Hummingbirds And Flowers!

 (Three Piece Hallmark Hummingbird and Flower Porcelain Set by ObsoleteBoutique)

      Hummingbirds and flowers! :-) In other words...Hello! ^_^ Isn't that a beautiful porcelain set?! (in the header photo) I saw it and knew right away that I was gonna share it here on the blog...in lieu of any 'real' hummingbirds and flowers from my backyard!...because we don't have any yet! ^_^

      Well, that's not entirely true...about the flowers, I mean. We do have some 'straggly-looking' flowers...probably weeds! LOL...coming up on the top of the hill of the backyard. I'll see if I can get hubby to take some photos of them so I can show you. I'm not going out there!! O_O I'm already feeling the effects of my allergies starting up for the season. Ugh!

      Other thana couple of items from Etsy that caught my eye, I don't have much to share today...except the progress of my baby blanket! :-) It's slow-going, but it's coming along!...

      I'm ready to be working on the edging already! ^_^ I'm afraid it may be a while before that happens though! 

      I do have something else going on. I have a couple of new projects for my 'To Do' list. I have some labeling to do of my boutonnieres and lapel pins...for quick retrieval. Up until now I've been just keeping all of the similar colors in the same bin. But I ordered some small clear bags so that I can put each pin in it's own individual...labeled!...packaging! :-) That way they'll be a lot easier to find when someone orders them! :-]
      It's no 'BIGGIE", but what can I say?...I'm easy to excite about nothing much! LOL ... Oh Yeah, speaking of easy to excite!...look at this gorgeous-colored dress I saw on Etsy!...
 

(Tie Dye Classic Rainbow Swirl Regency Hippie Dress by inspiringcolor)

      It's the perfect dress to pack for a 'virtual date night', don't you think?! ^_^ I guess now you know where my mind is!! LOL...That's not until tomorrow though. Today it's all about my head...my brain....my spirituality! :-) We have a meeting at the Kingdom Hall... :-) ...and my studying is all done!! :-)

      Okay...off to do a bit more crocheting, eat, and take a nap. In that order. ^_^ Have a good rest of the day, Everybody! ♥

Color Is

Auburn is the setting sun.
Blue is a mood.
Black is the night sky.
Brown is dog food.

Green is the grass.
Yellow is the sun.
Gray is the stormy sky.
Purple is just fun.

Pink is carnations.
Plum is a fruit.
Tan is for shoes.
Beige is just cute.

Turquoise is terrific!
Teal is where it's at!
Blue-green is the color
that I have to have...STAT!

Gold is a metal.
White is plain, mild.
Red is a fire.
Orange is hog wild!

Hmmm...What Is This Color Anyway?!

(Embroidery Hoop Fiber Art by sometimesiswirl)

      YAY! Monday!! Another beginning of a week that we can be happy in! :-) ... What?!...Is that too much exuberance from a sleepy 'Wug' on  a rainy, foggy, New England morning?! ^_^ Okay, okay! I'll keep it down a bit. And there's nothing like just the right color to set a low key mood. So here goes...

 (Peony Flower Linen Pillow Cover by LaurenAlison)

       First off...it's a gorgeous flower pillow. Flowers and pillows...two of my favorite things, for obvious reasons if you've been following my blog for a while. :-) ... But...hmmm...what would you call this color?!

 (Mini Glass Vase by AvolieGlass)

       Depending on what I was trying to name, I've referred to this color as 'Teal'...'Turquoise'...'Aqua Green'...'Blue/Green'...'mint green'...'ocean green'...and 'Seafoam'...

(Vintage Rotary Telephone by thelittlebiker)

       Is there an official name that refers to this color?!...I don't know! But I'm just dorky enough to know what colors DON'T fit into this category...like 'powder blue'. Powder blue, although I can't describe it very well with words, doesn't look like 'aqua mint'!...Oh yeah!...aqua mint is another name that I use for this color! ^_^

 (Lady of the Ocean Aged Silver and Swarovski Ring by HarlequinRomantique)

        Whatever you call it, it sure fits the bill for a low key color, doesn't it?!...

 (Cottage Beach Adirondack Chairs Photo Frames by BrookeHowie)

      It's the kind of color that makes you wanna drag summer out for a little longer...

(Land Snails Photograph by machelspencePHOTO)

       It's also the kind of color that when you put it up next to other, more vibrant colors, it calms those colors down too! :-]

(Hand Painted Summer Owl Wooden Necklace by iamabird)

       Now, strictly in the interest of showing you what I mean, I'm gonna share my latest creation with you. ^_^ Okay, so maybe it's not 'strictly' in that interest...Frankly, I just wanted to show it to you! LOL...

      I had been making so many men's boutonnieres and lapel pins for my Wuglyees shop that I had stopped thinking of my pretty necklaces for the ladies all together...a situation that had to be remedied! :-)

        It'll be back to the boutonnieres and lapel pins today...and maybe a little work on a certain forgotten sweater blanket too...

      Hopefully, after I work some things off of my 'To Do' list, I'll have the time and energy to list a few things in the shop, including this necklace and a couple of lapel pins I already finished!...I'll make it more urgent if any of you want to buy it. Just let me know. Only $17.00. (It has a rare vintage button on it.)

      So, is that low key enough for you?!...HELLOOOOOOO!!!...Did you fall asleep on me?! O_O ...Maybe it was a little TOO low key! ^_^ ... Have a good day, and a good week, everybody! 

When I Lay My Pillow Down

What do I want to accomplish
by the end of the day?
Do I want a sense of peace,
or have my nerves all at a fray?!

I want a calm to have set in.
To have my muscles all relax.
To have brain waves slowing down,
and my awareness at a max.

I want to know that I've done good
when I lay my pillow down.
That I've caused someone to smile,
and feel more happy and unwound.

I want the people that I love,
without strings, to love me back;
And relationships I've formed
to be settled and intact.

When I lay my pillow down,
with my business put to bed,
I don't want to have to worry
that I've cheated or misled.

I want a sense of satisfaction,
and that feeling, "Job Well Done!"
No loose ends that need re-tieing.
No last race I have to run.

What I want to have accomplished
at the end of the day,
is brain cells in the pink,
with no foggy, mental gray!

A happy family, happy me,
a happy God, without a frown;
And I want this every night,
as I lay my pillow down.

Let's Talk 'Turquoise'!...Did You Know...?

(Turquoise Pebble from Wikipedia)

        Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum........Okay! Okay! I know today's post is suppose to be about hubby and my's 'virtual date night'. But seeing as we can't travel far today, due to a temporarily broken down car, I decided to share my 'turquoise' with you instead. {No worries though! We've got weekend plans for a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Indiana on Sunday for Super Bowl XLVI, BABY!!!!! ^_^ I'll tell you about that tomorrow!}

          But back to my crocheted turquoise items...Crocheting is one of the few things I've been doing during my rare 'awake' moments over the last few days. ^_^

     And since I'm not gonna be regaling you today with photos and info about some tropical island, or about some exploit or the other in the south of France, I thought I'd share the interesting things I found out about turquoise! :-) ...Not just the color turquoise, but the mineral turquoise!...I'll tell you about it while I show you my latest creations! :-)

     To start, did you know that being a phosphate mineral, turquoise is inherently fragile and sensitive to solvents?

       This is my latest flower...a turquoise flower! :-)) Something you don't see much of in nature, huh?!...a naturally turquoise flower! :-) ... I put a big button on this one. I think it'll make a great brooch.

          It'll also make a great necklace...I think. But you can't be afraid of getting attention if you're gonna wear this one!

        Did you know that perfume and other cosmetics will attack the finish and may even alter the color of turquoise gems?  And that therefore cosmetics, including sunscreen and hair spray, should be applied before putting on turquoise jewelry? 

       Did you know that the same is true with skin oils and most commercial jewelry cleaning fluids? They will also attack the finish and possibly alter the color of turquoise gems?

        

       Did you notice that the button on my flower has an alarm clock on it?! ^_^ I was trying to stay awake any way I could yesterday. :-] The irony of the button did it!!

      

       Did you know that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may discolor or dehydrate turquoise?...and that therefore they shouldn't be worn to a beach or other sun-bathed environment?

       As you can now see, I was all about the big buttons while I was in my tired state yesterday! :-) And I'm particularly partial to this one because of the way the opening spaces of the button show off the prism-like inner parts, and really catch the light!

         That'll make an interesting brooch, right?! :-)

     Did you know that turquoise can be adversely affected if stored in an airtight container?...and that after use it should be gently cleaned with a soft cloth to avoid a build up of residue,...and then stored in its own container to avoid scratching by harder gems?!

     Now, that's almost everything I crocheted yesterday!...Almost! I also finished a headband that I'd started the day before...

     Yep! It was turquoise too! ^_^

        Did you know that turquoise has been known by many names, but the word 'turquoise', which dates to the 16th century, is derived from an Old French word for "Turkish", because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey?...Pliny referred to the mineral as "callais",...the Iranians named it "pirouzeh" (meaning 'victory')...and the Aztecs knew it as chalchihuitl.

       Don't you love learning something new about something you loved all along?! :-)

       By the way, I added the silver button to this headband just because I love to see silver and turquoise together. Somehow gold doesn't show it off as much...to me.

      Lastly, did you know that the hardness and richness of color are two of the major factors in determining the value of turquoise;?...while color is a matter of individual taste, generally speaking, the most desirable is a strong sky to "robin's egg" blue (in reference to the eggs of the American Robin)...

 (American Robin Nest and Eggs from Wikipedia)

           Did you know that, whatever the color, turquoise shouldn't be excessively soft or chalky?...and that even if it's treated, such lesser material (to which most turquoise belongs) is liable to fade or discolor over time, and won't hold up to normal use in jewelry?

        Also, did you know that in recent times, turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market?...UGH! And here I thought the turquoise ring I inherited from my aunt was gonna be my ticket to the big time!! LOL...Back to the drawing board....or to the yarn section of 'JoAnn Fabrics'!! ^_^

        Now, I know that this morning I could've talked about the economy and jobs, the fungus in orange juice, the new chicken wing cupcakes O_O, the blizzard of almost two feet of snow that's hitting the mid-west right now, or something about a potential attack on the U.S. that I heard about on the news this morning...O_O, but I thought turquoise was a safer subject...and a much prettier one! :-) ... Of course I could've talked about the big game too...Super Bowl Baby!!!...but that'll be tomorrow's subject! :-)

      Have a good Friday night, or if I don't see you...computer-wise I mean...have a good weekend everybody!! :-)

Color Is

Auburn is the setting sun.
Blue is a mood.
Black is the night sky.
Brown is dog food.

Green is the grass.
Yellow is the sun.
Gray is the stormy sky.
Purple is just fun.

Pink is carnations.
Plum is a fruit.
Tan is for shoes.
Beige is just cute.

Turquoise is terrific!
Teal is where it's at!
Blue-green is the color
that I have to have...STAT!

Gold is a metal.
White is plain, mild.
Red is a fire.
Orange is hog wild!