'Tis the Season

Well, Christmas is upon us. As usual, I haven't finished my shopping. But this year it doesn't bother me if I don't get finished until Christmas Eve. It's been such a long and draining fall with Kevin being so sick so often that I'm just so tired now and all I want to do is sleep instead of shop. I did order some things from Etsy but I can't tell what because they're gifts and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I have the important things bought. That's all that matters I suppose.

I made some good sales in my Etsy shop this holiday season bringing my total sales up to 140. My sales figure reflects 141 right now but that's because I had someone back out of a sale and admin hasn't squared things with me yet, but they will in time. I'm sure a lot of people bought and then changed their mind. It's too bad that has to happen, but it does. I was glad to see the 20th pass as that was the last day to ship Priority with the USPS and get it there on time for Christmas. I made two sales that day and had to rush to get them to the P.O. because I hadn't checked Etsy all morning! I was busy getting ready for Christmas myself and so were they! But I got them mailed and off. One was a sale to Newton, just up the road from Charlotte. That's only my second Carolina sale (other than family). I was tickled.

Kevin has been having fun in his class making things about Christmas as well as other holidays celebrated around the world this time of year. He came home from school today with his backpack just brimming with goodies that he'd made in his class. There were painted and colored things, glued things and folded things. There was a Christmas card he'd made and on the inside he wrote "Merry Christmas Mom Dad and brother. Love, Kevin." He's so funny. He doesn't have a brother!

He brought home the gingerbread house he made from graham crackers, frosting, and candy pieces. The whole class made them. His turned out really good! It has a window over the door and it did have green gumdrop chimneys but he ate them! It's an adorable house!

He made an ornament. Oh, it's not just any ornament. It's something quite special and unique. Handmade you might say! The teacher got plain silver ball ornaments and each child painted their hand with white Crayola paint. Then the teacher put the ornament in their hand and they just grabbed the ball, leaving their handprint on the ornament. Then after it dried, the teacher's assistant finished each finger 'snowman' with a hat, face, etc. Then she attached the tag.

When Kevin showed it to me I thought it was so cute. Then I read the tag. I then proceeded to cry. Kevin didn't understand why I was crying. I told him it was because it was so sweet. He still didn't understand. I told him that when he was much older, say 18 or 20, he could look back at this ornament and see just how small his hand used to be and realize how much he'd grown. I was thinking I could look back at it and see my baby, who will always be my baby no matter how big he grows to be. (I'm crying again.) So then Kevin started crying with me and the two of us were sitting there on the floor in front of the fireplace crying and holding each other, he not really knowing why, and me clinging to his innocence as I clinged to him. What a sight we must have been. Isn't his ornament cute? He made lots of things, but the ornament was the best.

I uploaded lots of pics to Flickr of my decorations for this year. They're the same decorations I always have but since very few of you have seen them before I thought I'd share a bit of what we do in our house for Christmas. So I invite you to Flickr to view my Christmas 2007 set. It's not finished. It won't be until 2008!

If I don't get another chance to blog before Christmas, I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday! May it be filled with lots of joy and happiness!

Until next time.....

A Sad Day

Today I learned one of my all-time favorite singer/songwriters passed away. Dan Fogelberg died from prostate cancer this morning. He was only 56.

Dan Fogelberg - RIP
12.16.2007

I grew up listening to Dan Fogelberg's moving lyrics and angelic singing voice. I used to sing his wonderful melodious tunes to the top of my lungs while in my bedroom in high school. I played my guitar to his songs, learning as many of them as I could. You might know him from "Same Old Lang Syne" which is often played this time of year. It's a bittersweet song which makes me cry anyway, but now it will always make me cry. He also wrote "Run for the Roses", written for the Kentucky Derby and thoroughbred horse racing. But "Part of the Plan" is among my all-time favorite songs ever...Ever. That was the first song I remember hearing by him and it is the most meaningful to me. Here are the lyrics:

"I have these moments all steady and strong
I'm feeling so holy and humble
The next thing I know I'm all worried and weak
And I feel myself starting to crumble
The meanings get lost and the teachings get tossed
And you don't know what you're going to do next
You wait for the sun but it never quite comes
Some kind of message comes through to you
Some kind of message comes through
And it says to you...
(Chorus)
Love when you can
Cry when you have to
Be who you must
That's a part of the plan
Await your arrival with simple survival
And one day we'll all understand
One day we'll all understand
One day we'll all understand

I had a woman who gave me her soul
But I wasn't ready to take it
Her heart was so fragile and heavy to hold
And I was afraid I might break it
Your conscience awakes and you see your mistakes
And you wish someone would buy your confessions
The days miss their mark and the night gets so dark
And some kind of message comes through to you
Some kind of message shoots through --
And it says to you...
(Chorus)
Love when you can
Cry when you have to
Be who you must
That's a part of the plan
Await your arrival with simple survival
And one day we'll all understand
One day we'll all understand
One day we'll all understand

There is no Eden or Heavenly gates
That you're gonna make it to one day
But all of the answers you seek can be found
In the dreams that you dream on the way"

I learned to play the song "Twin's Theme" on the piano which is from the album "Twin Sons of Different Mothers" with Tim Weisberg. I played it for an assignment in my piano class in college in 1980. Talk about a moving piece of music. When I first heard that song it moved me to tears. Listen to it sometime. His music was often moving. His lyrics were as well. I'll always be moved by music and his was among the most touching I ever heard.

I cried when I read of his death. He was too young. The same age as my brother. So full of talent, love for life and for the gift of our Earth. He will be missed even though his music will live on.

It was a sad day.

My Daemon

I visited Jasmin's blog and saw where she had done this. I thought I'd try it out and see what mine was. What do you think? Do you think it fits me?

Elf Yourself!

Check it out!!! It's funny as heck and you can do it too!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1415536505

Just a little Christmas card from Kevin and me!!

Later....

My Famous (sort of) Rainbow Moonstone Earrings

(I know, I know.... I've been notably absent. It's mainly because my eyes have been bothering me quite a bit lately (remember, they're the first things to go). Looking at the computer has gotten to them over time and now I tend to get a headache and an eyeball ache when I'm in front of the monitor for an extended period of time. I do apologize for my absence. I miss you all.)

I just had to pop in and let the world know that my Rainbow Moonstone earrings are once again famous (sort of)!! These are the same pair that made it to the front page of Etsy for my one and only appearance a while back. They have 1100 views and have yet to be sold! That's just fine by me. I'll keep 'em! They're worth every penny of the $32.00 that I'm asking for them and I'm not waivering a bit from that price. They are truly AAA grade stones with more rainbow than I've ever had a chance to see up close and personal in a moonstone. I might come down in price on other items in my shop, perhaps put other pieces on sale, but not these. No way. These are special. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so....

Not long ago I was approached by Juvella, an online Bulgarian jewelry and accessories magazine regarding permission to use my rainbow moonstone earring photos for an article they were doing about the stone. (Juvella who, you say? That's what I said too.) Turns out they have a very, very nice and informative site that is quite fascinating (if only I spoke Bulgarian). (I couldn't find a Bulgarian-to-English webpage translator so I had to copy and paste the text from their site in order to understand it). Of course, I thought it was a hoax until I visited the link they provided me to their site. It was rather impressive looking. They told me they would provide a link back to me under the pics they used if I would allow them to use them. So I said why not, and granted them permission and was excited about the possibility of being famous in Bulgaria!



Well, today I got notification that the article was published online and my pics had been used! Go check it out! It's cool! I did find a text translator for the language barrier so I copied and pasted the text of the article to read it. It's all about the stone. It's mystical properties and beliefs, that it's in the family of feldspar (as is labradorite) and it give it's Mohs scale hardness, etc. It's a good article.

Being a collector and lover of gemstones, I found their article enlightening and fascinating. I love rocks. Love, love, love 'em! I have a small collection that I treasure. It includes emeralds, garnets, sapphires, tanzanite, kunzite, morganite, topaz, aquamarine and yellow beryl, tourmaline, amethyst, etc. I'm serious. I like gems. Wish I could afford the ones I really want like Paraiba tourmaline (copper-bearing making it the color of apatite which is also copper-bearing), alexandrite, rubellite and indicolite tourmaline, and so on. At one point in time I wanted to become a graduate gemologist with the GIA, taking their online and distance courses. I would still someday like to have that "G.G." after my name. So when I say that these rainbow moonstones are AAA, or any gemstone I use for that matter, I mean it! If it's not AAA, I won't say so. I'll just name the stone. If I'm uncertain, I won't say it's AAA grade. I will only say that if I believe it to be true and have some sort of information to back me up.

Anyway, rambling here....

So now once again my rainbow moonstone earrings are famous!! I'm thrilled!!

Thank you Juvella, for allowing my pictures to represent such a fascinating and wonderful gemstone! It was my honor. :)

Until next time. I hope everyone is geared up for the holidays. My next appearance in the Main Showcase is this Friday, December 14th. Wish me luck! Maybe I'll sell these earrings then!! :D