I will be gone for a couple of weeks on an adventure…a little bit of treasure hunting.  I have a couple of posts ready that I will try to upload.

I’ve never tried to add posts from my Ipod, but that might be the extent of technology available.

If I can, I will post discoveries near and far.

La hit ra ot  (See you later)

Crocheted yarn flower necklace.

More polymer clay moths.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

There are seven new additions to our menagerie, 5 Americauna and 2 Barred Rock chicks. I have been wanting some new chicks for a while. Many years ago, when my children were young, we had 29 chickens. That was a bit too many. My DH got burnt out on eggs for a while. He will just now eat them again.

I took them out for a little sunshine and put them in the outdoor run of their future home. Maggie was fascinated with them…unfortunately. She found a small hole in the chicken wire and made it bigger and almost got to them. Thankfully, I found it in time and rounded them up and took them back inside. At least I found the weakness in the wire and know how to make it secure now.

See the mischief in her eyes?

There is a bit more to do to prepare their home, but they still have a week or so to grow, so I will not be rushed.


I’m so excited that it is spring! All I want to do is be outside and garden and enjoy the GREEN!
Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing! My creativity this time of year is directed out of the studio and outside. What a blessing to experience spring in Tennessee!

After two long afternoons in the studio, I finally finished this Sedona scene that I had been working on at the request of someone special. (If you can guess, shhhh! I don’t want them to see it yet.)

It’s been a very rainy day, but the clouds parted for a few minutes and the balmy temperatures drew me out for a walk with the dogs. There are a few tiny signs that spring is on its way.
It’s a little scary to see buds and blooms this early after the devastating late freeze that we had a couple of years ago when the leaves were already on the trees. There was no fruit at all locally and it took a long time for the leaves to return. It was a sad spring followed by a tough drought. I hope that we ease gently into spring without too much cold. It’s a little to optimistic to think that we won’t have a bit more though.

The dogs enjoyed the excuse to explore. Maggie was in constant motion so my first attempts at a picture of her were just a blur. She finally paused for a drink and a dip in the pond.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet

Shifting gears again. Polymer clay has once more grabbed my attention. These “lockets” are made on mint tins with laser print transfers of Renaissance portraits.

This pendant is just the clay, without a tin. The dangles are carnelian and glass beads.

Winter has definitely found us in here Tennessee. I think that it has snowed every week this year. We are not accustomed to quite so much white stuff here. It has been beautiful though. These are views from my front yard. Maggie is enjoying a romp through the snow. She loves rolling in it.

I just had to show off the beautiful goodies that my friend Steph in Belgium sent to me recently. There is a necklace similar to the butterfly bracelet that she gave me in her Etsy shop if anyone is interested. The beaded necklace is made from the beads that she sent me in the last package of treats. The delicious chocolate did not make it into the photos, alas. It was speedily consumed. 🙂

This cowboy necklace is made from a vintage tin. It will be available at the next Studio Thursday at Silo Studio in Thompson Station, Tennessee, which is coming up on February 10th from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. Come and help support Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue. Their new website is designed by my son Zach. The background artwork is by Shawn, but the layout and functions are by Zach. If you know of anyone who needs a website done, send them to Scheitel Design and make Mom happy.

What is it about winter that makes me want to play with soft wool and yarns in bright colors and neglect the cold, hard, metal and beads for a while? My hands have been busy while I sit and watch a movie, or travel in the car, or listen to podcasts. I’ve been knitting some fun, colorful hats. See my beautiful DIL modeling one. (The photo modification was done by my 12 year old niece as well) 🙂
I’ve also been recycling wool sweaters and making small purses and necklaces and cuffs. I was inspired by Keri Smith’s Living Our Loud- Activities To Fuel A Creative Life and I made some small, inspirational cards to go in and on the purses and cuffs.
Some of the purses are small enough just to be a necklace and to put some small tokens in. Others are large enough for a phone or Ipod.
These cuffs are made from recycled, embroidered sweaters with vintage buttons sewn on, along with the quotes printed on fabric.
I’m getting ready for January’s sale at Silo Studio coming up on January 21st. I’ll keep you posted.

I just got through adding several new things to my Etsy Shop. Just in time for CyberMonday

Busy, busy! I have two shows happening next week! The first is at Silo Studio in
Thompsons Station, Tennessee, and this one is a three day show. It begins on Thursday, Nov. 18th at 9:00 a.m. til 2:00 p.m., then Friday, Nov. 19th from 5:30-8:00 p.m., then Saturday, Nov. 20th from 10:00 a.m. until noon for a clearance sale.

The next show is at the Artisans Gallery on the square in downtown Columbia, Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 20th from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and also on Sunday, Nov. 21st from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m.
I’ve still been busy with the polymer clay beads. I love playing with the colors and combining them with other beads.

I was in the mood for something a little different. A while back I purchased a pasta machine for using with polymer clay and just hadn’t gotten around to using it yet. It was time for a little experimenting. I was inspired by the beautiful beads that my friend Steph had sent me a while back. This is what I have come up with in the past couple of weeks. I’m having a blast!

Speaking of having a blast…this Thursday is Sudio Thursday again at Silo Studios in Thompson Station. Come out and join the fun!

I had a few requests at the last couple of shows for some bigger necklaces. I tend to like them short, but apparently the style is trending toward larger necklaces. So….I perused the bead selection in my studio and had a fun time using up all of the larger beads in my collection. The colors are in the turquoise and fall color theme. Hope you like them.

Here is a little glimpse into my studio. This is the only sane corner. The rest is packed with stuff. On New Years Day I decided to paint the walls, so I had to take everything out of the shelves to do it. I ran out of steam after a wall and a half. Someday it will be done. By that time I will probably be ready for a new color.
This is a painting of the path to the beach from our spring vacation to Puerto Rico. The colors in the photo didn’t quite turn out true to the painting, but I can look at it and picture myself walking down that path to paradise.

Next week it will be time for Studio Thursday again at Silo Studio. After taking the month of July off, this should be a good show. As usual, your purchases help Shawn to rescue more precious dogs.

I love to try to apply creativity to all areas of my life. Sometimes we just go through the everyday routine of our lives and don’t think about beauty. Every moment of our lives can be made more beautiful if we give it a bit of thought. It is fun to treat my husband and family and friends to a little bit of something special whenever I can. Even if I am preparing a meal just for myself, I like to make it pretty. Art isn’t just for “artists.” Everyone can use the talents given to them to make the world just a little bit better. In a world full of stress and mass produced monotony, put your unique fingerprint on something that you do.

Hay baling Time 

Distant Shower 

Pottery shards given to me by a friend. Take trash and make treasures. 

I seem to be drifting back into painting. This is a view of Shacks Beach in Isabella, Puerto Rico. The photo that I did the painting from was taken as our family took a walk after dinner one evening. It brings back happy, peaceful memories.

A little bit of jewelry was done as well. This is a soft, fabric necklace of Vincent with vintage fabrics and buttons.

Well…it’s not really camp, but kind of like it. Each summer break I get some of my nieces for a few days and do crafts with them. I had one niece last month for a couple of days and we concentrated on sewing. I had a niece and a great niece last week and our main project was painting chairs. Someone had abandoned some chairs on a lot where my son and his wife are building a house and I snatched them up and brought them home because I knew they would make a great project. I think they turned out pretty cute.
We also tie-dyed T shirts and made collages. They spent a lot of time catching tiny, baby toads that are hopping all around our house and we took several rides around the farm on our Rhino. We also took a field trip to a museum nearby and one of them went to the peach orchard with me.

Now it is back to semi-normal at our house…whatever that may be and I have been in a painting mood. Here is one that I finished yesterday.

I also found time to make a bit of jewelry too. The copper and silver toned necklace and bracelet
were inspired by a pair of earrings that I got from my friend and fellow jeweler, Sylvia McAlister.

All of us probably have certain things that you can only do in summer that make the season come alive for us. My husband would probably say that first grilled burger of the season with big slices of homegrown tomato and Vidalia onion. I personally would skip the burger unless it was veggie. Some of the things that I look forward to every year are local experiences. In the town that is nearest to us there still exists a drive-in theater. We went there last night and joined the old fashioned fun. It is still a bargain in these days of expensive tickets and concessions. They always have a double feature, but this time of year, the movies doesn’t start until after 8:30 so staying awake for both features is not something that I can handle. Where else though, can you see two current movies for $6 a person?

Just up the road from us a few miles are a lovely peach orchard and berry farm. I made a trip there on Tuesday and came home with such bounty that I felt truly blessed. The peaches will be coming in until the end of July. I’m not sure about the length of time for the berries, but if you are traveling a bit to get there, I would call for availability on both of them.

Can you believe the size of these blackberries?!!! 

 

I did manage to find my studio one day this week and made this purse necklace. The vintage change purse was given to me by Shawn and I ordered the antique tintype from Australia from my friend Julie. I will tuck some interesting things inside once I decide what needs to be included. The words on the bottom of the purse are “seek the ancient paths” which is a quote from Jeremiah 6:16:
¹⁶ This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.

We all need rest for out souls in these hectic, troubling times.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes – The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

There are certain things that take me back to my childhood. One of those is sitting outside breaking homegrown green beans. My grandmothers and aunts would sit outside on the porch where it was cool and break beans while we children would swing in the porch swing or stand around begging them to take us down to the creek to wade. Doing the work outside just makes a mundane task into something special. Dinner tonight is mostly from the garden. Even my husband, the carnivore, doesn’t complain about a vegetarian meal when the garden is coming in.

A little something colorful in honor of summer…polymer clay with a mosaic of lampworked glass, turquoise, millefiore, and dichroic glass in a copper bezel sent to me by Steph.

At long last, it is time to unveil the results of our round robin which began in February of this year. Four artists have participated in this adventure. The beginning artist has finally received her necklace, so now we can all post them. The artists are Steph in Belgium, Lucie in Paris, Lindsay in Chicago, and little ole me, here in Tennessee.

We each chose a theme for our necklace, and mine was Vincent Van Gogh. I created the focal pendant, with the paintbrush and a couple of dangles, and the basic chain. Then I sent it to Lindsay, who added her contribution to the necklace, and then sent it to Lucie, and then on to Steph. We each added something of our own interpretation of the theme. Along with my necklace, I sent each participant a CD of Don McLean’s song Vincent.
Another part of the challenge was to create a bag which went along with our theme for the necklace to travel in.
Please check out the other artists’ sites to see their final creations. If they don’t have them up yet, they should soon, so check back again. I forgot to take a photo of the beginning of mine, so maybe one of the other artists can fill in that blank for me.
I also want to remind everybody that it’s time for Studio Thursday tomorrow at Silo Studio in Spring Hill. When I went to set up my jewelry today, the whole place was decked out with lots of colorful, new creations. The proceeds from her sales go to a worthy cause. To quote from her site: “But, bear in mind…when you make a purchase at Silo Studios, you aren’t just getting an amazing custom piece, and you’re not just saving one more bit of “trash” from finding it’s way into a landfill. . .you are actually saving the life of a dog as well. Over 80% of Silo Studios profits go towards the rescue of homeless animals. Snootygiggles Dog Rescue is a small group (consisting of Shawn and “a few good friends”) that takes in one dog at a time. The dogs chosen for rescue are truly the bottom of the barrel. . .the sick and the elderly that just need someone to give them a chance or even just the love to comfort them through the inevitable. It is why we do what we do.” Drop in and check it out! You’ll be glad you did.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM]

I was driving to the store, when I spied a local orchard’s sign advertising ripe cherries. I could not resist! Now…hmmm…what to do with 5 pounds of cherries? My favorite way is just fresh. For anyone in the Maury/Marshall county area, check out Forgie’s Fruit Farm. The cherries are ripe now, and in July they will have the best peaches you have ever had. Also, just down the road from Forgie’s is Bee Sweet Berry Farm. They will have raspberries for the next couple of weeks and blueberries beginning soon.
Here is a cameo necklace that I made from a cameo that I got at the flea market in Nashville last month. It seems to be a bakelite type material and I was told that it came from Hong Kong in the 1940’s. It has a very nice vintage feel to it. I have one more waiting to be used in another creation.

Studio Friday was a success despite a monsoon that showed up about 30 minutes after we started. It cleared out after about an hour and people ventured out again. We enjoyed hosting the Central High Advanced Placement artists. I was very impressed with some of the work. The next show is planned for the last Friday in June.

“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

Spring is so full of wonderful things that draw my attention away from the studio. The gardens call to me each day to see what new surprise is waiting for me and what weeds need to be pulled before they take over. I have managed to get in a bit of studio time. This Friday is the Artisans’ Gallery Friday in downtown Columbia, Tennessee, so there’s no time to waste.
Stop by if you are in the area and enjoy some wine, music and great art. This month we are also hosting the Advanced Placement Art Class from Columbia Central High School. There are some very talented students participating. Please help to spread the word.

See you there!

I just finished refurbishing my herb beds and yesterday, while I was in Columbia I found the perfect ornament. I usually don’t buy on impulse, but these handmade clay mushrooms were tooooo cute. I got them at Loblolly Interiors Market Antiques. It is a gorgeous store with beautiful paintings, fun accessories, and antiques. If you are in Columbia, you should stop by.
Coming up this Thursday is Silo Studio’s Studio Thursday sale. This show has a beach theme, so I created some beach themed jewelry and will have it there along with my other new jewelry. The show is from 9:00 until 2:00 so don’t miss it.

In case any of you weren’t aware, Nashville and Middle Tennessee are going through one of the worst disasters in our history. I was away in Florida during the flood, and had no TV where I was and very little internet access. My husband was telling me about what was going on, but it wasn’t until Monday when I returned, that I understood the extent of the damage. When I saw the news footage of Nashville I was moved to tears. From what I understand, it got very little national coverage. Please watch the video and you will be amazed at the amount of water that inundated our state. My younger son is a fireman in Smyrna and was on duty all weekend as they helped evacuate people. Our home was unscathed, but I know several people who lost much in the flood.
I have posted some items in my Etsy shop for all proceeds to go to help the flood victims. Please remember the flood victims in your prayers and I’m sure any help would be appreciated. If you don’t see anything in my shop that is to your liking, just type in “Nashville” in the search box and you will find others who are also posting flood relief items. Thanks!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjaQoOdJvI]

Last Friday was the start of flea market weekend at the Nashville Fairgrounds. I love to have a free afternoon to wander and peruse the wares.

This mirror was very intriguing for a self portrait shot.

Of course you can always find cowboy boots in Nashville.

I love the big letters.

This vendor had spelled out various words all over the pavement.

And this is the treasure that I went to find…loads of new beads and cabochons to make some new creations. To top off all of that inspiration, my new issue of Jewelry Artist magazine was in the mailbox when I got home. Woooooohoooooo….studio, here I come!

I’ve been thinking about new textures and shapes lately to try to break outside of the familiar. First I trace around the stone on my sketchbook and experiment with different shapes for the backing. I am pleased with how these two new pieces came out. The unique chain in the top one was given to me by Steph.
These should be on display next week at our Gallery Friday Event in downtown Columbia, Tennessee. Here is our new sign that I just completed for the gallery. Things are coming together for another great event.

My favorite time of year is here! The green is so wonderfully bright that it keeps stealing my attention from other less interesting things. Lunch on the deck is an event to look forward to, even if my cat does want to share it with me. The studio is calling though, and I do manage to put in some time there. Opening the windows and letting in the fresh air helps to bring a little of the season into my workplace.

Time Flies, Be Happy

Dyed Jasper and Copper

Also…Silo Studio’s Studio Thursday is back for an encore this month since so many people were on spring break. Shawn and I are restocking so there will also be some new stuff, just in case you didn’t get enough of it last week.

I love having a whole day at home to create. Of course there is always housework to be done too, but in between 6 loads of laundry and cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, I managed to get a bit of creating done too. Studio Thursday is coming up this week at Silo Studio so it’s crunch time. The theme this month is gardens so Shawn asked me to make some things with the outdoors in mind. There are birdbaths/feeders made from old silverplated and brass serving pieces.

Mini terrariums with handmade polymer clay mushrooms.

Herb markers made from old silverplated flatware.

I also made some cowgirl necklaces with little pony charms for the Columbia crowd. Mule Day is coming up this weekend so get ready to party.

The first Gallery Friday at Where’s the Art was a huge success! I estimate that around 300 people showed up for our opening night. Thanks to everyone who made it possible. See our website for more information on the artisans and the event.

It’s been a busy week with the gallery opening and Passover week so I’m hoping to get to work tomorrow because Studio Thursday at Silo Studio is coming up this week and also I’m working on a necklace Round Robin with Steph, Lucie, and Lindsay. That’s got to stay under wraps until the unveiling when we are finished. Lots to do and not enough hours in the day.

Newly painted spaces are awaiting the installation of paintings, jewelry, furniture, and pottery. This place will be transformed by Friday evening to the newest art gallery in town. A group of friends have joined together to try to awaken a dying downtown area and have a fun place to showcase our art.
Hours of sweat equity have gone into redeeming a worn and tired space and making it art worthy. This Friday, from 5:00-9:00 p.m. we will have our opening show. The location is downtown Columbia, Tennessee on the public square, in the old Helms Jewelry building. Come and enjoy the art, food, wine, and music.
Check out our group’s blogs for more details on the artists and the vision.
Where’s the Art Columbia
Gordon’s Gallery

The only art that I have made this past week is photos. I just got back from a few glorious days in Puerto Rico. A small reprieve from this brutal winter we have had. It was so hard to leave.

Pathway to Paradise

http://www.youtube.com/get_player
Oh give me a home, where the iguanas roam, and the skies are not cloudy all day.

Jobos Beach

My son’s surfboard in the stairwell.Graffiti at Jobos

When Steph came to visit, she brought me these green beads. The larger one had split in half to make two perfect cabochons. They kept calling to me from my bead tray to frame them with copper. My DH says they look like beetles. It also bothers him that I made the bottom piece asymmetrical. He likes symmetry. I tend to go for something different whenever possible.
This dragonfly was an attempt at etching. The veins on the wings faintly show. I need to tinker with my acid recipe a little to get a sharper image. The stones are carnelian.

This is a random assortment of stones, bone beads, and copper charms and spirals.

All of these will be at Studio Thursday next week at Silo Studio in Spring Hill.

24″x30″

As much as I love making jewelry, one of my other passions is mosaics. The stones and glass have been calling to me lately, so I shifted gears a bit and spent a couple of glorious afternoons making this piece. The title is מים חיים (mayim chaim) which means living water. The inspiration for this mosaic is Psalm 1:1-4 .
¹How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
²But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The challenge was to represent a concept without words. It is a small version of a bigger one that I did several years ago. This one may eventually have a home in a church that was designed by my friend Michelle. The church has been trying to get its financing together to build the new sanctuary, but haven’t quite reached their goal.

4’x4′

In the mean time, it sits in my basement in an area where I frequently pray and it always brings to mind were my focus should ultimately be.

A couple of months ago my sister-in-law gave me a box of costume jewelry that she had picked up at an estate sale. I’ve taken apart everything that is made of beads to reuse in other projects. Some of the other elements take a bit longer for me to decide how to use them. This necklace is a combination of a gold colored chainmaille, a very large earring, some hammered and pierced galvanized sheet metal, and three quartz crystals. The result was kind of a funky, glitzy/industrial look. I had fun with the challenge of recycling the random bits and pieces to make something different from the original style. Welcome to my laboratory….Bwhaaaaa haaaaa haaaa!

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to learn something new as often as possible. I had always been intrigued by Viking Knit, but it looked just too complicated to learn on my own without an instructor. “Viking knitting” is not actually knitting in the way you might think (i.e. with two needles), but is actually a type of weaving. Chains are made from long pieces of wire that are worked by hand into interconnecting loops. Examples of these chains have been found at various archeological sites in Scandinavia dating back to the 8th century A.D (the Viking era). Similar chains have been found in other areas of the world, so the technique may not have been unique to the Vikings. (Quote from Janra Jewelry)With one of my “geeky side” interests being archeology, that makes this technique even more appealing. I decided to do a search on YouTube to see if I could find any instruction that would make this seem less daunting. This is one of the videos that I found that made it seem fairly simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfsyTn9XCsE

I first started with some plastic coated 20 gauge wire which worked really well because it is less prone to tangle. When you are working with 10 feet of wire, that is a big consideration. After success with that, I tried 20 gauge copper wire which was a little trickier, but not too difficult.
Above are my first two attempts. Each chain took around 3 hours to complete, but most of that can be done while watching a movie or riding in the car. It is a very portable project.

It just amazes me, the wealth of information that is on YouTube. I plan to post other newly learned skills in the future. I challenge all of you to see what you can learn too.

Winter is not my favorite time of year. All of the other seasons are more to my taste. Winter, however, does have its moments. The sunrises and sunsets rival any other season. The colors are so much more vibrant, and the silhouette of the bare trees makes a beautiful contrast.
And then of course, there is the beautiful starkness of the snow. We have gotten to enjoy that view this winter way more than any year that I can recall. We may usually see one snowfall if we are lucky, but this year we have had at least three separate occasions of measurable snow. The schools have used up all of their snow days legitimately. That is a rarity here.

This has given me a good excuse to stay cozy in the house and stitch away at my little projects. I have created a couple of cuffs and necklaces to honor two famous artsy ladies. The first one needs no introduction.

The second set is in honor of Frida Kahlo which inspired the bright colors. All of these are made from vintage and recycled fabrics and buttons.

I was recently inspired by the creations of Les Bijoux Dodette and decided that I would try my had at making appliqued and embellished fabric jewelry. Winter just seems like a time when it is comforting to sit in the evenings and stitch on something. I have really enjoyed working in this medium and have several more pieces that I haven’t gotten to photograph yet.
They are all sewn on a base of recycled sweater felt, with strips of fabric from vintage flour sacks, other vintage clothing, and old jewelry that I’ve taken apart and re purposed. It’s fun to take a handful of bits and pieces and turn them into something interesting. They are kind of primitive and the stitching is uneven, but I kind of like it that way. I like art that shows the hand of the maker.

More to come.

I have this love affair with rocks. I have as long as I can remember. My mother was always frustrated I’m sure by my pockets being full of them. Now I know what to do with them.

The top bracelet is a variety of stones in bezels, with a sampler of textured copper links.
The necklace below is made from a carved stone face that Steph gave me that came from Mexico. It has a bit of Mexican opal showing on the forehead. The chin was very thin and delicate, so I had to stop the bezel at his cheeks. The beads are bone, carnelian, glass, and some handmade clay ones that Steph also gave me. I think he needs a name.

We are iced in at Stillwaters. It took my dh 2 1/2 hours to get home from work on Friday on a trip that should have taken a half hour. It’s kind of nice and cozy being stuck here. The main roads are clear, but they never clear ours. We will venture out tomorrow with four wheel drive.
Here are a couple of the things I’ve been working on. Above is a necklace mad from a piece of petrified wood that Steph gave me with a photo of one of our trees below it in a bezel with resin.
To go along with the tree theme, I made some hammered copper leaves with the tree photo too.

My son and daughter-in-law just got here and said that the drive was perilous. We will sled for a while and enjoy the sunshine and company.
Stay warm and enjoy the day everyone!

Thanks so much to Steph for the birthday goodies. I love the colorful bracelet and the chocolate is already gone, of course. She also sent a CD of wonderful jazz that will make great creative inspiration in my studio.

Speaking of inspiration…here is a bracelet that I completed yesterday…something a little different inspired by a photo in Art Jewelry Magazine.

Copper, brass, blue and yellow turquoise

Last week, my sister and I were walking on the beach in Florida, picking up shells and things. The beach that we were on is known for its fossilized shark’s teeth. My sister has a finely tuned eye for finding them…I don’t. I was finding pretty shells and I remarked that you could either focus on one or the other. If you are looking for shells, you don’t find too many shark’s teeth and if you are looking for shark’s teeth you don’t find many shells. I was telling her how some of the blogs that I follow are written by people who like to collect heart shaped rocks and that I’ve never found one. She said that maybe it was like the people who can find four leaf clovers all day long and others can’t.

The next day I decided that I would look for heart shaped rocks on the beach. Within a period of about 30 minutes, I found over 15 heart shaped rocks. It seemed that almost every rock I looked at was heart shaped.

I started thinking that the same concept may apply to life. What you look for is what you find.