And the winner is {insert drumroll here}....

.....Jen! Yay!!! Lucky you!~ Thanks for your comments everybody! Check back this Friday {May 1st} to see what's up for the next give away. Also, starting today and going through Sunday {May 3rd}, I'm offering "free shipping", "free gift wrap" and a "free personalized card enclosure" for all Mother's Day gifts. Just let me know that your item is a gift for your Mom and what you want your card to say ~ I'll do the rest. I'll refund your shipping payment through PayPal, after your purchase. And this cute little bracelet would make an awesome Mother's Day gift:Speaking of "awesome" & "winners"!!!!!! {insert another drumroll here}:So this is the first time I have ever watched "American Idol" and could say with almost 100% certainty who was going to win! His talents are just untouchable compared to the others. I think he's going to be the next "Michael Jackson" ~ hands down! What do you think? I think he's precious.....almost as precious as this:Another precious Etsy find ~ I love it! To bad I'm already married or this would certainly be on the top of my wedding cake! But it could still work for a birthday, right! And my birthday is Saturday!!! Ozzy's is Sunday ~ whoo hooo ~ Sushi for me and Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice-cream for Ozzy {he loves that stuff} And do you know what happens to bad dogs that roll in another dogs poop?Yep, a bath! She didn't like it, either. But, do you think that will teach her a lesson? Hell No! She'll do it again as soon as some other strange dog poops in the yard and we don't catch her in time. Dogs do some really gross stuff ~ but I guess people do, to.

Happy Wednesday!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Live today fully, expressing gratitude for all you have been, all you are right now, and all you are becoming." ~ Melodie Beattie

Happy Arbor Day!

Go out and plant a tree, or two ~ Wayne planted 3 Dogwood Trees, 4 Blueberry Bushes, 2 Azalea Bushes, 2 Butterfly Bushes & 3 Evergreens this week! Yay!!! They are already looking happy in our yard. He's also been on a mission to kill the "Woolly Adelgid" that are threatening to wipe out the whole population of Hemlock Trees that are such icons along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains & Blue Ridge Mountains. We have lots of them in our yard, too. Fortunatly, the treatment looks like it may be helping ~ we see new growth on the trees Wayne treated last year, so *yay* ~ but, the treatment is rather costly and you have to keep doing it. Unfortunatly, the trees out in the forest will not all be treated and most of them will die. Just driving up through Pisgah National Forest right now gives you the realization of what will be. The Hemlocks stand there baren & gray, with no new green growth. Once all of their branches die and fall off, then they stand there tall & proud until winds & rain drive them down ~ it's rather sad, but hopefully not all of them will die and little ones will grow and thrive. We'll keep our fingers crossed. So thanks to everybody that participated in my "Earth Day" sale, I'm sending a check for $25 to the "World Wildlife Fund" today! Yay ~ changing the world one penny at a time. And as a special "thank you" to all of you that read my blog and buy my jewelry, these earrings are next Wednesday's {April 29th} give away:I love them! They are called "Up in Smoke" and brand new in the shop. Of course, all you have to do to win them is comment on this blog post. I'll be picking the winner next Wednesday! Good Luck!!!

And........I have these new little gifts for everybody. Last Spring/Summer I had the plantable thank you cards and this Spring/Summer I have these awesome little bookmarks:This is the front ~ with my new banner image...and this is the back ~ featuring my little birdie that I fell in love with recently!!! I put this image on my website and it's really cute! At first it was just a static image and then Wayne said to me, "why don't you make him run back and forth on the branch"! Well, several hours later and with the help of "Animation Shop" ~ he's running up and down the branch now!! Check him out ~ I know you'll love him, too. So, I ordered 100 of these little bookmarks and they will be included in everybody's package from Dornick Designs ~ a perfect little gift for Summer reading and, a constant reminder of where you got that awesome jewelry you are wearing poolside :)

Well, I'm off to make some new things and some signs for my show tomorrow ~ I hope everyone has a super Arbor Day!!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life. For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope." ~ Kalidasa

Happy Earth Day ~ Be Free!!

I hope everybody is having a wonderful "Earth Day" and takes the opportunity to get outside and enjoy it! This weekend is "Earthfest" @ Brevard College. I'll have my jewelry there on Saturday {April 25th}, so for all of you that live close, please come by and see me! It will be lots of fun!

Congratulations to Stacy!!! She was the winner of these awesome earrings from my last post. Be sure and check my blog post this coming Friday to see what's up for next Wednesday's give away! I promise you'll love it! Plus, I'll let you know how much $$$ I'm sending to the "World Wildlife Fund", as I indicated in my Newsletter that was sent out last week. If you haven't done so, please sign up for my newsletter ~ you'll be glad you did :)Well Spring has really started popping around here! All of my blueberry bushes are getting lots of attention from these little guys ~ it will help them to produce awesome blueberries in a few months! Yummy!!!! And the birds are going nuts! I think I'm the only person with bird feeders in my whole neighborhood ~ and with that, come all the birds, squirrels and these precious little fellows: {photo by Jennifer Rowe}So far I've counted two of them that live under the deck. They certainly make lots of noise, but they are just so fun to watch! According to what I've read, they only breed twice a year and their babies move away, so I don't have to worry about being invaded by them {which is good, since I wouldn't want to have to drive them away}.

Well, I'm off to enjoy Earth Day outside!!! I hope you have a great one, too!!! Thanks for reading my ramblings and commenting on my posts ~ ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love." ~ Sophia Loren

Better Late Than Never.....

Hello, hello.....sorry it took me so long to post today! After my class we went to Lowe's & bought a bunch of bedding plants & trees.....you know the rest of that story! Anyway, now we are hoping it don't "freeze" tonight, like they are predicting! Please cross your fingers for me. So, I just wanted to pop in real quick and show you what's up for the next give away:Aren't they awesome! I love them!!!! Of course, you can see more pictures of them in the shop. I named them "Mellow Yellow" ~ quite appropriate, I think!! And you know all you have to do to win them is comment on this post! I'll announce the lucky winner next Wednesday {April 22nd} which, just so happens, to be "Earth Day" ~ so, the winner of these earrings will also get another little "surprise" ~ good luck!!

Whew...where does the time go? I can't believe it's almost bed time {or Wii bowling time}, whichever I'm up to most in the next 30 minutes....and so, speaking of having time, I'll leave you with this awesome & amazing video.....enjoy....

Happy Thursday!!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

Happy April 15th!!!

Happy Tax Day, everybody!!!! Whew, this has been a busy week already! Of course, Monday was "music Monday", so that's always a treat:seems as though more and more of our friends are picking up instruments they never knew they had the talents to play {which is awesome}. It's just great to see them "evolve" from shaking eggs or playing wooden frogs to actually playing guitars & mandolins. So there you go! You never know what you can accomplish, or what hidden talents you possess, unless you try something new. You'll amaze yourself, I promise!!Yesterday was Sandi's birthday {party} and I made her this awesome necklace, with matching earrings ~ she loved it!!!! It's really beautiful. I bought several of the "Ammonite Fossils" on my last bead buying extravaganza, so I can make another one of these. You know where to find it, if you are interested. But today is Sandi's actual "Birthday", so I'll be fixing dinner this evening, which will include my awesome "Brocolli Cornbread" ~ here's the recipe for those that are interested ~ it's the best stuff in the whole flippin world!

Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1 Stick of butter - melted
8 oz. of Pepper Jack Velveeta - melted
1 Cup of Chopped Onion
1 12 oz. Can of Mexicorn - drained
1 Box of Frozen Chopped Broccoli - thawed & squeezed dry
6 oz. of Cottage Cheese
1 Box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
Directions:
I always melt the Velveeta cheese in a double boiler on med/low heat. Then mix all ingredients together really good in a large bowl & pour into an ungreased 9x12 baking dish. Bake @ 400 for 30/45 minutes ~ just check with a knife or toothpick in the middle to make sure it's not still runny. It will be very moist, though. And then eat it all and enjoy it ~ believe me, this will start a tradition!

And after we eat & do some "Wii Bowling", it's off to the "Duckpond" for the 1st "Duckpond @ Dusk" of the year!! But before I go and start cleaning house, I have to announce the winner of those awesome earrings from last post ~ it's lucky #4, which is Anita! Yay!!!! Congratulations, Anita! These wonderful little earrings are on their way to you ~ I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks to everybody for always reading my ramblings & commenting. I'll be back tomorrow with the "freebie" for next weeks drawing! Have a wonderful day!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Porch Camping, "Cornhole" & A "Freebie"

Although it was rather chilly, we spent last night on the screened porch! We blew up the inflatable bed, loaded it down with comforters & afghans and then snoozed away....well, until the birds woke us up this morning ~ but what a day!!! The afternoon was spent with friends ~ eating awesome food {I brought Broccoli Cornbread & Veggie Hot dogs}, drinking home-made beer & playing "Cornhole" ~ it was soooo much fun {although my tosses more closely resembled Wii bowling}. There were 2 games set up and you toss bags of corn onto a board and hope they go in the hole {Cornhole}. Come to find out, there is an "American Cornhole Association" {ACA} that gives the whole lowdown on the rules, etc. You should try it! You'll be glad you did.

These awesome earrings are *New* in the shop and also this weeks give away! All you have to do is comment on this post and Lita will pick a winner this coming Wednesday {April 15th}. And these are just awesome! Made with gorgeous "Black Diamond" Swarovski Crystals that are just beautiful! You will love them....Good luck!!Wayne decided that my little "Turtle Flower Pot", made by the awesomely talented Miss Lyndsay Wojcik, would be cute sporting "Bob Marley" dreads ~ it was just so funny, I had to share. By the way, you should check out Lyndsay's music, her voice is quite beautiful :)
Happy Easter!!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Flowers, Mushrooms & Bats!!!

ahhhh......we spent the afternoon at "The North Carolina Arboretum" ~ it was awesome! Although most of the flowers haven't started blooming yet {besides the tulips & daffodils}, everything was all budded out and getting ready to pop open. And, they have an awesome Bat exhibit there right now:I love this!

Since I do live in "Transylvania County" I had to sport my precious little "Bat necklace" that I bought a long time ago on Etsy. Don't I look cute in front of all those Bonsai trees!But this was my most favorite thing!!! And it was growing wild amongst the "Hens & Chickens". I love all the little shroomies that pop up all over the place after a good rain.

Well, I haven't done my "Art Box" yet, but I am going to do it tomorrow. I had to really think about how to display my things in a small crate. I think I have it all figured out now though, so I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Gotta run for now and see how many games of Wii Bowling we can squeeze in before American Idol comes on. Before I go though, I have to congratulate lucky #1 {Emily}!!!! Yay!!! She is the winner of the "My Boyfriend's Back" bracelet from last week's post! And Emily, please send me an e-mail with your address, so I can have him on his way to you :)

Happy Wednesday!!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Scatter seeds of kindness everywhere you go; Scatter bits of courtesy ~ watch them grow and grow. Gather buds of friendship; keep them till full-blown; You will find more happiness than you have ever known." ~ Amy R. Raabe

A great yard sale.....

.....is almost better than a "bird in hand" :) ~ What a great weekend! The weather is just gorgeous! Saturday was the perfect day for a yard sale! And Paula had some awesome stuff:like this cuter than cute little chicken basket...this wonderful little flower pot...lots of purple things {like this hat, modeled by Anne}.......but these were my favorites! There are 8 of them in the container and I'll be sending them off, one by one with the next 8 purchases from my shop. They are sooooo cute!!! You know you want one :)

I gotta run for now and get my "Art Box" ready. I'll blog about it Wednesday, with pictures. It's an awesome concept through a local restaurant.....really cool. But before I go, I must share this beautiful necklace that is brand new in the shop. It's called "Rock Me":
that huge chunk of Citrine is just gorgeous.

Happy Monday!!! Oh, and don't forget to comment on the last post for a chance to win that cute little "My Boyfriend's Back" bracelet.

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Flower Power!!!

Hello, hello!! I hope you haven't been waiting to long for me to post on my blog today. Gosh, I've been making stuff like an underpaid factory worker in a sweat shop ~ and I love it!!!! I've made a bunch of new things, but so far only listed a few in the shop. I'll stagger them out over tonight and tomorrow, plus I'll still be making, making, making. So since you've been patient with me, this is the give away for Wednesday {April 8th}:It's one of my, brand spanking new, "My Boyfriend's Back" bracelets. I just love it!!! And. you will, too! For some reason, I just cannot capture the awesomeness of that Black Tigereye with my camera. It's just gorgeous! And, I promise you'll love this little guy at least as much as he loves you :) ~ you know the drill ~ comment on this blog post and you will automatically be entered in the drawing. It's as simple as that. Good luck!!Our friends, Chuck & Van, have this amazing "English Garden" at their home in Baton Rouge. We had the pleasure of staying at their house when we were down there last week. Coffee in the garden was such a pleasure each morning. I just have to post a few of the "gazillion" pictures I took and hope you get a little of the same pleasantness that I did:ahhh ~ if you want to see more, you can always visit my "Flickr" pages, or Chuck & Van's website "Cloud's End" ~ I know you will enjoy it. But my most favorite find in the garden were these:"Rollie Pollies" ~ I've always envied the fact that they could just "roll up" in the face of danger, or confrontation ~ wow, that would be so awesome ~ just "ball up" and roll away....................

Happy Friday!!! Good luck in the drawing :)
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness." ~ Therese of Lisieux

Hello, Hello ~ The Bead Queen Is Back!!!

We had a great trip down to Baton Rouge and Orange Beach to visit friends & family. But, it's always good to be back home. Of course, I can never go back home without stopping by my favorite wholesale bead shop, and this trip was no exception. I think I made a great haul:right now I have everything spread out all over my studio couch, until I decide where to put it all {see anything you like}. I can't wait to get started on some new, fresh things for the shop, plus some traditional pearl items, as well. With Mother's Day just around the corner, Pearls are usually great sellers. So, what else did I do in Baton Rouge??? Ate to much!!!!

and I can never get enough of these awesome Falafels from Arzi's! Ross {the owner} sent me home with a huge bag of them that he made for me, plus a gallon of salad dressing that he makes from scratch! It's the best stuff in the world {believe me}. Hmmmmm ~ now that I think about it, that's what I'm going to make for dinner tonight.

Happy Thursday!!! I missed all of you!!!! Be sure and check back tomorrow ~ I'm posting the next give away and it will be something I make with beads from my new stash!!!

Before I go, I just have to share this awesome moss garden that my friend Annie {MossinAnnie} snuck over and made for us while we were gone. She is amazing!!! Please do check out her website - you'll be glad you did:
It's about 12x5 feet and she made it along the walkway, right outside of our screened porch. What a great way to start the day ~ sitting on the porch, drinking coffee, listening to the birds & taking in the moss garden. Life is good!!
♥ & peace ~ Kathy

"Take out the weeds from some wild spot, Remove each stone that shows, Plant seeds of friendship good and deep, And tend the plant that grows." ~ Mary Freeman Startzman