Just a little peek of winter in a small town in Iowa.

This picture was taken the day after Christmas.  We woke to the blanket of freezing frost!  

It turned the town into an ethereal wonderland.

What a magical view to see on our last morning in Iowa!

On my work bench

Anthropology earrings, textured hoop earrings and one pair of peacock inspired earrings!  

A little bit of what is going on in my studio...  

Time is short...

Holiday shows begin next week.....

100 years and counting......

This year we are celebrating our homes 100th year!  Built in 1910, she has survived the changes of the times.

  

This was one of the first homes built in the neighborhood.  At the time this was a new and "segregated" development with a trolley running down the street... one of the new homes with electric lighting.  Today the neighborhood is diverse and thriving with shops, restaurants and bistros within an easy walk.

  

She survived the depression of '29 and was divided into apartments in the forty's after the war ended and the soldiers returned home. The area took a downturn in the seventy's when the Marta rail was developed.  Speculators wanted to reinvent the area with apartments and condos, Properties were purchased and the homes were allowed to fall into disrepair...  

We purchased this home in "96.  Moved in just before Halloween, exhausted and aching, we sat down at the end of the day and watched game 6, the Atlanta Braves vs the New York Yankees in the world series...  

In this home, we have raised our children into adults, celebrated successes and endured the loss of loved ones. All in a nurturing atmosphere that somehow seems to come from the house itself.

Over the years we have made a few improvements and tried to keep the beast of age from overtaking her, this home has nurtured our family for the last fourteen years.  

This week we finished the last area that had not been restored... The stairway!  We stripped layers of paint away and revealed the hardwood floors and hand rails, bring back the original beauty of the area as it was designed.

Now, as I look around... other areas of the house are ready for new paint and floor refinishing........ 'D

Happy October!

Welcome Fall!

To celebrate I am pulling out my autumn hued gemstones!

It is time to hit the water.....

Wow!  The weather has finally broken... 

Unbelievable heat this summer and now for the first time in weeks I can walk outside and breath.  

My mind slips off to re~live autumn camping trips and splashing kids in the North Ga rivers...

Maybe a trip to the ocean is due...

An earring army for a wedding posse

Feeding the Hungry

There is nothing more basic and important than the excitement of holiday meals and special treats. Deep within us all are the memories of pumpkin pies... roasted turkey... perfect whipped potatoes... and special bites that have been handed down by culture, religious tradition and family.

The holidays are here and there are many... many folks and children that are not secure in their ability to eat a nourishing meal each and every day... much less have a wonderful holiday table laden with glorious foods. This year and for many more to come I will be donating a percentage of my sales to help feed the hungry. 

The economy is still struggling and many middle class families have slipped into unemployment due to no fault of their own. Food banks are struggling to keep up with the expanded need... 

If you are interested in donating time or money to Feeding America or your local food bank you can follow the links below. Feeding America has links to most local food banks and offers many ways that you can help out. 

Here is the link to Feeding America and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. http://feedingamerica.org/
http://acfb.org/