Heart Shaped Vintage Jewelry Ornament

Here is a picture of the pink mirrored heart ornament embellished with vintage and antique jewelry pieces.  I finally finished it, added it to my Etsy shop, and just love the mother-of-pearl and light pink pieces (not to mention all of those rhinestones).  Hope you like it too!

Vintage Jewelry Embellished Ornaments

I had such a fun time making these ornaments!  I can picture them being hung in a home all year round--on a knob, a shelf peg, on the corner of a boudoir mirror, anywhere really where a spot of color and sparkle is needed.  They are mirrored ornaments covered with vintage jewelry pieces.  They have been listed in my Etsy shop.  I'm working on a pink heart-shaped one which should be done later in the week (it is becoming my favorite one so far!).  Perhaps I'll post it on here for you to see.  Hope you like them! ; ) 

Autumn Themed Vintage Jewelry Assemblage

This was great fun to put together.  I had some beautiful autumn themed jewelry pieces and a red glass leaf cabochon that I just love.  This went together well and is certainly a one-of-a-kind brooch for anyone who loves vintage jewelry, sparkling rhinestones, and autumn.  It is listed in my Etsy shop--HERE. 

The Nina, the Pinta, the...

...okay, well the Santa Maria wasn't there, but the other two were! 

We decided to take a homeschool field trip last Saturday to Kenosha, Wisconsin.  The kids had just had a week studying Christopher Columbus, and replicas of the Nina and the Pinta were in port at Kenosha until Sunday.  What a great way to visualize history!  Apparently these have sailed all over and had made their way down the St. Lawrence across Lake Michigan to Kenosha.  The Nina is an exact replica, and the Pinta was built slightly bigger.  I have a greater respect for those who traveled across the Atlantic in these little vessels!  They were small.  We heard a detailed account of Columbus's life and things that happened on that first trip.  It was an interesting history lesson.

They had examples of navigational equipment used, and we were shown how to use them.

Then, after the history lesson we were able to tour both ships.  It was a wonderful experience for the kids. 
After the ship tours we saw lighthouses.  We went through the Public Museum and saw a life-sized replica (the actual bones are safely tucked away in a controlled environment) of a wooly mammoth that was dug up in southeastern Wisconsin.  We went to the Civil War museum and browsed through a farmer's market.

We even rode this glamorous old street car on her entire circuit.  Isn't she a beauty?  It was a beautiful day that was fun and educational for our whole family. 

September in Wisconsin

I think if I were to recommend to anyone the month to visit Wisconsin it would be September.  The high heat is over.  The humidity goes down.  The days are sunny and bright.  There is warmness in the air yet a touch of crispness.  The evenings are cool and refreshing.  It's beautiful here in September.  Lately it has been quite foggy and moist in the very early mornings only to burn off by mid morning yielding a fabulous day. 

My pink geranium is still blooming beautifully.  I love plant pot "sticks", and this one is a green and white flying bug on a copper stick.

The hummingbirds are still here, though I know soon they will begin their long flights to warmer climates.  It has been so hard to get a picture of them!  Thankfully after a prayer that I'd be able to capture one on the camera, this pretty lady landed on our deck chair and posed for me.  I think they are one of the sweetest creatures God created.  I shall miss them when they all leave and have been taking the time to watch them and get my fill in before they do. 

Also, I couldn't resist a shot of this spider's web.  The dew on it turns it in a piece of lace studded with diamonds. 

Busy Labor Day Weekend

Well, the weekend started out rainy, but Mom and I went out to the Princeton Flea Market.  It is a good drive for us, but we wanted to go one more time before the flea market closed down for the year.  There were fewer vendors much to our disappointment because of the rain, but we found some great treasures anyway.  We went to two other flea markets actually as well as a few other sales.  We were pretty tired by the end of the day.  I spent all of my money saved for the markets (plus $20 of Mom's!!) and have a quite stash now to create with.  The hard part is finding the time to create...but I'll have to work on that this week.

We also cleaned out the garage and have a trunk load of things to give to the local charity thrift store.  I love it when everything is swept and organized. We stained our lower deck.  We had a great Sunday at church and even had time this weekend to spend with family.  It was a fun and full weekend...now back to school for the kids and the regular tasks of life.  I hope you all had a good and productive weekend.  Happy new week to you all!

First Day of School

**Thank you Graphics Fairy for the the picture above** Summer is over...I can't believe it.  We switched over the calendar. The books are all opened and sorted and readied.  I have reviewed the curriculum.  The new pencils are all sharpened.  The desks are cleaned.  We are ready.  Today we start. *sigh* Just where did summer go with all of its new projects to start, new places to visit, and all that we were going to accomplish?  Usually we start up our homeschooling year earlier than September 1.  However, violin lessons officially start up again today, and, well, we just decided to wait this year until today.  This is the first year we have started homeschooling with my husband on a normal, predictable schedule, and I'm very thankful for this.  As hard and frustrating as some days can be and though I get very little done during the course of a day on house work and on my business when my focus is on guiding and teaching the children, I am thankful for the freedoms and rights to homeschool our two precious children.  It is worth it in every way!  Their little minds are fertile grounds for all sorts of influences and ways of teaching and thoughts.  I'm very grateful for the freedom to be sure they are taught truths (Biblically, scientifically, historically, socially, etc.), are given the very best of curriculum, and can be either pushed or slowed depending on their level of understanding and ability.  No other teacher could individually and consistently take the time to love and care for them and push them and encourage them to do their very best more than their dad and me.  So, today we tackle the books and start on our new year's journey.  We are ready.