How do you unwind?

 

So I ask you: What do you do to relax? Do you ever take the time to get away from it all? 
After a few stressful months (moving, settling in a new place, career change, etc…) my sweetie and I decided to spend a weekend away at the Pura Vida Spa Resort in Dahlonega, GA . Chuck went for the yoga and meditation classes sponsored by Hope’s Yoga Atlanta; I went for the spa treatments and time to relax on the porch with a good book.  

Pura Vida Spa Resort, Dahlonega, Georgia

Our destination for the weekend was only about an hour drive from where we live. As we drove through the rolling hills, I saw a beautiful hawk floating on the updrafts coming up the hill. The hawk glided across the valley making navigational adjustments with only the slightest tilt of its wings taking advantage of the breeze.  It seemed that the he was totally at peace and relaxed. At that moment I felt it was a sure sign that the next few days would be effortlessly serene. 

Pura Vida Spa Resort, Dahlonega, Georgia

The main reason for our brief getaway was to take some time to unwind, reflect, and relax. And relax we did. In a matter of just over 36 hours I had experienced my first meditation session, met several new people participating in the yoga classes, dined on healthy spa cuisine (a bit bland in my opinion), had a facial, spent several hours reading and enjoying the fabulous view from the front porch, and enjoyed a bonfire in the woods.  Nothing to worry about except making sure we were on time for our next meal. Priceless.

Where I spent most of my time, relaxing on the porch.

The lovely sitting room you enter from the front porch.

The weekend weather was perfect, a bit brisk in the morning and low 70’s during the day.  While my sweetie was taking a yoga class and a meditation walk in the woods to concentrate on the mind-body connection, I went into town and did a little antiquing around the historic town square to concentrate on the mind-pocketbook connection. We each got to relax in our own way. Perfect!

During our stay I couldn't help but think of how valuable these types of mini vacations are to relieve the stresses of everyday life. We needed it, that's for sure! I'd definitely go back. In fact, perhaps we'll make it a bi-annual event.

Please share any suggestions you might have on future spa weekend locations. Just click on word "comments" below and enter your thoughts.

Cheers!

 

Refined Halloween Designs...

I was browsing on Etsy and stumbled upon an artist with an amazing shop filled with wonderful mixed media designs. Several of her creations caught my eye for a refined Halloween party idea that has been lingering in the back of my mind for several years. 

Mirjana Cesar’s designs are a fusion between acrylic painting and fiber collage with emphases on incorporating natural and recycled materials. It's constantly evolving with extensive use of old artisan techniques to achieve original, one of a kind pieces.  She incorporates weaving, beadwork, and embroidery in her mixed media artwork.

I think the fiber art spiderweb heart and the beaded bird from her Etsy Shop would be fabulous on the fireplace mantel for my refined Halloween party...

She says that she is greatly influenced by nature, with its inexhaustible beauty.  She is inspired by the plants and flowers of central Florida, as well as vivid memories of her naturally diverse Croatian heritage and seeds of creativity from her artisan grandparents.

“Beauty lies all around us. We forget to look at the simple, small things, like fern buds unfurling, unfolding just like life itself. We should walk the fields of flowers instead of concrete sidewalks.“

The fiber cuff and collar below would work well with my idea of the modern refined witch. No flowing skirt, pointy hat or broom stick, my modern witch would wear a fabulous little black dress and these lovely accessories.

Mirjana works with burlap (rather than canvas) because of its organic roughness and its receptivity to her specific techniques. Acrylic paints, fabric cutouts, various yarns, threads and wood beads allow her to achieve a dimensional, primitive but contemporary theme.  Fabulous!

Take a peek at her shop, there are many fun and colorfully works of art available: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Cesart64?ref=si_shop

Cheers!

A letter to my friends...

My Friends, 

We all lead very busy lives, our days are jam-packed with work, family, hobbies, study, and many social and service obligations.  The gift of your time and loving support has been a blessing throughout the years. Today I dedicate this blog post my friends past and present. I want you to know how grateful I am to have you in my life and how much you mean to me…

Thank you for not letting time or distance affect our friendship. (You know who you are, my long distance friends)

Thank you for asking how I’m doing, and actually wanting to hear the answer. Thank you for making time for me, even on your busiest days.

Thank you for being there for me through some of the most difficult times in my life. (My father’s emergency lifesaving surgery, abusive relationships, difficult career choices…)

Thank you for being genuinely happy for my success & good fortune, as if it were your own.

Thank you for forgiving my faults and lapses in judgment, and for tolerating my idiosyncrasies (e.g. my zero toilet paper phobia; don't lie, I know you want one).

Thank you for always being my friend, not just when it was convenient.

Thank you for being honest with me when I really needed you to be. (Does this make my butt look fat? giggle)

Thank you for hugs, smiles, inside jokes, and adventure memories. (Especially while camping)

And….

Thank you for understanding that I could never write a long enough blog post to express how much you all mean to me.

  

I firmly believe that friendships are the greatest earthly treasure we have, and unlike material possessions, friendships may follow us into eternity. 

If this message has sparked any memories of friendship, please share by commenting below. :)

Cheers!

Weekend at the Lake...

My Sweetie and I are planning a lake front weekend with a group of our close friends.  Within easy driving distance from Atlanta is the Ritz-Carlton Resort at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee.

 

 

I know we will spend some time relaxing on this lovely terrace. I can picture myself having a bite of lunch while reading the book I recently purchased about a couple who impulsively moved to Key West from England. It's a very amusing true story.

 

I love the design of this bar, a great place for the group to gather before dinner. Like any large group, we usually have some late arrivals...hair, makeup, and matching shoes to the sundress takes time (wink)!





Our friend Richard has rented a boat for the weekend. The resort has a dock that we can use all weekend.  This patio looks like a good spot to dry off and enjoy a tall cool cocktail and some munchies after playing in the lake all afternoon.

 

Planning on a great weekend with our 'family' of friends.

Cheers!

 

 

Yellow Daisy Festival - 2013

I went to the Yellow Daisy Festival last weekend and met a fellow Atlanta Jewelry Designer.  I really like her work, very simple designs and my favorite gem...pearls. Take a Peek...

Stop by Carolina's shop and take a look at all the wonderful items.

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/iseadesigns

Cheers!

Three cheers for the Etsy feedback change…..

Have you noticed the new Etsy feedback system?

 

I have been remiss in keeping up with the Etsy system updates but I was pleased to see the modification to my shop this week. The change will help buyers and sellers get a better picture of a shop’s performance. The new 5-star rating system will be rolling out to all shops in the coming weeks. 

 

Here is an overview of the key changes:

1. The seller’s feedback will change from a percentage score (which included the seller’s purchases) to a 5-star rating system from buyers only.
2. The buyer’s profile name will be shown and they’ll be required to leave a comment when leaving a review.
3. There will no longer be feedback left for buyers. (never found this useful)
4. Reviews can be edited. Useful if there was a misunderstanding and the buyer wants to update the review.

 

Etsy believes that the 5-star review system is more shopper friendly. Many online shopping sites currently use this scoring format, so buyers may already be familiar with this system of rating their shopping experience and product quality.

 

I’m pleased the buyer’s feedback is being eliminated. I never found a lot of value in grading my buyers; they sent me payment and I sent them goodies…simple.

 

If you’d like to read the details of the feedback changes just visit this post on Etsy.

 

I’m very satisfied with the new rating system. I had a very bad experience with the old feedback system. As a buyer I was rated unfavorably because I asked a question about a product I had purchased.  The seller took offense to my question and rated me negatively.  This affected my overall score as a seller. (visit Bad Feedback post here for details). This can no longer happen with the new system.

 

Let me know your thoughts on the 5-star rating system.
Cheers!

 

Love this.....

I've got to add this to my Honey Do list....

Hope you've having a great weekend!

Cheers!

Check out what I got in the mail…

 

This week I got some new beads from a favorite lampwork artist: Melanie of Moonraker Beads.  I’m working on a birthday present for an old friend who lives on the Atlantic coast and loves the beach.  Our birthdays are on the same day and we have been celebrating this big day for more years than I care to mention.  I’m going to use these beads and some sea glass to make a multi strand bracelet for her.  I can’t wait to get started.   I’ll post pictures after the big day. 

 

Information about Moonraker Beads:
  Melanie started lampworking in 2002, after seeing some beads online and realizing that *actual* people made them…one by one…by 'playing' with glass.  After a little digging, she found a beginners class in lampworking and signed up. It was a very basic class, learning to do simple rounds and applying glass.

 

She went home and ordered a simple kit to continue working on her new craft.  After much practicing and a rapidly growing pile of finished beads Melanie started selling online in the fall of 2002. Not surprisingly her whimsical beads were a hit and a new business was born.

 

Take a peek at her shop:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/moonrakerbeads

 

Cheers!

 

Refocusing on Blogging

I have been meaning to sit down and write this post for months. But as one day went by, another day went by, and then a week, and then a month, I finally said “I am just going to sit down, and do it!” And here we are.

 

Just like most folks, I am not perfect, but every day presents an opportunity for a fresh start; a new beginning from this day forward. Maybe you can relate, maybe you can’t, or maybe you don’t even care (and that is ok too.).

 

To refocus, I had to ask myself some questions this morning:

1. Why did I start a blog? Simple. I decided to do it because I felt that a number of crafty small business owners might relate to my experiences.
2. What kept me from blogging for over 4 months? I have been taken aback by the day to day activities of life….Major career change (my day job), moving to a new house in a new community, regrouping after a plumbing disaster, family responsibilities, etc, etc... There really is no good reason not to blog too; I like many other people, I just need to make the time to get things like this done.
3. What’s been keeping me from growing my little business? Not everyone will, but some of you will relate to the fact that I have been focused on working ‘in’ my Etsy business (instead of on it), taking care of customers, purchasing materials and supplies, planning new designs, organizing a new studio in the new house…etc.
4. How can I get back on track? Action is in my opinion the main driver of success and achievement. Even if I don’t have everything perfect, it is best to just get out there and take action. I need to put in the time to get things done, even if it is not perfect.
 

"Even if you're on the right track,

you'll get run over if you just sit there."

So I am taking action and I am working on refocusing my efforts on taking consistent action. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And if I can refocus and just do it, then so can you! Start today; don’t wait. Get out there and take action on whatever you have been procrastinating about.

 

You can’t score any goals in the game of life if you never make an attempt to take a shot. I hope this long overdue blog post motivates you to do the same and if it does, I would love to hear about it!

 

Wishing all of you greatness and success!

 

Happy Grilled Cheese Day!

A few weeks ago I made this grilled cheese sandwich from a recipe I found on Pinterest. Since today is National Grilled Cheese Day (giggle),  I couldn’t resist posting a yummy grilled cheese! Below is the link to the original recipe from the Bob & Carlene Deutscher's Kitchen. Enjoy and Happy Grilled Cheese Day! 

http://bsinthekitchen.com/beet-arugula-goat-cheese-grilled-cheese/#

I’m moving to Bloglovin'….

I recently learned that Google Reader will no longer exist after June 30th. I knew that I didn’t want to wait until the last minute, so I started searching for a new reader this week. The first one I tried seems to be the best. I’ve been using Bloglovin for the past few days and the process of moving things over was so easy and I plan on sticking with it.

If you are interested in giving Bloglovin a try, follow these easy steps:

1. Create a Bloglovin account at http://bloglovin.com
2. Click on the arrow to the right of your profile name and choose “Settings”.
3. Scroll down and click the “Import Blogs” button.
4. Choose “Google Reader” on the next page.
5. Sit back and relax while all of your blogs are imported. If you have a large amount of subscriptions it will take several minutes.

Pretty easy right?

TIPS:

Once you have your blogs imported you can click on “Following” right above your list of feeds and create groups to arrange your blog feeds by category. I love this option so I can look at specific categories without scrolling through all my favorites.

You can also get the code for a nifty button to use in your sidebar or at the end of your blog posts.  The button looks like this … may as well click on it now and add me :)

Be sure to click on the HELP page to read how to “Claim your Blog” and answer any other questions you may have.

See you on Bloglovin’

Lori in Atlanta

This House is Perfect...

We are moving in the near future and our search for a new home is well underway. I stumbled across a website that featured an amazing craftsman home.  When I saw this listing, I thought they must have been channeling my every wish and vision for a dream home.  It's Perfect!  We want a smaller place, with less stairs (we now have 19 stairs just to get into the house and many more inside), a craftsman style, and intown location. Just one minor detail is keeping me from calling the listing agent...It's in Houston... we need a home in the greater Atlanta area. 

SO, I'm posting some photos of this dream home so my blog lovin' friends and family can see what we are looking for.  Maybe you have a lead on a similar house for sale in or around greater Atlanta. 

I love a swing on the front porch, four swings on the porch is even better!

This wine rack is wonderful, my sweetie would love to have this in our house.



This over-sized farm sink is what we dream of having, but this is a small detail that we can compromise on.

A must have will be his and hers closets. We don't like to share.



Hardwoods throughout the home and room for a king size bed would be perfect.

Hoping we can find something similar in Atlanta, chances are slim, but a girl can dream!
Cheers!

If you would like to see the Real Estate Listing and Additional Photos:

http://www.cottageneighborhood.com/property/houston-craftsman-home-for-sale-amazing-renovation/

This website features similar properties for sale across the country:

http://www.cottageneighborhood.com/

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Going to Highlands, NC ...need advice...

We are planning a trip to Highlands, NC later this month. We've spent many weekends in Highlands, but this time we are taking our 11 year old granddaughter.  I was wondering if anyone has any tips on where to go and what to do with kids. We will be there Friday night through Sunday afternoon.  Thanks!

Lori
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Choosing a new Path....



For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had—and needed—a plan. Over the years, my plans changed, as plans are prone to do, when, for example, I discovered that I didn’t actually have the aggressive competitive personality to become a cutting edge artist (not to mention the fact that my watercolors turned into a brown soggy mess), or that despite the period of my life spent religiously cutting out Bed and Breakfast operational tips and stashing them into cleverly labeled file boxes, my general inability to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to start the project should have indicated early on that I probably wouldn’t make it in the world of small inn keepers.

But still, I’ve always had an idea of where I was headed, and what I would do when I got there. Even after realizing that the bohemian artistic lifestyle I thought I would have after college did not materialize and I took a job in retail, I still maintained the optimistic notion that my life would, one day, return to moving along “according to plan.”

As you can probably guess, that never happened. THIRTY years and a career in retail later, well, let’s just say the slight turn off that original path gave way to a new path that has been challenging and rewarding for many years.  Yet somehow– through a miracle of chance encounters, and having the right people believe in me–I am changing paths again this week. I’ve resigned from my corporate job at The Home Depot. I’ve only had two full time jobs in my life, Home Depot (30 years) and Dairy Queen (during High School and College).

 Yes this change is scary but something my Sweetie said recently made me think about my fears. I realized that I was not living my dream because I was desperately afraid- of financial ruin, of failure, of letting people down, and the possibility of regret. His support is helping me separate the fear from the dream, and in doing so, I realize that I really do want to move forward, in spite of the fear. Do I still worry about those fears? Absolutely. Will I let them rule my choices anymore? No Way! I'm on the threshold of a life change.

The only thing I can say that I’ve truly learned is that sometimes the path you choose (famous bohemian artist living in a cool loft) doesn’t choose you. Doors open and doors close and you climb through windows and wish on stars, and in the end, you have to throw everything you dreamed would happen in a trash can full of ‘should haves’ and ‘could haves.’  I look forward to the new path I’m taking…wish me luck in my new career!

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Cheers!

Go ahead, dig in the dirt…

This weekend I repotted a beautiful hydrangea plant that I had received as a gift from my sweetie. It only took me about 20 minutes, but the therapeutic benefits lasted for hours.  The overall feeling of well-being reminded me of how much I love and need to dig in the dirt.

It is believed that nature has healing powers and that gardening (even container gardening) lets us interact with nature. Various studies have been conducted about the link between gardening and better health. Almost all of the studies came up with positive results. It has been suggested that gardening is good for both physical and mental well-being.

Spending time watching the plants grow, the flowers bloom, and even watching the bees collecting nectar seems therapeutic. Gardening is usually a solitary practice and in many ways repetitive, it can easily serve as a form of meditation.  When I’m going through a difficult time — or have a serious problem to work through — there’s nothing like pulling up weeds or pruning back a wayward shrub to help focus the mind.  Another health benefit is the exposure to sunshine (with sunscreen and a hat of course); the sun delivers a boost of vitamin D which helps the body absorb calcium. 

It’s not at all surprising to me that there are Horticultural Therapists who help people overcome physical, social, emotional, as well as cognitive problems through gardening activities. Gardening is accessible to almost everyone and relatively inexpensive. Even if it’s only containers on the window sill of your apartment, it’s still a tiny garden.

For me, gardening is a labor of love and a show of true artistry. Gardening is a deeply sensory experience, and I think it touches something inherent in my spirit. I suspect it was passed down through many generations – the need for nature.

So what are you waiting for?  Go ahead, dig in the dirt and reap the benefits of what you sow.

Cheers!

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Why should the white eggs have all the fun at Easter??

 

We are big fans of The Country Hen brown eggs. Our favorite meal is breakfast and we love baked goods made with the fresh brown eggs.  After doing some research online, I believe they will also be the perfect Easter Egg choice as well. Their strong, brown shells should be perfect for coloring.

Brown Eggs - Photo Credit: One Sunny Acre - Adventures in Micro Farming

If you are not looking for pastel colored Easter eggs, brown eggs will actually dye to a richer, more beautiful tone than white eggs. It does require using a different type of dye than the typical Easter egg coloring kit, but listed below are two very simple methods. One utilizes food coloring and the other is a natural dye method.

 

Peeling hard boiled farm fresh eggs is a bit more difficult; follow these instructions on how to boil them so they will peel more easily when you’re ready to turn your dyed eggs into egg salad…

   1.   Use the oldest eggs you can, 7-10 days if possible

   2.   Submerge eggs completely in a pot of cold salted water

   3.   Bring water to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and set timer for 10 minutes    (or adjust according to preferences, this step is not as critical)

   4.   Remove from heat and drain hot water

   5.   Fill the pot with cold water and let sit until eggs are cooled down

   6.   When ready to eat, Peel eggs submerged in cool water

   7.   Random Tip: if you want more centered yolks for deviled eggs, turn your carton of eggs on its side a day or two before hard boiling them.

 

Dye using the Food Coloring Method:

1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon of food coloring (you can adjust the amount to reach your desired shade)

Mix the 3 ingredients for each food coloring you want (red, blue, green, etc.) Don't forget about using your base colors to create other colors. For example, mix red and yellow for orange, red and blue for purple, or blue and green for teal, etc... Dip cool, hard boiled eggs into the food coloring dyes until the desired color is achieved. Let eggs dry on a rack or in an egg carton.

Dye using Natural Egg Dyes: Dye Ingredients: Blue - Red Cabbage Leaves Orange - Paprika Red - Lots of Red Onion Skins Pink - Beets Purple - Small amount of Red Onion Skins Yellow - Saffron Bring 1 cup of water and dye ingredients to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hour until the desired color is obtained. Strain dye liquid and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Dip cool, hard boiled eggs into hot liquid and let sit until desired color is achieved. Take eggs out of the dye and put on a rack or into an egg carton to dry. (Careful color can easily be removed until the egg is dry.) Eggs colored in this way have a dull finish, but when they are dry, use cooking oil to add a gloss to them.

Have Fun!

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