Focus on Life: 52 Photos - Take a Walk

 

It's week 16 over at the Studio Sublime's

Focus On Life: 52 Photos Weekly Photography Challenge

and Sally's prompt for this week was:

 

Take a Walk!

 

"Grab your camera, open the door and step outside into the fresh air. Take a walk! Whether you walk to your favorite chair on the porch, walk a few miles down a rural road or a busy city street;  take a moment to be aware of the beauty of the world and let its grandeur energize your soul, inspire your mind and jump start your creativity. Step back and look at the wide world around you and capture a shot of the landscape in front of you!"

 

Greenbelt area with some pretty trees near my home where I walk.
Sure doesn't look like the middle of the desert, does it?! ;-)  

 It was the perfect weather this week for walks here, too - temperature wise.

 

 

Lakes in my neighborhood along my walking 'path' (sidewalk!)

 

It was a bit windy for several days with gusts from 40-60 miles per hour one day and on Wednesday we had a micro-burst come through the neighborhood sending the trash bins rolling down the street - but other than that it was perfect spring weather in the desert. 

 

 

 Here's what I snapped on a couple of walks around the neighborhood. 

We have some green belts in our neighborhood and a few lakes (duck poo ponds, as we call them!) and some really pretty trees too, so it makes for some lovely walks.
 

 

 

 

So, get up, and go for a walk over at the Studio Sublime today and see where everyone else's walk will take you!!

 

 

Evening Walk with the Sunset Over the Lake
One thing's certain; Arizona truly has some gorgeous sunsets!

 

 

**Thanks to you all who have been leaving such wonderful comments each week on here - your posts and comments always make me so happy - Thank you!!  Last week I was trying to 'reply' to all of them, but when I hit the reply button on blogger here in the comments section it just 'spun' and spun,....loading,...loading,...and never loaded. Not sure what the deal was but I wanted you all to know that I wasn't trying to be rude - it just wasn't letting me 'play nicely'  last/this week. I haven't been able to comment for several days and although I think it's okay now, I talked w/a few of my other blogger friends and a couple of them had the same problem for a day or two, so I don't feel like such an idiot!! LOL!!   So, please accept my apologies for not responding to your replies here in the comments section this last time, hopefully this week I'll be able to read them and respond.**

 

Everyone have a great week!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Lovely Walks!!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

Ohhhh,...Knotted Leather!

Yep, you know it. If it's leather and knotted with some beads or pearls anywhere near it - I'm in!

Leather (real or imitation) is all the rage right now and Tracy over at Make Bracelets Blog came up with a new, innovative and fun way to incorporate this ever so fabulous material into your jewelry designs.

 

 

She posted a link not long ago to her ever so hip and cool "Leather Links Video Tutorial" and I just had to purchase it!

 

Click here to go to the Leather Links Post Info

 

I had a blast listening and watching the step by step instructions and in her video tutorial Tracy shares many tips and tricks to working with leather (and hypo-cement!) and even throws in some handy-dandy 'touch-up' tricks you won't want to miss.

Here's a few pics of the first two leather links I created after watching the video and a couple of bracelets I made using them.

 

Click to Enlarge

 

Tracy's a real sweatheart and has created a Pinterest Board for those of us who have purchased the tutorial and have created items with the leather links - how cool is that?!   After all, Pinterest is the latest and greatest thing,...you know,...next to leather (and beads and pearls!).

 

 

 

 

So, whatcha waitin' for?  Hop on over and check it out and have fun creating some cool Leather Links!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Leather Links!!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

Focus on Life: Week 15 - Aged Beauty

***The Bead Soup Blog Party 2nd and 3rd Reveals were postponed one week so today is the 2nd Reveal (instead of the 3rd Reveal).  Please hop on over to Lori Anderson's Pretty Things Blog to see all the participants and get to hoppin' !

 

Please come back here next Saturday, April 20th, for the 3rd Reveal where my Bead Soup Blog Party Partner, Francesca Watson and I, along with a slew of other bead-chefs will be

serving up some great soups for you to taste!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Now,...On with the weekly photo challenge:

 

Focus on Life: 52 Photos

 

 

 

This week our prompt from Sally over at the

Studio Sublime was:

 

Aged Beauty

 

 

Our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old,

but of the natural.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
                                                     
"There is always something so intriguing about old things. Whether an heirloom or flea market find we are always intrigued by the back story of the piece that has caught our eye and the thrill of a possible story of family history, lost love or travel to forgotten worlds. In the rust is character, scratches and dents are their badges of courage and the bare metal exposed by peeling paint is acceptance of time.

Aged pieces have a beauty all their own, a beauty that draws us in to look a little deeper into a past time.

This week focus on the aged beauty that may be an old building or an aging vehicle in a parking lot, items in a local barn, flea market, garage or in your jewelry box and snap a shot of a vintage beauty! "

 

So, here's my take on "Aged Beauty"

 

This is the violin that my Uncle

gave to my Dad.

 

 

 

 

It's 100 years old.

 

 

Click to Enlarge

 

 

I thought of having it restored but I don't think I want to do that.

 

 

 

 

 

To me, that would take away all the

'life-prints' of everyone who handled this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These 'life prints' as I call them, are what makes this "Aged Beauty" so special to me.

 

Please hop on over to the Studio Sublime and see the different types of

Aged Beauties

everyone else has captured this week!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Sentimental Aged Beauty!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

Focus on Life: Week 14 - Up Close

*I'm in Sedona this Friday/Saturday with out internet service, so please forgive me for posting late over at the Studio Sublime this weekend.  I'll be hopping to everyone's blogs that I can on Sunday/Monday!!*

Sally's prompt for Week 14 of

Focus on Life: 52 Photos is:

 

 

 

Up Close
 

  

"Macro Shots - How Close Can You Get?"

 

I LOVE me some Macro!
 

 

Taken w/my Canon. I had to hold the flower still because it was windy!

 

I cannot seem to get as close with my new

Canon Powershot XS 160 that I just got as I can
with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 camera.

I've had 3 Lumix and I love them!
The one I use most has 'macro zoom'.
(translation: super-duper macro!)

This one was taken w/my Lumix. Click to enlarge any of the pics.

 

 

The Canon's got a feature that lets you'zoom' while doing video. I know, so does an actual video camera, but a still shot camera seemed more up my alley so I decided to try it. 

I'll let you know what I think after I use it a bit. 
So far I'm rather pleased with the still shots.

 Of course, if I'd ever save up the $$ for a 'big daddy camera' (the kind where the lens costs more than the camera itself), I'm sure my pics could be even better.  And closer!

Spring has Sprung! Captured with the Canon.

 

 

But until then, here's some "Macro Love" for you!

Comparing the different photos,...what do you think?

Off Center because of the wind - but still rather close w/the Lumix.

Jump on over to The Studio Sublime and see what the other participants have captured Up Close today!

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Getting Up Close!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Earring Swap!

Last week my friend, Kashmira, and I decided to 'swap' earrings.

 

Kashmira told me she liked a pair of earrings I had posted a pic of over on Facebook and wanted them, but they were already 'spoken' for.

 

So I told her if she was up for it (she had gone through some major therapy on her hand and hadn't been able to create anything for quite a while),  that I'd make another pair in the colors she wanted and she could make me a pair of earrings in exchange. "Something with some color!", I told her. 

 

Now, here's the kicker - Kashmira and I have never met! We got to know each other via online jewelry sites, blogs and facebook groups. We email and facebook each other quite often, share blog comments (she's much better about commenting than I am!!), and we're participating in the Studio Sublime's Focusing on Life: 52 Photos challenge together this year as well. 

 

Anyway, after a few emails back and forth - here's what we came up with! 

 

 

Earrings by MiShel Designs

 

 

Kashmira decided on purple in her earrings, so I re-created some wire wrapped hoops with recycled Sari Silk and purple dyed lava stone (the original ones she had spotted had blue lava stone dangles).

 

 

Kashmira wearing Shelly's Earrings

 

 

 

And, she had someone take her pic so she could show me - how sweet is that?!  She's making them look fabulous, don't you think?! 

 

Then, when I got Kashmira's package in the mail, I opened it to find she had not only created an awesome pair of earrings for me, but this cute little paper box for them as well! 

 

 

Earrings by Kashmira of Sadafulee

 

 

Sweet!! 

 

Here's a link to the tutorial that tells how she created the box!

 

Aren't the earrings she created just the coolest?!  I love the pop of orange!  It's a color I'm drawn to but never wear because I think I can't pull it off. 

 

 

Shelly wearing Kashmira's earrings!
(Lame self pic - cause the hubs and son were gone!!)

 

 

I'm rethinking that now. See how they just pop!

 

Kashmira has a lot more beautiful jewelry over in her Etsy shop - she's a very talented jewelry designer!

 

She's also an amazing woman who enjoys helping others and is involved with something called Project Why.  Project Why is a New Delhi based organization working with kids in the area. Kashmira has been helping them for a while now and you can read her story (and theirs) over on her blog, Sadafulee,...Always in Bloom, it's something you won't soon forget!  Watch the video she has posted, too - it's awesome!!

 

I'm looking forward to the day I finally get to meet Kashmira.

 

I imagine with the way we chat online and via email now, no one around us will get a word in edge-wise!!  LOL!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Making Friends!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

Birthday Earring Winners

It's April Fool's Day!   What a fun day, huh?

 

Okay, here's the winners from the

Birthday Earring Give-a-Way this weekend.

(Seriously - No Foolin'!)

 

There were only 11 commnets,...

 

I guess with the Bead Soup Blog Party 1st Reveal and

Easter this weekend, it wasn't a good weekend

to have a give-a-way.  LOL!

 

Since there were two pairs of earrings and I asked you all to tell me which pair you liked best, I seperated you into two groups:

 

 

 

Copper with Sari Silk and

Copper with Ceramic Bead

 

 

 

There were 5 of you who like the Copper w/Sari Silk earrings and 6 of you who liked the Copper w/Ceramic Bead earrings. 

 

1st up is Number 5 for the Copper with Sari Salk:

My Life in Dog Years!

and

2nd up is Number 4 for the Copper with Ceramic Bead:

Jan W.

 

Congrats to both of you!

 

I hope you enjoy your earrings and I will be contacting you via email this afternoon so you can send me your mailing address and I can get these popped in the mail to you!!

 

Everyone have a great week and play nicely with your friends and family today for April Fool's Day - okay?! 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Fun!

Cheers,

~Shel~

BSBP Is Well Underway!



 

Yesterday was the 1st Reveal for Lori Anderson's

7th Bead Soup Blog Party

and next Saturday, April 6th is the 2nd Reveal.  

 

My partner, Francesca Watson, and I are in the 3rd Reveal that takes place on Saturday, April 13th.

 

 

 

 

Everyone is so excited to participate!

 

It's a huge undertaking for Lori (I cannot even begin to imagine all the work and countless hours involved to pull this off the way she does!)  and it's a ton of fun for all of us who are hopping around each other's blogs, commenting and drooling over delicious soups!

 

Please stop by Lori's blog today and see the list of the participants in the 1st Reveal and hop around today and try out some yummy soups.

 

Don't forget to come back here on Saturday, April 13th to see what Francesca and I have cooked up, too!

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and the 1st helping of Bead Soup!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Focus on Life: Week 13 - Have Faith

*If you're looking for my
Birthday Post / Give-A-Way - It's HERE

And Now,...

It's Week 13 for the Focus on Life series over at

The Studio Sublime.

 

 

This week's prompt: Have Faith

And here's what Sally told us:

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. ~Augustine~

"There are many of us who are religious and there are many of us who are not, but most of us, religious or not, have faith in someone or something.  A faith that gets us through our day, a sickness or even a death. Faith is held by each of us; it is what keeps us believing that there will always be a positive outcome even if we can't see it at the time."

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

November 27th, 2007

 

 

He was only 10 years old when he walked down the hallway of the hospital with his mother. As they rounded the corner she bent down and spoke quietly into his ear , "I'm not sure you're old enough to be in this section so if anyone asks, you're 12. Okay?"

 

"Okay, Mom."

 

Standing on the other side of the door was an orderly,

looking out as if waiting just for them.

He opened the door and pointed to the second door on the right. The woman looked at the nurse behind the ICU desk. The nurse, nodding the 'okay', gave them an almost apologetic smile as the young boy and his mother entered the room.

With tubes sticking out everywhere and his skin a light ash color, this wasn't the man the boy had seen that morning as he left for school.

 

"Dad?"

"Hi, son," the man whispered; his eyes barely opening.

"How ya doing, Dad?"

"I'm doing okay, son."

"Are you hurting?"

"Not really anymore. They've got me on some pretty heavy stuff."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Oh yes, I'm going to be fine son. It might be a while, but I'm going to be just fine, don't you worry."

When visiting hours were over and it was time to leave, the boy kissed his dad, told him he loved him and that he'd see him tomorrow.

As the mother and son said goodbye and walked out of the room, the nurse behind the desk looked at them with tears in her eyes and with another, even more apologetic smile, told them, "Good night."

The next day, the young boy went sadly to school and the woman returned to the hospital.

 

As she walked into the ICU ward she noticed the mood of the people behind the desk was different than the night before. There were smiles on their faces that morning. 

 

"Oh, you're still here?", the woman asked the nurse.

"Yes. I'm here for about 30 more minutes," replied the nurse. 

 

Entering her husband's room, the woman saw him sitting instead of laying. His color was returning and there was a 

slight smile on his face.

 

"Hi Honey! Got my computer like I asked you?"

"Yep."

"Good." 

I'm not really sure you're allowed to have it here with you."

"It'll be fine. I gotta get back to work and let my guys know what's going on and that things might be a bit slower coming out to them this week.  Can you tell the nurse that I need some more bottled water?"

 

The woman walked out into the hallway and asked for more bottled water.

 

"Oh my. He's already gone through all those bottles? We don't have anymore on the floor. I'll have to send someone to get more."

"Thank you."

"Last night was rather touchy," the nurse said. "I'm glad he's doing much better today. It's like a total turn around."

"I know, right?!"

"I got rather choked up as you were leaving with your son last night."

"I thought you looked really sad."

"We all thought that was the last time he was going to see his Dad." 

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That thought crossed my mind too, for a minute anyway.  But then I realized that that just wouldn't be Mike," the woman said as she turned to walk back into the room where her husband was typing away on his computer.

 

Two days later the man was released from ICU.

 

 

Mike and Logan goofing around, like normal, at the 'look out' - June 2008
And yes, he hiked up the mountain from just above that valley you see below
 with a defib in his chest only 7 months after his heart attack.
We call him 'Iron Man' - LOL!! :-)

 

A few months after recovering at home the doctors put a defibrilator in my hubby's chest (on Valentine's Day of all days!!) and to look at him now, well,....you'd never know he had a massive heart attack 5 years ago or that the staff at the hospital had little to no FAITH that he'd even make it through the first night. 

 

 

The "Masked Rider" and Mike,...a.k.a. - Iron Man!!

 

 

Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.  ~from the movie, "Miracle On 34th Street"

 

Mike just says that he was too stupid to believe otherwise.

;-)

 

 

The Buettner's - December 2012
 

 

I "Have Faith" and am grateful that there will be many more family photos just like this one!

 

 

Please stop by The Studio Sublime today and see all the other wonderful accounts and what happens when you

'Have Faith'.

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Blind Faith

Cheers,

~Shel~

**Thanks to all of you who have left comments on this post - it means the world to me!!
We're away camping this weekend in the desert and I wanted to be sure to let you all know how much I appreciate you taking the time to comment and for your thoughtful caring words!**