Here I GO.......

I am leaving you with two final pictures of the snow here at home. I am taking only thoughts of warm, not hot temperatures with me and a bit of sun. The frenzied packing is over and now I just keep my fingers crossed that I and all my merchandise arrives safely and intact to Tucson. It will be crazy for 2 weeks! Have a great time between my blog entries although maybe, I can get Andrea to load images with me and I can send you an on the spot posting!!! Peace, Lois

Whoo-Hoooo! It DID snow!

Here are a few photos of our snow, a big 5 inches! I know all you mid-west, Alaska kind of people are laughing at this " BIG " snow but for us it is significant AND we have no snow removal equipment. What falls on the ground and roads, stays on the ground and roads.

Jacob is standing in front of our tomato plant patch all fenced to keep deer and racoons out. There is also a nice shot of the snow covered Olympic Mountains and the foot hills.Finally, he is an exhausted sledder!

Today there are fears of flooding in the area. The boxes are packed and shipped to Tucson, our house-dog-cat sitter is here and I have pulled out some summer clothes to wear. I have to finish the last of the charm polishing, pay the employees and head out. I will tempt you maybe one more time with snow pictures and then I am taking this camera to Tucson so I can take and load pictures after my show. Have a bright day! Lois

A Winter's Day

I woke up to a morning of snow! I love the snow! I hate that it makes it a slow day customer-wise in the shop but I love the crisp, cold air, the sight of soft flurries and the feeling of being snuggled at home. It was also a weird weather day as it alternated between snow, sleet and rain and tonight everything is solid ice. The drops of water on the car are absolutely frozen in place. I think that I will spend the evening in my studio, packing, packing, packing for Tucson. Oh, and there is cherry pie for dessert! YUM -YUM! Thank goodness for Marie Callendar frozen pies! Have a sweet evening! Lois

From the Studio

Here is a quick sneak preview of a few of the new charms that I am getting ready for Tucson. These still need the final polishing and finishing but as you can see ( I know, barely see ) I did a lot of rings and prints. I will be doing charms next of my most recent trip to Hawaii and who knows how Tucson will inspire new designs! I am putting in long days in the studio but I think it will be worth it all when the work is done. On to jewelry displays next!

I thought you might also like to see a photo of a finished metal tray I painted in the german folk art technique of Baulinmaleri. I hope I spelled that correctly! I love painting functional objects in traditional folk arts from many countries around the world. This was an old, old tray that I stripped of paint and wire brushed to get the surface ready to take paint. I think the colors just sing!

I'll show you more later!

The View from Home!!

I couldn't leave today without showing the great view from my deck of the snow capped Olympic Mountains and the sunlight ( Yes! Sunlight! ) streaming into my home! Yeah!! Better hit the studio to work on Tucson stuff. Lois

The Culprits!

These are my girls! They are the ones running with me and it was Jesse, the tall and leggy Lab that bumped me and sent me flying into a free fall! They are great aging ladies and I just love them to pieces! After I fell, Jesse must have thought, " I need to get outta here! " because it was Regina who stayed and licked my face and kept running back and forth to the front door for help. I was hollering, you betcha, but my Phil thought I was singing or howling at the moon! Which I do on occasion but it was daylight! Oh well, like George Burns said," Aging isn't so bad if you can stay young at heart! " Have a spendiforous day!!!! Lois

My Hot Husband!!!

I just wanted everyone to know that my wonderfull............. so hot husband...... the man behind the scenes, the guy in the shorts who supports me in all I do is sooooooooo WONDERFULLLLLLL! Not to be out done is my sooooooooooo wonderfulll 11 year old son Jacob!!!! They handled the bead shop's garage sale by themselves yesterday and had a blast with our customers and then today ( ! ) they are returning to clean things up!!! If only that sooooooooo hoooooot Andrea would have brought us some of her wonderfull stuff.............. why we would be rich or rather all her stuff would now be my stuff! hahahahaha - going off to the shop now! Lois

No pictures today!

Sorry, no pictures today. I have done nothing but lay around in bed taking painkillers, advil and applying ice packs to various parts of my body after falling last night. That will teach me to run with the dogs in sloppy shoes! Jesse tripped me and down I went into a nearly full face plant! OWIE!!! OWIE!!! Fortunately, I only broke a toe and sprained and bruised everything else including my ego. How come when we are all grown up falling hurts more and a kiss and a few bandaids don't make it all better? Choclate helps though.... more tomorrow. lois

Home from Oahu, Hawaii

I am home to sunny skies and what has been described as the warmest temperatures since I left! Lucky me! Rain, gray and even snow is on the horizon for Tuesday this week so it will really feel like I am home. It felt great to be in my studio and catch up on my journaling, creating and beading. Nose to the grindstone time as Tucson looms around the bend!!! Gotta get those charms all ready!

I am also posting a picture from Hawaii of a religious site that was very interesting and historical. Unlike the great Cathedrals of Europe and the churches of the states; the Hawaiians built their temples and places of worship with the materials at hand, rocks. Lots of rocks. Carried sometimes for miles and often up hill. Very impressive! A little altar at the site had offerings of fruit, flowers and beads upon it. I will head back this way again some day.
For now, I am happy to be home! Lois

HULA BABY!

Just checking in, having a great time getting into the Hawaiian Spirit! Too bad I have to come home tomorrow......... was really getting into this Hula Dancing!

See ya soon!
Lois

HAWAII!!!!!

Hi I am just checking in from beautiful Hawaii and really enjoying the weather and scenery here! Not sure I want to come home to the cold anytime soon!!!!!
Lois

The First Trip of 2008

Since I am getting ready to leave tomorrow for the WHOLE BEAD SHOW IN HONOLULU; I thought I would load you up with some holiday photos and some pictures of where I like to hang out. There is Jacob in all his Christmas gifts of Seahawk clothing. He was so excited especially by the mug that you can freeze in the freezer, given to him by Andrea and Whit. A lovely photo of Andrea and her prince charming on Christmas day and rounding out the photos are an interior shot of Wynwoods, the bead shop with Kathy who would not look up and smile as she didn't want to be on my ego blog! There is also a photo of my snug and colorful yarn shop, Diva. I also included a photo of my sorta straightened up studio. If I just had a potty in there; I would probably never leave!

Blessings for the new year and may all your dreams come true in 2008. I will see you in this blog in about 10 days as I am leaving home without my laptop, which has become my 3rd arm! Aloha! Lois

Aloha Nui