Feeling A Little Crafty

I was feeling a little crafty today, since the sweltering heat hasn't allowed me in the garden.  I have taken my Gardenchick products to craft shows before but for the last year have become interested in making jewelry.  My friends Becky and Dena introduced me to jewelry making at a girls weekend getaway.  I haven't even begun to master the basics, but I seem to be drawn to the jewelry using repurposed materials, old photos, and unlike my usual taste "bling" from old rhinestone jewelry.  My husband even purchased me a set of dremmel tools, and a table top vise last Christmas.  They have been residing in their place of honor on the work table in my office, just waiting to be picked up and used.  As fate would have it, several opportunities for craft shows have come my way, and I believe are a sign for me to pick up those tools and get started.

birds nest on old sheet music

My taste tends to be simple and natural, so I decided to try a few "birds nest" pendants that Becky showed me how to do.  These are the results, and I don't think they look too amateurish.  I ordered some little birds in cages from etsy, and I am waiting on some single bird charms to arrive.  I want to dress some of the necklaces up a little.  I plan on placing these on simple chains.

I love the website/blog just something I made

You can get directions for making the nests on the just something I made site  along with a picture of a bottle she made.  This is my version on an old Listerine bottle.  I have also seen the nests made into rings or sewn onto sachets. So, if you have some unfinished plans just waiting for you to start, pick up your supplies now and get started, because it is definitely too hot to garden!

Child Labor



 I was working on some pictures for a magazine article on gardening with kids, so naturally I took pictures of my granddaughters.  My granddaughters are smart, so involving them in working for my business is a little tricky.  We had gathered lavender from my garden several weeks ago, and it had dried out.  Now was the time to put that dried lavender to use so I had them "making lavender sachets" for one of the pictures. Those lavender sachets were so much fun, I now have quite a few to use in my lavender dryer sacs, and they have no idea their Nanny outsmarted them.



Working diligently on lavender sacs



Finally Made it to the Beach

Ironically my last post in the winter was about my wanting to go the beach.  This summer has been the most miserable in history.  Hot, humid, and sauna like.  I step out to work at 5:45 in the morning, and my glasses fog up.  Now that is humidity! I have continued to water my plants in the pots, but our garden went to hell in a handbasket.  I get some sick pleasure when reading posts on my yahoo groups that everyone's garden looks a mess, but feel terrible for farmers who make their livelihood from growing crops. We have salvaged tomatoes, very little okra, and a few cucumbers.  Funny, this is the first year I have planted watermelons and cantalopes, and they have flourished.  Guess they thought they were in south Georgia or Florida.

Anyway....my husband and I took my granddaughters Mackenzie and Kendall to Tybee Island, off the coast of Georgia. It is over the bridge from Savannah, so a day trip was in order for that beautiful southern city.

The weather was wonderful.  While the temperature stayed in the high 80's, the humidity was low, and a slight breeze made the days and evenings great.  Daily calls home revealed everyone in Chattanooga were sweltering.








Boats as they passed by our condo.  Savannah is a shipping port so boats caring cargo from all over the world pass by as do these boats early each morning.

The Crab Shack is located back in the woods just after you cross the bridge from Savannah going onto Tybee Island. Great Low Country Boil, and the girls had fun feeding the alligators.

Wrestling gators at the crab shack

Beautiful sunset from our balcony