Happy Valentine's Day!

Addressing his cards, originally uploaded by msbellee.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Kevin and I had fun tonight as he addressed the Valentine's Day cards he got for his kindergarten classmates. He had fun picking them out at the dollar store (we didn't have time to make them ourselves). Not a lot of money was spent, but it didn't matter how much they cost; his heart went into each and every one of them as if they cost a million dollars!

He painstakingly wrote each of his classmates' names on them and signed his name at the bottom. With each one he would carefully put a little red heart sticker somewhere on the front. He was so cute as he did this, sitting back and looking at the card, making sure he put his sticker in just the right spot. Then he would set that card aside in a little pile and pick up the next one, asking who it was for as I read the names out to him. I would tell him the spelling of the name and he would then print the name on the card. Sometimes he would run out of room as he hasn't perfected the art of writing his letters big enough or small enough to just fit on the line! But no matter. He enjoyed his task completely and I enjoyed helping him!

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He got his report card and it was very good! He got the highest marks one can get, a '3' on a scale of 1-3. He also got 2 awards! One was for math and one was for literacy and reading. His reading is coming right along. I'm very proud of him. He likes math too. He can count past 100 and can count by twos, fives and tens. He know which is less, 49 or 51. He knows how to separate a group into halves and quarters. He knows sequencing (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). He's just really enjoying school and learning quite a bit.

I still try to teach him anything and everything I can as it comes up in everyday life or conversation, likefor example the Shuttle and what happens during launch and liftoff! (we watched the launch the other day. I always try to watch the launches, and especially with him if I can.) I talked to him about the space station, why it's up there, how it got there, why the Shuttle was going back and forth to it, etc., and I will continue to do that. I believe it's very important for him to understand as much as he can about it. I try to cram in whatever other random facts I can about whatever it is he wants to know (if I know the subject!). I hope it helps.



The only thing he needs to work on as was noted on his report card are his 'listening and concentration skills'! So we had a discussion about that!


Overall I'm extremely pleased with his performance so far in school! But he has had some days where it was noted that he talked or didn't listen, or where he couldn't sit still or wasn't paying attention. I guess we all have days like that though! He knows that he needs to work on it. We talked about it. Maybe it will sink in given time!

I'm very proud of you Kevin. I want you to know that. I love you very much! :D

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And now for my big news. Last weekend I broke 200 sales!!! I was just thrilled about it too and would have drunk a toast if I had had some wine! I had been a making fool, creating quite a few things and they have been selling pretty well. Now I'm running low on items in my shop so I will have to take some time and create some new pieces to replace what has sold. My shop looks so bare! Yay! I want to thank everyone who was part of my 200! I really appreciate all your support and hope that I can continue to create things you like.

Some of my favorite pieces went to new homes and I'm so happy about it! I was just thrilled that this one particular pair of new earrings that sold. They consisted of substantially large AAA grade green amethyst (prasiolite) briolettes (9x32mm) that were a total of 16.50 carats!! They just dripped from the ear with their beautiful sparkly pastel green color. They sold within a few days of listing them and I couldn't have been more thrilled!

They were/are stunning gems, just stunning. I would not have minded keeping them at all but I was ecstatic that they found a home! I ordered another pair of those beauties and they arrived today! So I'll get to make at least one more pair of these. The new set of briolettes is just a tad larger by about 1mm and weigh 17 carats if I'm not mistaken. They are gorgeous!

I have lots of new beads but just can't decide what to do with them. Here are some beautiful blue chalcedony briolettes. They have such a nice dark aqua color and they sparkle like the dickens!

And here is a very interesting and unique looking rock crystal focal bead in a fancy kite shape with very interesting faceting. It reminds me of a prism or a kaleidoscope!

I'm going to take a few days off however due to my neck, shoulders and back have been giving me a few pains over the past week. It comes from sitting at that big desk which is not the most ideal workspace in the world, but it's all I have. I hunch over a lot and need to get a better setup. Also, when I take pics I lean over a lot too. Seeing as how I use a TV tray next to the window to take pics on (in natural daylight if I can) and I am sometimes forced to sit on a lower stool to get good angles, it's no wonder I'm aching. If I can't use the TV tray, I use the light tent and a daylight bulb but I still have to hunch over to get a good angle. What I would give for a real studio and a real bench and a real photograhy setup! You use what you have and that's all you can do!

So expect to see some new things coming down the line soon (I hope). There is one fairly new pair of earrings in the shop still: a pair of chalcedony teardrop briolettes in goldfill. I have more earrings sitting aside that I have not yet done the pics for yet but will get to them eventually. Then they too will get listed.

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I just wanted to check in and say hello and tell you all thank you very much for helping me break the 200 mark! After I decide what to make with my new beads, I'll report back on what's coming down the pipe!

Until then, Happy Valentine's Day and I hope you all have a good weekend!