Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene

 "But Mom! I wanna go out!"

A small tree that hit the corner of the house. Thank goodness that was all!

 Fluffy, protecting our food from possible looters! Kidding. He just likes to sleep in weird places  :)

Found this old thing in the basement. Yay! We can cook!

We were lucky, that by the time Irene hit Connecticut, she had been downgraded to a tropical storm. That doesn't mean she didn't bring the damage though! High winds brought down many, many trees and branches, knocking out power lines all over the state. As of yesterday, 50% of homes and businesses were out of power. Hubby and myself went out to dinner at the Casino after Irene blew through, as it was one of the only places open. All in all, our power was out for about 36 hours. Not too bad considering!
Thinking of everyone effected!

It was very hard to bead with no lights, so I'm a little behind on my schedule, but with a three day weekend coming up I should be prepared for my next show.

Bead Soup Party: The soup mix

Earlier this month I learned that Lori Anderson was hosting a Bead Soup Blog Party. I have always wanted to be apart of one of these, but have never had the guts to actually join.I knew there were so many reasons I had to this time. I thought, 'what a great opportunity to push myself through some of the anxiety and self-doubt; A way to be more social and make new friends'. So, before I could stop myself, I submitted my information. There was no turning back now!

I received an email from Lori revealing who my partner would be...
*drum roll* ...Teri from Born to be Worn by S & T Creations!

This is a little sneak peek of what I sent to Teri:

On Saturday, I got the package from Teri:

I opened it as fast as humanly possible and pulled out the bubble wrapped bundle. It felt a little heavy, but I couldn't get a good look through all that plastic! As soon as I peeled back those bubbles, I started to laugh out loud at the contents. Teri had sent me the most beautiful, large Amazonite beads. Some of the very same gemstone I had sent to her! Great minds think alike!

These beads are stunning! The toggle is gorgeous! Gold findings are something I never work with and these gemstones are much larger than I typically use. It's just the right amount of unfamiliarity to make me work outside my comfort zone. Exactly what I was hoping for.
Thank you, Teri, for the perfect bead soup!

Finished jewelry will be revealed on Sept 17th.

What we made

Last month I was part of Art on Groton Bank arts show (you can read about that here) Anybody who's participated in a show knows that it's much easier when you bring someone along to help you put up the canopy or watch the table when you need a bathroom break. Usually, my awesome mom comes along and we have a blast, but she couldn't make it to this show. After explaining my problem to Hubby, he offered to come along for the day. Surprisingly, he was very helpful and quite a salesman :)

Next to our booth was a great jewelry artist named Kelly of Blue i Design, who used beautiful gemstones and also created these neat bead woven pendants.

 

(Photo by Blue i Design)

I'll admit, I have never been a fan of bead weaving, but these are so pretty! Would you believe that Hubby was so inspired by Kelly's pendants that he decided to actually try bead weaving himself? We got him all the supplies and sat at the kitchen table one night, together, making jewelry. How could I not fall in love with him all over again :)

Here is a pic of the first pair of earrings Hubby and I have collaborated on:

I've gotten so many compliments on these beauties when I wear them. I'm VERY excited to see what else we can make together <3

Happy FRIDAY!

What I made

Rainy day earrings...

Quartz Asymmetrical Earrings by Sea Chelles Design

Dog Days of Summer

On Friday I left work early so that the hubby and I could go to the Bozrah Farmers Market. I wanted some tasty squash for dinner! It was "Dog Day" so we got to mingle with some very cute and furry visitors.

We started over at the food area, of course. I got some delicious Lebanese baklava from Lazizah Bakery. It tasted just the way I remember my step-mother's tasting. Hubby got a gourmet grilled cheese with jalepanos from Little Sister's Grilled Cheese truck. Which looked so good, but I really have no tolerance for spicy food. I think I'm going to have to try the goat cheese one next time!

 

 Little Sister's Grilled Cheese truck

Next, we made our way through the fresh veggies and then through the crafts, all while munching on our treats. And then some cherry italian ice... which stained our mouths.

(Photos courtesy of Maple Farms Photos)

I met Sharon Gatzke, a designer, who makes upcycled bracelets out of vintage buttons. They were absolutely stunning and all one of a kind. The one I got has Mother of Pearl inlay, green glass and floral metal buttons. I adore it!

Who doesn't love tutorials?

I wanted to share a few of my latest favorite tutorials. I think we could all use a little more DIY in our lives :)

Fabric Flower and Chain Necklace

 

 Reusable bowl covers

Machine washable and eco-friendly!

Anthropologie inspired scrabble t-shirt