It's Here!

So I got my copy of Belle Armoire Jewelry Winter Issue when I got back from Aruba! More on Aruba later...And now I can post my pieces that were in this issue. I know...shameless self promotion but I am just so thrilled to have been chosen again. It is such an honor to be included in this magazine with so many talented people. Here is my Mexico Spoon. In the article, they didn't show the front of the spoon so I wanted to show the detail of what I saw in this spoon.

Then came the Chinese Pagoda spoon. This is what the whole thing looks like. They only shot bits & pieces of this for the article.

This has been an amazing journey this past year....now it's almost time to set new goals for next year. I have far exceeded what I had thought I could do at the beginning of this year. Next year I am going to take off in a different direction in my art and see what happens I think...

P.S. I will be drawing a winner for my blog contest tomorrow so stay tuned! There is still time to go leave a comment....Good Luck!

My new favorite song...

Last night I happened to change the channel and I came upon Seal singing this song on Dr. Phil. I fell immediatly in love with it and downloaded it from iTunes and I have been listening to it all day.

A Change is Gonna Come

Click the link to see the video on YouTube

A Day of Sharing

I happened upon this thru Catherine Witherells Blog and I thought I would join in to. LK Ludwig is the one hosting this event called A Day of Sharing. Mine isn't so much a poem but a song that I have been playing over an over...here it is...

If Today Was Your Last Day

My best friend gave me the best advice.
He said each day's a gift and not a given right.
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind,
and try to take the path less traveled by.
That first step you take is the longest stride.

If today was your last day,
and tomorrow was too late,
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you, would you?
Would you live each moment like your last?
and leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you have?
would you, would you?
If today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life.
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight.
Every second counts, cuz there's no second try.
So live it like you'll never live it twice.
Don't take the free ride in your own life.

If today was your last day, and tomorrow was too late,
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you, would you?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you have?
would you, would you?

Would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce on memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above, that you'd finally fall in love?
would you, would you?
If today was your last day?

If today was your last day,
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know, it's never too late to shoot for the stars,
regardless of who you are?
So do whatever it takes,
Cuz you can't rewind a moment in this life.
Let nothing stand in your way,
cuz the hands of time are never on your side.
If today was your last day?

By Nickelback

Blog Giveaway

Below is a picture of one of my flowers. I will be giving away one that is similar to this one as no 2 are completely alike. All you have to do is look at the first picture of the tress from my "Have you ever..." post and comment on what you thought the trees were sharing with me. There is something very specific that I saw so lets see how many of you can see it too. I will pick the winner of the flower when I get back from Aruba on Nov 30th...so you have plenty of time to make your comments. Good luck!

Have you ever....

Have you ever taken the road less traveled? I did recently and during it, I began to remember the things that are important in life. And just because it is a road less taken by you doesn't mean it's a road less taken by others. This is their main road and they take it every day. So what life is really all about is trying new things and going for what you want out of life. Here is a little bit of what I discovered when I took my journey down the road less traveled.

I remembered how much I love the sound of the wind thru the trees. How much I enjoy listening to it. Seeing it. Feeling it....there is nothing like it. And if you look and listen closely the trees may share something with you....

I remembered how much I love streams and rivers. They also teach you a lesson if your willing to pay attention...that no matter what obstacles are in the way...there is always a way around them...you just have to be willing to take a slight detour...I remembered how much I enjoy meeting the locals. Small towns are always so quaint. You might even run into the mayor.Oh and you will see the regular town folk...and some of them talk way more than others...Now some of them mind you may seem at bit different, but if you take the time to get to know them...they might just have an interesting story. And if you stick around long enough, they might warm up to you....
and they may even introduce you to their friends And then again....some of them are just plain...well I will be nice...I mean...come on people who hangs a teddy bear next to a clove of garlic????

I remembered that some things are worth the struggle. That if you keep moving in the direction that you want to go, eventually when you look back, you will see how far you have come and be amazed at the view.I remembered that sometimes, when you don't think that you can take any more and you have reached your limits...that there is beauty in the breaking because you open yourself up to being filled with something new...I remembered that there is beauty in all kinds of things if we are just open to seeing it.I remembered that no matter how dark the clouds may seem, there is always light shining through...if you just look for it....

And I was reminded that you have to pay attention, because if you judge to quickly, you might just miss all that someone has to offer....
So I think that I will be taking the road less traveled more often...because I like what I see when I do, I like how I feel when I do and because it makes me pay attention to the small things in life that can make such a big difference...

What is a friend?

Friend (frěnd)

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile


What is your definition of a friend? I am learning that a friend doesn’t have to be someone that you hang around with all the time. That they can be in your life for short periods of time and that’s OK. To me, it’s about a feeling. A feeling of happiness they bring to my life. Or the support they offer in times of trouble. Today, during work, I had a visit from a co-worker that I do not get to see very often as we work for different entities within the organization. But every once in awhile we have a chance to interact. I have known this man for over 9 years. Now, this gentleman is quite the character. Every time I see him, we have many laughs, no matter what we are working on. He makes me laugh and I truly enjoy him as a person. It made me start to think about people in my life that make me feel that way and how very important they are even though we don’t see or talk to them on a daily or weekly basis. I have friends such as my friend Stephanie in South Dakota that I only email every once in awhile but as soon as we start corresponding we fall right back into that place we were when we worked together many years ago. I think about all my blog friends who make comments on my posts and offer me support during my times of struggle. Sometimes I struggle whether to tell such things but when I receive these comments and I know that there are people out there that do care…it makes the biggest difference in the world and I thank everyone for that. I like this feeling that I have in my heart when I think about the people that I have in my life. I think that I am going to look for more of that in my life. Look for the small things. The small joys. Not everything has to be a grand gesture to make a difference in a persons life. It’s the simple things…a smile, a gesture, a call, a email and even a comment….I am going to strive to do the little things...and maybe I will make someone feel like I have felt today...blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

Dreaming of Aruba

Only 9 more days till we leave for Aruba. I am so looking forward to walking bare foot on the sand and taking pictures of the sunrises and sunsets. And I get to spend a whole week with the love of my life...

Feeling Melancholy

mel·an·chol·y (měl'ən-kŏl'ē)

1. Sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom
2. Pensive reflection or contemplation.


This morning I woke up in this mood…I can’t really explain why. There has been so much going on in my life lately that sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming and I get into these moods more than I care to admit. I try so hard not to let others see my weakness…or what I call one of my weaknesses. Everyone always thinks I am this pillar of strength because on the outside, I can put on this show…as my sisters like to call it now, the “Cindy Show”. Only the people closest to me will really know when I am down or upset…well…maybe that’s not true…the people who piss me off will know too! LOL I am much more tolerant of stupid people when I am not “melancholy”.

At this moment in time…I could easily break down into tears if I let myself. I am trying to figure out where my sadness stems from…maybe today, maybe this week; I am still mourning the loss of my grandmother. Some people would wonder why this has affected me so much since she was not a big part of my life….but maybe I am mourning the loss of what could have been. As I listened to everyone at her funeral speak of her, I learned more about her. Learned that I did not know this side of her. That I had let me perception of her be governed by what my parents had said for many many years. But reading letters from my parents to my grandparents was eye opening. Now I have seen with my own eyes what my parents are really like...how dishonest and conniving they are. So, I guess I am just filled with regrets… I know I can not change the past, but I can still grieve over the loss of what could have been. I know that I will get past this as I have much to live for and a bright future ahead.

But for today….I am melancholy…..

Tagged...

Yes, I have been tagged! I must share six quirky facts about myself and tag six of my blog friends. Thanks, Diana

Here are the official rules....
1. link to the person who tagged you
2. mention the rules
3. tell six quirky, yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself
4. tag six other bloggers by linking to them
5. go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged

Here are the six people I tagged...

Nerissa
Rella
Tanya
Lori
Maija
Kerri

Here are my six quirky things:

1. I watch TV shows or play games on my iPod while laying in bed before I go to sleep at night. And no Ed….I will not get a TV in my bedroom! LOL

2. I love the Dr. Seuss version of Horton Hears A Who… “Boil that dust speck, boil that dust speck, boil, boil, boil….LOL

3. I will make sure I pass on the same side of a pole as the person I am walking with. It’s a superstition thing…don’t ask…

4. I love toys, games, bears, etc. I collect them all.

5. If I get hot in bed, I will put one foot out of the covers to cool off. Gotta keep the covers on…LOL…only one foot allowed out at a time.

6. I like the smell of horses…As Jen would say, the sweet stench of horse. LOL

Show & Tell

Some of the pieces I submitted to Belle Armoire have been published in the Nov 1st issue of Belle Armoire and the Winter issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry. Since the Jewelry issue has not come out yet, I won't post those pictures to my blog, but I will post the pictures of how the pieces started and also some of the other finished pieces. I found souvenir spoons and decided that they would make great jewelry. Here is how the started.

Here is the necklace that made it into Belle Armoire.

And here are a pair of earrings that didn't make it in.
You can read more about how I made them in the Winter issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry. You will see what I did with the 2 middle spoons from the top picture.

What I Just Read

I just read this book this past weekend. Have you ever read a book and just felt like it was just for you? That you were meant to read it? That is how I felt about this book. I know it's been out for a long time now, but everything in it was so relevant to me. I love how she is so honest with her feelings and writing her fears. How she questions things in life. She is brave... One of the things she wrote was this...

I'm afraid to show you who I really am, because if I show you who I really am, you might not like it---and that's all I've got.

Isn't that one of our biggest fears? Rejection? Especially as artists. We depend on people liking our work and liking us. I know that is the way I feel... So...I have decided that I am going to start "Spilling Open"...and learn the art of becoming me... Showing my true self...doubts, quirks, insecurities, strength, humor, contradictions and all...

Yesterday morning, my grandmother passed away. Yesterday, when I came to work, Jennifer had a gift for me. She did not know that my grandmother had passed when she handed me this bag. In it was this: I started crying as soon as I saw it because Jennifer knew the story behind this little egg cup. She knew my grandmother was sick and she wanted me to have something that would remind me of the good times with my grandmother. When I was little, I would be sent to my grandmothers for a few weeks in the summer. One of my favorite things was when she would get me breakfast. It would be a soft boiled egg, in a little egg cup. She always made me feel so grown up sitting at the table with my spoon in hand and this little egg cup in front of me. Isn’t it funny how it’s the little things that we remember? All of this stuff happening lately has reinforced my belief about what is important in life. I am blessed that I have 3 wonderful sisters and 1 brother and that we stick together through thick and thin….no matter what, we will always be there for each other. I am blessed to have wonderful children with who I have a great relationship with, and I have broken the dysfunctional cycle of our family with. I am blessed that I have such a wonderful friend who “gets” me and is always there for me. She is one of those lifetime friends, that no matter where in the world I am, I know we will always be connected. I am blessed that I have reconnected with a wonderful man who “gets” me. That I can be who I am, faults and all, who I trust so much that I have actually loosened my grip on having to be in control all the time.

I have stopped worrying about being hurt and I have just started loving more….