin and a hay bale yesterday. We actually don't carve our pumpkins each year. A friend taught me years ago to buy a can of clear coat, spray it, and then you have an autumn decoration through the fall. Plus, it's a fantastic spot for Christmas photos with the Leland Christmas tree as backdrop each year. I love having Lelands planted throughout the yard.

Our winter garden is starting to grow. The hubs planted green onions, broccoli, spinach, garlic, and the three varieties of regular onions - red, yellow, and white.

I took a nice autumn walk around the property this morning. I went to sleep in fleece and woke up searching for shorts. That's Mississippi weather for you - you just never know what you may get. One day may be 40 degrees and the next day may be 80. I'll be sharing some of the photos from my walk (thankful I can walk a wee bit now).

Have a great autumn day.

Mignon

Pink Necklaces....Which Do You Like Best?

One of these is going in the Etsy shop and one is going in the Artfire shop......or maybe 1000markets' shop. It's funny what minute little differences can do to a necklace. One I kept tighter and gave little slack to the beaded section - so it lies a a little straighter. The other, I did give slack and and it has a more angled presentation. One has Bali beads and the other has Swarovski AB crystals. Oddly enough with the obvious variance in the color of the two necklaces, the beads all came from one strand of Rhodonite beads - great example of variation in a given gemstone even when the quality is the same. One strand is clearly pink while the other strand lends itself to almost a pink lilac with obvious lavender hues.

Do you have a favorite of the two?

M.

Too Cute Not to Share

When this little guy was 7 weeks old, we brought him in from the porch after we had found homes for his brothers. 3 went to the in-laws and this little one was claimed by our wee one. I have to be honest, this was not the kitten I wanted to keep if we were keeping one. This little adorable thing went on to become a bull in a china cabinet and we had to put him outside. When he was 7 weeks old and as he grew before he went outside, he slept in my purse A LOT. He hasn't been inside in probably two months and then it got cold and has rained a lot the last 9 weeks or so, so he got to come back in recently. He reclaimed this purse as his bed. I have elected to choose my battles and as long as he's using to sleep in and not a bathroom, then I'll let him have this one. He's gone on to win my heart over and follows the family around outside like a dog. Too fun. He's the sweetest most loyal little thing and at the same time just a ball of energy that cannot stay in the house. He's the reason there are rubberbands on the cabinets to keep them shut. He'd go in there and push all the food out on the floor. I think the last draw was when I found him lying on a stack of plates in the top cabinet above the counter. So, little sweet kitty comes in to visit and then goes back outside to run off that energy. He's just wormed his way right into my heart - the little rascal.

Plum Crazy Purple Necklace

There was this antique muscle car that would come through the restaurant where I was a waitress in high school at a local drive-in restaurant and this car, besides being absolutely gorgeously restored, was painted plum crazy purple with a clear coat on top and that paint coat of purple just shined like it was on fire. I'm not sure my love of purple isn't grounded in the day that the car first showed up at the restaurant. For many years I wanted an antique Volkswagon bug painted in that glorious purple color, but with the metal specks and of course the clear coat on top, and to have topped it all off I wanted a yellow smiley face on the back trunk and maybe some smaller ones about the size of a silver dollar placed just right on the doors close to the mirrors....

So, my love of purple began.... :) I've been wanting to design this necklace for probably 5 months or more, but I had to find the right beads and I found them in the Czech glass beads I used for this first OOAK design. There will be more designs to follow, but no two will be precisely alike.

I did shoot the necklace inbetween cloud bursts as it has been raining nearly every day for the last month, so the placement of the front of the necklace isn't just so in the pictures; however, the 3 darker 'amethyst' colored beads that are together almost at the front are actually the front of the necklace.

Giveaway Winner (s) Announcement

Nope, didn't forget; I however, am on permanent island time....Flip flops, straw hats, fishing, and sand between my toes.

I have decided to do two winners. The first winner will the winner who wins the $20 shopping spree for any of my jewelry and/or art shops on Etsy and Artfire. The first winner was selected by those who commented on the giveway, tweeted, etc.

The second winner was selected by the blog's followers at large with the commenters and their tweets added in again for the second giveaway. The second winner will have a choice of having a $10 spree in either the Artfire shop or the Etsy jewelry shop.

******So, without further ado - the $20 shopping spree goes to.............Dirt of http://www.dirtroadsouth.etsy.com

*****The $10 spree goes to Michelle of http://www.michelleperkett.com

If you've not ever visited Dirt's shop - she does mosaics and the cutest jewelry that reminds one to smile. I just saw a bacon necklace she did the other day. Just made me smile. She and I both love knowing our work makes people smile, so check her shop out.

One of my favorite artists on Etsy is Michelle. I found her shop and blog last December or so. I even have some of her fairy cards. Her work has such a positive aura about it that I find it soothing. Do check her lovely shop out as well.

Congrats to both! :)

Ebay Listings - Mainly Toddler Boys Clothes 12 Months, 3T, and 4T

I have a few Ebay listings up with no bids. I'll be adding new listings directly. In the meantime, these listings go off in less than two days. My philosophy is why pay retail, especially for children's clothes when they grow up so quickly. The wee one had a growth spurt where he outgrew his new shoes and boots in 3 months - of course shoes is an area that I prefer to buy new, but still you do get the picture.