July 16: Ugh.... my computer is heading to the shop to get worked on tomorrow. I'm going to feel so lost. The screen has been blanking out the past few months and I keep avoiding the fact that it needs service. Then tonight it totally went blank and I thought for sure I was in big trouble. I played around with it a bit and got it to light back up. So now I'm tying up loose ends, getting it backed up, answering e-mails that need my attention and so on.

So until my computer comes home from sick leave, I probably won't be doing any updating on the web site. I WILL BE ANSWERING E-MAILS but will have to use hubby's computer to do all this. So think of me as functioning with crutches. Plus, my wonderful new minivan is back in the shop getting worked on and I have the (pardon my language) but the most crappiest tiny piece of junk Kia rental car. I told the guy I needed something that 3 kids with one having a car seat need to fit in the back seat. I was dealing with a teenager that has obviously never tried to fit a car seat and 2 boys in the back seat of a tin can car. My hubby's Prius is tiny and his car towers over this one. I'm not joking!!!!! I honestly don't think my 3 boys will fit in the car safely. Plus it stinks like smoke and the windows have to be rolled up and down by hand. I didn't know they still made new cars with handles to operate the windows! Not to be ungrateful but I kept my mouth shut and took the dumb car. Which isn't like me at all but I had a bad run in with them last week and I just didn't have the energy to fight tonight.

So anyway... I hope to have my computer back in my hands soon but I'm guessing at least 4-5 work days. I'm so sad just thinking about it! :-)

July 13: Welp, saw Harry Potter tonight. Hmmmmm I have mixed emotions about the movie. It was good but so many things were left out and the director even went as far to change and add things that weren't in the book. That was very disappointing.

I just added a few sets of the stacked rings to the boutique page. I'm still figuring out the sizing on these things. Right now, the only two sizes that are in stock are 6 3/4 and a size 7 set. I'll get some more sizes added over the next few days. They are really fun to wear. I've been wearing mine all week.

July 11: Hubby and I had chance to get away by ourselves and went to see the Transformers movie tonight. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I wasn't expecting much. The action and special effects were quite impressive. We were disappointed though with the bad language and inappropriate things for young kids. Our boys would LOVE the movie . They've played with Transformers since the age of 4. Wish they would have made it more appropriate for the 7-11 yr old kids. Especially with Burger King promoting the toys to young kids. YES.... I can't wait to see the Harry Potter movie. We will be seeing it this weekend and I can't wait for the final book to come out!

I'm adding a new necklace to the boutique page. I've ordered about $1200 in new Czech beads for the supply page. So expect new goodies to be added. Since time is still such an issue right now, they won't be added quickly. Keep checking back for new additions. I did get most of the new flowers added. They are going fast though and not sure if I will be able to restock all of them.

July 10: I don't know if I'm coming or going!!! It has been so busy that I haven't even had enough time to update this page. I'm really backed up on lampwork orders. (Thanks to all that have placed them! )I'm still taking orders with the understanding that the turn around time is going to be around 4 weeks. I'm going to be out of town for about 9-10 days the first part of August so this will put me even further behind. I'll have a better idea over these next few weeks of my turn around time. I have a very large lampwork order that I'm trying to work in between regular orders and this is why I'm more backed up than normal. I'm so sorry. I hate being this far behind but with the kids out of school and needing my attention during the day... it is hard to catch up. Kit orders are still being processed within a day or two. Jewelry orders I'm trying to keep at a 7-9 day turn around time.
I have a lot of new ideas I'm playing with. Been doing more with the silver and stamping and have been slowing playing around with soldering the silver. I have a lot of ideas I want to try but haven't had the time to play yet. I think you guys will like what I have in mind! I did make these stackable rings. They are pretty fun to make. I'll be adding all sorts of new hand made silver items to the boutique and gallery. I have a set of custom alphabet stamps being made for me right now and I can't wait to get my hands on them!!

As if we needed any more excitment in my life, I had an interesting discovery this past Saturday. (Long story but semi-entertaining if you are really bored and feel like reading:-) Our back deck is only about 18" off the ground. I was pulling some very tall weeds on the edge of the deck when I saw these teeny tiny little black legs and tail. I yell for hubby to come out thinking it is a cat but hmmm.. maybe it's some other animal. I go to the other edge of the deck and see this oh so cute, furry and fuzzy grey face sticking out from under the deck. There are 2 little kittens under the deck. We can't reach them so hubby gets some of our indoor cat's food and puts it out. It is gone in a flash.

About an hour later, the mama cat is under the deck. She isn't much bigger than the babies. Good grief... what do we do now? They are wild cats but don't seem too threatening. I was nervous to go turn off my propane tank though. So the next evening, we put out some more food and wait. We can't see them under the deck all the time. They must have some sort of hole they hide in. I'm downstairs working and hubby yells for me to come up and fast. So I do and surrounded around the food bowl are 5 kittens and the mama cat. Oh my..... now what are we going to do? The kittens will scatter as soon as they see you so we watch them quietly and they are so playful and so cute. But 5 of them!!!! Now what? So last night they were out playing and getting more used to us being around. Especially if we give them bites of hot dogs!! Then late last night sure enough we see who had to be papa cat coming around. Oh no, this isn't good. He looks just like 4 of the kittens but he is big and we certainly don't want him around. So we chase him off and pick up the food.

It has been kind of rainy all day and I took the boys to the zoo so we haven't been around. I didn't see them yet today but went ahead and put out some food and water for them this evening. Randy comes downstairs and tells me the story about how he looked outside and was all like...."oh, I see a little tail... there is a kitty out eating some food... ha... that's not a kitty... that's a little possum! What.... we live in the city... what's up with all of these animals? He scares it away. Then about 45 min I shut down for the night and have to go outside to turn my propane off and there that darn possum is back drinking out of the water bowl. UGH! What is going on here? I'm just shaking my head. Maybe the cats left. I doubt it though. I'm guessing the kittens can be domesticated. I'm not sure about the mother. So if they stick around a few days more, we need to probably get them to a shelter.

July 2: Hubby had to drag me home kicking and screaming:-) We had a great family vacation in Charleston, SC. We rented a beach house and spent the entire week doing nothing but hanging out on the beach. It was perfect. Life was perfect!
It is so hard to come home and unpack with lots of work waiting for me. I took my computer along and did work on updating my web site. The page 8 of bead galleries has some new things, and the jewelry pages have some new photos. I have lots of new supplies but didn't get those added yet. The photos are taken. I took the pics out in the deck of the beach house with the sound of the waves in the background. Ah.... memories! I think I have about 7 new flowers to add to the supply page and all sorts of other fun beads. I hope to get those added in the coming week.

I'm feeling really buried in orders right now. I need to take inventory on my work schedule but expect lampwork orders to be around a two week turn around time.

Here is a pic of my cutie pie boys on vacation. Caiden is so funny. He has to do EVERYTHING that his big brothers do. Including wearing a necklace and sunglasses!