The Accidental Customer & Returned Mail!!??!!

Eeepp ~ one of my little "Shrunken Ex-Boyfriends" got a round trip ticket! Unfortunately, I can't read the friggin label to determine why he was returned??? It's in Norwegian! The one thing I did determine is that the "o's" in the words Jorgen & Lovlands should have a line through them like this "ø". So, it's actually "Jørgen Løvlands". But I'm thinking surely this is not the reason the package came back, but maybe so. Anyway, I have contacted my little customer to ask her what the label says and to verify her address. I just thought it was interesting and thought I would share with you. So if you ever send anything to Norway, make sure your "o's" have lines through them, if they are supposed to.

And now I've discovered a new marketing strategy, totally by accident! So last week I ordered some of those cute little "MOO" cards from "Flickr", just because they are just so darned cute and lately I can't resist cute stuff. So I'm waiting for them to come in the mail any day now and I get an e-mail from a really sweet Gal who informs me that she had gotten my "MOO" cards in error and was wanting to know if I had gotten hers. Well, I haven't gotten any yet, mine or hers. She offered to send them on to me, which I thought was really, really sweet of her. And, she also took it upon herself to check out my website since she had card in hand. She really loves my stuff and thoroughly enjoyed my "Get Together Song" that I have playing on there by "The Youngbloods". So "Yay" ~ the "MOO" card snafu earned me a new customer and probably a refund. Plus, I'll still get the little cuties after all ~ Thanks "MOO" ~ Maybe your cow jumped over the moon and somebody in your shipping department ran away with the "spoon" {hmmm}

I've been busy making wedding invitations for my step-daughter the last few days, so I've only listed a couple of pairs of earrings that are new. But I'll be on a roll this weekend, so be looking out for some great new things in the shop soon. Now I'm going to watch "or not" the LSU Football Game {1st one of the season} ~ Go Tigers!!! {I hate Football, just don't tell anybody in Louisiana until I move ~ I'll be tarred & feathered}. But before I drag myself to the TV, I have to share this awesome orchid that is blooming right now. Of course, this photo was taken with my new macro lens {which I love, love, love}:

Hope you are having a wonderful week and are doing something fun this Labor Day Weekend! So until we meet again, Adios, Au revoir, Auf Wiedersehen 'til then.

xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy"
~ Anonymous

Not Enough Cuteness & An Outer Body Experience

So right when I'm starting to think that there is just not enough cuteness in the world, I find this little fellow. He arrived today all they way from Hong Kong, carefully wrapped and already smiling when I took him out of the box. Ok, so you are wondering "just what the hell is it", so I'll tell you. He's a solar-powered bobble-head. See the little solar panel down by his feet ~ you just sit him in a window, or where the sun can shine on his panel and his little head just wobbles back & forth all day {of course, until the sun goes down}. I first saw him {actually, one like him but bigger} on Emily Martin's {The Black Apple} Blog. I just had to have one. He makes me smile, and I'm sure he would make you smile, too. I haven't decided what to name him, so please help me. Just post a comment and tell me what a great name would be for him. I'll let you know at the end of the weekend what I decide on ~ thank you.

Also arriving today was all of my awesome smelly good stuff from "Lollibomb Beauty". Talk about an Outer Body Experience ~ everything smells wonderful and, I lucked out and was her 2,000th customer, so she sent me a whole box of "freebies", including some "Mint Chocolate Chip Body Frosting" that smells good enough to slather on top of a cupcake and eat! I also got some samples of her "Get Nakey Mineral Foundation". I've read lots of things about mineral foundation and how much better it is for your skin than liquid foundation or power. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on what I think about it.

Well I hope you are having a simply wonderful weekend. We are getting ready to go to dinner with friends {old people eat early, you know}. But before I go, I just have to share this awesome necklace I made today ~ If you want it, you know where to find it.

Happy Saturday!
xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"Don't just live the life you've been given...
Make the life you want" ~ unknown

My 1700th Customer & A New Journey

I can't hardly believe that I'm almost up to 1700 sales on Etsy. So to celebrate, if you are reading this blog and want some free goodies, just be my 17ooth customer. You'll be glad you were, I promise!

Well, it's official! Wayne is retiring at the end of October and hopefully we will begin our new journey & our new life in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina {Land of Waterfalls} in early November. So to celebrate that, just be the first person to comment on this blog post and you will receive this awesome little "Bird Girl Journey" necklace for "free, free, free" ~ no strings attached.

Well my Sister & My Mother are starting to freak out on me about moving. My Sister sent me an e-mail last night and attached this video:

I really love the song {and I hate Country Music}. It was the first time I had heard it. So, I hope you enjoy it and are having a great week! I'm off to go update a website that I designed for an office and train somebody over there how to update their pages, because "I'm moving outta here". Happy Thursday!

Love & peace ~ Kathy

"When the songs of your heart start singing, you should gratefully listen...
for the harmony is that which will bring you happiness
and the melody is the voice of your true spirit." ~ Deanna Beisser

These Eyes & Journey

I have to share this awesome little pendant that I just got from "DebbieLakies" on Etsy. It's just great! I love all the eyes and the way they are all looking right at you. It gets lots of "looks" {hee hee}. Please do check out her shop for more great items.

Well the wait is finally almost over and we will know for sure this Tuesday when Wayne's official retirement date is and when we can begin our next journey in this life. I feel like we've been waiting forever, but it's finally almost here and it looks like our waiting will be more than worth it. So, as a toast to our Journey, I made this awesome necklace today and named it, most appropriately "When The Lights Go Down In The City", one of my most favorite "Journey" songs ever. You know where to find it, if you want it ~
So I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. I just popped in to say hello and I'll be back in a couple of days.

xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"Remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for"

Dogs, Houses, Plants & Lynyrd Skynyrd

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a terrific weekend. We were busy with the final touches getting the house ready to sell. So, if you know anybody looking to buy a house in blazing hot Louisiana, tell them to call me. Here's a link to the house flyer and some pictures:

Of course, Ozzy & Lita are so worried about what's going on. They know something is up. Lita follows Wayne around everywhere he goes. Here she is waiting by the door until she can see him. She was whimpering, so he must have been out of site for a few moments:
So while I was out on the porch taking her picture, I took some pictures of my gorgeous "Lipstick Plant" that is bursting with blooms. It is such a brilliant orange ~ It almost looks like it's on fire ~ It's awesome:







I did manage to squeeze in the earrings that I made with these awesome little brass birds that I got from MoonDancer on Etsy. So, while I was making them I start thinking about what I would name them and, of course, "Free Bird" was the first song that came to mind. I remember going to all sorts of concerts "back in the day" {I sound like my Grandfather!}, when tickets were only $7 or $8 each and it was general admission, so you could sit or stand anywhere you wanted. Ah, I could reminisce all day long ~ So, get out your "Bic Lighters" and enjoy my ramblings and these awesome little earrings ~ of course, you know where you can find them.

Well, I'm off to fill a few orders, and then head over to my Mom's to help her with her computer. She changed internet providers and now her stuff is all wonky. Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"Love is the spirit that motivates the artist's journey" ~ Eric Maisel

Napping, Camera Reviews & Cards

Did you even know that Squirrels napped? I certainly never did. This little girl made her bed in the crook of the tree right outside my kitchen door yesterday and just snoozed away the whole afternoon. I thought at first she was just taking a "cat nap", but then she kept turning around from side to side, rolling over on her back and snoozing along. So I guess it's true what they say "you learn something new every day". And look at those feet! No wonder the poor gal needed a nap. I'm anxious to see if she returns today and if she actually builds her nest there. It would be wonderful to watch baby squirrels growing up.

So I was so "hot" for a new camera when I bought my Kodak P712, just because I had the Kodak DX6490 which I absolutely loved, loved, loved! The P712 is a 7.1 megapixel, compared to the 4.0 that the DX6490 is. So of course I thought I would be able to take much better pictures [right]. Wrong! Actually, the DX6490 took much better close ups than my new camera was capable of. For some reason, the P712 only allows you to be about 6 inches from the object before it starts losing focus. The DX6490 would allow you to practically put the lens on the object and never lose focus. So now I have to use PhotoShop and literally "adjust" every single picture I take of my jewelry before I can list it on Etsy {pain in the butt}. But, the P712 does take awesome pictures of everything else and does allow "RAW" format, panoramic and lots of other things that the DX6490 did not have, so it was a justifiable investment. However, the closeup shots were really starting to bother me and I longed for my little DX6490 back that I had hastily given to my Sister for her Birthday! I miss that little camera terribly. So while I was mourning for it, I just started looking around for information about the P712 and close up shots and ran across the "Macro Lens" that a company called "Opteka" makes. It only cost $29 {on sale}, so I figured what the heck, I don't have anything to lose. Wow! What a difference! This lens is amazing. I took this picture of my little African Violet yesterday afternoon with it and I can't wait to start taking pictures of my jewelry with it, too. If it saves me 1 hour of time, it will more than pay for itself. I just wish I would have gotten it sooner. The picture of the violet is totally untouched ~ no critiquing in PhotoShop at all {which is my goal}. So, if you are not getting those closeup shots you are yearning for with your camera, try surfing the net and see if there are macro lens available for it. Chances are there is and, you won't be disappointed!

As promised, I have to share this awesome little card that I bought for my Mom from "Crankbunny". It's just the most precious thing I've ever seen. If you are ever in need of a unique greeting card, please do check her Etsy shop out ~ I promise it will get you a higher ranking on your "friends & family" list, guaranteed!

Well, I need to go get some orders filled, but I'll leave you with this awesome little necklace I made yesterday. It's another one of those that I dreamed about and then got up and made it while it was still fresh in my mind:
And, I named it "Windsong" ~ I know, it's kinda hokey, but that's me. I still love the necklace, though.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend & don't forget to take my "Poll" at the top of my blog page. I'm trying to see how many people buy Christmas gifts on the internet. You just have to click one of the little buttons, you don't have to sign in, or anything like that, so it's easy sneazy.

xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

I'm still here ~ but I'm freaked out!!!!

Ok, so all of you who know me well, know that dolls freak me out, right! So anyway, I'm just poking along on Etsy looking at new listings, etc. when all of a sudden I see this {picture to right} and I just about freak out. I mean, this is horrible {nothing against the person selling the stuff, I totally understand people that make dolls would love to have it} ~ So I immediately start thinking about Jeffrey Dahmer and others that cut people up and then I had a hard time going to sleep and had terrible nightmares. Eeekkkkk....

Anyway, just thought I would share this little tidbit with all of you. I did go to the dentist yesterday, so I have fresh x-rays of my teeth
in case any of these dolls come to life and kill me I can be identified, unless all they find are my legs, like that poor little doll in the photo. And she still has her shoes on ~ so sad... But, the good news is ~ 47 years with "Zero" cavities!!! I don't think the dentist likes me that much. He always fusses about my tartar and the fact that I don't floss enough, but he says I have great teeth and at this point I probably will never have any cavities. I told him that it was probably all that tartar keeping them safe. He just rolled his eyes.

So I've been busy today making new things for the shop. Here's one of the necklaces I made with some awesome little pendants that I got from "MadisonCraftStudio" ~ they are really neat. I named this little gem "Keep on Rockin In The Free World" ~ so I'll leave you with that and hope you are having a wonderful week. I'll be back Friday with some great new stuff to talk about that I bought on Etsy.....100% awesomeness, guaranteed!

xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"Alas, regardless of their doom, The little victims play!
No sense have they of ills to come, Nor cares beyond today."
~ Thomas Gray {1716-1771}

Turquoise, Tigereye & Two for One Sale!!

Hello, Hello!! Just stopping by to share this awesome necklace I made today ~ I just love how it turned out. It's made with some gorgeous Tigereye stones, which are handknotted on silk cord. The pendant is a huge chunk of "reconstituted" Turquoise. Just click on the picture for more details.

Secondly, I'm having a weekend long "Two for One Sale" on all of my little pendants. I'm doing this as a test to see how many people will respond from my blog readers, or my MySpace friends. Here's how it works: First of all, you can click on the little "Squid Pendant" shown and that will take you to my "Etsy shop" and the area where all of my pendants are for sale. After you decide which ones you want, you just need to actually "purchase" one of them. During the payment process, you will see a section that says "Comments to Seller". In that section, please state "Blog Reader" and then let me know which pendant you want for "free". If you link from MySpace, enter "MySpace Friend" instead of "Blog Reader". If you are both, please do let me know that, too {that would be really awesome}. Please do post a comment if you have any questions, or send me a message through Etsy or MySpace.

Well my little peeps, I need to run for now and get working on some new necklaces with the pendants I got today from my dear friend Susan over @ TVTrayArt. And speaking of "peeps", I have another little batch of baby birds in the "crib" outside my kitchen door. I'm pretty sure there are at least 3 in there, but only 2 managed to get their heads stuck out for the picture:

They are just so cute! I can't wait until they start learning to fly ~

Wishing you a Happy Friday!!! xxoo & peace ~ Kathy

"May You Live all the days of your life ~
Celebrate the simple pleasures,
Rejoice in small miracles, Smile at a Stranger,
Hug the one you love, Be good to yourself.
P.S. don't forget to fly!"
~ Jonathan Swift {1667-1745}