Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Finally Fall



I'm not trying to rush the seasons here, but, once the kids are back in school, fall seems more around the corner than it did last week when we were swimming in the pool or going to the beach. It certainly isn't because the weather is different. It's only August.

When we lived in Maine, it seemed like there were only ten perfect days in summer, and Heaven forbid we had to work on one of them. There was a sense of urgency to savor them all. Cancel everything! Sun's out and the temp's going up to 78 today!

I didn't like the end of August, because there were already red and yellow maple leaves showing themselves off. Evenings turned into sweatshirt time, and shorts went back to the top shelf in my closet except for those few warm afternoons which I clung to as if they were treasures. The growing season was coming to an end and my vegetable garden had given us the best of itself by Labor Day. It was easy to feel cheated since Maine's summer is so short. I never got my fill of flowers, heat, late sunsets, or the color green. For me, August was always sad.

Except for occasional hurricanes, I love Florida. We're spoiled with greenery and flowers year round. Heat we have in abundance. Beautiful days seem endless, no matter which season we're in. Leigh and I sit on the lanai sipping coffee in the AM, and after almost 15 years here, we still pinch each other.

I'll always be a Mainah at heart, but the trade-off for warm sunshine and sense of well-being is worth doing it long-distance. There's no place I'd rather be than Maine...for those ten good days.

Finally Fall has smooth, shiny jade flowers linked with silver to Czech facetted crystal. The slide is gorgeous on an omega chain. It calls attention to itself with it's warm marbled browns and greens. Fall, we're ready for ya!

One of a kind.

Bracelet $49.oo
Slide $24.oo
Sold as set for $69.oo
For purchase or questions email JuniG@bellsouth.net

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Kitching Cove & Seaside


When we first moved to Florida, we rented a condo on the corner of a canal and Kitching Cove on the St. Lucie River. There couldn't have been a finer place for an introduction to the Florida lifestyle. Even though it's in the heart of Port St Lucie, it felt like living on a tropical island because of the protected environment across the cove.

Beautiful sunsets were delightfully normal. We never got tired of painted evening skies or watching dolphins playing in the cove. Mullet jumped out of glassy morning water and alligators sunned themselves daily on the bankings of the canal or grumbled to each other in the dark. Wildlife surprised us so much in our walkway that we began looking out the window before we opened the door. Snakes and skinks didn't seem to be afraid enough of humans.

For me, the most impressive creatures to come near our bankings were manatees. Slow-moving and curious, they regularly headed for the seagrape trees which grew at the water's edge just a few feet from our front door. They'd hang out for a while and then quietly lumber away to their next destination. Maybe because of their size, I felt blessed to be close to them in their own habitat.

After moving from the peaceful condo and settling into another home, I found myself really missing the "extras". Now, when we drive by seagrapes, I think of those days and my insides smile.

Seaside is one of my favorite bracelets since the sterling silver bead caps look like seagrape leaves. Laura Tidey's denim blue lampwork beads are perfect with the simply structured blend of sea opal and Hill Tribe silver. This bracelet is one-of-a-kind.

$89.oo
Email me for purchase or questions. junig@bellsouth.net

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Laura Tidey & African Violets

I wish you could meet my friend Laura Tidey, the gal who makes lampwork beads for me and other jewelry artists. Even her studio is inspiring and she makes her craft look effortless. Anyone who's tried knows it takes hours and hours of tedious practice to be a good lampwork artist. She has a great imagination and it shows in her creations.

In Laura's kitchen window are african violets thriving in just the right amount of sun. The day I first saw these lampworks, she held them up to show that they matched the colors in one of those plants. Before the jewelry was made, it had a name. African Violets.

Light and dark lavender-to-mauve shades blend beautifully with leafy and bright green. One bead in the bracelet even has transparent green on one side and lavender on the other. Laura's experiments reflect her love for vivid colors. This set is made to be enjoyed.

Bali Sterling Silver, Swarovskis, and Cat's Eyes finish these pieces.

Bracelet $79.oo
Earrings $22.oo
Slide for omega chain $23.oo

Sold as a set $116.oo

For purchases or questions email mailto:emailjunig@bellsouth.net

You can see Laura Tidey's lampworks at http://missionglass.etsy.com/

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Comfort over style please. Or, as my Sister would say, Comfort over style? PLEASE!


Since I was a kid, I've had tactile issues. If I admitted to wearing a Giorgio Armani blouse, there would be no proof because the tag would be missing. My sister Carole, on the other hand, might "accidentally" wear the blouse inside out, and not because she was irritated by the tag. (She gave me permission to tell you that.) They made Fruit of the Loom tagless T-shirts and underwear JUST for me. My sox are worn inside out so I can't feel the line across the top of my toes. Shoes have to fit just so, and, ask my sister, I sacrifice style for comfort most of the time. The best outfit is one that I don't have to fuss with, adjust, pull up or down, or away from my body just to breathe. It's gotta be "set it and forget it!"

While making jewelry, comfort is always in the back of my mind. Even as the last bead is put on the strand, I "try on" the necklace or bracelet before crimping it and calling it done. It HAS to feel right. Much to my delight, the first time I tried on Filigree for Me, it was like putting on jammies after a long day. This is an easy to wear bracelet, light and soft enough not to irritate, but intricately detailed enough to call attention to itself.
Hill Tribe & Bali Sterling Silver with gold-filled components.

Bracelet $59.oo
Earrings $23.oo
Sold as a set $75.oo
For purchases or questions contact me by

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Rest & Amazing Grace

We are enjoying the challenge of organizing, editing, and publishing this blog as well as posting jewelry pictures & linking the primary sites. A few times, I have found myself bogged down (or 'blogged' down) in computer details and taking a break to clear my mind. Housework is a great 'mind clearer', but, more than anything, sitting quietly with God makes for the BEST rest. Psalms 16:11 says, "You have made known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, and at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." No other presence gives that kind of joy. All other pursuits look to me like a dog chasing its tail. It's the difference between a circle and a short straight line. The circle of busyness and living becomes a treadmill with no end in sight and only hollow reward. The short straight line takes me quickly into the presence of my Father. Rest and joy are only a short sigh away. I find myself ceasing my own movement and waiting to hear His heartbeat. Then it's easier to acknowledge who's in control. The Faithful One. The Almighty. I appreciate what God is teaching me in this journey. It's always BEEN, always IS, and always WILL BE about Him. When you see me doing something different, and I will, please love me enough to remind me.

Amazing Grace combines Laura Tidey's gorgeous lampwork beads with turquoise, wood rondelles, Bali and Thai sterling silver. Brown and turquoise are great in any season.

$68.oo

Saturday, August 1, 2009

From the Heart


Vivid colors are exciting to me. Colors that blend like they do in these beads draw my eyes and I find myself staring at them even if I'm thinking about something else.

From the Heart is an enticing combination of Lavender, Lime, Periwinkle, and Aqua. The Sterling Silver Bali heart has purple and aqua Swarovskis inside. This bracelet beats everything! Thank you again, Laura Tidey for your beautiful lampworks. As you can see, they are an inspiration.

This piece is one of a kind.
$89.oo