The Month of the Peridot

This month's birthstone is peridot. Peridot is unusual in the gem world because it really only comes in one color: olive green. However that color does vary based on how much iron is in the stone, and it can range from yellow-green to brownish green. Peridot is associated with dignity and success, and because of its green color has also been linked to nature in many ancient cultures. In olden times miners would search for the stone at night, believing that the light of the moon made it easier to find. A unique stone perfect for people born in this unique month! Happy birthday to all of you born in August! :)

Vintage 1940s Van Dell Peridot Brooch by laurenrosedesign	Chartreuse Chandeliers Letterpress Coasters by missive
Bright Green Aloe Patterns 8x10 Print by amefaust	Herb the Garden Bunny Faux Fur Plushie by Zygopsyche
Key Lime Cathedral Window Pillow Cover by warmnfuzzies	Cinnamon Pine Shea Butter Soap by BLSoaps

You can also check out the full sized Etsy treasury here! Have a great day! :)

Angry Sky

There was a big storm that blew through here this weekend. I dislike thunderstorms, a lot. But I do appericate that even big scary things can be beautiful, so I made a treasury with a thunderstorm theme. :)

Angry Sky

I got a lot of sewing done this weekend! I'll be posting about that later today, once I get the pictures done. See you then! :)

I'm back! :)

It was nice to take some time off from the blog. And while I didn't get much done sewing wise, I did get a lot of done around my house that I have been meaning to do, and I organized my craft area some. :) It has been wicked hot around here lately, however, I have still not made it to the beach yet, so I kind of have the beach on mind today. So for my first post back, I present a mini treasury (and a big treasury) based on one of my favorite quotes:

Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised. ~ Song of Solomon 8:7

Ocean Whimsy Photography Print by memoir	Many Waters Inscribed Silver Necklace by tracyhibsman
Moon Over Stormy Waters Beaded Cuff by windyriver	The Light at The End of The Tunnel by ChiliThom
Panoramic Crashing Waves Oil Painting by LeahFranklin	Large Pitcher in Blue Wave Glaze by carolbroadleypottery

Have a beautiful day! :)

Hmm...

So it occurred to me over the weekend that I have less then two months till the craft show I'm attending in September, and I am no where near ready for it! So starting today I am going to be taking a "blog break" to get caught up. I'll still post here and there, but I'm not going to be doing any treasuries for a bit. As fun as they are, they are cutting into my creative time quite a bit. :) Not that I spend too much time on Etsy or anything, but I could cut back just a little bit. ;)

And in case you are interested, the craft show I'm doing with my cousin Amber (thewanderingknitter), is the Ocean Grove Giant Craft Show on September 4th. I'll post more info about it as it gets closer.

Oh and before I go, I made this treasury up over the weekend, but never posted it. (You didn't think I'd leave without posting one last treasury did you?) Enjoy!

* Make a Wish! *

Have a great rest of the week! :)

Dew Drops

Yesterday was a very foggy, misty morning. It was nice having some hot, dry days, but to me it has to be humid to feel like summer. :) Not that I particularly enjoy the humidity, it's just after living in New Jersey for so long, it's just become a part of summer for me. Besides when it's really humid, the dew in the morning is epic! Some days it looks like the lawn is covered in tiny gems! One of these mornings, when I'm not mostly asleep, I need to get out before the dew dissipates and get some pics! Until then, enjoy these Etsy dew drops in today's mini treasury!

Dew 12" X 9" Original Oil Painting by booboostudio	Morning Dew Floral Spider Web Mobile by TivoliDesign
Handmade Morning Dew Necklace by mycellardoor	Aquamarine Dew Drops - ACEO by Squier
Spider Web and Dew Photographic Print by kmaphoto	Dew Drop Grass Summer in Vermont Print by bluedreamsunshine

I also made a big treasury to go with today's post. You can check it out here. Have a beautiful day! :)

Pool Weather

There is nothing better in life then floating in a cool pool on a hot day! I'm sure I've said this before, but I would live in a pool if I could! Anyway since the last week has been so warm (even at night), my mom's pool has been in the 80s, and I've been over there every night! :) So I thought today I would do a pool themed mini treasury! Enjoy!

The Plunge No.3 - Giclee on Stretched Canvas by gracegallery	Vintage Printers Block - Swimming Hole by TurnersCollectibles
Ceramic Wedding Cake Topper - Love Birds by orlydesign	Extra Long Silver Necklace with Lampwork Beads by Ulixis
Cerulean Sparkle Hand Dyed Merino Sock Yarn by portfiber	Cruise Blue Crest Mesh Tote by JaynaUmeda

Oh and I also did a big treasury to go along with this one! You can check it out here. Have a cool day!

Epic Weekend!

This was one of the best weekends in a long time! :) Friday night we took the kids to see fireworks. Saturday we relaxed all day, then my brothers and cousins came over and we hung out for a bit and played games. :)

Sunday which was the 4th of July was awesome! We hung out at home for the morning, and I worked on some treasuries. And...



One of them made it to the front page!!! :D I've never had anything make it to the front page before! Congrats to PamlicoBee, qacreate, asherjasper, EleganceFarm, ShoeBoxMemoriesDLuxe, queenartist, owlcreekceramics, QuiltsbyShirley, Mazizmuse, H20works, photodillon, and MySillyBear! And thanks to them and to SimpleJoysPaperie, greenbaboondesigns, CortneyLei, and ItzFitz for making this treasury special enough to get picked for the front page! :) I couldn't have gotten there without you! :)

I also made another Americana treasury on Sunday (I was having too much fun!).

~ America the Beautiful ~

I based this one on the song of the same name. Each picture and the item to its right, is part of a line from the first verse. It was fun to make. :) I like doing treasuries based on songs and poems. It makes it more interesting to find pieces that match them. :)

Anyway after we had hung out at the house for a bit, we went to my mom's to go swimming. It was the perfect night for it! The air was warm, the water was warm, and there was hardly any breeze. When we got home it was getting dark, and we noticed some of our neighbors were shooting off fireworks, so we stayed in the driveway and watched that for a bit. The next day we were going to a birthday party, so once the kids were asleep, my husband baked a pie.



And not just any pie, but the best pecan pie I've ever had! Oh man...it was soooo good! I have to get the recipe from him so I can post it. It really was to die for! :)

Monday was the party and I figured since it was a party, I should make some cupcakes. Nothing fancy, just something festive. :)



They turned out really cute, and they weren't that hard to make either! :) After the party we came home and my brother and cousins came over again to play some board games then we watched a movie. Overall it was an amazingly fun weekend! :) I hope you all had a great weekend as well. And since I got so much done this weekend, I also have a BBQ mini treasury for you! Enjoy!

Oven Barbecued Brisket Photo by cateomalley	Polymer Clay Hot Dog Earrings by roscata
Etched Pint Size Jelly Jar Barware by EastMesaDesign	Organic Sugarbaby Watermelon Seeds by TheLittleRagamuffin
Polymer Clay Cheeseburger Charm by shayaaron	Summer BBQ Invite - Set of 8 by girlingearstudio

And, I also did a really treasury to go with it! You can check it out here!

Hope you all had a great weekend and I hope you all have a great rest of the week! Bye for now! :)

Boom! Boom! Boom! Ooooo! Aaaaa!

We saw fireworks Friday night! :D I love fireworks! It was so much fun! We sat far enough away that it wasn't loud enough to scare the kids, and they LOVED it! But, why do we have fireworks on the 4th of July? Sure, it's a holiday and a celebration, but we don't shoot off fireworks at Christmas, or Halloween, so why do we do it on the 4th of July? I'm sure you all know that July 4 is America's Independence Day. But, it wasn't the day we won the Revolutionary War or the day the war was started, it was the day 56 delegates of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. It was the day that Britain’s 13 American colonies became the United States of America!

Now really, when those men signed that paper, they were committing treason! And if we had lost the war, they probably would have been executed! But they believed so much in what they were doing that they were willing to put their lives on the line for freedom. Freedom from what though? Well freedom from British rule yes, but there is more to it then that. The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence really shows what they were willing to die for, and what we as a country have been willing to die for ever since:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In a word freedom! Not just freedom from Britain, but a new freedom, a freedom we would make our selves, which no person or government could ever take away from us! And while the creation of this country and its freedoms is definitely something deserving of fireworks, it still doesn't quite explain why they are such a symbol of the 4th of July.

I think the main reason for our country's use of fireworks for 4th of July celebrations is our national anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner.

The Star-Spangled Banner was written by the poet Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, which also happened to be with England. We at the time were a very new country and certainly not the super-power that England was. Nevertheless, we were still ready to fight for our freedom! The song that would become our national anthem was written during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the very middle of the war. He and John Stuart Skinner had gone to make arrangements for the release of some American prisoners, but after overhearing plans for that evening’s battle, they were forced to remain captive on a British ship until morning. You can imagine how they felt, by listening to the first and second verse of the song and imagining what it was like to be the heat of battle, captive, on an enemy ship.

When the sun went down the American flag was flying above the fort, but once the lights from the barrage of bombs had stopped, there was no way for them to know whether or not the British had succeeded in taking over the fort, till morning's first light shown on victor's flag flying from the battlements.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

In the dark, the explosions from the ships' cannon fire and the return fire from Fort McHenry would give just enough light to see which side had control over the fort.

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

But once the bombing stopped for the night, it would have been completely dark on the shore and impossible to see what was going on from their ship. Who had won? Who now controlled the fort? Did America's flag still fly? Or had the British flag replaced it?

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Then as the sun slowly rose, its light revealed the answer!

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Seeing the American flag waving in the morning sea breezes, it must have been amazing! They had held the fort; the battle was won!

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

That is why there are fireworks. They invoke the feelings that this country is built on. We fought for freedom and we won, not just once, but many times, through many years and many wars. And we will keep fighting for our freedom and the freedom of our children until the end of time if need be. And celebrating that freedom is something that totally deserves fireworks!

Happy 4th of July everyone! :)

The Month of the Ruby

This month's birthstone is the ruby. Rubies can come in different colors from a brownish red to pink, but the most highly prized are the deep red (or pigeon blood-red) rubies. Since red is the color of love, rubies have long been associated with everlasting love and in ancient times rubies were also thought to have magical powers that brought good luck and good health. Rubies, because of their specific red coloring, were also used to make the first lasers! Love and lasers, what else could you ask for in a birthstone? So to all my friends and followers with birthdays in July, I dedicate this mini treasury to you! Happy Birthday! :)

Rubylicious Red Quartz Necklace by AThousandJoys	4" Ruby Red Sparkler Star Ornament by kissadesign
Ruby Red Vase with Lines and Dots by marymeestudio	A Love Like This Fine Art Print by photoatelier
5 Felted Wool Ruby Red Cherries by BumblecatSoapCo	Scarlet Blossoming Flower Coasters by rubypress

I have also recreated one of my favorite treasuries to go with this post. You can check it out here! Have a great day everyone! :)

Hungry for a Sundae

I don't know what got me thinking about ice cream, but I have been craving Neapolitan ice cream lately. :) When I was younger, my mom used to buy us these huge white plastic gallon tubs of cheapo ice cream (there were seven of us). The ice cream was good and afterwards we could use the tubs to put our toys in. I think they had rainbow sherbet too; that was my brother Steve's favorite. :) But my favorite was the Neapolitan! It was fun cause you had so many combinations you could get! You could have all three flavors, or just one, or maybe just two. My favorite was vanilla and strawberry. :) I remember it was always best if the two flavors you wanted weren't touching, cause then you didn't have to worry about getting some of the third flavor mixed in with your two favorites! :) So, in honor of the 90 degree weather and memories of drippy ice cream cones, today's theme is Neapolitan ice cream!

Polymer Clay Ice Cream Sandwich Earrings by TheClayCollection	Three Tier Neapolitan Mochi Ice Cream Cone by bobbin4apples
3 Brass Bangles with Accent Beads by saltandpaper	Neapolitan Soapy Pop Popsicle Soap by soapylove
Neapolitan Triple Layer Marshmallows by cupcakesinjars	Neapolitan Ice Cream Recycled Jar Candle by LilacAve

Oh and I also did a yummy treasury called A Neapolitan Summer, check it out! Have a sweet day! :)

Happy First Day of Summer!

Even though lately the temps around here make it feel like the middle of July, today is in fact the first day of summer! And the beginning of summer around here always means two things 1) school is out 2) the carnival is back! :)

Every year after the last week of school the carnival comes to town! There's rides, games, food, and fireworks! I like going on the nice gentle rides, like the merry-go-round, but my sister and brother were always the ones to go on the scary rides! Of course my favorite part is the fair food. Where else can you get deep-fried cookies and candy bars, nevermind the hot dogs, cheesesteaks, funnel cake, and (my personal favorite) cotton candy!

The first date my husband ever asked me on was to the carnival. :) He agreed to go the ferris wheel with me even though he was afraid of heights. It was too cute. :) Summer means a lot of things, but the beginning of summer will always be carnival time to me! I hope you enjoy this carnival themed mini treasury! :)

Carnival Ride Photographic Print by EtceteraEast	Carnival Food Note Cards (Set of 6) by ordersupdesigns
Circus Peanut Soaps (set of 12) by LoveLeeSoaps	Sticky Sweet - Fine Art Carnival Print by stoopidgerl
Celebrations Hand Painted Bowl by simplyprettyprints	Hot Dog with Mustard Earrings by mousemarket

Happy first day of summer everyone! :)

Oops! I almost forgot! I also did a treasury to go with this post. Check it out here!