Brand New Day

Twenty four degrees, cloudy skies.... winter is upon us.




Breathe deeply, say a word of thanks, and enjoy your day!

Giveaway Winner!

This morning as we sipped coffee and enjoyed the fire in the woodstove, I asked my husband to pick from a small collection of folded bits of paper. "What am I picking?" he asked. "The winner of the giveaway on my blog," I replied. No big drum rolls, no confetti, no applauding and shouting... just a small little gesture of fingers hovering over paper. There were not many entries, so everyone had a very good chance of winning. But the lucky winner is ScrappyRat!! Congratulations!

Scrappy writes, "When I was about 4 years old, I decided to try out my first swear word on Xmas morning, running out to the tree and announcing, loudly (in front of the grandparents, no less), "Look at all these DAMN presents!" Needless to say, my parents were thrilled. ;)

She has chosen this necklace "because my mom would love it if she found it under the tree this year (and I'll keep my foul mouth to myself)." Let's hope her mom doesn't say any swear words either!! :)

ScrappyRat has an Etsy shop where she sells cards and such, and she donates proceeds of many items to animal charities. She is a member of Team EFA: Artists Helping Animals, EtsyVeg, and VeganEtsy. I just love this set of five Sneaky Spotty Dog cards... so cute!!

Thanks to all who entered and shared a holiday comment. I so enjoyed reading them! Stay tuned for more giveaways! I will be phasing out my gemstone jewelry over the next few months, so I believe giveaways will be in order. Until then, shop handmade, buy from small businesses, and love the one you're with!

Happy Holiday Sales

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! This morning, I posted sales in my Etsy shop. There are a few items marked 25% off the list price for Black Friday only, and all my Gems for Neck and Ears are marked 20% off the listed price from today through December 24. Follow these links to check out these sales. I will be phasing out all of my gemstone jewelry from the Etsy shop and from my inventory at home by the end of the year, so now's the time to buy. Once it's gone, there will be no more.

Black Friday sales...

Gems for Neck and Ears sale...


I hope you all have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving and that you enjoy a precious time with family and friends. Be sure to hug the ones you love!!

Don't Get the Holiday Blues.... Give Them Instead

The wind is roaring, the skies are dark and ominously grey, leaves are fluttering and flying, and rain has been falling.... but the woodstove is warm and the dogs are great company! I'll be shutting down the computer soon, but I wanted to post this little treasury I created today. Just follow the link here for an up-close look! If you need some help with stocking stuffer and gift ideas, check out these wonderful items in shades of blue... all for under $25!! You can't hardly beat that!

Here are some other ideas as well that wouldn't fit in the treasury and some wouldn't fit in a stocking... these are a little larger so they'd be perfect for a wrapped gift.
Spread a little love with this sweet dog by DogBarks...

Alastair is dressed and ready for winter, by BlueberryFields...

Take a swim with this lab, a print by lkjohnston...

A very cool Tee by mediumcontrol...

And these really fab fingerless gloves by bysweetmom...

Share a Holiday Comment.... and Win!

Enter to win my holiday giveaway and one of three necklaces. All you need to do is follow my blog and/or follow on Facebook and leave a comment about your holiday... a memory, a special activity. Click on this link from earlier this week to get started

Holiday Giveaway: The gift of sharing

It's that time of year again... the holiday season! It's a time to think especially about our blessings, say a prayer of thanks for the goodness in our lives, and share wonderful times with family and friends over a table filled with bounty. But moreover, I hope that each one of us will think on those people among us whose lives are not as fortunate, who struggle physically, mentally, or financially, and I hope that we each find a way to somehow offer a ray of hope to them, whether it is through a charitable donation, hours spent in volunteer work, or simply a smile and a touch on the shoulder.

I am especially thankful for the color in my life, the colors of the woods, the birds, the mountains, the colors of the characters I meet online and in my daily life, of my friends and family, my local community. So, as a way to show my thankfulness and as a way of saying thank you to those who have supported my online and physical shops, who have become steadfast friends, either online or up close, I am offering this giveaway for this holiday season.

Here's all you need to do.
1) If you haven't yet become a blog follower, please do so, and IF you are on Facebook, please "like" my page there too.
2) Once you have done these things, simply post here a special thought or memory of your holiday season (what is special about it for you, how you will celebrate, a childhood memory, OR even how you will help make it better for someone else).
3) Then tell me which of the three necklaces offered you would like to have.
4) Be sure that I have your contact information... either Etsy shop or email info!!

Choose from:
Necklace #1
18 inches with the jasper oval drop adding approx 2 inches. In earthy colors with hematite hearts, cubes, and rounds, yellow and white quartz, serpentine jade, glass seed beads

Necklace #2
16 inches with lovely shades of mookaite, turquoise rounds, mother of pearl discs, Czech turquoise crystals, sterling silver, and glass seed beads

Necklace #3
18 inches of peach, rose, and browns with jasper pendant (appx 2 x 1/2 inch), unakite, shell, faceted cat's eye, and glass seed beads

The giveaway will be open until Thanksgiving Day, November 25. The winner will be randomly drawn and notified that weekend so that the package can be mailed by the first of December.

So share your holiday thoughts and let's all share a smile as we read them!

Mini Watercolors

I have always loved the ethereal, dreamy look of watercolor but haven't really worked in this medium much, only a brief foray into it during college art classes. But I'd been asked to donate some work to benefit an animal charity, so I thought I might sit down with some watercolor paper and paints and see what I could come up with. My first attempts were not so good and went straight into the trash, but I stuck with it and feel that each new little painting is getting better... or at least I don't feel like throwing them out!

These are all miniatures, anywhere between 3 and 4 inches in either dimension... they could be framed, used as a magnet on your fridge, placed beside your computer monitor or on your mirror for a cheerful little reminder of the natural world, slipped into a Christmas stocking, or used as a special gift tag on that very special holiday gift. And they are priced right! As always, they are inspired by the elements of nature around me. Several have been listed in my Etsy shop; just follow the link to check it out.

Chatty Titmouse

Autumn Dusk

Funky Chicken
Lakeside in Summer

Little Bluebird
Goldfinch and Flower
BlueJay Baby

WoodThrush
Heron at Water's Edge
The Hills Are Alive
Scarlet Tanager
Some of the watercolors for the animal charity project