Puppies post day care

We're doing some back porch/patio re-modeling and the puppies had to go to puppy day care while the guys did some construction since they lost free reign of the yard and the puppy door. I think the day care was successful since they were pretty played out for the drive home!

This is also how I've felt most of the day. I think the last few days of running wild with no work have caught up with me and I've crashed on the couch in front of the fire and thought of all the things I should be working on but I'm giving myself a pass since this is what lists are for! I have made significant progress on cleaning up the studio and getting it back into working shape. I also made this fun little Christmas collage that made it's way into charms for a swap. I like to think that he's just looking for Santa to put the girl for him under the Christmas tree.

Spice Girl

Christmas came early out our house! I've had my eye on one of these sculptures that we saw once at the Nasher store and I've gone in every time we're at the mall just to see if it was back on display. But always out of luck. Tonight, they had a grouping of them as a window display and I just fell in love with this one. Who wouldn't?! Creepy doll head, crown, Queen Elizabeth, oh my! The sales associate was asking if we wanted the details and was explaining the history of the dolls coming from Germany (I'm familiar with this process :) ) and how the artist put it's together, etc and Rolland just said "Sold". I almost fell over. He truly is one of the best husbands ever! Now, she's all mine. Swing by and visit. She greets guests in the entry way!

Charms are on their way!

One of the exchanges I'm in includes swapping soldered Christmas charms. I think this little basket of charms is really sweet. I hope they make it safely and people like their charms.

I had lots of trouble sleeping so I've been up since 3 am. It seemed like the perfect time to play with glass and solder so I've been busy on a few new projects but now, I'm thinking a nap might be nice!

Studio Cheer

I've got the studio trees up and I love them! Every year I put the trees up and then like how they look so much I don't want to take them down until Easter! This year I added the china doll parts which my husband says makes them extra creepy. I'm ignoring him and adding them anyway. The smaller tree is also dressed in all vintage ornaments which I find super cute.

We have managed to get in a movie so far for the holiday break. We saw the new James Bond. The movie was decent and heavy on the M so even better. Judi Dench rocks. The new theme song - fairly awful. I usually love the opening sequence but I kind of hated this one. There weren't any especially good previews either so if you get down to the wire you're aren't missing anything here.

Now I'm off to watch some TV before heading to bed early.

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone needs one of these for their studio. Maya is super cute and only one of the many things I'm grateful for this day. I hope you are surrounded by people that love you and you too have lots of good things for which to be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Angel Necklace

I've been working on this piece for a while now. It started out as an experiment with patina-ing solder and then it was a hunt for the right chain and beads. I worked on stringing the beads in Omaha but felt like it needed more umph so I found some gorgeous sterling chain in a bead store, also in Omaha, (paid way more than I should've but I love it) and finally put all the pieces together. It's really simple construction but when I wear the necklace it's got the perfect amount of heft.

It's been a while since I pimped out a book here but I just started The Time Traveler's Wife

and I think everyone on the planet has known about it but me. I found it on the Doctor Who boards... yes I know, giant nerd, but it sounded good so I picked it up a while ago but just started. So far I'm incredibly hooked and have been loving it. In case you were looking for a traveling novel or a gift for a reader this one is my latest pic.

Hope everyone is having a lovely Thanksgiving-eve!

New Day New Post

I'm feeling much better about the world and my general state of well-being. Well, except for the part where I whacked myself in the head with the car door while trying to load the puppies in the car for doggie day care - seriously, clumsiest person on the planet. But even that doesn't have me down. Today's the last day of work before the holiday week and I plan to spend tomorrow with the puppies in the new studio. I've got tons of pics to show of the new construction on the patio, arty goodness and finally Silver Bella updates, whew! Big plans people, big plans!

But, in the mean time, I wanted to share a quick link with you in case you've been looking for a special way to give for the holidays. Kelly Rae Roberts has an incredibly inspiring story on her blog today. Check it out and if you have the means, give a little something to start the holiday season.

Pre-holiday blahs

Today has been a little off all day. I woke up with such high hopes of fun shopping, art in the afternoon and maybe a little time in the kitchen. After a few necessary weekend errands that seemed to take up most of the day we ended up getting almost nothing accomplished. I've also been checking work email - just to drive myself crazy with all that needs to get done that I'm not doing - now I find that it's almost bed time and a perfectly good Saturday is down the drain.

I try to normally be fairly cheerful and perky (a state my husband would fail to recognize) when I post since I feel like the inter-webs provide plenty of non-positive thought and general cynicism that I want to avoid spreading into the world but tonight I'm pretty cranky and just not up to spreading good cheer. I'm hoping this long rambling purge of discontent will help me wake up on the right side of the bed with a much better attitude.

If not, I was successful in finding tasty smoked gouda and an aged cheddar with herbs and onion. If I have to, I'll drown myself in dairy.

Drawer of Bling

I'm back from Omaha and get settled into daily living again. I had a great time at Silver Bella and loved meeting all the ladies. The event really helped get me into the spirit of the holidays. I'm thinking there could be decorations going up pre-Thanksgiving! One of the best things about the Bella event was it's location in a hotel directly across the street from the Old Market downtown. it didn't take long for all of us to hit the streets and stock up on the goodies.

I found the Second Chance antique store on day one and visited 3 times! This accounts for my new drawer of bling. This store was awesome with a little bit of everything! I added to my lusterware collection, picked up a ton of old photos and, of course, I stocked up on all things that sparkle! These are going to make some really lovely new pieces. I know what I'm working this weekend!

Happy Wednesday guys! It's almost the weekend and gorgeous pre-winter weather (hopefully!).

Silver Bella

I made it! Silver Bella registration and name tag are in hand and I've finally got a list of my classes. I guessed mostly right. :)

Downtown Omaha is lovely and they have two independent bookstores that I've managed to find! There are lots of fun little shops and a couple of super cool galleries. Strangely, one of my favorite purchases from the gallery is a pair of socks. They are really cute.

It was kind of rainy and overcast this afternoon so it was perfect for the coffee shop I found tucked away in... wait for it, a bank. Yep, it's a combo bank and coffee house. I did hesitate for fear hot chocolate had now reached the point of requiring loan papers but no problems. Cozied up in a chair and waited out the rain with a book perfect afternoon!

I would also like to encourage antique and vintage clothing lovers to visit Second Chance. The store was ready for the Silver Bella ladies with tons of paper products, gorgeous rhinestones and everything else our heart desired. I even found a few things I had know idea I needed until now. But a few new lusterware pieces are mind. Suitcase logistics are to be worried about later.

Now, I'm off in search of food. It was beer braised pot roast for lunch with an incredibly tasty smoked gouda soup. Now I'm thinking a sandwich and chili would make my night!

Packing, Packing and more Packing

I finally got all of my presents wrapped and packaged ready for mailing. The ugly doll pretty much sums up how I've felt this week. It's been insanely busy at work and I've just now started packing for my Silver Bella trip which has been made remarkably more challenging by the lack of class list. It didn't occur to me to keep my list that I made when I signed up thinking I would get a confirmation, registration information or something but nope nothing. I'm packing based on the classes I think I signed up for with a little extra stuff. I'll see how it goes.

I've been incredibly unprepared and not really ready for this getaway. I've somehow missed that there was a blog with all kinds of cool updates and didn't really start hoarding the supplies like I normally do. I had an anxiety attack Monday night thinking it would be like going to school with a 24 pack (or the dreaded 16 pack) of crayons when everyone else has the 48. I know about the 64+ but just felt like that was too much. Even then I had my limits.

The husband has been awesome and we went tonight and got some super cute aprons at Anthropologie. This one and this one. He's fully prepared to deal with my particular freak outs and craziness. At the moment, he's searching the garage for large clips. Seriously cute. Worse comes to worse he's assured me I can hole up in the hotel with my millions of books and magazines and just relax for 3 days and that could potentially make all the difference in the world in my mindset. Yep, he's a keeper. I think he might be ready for my trip and a slight break for him and the puppies. I'm betting he's planning what to watch and meals that require no consideration for anyone else. I think there's steak and a million action movies involved. :) We may hit the new James Bond on Sunday on the way back from the airport.

That's it for the rambling. I'm taking a blog break while in Omaha since I refuse to carry the laptop if I don't have to but I will be twittering from the road so those updates post in the right nav or follow directly on twitter.

Have a great week guys!

Hitting the road

It's almost time for the boys and I to hit the road again. This time we're heading for Omaha to Silver Bella. Hopefully I'll be able to wrangle all my supplies and clothes into one suitcase since it's just me and the animals. Rolland's staying home with the puppies since an over the top girlie weekend is not really his ideal trip. :)

Otherwise, it's been fairly quiet in the Lone Star state. We've enjoyed gorgeous fall weather but I'm ready for winter. Omaha and cold weather will be awesome! I can fully enjoy my Uggs and sweaters. I tried to pull it off here one day last week when it was in the 60's but ended up more than toasty and drove home in my tank top and socks to cool off! Clearly I'm a cold weather kind of girl.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Woo hoo!

I watched the election coverage last night and became more and more hopeful but still tense thinking it could go wrong at any second. Once I heard Charlie Gibson saying they felt comfortable announcing a projected winner I let out a war cry that even my husband sleeping with earplugs could hear! He mumbled good then went back to sleep. Sleeping comfortably knowing change is coming.... or so I like to think. Mostly I think he slept thinking his wife is nuts but either way it's a win!

America we did it!

Halloween

Little late but I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!