Funky Finds

This Katy Prairie Cuff went into the mail and has found its way to Funky Finds. FF is dedicated to promoting independent artists, crafters & designers world-wide. Jessica loves to discover unique "finds." Spreading the word about all the cool products she comes across is something she thoroughly enjoys. Plus, she is located in the great lone star state!

Jessica says, "Get ready...2008 is going to be full of giveaways at Funky Finds". So, since the last week in February is dedicated to promoting independent jewelry designers, I thought I'd like to participate. So please hop on over to Funky Finds, and see how it works. You can win my cuff there ~ and that is a good thing!

Giveaway Guidelines: Visit the businesses that have donated prizes and pick your favorite product. Leave a comment on any post this week & include the link to your favorite item. You can enter multiple times, but you MUST link to a different product on each comment. Be sure to leave your name and email address or website link. It is as simple as that!

So hurry on over there, as there is still time to enter in the giveaways for January!

The Butterfly Rose

The Mutabilis or Butterfly Rose is my only rosebush at present. It survived the purging last fall, despite the fact that every time my husband mows the yard, he says it jumps out and sticks him. This most interesting rose was once sold as ‘Tipo Ideale’, and it is ideally suited to illustrate the typical China trait of darkening with age, instead of fading. Nowhere is that trait more visible than in the flowers of ‘Mutabilis’, whose single petals open sulfur yellow, changing through orange to a rich pink and finally crimson. Bright, silky flowers of all these colors will often be on display at the same time, looking as if a group of multi-colored butterflies has settled on the bush. This aspect earned ‘Mutabilis’ its common name–"The Butterfly Rose". I bought it probably 5 years ago at The Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas. It is a beautiful place to visit for roses, daylillies and the most beautiful variety of flowers. There also is one in San Antonio.
I had intended on putting more jewelry on my Etsy shop this weekend, but I had way too much fun playing with Photoshop. I did manage to add this bracelet, and the matching necklace will hopefully get there by the weekend.

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And please don't forget I am still having a give-away! (see previous post). Just send me one wish from your Bucket List. No big list, no detailed book of all the things you want to do and haven't done.
My one bucket list wish is: Go to Italy! Yes, I want to go to Italy. To holiday in Italy and stay in this villa. Yes, Italy is definately at the top of my list.

stretching my wings

I joined a photo swap...so very early this morning I ventured outside, in the fog, and took a few pictures. It was cold~cold for Texas. But, the rain has quit (for awhile), and it was crisp and cool.

~So here is the lowdown on the swap~
Megan, at The Scent of Water, is hosting the swap, and the theme is "Simplicity". I would share the picture I chose, but can't just yet (one above is not it). Not until I send it off to my recipient, who lives in Mississippi. Another totally different person will send a swap photo to me; as Megan made it like a chain, instead of swap partners~very clever. She takes some gorgeous pictures, and her blog is a very cool read. Be sure and check her out.

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Went to see The Bucket List this afternoon with my DH, sister, and her DH. I highly recommend it. If you haven't seen it or the previews, you have to know Jack Nickolson and Morgan Freeman are the stars. Don't want to give away too much, but a bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. So, what would be on your bucket list? I will noodle on mine, and post it next time~

In the meanwhile, if you want to send me your bucket list, I will post them here next Monday a week (photos are encouraged). Please send your list to my e-mail address. On Monday, February 4th at 2pm cst, I will pick one name; and send you a little surprise gift. I will contact you for your address.

Have a blessed week!

ever since elementary school

i can't remember the exact year, but i know it was in elementary school. more than anything i wanted a crown for my birthday. i wanted to be the birthday princess~the tiara was just the icing on the cake (or the crown on the head)! *LOL* but, there was no crown to be found in the small town i lived in or the little bigger small towns nearby. i guess i never got over that, and halfway expected one for my 50th birthday in august.

~well, i finally got it! and it feels good~

playing in photoshop & letting go

*finally played in photoshop (which i received for Christmas). i have lots of ideas floating around in this movie*star head and this picture is one part**more to come*

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i originally had not planned on going to the International Gem & Jewelry Show this month, but decided I needed just a few more pendants. I came home with these beautiful snakeskin agate beads & pendants. I added some karen hill tribe silver and just a few cocco beads to pull out the gorgeous brown tones. I wanted to use just the natural stones ~ pure and simple.
this choker is made with czech crystals & karen hill tribe silver discs. these beads caught my eye because they have a unique watercolor look to them. a faceted mix of smokey gray, olive green and rusty brown. maybe what you see when you add oil to water.
these will be going to my etsy shop this weekend, as i have signed up for 2 main showcases~february 3rd & 7th.

and, just one more of my original katy prairie necklaces. made with smooth smokey quartz briolettes and a teardrop shaped blushful green jasper pendant.

this one is hard to let go of ~ *sigh*

a big white TEXAS moon in gruene

One of my life's greatest pleasures is spending time with my Melanie. This past Saturday night, we ate dinner at the Gruene River Grill in Gruene. It was one of the most beautiful cold winter nights in Texas; and the food at the grill was delicious. Look at that moon in the background!

~Plus~

we also did a little of this, part of the weekend,

~*thank you Uncle Albert*~

To invent, you need a good pile of junk and an imagination ~ Albert Einstein

Mel's journal from Red Rock Canyon is on top of mine in above pic. She's making it as a gift for the friend she went there with. She is thoughtful like that.*smile*

Mine is in the top picture, and also under hers above. It is the colobrative journal I received as a gift from my friend, kansasrose , last October. I used stamps (look dawn~do you see the one I bought from you?), transfers, card stock and journal papers and not any junk! It was the best feeling to be able to spend time with Mel. She and I journaled ~ for the very first time. It's the beginning of a long and joyous new-found passion for the both of us. *smile*

Thanks Melanie, for spending time with me this past weekend. Listening to music, talking about nothing & everything. Laughing hysterically, watching the worst movie ever, being my personal chef and driving me around town like I was Miss Daisy.

But most of all ~ for being my daughter. Love ya~

Barter Before Christmas

Before Christmas I bartered! With a beautiful artist, named Bobbi Studstill! Take a look at some of her work on cobaltika. Freida is my favorite.

She sent a surprise "prepared book"!

Bobbi is a very talented lady. She picked out jewelry, and I picked out art. It truly was a beautiful thing, and she made my Christmas a blessed one!

Thanks Bobbi, peace to you in 2008~

say *toy*

This weekend has been work~cleaning our office (which includes my jewelry work space), kitchen pantry and the refrigerator (*@#!). Re-organizing is not what I would like to do all of this beautiful day in southeast Texas.

Good news is that one of my granddogs, Jake, has been visiting. (I have 3 by the way). He came by way of Melanie on Friday. She is at a scrapbook retreat in Columbus with friends. He will go home today when she picks him up. Not only is he a great dog, but he is one of the best comic reliefs for me. He was 5 years old in December and an only child (I mean dog). Can you believe he posed for every one of these pics (all I had to do was get the camera and he KNEW what to do)~except for the last one, when I gave him the new toy!

Granddogs are like grandchildren, in this respect; as their grandparents, we get to spoil them and then send them home~this makes me so happy!

New Year's Sale

I gave notice, and as of December 31st, I pulled my jewerly out of The DaVinci's Artists Gallery in Tomball. I needed to move on, and God willing, find another venue closer to home. It was not an easy decision for me, as I really enjoyed being part of a fine art gallery.

I have quite a few pieces for sale from the holidays. This is a very small sample below~on sale & now marked at a 20 percent discount (before I post them on my Etsy Shop). *

Bali Silver Dangles - $21

Rosa & Josie's signature Katy Prairie Cuffs - made with various colors of czech crystals or japanese beads-$29

This adjustable necklace was made with bronze and army green mixed Czech Crystals, Karen Hilltribe Fine Silver Tube Beads and a 625 Sterling Silver Cross pendant-$41

Czech crystal necklace made with mutli-colored burnish-edged beads and a unique handmade stained glass pendant Melanie purchased from Mall of the Americas in Minneapolis last fall-$64

(All shipping costs are $2 in USA/other quotes available).

First Annual

New Year's Sale

Contact me at:

rosajosies@yahoo.com

The Retreat

A couple of years ago, I had a bright idea of having a secret "getaway" behind the camp trailers. Kind of a hideout of sorts. I had envisioned a kind of open-air pavilion with strung up white party lights dangling high over a hard-packed dirt dance floor. (As a child, back behind our house, my sister and I often had little hideaways where we would play house! The underbrush was made up of yaupon, small cedar trees, wild grape vines and post oak trees). So, being the adventureous group that we are, the 4 of us went maybe 20 yards back, to a prospective area, and started clearing underbrush, which this time, was made up of cactus, mesquite, knarley vines and such. Well, we decided to do that in the heat of the summer, and didn't quite finish the project. I thought about it a few times afterwards, but we never got back to the project, even though we had made some pretty good progress.

So, during the holidays, my brother-in-law said, "Have you seen "the retreat?". So, with wide eyes and great expectancy, we made a little trip to the area I remember working on not that long ago.

This is what I found. The Ford tractor that had been purchased to help work on deer camp projects, now sits right in the middle of my secret pavilion! Beautiful rusty tin makes up the walls of an open air tractorport!

I decided we needed to toast the newly completed project, so Barbara and I climbed up onto the tractor that cool, crisp mimosa morning, raising our glasses to "the retreat".

~I love surprises!~

eat more turki

I just love the Chick-fil-A billboards. They make me laugh, and we all need to do more of that. Check out their website (the cows for sure), for additional belly rolls. Maybe it is a country girl at heart thing, plus lovin' cows run thru my veins (bein' raised on a ranch and all).

Every year Allen says, "you know, cooking a turkey is so easy, I don't know why we don't do it more often". Well, neither do I. The night before, he injected it with Tony Chachere's Cajun Injector (creole style butter), and it tenderized the meat to an unbelievable level of deliciousness. He also sprinkled some additional secret spices on top (not really a secret, but can you say BAMMMMM!); and it is good to go into the oven.

Did I tell you he was a good cook?

Happy New Year 2008

Isn't it great to have one more chance to make it right? to make a difference? to love, and to laugh? to breath in deep and take in all that is good and simple? I am so grateful, for this, as I sit here this New Year of 2008......

I have been in South Texas, (at the deer lease), for a week. I go there every year (with Allen and have for the past 11 years), after our big Christmas Eve Shindig. I work like crazy the days before, preparing Jewel's Christmas Cookies, Homemade Potato Salad, Cornbread dressing, Pistachio Salad, and the GREAT Banana Pudding. Allen always cooks both a turkey and a spiral cut ham. He stuffs the turkey, puts it in the oven, and it always comes out looking perfect! The night arrives~we eat, drink and open so many beautiful gifts with all our family. We get to bed usually right after midnight (or later).

On Christmas morning we open a few more presents (this time just Allen, Melanie and I). Allen cooks waffles or any other special breakfast we request. Then, the rush begins all over~packing for a week of hunting, golfing, and New Year's fun. Several hours later we are off~hitting IH-10~with great relief. Allen drives, and I usually fall asleep not far down the road. But not this time, as I am too excited. I love riding and looking at all the now barren pastures, and huge leafless trees (grass & weeds dead from the "mini" freezes we have had). I see mighty Live Oaks, large country frame and/or brick houses, ponds. I see cattle~hereford, angus, brangus, brahmas and mighty Texas Longhorns, dotting the fields. We pass signs that point to numerous German towns along the way~Sealy, Flatonio, Weimer, New Braunfels, San Marcos. We always stop at Bucees in Luling~a great pit-stop by the way! Then, back on the road. Next big city~San Antonio~wow, I am wide awake now. Once thru SA, we head 90 more miles southwest on IH-35 towards Laredo. We exit at a small town called Dilley. Then 16 more miles on that stretch. Finally, we are at the lease gate. Then about 25 more minutes, down a very rough road, to our camp. I am really wound up now. But once there, at camp, I relax. We no longer beat to the drum of the big city. We are on 6,000 acres of prime hunting property in south Texas. Blue skies, cactus galore, mesquite trees, iron-rich red dirt, rocks and so many different types of wildlife~white tail deer, blue and bobwhite quail, javalina, ferral hogs, dove, green jays, Mexican Eagles, and much more.

The next morning we get into our jeep, and ride to the deer stand. I breath in the fresh air. It is both relaxing and intoxicating. We climb up into the deer stand. It sits high above the mesquite trees. It is dark, and I see nothing. I dig into my hunting bag, pull out my binoculars, put them around my neck and recline back for just a few minutes. It isn't long before I see the big red ball slowly coming up in the eastern sky. What spectacular colors of red, orange, pink and yellow. I exhale, and remember why I love coming here.

This past week I took 176 pictures! But this shot was taken when we got back home. We both fell asleep way before midnight, and did not get to toast in the New Year. May you have a great year, this New Year of 2008~

Salute!

(Do you see the vintage cast aluminum ice bucket behind my champagne flutes? This was Allen's mother's bucket~part of a set he said she bought while they lived in Portland, Texas back in the late 1950's ~SWEET!)