In Joy Emporium

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tuesday's Tip

I have a little craft project for today's blog. This is SUPER easy.

Several years ago I was given all 3 of these William Wegman Holiday Cards. I just loved them!! I wanted a way to enjoy them as a decoration. So I came up with this little idea.

I recently aquired a bunch of vintage flashcards that I am selling at my Etsy Shop www.injoytreasures.etsy.com Which inspired me to to try this project again with some of these cool words! All you need is some 1/8 th inches ribbon, 7 or 8 pony beads, and a hole punch. I used glass pony beads for this project but plastic for the Wegman Cards.

Measure the ribbon by just looping it around the cards you have chosen to find the length you would like.

Punch a hole in each corner of the cards.

Then thread the ribbon through the card holes and use the pony bead as a spacer.

Continue right around...

Thread both ribbon tails into one pony bead. Adjust the hanging until it suits you.

If the ribbon in the final pony bead is loose you can tie a little knot after the bead.

Then Ta-Da!

Here are a few more photos of the holiday cards. This would be a fun way to display those extra school photos or postcards from a trip...Use your IMAGINATION!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

~Gratitude~

The end of our Autumn chores usually culminates with a big burn. All year long we collect brush from clearings, old rotten pallets that once held firewood, and garden waste that might be too buggy to compost. There is something exciting about the burn, beyond the big flames. There is definitely a feeling of ~ purge! Burning is so primal...I can feel the connection to my ancestors who may have burned for more ceremonial reasons. I have to admit, I do mentally toss "things" into the flames that I would rather not have in my life anymore. Letting go into the fire all that no longer serves me. The flames of the south with the sun heading towards a lower asmuth each day with lengthening nights until the Solstice. It feels good to be done with Autumn and ready for winter!

~~~I am Grateful~~~

Burning Brush

burning brush out back,
sticks and twigs and limbs...
when the pile got low
i started throwing in,
memories, feelings, and dreams.

the fire blazed high,
but just for a moment...
then died to embers,
steady and pulsing...
and so does time to the heart!

the flame that gasps for air,
strangled by its own ardor...
till the outer body burns,
what's left is pure fuel...
warming the feet of God!

Eric Cockrell

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/burning-brush/

Photos of the process.......plenty of flames for the pyro in us all!

found a new turtle log for next year....so good bye to this one that served out turtle friends for 15 years!

8:00am ~ Light my FIRE!

My Timber Beast!

lunchtime

Dinnertime

Breakfast next morning ~ A nice bit of drizzle makes Everything safe...

*****NOW BRING ON THE SNOW *****

Thursday, November 7, 2013

---Shop News---

Time for the Etsy MaineTeam CashMob to Begin!

Tomorrow is "The Day" but I don't want to stay up until midnight to activate my coupon code ---> cashmob13 <--- my code is active NOW! One day Only save 30% in any of my shops using this code. This will be my only sale for the rest of the year so I wanted to make it a good one! I am not alone with great deals for tomorrow. Search maineteam (one word) to see what my teammates have to offer. The Etsy Maine Team is a fun bunch! We are super supportive of each other. So here is a chance to shop local from the comfort of your computer!

To get the festivities really rolling I am having a CONTEST!!!!

My all MAINETEAM Treasury has a "secret" message! Can you name this tune? Leave a comment here at my blog with the correct name of the tune and I will pick, randomly, from all the right answers a winner. The winner will receive a coupon code good for $10 off at one of my 4 Etsy Shops. The winner gets to choose which shop. Contest ends Saturday morning November 9th, 2013 ~~ whenever I get up!

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTcxMjU5OTF8MjcyMjY3MTQ1NQ/name-this-tune?ref=pr_treasury

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Tuesday's Tip (late)

This is how we left the shower mid September

What a long strange trip its been...Today's blog will be long on photos and short on words...I will admit to being pretty pooped! We started this shower project at the beginning of September. Then we took a "break" in order to get our wood in and the gardens to bed.

With the outside work done it was time to dive in!

From Saturday - Tuesday we worked on the tile finally--->

I did not always look this happy!

It was a supreme group effort. The group being me, my DH, Google Search, YouTube, & the Schluter Shower Systems 1-800 #!!! I am filled with gratitude that we managed to do this job. We did question our sanity on several occasions! All is well that ends well~~~ahhhh.

We are short a few doodads that we need to complete the glass blocks. Ordered them online. Once the glass blocks are completed we can grout the whole shower. Then shower!

Oh! Yeah! my tip....when I am going to do dusty, dirty jobs I like to coat my hair with coconut oil. It makes a nice conditioner and protector. I use olive oil too but, coconut oil smells nicer!

My FB status yesterday was ---> Shower nearly done ~~~ Marriage intact! We had a few moments. But after so many projects we have learned to find a way quickly past our little lackings of patience. Today we took the day off and had a campfire. It was just what our souls needed!

“Ah, to build, to build! That is the noblest art of all the arts. Painting and sculpture are but images, are merely shadows cast by outward things on stone or canvas, having in themselves no separate existence. Architecture, existing in itself, and not in seeming a something it is not, surpasses them as substance shadow.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Monday, November 4, 2013

~Gratitude~~

Synchronicity is one of my favorite words.

Merriam -Webster's...

syn·chro·nic·i·ty \ˌsiŋ-krə-ˈni-sə-tē, ˌsin-\

noun

1 : the quality or fact of being synchronous
2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (assimilar
thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality — used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung

Other forms: plural syn·chro·nic·i·ties

First use: circa 1889

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

Ok folks, it hit me on Wednesday, while I was watching a PBS Nova ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/zero/ ) all about cold...very cool... (can't help my Self) At the end of the program I burst into tears and not because Absolute Zero cannot be attained ... Guess particles that are waves can't quite settle into stillness...so no absolute stillness either! Anyways, I burst into tears because I was watching NOVA alone...the first time in 18 years. Suppose that is pretty obvious math. I so wanted a conversation with the one who is now in college....but not so much that I want him here.

Thursday...Halloween...Samhain....the day that feels like New Years to me.......

All the fall chores are done, the house is buttoned up for winter. Time to enter the dark, the womb time to be followed by spring birth......... I so wanted a pomegranate. I know that seems rather random but, it is a tradition going back to my girlhood to eat a pomegranate on Halloween. My dad would bring one for my sisters and I each year. Not sure why, maybe to offset the candy or just that they are in season. We would have so much fun slowly eating them kernel by kernel. We would see who could end up with the bloodiest looking mouth. But I had forgotten to plan for a pomegranate. There are no stores closer than 30 minutes away.....

So I DESIRED a good critical thinking conversation & a pomegranate.

The universe provides....

I finally was able to vectored with a friend that I share critical thinking dialogue .... We had been trying for a couple of weeks to set a phone time..the stars did align on this day! The conversation was grounding...which made realize how ungrounded I had been since the boyo left....

That evening I had planned a little get together with a couple of close women friends. I did not want to spend Halloween alone! When my first friend arrived she pulled from her bag ... YOU GUESSED IT ... a pomegranate!!!! She had NO idea of my tradition or desire! I felt sooo Happy! (and had a wonder FULL evening)

I am Full of Thanks!

Honey greek yogurt and dark chocolate pomegranate

What if you were to indulge
Just completely let go
Sink into your selfishness
Become drenched in your desires
Flush every pore with everything you ever wanted
Taste it savor it
So rich your your tongue becomes thick with it
Frothy and smooth
Not one grain of saltiness
Not a hesitation
No fear of consequence or responsibility
Just saturated with pure bliss
Overflowing at the brim

by N http://hellopoetry.com/-n-1/

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude.

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~!

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments.

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

Friday, November 1, 2013

---Shop News--- & Etsy MaineTeam Cash Mob

Seems like if I can wrap wire around it I will! I have 2 new creation categories at InJoyGatherings Shop ~~ Garlands & Globs. I'll start with the globs. I found a big bag of green, sky blue, cobalt blue, & clear glass globby things at the thrift shop....they are very pretty and here is what I did with them....

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167518046/blue-christmas-glass-copper-ornament-buy?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167651108/green-christmas-glass-copper-ornament?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167655940/cobalt-blue-christmas-glass-copper?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167656394/clear-glass-christmas-glass-copper?ref=shop_home_active

This just a sampling...there are more in the shop and more to be listed...these are listed with the same Tendril offer of buy 3 get one vintage Marble Tendril FREE...this offer lasts until I lose all my marbles! ;)

Ok Garlands....I was rummaging at old hardware sort of salvage place and found a bunch of interesting copper colored steel sash chain. Well, when I see a copper color I want to get wrapping. The Tendril Garland has been Invented!

Beach Stones