Wednesday Whispers

Cutting Show

Several weeks back, Dave and I attended a cutting show that my neighbor Jeanette was competing in. During the summer months, most of the shows are held in the evening as the summer sun is just too brutal. I was excited about the event. One, because I love being around the horses, and two I was hoping to take some really great pictures for my blog. Unfortunately, only one of the pictures came out. That was the picture of Dave and I sitting in the stands (and it's now one of my favs). The problem was I brought the disposable camera to finish of the roll off film from the last ATV trip we had taken. The flash on disposable cameras is only good for about 10-12 feet. The arena was well lit, so I didn't think it was going to be a problem. I have a digital camera that I use for taking pictures of my jewelry and beading supplies, but for whatever reason it won't stay on for more than a minute even with new batteries. Could it possibly have something to do with the tumble it took off my hightop table in the kitchen? It's not a problem when I'm taking pictures in the studio because I have an AC adapter for it. We keep talking about buying a new one, but just never seem to get around to it. Maybe I need to put that a little higher on my list of things to do. I know I'm missing out on some really good photo opportunities! BTW, Jeanette did very well at the event, placing in the money!

Favorite Things Friday

Over the last few months I've been attempting to make a conscious effort to do things that should/will have some benefit to my overall health. For instance, I keep a toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash in my desk drawer at my regular job. I've actually kept them in there for years...now I'm actually using them daily after I finish my lunch! Not only will I have better breath, but they say having a clean, minty taste in your mouth will deter you from snacking (something about stuff not tasting good if you just brushed your teeth and not wanting to "ruin" the minty fresh breath). One of the other things I am making more of an effort to do, and this is where "Favorite Things Friday" comes in, is drink more water. Problem is, I find water very boring and really don't care for it unless its very cold. I've tried Crystal Light, but for some reason I seem to get very hungry after drinking it! I've tried a few other flavored waters, but it seems I never drink them fast enough and then they get warm and don't taste very good. Then my sister-in-law Janis brought me a bottle of Sam's Choice Mandarin Orange Water. I love this stuff! It tastes a lot like Sunkist Orange Soda. Its carbonated and definitely doesn't make me hungry. It even tastes good when its warm. Its available at Sam's Club and Walmart and retails for $.68 per bottle (at least in my area). We drink bottled water anyway since we are on well water. Even though we have a filtration system, the water doesn't taste very good (and now there's some question as to whether or not the water is safe to drink...have you heard about Erin Brokovich and her latest case...investigating the possible cancer cluster....yeah...that's my neighborhood...but that's another post!). So, now that I've found the Sam's water, I am drinking more water and actually a little bit less Diet Coke and energy drinks! They have lots of other flavors, but Mandarin Orange is my favorite by far!

Wednesday Whispers

Jewelry Tags

I've been giving a lot of thought over the recent months to additional ways I can advertise and promote my jewelry that would be relatively inexpensive, or even free! An area that I am missing out on is if my jewelry is given as a gift. While the buyer is aware of my shops since that's where they made the purchase from, there is nothing on my jewelry that would indicate where it came from to the receiver. I've always sent my jewelry out in sealable poly bags (to help reduce tarnish or color changes) that are placed in a velour drawstring pouches. So I enlisted my neighbor Jeanette, who happens to be a graphic design artist, to create some jewelry tags. I wanted something fairly simple that wouldn't really categorize my jewelry since it runs the gamut from everyday to elegant to outright funky! I think she nailed it! I love the way they turned out. In addition, I am adding a label to the back that indicates the materials, my stock number, the length and the price. I think the tags add a professional look to the jewelry. I've asked her to also create a tag that's a little more funky and wild for specific pieces. Once that's done, she's going to design some business cards based on the tags. I'm so excited!!! The hardest part was trying to decide which website to list on the tags. There's only so much space, and I didn't want to make them any larger. After some thought, I decided to go with my Etsy shop since it's really my main site (and my other sites are listed there). The business cards will definitely have all of the sites. I would love to know what y'all think...positive comments and constructive criticism are always welcome and much appreciated!!!

August Trip - Ocala National Forest

Back in August, Dave and I visited my sister and brother in law in Archer (between Ocala and Gainesville) for a long weekend. We brought the ATVs as they live in a rural area like us, and you can ride the ATVs on the dirt roads. We also planned an outing to the Ocala National Forest. They have approximately 130 miles of trails that you can ride the ATVs on. We'd never been there, and neither had Chris and Rich. We had a great time. Some of the trails were pretty mild...long, wide and straight. And then some of the trails were very technical...high banked berms, tight turns and whoops!!! We had a great time the entire weekend. It was nice getting to see Chris and Rich. Did I mention Rich is an excellent cook?! OMG...the homemade pizzas were out of this world!Chris and Rich

Dave - I love this picture so much I had it printed as an 8 x 10

Me!!!

Rich - way out in front on the trail!

Wednesday Whispers