Yay for cold winters!

Thanks to the unusually cold Florida weather this winter, so many of my flowers that usually give me a hard time blooming in the spring are absolutely bursting!

My Hydrangeas - which typically make a huge plant but very few blossoms are exploding this spring.

And, to top things off, all but one of my bananas survived ....

and my pineapples are covered in yummy fruit! Yay!!!

There are twelve more just like these!

Spacey

~Across the Universe~

You may have noticed that I've been making a lot of spacer type beads lately. Why? Well, for two reasons, I guess.

For one, I've had quite a few custom orders for smallish colored spacers. Jewelry designers seem to be looking for simpler, reasonably priced beads to use in their designs, as well as pricier elaborate focals.

Secondly, (and this is probably the more important reason since I can only make what I like to make, not what I'm told to make) I've been having so much fun blending custom colors lately, I'm loving the opportunity to showcase them in these simple styles. (*note to self: "um..run on sentence much, Laurie?")

Here are some of the ones I'm offering in my Etsy shop right now. You don't want to miss out on these! Every one is done in premium, hand-blended color combos 'cause if I'm making spacers, you betta believe I'm making the best, prettiest, most unique damn spacers on the planet!

~Bayou Blues~

~Peach Melba~

~Wisteria~

~Wine Country~

~Shell Pink~

~Shore Discs~

Summer calling

Beach Baubles on eBay

After spending a gorgeous day at the beach on Mother's Day, I'm feeling very summery this week. I've put several items on 'Clearance' in my Etsy shop. I also have lots of new beads listed in both Etsy and on eBay. Come take a peek!

New Organic Essentials in my Etsy shop

In my mailbox!

Ask me how much I love this bracelet?

I wanted to share one of my new favorite things. Isn't this gorgeous?

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to make a trade with Lori Eurto of Lorelei's Jewelry - some of my beads for one of her wonderful pieces. (Did you know that a 'lorelei' is another name for a mermaid?)

I love getting a package that's as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside!

I hardly ever wear jewelry, but when I do, it's a bracelet. I love chunky, eclectic pieces with unique details and that's just what her jewelry provides - beautiful, artisan elements joined together in perfect harmony.

Thanks, Lori!

Sound of silence...

Do you ever have periods of time where you just want to be quiet? Does the effort of talking, discussing, recounting experiences ever just seem to be too much work?

Well, that's how I've felt for the last couple of weeks. I just had no desire to communicate. I mean, sure, everyday conversations with family and friends I could manage. Those necessary words that must be spoken.

But I had no desire to hear myself or read any words I'd written. With blogs and Twitter and Facebook I just feel like I spend way too much time putting myself out there. It's exhausting, quite frankly. I didn't feel like promoting my work, sharing my thoughts or talking about 'what's going on' right now. I didn't even have a strong desire to talk about other people's work, lives and activities. So I had myself a little break and the time away was good. Cleansing, I guess.

In the meantime, I've been working. Working in my garden, working on my house, working on my friendships and working on....well, my work. I've even managed to get some new things listed on Etsy, too!

~A Walk in the Clouds~

~More Beach Baubles~

(I can't stop making these. I'm addicted to custom-blending my own glass colors and I'm fascinated by the results)

~Moody Blues~

~Organic Essentials - Rare Earth~

~Organic Essentials - Fresh~