Saturday, May 15, 2010

Hurlburt 4th Annual Craft Fair

Yeah!  My friend, Stacey, and I participated in our first craft fair and:  met some very nice artists, sold a few items, were invited to participate in another event and enjoyed our conversations.  Today was perfect; the wind blew, we were in a shady spot, and drinks and food were on the list that we checked twice!  We did not:  get sunburned, sweat to death, starve, or become lunch to too many ants. 

While we've been preparing for the Milton First Friday Fair for June (3 weeks away), this opportunity came up and fulfilling the legal requirements and designing and printing my sign and cards left me with too little time to create as many pieces as I would have liked.  Thankfully, I now have 3 weeks to prepare for the next event and the sign and cards as well as the legal requirements are complete which leaves me with much time to handcraft jewelry. 

Stacey's table was absolutely beautiful and many people stopped by to rate it "top show".  Others wanted to purchase her gypsy doll, which is NOT for sale:-) 


As a world traveler with connections in high places (her husband serves as her purchasing agent while on his excursions), Stacey's bohemian look is perfect.  Her jewelry shows hints of many nations and much skill.

A huge THANK YOU to Kelli for cricketing (yes, I did make that a verb) vinyl letters for my sign.


While it may change, it may not.  My favorite part is the Dangling D.  Have I mentioned how much I love the aquamarine blue and the chocolate brown together???  Too much of a good thing is . . . well, too much.  Leaving it bright and cheery and the color of a sunny day worth basking in appeals to me today.

Oh, I almost forgot.  Well, not really.  Dove chocolate made an appearance at the fair!!!  Can you believe it?  No way to forget that!  Mars Corp. decided to get into the home shows market in 2007 and is now offering ideas for chocolate creativity right in our own homes.  Can you say awesome???  This is so Bill Engvall-worthy.  Don't know who he is?  You Tube him; he's hilarious.  Anyway, I digress.  I have decided that a chocolate party is in order and will be sending out invites right after I set up an available date with the Dove consultant.  If I didn't think I'd munch up all the profits, I'd probably become a follower.  Groupie status will have to do:-)

I'm having technical difficulty with photographing the necklaces I have for sale right now, but the earrings photo did turn out:

That light box is going to make me sing.  Laaaaaaa!  I just have to find a box large enough to make one.  LOL

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Thankfully Incorrect

Most days I'd prefer to be correct.  Today is not one of those days.  The "oil" I encountered a couple of days ago turned out to be left over asphalt from the hurricanes we've had over the last couple of years.  No, I don't ALWAYS have to be right. 



The sandpipers are coming closer and closer (to us) in their efforts to obtain a yummy meal.  Using a telephoto lens, I can't always snap a photo of them as they fly right up to us, but I can enjoy the rush.


It would probably help if youngest son didn't chase them up and down the beach.  They and the seagulls don't stand much of a chance as he's pretty fast and waves his wild arms like as if he's flying too.  He really makes me laugh.  I love THAT boy.


Some friends showed us a starfish caught up in one of the pools surrounded on three sides by sand (is there such a thing as a peninsula of water?).

We could even swim every once in a while if we weren't getting to the beach just before sunset.  Personally, the thought of being shark chum doesn't appeal to me.  You KNOW they're out there.  Remember Jaws?

Speaking of sunset, doesn't it set so pretty here?

I've seen so many sunsets:  the dusty brown-yellow in Texas; the magically tropical colors decorating the sky in Hawaii; the fastest sunset in the West in New Mexico; but I continue to love and be in awe of the decoration we have in the sky every (not rainy) night here in Florida.  And our friends in the background?  They humored us by letting us take a bijilion shots of them to get our lighting right on the camera.  Thank you good people:-)

Saturday, May 08, 2010

The Wait is Over

After such a wonderful, rejuvenating week of going to the beach each day, we were greeted by more than the usual birds, surf, sand, and shells.  It isn't a welcome greeting, but one that we knew would occur.  After watching the birds play at sunset this evening, the fishermen catch pompano, and the crabs burrow in the sand, my son and I came upon a dark "patch" of water.  We had already noticed that just on the beaches fringe black layers were stained on the sand, but this portion of the water confirmed it.  It wasn't floating on the surface the way I'd been expecting, but seemed to be cemented to the Gulf floor.  Yes, I did indeed pick up a piece of the black "rock" from the water and watched as it soiled my fingers.  Odd, we didn't even notice it when we first arrived.  After a phone call last night about the oil smell in the air, I thought we would smell that too, but we didn't.  In the days to come, I expect we'll see, smell, and even hear much about the oil on the beach and how "     "  (just name anyone) is to blame.  I really don't care who is to blame, I just want it fixed.  Right away.  By anyone who has the know how to do it properly, safely, and in consideration of the LONG TERM EFFECTS.  Today, we went for some bonding time, Mother and Son.  I sure love that boy.  Tomorrow we return to photograph.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Quick Jewelry Post

I must get to bed, but first, I just have to share some of the pendants I've worked on this week.

Should I name my little antique brass turtle pendant, "Swim, baby, swim"?  He's swimming on our local sandy beaches and has been surrounded by czech glass beads as he dangles from an antique brass chain.

This chain was created with a square dowel and if you look closely, you'll see a second dolphin trying to help create a pod.

My First (need I say more?)



One of two earrings created with czech glass beads and antique brass headpins (using sterling silver earring wire) to match my turtle friend at the top.

In hiding is a purple pansy that my husband photographed.  Maybe it will show its head tomorrow.  (Did you catch the pun?)

Beach Watch

As we daily venture out to the beach, I'm enamored with the beauty.  Today, someone got there before we did and left the place covered with the evidence:

 seagull prints

and more proof:

sandpiper prints

One favorite pastime for my little guy is to chase the flying feathered friends and then laugh maniacally.  Today, I was able to enjoy the protected nesting birds undisturbed. 

 black skimmers

Hearing their chirps would really add to the experience, but you'll just have to take my word for it.  Someday we'll have the technology to add sound to a photo without video.  Until then, trust me when I say that I heard the birds WAY before I saw them. 

black skimmers close up as I dared

As we came upon another couple of visitors, I quickly shot this photo without permission.  It's a rule that if you choose to get married and flaunt it on the beach, anyone is allowed to take a peak.


As much as I enjoy seeing visitors at the main beach, this section is special.  What are they doing on Our sacred special spot of sand?  Well, since it is a very special day for them, we'll have to make exception.  Just this once.

But really what you came to see is the water; does it carry the slick oil yet?  Has that danger arrived? 


No, thankfully, we've been graced with another day of relishing the beautiful, soft, sand that meets the emerald green gulf shores and we basked in it for two hours before we remembered we were only going to be gone a minute.  The minutes continue to stretch as we soak in the proof that there is a God and He truly loves us.



We did have to go home and prove it to the starving man children at the house though:-)  Thankfully, they were rescued by my friend and chef extraordinaire who will be repaid with cupcakes for her deprived man children tomorrow.  Thank you Missy!

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

May 3, 2010

Another day and thankfully, the beaches were clear.  Unless you want to talk about the countless surfers. 


WOW!  The waves were kicking and the crazies were out there having a good time.  (I say that with a hint of "hey I would love to learn to surf")  I did however notice the somberness of everyone that came out.  Maybe it was the weather, overcast, and even raining inland.  The sandpipers were enjoying the bounty too.

Beautiful, serene, wet. 

Monday, May 03, 2010

May 2, 2010


With an overcast day, it was no surprise that the surf was kind of murky too.  The wind blew so much, my son's tie flapped behind him in the wind no matter which direction he was facing. 

While awaiting the oil, I'm contemplating the after effects.  The common question is what will our beaches look like?  How will the animals fare?  Coming from a preparedness perspective, I wonder:  What's our water going to taste like coming from the water table we're accustomed to drawing from?  What about the air we breathe?  Will we need to use those masks in our emergency kits?  (N95s are just for airborne particulates non-oil.  P95s and R95s are for use with oil contaminates with R being rated for longer term - 40 hours as opposed to the P95s - 8 hours). 


The flags are still waving red and purple (yes there are jelly fish out there right now).  In the coming days we'll see the double red flags which will indicate oil is indeed on the beach and a hazard.



Looking at the rainbow I'm trying not to forget the promise of old, the earth will never be flooded completely again.  However, while there may not be a flood of water covering the earth, plans still have to be made in preparation for what IS the future.  Noah didn't start building the ark AFTER the rain started to fall!