Vegas of the South

Taking off for the "Vegas" of the south to Tunica Mississippi, to celebrate the DH big five O and to play in some Texas Holdem tournaments. The WSOP circut event is going on and we hope to get a chance to play in some of the qualifiers. I am not expecting much....but it sure will be fun. Several of our friends are joining us so it will be fun filled weekend...a kind of last hurrah before my surgery next week. So wish me luck and will post all the fun when I get back.
"...I'm All In"....just practicing!

17 Jewels

Rejuvenated jewels with a little steampunk...luminescent vintage rosary beads are re purposed in this original necklace. A vintage brass stamping holds an antique watch movement with 17 jewels ( upon close examination you can see 4 red jewels) and A small antique key dangles with promise. I hand forged a brass hook and eye for a closure and added some iridescent labradorite beads for some shine.

Falling Leaves

Copper colored coin pearls accent and rejuvenate a vintage brass chain and vintage brass filigree leaves. This necklace will fringe your neck with great fall color and design. Measures: 16 1/4". Lobster clasp closure. You can find this necklace in my Judith B. Designs etsy shop where I am also having a 15% off Sale....check it out!

15 % Off SALE

My etsy shop "Judith B. Designs" is have a SALE...15% off all items, Including already reduced items. I am making room for some new items. Check it out!

Birdless house...

Isn't this bird house just wonderful? We were visiting friends and this is in her yard. Check out the stone chimney...so cute! However my friend Kay says birds have never lived in this house. Maybe it is too fancy for them?

We have great plans for the weekend...so excited! To celebrate my DH five O birthday we are heading out early Friday am to Tunica Mississippi , a mini LasVegas in the south. Gold Strike casino and hotel here we come, the name alone just sounds lucky! The World Series of Poker ciruit is going on so we will try our hand in some Texas Holdem tournaments. Fun, Fun, Fun! We will be joining lots of our friends. I gotta go roll up my pennies and check the chair cushions for available change...

Enjoy the roses outside your window...

One of the most tragic things about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

The BIG FIVE O

The BIG 50 !!

Happy Birthday to my darlin! I started dating this handsome sweet wonderful person when I was 16 years old and he was 17. Wow....time has certainly gone by fast. I guess like the saying says..."Time flies when you are having fun!". I wish my dearest a wonderful birthday and the best is yet to come!

The Wanderer

I have been saving these transportation tokens for sometime and I knew I wanted to make a bracelet out of them. These vintage tokens where used for trains, trolleys and buses and are usually marked with the city or state from which they come.

I attached the tokens to some brass washers that I had hand stamped and oxidized. A lone polymer clay bead adds a hint of color. I hand forged a rustic toggle for a closure and a vintage Eiffel tower dangles with a copper bead..and here you have "The Wanderer". It is pretty lightweight and comfortable to wear and a great conversation starter. You can find this in my Flap Your Wings shop on Etsy.

Hope More
Talk Less...Say More
Fear Less

Get off my desk!

It is a rarity that I can actually have the computer and the desk all to my self. As you can see I am not having one of those rare moments. Samuel likes to sit, lay and sleep right here and shed everywhere. He actually looks like I am bothering him!

Unearthed

I have stumbled upon this great blog called "Etsybynumbers" written by Fridah. Besides writing this very informative blog she has several etsy shops. I am honored to be one of the etsy shops she has "unearthed" for today, so be sure to check her out. Besides featuring other designers she keeps you informed on Etsy's numbers...top sellers in all catorgories and etc...certainly worth a peek.

Whale or Mermaid?

A good friend just sent this nice little story to me via email and I just had to share it with all you lovely ladies....Enjoy!

Recently, in large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said: THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?
A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.
To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.
Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.
P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good gosh, look how smart I am.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays are a reflection of where you've been and where you are going...at least they are for me. Time is passing a little too fast for me, I sure would like to slow things down a bit. My DH (Alicia, I could not resist..lol) and I are getting to that middle of the road age....I'm not saying but you can guess. Our one and only is going to college and we will be empty nesters....we are still too young to be buying a condo and going to dinner at 3pm for the early bird specials but I can almost feel it creeping up. So today I will slow it down a bit, relax by the pool, take my charge Jake for a walk and get ready for a fun night out with friends.

Business Card Tagline

A little late night post....just got home from dinner with friends had a few too many drinks and way too much good food so I am a little on the drowsy side. Anyway....I am having to re due my business cards to fit the MOO size (orginally mine were over sized....I like them to stand out) So since I have fallen in love with Moo's quality I will be ordering my next batch from them. They allow for a design to be on the back and I need a little help with that as far as wordage. This is the card I have now and I plan to move the websites to the back...I am looking for a tag line to put with the addresses...I have come up with a few but thought it would be interesting to see what you all think it should be. It is good to come from a different perspective.

Looking forward to see what you have to say.

Nest of Singing Birds....

Sir, we are a nest of singing birds..
It is a nice rainy day here...I love the sound of a soft rain. Sometimes we need a day like this, I don't have to water the garden or my pots, the grass gets its drink it needs and everything gets a nice wash. Tomorrow on the the other hand I want it to be nice and sunny because it is my birthday! Not sure if I want to say hooray or not but it is my special day...we all have one. Its the day to celebrate the day we arrived.
Hope everyone has a great day!

Helping the Eaglet leave the nest...

Yesterday my husband and I spent the day at Lipscomb University in Nashville with our son Nick. It was an orientation to college life for us as well as Nick. Nick chose to attend this school even though he had doubts at first. Lipscomb is a Christian school and learning the bible is a mandatory class here. We are Catholics living in the bible belt, a somewhat foreign concept. Lipscomb is a warm and open school with all denominations attending. It is a modern school in thinking and very progressive, Service and faith are practiced. We have taught Nick to be tolerant of others no matter what their beliefs are and always have an open mind. We hope he will soar in this environment where his ideas and thoughts will be challenged and listened to. In one short month my one and only will leave his nest....I am so excited for him to have this wonderful opportunity and yes there are tears streaming down my face.

These words were spoken yesterday and upon translation had everyone in tears.

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Have a great day!