Wrap, wrap, wrap...

I decided to try to do some wire-wrapping on the fused glass pieces that I bought last week at BABE....The heart didn't turn out that great...the Christmas tree is simple, but, it turned out a little better....I think I need to play a little more...but, I ran out of wire :( Besides the wire work...I haven't done that much....I need to finish another afghan before Christmas, so, I am trying to focus on that...hopefully, I can finish before the end of the weekend...opps...it's Saturday night already...okay, my NEW goal....by Thanksgiving...

Gobble, Gobble!!!

After my Pilates class, I went to Joann's to pick up some googly eyes and wheat sheaves to finish up my Thanksgiving wreath! I am really happy with the way it turned out...It was really easy and fast! I started it at Jordan's basketball practice on Friday!!!

Jewelry Fun!

I bought some picture frame charms at BABE yesterday! I decided to play with them today...I think they turned out nicely. I really like these because they have a little design on the back...the other ones I saw at the show were quite a bit more expensive and were plain metal on the reverse side. The button bracelets are done! One of the blue buttons shifted a little...but, for the most part they came out really cute. I'll have to keep my eyes open for some fun buttons and cabachons.

Last year at BABE, I saw a necklace that I wanted to make...I bought the "banana" and teardrop beads...but, I forgot what the sample looked like. This year, I took a picture of the sample, and I made it today! Isn't it cute? If I only had somewhere to wear it to!

We are BABEs!

Today was a great day! I picked Julie and Jenny up and we hopped on BART...headed for BABE in Oakland. I have gone to it the past two years with Julie. Jenny and I had attended BABE about 5 years ago. BTW: I toyed with the idea of changing my name to "Jeri" to rhyme with Julie and Jenny...ha ha ha! Out on a Whim has always been a great booth...This year did not disappoint! I found clasps, I ALWAYS need clasps, and fun picture frame charms. I am going to try a new technique on the charms...hopefully it will work out okay.

Don't worry...the cabachons are just placed (quickly) on the buttons. I actually just finished making these bracelets. Julie has been making these button bracelets for a while...and I thought I would try a few. They were really easy...I also found a cool button for a sewing project!

My first stop was at the Kahn-Fagan booth. I bought some leaves and flowers for a kumihimo necklace. I also found the "strawberry" leaves. I wonder if the Las Vegas girls want to remake their strawberries...

Yoyo beads are always fun! This iss always a fun stop. The vendor also gave me a copy of a necklace pattern...so nice of him...I just had to buy more beads, a few buttons and a puffy fish. By the way, the puffer fish was the only "focal" bead that I bought. I hope my aunt likes it!

A while back I made a purse...but, I couldn't find a button...so, I made a bead....The Swarovski rivolis are always fun...and I found some HUGE ones!

Hmmm....the following picture is situated wrong...I really need an HTML class...anyways...the School of Beadwork has WONDERFUL kits...I did see things I liked, but, it was early in the show...so, I was going to go back if I didn't find anything else...yeah right...there is always next year...funny, I think I said that LAST year! I did find a beautiful clasp!

A few years back, I took a fused glass/wire wrapping class (with Jenny and a few other friends), these fused glass pieces actually have a channel on the side of the piece to make it easier to wrap...cool, eh! I also picked up a bail making plier....I SOOO NEED THIS! (BTW: The triangle next to the heart is a Christmas Tree...puts me on a time deadline....or something to do for NEXT year!)

One last (but important) note...for those Ex-Ingres folks out there....I was on BART chatting away with Jenny and Julie, (SACBC folks: I had also bumped into John Arai on the train, he was headed to the service out in Berkeley...opps!), anyways...this woman started waving at me....for the life of me, I couldn't figure out who it was....it was DENISE TAYLOR! She was headed to BABE as well. She is the Assistant Area Manager, at the Crucible. The Crucible is a fantastic place to learn everything from blacksmithing to welding, and everything in between! Of course, they have jewelry/metal classes....check out their website here.

Catching up from the weekend

So, before I left for Las Vegas...the dishwasher was acting up....when I got back...things weren't better...AND there was a flyer for appliance recycling on our doorstep. So, on Monday, Jeff called the repair number...they said it would be $400+ to have someone come out and LOOK at the dishwasher...so....Jeff, Jordan and Neil took the dishwasher out and threw it outside for the recyclers.

Yeah, right...new dishwasher...well, not quite. The last time Jeff had to replace the dishwasher, he FELL IN LOVE with having the garbage and recycling cans in the dishwasher space. It took forever to get a new dishwasher....not to mention, every time I get a new kitchen appliance, my kitchen remodel gets pushed back...because, "why redo the kitchen...the appliances are new"...sigh... The boys participated in a school fundraiser. Choi's Martial Arts held lessons at the school's multi-purpose room for the month of October. They donated $2000 of "registration fees" to the school...so, it wasn't that bad. Although Jeff said that the graduation (which was held while I was in Las Vegas) was a "time-share presentation".

Here is Jordan sparring...

Looks like Neil is breaking a "board" (of basal wood....)

Who me? Braid your hair? HAH!

Late Monday night I received a phone call from Brian, my friend Elizabeth's husband. Elizabeth wasn't feeling well during the weekend, and ended up going to the doctor on Monday. Turns out that she needed an emergency appendectomy.

I decided to drive down to Salinas to visit her. Good thing...since she needed someone to brush and braid her hair. HAH! me? yeah, right...she was joking right? I have two boys...with short hair...um, I never looked good in a braid, so, no...I don't braid....okay, I'll try. My first attempt looked like a rope...you know...spiraling in one direction, not a braid...the second attempt was passable but, let's just say, it's a good thing that Eliz's friend, Mui, was stopping by later that night.

Elizabeth is doing well. She will be better once she gets back to work...which will NOT be on Monday...much to her dismay. I would NEVER take a picture of someone in a hospital gown...so, here is a picture of Elizabeth and me on the Alaskan Cruise we took last year. (You can't see her hair, but, it goes halfway down her back....sigh! It's a good thing I have boys!)

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas...sometimes

hee hee....so, I survived the Girl's Trip to Vegas...kinda...my throat is a little sore...so, I am playing hooky from Yoga tonight...sorry Canada!

We made it to Vegas and met up with Betty by "Door 10", the bus to the Rental Car Center picks people up outside of Door 10...

This was the first time a few of the girls have seen the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada"...my first time was this summer...

Our first stop was "The Four Kegs", we sort of over ordered...and I forgot to take the picture before we started eating. By the time we got the car and drove out to The Four Kegs, it was really late....so, we dived into the Chicken Wings....which were AWESOME....as you can tell from the almost empty basket.

Saturday nights' dinner was Roberto's...it was so funny...when we drove up to the hotel, the Valet sniffed our car and said "Roberto's? They are the bomb!" My answer...of course....hee hee

Jeff had told me to take the girls out to dinner...but, I decided, I didn't want to. (Lori liked this intro)...I decided that I wanted to spend Jeff's $ on charm bracelets for the girls. Brighton has "state charms"...so, I thought it would be fun to get a charm for each of our trips. Although Betty didn't make it to Hawaii last year, we let her slide....Lori was able to pick up her pineapple (Hawaii charm) at another Brighton store.

Here is the map with the charms. It was so funny, we were trying to decide our next trip by the charm...

We did stop at the Premium Outlets...we did a little bit of damage. By the way, I was able to finish about 12 Christmas presents. YIPPEE!!!

This picture was taken in the hotel lobby. Next to me is Michelle, Lori, Betty and Kathy! Next year, Portland?