New Toys!

I received my latest face cabs from Jen over at Graphix Outpost.  I la-la-la-la-LOVE Jen's face cabs!

 The sweet rainbow face I want to use to make a beaded picture for my bathroom. 

I think it would make a perfect addition to my favorite Story People print that I have in there.   Just haven't come up with the design yet.

And this adorable sun that my realtor gave me as a housewarming gift (which I also la-la-la-la-LOVE) is so perfect in there too.  I haven't gotten around to hanging it up on the wall, but I may not ever get around to it,  because I really like him where he is.

Hannah made this mosaic in art class this year and I think it would look good in the bathroom too.  Of course, she wants it for her room (imagine that!). 

I don't have any immediate plans for the gray cat face.  Just had to have it!  Hmmm, I wonder why????

~ Bead Happy and Often ~

It's A Girl Thing

Having no brothers or nephews, it was only fate that my niece Ashlee's first baby would be :

Addison :)

A Girl!

Whoop Whoop! 

Girl's Rock.

I must have been channeling the girl vibe on a recent trip to some estate sales.  Normally I pick up fun little bowls or a tiny dish or two and of course, old glass jewelry.  Not this time.  These little cuties are the only things that came home with me:

 How sweet is this teensy tiny doll??

Her hands and feet are metal (lead?) and her arms and legs are all wrapped with a million threads.   But it's that sweet face of hers that I just adore. 

And she even stands on her own! 

Love her.

Here is her big sis, just as fabulous....

Look at these woven shoes - amazing.

And check out the tag I found on her skirt. 

I swear there are a few teensy tiny cross-stitch stiches on there.

Her plaid  head scarf is expertly wrapped and tied in the back

And ,yes, I did peak under her scarf. 
She has no hair - heck, she doesn't even have a full face, but she is still beautiful.

They sit on the shelf and watch over me as I bead at my (teensy tiny) beading corner. 

Bead Happy and Often!

Long Time No See

Good Golly Miss Molly - time sure does fly!  Have done very little beading these days.  Instead I've been:

Hiking through a bog in New York

Climbing rocks in Arizona

Hiking up a crystal clear creek in Arizona

Traipsing around Vegas

Watching my beautiful daughter and her adorable boyfriend go to prom

and then watch her graduate

Enjoying the beautiful weather

Selling my house (eek)

and yes, a little bit of beading on my June BJP.  More on that soon, I hope.....

and I hope to get some time soon to visit all my blogfriends!  I miss you all (and your fabulous beading) terribly!

The Life of Lynn

Just thought I'd take a second here and fill you all  in on the personal non-beady side of me.  Thanks to my blog friends for making me feel loved and cared about!  It is so nice to know that just because I don't have the chance to blog as much as I used too, you girls haven't forgotten about me!  ~hugs~

Hannah and Laurel
Botanical Gardens, Buffalo, NY

Hannah is continuing to do well (although there is still a bit of teenage drama, of course) 86.43 grade point average and great comments from her teachers on her latest report card. 

"Is a pleasure to have in class" 

"Has an excellent attitude in class and shows outstanding interest" 

"Is cooperative and attentive in class" 

"Takes an active part in class" 

Yippee!!!!! 

My "new" (aka used, but new to me) Toyota Matrix is still a blast to drive and consistently gets 31-34 mpg. 
Yippee!!!

Spring has finally arrived in Western New York and my garden is bursting with new life.
Yippee!!!!  well, ok, so its been raining all spring--I still am loving how GREEN everything is!  Just to see leaves again, sigh,  its all good.

And the biggest Yippee!!!! of all to report:

I'M

GOING

TO

ARIZONA

TO

VISIT

MY

COUSIN

PATRICK

Yeah, that's a huge YIPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! 

After doing my BJP for April, I really could not get him (or those canyons) out of mind.  All it took was one email in which he said "why don't you come out west girl?"  I booked my flight before I even let myself think about it.  I didn't dare, because if I would have thought about the million of reasons why NOT to go, I wouldn't be going.

So in just 4 short weeks I'll be looking at this:

Schnebly Hill Road

I had to promise to wash Patrick's truck afterward (its a really rough primitive road, to say the least), but that will be a small price to pay!  Heck I'll even wax it !

~ Bead Happy and Often ~

April BJP 2011

AS IF I haven't already spent way too much of my days soul searching, contemplating the twists and turns my life has taken to lead me to where I am now.  And then I pull Arizona from my BJP coin jar.  The first thought that came to me was Missed Opportunity. 

When I was 19 I flew out to Phoenix to spend some time with my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Dave and my cousins.  What a blast we had.  Two of my cousins (Patrick just a few years younger than me and Joanne a few years older than me) and I took a trek up to the Grand Canyon and stopped at various places along the way.  Patrick is the brother that I never had and Joanne is just an awesome soul.    I won't bore you with the details, but that trip (including riding the mules down the Grand Canyon) was beyond spectacular.  If I should ever come in to money, the first thing I would do -- do that trip again with my cousins.   

Missed Opportunity?  Yeah.  Why in world did I not pack up my bags and start my life out there while I was young??!  Not only was a part of my family that I just adore out there, I loved those rocks, canyons, wide open skies.  Patrick lives in Flagstaff now and Joanne is out in California, my Aunt and Uncle have since  passed on.  I made my choice to return to New York.   And here I am.  But my heart is still with them out West. 

I had no plan in mind when I started.  And it felt so good to just bead.  No rhyme or reason to placement.  Just bead.  Sigh. 

April 2011 BJP
Arizona

Luckily Patrick and Joanne have both made it back 'home' in the past few years.  They are just the most comfortable people to be around.  True Treasures.

Patrick and Me

Kathy, Joanne and Me

March BJP 2011
Pennsylvania

February BJP 2011
California

January BJP 2011
Florida

~ Bead Happy and Often ~

Hey Friends!

I have just been running around like a crazy woman (hmm, if the shoe fits.......) lately.  I haven't beaded, blogged or read blogs in what seems like forever!   And dusting?  Nope, haven't had time for that either as you can see by the note my daughter left me on the top of my bead cabinet.

A house becomes a home when you can write I Love You in the dust

But I have a bit of time this morning, so here's an update on what's been happening in my little world:

First off, my Spring piece has been officially set aside.  I know, I know, I HATE to do that!  I have way too many UFOs and I really really try to finish what I've started.  But everytime I tried to work on it, I just wasn't feeling the love and it just wasn't turning out the way I wanted.  I was all excited to make up this seed bead mix from 3 different greens I had in my stash:

And thought it would make great grass to surround the middle of the piece and it was all going along just fine and then my thread got all tangled up and I just got annoyed so made the decision to move on to something new. 

Since it's April (already!!), I chose my next State quarter for the Bead Journal Project.  Arizona.  I won't say too much about it now, because I'll wait til my 'official' post when its done, but here's the beads I've chosen to use:

And then I got my sweet little vintage lady cab from Beth and she is just begging to be put on a box lid.  Of course, I don't have a box yet, so she just looks at me and waits patiently for some attention.

I love her calm expression.  I look at her and just feel my tension release.

My Mom and Dad live on a golf course, and my Mom was out filling the bird feeders and saw some balls laying around on the course, so she collected them for me......

64 balls in about 20 minutes of collecting!  Too funny!  I've gotten to the indoor driving range a few times and am just waiting for the weather to break a bit more so I can get back out on the course.  Just thinking about it makes me relax.  I love to golf.  I'm not good at it, but love it all the same.

Lastly, I made the decision to get rid of my GMC Envoy.  With all the driving I've been doing, I just couldn't afford to keep filling the tank every 3 - 4 days at over $60 every fill up.  It was disgusting the amount of $$$ I poured into that tank.  

I learned to drive on a car with a standard transmission and always drove a stick shift until I had the girls and I really missed driving a standard.  So I knew my 'new' car would have to be a stick shift.  Well, apparently I'm part of a dying breed of drivers because there wasn't a whole lot of standard transmission cars to choose from (at least in my price range!).    

Although I'm not picky about what I drive, I never thought I'd be behind the wheel of a red - and I mean RED  - car.

But I am and I love it!!



Be a lifesaver - become an organ donor

 Well that's a wrap - gotta get in my sweet little ride and get myself to the eye doctor and then a special treat from my friend Joan:  I'm going for a mani-pedi.  Aaahhh, let the pampering begin......I sure could use it (just hope I don't fall asleep in the chair)!

Hope to get some time tonight to visit all of your blogs.  Am dying to see what everyone has been doing these past few weeks......I think of you all so much throughout my days.

~Bead Happy and Often~