Rockin' Every Month

Power Rocks Every Month
Want to give a gift with meaning? Find out what a stone means and attach it to the rock or gem!

Crystals and gemstones are awesome accents to any piece of jewelry, but did you know each sparkly stone holds a special meaning? I’m not really into the ‘metaphysical world’ or know much about Chakras … BUT I think it’s cool to know the the symbolism, history, and meaning behind the stones we love… PLUS it’s an added bonus to know the info about stones if you’re giving them as a gift for friends/loved ones (Christmas, anyone?).

We all probably know our birthstones, but do you know the meaning behind them?

The American National Association of Jewelers (Jewelers of America) chose the stones for each month and it was officially accepted in 1912.

Here’s a list of meanings associated with each month’s birthstone:

• January: Garnet (usually red) stands for FAITH and some ‘meanings’ associated with it has been constancy of friendship, and even thought to bring success to a new business.
• February: Amethyst (usually purple) stands for PEACE or WISDOM and also known as the Bishop’s stone, and it’s still worn by Catholic Bishops today. It’s also thought to help with insomnia and bring pleasant dreams.
• March: Aquamarine (blue-green) stands for LOVE and has been known as the “Water of the Sea” because of its color and was thought to help protect sailors at sea.
• April: Diamond (usually clear) stands for VIRTUE and is known to represent constancy in relationships (makes sense.)
• May: Emerald (usually green) stands for WEALTH and is also thought to preserve love.
• June: Pearl (usually white) stands for BEAUTY and is thought to promote prosperity and success.
• July: Ruby (usually red) stands for PASSION and is thought to bring passion and bring out the courage to be the best the wearer can be.
• August: Peridot (usually light green) stands for DIGNITY and is thought to help ward off negative emotions.
• September: Sapphire (usually dark blue) stands for CLARITY and is thought to help the wearer with perception and promote financial success as well.
• October: Opal (usually sparkly white) stands for PURITY and is thought to help with luck.
• November: Topaz or Citrine (alternative) (usually golden color) stands for HOPE and Citrine is thought to increase self-esteem.
• December: Turquoise or Blue Topaz (alternative) (blue) stands for STRENGTH and turquoise is thought to also bring peace to your home.

Snow Removal Crew

Baby, it's waaaay cold outside! Yea, like 7* degrees! Acccck!!! It's finally arrived ... S.N.O.W. I have one word on the subject - Blech. We had one of the loveliest Fall seasons to date, so I'm spoiled. I admit it.
Ok, ok, ok ... I'll try to remind myself of those days when it used to warm my lil' romantic heart seeing tiny flakes falling... *Perhaps, I was nuts along, who knew?* So I'm not looking forward to shovels, snow boots, gloves, muddy salt, ice covered roads, and dead car batteries. I know, whine whine whine... But, I think I finally reached that point in life ... I've become an 'old poop'.

I try to look for the "oh, fun ...Snow! ". Funny, but I'm not seeing it or finding it ... anywhere. Yup, that's me wearing the big snow-party-pooper hat. Here we go, months of snowy mornings when a Snow Removal Crew is needed for snow removal. Oh, joy. *sigh* So I'll have to add to my errand list the rancher's outlet for 50lb bags of cracked corn. *Shhh, just don't tell the GF&P!!* The Hub's says "You know, they'll throw you in jail for feeding Turkeys" ... I reply back "Really? Well all I have to say is -- why haven't they thrown me in jail for feeding the Chickadees? Good grief."

So after writing this, I realize that I'm very thankful I'm not a Turkey. However, I did just realize I've become a whining spoiled human-turkey. Not good. Oooooh yes, Lord ... I heard you and I'm very sorry for my selfishness. Thank You so much for sending the Snow Removal Crew this morning. Also, thank You for reminding me it's Thanksgiving week. I have so much to be grateful for ... especially for being allowed another day waking to see our 1st snow fall.

I think I'll go eat that a big slice of humble pie for breakfast now. :)

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Lazy Days of Summer

We've been having the lazy days of summer ... well, at least the cats have them. Actually, Kit & I have been quite busy this summer. Sound familiar? He's been very occupied with creating many avenues w/his meat company and it's been very exciting for him. I'm thrilled that his dream is coming to fruition. He's also keeps himself busy w/the yard work and chasing the deer from the flower garden. *I think he likes them coming around, it gives him a reason to shoot the paint-ball gun! HA!!* My dream is to one day have a flower garden that will have oodles these flowers ... that don't get eaten. I hate Bambi.
Since I don't have the flower garden of my dreams, I have to play w/beads most of the summer. Like that's something new. Not. (Yes, I so LOVE doing it!) At times, my beading batteries need a jump-start. So while they're charging up, I offer a few sales thru the summer and they are always rec'd w/a terrific response from the most wonderful customers anywhere! **Thanks so much ladies!!** At the moment, I'm trying to muster up a big pile of inspiration & energy to create NEW beauties for fall. However, I have to finish the last of the little lovelies (below) that I began a little while ago ... THEN I can dive into the rock pile I have waiting for me just yonder. *sigh* I can be my own worst Boss, who's always making more work for me to do!! Sound familiar?

I finally admitted to myself (since I was listening to myself the other day) that sitting at my desk like a lump on log doesn't get the job done. "No, s**t Sherlock." I really do like surfin' the net and I find so many stunning beautiful designs, yet I'm not struck by a bolt of energy -- which I always hope will do the trick. Drats. It's not until I start diggin' into my bead bins ("you mean your loot bins", as Kit puts it) that's when I'm simply flooded w/oodles of ideas. I actually overwhelm myself ... 'cause I come up with sooo MANY that I don't know exactly where to start. But I do have a HUGE pile of beads about 2-3feet high on trays (I kid you not). So I pick up this pendant, that strand of pearls, those briolettes, a few other accent beads, and get right to work. Before I know it, the day becomes night and I've crank out a TON of new gorgeous things. Success!
My sister always shakes her head at the amount I can complete in one day -- "how can one person get soooo much done?" she asks. Whelp, the way I see it is that's the gift I've been given. Human factory- that is me. Which I'm very grateful for. So when you're blessed with being able to do what you LOVE (a career) it doesn't feel like work at all. I crank & turn the gift-valve a little, then creative energy begins to flow through me, all the while I keep my mind/heart open to receive the abundance coming from above. I know I make it sound easy and it is most days ... but at times, I need a rest from beads and focus on other things in life. 'Cause joy is found in many simple everyday things I tend to forget about. However, with this last paragraph, I'm itchin' to get over to my work table! It's time to put on my apron and get to work!Like you, I visit a few of my fav blogs to find jolts of color, a spark or something that will ignite a new vision, they fill me with soooo many wonderful ideas. These are just a few of my fav's:
Reata Rose (my sister's beautiful creation)
The Rusted Chain
The Paris Apartment
Happy Loves Rosiemy favorite color is shiny

I hope you're having a beautiful lazy summer day! Blessings.

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Little Something for Mom

I've been working on creating a bunch of sweet little gemstone & freshwater pearl earring beauties ... gorgeous little somethings ... lovely little sparkling ear candy for Mother's Day. As we all know, wonderful things come in small packages. All sorts of little treats ... such as long linear designs, simple & bold, dainty and demure, dancing dangles, embellished hoops, and more!! They'll debut and be listed at my website.

I create all the shaped sterling earwires, which really fires up my creativity! So many ideas, so little time ... not a new problem for me, but an always existing one! LOL My poor chaotic worktable is just covered with all kinds of little gems, pearls, briolettes, and several coils sterling wire. For some odd reason, I thrive and become very productive when I create "organized chaos". I'm filled with oodles of inspiration and visions of sugar-plums of what to make next.

If I completely clean up the table, it's like putting away all the crayons I color with ... so I intentionally leave a little mess of beads. Because by the next day, I'll know exactly what I want to do with that "little mess" and create something very lovely that may have never occurred to me had they been 'out of sight and out of mind'. :)

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Little Meows

These are our five newest little meows, they're only a few days old here. As of today, they're 1wk old....yes, more baby pics to follow! They're just beginning to open their eyes to the world and make teenyweeny little mew sounds....lots of mmm'ing goes on too! Which we hear during the night and early morning hours because MaMaKitty decided the closet would make for a good nursery! I completely agree. :D

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A Lot of Work Comes in 1 Little Box

Ooofda, a lot of work can come in one little box! Today's "gotta-get-it-done" is to create/attach a sterling earwire for each one of these little lovelies. I've gotten all my NEW necklaces listed at my website, these are next line for photos & write-up's ... scads of beautiful little gems & pearlies! Most all of them have a necklace that they match too. :)
The next newbies earrings coming up will be more gem brios & longer styles. Soooo many beads ... soooo little time. Sound familiar?

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Itty Bitty Beads

Itty bitty beads ... so lovely, so delicate, so pretty, and so feminine!
Wanna' see them? Then click ----> HERE

Organized Chaos

I dream of having one of those perfect designer studios where everything has it's place, it's always tidy and highly organized, beautifully decorated with comfy chairs - pillows - pictures - fresh flowers, very well lit with scads of natural light streaming in, and so on.... A girl can dream. Sound familiar to your dream too?

Whelp, for the time being my comfy little work space has to house my entire "bead supply shop" AND include my "jewelry factory" ... so it's gotten a little cramped over the last few years. I'm not complaining and I suppose it could be alot worse as far as space goes. Many don't believe that I create all the beaded items I offer -- trust me, I have plenty of stuff to prove I've got the goods to do allllll that beading! LOL I've learned to work well and be very productive in my 'organized chaos' situation. My mascot Wilma Flintstone is always encouraging, and BobSqPants throws me a giggle when I need a pick-me-up ... they don't seem to mind the chaos ... much. Heck, I even have help to "hold the fort down" too. It appears my work-table is a pretty comfy place for a nap at times too. Sweet dreams ... the two brothers are our tag-team nappers!In my little world, there's too many beads ... never enough time. So it's back to work for me! Oh yea, I just listed over 50 NEW necklaces at my website & 50 more to go!!
Please take a ----> LQQK

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Giving comes from the heart....

When the horrific tragedy happened in Haiti, I wanted help in more ways than $one$, but wasn't sure what it would end up being.

One day, while I was twittering ... one my lovely customers I follow, Beki, was tweeting about a necklace she designed and was making a $10 donation from each sale. I clicked on the necklace link and noticed it included a freshwater pearl and that she had (at that time) sold more than 230!! WOW!!! I tweeted to her asking if she needed more pearls and that I'd be so happy to help by donating ivory pearls for the cause.

Here's the rest of the story....

I copied this is from Beki's blog today 2/09/10:

"When I decided to sell the Blessed necklaces for Haiti, it was a split second decision. (I'm good at those...)
I hadn't even thought about cost of the product involved in making the orders.

The orders began pouring in.
I contacted a few companies hoping someone would match our donation. No one did.
Our story was submitted to local tv stations, but they didn't pick up on it.
We were a bit disappointed by the lack of support from local people and big bloggers who had no interest in helping the cause grow.
But obviously God knows what he's doing.
There was huge support overseas, particularly Australia, and across the US. Just not locally.

And out of the blue one day I got a note on twitter from Beth that said, "Can I donate pearls?"
Oh my goodness! YES! What a huge blessing that was!!
She donated hundreds of gorgeous pearls and didn't expect anything in return.

So thank you Beth for listening to God's little whisper to you!
It allowed us to donate over US $3,000.00 to help Haiti and we wouldn't have been able to do it without you."



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I felt it was the least I could do to help Beki in her fund raising efforts, as she has been a long-time customer of mine. But more importantly, to me it was a simple act of giving and giving back that would hopefully help in the aide for those suffering so badly so far away.
~Beth

What am I up to....BEADING! What else?

I've been selling supplies like crazy! Everybody must be beading!! I know I am ... I've been making & taking time to hit the worktable all this last month. I've got a bunch of photos of new things posted on my website, but I have to get their descrip's finished -- I simply run out of brain power for creative writing at the end of the day. Ooey.

Boy, have I been a busy lil' beader, let me tell you!! While cleaning out my bead bins & storage boxes to list bead supplies for the Valentine's Day sale, I re-discovered a bunch of tidbits I had totally forgotten about ... "out of site, out of mind" really fits here! Re-finding those gorgeous goodies really gave me a boost and jump-start I needed. Yay!!

Ok, enough chitchat ... gotta' get back to the worktable! Today's project is to complete all the earrings that will match the necklaces above. Hope you're having a productive day! I am!! :D