Home!!

I've had a really long day but I'm hoping to post later tonight. I had fun, a lot of fun and I have a few pics to share and I did find some cool stones for wire wrapping. I'll update, I promise, I just don't think you should stay up and wait.

See-Ya!

Okay, for the next few days, this is what I will be looking at:

We are headed to the Great Smoky Mountains with some friends to stay up too late, act like we are ten years younger, watch too much television and have a great time wandering around in fresh mountain air! Woo for us! Boo for you! Sorry, I couldn't help myself. But, I will have some pics to post when I get back and hopefully there will be a cool bead shop or two that I can hit up while we are there.

Yeah! End of summer vacation, here we come!!

Sideline

I've been busy making bracelets and necklaces, but I haven't had many earrings in my shop. So, I decided to do a little batch for those of us that don't regularly wear necklaces. Also, it adds some variey to my wares. Here are my latest creations:

Wired!

Sterling silver hand wrapped with copper wire and accented with peridot chips.

Blue Smoke

Rectangle glass framed by hematite beads.

Aventurine Swirl!

Aventurine gemstones wrapped in sterling silver.

Orange Squeeze

Cool little orange and yellow glass beads.

Well, that's just the start of things. My lovely husband has created me an anvil stand so that I can start doing hammered pieces. I know! Isn't that going to be cool? I have some things I'm working on today, in the middle of tackling laundry, so hopefully I can post more later. GO look in my shop and buy something today! I'm going out of town, but I can still ship until 3:00 p.m. today!!

Happy Birthday, Diddy

My dad is so many things all wrapped in one fantastic man, it's really hard for me to tell you all the wondrous attributes that he possesses. He is a loving husband, the epitome of hardworking, a funny and caring father and he is the strength that holds our family together. I have watched my dad work days that would nearly kill any normal man and he never, ever let it show. He always walked through the door with a smile, a hug and a genuine interest in what happened in my day.

Today is his birthday, his 55th, and I wanted to do something to let him know how much he means to me. He never wants anyone to get him presents, he thinks it's silly, he already has all he needs. But, if any of us buy him something, he is receptive and appreciative and all full of love. I bought him some awesome Lone Ranger coasters that the lovely and fantastic ubercherry made, just for him. But I needed to do more, something personal. So, Diddy, here is what I did for you:



I painted this, just for you. You are the big heart that has loved and sheltered me, that has protected me in a glow of assurance and support when I needed it most. You have given me love like no other and asked nothing in return. You have shown me that it was okay, and even beautiful, to be strong, intelligent and a little defiant. You, and you alone, held me when my heart was broken by a boy and then again, when it was devastated by a man. You have wiped tears, shared laughter, experienced my pain and watched me grow into someone you are proud of.

I hope that you know how much you are to me. You are my friend, my confidant, a source of laughter, and a constant supply of strength. You are amazing and you literally glow with outpouring of love that you give to so many people. You touch lives and change them forever. You lead men and they respect you. You love your granddaughter more than you thought you could love any one human. But more than all of these things, you are my Diddy. Thank you for all you are, Happy Birthday, Dad, I love you.

Trying Something Out When I Should Be Sleeping

I just posted these awesome leather and metal earrings in my shop. The earwires are hypo-allergenic, so they are safe for everybody! HOORAY!! I just put up two more pairs of earrings, so go see what all is new!

Classic Beauty

Classic Beauty, originally uploaded by Pinky's Inspiration.

New Piece! It's not in my shop yet, but it will be soon!!

Possibilities Leather Cuff

No sense in wasting my freedom. New Work!!!

Possibilities Leather Cuff, originally uploaded by Pinky's Inspiration.

Already in my shop, too!

Interesting...

So, the 31st of this month is to be my last day at work. Right? Well, about an hour ago, my boss called me, at home and told me to go ahead and cash in my vacation and sick days and not worry about coming in next week. Let me tell you, that threw me a little. I know his reasoning behind it, all the guys are going to be out of town at a conference, so there really isn't any reason for me to be there. Nontheless, it still unsettled me. I guess I just wasn't prepared for this yet. You know how you get a time or date in your head and when things change that, you have a moment of, well, dumbfoundedness? (I know that might not be a word, but it seemed right at the time.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, but it's still odd. I don't remember what it's like to not work in a "real" job. So I'm stuck in this limbo of liberation and what-the-hell-do-I-do-now? I'm new at this stay at home mom thing, and I'm real new to being a full time artist, so I guess I want to know if anyone else felt this or am I just going crazy?

On a different note, I want everyone who comes to my blog to go to my brothers site and read his post titled "When We Were Very Young". It's a very touching, and very true, piece about my family's history. Part of what forged who we are as a unit. There are amazing pictures that, up until now, have only been seen by my family. Photos of a time long ago, when things were harder, but no less special. It was difficult for me to get through the first time I read it, but now that I can do it without crying, I want others to share in that strong, heady emotion as well. Take the ten minutes and relive the lives that have so clearly shaped mine.

I'm Happy Dancing!!

Not only did I just sell Blue Smoke (look down one post), I just sold Asian Spice, too!! TWO sales in one day! I'm Happy Dancing all the way to the Post Office!

Thank you Misseskwitty and Pulpsushi! You have made my day!!!

New Work!

These are both listed in my shop! Go check them out!!

Red Mirage

Blue Smoke

SOLD WITHIN TEN MINUTES OF POSTING!!!

I have also finally gotten a Flickr account! TOO much fun! I've loaded some pictures on there of my daughter that I didn't list here. Go look!

Follow Your Dreams

Follow Your Dreams
by:
Pinky!

Leather Necklace with
Metal Dangle Engraved with Necklace Title
Available NOW! in my Etsy Shop!

This necklace was created for any person that took a leap over the lion's head to seek out their dreams. To look into the face of adversity and not be afraid. To show strength, beauty and inspiration that lay deep within all of us.

This is meant to be a celebration of diving into the unknown and embracing the thrill of adventure. A chance taken by few and cherished, deeply, by the ones that stepped beyond comfort, beyond control and did what their heart led them to do.

What are you going to do today? Me?

I'm going to Follow My Dreams.

Stuff!

First, here are the things that I won in the charity auction that the lovely and talented Amity at allthosethrees had to raise money to support the RSPCA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I was beyond happy to participate in the lottery and I won some fabulous things!! Big shout of love to all the artists that participated!!! Oh! The sticker of the girl in the top left, that was a present to me from Kiwi! It happened to come in the same day all this other stuff did! GLORIOUS PRESENT DAY!!!



There is so much stuff here! And Amity had it all wrapped so pretty, it was like an early Christmas! Thank you again you wonderful woman!!

Next, I should never, ever, ever, be allowed to go in a craft store by myself. And especially when there is a SALE!!! I've been looking for somewhere local to shop because I don't have a really good bead store here. Well, on one of my trips to meet my dad to let them spoil my daughter, I remembered there was a craft store in town! So, I scooted on over there and fell in love. Just to give you an idea, this picture doesn't have everything in it that I bought.



C'mon, what was I supposed to do? They had Czech Glass 50% off!! Do you know what that does to a girl?!? AND, they had STERLING SILVER ON DISCOUNT! I thought I would faint in the floor. I also bought bags, canvases, leather, findings, wire, cutting supplies, clay and some other things that I don't even remember right now. Shameful, I know. But, if I'm going out on my own, I needed to stock up!!

Speaking of that, I want to thank Amber and Christine with all my heart for being so supportive of me. I was having doubts today and I needed that little friendly nudge that whispered, "you can do this". For once, I am speechless, so I will simply say

Thank You.

"OMG! Did you just pee in the bed? In MY BED??" or how I woke up this morning.

You see, I have a lovely five year old, you've seen her, pretty, blonds, BIG blue eyes, remember? Yeah well, she likes to sneak in my bed at ungodly hours because she knows I'm sleeping like the dead, and she crawls in and goes back to sleep. On my side. On my pillows. Which is not okay because my husband is already gone to work and his side is completely and totally empty. She could get over there but that would defeat the point of crawling in on my side and making sure I sweat to death in the bed because I'm trapped under the covers since she's sleeping on top of them and all I want it to stick my foot out because I really need the air and get my pillows back, is that too much to ask? IS IT??? apparently...

Now, before you get all upset thinking I'm a crappy mom because she peed in the bed, I'll explain something. As a present to us when we got married, we got a new bed. But not just any bed, mind you, it's a Tempurpedic that adjusts AND massages. Feel free to oooooh! and aaaaah! at this point in the story. I'm pretty attached to my bed. Telling my husband that if we got a divorce, he could have everything but I was getting the bed gives you an idea of how attached I really am.

SO, back to where I started. I'm lying in the bed, sweating to death, when the alarm goes off! I roll over to beat it and realize that I'm not where I was when I went to bed and there is a small child in my place. I notice all of this after I have smashed her to turn off the alarm, because I didn't know she was there. I'm still grumbly at the fact I've been booted from my spot, but at least know why it's so damn hot in there. Go back to sleep ( I refuse to get up the first time my alarm goes off! refuse!!) and play this whole thing out again.

But, wait? Something is different... what is it? oh. It's my daughter, looking at me and telling me that the bed is a little bit wet on her legs. Like the bed did it, people!! Like the bed did it. At this point, I'm beginning to really wake up and assess the situation. Then it hits me: she has peed in my bed. oh. my. god. I rip the covers back to see the kidney shaped pool of tinkles and ask her in my not nice voice, "Did you pee in the bed?!?!" shakes head yes. "Shit! Sorry, I said a bad word, go in the bathroom. And don't even think you're sleeping in my bed tonight!" And just like that, my feet hit the floor and I was awake. Thank god it's Friday.

Pavel Tagged Me!!

Okay, Mr. Tagger, here you go! BTW, if any of my regulars haven't gone to see his blog, you are missing some funny and thoughtful stuff. Go look, I promise, you will be glad you did.

What's in my wallet?
1. My driver's license
2. Picture of my daughter
3. My Kroger Card! ( I never grocery shop without it!)
4. Random receipts
5. Bank card, no cash

My fridge:
1. Silk Soy Milk!! (lactose intolerant family)
2. Cucumbers
3. Diet Coke
4. Juicy Juice
5. Hot dogs (yes, I know what they are made of and no, I don't care)

My closet:
1. SHOES! MILLIONS OF SHOES!!!
2. My nice hang up clothes
3. A random trunk that belongs to my husband
4. Misplaced legos
5. Dust bunnies :(

There! I have revealed my love of shoes, hot dogs and my Kroger card! Amber, you're it! HA!

Amber Rocks!!

She just bought "And Then There Were Flowers"!! Give a big WOOOO to her!!!!

Yeah! This is going home to Amber! It's a verrrrry sexy necklace. Sits close to your neck without being too tight and the way the beads just flow, wow, XXX Hott!! Robs, you better watch out!!

Are you ready?

I didn't post the changes yesterday because everything had not been completed yet. So here are the changes:

I put in my notice today at work to become a full time artist and mom!!

WHEW! That felt good to let out!! I have some other things that I've been working on, but that's been the biggest. It's a little scary and a lot exciting. I've never been able to stay home with my daughter and she's going to be six in 2 months. And, I really love creating but it's hard to do when you're pushing 40 hours for someone else. So, after much (read: more-than-you-can-imagine) discussions between my husband and I, we decided to go for it.

So, now that you know the big news, go buy some jewelry! I'm out of a job! HAHAHAHA!!

Giggle

Giggle Door Hanger

by:

Pinky!

Go look! I'll write more later. I have a big day ahead of me, a lot of changes are going to be made today, but I can't share all of that right now. Go look at the new stuff I posted in my shop and I'll update later.

Because I'm Insane

My mind kicked into overdrive about three hours ago and it hasn't slowed much. I've had designs, patterns, ideas and a million other creative things running through my brain so fast I barely had time to process them all. I don't have a sewing machine anymore and that was becoming the crux of my evening. It seemed like everything that came into my head was something that needed to be sewn. I had to get this out some way and I was entirely to spazzy to make any jewelry. So, I did this instead:



Yep, it's a fabric door hanger that says "Go Away!" with a smattering of "Shoo!", "Bye!", "Go!" and "Leave!" scrawled all around it. I don't know if I did this to tell people to go away, or to tell the creative crack addict in my brain to go away. There's a good chance I'll do another one of these, but, you know, with some thought put into it, not just a means to get my crafty fix.

Garden Lariat

Garden Lariat
by:

Pinky!

Double strand, glass, shell and metal necklace.
Available in my shop!

If you click on the picture, you can see it a little better. I started this at about 11 one night, and would not stop until it was done. The total length is 32 inches, so you can imagine, I was up a while. Sometimes, I can put a piece down and work later, but more times than not, I'm using it as therapy. If I'm upset or bothered or I just have more on my plate than I can handle, I create. I've done that most of my life.

It gives me the chance to take the ugly feelings and pour them into something useful. Gardening was one of the best ways I did that. I could sit outside in my garden, pulling weeds, tilling, planting, cursing, swearing, getting it all right so that when they bloomed, it would look good. But the whole time, I was putting my anger, hurt and discontent to rest in a flower bed. It never failed, when the plants grew, or bloomed, I was so glad to see that anger had helped create something beautiful.

In some small way, that's what I do with my art. I put all my blah aside and focus on the task at hand. I use my discontent and frustration to design a new piece that I've never done. Then when all the fury has drained, I look back and I have created something beautiful. Creating seems to even the balance of good and bad in myself. And that's cool, because I am really the one that is making the balance within me, I'm just using art as an outlet.

Liar

I said I would go to bed at a decent hour. I said I would get to sleep like normal people. I said I wouldn't stay up all night. I said I would get up at five with my husband.

What a terrible liar I am. A terrible and sleepy liar at that.

sigh...

Super tired..

Yep, that's what I am. Super tired. My eyes don't even want to open as I type this (thankgod for spell check). The first part of this month has already been rough but I am looking forward to things getting better. My great aunt has been in the hospital and this has caused me the greatest amount of stress. We are very close and seeing her in an ICU bed, all tiny with tubes everywhere, well it just upset me. She's one of the strongest women I have ever met and there is no one I have met that is like her. We don't talk on the phone, we send letters to each other. That's right, hand written letters, and she has the most terrible handwriting! There are only 3 people in my family that can read it: my dad, my husband and myself. She has lived an amazing life, so I told her while we had a moment together that if she was tired and wanted to go on, that would be okay. But if she wanted to stay here then she better get tough like she's always been and beat the sickness.

She's doing better today. Hardheaded old bird that she is, but I love her so much it hurts. I can't wait to be able to hold her hand and whisper in private like we do. There is so much that is said between me and her, without ever saying a word. But, she is 86 years young, and no matter the outcome, I will carry her in my heart every day, just as I do now.

Other than that taking up most of my brain space, I have made a few new pieces. They haven't made it to my shop yet, but I least I've got pictures of them. Here is one of my favorites. I call it Moroccan Summer:

I will try to get more pictures posted today and maybe actually get these in my shop!! In the meantime, please go visit Heather's site. She's found a farm for her family to move to, but they are trying to liquidate all their stuff for the move. In the process, she has gone completely mad and is selling her paintings at a third of their normal cost. Did you read that? A THIRD. I have tons of her stuff and the pictures on her blog don't do them justice, but go look, open your wallet and welcome her art into your home. They are loaded with magic and your life will be touched.

http://badkittyartstudio.com

A Study In Me

I have hundreds of pictures on my computer, almost all taken by me. You know what that means? I'm not in but about twenty. I shy away from the camera, always afraid that the flaws I see in me will be immortalized in film. I decided to push past that feeling, hard as it may be. This is how I wish most pictures looked of me:



Blurry and faceless.

But, that's not how I look. I have a face and I'm only blurry when I take my glasses off. So, I took a picture of my most favorite part of me:



Shy toes. I love my toes. But I realized as I was taking these shots, I'm still not showing me. My hair, my skin, my face as it changes when I feel things. My face in thought,



In hiding,



In confusion,



In humbleness,



And, in mischief,

I thought, perhaps, this post would seem egotistical and arrogant. But, that's not what I want. I want you to be able to see some of the faces of the author, the artist, the human behind the keyboard. Remove the curtain and reveal the wizard kind of thing. I work so hard to stay anonymous, but why? I am already so exposed by my words and my art. It's only fair that I show the rest of me, the shell in which my soul resides, and be proud of who I am.

I Am Me.

No one else has my smile, my eyes, my nose. The delicate curve of my chin or the fullness of my lips. No one else has my freckles and fading red hair. No one but Me. I'm not thin and I'm not very tall, but I am who I am and for the first time in my life,

being Me might not be so bad.