Happy Easter, from my family to yours...

A day in the life...

A day in the life...

May you have the wings to fly far and wide, but always find your way back home. 

 Adventure is waiting...

From my family to yours, Happy New Year! 

The Lego Story

We are HUGE Lego fans in our home. I've lost count of all the Lego sets Gabriel has in his collection - God only knows if he has all the respective pieces too.  

If Gabe isn't building, rebuilding or creating (he's very good at building from his imagination) then he's scouring You Tube for Lego Reviews.  Not too long ago while perusing reviews, we stumbled across this video on the Lego Feed - I enjoyed it so much that I just had to share it.

I love anything and everything that has a positive message.  Without giving away the movie  

- Keep Moving Forward - 

is what I walked away with.  That and, Keep the Faith, and always follow your intuition too.

What an inspiring story to say the least.  It's no wonder Lego is as successful as it it!

Daily Adventures - Crabs at the Beach Today

Chewy and I went down to the harbor this afternoon for a quick walk while my rings were in the tumbler.  Apparently, It's mating season for the Horseshoe Crab - who knew!  There were quite a few at the shore today, and I can't remember the last time I saw a Horseshoe Crab down at Harborfront Park in Port Jeff. It was quite nice.

Chewy made a few friends

Drop the crab!

Christmas Bells, those Christmas Bells

For my Aunt Eleanor who called each and every time Charlie Brown was on T.V. so Gabriel could watch it.  Whether it was Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day or Snoopy Come Home, we could count on Aunt Ele's phone call.  I miss those calls...

Thank you Aunt Ele.

xoxo

Oh Deer!

There were two deer in our backyard the other day.  Well, actually in the backwoods behind our backyard.  As soon as I got the call from my neighbor Pam; I rushed to get Gabriel into his snow pants and boots and hurried into the backyard. 

Trust me when I say these pictures do not do the experience justice.  There were two deer and they were so close at one point.  That night we received another two feet of snow...

These pictures are courtesy of my neighbor Rob Botway.

Let it snow

We woke up to another two feet of snow this morning.  This is in addition to the two feet that Mother Nature was kind enough to dump on us just over two weeks ago.  ...I just heard another nor'easter is headed our way next week too.

Puff the Magic Dragon

I well-up every time I sit down to read Gabriel this book.  Seriously!  It's actually kind of disturbing & I can't control it.  No matter hard I try, I CANNOT get through Puff the Magic Dragon with dry eyes.

Now I'm the kind of person that finds *meaning* in almost everything.  A bird appears out of nowhere and  it's a message of some kind. I look at the clock at precisely 6:12 & I know my grandfather is near. 
 
So I decided to ponder those uncontrollable tears & here's what I finally came up with - The book - which is really just the song in print - is trying to tell me to enjoy my son & his childhood while I still can.  Because one day soon, sooner than I might like, sealing wax and silly strings are going to make way for other stuff.

"A Dragon lives forever, not so little girls and boys

painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys..."

Crying yet?

With that I've come to realize that "Balance" is my life lesson this time around.  Being able to balance my wants and needs with those of my family...especially the precious, oh so impressionable little cargo.  After all :

Balance = Bliss

I do find that when I am in balance, everything else in my life seems to harmoniously fall into place.   Just like magic!  Yet, it is something I struggle with everyday.  Why? 

"One grey night it happened, jackie paper came no more

And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,

Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.

Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave,

So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave"

I married my best friend

I just saw a commercial for Drew Barrymore's new movie "Going the Distance" with Justin Long.  One of the lines her character says is:  

"the only way you are content in life is if you marry your best friend"

That line got me thinking about my relationship...  We have been together five years, going on six and ...

...he inspires me, he motivates me, he supports me, he is my harshest critic & worst enemy.  He is my best friend.  He knows how to push all my buttons and how to melt my heart. 

I am definitely not suggesting that being married to your best friend will be all rainbows and puffy white clouds against a crystal blue sky 24-7/365.  It won't! Every relationship takes some amount of effort after all.  However, going though life with your best friend at your side "the good will always outweigh the bad" and the ride will be so much more fun!

That's a picture of our engagement tattoo by the way...we custom designed it to signify *home*.

3 Percent Less - The sad truth

Here on Long Island the local energy company - National Grid - is heavily advertising their "3% Less" campaign.  On the surface it's a No-Brainer!

This campaign focuses on using three percent less energy over the course of the next three years; under the guise that using less energy is not only good for the environment, but will be a savings to the customers.  And YES, using less energy in general is great for the environment -- we all should be that energy conscious.  However, there will never be a savings passed onto anyone and National Grid should not be advertising otherwise.

You would  think though, that using less of anything would save money, right?  I mean if you aren't using it, then you obviously are not spending money on it.  In this case, that is not true!

 Using 3% less energy is definitely good for the environment, but you will NOT see that reflected in your wallet - at least not in a good way.  Like all big corporations, National Grid has investors, employees, pension plans & medical benefits that need to get paid.  Where do you think the money comes from?  That's right, it's customers...US!  In this case using 3% less energy will only make the cost of the energy go up -- they will need to charge more for it to cover expenses. 

Did you know that National Grid charges a surcharge in mild winters where customers use less energy than they predicted.  Seriously, check your bill. Where's the savings in that?

In the Artists Den

Here is a peak behind the scenes into my studio, a.k.a. the spare bedroom...  

That's me and my little guy,  Gabriel sitting at the table where I do most of my work.  The Dremmel was a gift from husband one Valentines Day a couple of years ago.  We aren't your typical family.  

The Dremmel is my favorite tool --  I use it for everything... cutting, grinding, sanding, engraving ...everything!  Okay, the Dremmel and the torch.  I really like the torch too!

Unless I have a specific idea in my head busting to get out - like the oh so popular banner rings - I need everything splayed out in front of me to get to the juices flowing.  My sketching skills leave much to be desired, but I do try to scribble down ideas.  It's either that or loose them forever.  If I can't work on a project the minute I'm inspired to, it's gone. As long as I can understand my drawings, that's all that matters.   

Usually everything is all over the floor and I'm down there sorting though until something sparks an idea.  The the picture above is very deceiving - it was for an interview with the Three Village Patch; a local news source dedicated to our hometown.

So now that I let you into my world, what's yours like?  How do you get the creative juices flowing?  Are you organized or messy like me?  I'd love your thoughts...

Brooklyn Bound

Here are some pictures from the last Rumblers event under the BQE in Brooklyn - it was the 10th annual Kustom Kills & Hot Rod Thrills Car Show.  

The supporters were out in full-force.  Motor heads from all walks of life were there to either show off their ride or hopefully score one!

Everyone takes pictures of the cars, while I did too, most of my pictures are more candid moments.  I hope you enjoy them.

The waiting begins...  the space for the show is limited.  All the vendors need to be set up before any cars are allowed in.  This is the in-between time...

  Now, this picture...

Is a result of this...

And this...

The scavengers were sure out that day!  With the way that crowd was behaving you would think those photographers never saw a HOT Rockabilly Chic before. Gosh!

I will follow-up with pics of all the cars & some video too, so be on the look out! 

Inspiration

I've learned that I have to do things when I'm inspired to do them.  There is a divine plan that comes with my bouts of epiphany, even if I can't see it at the moment.  Maybe "divine" is too strong a word, but read on & I'll think you"ll get what I'm trying to say.

A good example of what I'm trying to convey is the two finger quartz skull ring.  One night I was inspired to make it and list it right away.  Now this is something I usually never do - I have pieces sitting in trays that were created back in February that have still not made it to the website for sale.  Anyway, within 10 hours of listing the skull quartz double ring it sold! 

They say there is a teacher for every student.  And I believe that can be taken one step further - "there is a designer for every style".  What I mean is...every time I'm inspired to create something, there is already a person for whom it is destined.  If I keep the momentum going by photographing and listing the piece as soon as it's created then it is likely to find it's home sooner rather than later.  Catch my drift?

Another good example of this is the Glow in the Dark Quartz ring - within 30 minutes of listing this ring it sold! I immediately had a request for a silver version & happen to have one more stone on hand with which to fulfill the request.

I can't take all the credit for the Glow in the Dark stones though.  I walked right past them at the last gem & mineral show.  Both my husband and four year old son said "you have GOT to buy these".  As usual, they were right!

Want your very own Glow in the Dark Quartz jewelry piece?  No Problem!  Custom requests are my specialty.  You can see lots more crystal jewelry, including the piece that was featured in the September 2010 issue of Cleo Magazine here.

Do you follow your intuition (a.k.a. moments of inspiration)?  Have suggestions for staying on track?  I'd love some feedback if you feel so inclined - they don't call my style chaotic for nothing.

Gabriel's Ring

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to family and friends that I've been neglecting my blog lately.  When you wear all the hats, something has got to give.  This time it was the blog.  A LOT has been going on and I'm here to bring you all up to speed...

My son has been bugging me for months to make him his very own four finger brass knuckle ring.  I kept putting it off, and putting it off, not really being inspired.  That changed on Friday; the night before the Rumblers 2010 Kustom Kills & Hot Rod Thrills Car Show (look for a separate post on this event).  I suddenly became inspired, as this would be the perfect place to debut Gabriel's new ring - selfish, I know.  ...it says "WANNA PLAY" and is his favorite phrase of all time - he only says it about 100 times a day.

It was a HIT!  Everyone loved it.  Of Course with Gabriel rocking the ring, how could they not love it! And, YES it is most definitely for sale!  For $35 your child can have their very own custom four finger brass knuckle style ring & be the "King of the Playground".  It's crafted from 5mm wide copper and has a felt backing to protect the little fingers.

More on what's been going tomorrow...

West Meadow Beach

Gabriel & Mommy

Going to the beach today with Gabriel was the BEST thing I did today.  The tide was so low and there were sand bars everywhere.  

We walked out to one, made foot prints in the sand and witnessed nature up close and personal.

Gabriel's little hand holding a baby jelly fish

The shores were littered with these jelly egg sacs - I knew they were eggs of babies, but had NO IDEA they were baby jelly fish!  

Apparently come the end of August, these little guys will be grown.

hermit crab

This little guy was one of many hermit crabs scurrying along the sand bar.  The hermit crabs were all shapes and sizes from the tiniest spec to this guy - he was the largest we saw today.

The tiny snails were fun to watch too.  There were hundreds making their way along the sand, some burrowing deep before our eyes.

This really was a fun afternoon.  North Shore beaches are so rocky that it takes low tide for nature to reveal itself.  This was truly a first for me as I've never walked out to a sand bar.  I'm so happy that I could do this with Gabriel today, allowing him to experience this for the first time too!  We go to the aquarium all time, but it's nothing like this.  Today was beautiful, for sure.

Muttville Circus visits Port Jefferson, NY

Gabriel with the Stars of the show!

Port Jefferson went to the dogs and we were there to witness it!  The Muttville Circus came to town for the entire community to enjoy!  And boy was the lawn packed!  It seems as though everyone from near and far came out to enjoy this show.

This is one of the many family-friendly events The Port Jefferson Parks and Recreation Department hosts for the community every Thursday night throughout the summer weeks.

Want to see what's left on the schedule?  Here's the calendar of events.  Boy do I love living in this town!

Check out more of my my amateur videos of the event on You Tube here, including the doggy high wire act! 

If you missed the performance, don't worry! Johnny Peers' Muttville Comix is on Long Island through September 6, 2010 at The Long Island Game Farm in Mannorville, NY.

Johnny Peers Muttville Comix has been around since 1980.  Formerly a clown with Ringling Bros. and the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Peers and his 15 dogs perform a variety of tricks, such as jumping rope, ladder climbing, tightrope walking and skateboarding.  Muttville Comix was the winner of Animal Planet’s Pet Star Television Show in 2003.

Julia Williams of Responsible Pet Ownership interviewed Johnny Peers back in March of this year; you can read all about it here.

Have you ever seen a Scallop run away from a Sea Star?

Have you ever seen a Sea Scallop run away from a Sea Star?  Well now you have! Did you know the Sea Star (starfish) is the natural predator of the Scallop?  In the oceans the Sea Star will bind itself to the shell of the scallop, slowly prying it open overtime.

The Sea Scallop exerts so much effort to open up & "run" away from the Sea Star, that it can actually take years off its life.  With that, please enjoy the video, but don't try this next time you visit the Aquarium...we'd like those Scallops to live as long as possible.

Keep your eye on the Scallop!

Hair Days

Good hairs days, bad hair days...we all have them.  Me, I'm on a messy hair kick lately and this is my new Favorite doo!  A slight modification to the bun.  Basically, I just tie my hair in a couple of knots - YES knots! - and then hold it place with chop sticks.

Here goes - grab two pig tails if you will, and tie them end over end into a knot up high on the back of your head.  Repeat step 1.  Hold it with one hand while pinning with the first chopstick...then add the second.  Is it a little loose?  Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.

As long as I can remember, I've had really, really, really long hair.  Except for the few years I was with EMANUEL/Emanuel Ungaro and Liz Claiborne -- I was going through a bob phase then.  Did I mention I was blond too... (can you imagine me as a blond?)  Anyway, I digress...  My point being that with long hair I've always been pretty creative with my hair styles &  love putting it up or tying it back.  

I happen to love the way this style looks?  You?

We happen to LOVE asterisk & ampersand - a steampunk inspired hair stick Goddess.  Now I've browsed the web end-over-end and have never seen anything as stunning, creative or natural as asterisk & ampersands work.  While I'm sure a lot was put into the pieces, the end result conveys effortless style & simple elegance - which is why I love it so.  I'll be getting my order in shortly as it's time I retire those Hello Kitty chop sticks for a piece more my style!


What's your current favorite hair style? Do you have a "can't live without" hair accessory?  Feel free to share your favorites here -- links are welcome! 

Reminiscing

Although I didn't know him then...this reminds me of my grandfather. He was a carnie before he met my grandmother in Texas and settled down. He told me stories about climbing the Ferris Wheel to set it up and take it down. As a matter of fact, my grandmother got on the ride and my grandfather wouldn't let her off - he was smitten. With that began a new chapter and the carnie life was left behind.

It all started when my grandfather ran away from home at the age of 9 and again at 13.  The second time he ran away from home, he worked in a bowling alley on 42nd Street in New York City setting up the bowling pins; it was 1939.  From there he joined a traveling carnival and ended up manning the Ferris Wheel.

The story I was told over and over again goes like this... Nanny (that's my grandmother) was at the carnival with her brother (my Uncle Dink...hey it was Texas in the 40's) and they got on the Ferris Wheel.  My grandfather saw her and was immediately smitten.  He had no idea Uncle Dink was her brother.  Round and round they went, with my grandfather refusing to let them off the ride until she agreed to a date with him.  Which, from I what was told, was a pretty long time. 

When it came time for the carnival to move on, the sheriff made sure my grandfather went with them.  You see, his son was also smitten with my grandmother.  From what I understand, not a week went by that my grandfather was back and they were married.  That was 1945.

The opportunity of a lifetime & the stress to match

Today is March 11 and I'm stressing out.  I'm stressing because I am pitching my product to an exclusive, trendy 5th Avenue boutique in two weeks.  I'm stressing out because other than the 2 bracelets that I created today, I haven't developed any product for the meeting -- I need at least 2 to 3 dozen pieces to feel like I have a fighting chance.

I'm stressing out because I have what's called "starving artist syndrome" in other words, I need to be inspired to create.  And it would appear as though my muse has run off to inspire another.  This absence is temporary, I know.  Still stressful nonetheless.

The stress coupled with the "what if's" is weighing heavy.  Will they like my schizophrenic one-of-a-kind style?  Will they think it's a good fit for their boutique?  Will they appreciate its uniqueness?  Or will they want it mass-produced? Come to think of it, in addition to the actual product, I need line sheets and a bio too!  Some nice displays wouldn't hurt either!

One would think 20 + years in the fast paced NYC fashion industry, working for the likes of Emmanuel Ungaro and Liz Claiborne doing fashion shows, in-store events, and  managing a 10 million dollar business in a sales capacity at the height of my career would have prepared me for this.  In some ways it did.   But it is different when it's your baby & your business.  ...I never felt guilty traveling or working late when another was providing my income.  Now, I get intense pangs of guilt when I tell my son I'll play with him later, because "mommy is working on an important project".  I'm a great mom & I know it.  I spend a great deal of time with my son and family, yet I still feel guilty for taking that much-needed time to help myself.  Any doctor, family counselor, self-help guru, or other mom will tell you that you need to take care of yourself first and foremost, otherwise you're no good to anyone else.  I know this to be true, so what's with the "mom guilt"?

Anyway, I do my best work under pressure, I always have; so I am positive that I will pull through.  Without inflicting too much damage to the family on the home-front too.

For what it's worth guys, I'm a really private person by nature.  It took some courage to share these to share these thoughts and emotions with you.