My long weekend...

It's the weekend and it's important to me to be able to spend quality time with my family. My children have a 5 day weekend (3 days off from school for Easter break). I don't want to have to spend hours away from them working on volunteer things, I want to be able to be at home with them, laughing with them, watching TV or playing board games. So with this very thing in mind I let some people know that I'm "off duty" until Tuesday. The week goes by so fast and the kids are busy with homework or after school commitments. They're getting older and in a couple of years (I mean this in the literal sense) Andrew will be away at college. I want to be able to spend as much quality time with my children as possible. Be it horsing around together, making a craft project, helping them put together a diorama of something or building a display board for science class. Just being able to be there with them is the most important thing for me.

On a side note...I always make time for my girlfriends, some of them are as close to me as my own family. There are days where I have to set aside time for work related things but interruptions from my girlfriends are always welcome :-)

I feel a bit sad today...

I have so many thoughts running through my mind this morning. My husband received an e-mail (which he forwarded to me) telling him that friends of ours have lost a child. Colin was the same age as our Hannah. But unlike our Hannah who was able to overcome her little birth defect through surgery, Colin was affected by many more serious debilitating birth defects and chronic poor health. Colin was about the size of a 3 or 4 year old child, he could not walk or speak and had to be fed through a tube. But with all of that (and more) I can remember Colin's smile- he had this smile that could melt your heart and light up a room at the same time. He's in heaven now playing with the angels and no longer in pain. My heart goes out to his parents Barbie and Chuck. May the Lord grant them peace and comfort at their time of sorrow.

Quote of the Day

Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.
~Christopher Morley

Quote of the Day

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".
~Erma Bombeck

Happy just being me!

I admire Barbara Bush and I especially like today's Quote of the day- it makes me think about who I am...I'd much rather be seen as being a nice person than a competitive one. I see so much competitiveness on a near daily basis that it makes me want to do my own thing even more. I enjoy being happy, I enjoy being creative, I enjoy being me! I'm not out there to prove anything to anyone, I'm just being my happy little self. And if I'm able to share my happiness with others and make them happy too, then all the better!

So, what am I up to today? I'm going to sandwich together my 2nd quilt top and sew together my 3rd quilt top...I can't begin to tell you how energized this makes me feel. To be able to make something that keeps you warm and it looks good too-it amazes me to no end :-) The energy that I'm drawing from my quilting projects is unbelievable! I'm seriously jazzed about quilting, the colors and patterns of the fabrics are very much like scrapbooking papers- all of them beautiful! And instead of using adhesive I'm using thread- what is not to like? I know that many scrapbookers have secondary hobbies such as crocheting, knitting or counted cross stitching that they turn to when feeling scrappers block. I'll say it- I can not knit for beans, but I can crochet! There, I've made my mom and mother-in-law proud I can crochet! But I'd much rather make scrapbook layouts, make greeting cards (of all types) and of course design and sew things for my home :-) So with that very thought in mind I'm going to start sewing some more blocks together and make another quilt top. And hopefully by this afternoon I will be able to say that I will have 3 quilts in my portfolio of quilt making!

Quote of the Day

"I'm not a competitive person, and I think women like me because they don't think I'm competitive, just nice."
~Barbara Bush

I had a fantastic Monday!

I hope that everyone had as good of a day as I did yesterday. I know that over all Monday's in general have gotten a bad reputation. Monday's are not the "bad day" that they are made out to be. Monday is one of my favorite days of the week- my kids are back in school and spouse back at work- and I've got the day to myself to create and not be interrupted a thousand and one times. Mondays are fabulous days!

Take my Monday (yesterday) for example...Yesterday before my Stamp Group meet up I went to my favorite quilt store -Quilt Connection Etc for some help with attaching the binding. Oh my word I can't begin to tell you how truly I appreciate the help I've received every time I've gone into that shop. And friendly- I have found everyone there even the customers are as nice and as friendly as can be! I got my binding on my quilt now to sew it on :-) While there I also needed to get a few little pieces of fabric for another quilt I'm going to make...to my delight I found that everything I was buying was 28% off because of a birthday sale (one of the ladies was having a birthday and this was half her age), what a total hoot! I bought my fabric and another quilt pattern (the Americana one I had been eyeballing). Now I'm off to my stamp group- all I can say is that we laughed for 2 hour hours straight! Peggy had some terrific projects lined up for us (as per usual), CUTE city is all I can say! I'll have to take some pictures and post them later on today, I had a lot of fun making these cards! So after my 2 hour session of laughing and crafting with friends was over I bonked myself on the head (kind of like duh you should have had a V-8 kind of thing) because I didn't buy any thread while everything was 28% off...so back to the quilt store I go...they were sold out of white, black and every shade of off white ever made, LOL! So I head off to the sewing center (the store that sells sewing machines and all kinds of other little neat things). I'm in that store and feeling rather overwhelmed with the selection of things in there. I'm in there for 15 to 20 minutes looking at "stuff" and not a single person ever greeted me, asked me if I needed help or anything. Needless to say I decided not to buy anything and left- again without being asked if I needed any help. Now my last attempt to buy some thread sends me over to Hancock Fabrics and to my surprise I find that the brand and type of thread I'm looking for is one sale...at 40% off no less (good things come to those who persevere). I see that there are only 2 of the jumbo spools of black thread left, I scooped them babies up! I'm looking for the off white thread and all there is are a couple of small spools- it's 40% off so I take them too. Now I see someone stocking thread on the opposite side from where I am- so I ask the sales person if she has any white Gutermann thread- she looks in her cart and and abruptly plops into my hands this box of 5 jumbo spools of white cotton quilting thread. I asked her if there she had any off white or beige thread in her cart and she snapped at me and let me know how she has "X" amount of boxes of thread in the back room that she had to go through and how I would just have to come back later to see if there was by chance any that would be put out on the shelf (sheesh- talk about c*r*a*b*b*y). But I was not about to let that woman get me down- she might be a tad on the crabby side but me- I just hit the mother lode on a thread sale! Did I feel as if I needed to complain about this person stocking the shelves- not in the least! I didn't know her whole story, maybe there had been others who had been pretty rude to her earlier in the day. I've seen how some people can be when there is a sale going on and it can get rather ugly. So while at the check out counter I see this pretty Olfa rotary cutter I ask the clerk at the register how much it is- she tells me that it's on sale for $10- oh HELLO! Ring me up baby and put that in my plastic bag too! It was too adorable for me to pass up! I get such a kick out of unique looking tools- it's so much more appealing (to me) to use this pretty rotary cutter than my plain old school bus yellow one, LOL!

Okay so now I'm not done with my fantastic Monday story...I get home and I'm inspired to create something...I finish my day with having made my 2nd quilt top (no joke). I came home cut and sewed all afternoon and made this - I call it Sandie's Flower Garden :-)

I'm thrilled to pieces how quickly I was able to cut and sew this quilt together- WOW! is all I can say :-) It's a bit smaller than the Crackers and Cheese quilt (it's the picture at top of today's blog posting). This one is more of what I would call "Lap" size, the other one is almost "Twin" size. I've also started on a 3rd quilting project it's in the process of being cut and sewn but here's a sneak peek- I call it Sandie's Tribute to Autumn. The Autumn themed fabric was left over from the valance I made last November for the window in foyer. I can't begin to tell you how incredibly happy I feel when I'm creating something. Quilting is just one of many creative outlets for me. I'm so glad that decided to take the leap and get out of my comfort zone- to take on a new challenge. Quilting (for me) is just as much fun and challenging as needlework, counted cross stitching, scrapbooking and stamping was in the beginning...and they all continue to be crafts that I enjoy with all my heart.

I hope that I've inspired some of you with my crafty goodness (yes I took that saying from Kate's blog aka Scrap and Knit) to take a step out of your comfort zone and try something new!

Quote of the day

The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.
~Pablo Picasso

What a foggy morning!

Although it's quite foggy outside I'm still excited about the prospects that this Monday holds for me. First and foremost it's the 3rd Monday of the month- the day that Stamp group that I'm in gets together :-) Peggy always has something fun for us and I'm sure that today is no exception! After Stamp group I'm going to take a quick trip downtown to my favorite quilting store with my quilting project and get some help with putting on the edging. One lady in particular said that she would show me a trick or two with putting on the binding. I need help getting my corners aligned (mitered), so any hands on help is welcome!

I hear my husband talking to our daughter about St. Patrick's Day and how she looks nice and green and then he goes on about how he always wears green...this is rather funny since flight suits are green.

It's so foggy that you can't see past the fence in our backyard. I hope that some of this burns off before my family leaves for school and work.

Quote of the day

They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?
~Princess Diana

a smile washed over my face as I read this...Diana had such a way about her :-)

Quote of the day

"Radical changes in world politics leave America with a heightened responsibility to be, for the world, an example of a genuinely free, democratic, just and humane society. "
~Pope John Paul II

Doing what my quote said...

Following in the footsteps of my quote today I'm writing some kind words of encouragement to a friend who is going through a long separation from her husband. They PCS'd (moved) into this area last year, went through the process of having a house custom built only to have to give it up because their other home in another part of the U. S. didn't sell (it's a year later and it still hasn't sold). These folks were to have been our neighbors in the home directly behind ours. Even though they did not become our neighbors I can say that Amy has become a friend :-) I've not had the opportunity to get to know her husband as he is away on a 12 to 15 month remote tour in another part of the world. My heart goes out to her in so many ways. I know all too well how hard it is to make new friends and to find some that truly care about you- well that's really something to hold on to.

I found out this week that the wife of one of my neighbors is currently away on a deployment. He's been having landscapers come over every day giving him estimates. I think that he wants to surprise his wife with a beautiful yard when she gets back in August, what a nice thoughtful husband!

So here I am...in my jammies drinking coffee- today it's that Dunkin' Donuts coffee- it's okay stuff. I'd buy it again- especially when we have guests believe it or not but not everyone likes chocolate coffee like I do:-)

I'm off to start the actual sewing of the layers together on my quilting project...wish me luck!

Quote of the day

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Teresa

Being creative...

I think that once we reach a certain level in our skills in any craft that we start looking for challenges. That's probably why I picked up quilting. It's like recharging my batteries (so to speak). To rekindle an interest in being creative.

While I was growing up, I saw my mother as being a rather crafty kind of person- she had interests in several different kinds of crafts. She enjoyed doing-crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidery and macramé. She was always working on little projects of one kind or another. I saw my Mother as being very crafty in an age where women were just stepping out into crafting.

So here I am quilting, something that my mother didn't try- although she likes the look of quilts. From talking to my dear old mom- she's now got an interest in them (go figure). So as a little surprise I want to make a small lap quilt for her for Mother's Day. Now to find the right pattern- or adapt one that I have (not a bad idea if I say so myself).

I've been hunting all over for my camera and can't seem to be able to locate it. Hmmm, 4 people, 1 cat in a house with 1 digital camera...where oh where can the camera be? I think that Hannah was the last person to use it and she was taking pictures of the cat, LOL! I think that I'm going to be on a search now, wish me luck!

Quote of the Day

I am a woman in process. I'm just trying like everybody else. I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.
~Oprah Winfrey

getting it all together- the quilt that is...

It would not be quilting (for me) without a few technical difficulties to over come. I finally managed to get my quilt top sandwiched with the backing and the filler. I thought I was going to lose my mind with it- I had to move to the floor because it kept slipping and sliding off of the dining table. Once I got there, I had to re-pin it 3 times until I got it right. Meanwhile my foot is throbbing like I dropped a brick on it. A couple of glasses of milk and a package of imported German gingerbread cookies later and I was fine, it was an 8 pack of cookies-sheesh!

Now to figure out how I'm going to quilt it-ugh! There are so many different ways to go about this too- I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all. I found a simple design for the quilting and I'm going to practice that technique and see how it looks.

Quilting is not for wimps! This really does give your brain a good workout in mathematics!

Creative Passions...

I saw this quote and it fits how I feel about my creative passions...

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.
~Albert Einstein

I visited yet another quilting shop Thimble Cottage Quilt Village (my 3rd in the Rapid City area), this one was unique unto it's self as the woman who owns it also has her own line of quilting & rustic needlework patterns and her own line of quilting fabrics (marketed under the name Pearl Louise Designs)-WOW is all I have to say about that! Once we got to talking we discovered that we had much in common (being passionate about so many realms of creativity) we talked about the crafting industry, Pearl was curious to know my thoughts on where thought some crafting trends were leading towards and so forth. She asked me what I thought about the scrapbooking industry and how come so many people are interested in it and are doing the craft and how the quilting industry can start or rekindle an interest...the first thing to come out of my mouth was "new fabrics". Make some of those lovely classic quilt designs in bold striking batik fabrics (my Hannah is head over heals in love with batik fabric) instead of the vintage looking calico fabrics. The other things is that scrapbooking (and card making) unlike quilting is a rather quick fix- you know...instant gratification ;-)

There's also the intimidation factor of buying a sewing machine. I know how hard it was for me to decide on what kind of sewing machine I wanted, what I wanted to do with it (quilting, craft sewing etc) and the biggie-what I wanted to spend. So when some Quilt Shops shop sell the real high end of sewing machines that cost as much as $11,000 (no that is not a misprint it says 11 thousand US dollars) and there are ones that cost even more- well that's overwhelming and intimidating to say the least. I had started out thinking that I wanted a Bernina (because it's reputation) but soon discovered that the lowest model of Bernina sewing machine starts at $1000 retail- gulp! I started rethinking my ideas of what I wanted...I wanted more bang for my buck and I didn't need to have that status symbol that seems to go along with owning a Bernina. I started looking at other brands and found Janome. For my sewing needs and talents this one is perfect, does the same things all the other brands do and I'm VERY happy with it! By the way, Thimble Cottage does not sell sewing machines and for me that takes away some of the intimidation of walking through the place.

I was especially curious about how the fabric line- she gave me the skinny on it from designing to manufacturing to getting carried in a store and I was quite intrigued. Thimble Cottage is set up in an old Victorian style house, there were rooms set up in themes- my favorite being the little bedroom filled with floral quilts I felt as if I had found a new home. It's really is something to see an entire room set up in a Baby Nursery or Christmas theme. And having beds of various sizes throughout the place really does give such a wonderful visual aide of seeing what those finished quilts look like when display on a bed. Needless to say I spent some money while there (just a little) :-) I have added another quilt pattern to my collection but this one is a small table top size and I'm excited about making it very soon! I also bought a needlework project the Ladybug Delights kit and I was VERY delighted to discover that Thimble Cottage carries the Weeks Dye Works hand dyed embroidery threads- I'm in heaven now! I excited that I can buy my favorite embroidery floss local instead of having to order it on the internet and waiting a week for it to get to me. So now when I want to start a project...I can start it immediately while I've got my mojo going full throttle- woohoo!

I'm going to make a list of all of the quilting stores in my general area and take a trip to each and every one of them. Who knows what little gems I might discover! Why don't you make a list of places that you would like to visit in your own area...you too might discover something new that will spark your creative passions!

Quote of the Day

The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box.

~Henri Cartier-Bresson

this is how I feel when trying to take a photograph of our family pet or better yet...when trying to get a decent picture of my children.

Sandie's foot issues...

I've found out what is wrong with my foot- and after having a painful injection of a pain killer I find myself being able to walk on it with less discomfort, trust me it still hurts just not to the same degree as before the injection. I think that someone somewhere sees it being rather humorous how an innocent little injection into ones foot of a pain killer really hurts (it brought tears to my eyes). I have to go in for a series of these injections, if they do not alleviate my problem then surgery will be required. I had the Doctor draw on my foot where the incision would be and what would be done etc- doesn't sound too bad (I've had foot surgery before). My heel still hurts like there's no tomorrow but just not in the same spot or in the same way- how weird is that? I go back in 2 week (lucky me) for more of the same.

Now for me to get some things together and scurry off....it's a Mom and Daughter afternoon and we're going to get manicures today!

it's Wednesday...

This morning I go to see a Podiatrist- to get answers as to why my foot is hurting- but not just an ache it hurts ALL of the time. It feels as if an ice pick is constantly being jabbed into my ankle and heel region. I know that I'll have to have something done but as to what that "something is" well I'm still a little apprehensive. I wish that I had someone to go to the Doctors office with me, but alas I don't. I didn't think about asking a girlfriend to come along with me until this morning when I started to think about how afraid I am of needles, LOL!

Quote of the Day

Both of today's quotes are by Marlee Matlin- enjoy!


"Every one of us is different in some way, but for those of us who are more different, we have to put more effort into convincing the less different that we can do the same thing they can, just differently. "
~Marlee Matlin

"Everybody's got a job to do, and I do mine as best I can."
~Marlee Matlin

what an awesome day!

I know that it's only 2:45 pm but it's been a wonderful day for me! From meeting the new office secretaries at the contractors office to having the owner of the quilting shop give me one on one help with my quilting questions. The Thrift Shop was bustling with happy shoppers. It's a delicious day- sunny and warm (66º is warm for us), it's only a slight breeze at 8 mph.

Now I'm all pumped up to work some more on my quilt. I've got the special pins that I needed and now to get it all pinned together and ready for the quilting phase. Once I'm ready to attach the binding on the edges I'm to bring my quilt back to the store and they'll help me with it- WOW now that's awesome customer service!

I got to talk with some friends about scrapbooking today too and at the request of others I plan on getting back into teaching some scrapbooking classes again. I got out of doing that when I started my scrapbook for hire business as it took up all of my time. Only at special requests will I take on a scrapbook for hire client- my time is just too precious and so limited. To be honest, it took the fun out of scrapbooking for me. So now I'm happy as a lark minus all that horrible foot pain I'm experiencing right now. So I'm off to relax and read a quilting magazine and get ideas on how to make an appliqued valance for my daughters bedroom window.

A day in my life...

I've got a short list of things that I want to accomplish today. One of them being a quick trip to the quilt store to get a couple of items I need to put the quilt together and of course get some advice from the wonderful ladies who work there - that's always welcome!

Tomorrow will be a busy day for me. I've finally got my appointment with a Podiatrist (in the morning). I've got mixed feelings about this appointment. You see, my left heal/ankle region is causing me more and more pain. Some days I can't even walk on that foot because it hurts just that bad. But what's the use of constantly complaining? I need to just deal with it and so I am. I'm afraid of what the Doctor may find, afraid that I might have injured myself more because of my prolonged abuse of walking on it when it was really hurting. So...will I get some horrifically huge needle poked into my foot tomorrow? Probably. X-rays? most likely- we shall see what comes from it all. I wonder about surgery- we shall see what the diagnosis is and deal with it when it comes to that. I tell myself not to worry about things, it does no good. Just deal with it as it comes and that's it.

Now on to more positive thing...Do I trust myself in the quilt shop? I'm like a kid in a candy store while there, LOL!

Quote of the day

I adore Adam Sandler even more after reading quotes by him talking about how he views family life...enjoy!

I do want children. I study dads more. I watch what they go through. I admire my father more than I ever did and my brother and my sister.
Adam Sandler

I'm 31 now. I think I'm beginning to understand what life is, what romance is, and what a relationship means.
Adam Sandler

This character feels so much like my brother. He has two children. He has a wife. He works with me. He chooses to stay in New Hampshire because he wants his kids to grow up in the school they started with. He doesn't want them to lose friends. He is his family's hero.
Adam Sandler

Are you a Brainiac?

These kind of things crack me up and this morning is no different. Links to these little quizes were sent to me by a girlfriend-enjoy!

You Are a Total Brainiac

You're amazingly brilliant. Some would even say genius. You're curious, thoughtful, analytical, and confident. You take on difficult subjects because you want to... not because you have to. No field of knowledge is too complicated or intimidating for you. You've got the brains to do anything you want. It's possible you end up doing everything you want.

Are You a Brainiac?

What do the flowers day about you?

What These Tulips Say About You

You are very popular and universally admired. You are often hopelessly in love, and you connect to other people easily. You are a naturally cheerful and upbeat person. You have an amazing smile.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

Time Trivia...

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."
~ William Penn
Some trivia about Time...
The wristwatch was invented in 1904 by Louis Cartier.
***
There are 31,557,600 seconds in a year.
***
A jiffy is an actual measurement equal to 1/100th of a
second.

ZONES
Not all time zones are in one hour increments. Some count-
ries use 30 minute offsets. When the time in Greenwich is
12:00 noon, it is 8:30am in Newfoundland and 9:30pm in
Australia. In Nepal, however, they use a time offset in
quarter hours, so the time there would be 5:45pm.
***
Talk about confusing...
Prior to 1995, International Date Line split the country
of Kiribati. The result was that the eastern part of
Kiribati was a whole day and two hours behind the western
part of the country where its capital is located.
***
Perfect Timing
The second is defined as exactly 9,192,631,770 oscilla-
tions or cycles of the cesium atom's resonant frequency,
replacing the old second that was defined in terms of the
Earth's motions. The newest generation of the "Atomic
Clock" is accurate to 30 billionths of a second a year.
It is the most accurately measured physical quantity in
science.

My quilting project is done...well almost :-)

I can hardly believe it- I've finished the top part of my little quilting project :-) I'm going to celebrate with a PB&J and a tall glass of milk! Now the really hard work begins- putting the front back and middle together, then the actual decorative quilting (sewing) of the 3 layers together, then sewing on the binding-ugh! I cringe at the thought of putting on the binding because that always throws me a curve. Having patience will be in order for me to finish this project this week. For being the novice at quilting, I have to say that I got through this without too many technical difficulties :-)

Now for me to read up some more on the art of decorative quilting or what I call the sewing of the layers together.

My quilting project...

I've been working all weekend on my quilt and let me tell you it's been quite the adventure in patience. I have a new favorite tool- it's called the "seam ripper". I've never really given it the credit it deserves. I've had mine for almost as long as I've been married. It's got a seam ripper on one side and tweezers on the other- it's quite the handy tool! The other awesome tool is my little metal ruler. It's got the measurements right to the edge which makes it fantastically easy to use and read. A good quality pair of scissors is a MUST when sewing any kind of project. Make sure that they are hidden well out of sight from your husband/significant other and most of all your children. You will want these extra nice and pricey scissors just for your fabric and knowing the others in whom you share your home with...they will see them as just another pair of scissors.

Another set of tools that is a must have is the "Rotary Cutter". The ones I own are by Olfa (this company was the first to come out with this style of rotary cutting tool) but many brands are available. The middle sized one (the 28 mm) is the first one I ever bought and the one that I pick up first when making any sort of a project that needs a long straight cut. The cutting mats are yet another must have item. The rotary cutting tool just glides across the mat


Rulers...I bought myself the O'Lipfa brand of quilting rulers. I like the over hanging "lip" edge that grabs the edge of the cutting mat. I really like how it gives me control in cutting a very straight edge. These rulers rock! Talk about a tool that makes cutting mass quantities of blocks and strips of fabric a breeze! What a truly time consuming and tedious job it would be to cut out 100 of more squares and rectangular strips of fabric for a simple quilting project. The rotary cutting tools, mats and rulers has eliminated that and has streamlined quilting as being one of the most popular hobbies/crafts of all time.


You need an iron for pressing seams- here's mine, it's Rowenta Professional (it was a gift from my Mother last year). I now own 2 Rowenta irons, I put my old one away since my Mom gave me the heavy duty Professional series iron, this thing is quite heavy and wow does it ever make a sharp crease! The price of these quality irons certainly has come down over the years. When my Mom bought her professional series iron she paid close to $150 for it. Now you can get a professional series iron for $100- I'd say that was a significant price reduction.


Here I am now showing the blocks or pieces that make up the bulk of this quilt. A short view and a wider longer view of what will be the border or edge before I put on the binding.



Now for a view of the quilt while I have it spread out on the carpet and the long boarder pinned and ready for sewing. Cute eh?

Now for the binding - I chose this awesome looking pink and green fabric (I adore pink and green). Here you see my handiwork at making a splice (I have to do this more several times). One handy dandy thing I have at my disposal is a wooden clothes drying rack. I like to hang my fabric over it when working on sewing projects. This is especially nice to drape long strips of fabric after when ironing/pressing them and not wanting them to get all wrinkled up. The green with yellow flowers fabric will be the backing of this lap sized quilt. I had at first thought that this would be a good sized quilt for a crib but alas it's too large. I did by chance purchase another quilt pattern one that can be made in crib size. I actually own a total 4 quilt patterns now and thanks to my daughter Hannah a book with table runner patterns :-)

Quote of the Day

Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.
~Erma Bombeck
I had to laugh when I read this... this is so very true of my own life.

Quote of the Day

"If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change, we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect."
~Jacques Yves Cousteau

The war in Iraq

I read this news article over at foxnews.com and wanted to share it all with you. "For few, Iraq war has changed everything" I don't care for the title I think that they could have come up with a better one- but the story it tells is a good one. It's a harsh reality and reading the story made me cry. I don't think that any of us could imagine the grief any one of these people have experienced. But being there with them to help them pick up the pieces of their lives and start over- well that's the kind of thing I'm here for. I lend a hand and and am available 24/7 for moral support to those going through deployments.

The irony in it all is (in case you didn't already know) I'm one of those spouses that had to plan our recent family vacation around a deployment. I have many friends that are currently experiencing the lonely separation of a long deployment and living with the fear that they might never see their loved one again. I wish that our politicians would have to take 6 month deployments to Iraq and experience it first hand. To experience the same kinds of things our service men and women are trying to cope with- from sleeping in tents on cots, to being shot at, to having to eat food that's got sand in it and being ever so appreciative of the little care boxes that are sent from home.

So if you're the kind of person that prays- please keep our service men and women in your prayers. That they come home safely to their families-Amen.

Quilting....

Quilting is my newest hobby. I've always adored quilts and admired those that made them. For my own self, I've always had a deep desire to make a Christmas quilt for each and every bed in our home. It's just a "thing" and it's been something that I've wanted to do.

I've got to post some pictures of the progress I've made on my "Cheese and Crackers" quilt. Once I started understanding the quilting terminology or "lingo"- I was home free! That for me was the hardest part- the terms used for quilting are very different for those that are used in general sewing.

Something to keep in mind is the importance of having the right tools for the job. Trust me when I say that it makes everything go quicker and easier. Be it sewing, quilting, needlework, stamping or scrapbooking- the finished project will reflect the tools that you've used. Another word of advice, read the instructions and read them more than once! Not sure what a certain term means? Then ask for help.

Look for some pictures to come (I'm going to go take some right now).

Quote of the Day

"The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it."
~Dee Hock

Wilson and the towel animals

Wilson the Travel Pig has had his picture taken at every port and with every towel animal that's been left in our room. Here he is with a towel elephant.

Kids can be such dorks

Have you ever wanted to get a decent picture of yourself with one of your children? Oh my gosh you would have thought that I was wanting the world with this child as he kept making faces ever time the shutter snapped. My attempts at getting a half ways decent photo with my daughter went pretty much the same way.


The really funny part to all of this is when you (the parent) realize that your child has food stuck in his braces during this photo taking time. I was cracking up afterwards, Andrew didn't care as a matter of fact he thought it was even more funny and wanted us to do a close up of his teeth.

more photos from St. Maarten N.A. D.W.I

To think that the delightful weather we were experiencing was also their winter weather was remarkable. A slight breeze and the warm sun made our day in St. Maarten truly delightful. I could see us spending an entire vacation on this island. The white sand beach felt soft under my feet my feet and the water was such a beautiful shade of blue.

I adore palm trees, and the streets were lined with them. In fact they were just about everywhere I was. I liked how the city had protected them from being trampled by installing these neat rubber grates that went over them protecting the ground surrounding them.

It wasn't too crowded either. You know how some tourist destinations get jam packed, kind of like a theme park such as Disneyland or Six Flags. Not this place. There was plenty of shops and little places of interest spread out. Of course some stores had pushy sales people that just wanted to sell you everything and anything and other shops were very helpful in trying to help you locate something that you're looking for. But in all it's a very relaxed atmosphere there on St. Maarten and I would dearly love to spend an entire week there exploring the Dutch side of the island.

Quote of the day

We're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.
~Whoopi Goldberg

St. Maarten- the Dutch side(D.W.I.-Dutch West Indies or N.A. Netherland Antilles)

Shopping here was unlike shopping anywhere else! The ever classic and beautiful blue and white Dutch pottery could be bought here, t-shirts galore, knock off designer handbags, knick knacks of every kind, electronics (basically digital cameras & camcorders) and of course...jewelry, Rum and Cuban cigars (the real deal).

The streets were very narrow, wide enough for only 1 car to drive on and paved with bricks. There were shops galore on this part of the island and it can be safe to say that there was something for everyone.

The one thing that bothered myself and Hannah were the vast numbers of local women getting in our faces asking us if we wanted out hair braided...just say NO! They would jump out of side street alleys holding nasty looking dirty combs, "braids for your daughter Lady?" Eeew, as if! Other than that going on, this place was pretty picturesque.

going shopping on St. Maarten

We're taking the water taxi to the shopping district on St. Maarten, it's a heck of a lot faster than taking a regular taxi- and safer too, LOL! And yes I even brought along Wilson the Travel Pig. He's been on every one of our vacations! He's just as well traveled as our children :-)

Things to make you laugh...

As I was looking through the pictures on my computer one of the funniest things on our vacation was the packets of butter in the formal dining room. Each night we would dine there, and each night I caught the kids giggling about something. So finally I asked..."what gives? What is it about the packets of butter that you two find so darn funny?" Once I looked at it, I instantly knew what was making my children laugh. Call us silly Americans but we find it funny- check out the name of the town where our butter was made...You'll say Middle what? Yes it's what it says...Middlefart. I"m sure that the Danish people don't find any humor in it, but lets face it Middlefart is a pretty funny name for a town.

Shopping for sunglasses in San Juan P.R.

I finally located the photo's of Hannah shopping for sunglasses in San Juan. The ones her Dad bought for the trip broke and she needed a new pair, so here they are shopping for a new pair. Funny thing is that she came out with 2 new pairs.

Quote of the Day

My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything - even if you have no clue what you're doing.
Jessica Alba

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.
Lucille Ball

116

That's the number of photos that I picked up from Walgreen's after my dental appointment. I don't know about you but Um, that's a lot of photos to scrap. The funny part is that I didn't print out ALL of our vacations photos either, LOL!

So with the number 116 in mind, I'm going to get working on them. I've sorted them into their respective groups and now to assess what I want to do with each group of photos. I do this with a huge smile on my face!

Lets get back to...Scrapbooking!

I know what makes me truly happy- it's being creative... be it with paper or food.

But seriously, I've poured out my heart this morning about my woes and am now feeling a little better about it. Now I feel the need to do something with my hands! I'm going to sit here and print out some vacation photo's and use some of the terrific sketches from over at Blue Print Sketches. Some of the best stress relievers for me (besides Tylenol) come from working on scrapbooking layouts- working with those smiling faces and reminiscing on what happened in those pictures- well it's sort of like therapy for me. And if that doesn't work, I'll take a long soak in the bathtub later, LOL!

Stress...

I like to think myself of being a generally positive person, that I'm normally a happy person in the morning but right now I find myself in a bad mood. I'm feeling frustrated, angry and depressed all at the same time, not a good way to start ones day. As you guessed it, that's why I'm up so early this morning- 3 am is just such an lonely time of day too. My eyes are puffy, my nose is stuffed up and lets not even talk about my hair, LOL! All of my frustration stems from 3 different entities all of which are related to OSC in some manner.

Doing all of the various volunteering jobs that I do is not easy. I know that to some it must look as if it all just falls into place on it own- let me tell you that it doesn't. It's a lot of behind the scenes hard work that no one sees or really knows about - heck, besides my husband and a couple of close friends no one has any idea as to how many hours go into the behind the scenes work I do for a function. From picking out menus & table linens, negotiating menu prices, and staying within a budget plus there's dealing with the wants of my OSC President and the general membership- it's nerve wracking to say the least. I'm down to the last 2 programs I have to plan and my brain hurts. It's tying up all of the loose ends, making sure that everything comes off looking like it took no effort while all the time you were pulling your hair out in clumps. In the end...it's about putting on the high heels and the little black dress and acting as if it all went so smoothly in front of 30 or more people. I feel like such a phony acting like it was easy to put on a function walking around the room smiling asking everyone if they're enjoying themselves- while at the same time giving a sigh of relief that the function came off without too many last minute "issues".

I'm skipping the OSC board meeting and going to a dental appointment today- I'd rather have my teeth scraped & cleaned than have to be in that room today presenting a board report.

Quote of the Day

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), speech prepared for delivery in Dallas the day of his assassination, November 22, 1963


Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless.
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

Up before the birds...

It's another early day for me, woke up at 4:30 am (that's when the alarm clock went off). My husband had to be at work early today-ugh!

So far this morning...I've had 2 cups of coffee (okay make that 3) read the news on line, fed the cat, got the kids up for school and checked on our weather. Hmmm, looks like snow.

Go ahead and call me sarcastic today, what is sarcasm but a little bit of spice to ones daily life. It's supposed to snow today up to a couple of inches. That means that people will drive like maniacs throwing all caution to the wind. I can't tell you how many people I've seen drive like they're king of the road when the weather turns the least bit foul. It's the same off base as it is on base. People sliding into the parking lots at the Commissary, BX, Thrift Shop and the Base Hospital. And what is it that suddenly has folks parking like dorks? Taking up 2 spaces or parking so darn close to your drivers door that you have to get in through the hatch back- that is if you're lucky enough to have a hatch back, LOL! Someone did this to me yesterday, the person took 1½ parking spaces and gave me 3 inches of clearance space for me drivers side door- the funny thing was that the person had over 4 feet of clearance on their drivers side door- what's up with that? I mean really? LOL! Some days I just shake my head and laugh.

I need to figure out what non-itchy winter apparel I will be wearing today. As I mentioned in my quote of the day- what is it with winter weather that makes it synonymous with itchy clothing?

Quote of the Day

I can't tell you how much this quote fits me today, LOL! What is it with winter weather that makes it synonymous with itchy clothing?
I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch.
Gilda Radner (1946 - 1989)

Life would be boring without girlfriends

For me, having lunch with friends is always fun! It's a great way of getting caught up on what's been going on with everyone. I had such a great time and I hope that my girlfriends did too :-)

I've got my programs nailed (picked out) for the next 2 months and have now to wait for the catering people to get back to me with prices. This is a huge deal as getting prices in a timely manner have been a major issue since I started being Programs Director.

Tomorrow is our Thrift Shop manager Heidi's birthday. We're doing a surprise potluck kind of lunch thing. I'm making my yummy zucchini bread, someone else is bringing a cake another is bringing homemade salsa. I'm sure that others will be bringing items to share. It's going to be fun surprising Heidi with this little potluck luncheon:-)

The zucchini bread smells heavenly, dinner is in the oven-it's simple food, baked potatoes with all the trimmings! That's always a hit with my family and easy on me when I have other things going on. Did I mention that I love the whole double oven thing? Oh yeah! I don't know how I got along for so long without one!

Is today special for you?

This morning my husband asked me what day it is...my reply (with a small chuckle) "the day I put the summer clothes away from our vacation?" he said "um yeah that AND something else". I gave up guessing...he told me that today is the kick off for the AFJROTC clothing drive. I immediately said "Andrew can take my minivan". You see, the utility room is jam packed with clothes that our son has been collecting since last August. I've been wanting my storage area back for months!

Another way this day is special for me is that I decided to have a "girls lunch out" and my girlfriends can make it :-) I'm going to plan more of these kind of small get-togethers with my girlfriends. With 2 of the ladies in our little group moving in June, another has just begun the long separation from her husband due to an 8 month deployment and there's me- not knowing when my husband will be leaving or where he will be going but knowing that some time this year he will be leaving on a deployment. Yup I say that those are as good of reasons as any for getting together with my girlfriends, don't you?

Now for me to have some more coffee...it's chocolate coffee today and it's just extra yummy! For the most part today is as good as any day -but to me it's just extra special!

Jaycie West Benefit

Please check out my friend Pegs' blog for more information on how you can help a local girl. I believe that one of Pegs daughters is heading this up. This reminds me, I've got to get a batch of handmade cards to Peg for this benefit.

Quote of the Day

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
~Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

The words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels.
~Hazrat Inayat Khan

today's quotes have to do with beauty- My wish for you...may you be able to see the beauty in everything and everyone!
~Sandie

North by North West...wind that is

It was so deliciously warm yesterday- getting up to 72º and now look at it...it's 32º the wind is blowing NNW at 32 mph with gusts to 40 mph and there's that wind-chill thing making it feel like it's 18º outside- brr! Can you say knit turtle necks & wool sweater weather? So after the "hint" of Spring weather" yesterday we're back to having winter again.

So what does one do on a cold blustery day? After we get back from church I'll be brewing a pot of tea, making some yummy scones and then finish up the other card I was working on. The paint had to dry on the chipboard and now all I have to do is to stick it all together :-) I'll also print up some photo's from our vacation and get to work on a layout of two then start cutting the fabric for the cheese & crackers quilt.

Quote of the Day

Sometimes it seems like God is difficult to find and impossibly far away. We get so caught up in our small daily duties and irritations that they become the only things that we can focus on. What we forget is that God's love and beauty are all around us, every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them.
Matthias, Correction Weblog, 11-01-03

2 Peas in a pod greeting card

Here's what I've been up to today...I saw this "idea" in a recent mini catalog from Stampin Up. I've changed the colors and have used a rub-on instead of a floral stamp. The card just spoke "peas" to me :) and here it is. I cut part of the card, stuck the ¾ inch punched circles down and then sewed it back together. Used the whale of a punch circle punch in white and then placed the rub-on over the large circle. Rub rub rub and there it is....pretty darn cute eh?

The 1st day of March

My day really doesn't start without me having at least 2 cups of coffee and today is no exception :) The day is supposed to be a delicious one with temperatures reaching 65º- woohoo! Maybe my husband and son will wash my kid mobile -as it's rather dirty and reminds me greatly of a potato that's been freshly dug out of the ground.

I've got the cleaning and organizing bug-again. I started with my closet, refolding sweaters and rearranging handbags. I've decided that it's time to cull the handbag heard, so far I've only been able to part with 3 of them, but hey-that's a start right? Ones that I haven't used in ages are outta here! There are some that are truly seasonal and others for formal occasions. It's the everyday bags that I'm going through and am donating. Women in general tend to hang on to old handbags- like they're some sort of lucky charm. I think that my mom and my m-i-l have every handbag that they've ever bought in their life time- then again I know women who are my age and younger that do the same thing.

So it's some early spring cleaning going on here at my house. The AFJROTC clothing drive is about to kick off (and I'm going to get my utility room back). I've got to go through the clothes and see what other items I can donate to the clothing drive.

I'm going to start on another quilting project- I've been itching to get working on the "Cheese and Crackers" quilt. I started on a new counted cross stitch project while on the cruise and it's something that I like to work on when winding down my day. I find it relaxes me to do something productive at the end of the day. So I'm off to get some more coffee and to be tooling away in my scrapbook nook. I'm bringing the camera with me and will take pictures as I go along cutting up pieces for my quilting project.

Quote of the day

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans.
~Ronald Reagan, quoted in Observer, March 29 1981

Leap Year Trivia

A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been in-
serted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap
year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called
common years, have 365 days.
***
The vernal equinox is the time when the sun is directly
above the Earth's equator, moving from the southern to
the northern hemisphere. The mean time between two suc-
cessive vernal equinoxes is called a tropical year–also
known as a solar year–and is about 365.24 days long.
Using a calendar with 365 days every year would result
in a loss of 0.24 days, or almost six hours per year.
***
By adding a leap year approximately every fourth year,
the difference between the calendar and the seasons can
be reduced significantly, and the calendar will align
with the seasons much more accurately.
TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS
A tradition was introduced many centuries ago to allow women
to propose to men during a leap year. This privilege of pro-
posing was restricted to leap day in some areas.
***
Leap day was sometimes known as 'Bachelors' Day'. A man was
expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he
refused a marriage offer from a woman. The tradition's
origin stemmed from an old Irish tale referring to St.
Bridget striking a deal with St Patrick to allow women to
propose to men every four years. This old custom was pro-
bably made to balance the traditional roles of men and
women in a similar way to how the leap day balances the
calendar.
***
It was also considered to be unlucky for someone to be born
on a leap day in Scotland and for couples to marry on a leap
year, including on a leap day, in Greece.

Being creative...

I went to bed with this feeling...I need to make something today :-) I'm not talking about dinner, because that's already been for chosen for me - we're having a soup supper at church. It's a Friday during lent and that means "meat without feet" and Stations of the Cross.

Anyway...I'm going to go hang out in my scrapbook nook and make something fun! I'll be back a little later to show you what I've made.

Quote of the Day

"There is no duty we so much underrated as the duty
of being happy."
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

A great evening was had by all!

Bingo was a HUGE success! We all had so much fun, All of the ladies who won are VERY excited with their prizes. The biggest surprise for me was when I won one of the door prizes-the gift certificate for the paraffin wax manicure. I'm thrilled to have won it! I'm calling tomorrow to book my appointment!

The mini cheesecakes went over VERY well. Who doesn't like to come home with a" little something" :-)

Now for me to have a cup of mint tea and unwind. I'm so glad that our program went so well. The room was charming, the food delicious and the company simply wonderful!

My stampin up consultant has a blog spot!

Please check out my friend Pegs' blog spot http://stampingwithpeg.blogspot.com/ She just started it and she's got some very cute cards up on it!

Some trivia my birth stone- the Pearl

Pearl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation).

A black pearl and a shell of the black-lipped pearl oyster
Saltwater pearl oyster farm, Seram, Indonesia
A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of mollusks, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls occur, see baroque pearl.

The finest quality pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and the word pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, and admirable.

Almost any shelled mollusk can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl" when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within the mollusk's mantle folds, but virtually none of these "pearls" are considered to be gemstones.

True iridescent pearls, the most desirable pearls, are produced by two groups of molluscan bivalves or clams. One family lives in the sea: the pearl oysters. The other, very different group of bivalves live in freshwater, and these are the river mussels, for example, see the freshwater pearl mussel.

Saltwater pearls can grow in several species of marine pearl oysters in the family Pteriidae. Freshwater pearls grow within certain (but by no means all) species of freshwater mussels in the order Unionida, the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae. All of these bivalves are able to make true pearls because they have a thick inner shell layer composed of "mother of pearl" or nacre. The mantle of the living bivalve can create a pearl in the same way that it creates the pearly inner layer of the shell.

Fine gem quality saltwater and freshwater pearls can and do sometimes occur completely naturally, but this is a rare occurrence. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or pearl mussels have to be gathered and opened (killed) in order to find even one pearl, and for many centuries that was the only way pearls were obtained. This was the main reason why pearls fetched such extraordinary prices in the past. In modern times however, almost all the pearls for sale were formed with a good deal of expert intervention from human pearl farmers.

A true pearl is made from layers of nacre, by the same living process as is used in the secretion of the mother of pearl which lines the shell. A "natural pearl" is one that formed without any human intervention at all, in the wild, and these are very rare. A "cultured pearl" on the other hand, is one that has been formed on a pearl farm. The great majority of pearls on the market are cultured pearls.

Imitation or fake pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of the iridescence is usually very poor, and generally speaking, fake pearls are usually quite easy to distinguish from the real thing.

Pearls have been harvested, or more recently cultivated, primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past they were also stitched onto lavish clothing, as worn, for example, by royalty. Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, or in paint formulations.

Pearl is considered to be the birthstone for June.
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The History of Pearls-

Long known as the "Queen of Gems," pearls possess a history and allure far beyond what today's wearer may recognize. Throughout much of recorded history, a natural pearl necklace comprised of matched spheres was a treasure of almost incomparable value, in fact the most expensive jewelry in the world. Now we see pearls almost as accessories, relatively inexpensive decorations to accompany more costly gemstones.Before the creation of cultured pearls in the early 1900s, natural pearls were so rare and expensive that they were reserved almost exclusively for the noble and very rich. A jewelry item that today's working women might take for granted, a 16-inch strand of perhaps 50 pearls, often costs between $500 and $5,000. At the height of the Roman Empire, when pearl fever reached its peak, the historian Suetonius wrote that the Roman general Vitellius financed an entire military campaign by selling just one of his mother's pearl earrings.No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear pearls. George Frederick Kunz, whom I like to call America's first gemologist, in his 1908 masterpiece, The Book of the Pearl, states his belief that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast of India, initially appreciated the shape and lustre of saltwater pearls, which they discovered while opening oysters for food. No matter the origin, a reverence for pearls spread throughout the world over the ensuing millennia. India's sacred books and epic tales abound with pearl references. One legend has the Hindu god Krishna discovering pearls when he plucks the first one from the sea and presents it to his daughter Pandaïa on her wedding day. China's long recorded history also provides ample evidence of the importance of pearls. In the Shu King, a 23rd-century B.C. book, the scribe sniffs that as tribute, a lesser king sent "strings of pearls not quite round." In Egypt, decorative mother-of-pearl was used at least as far back as 4200 B.C., but the use of pearls themselves seems to have been later, perhaps related to the Persian conquest in the fifth century B.C. Rome's pearl craze reached its zenith during the first century B.C. Roman women upholstered couches with pearls and sewed so many into their gowns that they actually walked on their pearl-encrusted hems. Caligula, having made his horse a consul, decorated it with a pearl necklace.

The Romans and Egyptians prized pearls above all other gems.
Pearls, in fact, played the pivotal role at the most celebrated banquet in literature. To convince Rome that Egypt possessed a heritage and wealth that put it above conquest, Cleopatra wagered Marc Antony she could give the most expensive dinner in history. The Roman reclined as the queen sat with an empty plate and a goblet of wine (or vinegar). She crushed one large pearl of a pair of earrings, dissolved it in the liquid, then drank it down. Astonished, Antony declined his dinner -- the matching pearl -- and admitted she had won. Pliny, the world's first gemologist, writes in his famous Natural History that the two pearls were worth an estimated 60 million sesterces, or 1,875,000 ounces of fine silver ($9,375,000 with silver at $5/ounce).

The Arabs have shown the greatest love for pearls. The depth of their affection for pearls is enshrined in the Koran, especially within its description of Paradise, which says: "The stones are pearls and jacinths; the fruits of the trees are pearls and emeralds; and each person admitted to the delights of the celestial kingdom is provided with a tent of pearls, jacinths, and emeralds; is crowned with pearls of incomparable lustre, and is attended by beautiful maidens resembling hidden pearls."
*****************************************************************

Pearl Harbors

During the long history of pearls, the principal oyster beds lay in the Persian Gulf, along the coasts of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and in the Red Sea. Chinese pearls came mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds, whereas Japanese pearls were found near the coast in salt water. Nearly all the pearls in commerce originated from those few sources. Over the next millennium only three substantive events altered what appeared to be a very stable pattern. Considering the minimal state of pearling in the United States today, it is impressive that two of the three developments occurred in the New World.As Europe raced to capitalize on what Columbus had stumbled upon, the major powers of the day concentrated on spheres of influence. Spain focused its efforts in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America, the Spanish forced slaves to dive for pearls. The English colonizers along North America's Atlantic coast and French explorers to the north and west, all found native Americans wearing pearls, and they discovered freshwater pearls in the Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee River basins. So many gems were exported to Europe that the New World quickly gained the appellation "Land of Pearls."

Mother-of-pearl, the iridescent coating inside oyster shells, once formed the foundation of a thriving button industry in the U.S.
What is now the United States became famous for two products. Its best freshwater pearls fueled a ready market overseas, purchased by people who, unlike the then less sophisticated frontier Americans, knew the rarity and value of large, round, lustrous pearls. Many of the best examples made their way into Europe's royal gem collections, where they can still be seen on display, usually misidentified as saltwater pearls from the Orient. America also produced mother-of-pearl buttons, which it exported all over the world. Iowa became the center of the trade, shipping billions of iridescent fasteners until World War II, when newly invented plastic virtually drove quality buttons out of the market.While North America set a new standard for large freshwater pearls, white saltwater pearls from the coasts of Panama and Venezuela competed with pearls from Bahrain, and black saltwater pearls from the Bay of California (in what is now Mexico) provided an alternative to Tahitian blacks. More pearls arrived in Spain than the country's aristocratic market could absorb. As with the emeralds it was mining in Colombia, Spain found ready buyers for its new pearls across Europe and in India.Those pearl supplies continued into the 1800s, until overfishing in Central American waters and in North American streams depleted the beds. Pollution also took its toll as the United States industrialized. Then, toward the end of the last century, the single event that forever reshaped the pearl trade slowly unfolded in the isolated island nation of Japan.

**********************************************************************

A Culture is Born...

Kokichi Mikimoto, the son of a noodle maker, had a dream and a hard-working wife, Ume. Together they set about to do what no one else had done -- entice oysters to produce round pearls on demand. Mikimoto did not know that government biologist Tokichi Nishikawa and carpenter Tatsuhei Mise had each independently discovered the secret of pearl culturing -- inserting a piece of oyster epithelial membrane (the lip of mantle tissue) with a nucleus of shell or metal into an oyster's body or mantle causes the tissue to form a pearl sack. That sack then secretes nacre to coat the nucleus, thus creating a pearl.Mise received a 1907 patent for his grafting needle. When Nishikawa applied for a patent for nucleating, he realized that he and Mise had discovered the same thing. In a compromise, the pair signed an agreement uniting their common discovery as the Mise-Nishikawa method, which remains the heart of pearl culturing. Mikimoto had received an 1896 patent for producing hemispherical pearls, or mabes, and a 1908 patent for culturing in mantle tissue. But he could not use the Mise-Nishikawa method without invalidating his own patents. So he altered the patent application to cover a technique to make round pearls in mantle tissue, which was granted in 1916. With this technicality, Mikimoto began an unprecedented expansion, buying rights to the Mise-Niskikawa method and eclipsing those originators of cultured pearls, leaving their names only for history books.

Mikimoto's efforts made pearls in a range of styles and prices available to consumers worldwide.

Largely by trial and error over a number of years, Mikimoto did contribute one crucial discovery. Whereas Nishikawa nucleated with silver and gold beads, Mikimoto experimented with everything from glass to lead to clay to wood. He found he had the highest success rates when he inserted round nuclei cut from U.S. mussel shells. Although some countries continue to test other nuclei, U.S. mussel shells have been the basis for virtually all cultured saltwater pearls for 90 years.Even though third with his patents and his secrets, Mikimoto revolutionized pearling. Ever the flamboyant showman and promoter, he badgered jewelers and governments to accept his cultured products as pearls. His workers created massive pearl structures, which he displayed at every major international exposition. By mastering the techniques, Mikimoto, then hundreds of other Japanese firms, made pearls available to virtually everyone in the world.Fred Ward is a gemologist and author of the book Pearls (Gem Book Publishers, Bethesda, Maryland, 1998), from which this article was adapted.

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