'Bout Time

I finally got up off my patootie last weekend and took some shots of the jewelry I've finished lately. You know, I love making the pieces but I hate like the devil to have to get out all the lights and backgrounds and camera stands and extension cords...... My dream is to have a place where the dog and the cats aren't allowed to be and I can set up the photography crap once and leave it there ready to be used whenever I need it. I tried a different lighting setup this time and a blue paper with a subtle pattern on it for the platform. The shots turned out more shadowed toward the top of the display with the light focus on the jewelry instead of the stand. I like the effect I'm getting with the plexiglass under the jewelry, too. I'd be interested in comments or suggestions on the results. All of these pieces have been listed on Etsy and I'll get more up this weekend hopefully.

Now It's (Almost) Spring

Well, it seems the below freezing temperatures we had last week are gone and have been replaced with the beginnings of spring. I planted some daffodils - my favorite flower - on Saturday. I bought them in small, individual pots and they were only an inch or so high. After planting and watering, they are now about 6" tall and the buds are starting to show. The azaleas are also beginning to show some color and the climbing rose is covered with buds. We are always fooled by these first signs of spring. Invariably there will be another couple of rounds of cold weather before winter actually exits.

The cold has kept me inside more lately so I've been making more scarves. Most of them are the knitted fuzzy kitten scarf style but I did do a couple of crochet ones also. I had an afghan pattern I adapted to make a diamond filet pattern in a super soft creamy ivory color yarn by Caron Simply Soft.

For the first time in several years the Taller Half was home on my birthday and we celebrated with dinner and flowers. Not being much of a shopper, he filled a birthday card with a little something green (my favorite color!). Mom-in-law got a cheesecake from our local specialty bakery and we dived into that after dinner. At work the next day, my friends surprised me with a gift card to Hobby Lobby and a bag of peppermint chewy candies. The birthday card was a fold out with monkeys all over it. They each picked out which monkey represented them and were spookily accurate in their choices.

Hope's Cheesecake

Sherry made me a wonderful fleece throw with a deep forest green on one side and a print with white cats on the other. It has been so nice to snuggle up with while watching my BBC movies. Terry and Barry gave a beautiful, hand crafted wooden necklace display stand Barry had made. He is such a talented woodworker with a fine eye for detail. My photograph doesn't do justice to the piece.

Sometimes life is so good.