Monday, Monday.

Why does the weekend go by so fast?

This is my current wallet, from Moxie and Oliver. Isn't it cute?! The hummingbird reminds me of my grandparents. They had a hummingbird feeder outside their dining area window and had many hummingbirds come to visit for dinner.

When we lived in our townhouse, I planted impatiens along the sidewalk. One day I stepped out my front door and saw what looked like a large bee fluttering amongst the flowers. When I realized it was a hummingbird, I stood and watched it for a time. When it was finished, it flew up and touched me on the ankle with it's beak and flew away.

Here's hoping the work week goes by as quickly as the weekend did.

Toodles.

Garden party earrings.

I took a break from the seed bead project I'm working on to play with semi-precious stones (citrine and rhodolite), Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver.

I wish I had more of the bead caps. They remind me of whimsical flowers. They came from the collection of a former NanC Meinhardt customer. I bought all she had, which was only three. I used the other one on my stamped bracelet.

I took the class for the stamped bracelet from Lisa Niven Kelly one year at Bead & Button. She's teaching the class again this year. It's a lot of fun to play around with things to stamp on. I have more bracelets I'll show you another time. This is my favorite because it has N.'s name on it with words that make me think of him. I also stamped the inside with his birthdate.

Registration for this year's Bead & Button Show starts next week. I'm thinking about taking this class from Barb Switzer. I've never taken a class with her before.

N. has been busy drawing a lot of pictures, mostly of Chicago. He's obsessed with Chicago and the Sears Tower.

I like how he spelled city. :)

Tornadoes.

Last night I sat down to watch a show I'd taped when I heard the newscaster say there was a tornado near an intersection in Wisconsin that I'm familiar with. It took me a second to place it, but then I realized it was close to my aunt's house! I ran to the phone to call her and luckily everyone was fine.

Unfortunately, my cousin's boyfriend knows a family who lost their home.

My aunt had a harrowing drive home from work in the tornado weather, but arrived safely. It's unusual for tornadoes to touch down in Northeastern Illinois/Southeastern Wisconsin at any time of the year, but particularly so in January!

A few years ago I saw a funnel cloud, but it did not touch down. That was scary enough. The crazy thing is that all of our neighbors at the time were out on their front lawn looking at the funnel cloud! Not me; I was indoors with Mark and N. poised to go to the basement if necessary.

When I picked N. up from school yesterday one of the boys in the classroom was crying because there was a tornado warning. The teacher asked me to talk to him and tell him that there weren't any tornadoes around when I was driving to the school. While there weren't any tornadoes right around here, I feel badly that he probably went home and heard about the tornadoes close by in Wisconsin.

I hope you are safe and enjoying good weather wherever you are.

Snowflakes and Mocha.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Morris

If you haven't visited Jennifer Morris Beads & Jewelry, you really should. The eye candy factor alone is phenomenal! Be sure to look at her sold items. I am amazed by what she can make with polymer clay. After lurking around her shop for some time, I purchased these earrings in December. So pretty. I'd like a pair of dangly earrings from her shop next time.

N. did want to get up for school this morning. I felt for him. He spent almost all of last week fighting strep throat. After being on Amoxicillan for two days, he continued to worsen. We took him to the ER in the middle of the night on Thursday. He got a shot of antibiotics and a prescription for something stronger. That finally seems to be doing the trick. Today is probably the best he's felt and it's time to go back to school!

As for me, I slept in my bed for three hours last night before my stomach started to hurt around the wound. Then I spent the remainder of the night sleeping in the recliner, but still...three hours in my bed! Maybe tonight it will be longer.

Passion Flower Vessel.

I must admit, I got started on my 2008 resolution to use some of what I have a little bit early. I own way too many bead kits! During late November and December I worked on this Passion Flower Vessel kit by Laura McCabe. I planned to work on it way back in May, but that didn't work out. Check out the kit contents.


I asked N. what I should put in it and he said, "beads."

A quiet start.

I had hoped 2008 would start out as a healthier year, but so far that's not the case. Yesterday we went to see The Water Horse (good movie!) with N. He was a little warm before we set out for lunch and the movie, but he seemed in good spirits and had energy. He had a healthy appetite for lunch and even wanted popcorn during the movie. After eating his popcorn he crashed. He slept through most of it and says he doesn't really remember much.

His fever was higher last night. He swore he didn't have a sore throat, but by watching him I could see it was indeed quite sore. He was hoping to avoid the dreaded throat culture at the doctor's office.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. We went to the pediatrician at lunch time and found out my suspicions were correct; he has strep throat.

Season is taking good care of him and hasn't left his side.

Our friends Aaron and Andrea were in town this past weekend. It's always good to see them. We took them to a local restaurant we like that overlooks the lake. Then Andrea and I went shopping.

During our shopping excursion I bought a new shelf for the dining room.

The rose bag on the shelf was made by my brother's mother-in-law. It's crocheted with beads. I gave her a cross stitch pattern, beads, and crochet...thread?...yarn?...and received this back! She strings ALL of the beads before she begins crocheting.

Don't tell anyone, but it has a roll of toilet paper in it to keep it upright.

I don't usually make resolutions, but this year I thought I'd make a few:

1. When the wound track is healed and doesn't need to be packed anymore, Mark and I will celebrate with a date night. We'll even go to a restaurant that needs reservations. (I just looked for a post to link to about the wound track and couldn't find one. Did I mention on here that I developed a second infection that created a deep tunnel in my belly button? That's why I needed the PICC line. It started out being almost 7 cm deep and 2 cm wide. Mark has to pack it morning and night. That's a good time, let me tell you. Infection after surgery is really not fun. The good news is that the first wound that had to be packed is now fully healed.)


2. Sleep in my bed instead of the recliner.


3. Learn how to make granny squares. (Mom, if you're reading this, you'd better add the following to your resolutions: "Teach Tina to make granny squares.")


4. Use what I have. Work up some of the bead kits I have before I buy more beads.


5. Decide if I'm going to take a class at the Bead & Button Show.

That's enough for now.

I hope your 2008 is off to a cheery start!

Smitten with mittens.

Lucky for me, I'm not the only one in my family who enjoys beading. At Christmas there is usually one gift made of beads. This year my aunt and cousin made each family a beaded mitten ornament.

I'm going to take a short blog break and will see you in the new year.

May your 2008 be filled with joy, loved ones, health, prosperity... and beads.