rock candy.

i know this post is a little late coming, but blame it partially on my body-related midlife crisis (i just want to exercise like crazy lately because i refuse to accept the fact that my body is changing and decide that i can't do anything about it), and my never-long-enough chat with carla. but i did finally get some pictures adjusted so i could show you some of the beautiful stones i saw on saturday. of course, i wouldn't be me if i was completely with it and prepared, so i forgot to photograph the stones i got! i'll do that later.....maybe.....if i remember.

there were so, so, so many gorgeous stones, and i wish i could have gotten closer, more detailed pictures of some of the large (and really expensive) mineral specimens, but i know some people are really funny about having their stuff photographed. if i thought i could pull off covert picture taking and be sneaky like a jungle cat, believe me, i would have, but i'd probably draw attention to myself by knocking over a 60 pound $750 quartz druzy or something.

it was a really fun day, and i'm planning on going to another one, but coming home with LOTS more. of course after we were about 20 minutes away i got all sorts of ideas for all of these stones and beads i saw, but there was no way i was going to turn around and go back so that all four of us could go back in and look at everything again!

also, this is completely off the subject of stones, but i feel the need for a from the heart type post. i'm going to try to get my thoughts in order and talk about my dilemma tomorrow, because i really am curious as to whether i'm the only one feeling like this, or if it's pretty common.

that's it for now. happy tuesday!

happy three day weekend!

i can't wait to tell you guys all about the gems, the motorhomes and the hiding places for my dad's bong (seriously, there's a perfectly good explanation for that), but i'm trying to get caught up on everything that piled up while i was sick. so for today, in between domestic duties, jogging, trying to stay alive outside with this heatwave, and a web design job, i'm doing a whole lot of this...

my bear likes to kiss. and snuggle. and sit on my lap. since he was home alone most of the day saturday, we have to make up for it with extra love and belly rubs.

i'll be back tomorrow with pictures of pretty stones and some pictures of the few things i cam home with. seriously, i went there planning to come home with A LOT (as i can't get many of those things here), but i barely got anything. to the cheapskate side of me... i curse you, while i shake my fist in the air!

time to...rock!

i had an outfit post planned for today, but since the sky turned black and the sun went hiding somewhere in the recesses of darkness - okay, we had a storm - i was without any natural light, and my pictures turned out looking like grainy turds. the outfit post will have to wait, but this exciting little nugget of information can't... I'M GOING TO A GEM AND MINERAL SHOW TOMORROW! i'm really excited. chris and i are meeting pop and tricia at their house tomorrow morning, first stopping for breakfast and then heading to salem, va! i'm taking two cameras, on digital and one film, and i plan to snap until someone stops me (and then maybe a little more if i think i can be sneaky).

my pop, he's in for a little violence tomorrow morning. he called me about an hour ago and told me he had bad news (the exact same line he used when he tricked me, 3 TIMES, into thinking he had to work so we couldn't go to soul food the other week). i kept insisting that i didn't believe him, but after a few minutes, when he never admitted he was kidding, i finally felt pretty deflated and believed that he really did have to work until 1pm tomorrow. of course, only after i'm on the verge of TEARS does he tell me that he's kidding. i called him a name, and it wasn't nice...good thing he knows i'm kidding. so that's it, from now on, i can't believe what he tells me!

anyway, okay, i sort of got off on a tangent there, but the point is, i'm going to the gem and mineral show tomorrow, and i can't wait to show you pictures and my loot! have a good holiday weekend, american friends!

the beautiful rock collection is from the talented artist cori kindred.

my friend and the beast.

have you met my friend brittan? i could tell you that she's funny, pretty, sweet, creative, and all those good things, but maybe you'd think i'm biased. well, i am. but all those things about her are completely true! she's one of my first and best blogging friends, and i love the friendship that we've developed. not too long ago she did a post introducing her crochet covered stone and beach glass jewelry, and i just stared. and stared and stared. i have one of her crochet covered beach stones, so to think of the same idea, but in jewelry form, just had me hooked! so, last week i had a package from her in my mailbox, and in addition to a gorgeous custom made brooch with a painting of flojo, some quartz and amethyst stones and a porcelain bird, I HAD A CROCHETED AMETHYST NECKLACE! i was so excited! you can find her shop here and take a looksie at some of the necklaces!

the necklace above is mine, all mine! the two below are some of my favorites from her shop. isn't she incredibly talented? i love how the necklace with quartz has the crochet at the top, almost like an acorn.

now for the part about the beast. i was taking pictures this morning for a client, and when i got to this jeep i needed a picture of, i just happened to look down, and there it was. the biggest black snake i've seen since i was 11 or 12, just stretched out in the grass, black scales lit up by the sun, not a foot from where i was standing. i think i did number 1, 2, 3, AND 4 right there in my pants. i jumped, screamed, and ran like the wind back to my car. i got in, hyperventilating and screaming to myself as if that would make the snake disappear (never to reappear again, ideally), and realized i had to get back out. i wasn't finished taking pictures. for the last few, i didn't step foot in the grass, and i realized just how much i appreciate zoom on my camera. i may have had a heart attack, or maybe heart failure, either way i'm surprised i lived to tell about it, not because i'm afraid a snake will hurt me, but because i'm afraid i'll lose consciousness and all major organs will shut down from adrenaline overdose. so yeah, that beast scared the crap, almost literally, out of me. the worst and scariest part of my day!

i hope you've had a good, snake-free day!

turtle day saywhaaaaat!

TODAY IS WORLD TURTLE DAY! okay, i'm obviously incredibly excited. i love turtles more than.... ummmm.... more than i could ever explain! they bring my heart so much joy, with those scaly toes and pretty carapace, and up until earlier today, i didn't even know there was such a thing as world turtle day! i'm marking my calender, and next year, the party's ON! just because i'm so excited about world turtle day, i'm going to go put on one of my many vintage turtle necklaces even through i'm still in my pajamas (yes, i'm still sick) and no one will see me.

i don't remember where i found this picture (i saved it over a year ago), but don't you just want to snuggle that little baby and revert to high pitched baby talk? i know i do. and speaking of turtles, one day i'm going to get a turtle tattoo, because you know it's true love when it's in ink. am i right? am i right?!

i haven't seen as many turtles so far this year, but i think that's all due to the fact that we've had a relatively cool spring compared to normal. but worry not, i'm still running out in front of cars and across highways to save every turtle i can.

in closing, I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT WORLD TURTLE DAY SOONER!!!