Trapped

Isn't this a great photo? This was taken in the woods near where I grew up. He was caught in the barbed wire fence. How he managed that, well, no one said they are the sharpest tack in the box. But they are beautiful. A pliers and a pair of welding gloves later, he was free. Reminds me of the story about the lion with a thorn in its paw and the mouse (I think?) who took it out.

No hawks, humans, lions, or mice were harmed in the making of this story.

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY below! Tweet, facebook, or otherwise spread the word, and post that link in the comments to earn TEN extra entries!

Birthday GIVEAWAY!

Today's my birthday. To celebrate, I thought I would do a giveaway!

You'll receive 3 SLICES -- my slender sterling silver stacking rings --

custom-made just for you in whatever size you'd like. If you'd rather have copper (or a combination), or if you'd rather have a dark patina instead of a shiny finish that's cool too -- it's all up to the lucky winner. :-)

So I guess now I have to figure out what you need to do to enter....

1. Well of course you should visit my Etsy Shop! Take a look around and leave me a comment with your favorite item and why.

For a second, third, and fourth entry, tell me...

2. what styles and types of jewelry you usually wear, and 

3. what goes into your decision to purchase a particular piece, and

4. Is most of the jewelry you buy handmade? Why or why not?

I'll draw some time later this week, so hurry up and get your entries in! Check back to see who the lucky winner is!

Be.

The peonies are pushing their way through last year's remnants.

I love watching all of the perennials come up. I think about how old these peony bushes might be. My guess is they are easily 50 years old; they could potentially be 100 years old, outliving the person who planted and tended them.

Take a closer look at the second and third photos. Do you see it?

He's very well-camouflaged! The leaves give you a little bit of a scale, but it's still hard to tell from the photos how small he is. He would have fit in my hand. I think a rogue cat riled up a nest, and they scattered throughout our yard. Funny how the cute little baby makes me smile, but the grown, garden-eating one doesn't.

My husband chased the cat out of our yard -- I don't know if his hunt was successful or not.  

Life is fragile. Life can change in an instant. Live every day.

ETSY Artist Feature

I'm excited to share this fabulously quirky Etsy shop with you.  Etsy has a lot of pottery to choose from, but take a peek at Ena's shop, and I think you'll find something fun and different.

Her mugs, bowls, candle holders, pitchers, and vases all feature little monsters to keep you company.

Ena says "The monsters often reflect my state of mind when I created them.  After all, I am a bit of a monster too.  Aren't we all?"

She also does cute little engraved cherry wood boxes, bookmarks, and more.

I love functional art, and I love that her pieces remind me to not take life too seriously.

Spa Day