published...

Remember back when I mentioned I'd been asked to create a project for the December issue of a crafting/decorating magazine? Well the magazine is Country Marketplace and a little while after the first project was completed the editor asked me to work up another project featuring Marvy Uchida products for the same issue. TWO projects in the same issue! A few days ago I recieved my copies of the December issue and I don't mind telling you I was so TICKLED to see my projects printed by someone other than me! I'm not sure when the issue will hit newstands, maybe the end of November? When I find out I'll post it here.

On a similar note, I was contacted by a book editor not too long ago asking me to submit a couple dolls for consideration in an upcoming publication. I figured why not? What's the worst that could happen? They could not choose my submissions and then I could just turn them into patterns to sell myself. Well, I worked up two projects for my submissions and just this morning I received an email informing me that both had been accepted and would I submit a third!

With all this excitement upon me, I am feeling a twinge of stress creeping in. This means that next week will have to have a couple days dedicated to Clean Sweeping my work areas. Can you believe I still haven't finished doing that? I really hate sorting through my work areas...I'll be buzzing through piles and drawers and cabinets Fly Lady style when all of the sudden I come across something that triggers an idea and that idea triggers something that makes it physically impossible for me to do anything else but work on that idea for a bit. After I've worked on the idea for awhile cleaning my work areas has become a distance memory and I'm playing with my boys or straightening the rest of the house or running errands or whatever. This post has turned into a thinly veiled plea for my mother to come back to Denton with me for a couple days...I'll even bring you back home on Wednesday!! Just think, playing with the grandbabies, trips to Barnes and Noble, Benihana if you want, you can visit with Nic too...no mileage on your s or dad's cars, no gasoline to buy...Whadaya think? Pretty, pretty please?

and so it begins...

I can see the mad rush toward the holidays fast approaching...it's like glancing into your rear view mirror and noticing an eighteen wheeler with brake failure barrelling toward you.

The holiday season is decidedly more hectic once children are thrown into the mix. While Logan and Caleb are usually troopers when it comes to shopping, they DO have their limits. As do I. Currently, I DREAD going shopping anywhere that involves a shopping cart. Imagine wrestling with a chimpanzee in the chair portion of the cart (where the installed safety belt is rendered useless by said chimpanzee because said chimpanzee has shape-shifting abilities) while a coked out orangutan is performing his Flashdance routine at the front of the cart. Fun times, I assure you. Needless to say I ADORE shopping online.

Since that Mack truck is sneaking up on me I figure it's sneaking up on everyone else too. And with that realization, I took the last couple of days to organize and freshen up my website and purge the server of old junk. Hopefully the changes I've made make the site easier to navigate. The next step in my master plan is to complete the gozillion half-finished projects I have tucked here and stashed there so I'll have tons of new stuff to sell for the holidays...and do it quickly too.

new jewelry pieces...

I love turquoise jewelry. Rings, necklaces, belts, earrings, blue, green, a little matrix, a bunch of matrix, whatever, LOVE it. Therefore, I love this necklace (and if you do too you can click on the image to order). I wore it out yesterday with a linen cross-over sweater, a rusty maroon undertank and jeans and recieved tons of compliments on it. So I guess it's safe to say it's an eye-catcher.


turquoise, miyuki glass, sterling silver, brass, copper
twenty inches, $60 plus postage.



Here are the three i.d./charm bracelets I mentioned previously:


sterling silver, miyuki glass, vintage czech glass, apl sterling charm
$45 plus postage.


sterling silver, czech glass, sterling charm
$45 plus postage.


sterling silver, czech glass, sterling charm
$38 (discounted for stamp 'studder' on C) plus postage.

I am also taking special orders on the i.d./charm bracelets for adults and children.

just as soon as there's some sunshine...

I have three new i.d./charm bracelets (one with a charm made by me) and a new necklace with one of my sterling/copper/brass pendants ready for sale. Wait until you see this necklace...if you love turquoise as much as I do, you are going to L O V E this necklace!

in the market for a coffin?

You can make your own (miniature or not) coffin with this How-To.

heard today...

After hearing his father describe the carton of clogyourcarotidarteryintwopointthreeseconds extreme tater tots that were mistakenly included in our Sonic order today, Caleb exclaimed, "it's uh-gusting!" So now, if it's not alicious, it's uh-gusting.

how freakin cute are these...

Have a look and tell me you aren't dying from the cuteness or the cleverness.

And by the way, as typed words go, cleverness is tough on the eyes.

If the acorns weren't enough to do you in, then perhaps this Halloween Kitty will do the trick. Check out her blog for more sweet felty things.

Discovered via Stumble Upon.

boo...

copper, brass, sterling silver, hex czech glass
twenty inches long, $22 plus postage.

I will be updating my jewelry page with new sterling and gemstone pieces and my holiday section with a few Christmas goodies this week.
* * * * *
Click here to purchase a BOO necklace.

adventure sunday...

Last Sunday was among the weirdest I've ever experienced.

To make a LONG story short, we had lunch with Lynn's sister and brother-in-law, his older brother and my middle little brother at Benihana to celebrate Lynn's birthday. Midway through our meal, Lynn's older brother excused himself from the table, and no sooner had he left the room then he was back calling out to Lynn. About three seconds later we heard a very heavy THUD in the hallway, saw a waitress turn, shriek and cover her mouth and Lynn rounded the corner and then returned with a very frantic look on his face saying, "Amy, we have a problem here." GREAT. A hundred possibilities raced through my brain at that moment...he fell on a steak knife, threw up in a bus tub, etc. As it turned out, he fainted from a standing position before Lynn could get to him. My brother Nic went after Lynn to help if he could. They got Lynn's brother to his feet and after a couple more wobbly moments were able to get out into the fresh air. Nic and Lynn both say that as soon as the fresh air hit him he was fine...regardless it was SCARY(!!) in the meantime.

With all the excitement out of the way Lynn sat back down to eat the rest of his lunch and had to leave early to get his brother back to the airport and return the rental car. Upon Lynn's departure, Caleb freaked out...started crying like we'd poked his eye out or something. Our waitress returned with refills and asked Caleb what was the matter...was it big brother? was it daddy falling? We told her it was uncle that fell and that it was Dad leaving that threw him into this frenzy to which she replied, "Well, I will have to spank your daddy. That will make you feel better won't it." The rest of us busted out laughing and Caleb carried on with the crying and the gnashing of teeth.

After the rest of us had finished our lunch we all packed up and headed out, Lynn's sister and brother-in-law went home and Nic, the boys and I drove out the airport to pick Lynn up from the rental car return.

When we arrived at the rental car return area, we drove around the compound looking for a place to meet Lynn. It was next to impossible. We ended up parking outside one of the car company return lanes and Lynn had to walk out to us. That would have been the simple thing...but if you know Lynn, simple is not his way. At all. Ever. At first Lynn couldn't find us...the only black Jeep Grand Cherokee parked a quarter mile away from the building on the other side of a row of pilasters. Nic d/c'd Lynn to direct him toward us. Nic said, "Just keep walking straight." To which Lynn replied, "Why walk when you can run?" With that Lynn, a 6' 2" tall, 240 pound, caucasian male, proceeded to haul ass towards us, shreiking and flailing his arms as he did it. The thirty or so people who were unloading their luggage from their rentals all stopped and stared, no doubt waiting for jihad johnny to blow up in their general direction. Nic and I stood there outside the truck, laughing so hard I almost wet myself. Just as Lynn was in the home stretch, he tripped and tumbled onto the pavement as he tried to hurdle some steel cabling between pilasters. He hopped right back up, continued running and hollaring toward the truck. At that point all the innocent bystanders switched from jaws agape to scanning the parking lot for hidden camera crews...at least they'll all have an anecdote to share about the end of their trips.

Once all THAT fun had come to an end we left the airport and headed home. We were maybe five or six miles from home, barrelling down the highway, recounting the bizarre day, when my [insert string of explitives that would make a sailor blush here] fuel pump took a crap on us. We pulled over, called the tow truck and Lynn's sister and BIL to come get us, and sat on the shoulder of I-35N waiting for a good 45 minutes. As we sat there, Caleb napped, Logan read books, asked a million and one questions and just generally chattered away. Lynn listened to his football game and Nic and I milled around the bar ditch. As we milled, some lunatic comes floating overhead in a flying lawnchair rig with a paraglider parachute advertising a scummy website address. Nic and I both decided at that moment that we could NOT believe we left the house today with out my camera or his video camera. If we'd thought to bring them, none of this would have happened, I'm sure of it.

By the time we finally made it home, everyone was beat into the ground and nothing else on the day's agenda was accomplished. What a day. I would like not have another one of those for at least a month.

back to school jitters...

When I was little I would get the back to school jitters the night before the first day back. Once the junior high years and then my sophomore year of high school rolled around I was good for at least a weeks worth of back to school jitters. After that, not so much. It was what it was and it was inevitable.

Today Logan starts a pre-school speech therapy program and I have back to school jitters for him. He seems to be very excited at the prospect of going to school. He will go twice a week to the elementary school where he will start kindergarten next fall. The speech therapist says half of Logan's battle is already won because he has an above average vocabulary and comprehension level. All she needs to focus on is his articulation. Logan tends to omit consonant endings and adds a schwa to end of words too.

After his session we have tons of errands to run so I'll post more once we make it home. Keep your fingers crossed that Logan loves it and has good time!

heard today...

Upon waking up the parking lot (Caleb waking up, not me) of Benihana off of Coit: "mmmm, alicious, Benihana."

Upon hearing a thud in the hallway at Benihana: "Um, Amy, we have a problem here."

Needless to say, we've had an interesting day today...more on it all later.

how's about a little witch t-shirt...

I put her on this cap sleeve tee as well as a raglan sleeve tee and a bunch of kiddo tees and onesies too. Just click on the image to see the rest of the group.
* * * * *
10/19 I just noticed they have a coupon code for the raglan sleeved shirt. Save $2 on Long Sleeve T, Jr Hoodie, Women’s Raglan, Baseball Jerseys, Hooded Sweatshirts, Sweatshirts. The coupon code is FALL2 and the offer is good from October 11th through the 25th.

mmmm, alicious...

That's what Caleb says anytime he sees something appetizing since we've been home from our trip. Mom's making grilled cheese sandwich filling..."mmmmm, alicious, Mommy." A KFC commercial comes across the television screen..."oooh, alicious!" He's never even been to a KFC!

Logan's new thing to say is "Mom, I have a couple extra hands right here. Do you need them?" While he is asking me this I am usually in the middle of something labor intensive...I guess looking like I could use a couple extra hands...and he is waving his hands wildly in my face. Simultaneously adorable and annoying.

Caleb has been on his new phrase kick for a couple days now. Logan's started today while I was working on finishing these bracelets (sorry for the craptacular photo...me and my midnight photo sessions). You wouldn't believe how many versions I worked through to get the final product on the beaded portion of the bracelets. I am willing to bet I will dream furiously about frustrating, overly complicated beading techniques tonight.



Anyway, I am pretty tickled with how these bracelets turned out. Once I get my other pieces finished, I'm going to make myself one of these bracelets too...it's a must. They have a sort of rustic elegance to them. I like the combination of an I. D. bracelet and a charm bracelet too.

I love charm bracelets in general. To collect little momentos and favorite things and have them jingle and tink on one's wrist is magical to me. I was always fascinated with my Mom's charm bracelet. She let me wear it a few times in junior high when we would dress up for 50's/Sock Hop day during Homecoming Week. My Patsy Grandma gave me my charm bracelet somewhere around my freshman or sophomore year of high school I think. Over the years we have all added charms to it. I don't wear it very often anymore because I'm afraid little fingers will pry something off when I'm not paying attention. I will have to pull it out, shine it up, and wear it to run errands and such tomorrow. I may have to go meander through James Avery's website and find myself some new charms to add to the collection. I've had a few milestones (marriage and children to name two) pass that haven't been marked by a new charm.

sigh...

I miss reading my daily blogs. I've been sneaking peeks here and there but haven't had a chance yet to just sit down and catch up. You would think that a place like Disney World would have wifi available at their resorts. They had really, really s l o w land line connections that you could pay $9.95 a day to use though. Ugh. Stupid Disney World.

For your viewing pleasure (or not), some more pictures from the trip:

Here we find Caleb hugging Goliath at MGM Studios, surely thinking to himself, "Ha HAH, suckers! I get away with cutting in front of all you schmucks waiting patiently in line because I am so CUTE! Bwah ha ha ha ha." There was a family with two little girls in front of us, patiently waiting for the handler to give the go ahead. Obviously, handlers are invisible to Caleb. Meanwhile Logan is standing next to me, waiting his turn.



And here we find the boys jumping moons around Jupiter(?) planets around the Sun outside the Mission: SPACE ride at EPCOT.

can i tell you...

I've been working on some new jewelry pieces and I finally reached a point where I needed to solder something. I am just giddy with the thought of soldering more stuff. So much so that my ADHD kicked in and I had to stop working on what I was working on to cut (well, saw, really and that was fun too!) out a smallish charm/pendant to solder something fun to later.

Today, amid the housework and monkey wrangling, I am going to fire up the liver of sulfur pot out in the garage so I can play with patina-ing stuff. Once I've got my housework and patina-ing and swaps mailed out I have to get caught up with my art biz group. I am painfully, embarrassingly, behind with that...the last couple of weeks just put me in a tailspin. My goal is to be back on track by Friday at the latest.

Now I will leave you with a sea of Monchhichis found in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot.



The lyrics to the Monchhichi jingle, so the song can be stuck in your head too:

Monchhichi Monchhichi
oh so soft and cuddly
with your thumb in your mouth you're really sweet
love to wiggle those little feet
la la la
la la la
happy happy Monchhichi

(spastic child in background screaming "I LOVE YOU MONCHHICHI!")

Monchhichi, monchhichi,
oh so soft and cuddly,
with their thumb in their mouth they're really neat,
fun to wiggle their little feet!
la la la
la la la

we're home...

and we're tired. This trip was more fun than the last because both kids were able to actively participate. Caleb would see something he wanted to ride and would shout, "ride! ride! ride!" Logan's new favorite ride (but not more favorite than Buzz Lightyear and Stitch) is Journey Into Imagination With Figment. We took this photo after one of the forty seven times we rode Figment's upside-down ride.



We took the boys to a character breakfast at Animal Kingdom. They had such a blast getting to see Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto up close and personal. Does anyone wonder where Logan gets it?



We also took the boys to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party. It was so disgustingly hot and humid (THANKS Tropical Storm Tammy, appreciated it...) we decided we would forego costumes for the boys and bought them crazy Stitch-ate-my-baby hats instead.



I'll do a full run down later this week, but today is Lynn's birthday and on top of that we have a mountain of laundry to get through too!