Transylvania Explorer!

I am so excited to be a part of this awesome little publication!  Our local newspaper "The Transylvania Times" recently contacted me about doing an article for their quarterly "Transylvania Explorer" magazine...the Autumn/Winter 2017 publication.  They wanted me to write a short bio, my favorite places to take photographs during the Autumn in Transylvania County and a few photography tips!  The magazine came out yesterday!  Here's what it says:

We enjoy an abundance of color here in the mountains, with people traveling near and far to catch a glimpse, but a lot of people don’t realize the Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest mountains (roughly 480 million years) in the world. Because of that, there are lots of plants and wildflowers that grow here during the fall that are very rare and can only be found in a few other places around the world. One of Hardy’s favorites is the “Grass of Parnassus” (aka Bog Star) that blooms during the fall in the vertical bog areas along the parkway.

 But the true indicator of autumn in Transylvania County is the appearance of the Monarch butterfly. “This is when I really know fall has arrived,” Hardy said. These beautiful creatures start showing up mid-September through mid-October. This area is actually on the migratory path for several species of butterfly and birds, which only adds more color to autumn in Transylvania County. “My tips for a great photo would be always have your camera, always have a polarizer filter on your lens (for shooting outside any time of day) and always look for the magic,” she said. “It’s here, if you look hard enough.” 

A Baton Rouge, La., native, Hardy moved to the mountains with her husband almost 11 years ago. She divides her time between photography and running a successful online Etsy shop, where she sells her handmade things. You can see more of her photos and learn more about her by visiting www.myhandmadelife.com.

So, if you've ventured here via that publication, Welcome!  If you are visiting the area and would like some help with your photography, please feel free to contact me!

Thanks so much!  Love and peace always ~ Kathy

"Always look for the magic --- it's there, if you look hard enough" ~ Kathy Hardy

Autumn Skies, Old Cartoons and Squirtle!

I LOVE Autumn in the mountains!  The skies are bright and brilliant, the colors of the leaves are gorgeous and the air is crisp and clean!  I just want to stay outside all day!  A ride up the Parkway yesterday was so refreshing...you just can't stay in a bad mood if you go out into nature!  It's just impossible!

So while I was "down South" visiting my family, Wayne found Squirtle in the habitat we built for her last year!  I had searched and searched this Spring and never found her...I was convinced she had gotten away, or something had gotten to her during the Winter.  She sure is a good hider!  Anyway, now I'm on a mission to fatten her up for yet another Winter!  She has grown so much and is absolutely gorgeous!

I started off the day with coffee and some hilarious old cartoons...this is one of my favorites ~ hope you enjoy it!

Now it's time to get outside again!  

Happy Tuesday!!!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards, our dwellings shape us." ~ Winston Churchill

Diabetic Dogs, Autumn Leaves & A "Freebie"...

Ozzy was just diagnosed with diabetes, so we had to start giving him insulin shots twice a day and we also switched him to a partial raw diet...so far, so good.  The saddest thing about getting a puppy...they get old, way before you are ready for them to.  Fingers crossed he still has several "good" years left in him.

Autumn colors are really popping around here!  I love the smell of the decaying leaves...

...I always ride with my windows down this time of year, so refreshing!

So to celebrate Autumn and Ozzy's positive outcome, I'm giving a pair of these gorgeous leaf earrings away!  All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post, or the link on my facebook page.  Ozzy will be picking a winner Monday ~ Good Luck!!!  And I just had so share my front porch decorations...and Ozzy...again :) 

Have a great weekend!  Love and peace always ~ Kathy

"sometimes, said Pooh, the tiniest of things can take up the most room in your heart"

Inspirations...

...I realized yesterday that I hadn't written/drawn in my journal since June 30th.  I also realized how much I missed it.  I need it to clear my mind, to let go, to reminisce, or just to dream.  My husband said, "that's something good to do in the Winter, when you can't get outside as much" - *sigh*...I didn't really want to wait until Winter to start my journal back again...I just needed some inspiration.  Walking up to my mailbox, I realized how quickly Autumn is approaching...the tell-tell signs are already becoming evident in the leaves...so, there it was, my inspiration:

  And so tomorrow I'll be doing my very last show [bitter/sweet, but more about that later] at "Art in Autumn"...the weather is not looking promising, but I'll try to will it away!  So my little girl came out looking uncannily like the weather lady ~ Karen Wynne ~ lol...I don't know if she would think so, but I do...maybe it's her outfit! 

Happy Friday!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." – Matt Hardy

Autumn, Leaves & A Coupon Code!!!

Happy Autumn Everybody!!  Wow, the days have been just gorgeous around here.  The birds are so happy, the leaves are dancing and the chipmunks are chipping.  I've been busy, busy, busy...making lots of beautiful new earrings, just in time for your Fall wardrobe.  Like these, for instance:

 Named "Falling Leaves" and they are for sale in my Etsy Shop. And, just for you, I have a special Autumn coupon code for 20% off ~ just type in coupon code FALL2012 at checkout to receive the discount. 

Not only has Autumn arrived in full swing, the butterflies are migrating through this area and are everywhere!  These little "Buckeyes" are some of my most favorites.  And, they are the easiest to photograph, since they keep their wings open a lot...just gorgeous!  Although these are not butterflies, the butterflies inspired them:

I'm in love with the Faceted Green Amethyst [Prasiolite] stones.  I named these "Fluttering" ~ they are for sale in the shop, too!  And don't forget your coupon code [FALL2012] for 20% off!

Back to work!  Hope you are having a beautiful day!

love & peace always ~ Kathy

"Life engenders life.  Energy creates energy.  It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." ~ Sarah Bernhardt

It's the time of the Season...

 

...I can see so many leaves!  I must be having the best day ever!  This is the view from my studio window:

 And my driveway:

I love Autumn, with its gorgeous display of color, but I'd just as soon skip right over Winter and go straight to Spring!  So today, when I awoke to this awesome Autumn view, I decided to make some "Season" earrings, of which these gorgeous glass leaves clearly represent:

And, of course, I also decided that I'll be giving some away on this post!  All you have to do is leave a comment, telling me about your favorite Season and which pair of earrings you like the best.  Ozzy will be picking a winner on Monday morning!  Good Luck!!  If you want to see more photos of them and read the descriptions, they are all for sale right here in my shop!

Seems as though traveling to three major cities in one week has taken its toll on my immune system.  I'm feeling a little better today, but still coughing and stuffed up a tad.  Wayne is also feeling a little "under the weather", so I cooked us up a big ole pot of Red Beans & Rice, using my favorite "Blue Runner" Red Beans from Gonzales, Louisiana and some "Savoie's" Andouille Sausage!  Of course, I think it's against the law [seriously] to eat Red Beans & Rice without cornbread, so I dug out my last box of Jiffy Cornbread mix and forgot that I had ran out of milk, so I used 1/3 cup of "Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk" instead.  Lol ~ they didn't taste any different, but were slightly off on color...they looked more like bran muffins, but were way more yummy!

So I hope all of you are staying well so far this Autumn!  It's hard to stay warm, that's for sure!  Another one of my "under the weather" picker uppers is my favorite "Gypsy Cold Care Herbal Tea" ~ mix in a teaspoon of local honey and it really does keep you feeling better!!  I promise!

Good Luck in the drawing!  Ozzy loves the leaves, too:

  love & peace always ~ Kathy

P.S.  Don't forget...use coupon code HOLIDAY2011 in my Etsy Shop for 10% off your total purchase...now through December 31st [can certainly be used more than once]  Please share with your friends and keep encouraging purchasing of handmade goods!  Thank you!!

"The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living at doing what they most enjoy." ~ Malcolm S. Forbes

Happy Autumn! How 'bout A Giveaway!!!

Happy Autumn Everybody!!!  It sure came in full force around here!  We took a ride up to the Parkway Sunday and the leaves are already turning up there:

Just gorgeous!  I've been making stuff like crazy, getting ready for a three day show next weekend in beautiful Cashiers, NC ~ it's the 3rd Annual Leaf Festival and it's an awesome show!  If you can make it, I encourage you to attend.  The music is great, the food is awesome and the art vendors are amazing!  So, I just popped in to say hello and "Happy Autumn" and to give you a chance to win these:

"Golden Gingko" ~ perfect for Autumn!  All you have to do is comment on this post and Lita will be picking a winner Monday!  Good Luck!!!

Happy Wednesday everybody!!!  xoxoxo ~ Kathy

A woodland in full color is awesome as a forest fire, in magnitude at least, but a single tree is like a dancing tongue of flame to warm the heart.  ~ Hal Borland

Octoberfest Sale & A "FREE" Snake!!!

October has to be my most favorite month of the year! It's certainly the most beautiful! The leaves around here have literally changed over night:this was taken @ "Panthertown Valley" ~ just gorgeous! So I'm thinking a "sale" is in order to celebrate the beautiful colors! Starting right now and going until midnight Sunday [October 17th] EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop is 20% off! And thanks to this awesome new app, it makes it easy as pie to have a "sale" on Etsy now!!! So take advantage of this sale and grab up some goodies for yourself, or get a jump start on your holiday shopping!!hee hee ~ I just got in several of these cute little snake rings and I'm giving one away on my blog. All you have to do to win it is comment on this post. Ozzy will be picking the winner on Monday morning [October 18th]. Good Luck!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"We have but two lives. The life we learn with and the life we live with after that." ~ Bernard Malamud

Spaghetti Legs....

...from hiking down to the base of this awesome waterfall today! It's "Rainbow Falls" and I'm sure at different times of the year/day, etc., there would be some awesome rainbows to be seen! I have to say that, although this hike was really, really awesome, it's by far the most treacherous one we've done so far:

Even though this picture is not that great, you can get the idea of what the "trail" was like! Parts of it actually had rope that you had to use to "hoist" yourself up and down! But what a treat when you get to the bottom:{if you click on the picture you can see Wayne & Tom}

So after stopping at a quaint little Mexican Restaurant on the way home {where we grazed like cattle that hadn't eaten in a week}, we stopped at the lake to gaze in awe at the marvelous colors of the trees, water & sky! It just don't get much better than this...ahhh....so Happy Halloween Eve! I'm off to soak in the hot tub, so we can take another hike tomorrow! Gotta take advantage of this awesome weather & gorgeous colors.

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts." ~ Adlai Stevenson

Hiking, Music & Dexter!

Hello everybody! Isn't this view just gorgeous! Yesterday we went on a hike up the "Art Loeb Trail" to the top of a mountain with our friends, Tom & Sandi. It was the perfect day! Not a cloud in the sky, an ever so slight breeze and temperature of 78. We stopped at the top and had a glass of wine and some cheese. It was awesome. Look how tiny Tom & Sandi are in this picture! You'll have to click on the picture to make it large enough to see them....And it was so funny! A couple of weeks ago we had told Tom & Sandi about "Dexter" and how much we loved the show! We had watched the first season on regular TV last year and then found out the second season would be on "Showtime". Well, we don't watch that much TV to justify paying for Showtime just to see Dexter! So, I bought the second season on DVD and we've been watching it. If you've never seen it before, you really should ~ it's awesome! So anyway, we are 1/2 way up the mountain and all of a sudden Tom blurts out "oh, we've been watching Dexter, like you told us about and we love it". Well he said it really loud and voices carry when you are out on the mountains, so these two women were way up on top of the mountain and you could barely even see them and they holler "we love Dexter". We just cracked up laughing! And then there was this lady up there hiking with her little dog ~ it was hilarious! We finished the afternoon with a great dinner @ "The Pisgah Inn" and then we headed over to the "Duck Pond Pottery Shop" for the last "Duck Pond @ Dusk" for the season......and Jack stole the show with his awesome drumming abilities ~ that kid is amazing! He was playing with both hands and playing the drum & the symbols. So all in all, it was a perfect day!

Happy Thursday! ♥ & peace always ~ KathyI even saw "The Dolly Llama" ~ seriously, there is a farm right down the road from us and they have about 7 or 8 Llamas. This one came right up to the fence so I could take her picture :)

"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards." ~ Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

It's Fall!!!

This is a picture I took up on the Parkway! The colors are amazing & it hasn't even "peaked" yet! We took a motorcycle ride up there with the last of our house guests. So today I'm going to make some new things for the shop! *Yay* ~ time to start getting busy for the holidays.

I think I'll use the colors from this particular picture as my "pallet" and see what I can come up with! It's such a great inspiration ~ awesome. And before I go I'll share this picture of Wayne with you ~ I think retirement is doing him well!Have a great weekend! xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another" ~ Anatole France