I Love Trades

I love trades and will usually trade when asked. I ask frequently when I see something I want, but find people aren't as willing. Oh well!
I can't believe this incredibly beautiful bracelet I got in a trade today. I traded with my friend Lori of Lorelie1141 for one of my little Jack-o-lanterns! I just love the beautiful beads - I think they are jasper (sorry Lori if I'm wrong), and the little bouquet of buttons - how sweet! It is finished with a lovely copper toggle. It's a perfect fit and I am so drawn to the color palette. I'm so delighted with my trade. It's a sentimental bracelet too cause I know Lori purchased the beads here in my area when she attended the big bead show in August and we got together. Thanks Lori!

I spent the day making some new things for my shop - I'll preview them tomorrow or Friday. I feel accomplished!

Good Luck Charm!

Holy Cow! I think it is a good luck charm!
(see yesterday's blog)
I had a 2nd day in a row of good interviewing, only to come home and find more items sold in my Etsy shop!
Wow!

It's a lovely fall day here - very windy and high around 60! It's delightful!
Cheers my friends!

P.S. New candy corn and a new pumpkin have joined the Etsy shop.....pumpkin mania continues!

Happy Monday

Happy Monday.
Still floating on that good cloud. Just added a new little something to my shop, sold a couple of my "Sweet Nothings" stitchings (yeah, it's been a while for a sale), and the positives on the job front are continuing. I can't tell you how good it feels to start feeling good again!
My sister brought back an evil eye for me from Greece and I have it hanging on my monitor. Could the charm be bringing me good luck?!

It has been warm the last couple of days but the temperature just dropped 15 degrees in the last hour with a front coming through.

I tried to capture the strangeness of just after the rain the sun coming out for a quick second over just the tops of the trees - you really get an idea with the first picture how strange it looked. Then it was clouded over again. Temps down to upper 40s tonight - a big chill!

More Pumpkins and Good Things

Added another pumpkin to my Etsy shop. The pumpkin craze continues!

I am FINALLY feeling like I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. The flood gates are opening up at last!
I've had 2nd interviews with 2 banks in the last couple of weeks, another company called me Monday, I interviewed with them Tuesday, and they called me today for another interview next Tuesday. I no sooner hung up with them than another company called and I'm scheduled for an interview with them on Monday!

This is all so crazy. 7 months of desperately applying and trying to get looked at and/or an interviews, getting only a handful of interviews in 7 months, and lots of rejections. Then in August going through 4 rounds of interviews with a company, only to get turned down, and now this avalanche of opportunities.
I'm trying not to get too excited because they are only opportunities at the moment, but holy cow, this is incredible. Companies are interested in ME!

For you other frustrated people out there - hang in there - it's not over till the fat lady sings.
Thank you all for months of encouraging me through my frustrations.

I'm driving up to NY tomorrow. My sister is giving me a piece of furniture which I can gladly use to replace the dresser my son took with him when he moved out last weekend. My mom lives up there too so I'll see her as well. Looking forward to seeing the family.

Happy Fall

Colors are just beginning to burst!
Dogwoods (last picture) are always the first and our Dogwoods are in full color, but nothing beats a Sugar Maple (first 2 pictures) which is just starting to explode with color.
Spring is a lovely season but nothing in comparison to fall in my opinion.
I just love this season.
Happy first day of Fall!

Toothy Jack!

Gotta love this guy with his unabashed toothy grin!
I actually hooked him last year but decided to share him and list him in my Etsy shop.
I put him out on my weathered chair where I took those much admired shots of the lovely Sugar Maple leaves. I think he looks quite happy there!

I'm feeling good today! It was a really good day and my confidence is building.
Happy Monday and Happy Fall!

Lovely Weekend with Fall Knocking at the Door

What a beautiful day and a beautiful weekend. No humidity, bright sunshine and temps around 70 degrees. It is unusual to have such a perfect day, and we've had 2 in a row!
It's distracting - I feel the need to be out.
As you can see fall is trying to step right in - our Sugar Maples are tuning.

Even my beautiful Hydrangeas are welcoming fall. They look so beautiful in the middle of summer and still look lovely in their final hours as their colors are fading and drying out.

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend too.

The Pumpkin Bug Has Bitten!

The pumpkin bug has bitten me - I started this guy last night and feel like I just want to hook pumpkins! I thought I'd work on him today but the day has just gotten away from me.
I had an appointment to get my car inspected, oil change and tires rotated this morning - that took a couple of hours (and money I hate to spend however it is necessary). Then I ran a couple of errands, came home and gathered and packed a few things for my son. He and a couple of his friends have rented a house. They just got possession and he is going to take some things over tomorrow since they need to be there in the morning for the cable guy. I had dishes and things in the basement I saved for the kids.
Anyway, the day has gotten away from me!
Maybe tonight.....

The forecast for the weekend sounds perfect - sunny and in the 70s. I think I'll be too distracted to hook!
Hope you all have a nice weekend.
Cheers!

Jack-o-Lanterns and Candy Corn!

Today is a very gray day - a good day to sit in and put together my pumpkins. What do you think?

I used a nice tweed in dark green to make the stems and the backing. It's from a pair of slacks I got at a thrift shop last year for probably $1! I love finding old wool clothes at bargain prices. I'm not crazy about taking the time to take them apart but the bargain factor makes it worth-while.

I also rephotographed my candy corn for my Etsy shop:

It's a little sleeker - maybe it will appeal to those who don't necessarily like primitive.

And, last but not least, I hooked 2 more candy corns last night and put them together! They are a little smaller than the others, and a little brighter (it's all about the wool on hand at the moment).

A busy day! This weather really put me in the mood to get it all done. I'm sure if it were a warm, sunny day the finished hooking would be next to the sewing machine waiting to be sewn and stuffed!

Smoking Loon

Monday I talked about swaps at our annual hook-ins at the beach. I found this picture of our Smoking Loon swap. The previous year we enjoyed a case of Smoking Loon chardonnay, thanks to one generous husband, and decided after many glasses and many laughs to hook the Smoking Loon label. Sadly, by time the following year came around the winery decided to change the label, however we had all gotten a black and white drawing of older label to use as a pattern, and the picture above shows the results of our interpretations. The one I did is the pillow (center on the right side). It was my favorite swap and I really enjoyed hooking it. I added some different fibers in mine too as embellishments.

I went for my 2nd interview today. I "think" it went well but I'll have to wait to see - sometimes the process is slow and I may not hear for a week or 2. The waiting begins! I do have another potential possibility after my breakfast meeting yesterday and have a follow-up to that next week. At least I'm encouraged with things in the works. Hopefully one of these situations will come to fruition.

It's drizzly and chilly this evening. Maybe I can get those pumpkins made into pillows tonight or tomorrow!

Candy Corn

Opps! I did not find time to make my pumpkin pillows that I hooked this weekend but I added Candy Corn to my Etsy shop!

I had a breakfast meeting with a neighbor who is starting a new division and has a green light to hire 3 individuals. Turned out to be a very positive meeting. Dare I hope?
Now I need to do my prep work for my next interview tomorrow.

Priorities.....those pumpkins will just have to wait.

Good Stuff

Happy Monday!
Lot's of good stuff - my fun weekend, swap prize, hooking completions, and interview news!

I hope you all had a good weekend. I sure did at the annual hook-in at the beach! We had a nor'ester going through Friday and it poured and was very windy and unfortunately there was a lot of beach erosion too. As I arrived on the island (Long Beach Island, NJ) the rain was ending but the island was very flooded any many streets were closed due to the flooding. Thankfully, however we were all able to make it to Annie's house. It never did rain again but it was cloudy and gloomy on Saturday. Some of us went out shopping Saturday morning but the rest of the time was spent indoors hooking, chatting, laughing, eating and drinking!

We have a swap each year and this year's theme was a starfish. I was lucky to "win" a cement starfish (above) for the garden that the only non-hooker in the group made. I think it is awesome and I can't wait to see how it is going to "weather" over the years. We've had some great swaps, but my favorite was the label from Smooking Loon wine. We each hooked our own interpretation of it. Last year I stepped out of my box and did a collage for my swap which was a Santa theme.


I was able to hook 2 jack-o-lanterns and will hopefully get them made into pillows this week. A good accomplishment!

Last but not least, I received a call for a 2nd interview which is scheduled for this Wednesday, and also received a preliminary call about another position I just applied to.
Lot's of good things!

Welcome the New Season, Friendship, and Hook-in

Since I mentioned the other day we are in a new season, I was inspired to welcome autumn with my swirled pumpkin stitching. I think it is sweet and I'm happy with it.

I want to thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers. You all mean so much to me and I do realize my life is good and I'm lucky to be loved!

I was so touched by my special friend Lori Eurto, a very talented jewelry designer - I blogged about seeing her recently at the bead show with Kelley Wenzel, who makes beautiful lamp work beads. We were looking at Kelley's beautiful beads and I picked up a gorgeous green elongated bead and told Kelley I loved it. She told me to take it (wow) and Lori said she would take it and use it in a piece of jewelry for me. Well, lo and behold, Lori being the incredibly generous friend she is, made a necklace for me with Kelley's bead, and made the necklace as a special gift to cheer me and give me encouragement to be strong and press on after my recent defeat!
I received the package today and was totally blow away - in addition to the necklace Lori added a pair of earrings she knew I liked, and it was all beautifully packaged with a lovely note.



I just love the necklace and the originality of it. You can see Kelley's lovely bead and I love that Lori chose the tree pendant - it speaks to me of life and strength.
THANK YOU Lori (and Kelley for that special bead).

I'm leaving for the beach (Long Beach Island, NJ) tomorrow for the "annual hooking at the beach" so I won't have time to blog. The forecast does not look good but who cares. It's the creative togetherness that matters. Chilly rain and wind are predicted for tomorrow, ending Saturday. Maybe Sunday morning we will see the sun before we go.
I hope the sun is shining for you - have a great weekend.

Silly Little Swap Project

My silly little swap project is not doing it for me! I don't know if it is because I did not like the subject matter (starfish) or because it has been so long since I have hooked anything, but it is just not doing it for me.
I'm going to my annual rug hooking at the beach (Long Beach Island, NJ) at Annie's house with the annual gang of hookers on Friday, and our swap project was a starfish. I've had a year to come up with the idea/finished product and I just started it 3 nights ago. From the beginning I could not visualize anything in my head. I'm thinking it is just not a subject my brain wanted to work with. I love hooking fish, but the idea of a starfish just was a total blank.

Looking at it now, it almost reminds me of Patrick on Sponge Bob - oh no! Does anyone else see Patrick - LOL?
Oh well, this is not one of my better designs but we all have our better and inferior pieces don't we?
I'm anxious to see what I win in the swap!

Yesterday was encouraging. I actually got a preliminary phone call about a job. Hopefully they will call back for an interview and hopefully that was the first of more calls I'll receive.

Tuesday, September 8th - an Open Door

Hi my friends. Here I am after an unwanted hiatus. I missed you all, and thank you for missing me, and for your concern. I needed to work through last week, looking ahead to Tuesday, September 8th, the day after Labor Day, the long holiday weekend, the end of summer, and hopefully the start of a new and better season. I never thought I’d ever want that Tuesday after Labor Day to hurry up and get here, but this year I sure did, and it’s here.

Last week I floundered – I could not even follow any of your blogs (I’m sure I missed a lot), let alone write mine – it was a bad week.
As you all know I was excited and feeling somewhat relieved at having a 4th interview (at the same company). I was thinking I would finally see that light at the end of the tunnel, but that tunnel was pitch-black. I found out last week I did not get the job – can you believe it (no one else can)? Anyway it knocked me out! 7 months of constant rejection just knocked me out!

I got the call early in the afternoon on Tuesday, after I sent them an email when there was no communication from them for 10 days. We had tickets to go the Phillies game that night. My daughter asked in the beginning of the summer if we’d take her to a game before she went back to school and it was a family event we were really looking forward to. Needless to say I did not want to go and just wanted to jump in a hole and bury myself. I got myself together for her sake and we all went and I’m glad I did because I was able to forget and enjoy. Driving home however, the closer we got to home reality started setting back in and so did my funk.

Thankfully Wednesday we were so busy getting Katie packed and ready to go to school on Thursday that the distraction was a welcome one. Thursday was a very lonesome day which did not help and certainly left a hole in my heart – I am used to her being away and it was not at all like leaving as a freshman, however I still miss her, probably more so because things in my life just seem so wrong. I know she is happy and could not wait to get back.

Funk and all, I got right back on that job-horse and applied to a few more jobs, however being a couple of days before the big Labor Day weekend it was kind of frustrating knowing there would be a longer wait before I hopefully start getting responses, and the ultimate – interviews!

I went to TJ Maxx Sunday and saw a nice jacket at a real bargain price – just the thing I need for interviews. This new jacket will bring me luck. I’m ready!

OK – we’re in a “new season” and this is going to be where I see the light and can actually walk through that new door into the working world and a wonderful new opportunity, right?
I’m feeling good – this has to be right!

P.S. All of this positive energy seems to have sparked my creative energy which has been gone for a while. I've done some stitching but not much. Picked it up yesterday and I'm still going. Most importantly, I have not hooked in months and I hooked for hours last night :-)