Easter with Friends :)

this year for Easter we made plans to celebrate with Bonnie & Andy at their house...the first time we spent the holidays with friends instead of family...but I guess they really are more like family after all :)

we had the typical Easter feast fixin's, and some of Andy's traditional Russian dishes...

we drank wine and played board games...

and Brett and Joey had their usual showdown...

a good time was had by all :)

roadtrips, golfing, and tornadoes?

this year, I got to take spring break for the first time in years!  I'm liking this working in schools already!  So I decided to hop in my car and make the (not so) short drive down to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to visit my parents in their "retirement home" and spend a week relaxing in the sun.

little did I know what was in store for me on the way down...

being from the northeast, tornado wasn't really a weather term that was in my usual vocabulary...the most I knew about tornadoes was from watching the Wizard of Oz or Twister...so when I watched the sky turn a strange shade of blackish green...felt the winds picking my car a little bit off the ground...and then the distinct and terrifying funnel shaped cloud...needless to say, I have never been so scared in my ENTIRE life...


hail the size of golf balls were falling, and the power went out in the gas station parking lot I had pulled into...and thankfully, two nice strangers came and rescued me from my car, just before the tornado tore through the parking lot in Dunn, North Carolina...


the rest of my drive was pretty awful...seeing the damage, avoiding the downed trees, power lines, pieces of fence, even the occasional abandoned car...an 8 hour drive turned into 16+...I was very grateful to reach the house in one piece, take a shower and pass out in my comfy bed!

thankfully, it was not an omen for the rest of the trip, which was wonderful!  I got to hang out with my Mom, seeing the sights around the island, going to the grocery store, having our favorite lunch at Panera, things we missed doing :)

and my Dad played in a Pro-Am golf tournament!  The Heritage, at Harbor Town is a pretty famous tournament, and my Dad and some of his friends played with golf pro Stephen Ames...and finished in second place!

my drive home was much less eventful, and took just the right amount of time...and I even got to meet up with my friend Dana and her family, when she went to try on wedding dresses!

I could get used to this whole spring break thing :)

welcome back baseball!

it's not easy being a Yankees fan in Baltimore...but I still get to see my boys in pinstripes every once and a while :)

What I'm Working on - Alison's Bridal Party

One of my good friends from Virginia Tech, Alison, asked me to design some jewelry for her bridesmaids, and as always I was honored to be a part of another one of my Hokie girls special days!  She liked the idea of all her girls having a personal touch to their necklace that matched their personalities, so we did a trio of pretty blue Swarovski crystal stones and a sterling silver charm that would be different for each of her bridesmaids.

I love the dresses she chose- they are so colorful, and even though it's such a cliche saying...you can definitely re-wear these!!

I can't wait to see how everything turns out for her beautiful outdoor wedding!

Passing Score!

all that studying has paid off...the Praxis is just another step conquered on the way to becoming a teacher!  so the study guides are going up on the shelf, and the Fiction Project and jewelry inventory are back up to a first priority!

HOORAY!!!!!

this is the post-it that I stared at for the last month...with the big 304 on it...the score I needed to pass...and below is my score report...314- yeah!!!!!!!

Saturday's Photo

 Don's Weather Rock

April 9th - Silver Spring Bling at Fenton Street Market!

it's my first show of the season!!!

come on out to Fenton Street Market's Silver Spring Bling this Saturday from 9am-2pm for a jewelry extravaganza!!

all the artists involved were hand picked by the Fenton Staff....so you need to come check it out for yourself!  great gifts for yourself...and remember, Mother's Day is only a month away!!

the market is located in it's brand new space, on Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring- and there are tons of restaurants and other shops in the area - so make a day of it!!

for a list of all participating artists, click here!

and hope for good weather!!

Ski Trip recap

 

last weekend we ventured up to Vermont, for our annual family ski trip...and this year, I skied!  for real!  I went down a legitimate trail...up a real chair lift, and all the way down!  it might have taken me a very long time...but I did it...and I am very proud of myself!

it snowed all the days we were there, which made the skiing a lot more fun, and authentic feeling...even though it was April...I went snowshoeing, sledding, and built a snowman! 

 

we ate many delicious meals, and enjoyed fabulous Vermont cheese every night at cocktail hour...

we celebrated two birthdays and a retirement, and got to meet the newest member of the family, Ben :) 

Happy Birthday to the other LB :)

 Lauren B & Lauren B...happy birthday little one!  :)  love you!

What I'm Working on - the fiction project, continued

you know when you start something, and it seems like you'll have forever to finish it, leisurely and without having to rush through it...well now I'm feeling the pressure...I have 24 days to finish the Fiction Project! 

I have all my "Happy Thoughts" picked out...so now it's simply a matter of writing and illustrating my pages...no big deal, right?? 

so if you talk to me in the next three weeks, ask me how it's going...and make sure I'm making progress!  my little book is about to tour the country!

I heart Iced Coffee

how cool is this!? 

I've been experimenting with making iced coffee for a few months now...for convenience and of course for the $$ savings...but this coffee press from Crate & Barrel makes iced coffee!

Item of the Week! 04.04.11

this week's item is....these stunning and brighter than bright hot pink chalcedony earrings!  I just love this gemstone- so pretty!  They are a nice size- not overpowering, but they pack a punch of color!

 

 any order placed that contains this necklace until Sunday, April 3rd will receive free shipping*!

*shipping cost will be refunded after the purchase :)

Favorite Etsy Shop - The Littlest Bean

for this week's favorite shop, I am bringing the love right back home to The Littlest Bean, run by Jen Menkhaus, BEST leader extraordinaire!  she truly does everything, and does it well...keeps our group running and still manages to create beautiful designs in felt- and she's always coming up with something new!

most likely you'll be drawn to her shop or booth by all the bright pops of color...like what you see in her felt circle rings

or maybe you need a pretty flower headband?  who doesn't!?!

and another new design that I just love...the bubble necklace!

check out The Littlest Bean on Etsy, for all your colorful, felt needs...you know you have them!!  and the best part about all of Jen's work...is that most things can be custom ordered- in any color you want!!  felt galore!!

Saturday's Photo

back in January when I made a trip home to NJ...I stopped and visited with my Uncle and cousins :)

and to my surprise and delight...Uncle Denis pulled out this penguin poster that I had made him for Christmas...oh probably about 20+ years ago!  back when we made all our gifts...my neighbor/honorary sister Dana and I would start in August, and work tirelessly until we had handmade a gift for everyone in our family...not always the most practical or the best quality...but obviously full of sentiment, if they're still around all these years later :)

summertime - treasury

another beautiful treasury featuring JerseyGirlDesign, and some of the other BEST talent!!

Friday Finds - for the love of pickles

without a doubt, one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world, are pickles...I have a few favorite brands, and they each have their own specific meals...it might seem weird, but after searching on Etsy for items about pickles, I found I was not alone...

so I bring you, Friday Finds...PICKLES!

how much cooler would any purchase be, in a pickle bag?? from Dime Store Buddy 

who thought you'd have your choice of pickle slice earrings??  what about these cute ones from by Angel Cake 

or these ones by Hand and Nom Jewelry

and this print by Ecceprints says it all!

and if you need more pickle themed art...how about this original painting "pickle and pickle spear" by Mattson Studios

and who doesn't need a pirate pickle?  everyone needs a pirate pickle.  like this one by Missy and Me

and finally, pickle stickers.  awesome pickle stickers by Chewy Tulip