Rest Quest

Okay, here's another necklace I recently made. It's around 15 inches long. The garnets are the little round beads that look kind of like the color of wine. Actually, for Christmas I received gift certificates for beads from Jeff and Catherine as well as from Doug. So after Christmas I really had fun going to my favorite bead store in the area and picking out these beads, as well as the beads for the necklace in the previous post. I still have some left from the certificates so I'm thinking about what I'd like to get next!  Thank you again, Jeff, Catherine and Doug!  :)

Posted by Cindi on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 10:55pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

Photos of a necklace I recently made, using a 12 inch length of sterling silver chain, and some venetian beads (with white gold foil inside them which gives them a really cool look). You can see I removed one of the large sterling silver ovals from the chain and replaced it with the focal "tri-colored" bead. The lentil shaped beads added at the sides, and the small round beads added to the ends, lengthens the necklace to around 17 inches.

Close-up of the main focal bead, a "tri-colored" 22mm bead that has white gold foil in center, then has melted colored glass poured over (one side has green glass & other side aqua colored glass). In the middle, the white gold foil shows up between the colored glass. That makes it look "tri-colored".  

Posted by Cindi on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 10:47pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

Jeff kindly walked me through learning how to actually post a photo on my blog!!! So hopefully I will have lots of nice photos to share along with what I write. Thank you Jeff!

Posted by Cindi on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 10:37pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

Hey, here's a photo of some beads I want to make a necklace with.

 These are venetian beads that have white gold foil inside. The round lentil shaped ones also have cobalt colored glass swirls in them along with the aqua colored glass poured over the centers.  

Posted by Cindi on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 10:34pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

I like getting a good deal, on something I like (or it wouldn't really be that good of a deal, would it?). So around a week ago Wilsonsleather.com had a sale, with 20% off the already sale price AND free shipping on top of it. For one day only. I've needed a smaller black purse so I decided to order the "Mondrian Mini". Though Wilsons seems to discount them some anyway, the regular price was listed at $58 and the sale price was under $18. With free shipping and 20% more off of it, I thought it'd be worth it. So it was under $15 not counting tax. I just got it today and I really like it!  I think it will be just the right size for an everyday purse since I've been trying to downsize since our friend and chiropractor advised it. I used to carry huge purses...well, some wouldn't even call them purses. Doug and Jeff called them my "swiss army purse". lol. I would put EVERYTHING I thought we would need in it lol!  At least every possible item that I could.  But this little purse is quite cute, at least to me, and that's what matters, right?  :)  I see Wilson's online is still having sales, and some prices have been dropped some, but it isn't 20% off on top of that and there's not free shipping included, at least for now. That may change. So if you are looking for a purse and don't want to pay that much, you might keep your eye open for their sales and offers, or sign up for their email notices. I would really like to take a picture of it and post it here, but I'm still unable to do that. If you want to see what it looks like, go to 

http://www.wilsonsleather.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1831982&cp=244...

and then click on the "Mondrian Mini" purse.

 Well, that's it for now. Maybe I'll have more to say later :)  I wonder if anyone is actually reading this?  I do get spam comments that I have to delete, but that doesn't count, right?  lol.   

Posted by Cindi on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 5:06pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

Here I am again. What a surprise, hey?  That little box I wrote about last post, the one that pops up when I'm typing...it popped up again before I even finished the second sentence...and I don't think I backspaced, but maybe I did and didn't realize it.  I hope I figure out what's causing that and can see it fixed!

Tonight we had salad, organic brown basmati rice, and natural turkey! Whole Foods, if you don't realize it, around Thanksgiving and Christmas and awhile afterward, has turkey drumsticks for sale. Pretty reasonable price for the natural turkeys. So we pick those up and I fix them like I would a turkey (without stuffing). The ones we got this time were huge, two of them, and I barely fit them in the casserole dish I usually do things like that in. I wasn't about to get my big turkey roasting pan out for it. They'd get lost in that. Anyway, they were so big that it's giving us THREE meals worth of turkey, would you believe! Tonight was left overs from yesterday when I fixed it. It's fun when we're both sighing and going "mmmm" because it was so good. It's like sitting down for a whole turkey dinner but without all the work. And it smells so good in the house with the turkey and basmati rice. 

It's supposed to get cold this weekend, really cold. They're forecasting snow before that, and then a 50 degree drop in temperature by this weekend. Interesting weather we have in this area. Years ago when Jeff had a pet, an alaskan malamute named Kemo Sabe, the temperature plunged to 26 below I think it was. Since Kemo Sabe was an "outdoor" dog with a pretty slick two room doghouse Doug had made, we weren't TOO worried about him, especially since other malamute owners told us they love the cold. But we were told to check his...hm what do you call it...like his arm pit, or the pit of his front leg to see if it was warm. Well, it was night and Doug went out to check on him, to check his "arm" pit and it was toasty warm. He'd been sleeping. Doug was all bundled up for the weather, just to check on him. But hey, now that Kemo Sabe was awake, he wanted to PLAY! If I remember correctly, he found his ball or some toy and came out of his doghouse and tried to get Doug to play. I think Doug did, for awhile, maybe feeling guilty for waking him up. The next day when it was still very, very cold, though the sun was shining, Kemo was sprawled out on the icy snow like he was sun bathing! He was enjoying it!  Outside the doghouse!  He loved the snow and would pull Jeff around on it. Fun memories. I don't know why I thought of that, oh yeah, because of the cold weather they're predicting.

There's not much to say here so I'll try not to take any more of your time...that is, if anyone is reading this lol!  I did get a macro lens for my camera but haven't tried it out yet. I'm hoping to be able to photograph the jewelry I make, among a few other things I have in mind. Just practice with it, see what I can do creatively, etc. There was a special deal on Canon lenses.

Oh, I got an email that Peg checked out my blog :) So someone is reading it :) ::waving at Peg:: I did happen to email her first and tell her about it. But it's nice to know she checked it out and read it, even if I'm not writing about anything earth shakingly profound. : )

I probably should post more of the books I'm reading but I haven't gotten around to that. Maybe another time :)  I still want to put photographs up. I wonder if I could go to the Drupal site and ask for help, as someone who doesn't code or anything like that and find someone who could help me with it. 

Oh, for anyone who has hard to fit feet and has trouble finding shoes their size in stores, have you tried Zappos.com?  I've tried finding a pair of nice looking fairly dressy type boots for over a decade, maybe longer!  They'd never fit, too tight and also the arch (if they had any) was in the wrong place! But through Zappos I found a pair that truly fit. They're called Kumfs, a company in New Zealand that was started by two podiatrists. The arch comes right where my arch does, and I have fairly high arches as well. And though they don't look wide in the toe, there is plenty of wriggle room for my toes even!  I have had such trouble finding a pair of boots, or shoes, that fit me that I was so excited about these. They aren't cheap, but they actually fit and don't feel like someone is forcing spikes up through the bones of my feet when I wear them longer than 15 minutes. So yes, I am very thankful for these boots. Oh, and Zappos, though the prices are full retail unless on sale, has free shipping BOTH WAYS! Yeah, if you have to return them, they pay the shipping back as well! And they are really fast delivery. Okay, enough plugging them. No I don't have stock in their company. : ) But they have way more sizes than most shoe stores, as well as more shoes. And you don't have to run around in the car trying to find them. So if you've had trouble finding shoes, this might be a place that's helpful.

Well, it's getting late, so I'd better say good night :) 

Posted by Cindi on Wed, 01/16/2008 - 11:55pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

I went to a baby shower yesterday. Besides learning about all the new types of toys, clothing and whatnot that they've come out with in the last 30 years, I found out they can actually monitor the contractions you're having while you're still at home!  The young woman who's awaiting twins has had contractions and complications so they're watching her closely. They don't want her going into labor too soon. So she wears this electronic gadget that monitors the different contractions and it gets sent over the phone to whoever.  I asked how it could detect the difference between that and gas or her stomach growling. I was told by the dad-to-be that it does detect those things as well, but they show up with a different length (or something like that). She showed us the monitor and it was all very interesting.  She's had to go to the hospital several times and the last time I think had to stay several days trying to get the contractions under control. This monitor is supposed to help reduce the hospital stay by helping them know when it's needed and when it's not. If any of you reading this are interested, here's the website that tells about the monitor & company that does the program. 

http://www.matria.com/resources/clinical/wh/ptl_summary.html#outcomes

I enjoyed the time with friends, talking with the parents to be, etc., seeing all the new fangled things they have out now, and found the games ...um...let's say they were interesting lol. Steph, who was sitting beside me and is the sister-in-law to the mom-to-be, said she drew the line if they had us do something with toilet paper. lol Then they brought out toilet paper for the game. She was determined to not join in the game, but then we found out it was only using the toilet paper as a type of tape measure to guess at the waistlines of the parents to be. It wasn't so bad and she decided to go ahead and do it. For another game they had a tray of tiny disposable diapers with melted chocolate candy in them. Each was a different kind of chocolate candy and we were told to figure out what kind it was....actually they said it in another way...to "figure out what baby had eaten".   So if you can't picture it in your head already, I'll help you.  Picture these little diapers being passed around each table. Each person holding it, looking closely into it, usually smelling it for clues.  We were told we could not taste it!  Did they really think I'd want to?! It all looked brown and melted to me. Since I haven't eaten chocolate candy for over a decade, I wasn't familiar with the different kinds, so I looked at them but didn't really play, or write brand names down. As I was given one diaper, and before giving it to the person after me, I detected a faint smell of peanut butter without trying or sniffing. I wondered at this scene.  What if someone from another culture, or another country came in and watched this scene as it played out. I wonder what they would think. Do other people in other countries do these things?  I wonder. I guess it would have to be a country with enough brands of chocolate to make it, um, interesting.  

I'm trying to write in this blog even if I don't have that much to say.  Just write something.  It's actually kind of fun if I'm not trying to be witty, or say something profound lol!  I figure people aren't really reading it so I can just ramble. I would like to put up some photos, but I have to wait on that. As I'm typing, if I backspace, usually a little tiny window thing pops up and says: "Slow Script" Then there's a button to click for either stop or continue. I've found if I click "continue" I can continue typing. I have no idea what is causing that but I wished it would stop doing it. So it takes me longer to type anything. Oh well. I'm about ready to get to bed. I'm finishing up my daily intake of water. Yes, I have to keep track of that as I've never been one to just drink water, at least the amount they say we should drink.  I've had a couple different doctors over the years tell me to drink water.

I've also been looking at a new website, well, not new but one new to me. I found a website that sells the type of beads I like. They are less expensive, but look like the same kind, coming from the same area of the world, etc. I want to find out what the shipping is to see if it's really more economical to order them online. I did sign up for their email newsletter because they said they also have special offers or discounts sometimes. The "welcome to the newsletter" email they sent me included a 10% discount on my first order!  That encouraged me to look closer at their beads. I can end up looking at beads for hours and not realize the time! This happens at the large bead store I go to as well. Ahhh, I just looked at the time!  Well, goodnight readers. haha, I don't really think there are any people actually reading this but I want to address this to someone. So goodnight : ) 

Posted by Cindi on Tue, 01/15/2008 - 12:57am. | Permalink | Add new comment

In case anyone is interested.

http://clarionjournal.typepad.com/clarion_journal_of_spirit/2007/12/back...

Posted by Cindi on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 12:32am. | Permalink | Add new comment

Jane Austen For Dummies (For Dummies)

Joan Elizabeth Klingel Ray

$13.59 (Paperback)

Okay, I wanted to review this book but as I'd start to do it I was overwhelmed by what all it covered. I mean, I truly wanted to do it justice. Catherine is a writer, Jeff writes as well, and they're both good at it. So here I am; I am not to be intimidated. My courage always rises with every attempt of a review to intimidate me  :)

So basically, I'll call this something else other than a review.  Lets call it...um...sitting around the kitchen table talking about books, okay?

I have to say, I really enjoy browsing this book, picking it up at odd times to see where it will take me.  Basically, it's about Jane Austen, the times and ways people interacted when she lived, and how these things affected her writing. In reading this book you'll learn about events in her own life that may have given inspiration for some of her work.   Her novels take place during the Georgian period in England (from 1714 to 1830) and are humorously satirical about women's place in that society.  Much of it revolves around getting a husband, but how to do that within the boundaries set for them. For instance, you learn about the politics of dancing, what it meant to dance more than two dances with the same partner, and the etiquette expected from gentlemen. Usually there were more young women than young men at the dances so gentlemen were expected to ask the ones without a partner to dance. Knowing this was actually expected helped me understand how significant the snubbing of Elizabeth Bennet was by Darcy in Pride and Prejudice!  
This book is divided into five parts: Getting to know Jane Austen, Lady and Novelist; Austen Observes Ladies and Gentlement; Living Life in Jane's World; Enjoying Austen and Her Influence Today; and The Part of Tens (ten most memorable characters, ten best Austen related books, etc.)  It's easy to read, whether you're sitting down and reading through it or just picking it up to read a particular topic. Even if you're not into Jane Austen (yet), if you're interested in history, sociology, or humorous satire, then I think you might also enjoy this book.
There, Catherine, I actually did it! : )

Posted by Cindi on Sun, 10/28/2007 - 5:58pm. | Permalink | Add new comment

Just a reminder that next Saturday night/early Sunday morning (2:00am) that we set our clocks back one hour.  You know the old saying, "spring forward and fall back". Since this is fall, we set it back an hour, gaining an extra hour of sleep...unless you stay up later.
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the letter "E".  It just seemed like a good letter to choose. :)

Posted by Cindi on Sun, 10/28/2007 - 4:57pm. | Permalink | Add new comment