The View From My Recliner

Wednesday is my night to watch TV. I got hooked on "High School Reunion" when it first started and have to watch every week. Even though Comcast On Demand has reruns available the next day, I still want to see it on first air.

I thought I would take a picture of the living room, from the vantage point of my recliner. I have a few views, a few close ups of select collectibles that are displayed, and a panoramic view of the length of one wall, althought the images didn't exactly line up. I'm still learning to use that feature on my camera.

Anyway, I'll put a few more pics in here so anyone reading can see where I'm coming from. The recliner is usually the spot where I sit with my laptop when I'm blogging.

This first picture is straight across the room at the mirrored wall where the entertainment center is. My antique hall tree is in the corner to the right of the TV, but I don't know how well it will show up. The corner of my grandmother's hope chest is visibible on the extreme right edge of the picture. It was given to her in 1922 by her first fiance. She didn't marry him after finding out he set his garage on fire to collect the insurance money. I'm so glad she changed her mind and married my grandfather, otherwise I wouldn't be telling this story.

The second picture is the view to my left, my husband's recliner and the wall between the living room and kitchen. It is a brick wall, REAL brick, with wood shelves embedded in the rows with the bricks. I have some of my favorite things on the shelves, including my Irish plate, my Irish St. Nick, and a couple antique jugs that belonged to my grandmother. We usually put decorative tea light candles on these shelves and they give a very nice effect in the room, and the glow off the bricks is absolutely beautiful.

The large picture in the center of the wall is from my grandparents, who received it from my great-grandmother when they got married in 1924. We aren't sure what the scene is, but it is from 1917 according to the back and is signed. The gold leaf frame is original and I was once told that the frame is worth more than the picture and is the real value in it. It will stay in my family as it has been for the last 80+years.

This image is the Irish plate and Irish St Nick. The plate was a gift from a friend who I used to work with. She was very good at buying gifts that had a special meaning for the recipient.

St Nick was a gift from my mom. She gave one to my sister, brother, and me for Christmas one year.

I didn't want to hide him away in a closet all year so we decided to keep him out to watch over us all year.

This plate of The Duke was found at an auction that we attended, in a box of dusty nik-naks. I'm not sure if the seller knew what it was or just didn't care. Maybe wasn't even a fan of John Wayne. We brought it home, cleaned it, and didn't find one scratch or nick on it. The books are a collection of leather bound books, that my husband picked up at an auction. They are all that remain of a set that was in a flooded basement in Missouri many years ago, before he moved up here.

So there you have it. Maybe in another blog I will take you on a tour of the kitchen. And perhaps, if I can get some help to finish it, a tour of the computer room and the area where I do all my creating.

Oh, and btw, if you ever visit my home, you don't have to take your shoes off. We do don't that here! :)

A Very Profitable Weekend

WOW! I woke up Saturday morning and for the first time in a long time, didn't check email until after my shower and about 2 cups of coffee. I had an 11 am appointment to get my hair cut, then lunch with my mom and maybe do some shopping, so I didn't really have a lot of leisure time to spare. I had a few minutes to check things out while waiting for my husband to finishing dressing.
I first check email, then went to my Etsy shop. I noticed there were 4 less items listed than there were the night before, so I thought I had some things that expired. I looked in the expired listings, nothing new in there. Then checked sold, and I had sold 4 items! It must have just happened after I checked email because there was no notices in the email then, but when I check again after being at Etsy, there was my email from Etsy and Paypal. I was so excited, I almost missed my hair appointment while I gathered the items she ordered to put them aside so I could get them ready for shipping when I got home.
I tell you, this sale really made the difference for me. I hadn't sold anything since January, despite having plenty of views, and I was starting to get discouraged. I now have a renewed ambition to keep on creating.
So watch for new pieces to appear in my shop very soon!

New Bracelets Listed --- Finally!

Finally!!! The six bracelets that I blogged about last are listed and online in my Etsy shop.

I won't put the pictures here since they are all included in the previous blog, but will instead list a link with a description of the bracelet. You can see all my new bracelets along with my other original designs in my Etsy shop at http://designsbyrukar.etsy.com/

Here they are, in all their beautiful glory:

Green & Gold Multistrand Bracelet

Green Catseye & Swirl Bead Bracelet

Blooming Colors Swarovski Crystal Bracelet

Botswana Agate and Semi-Precious Hematite Bracelet

Crystal and Gem Chip Bracelet

Lilacs and Roses Bracelet

Bracelet Bonanza!

I was busy over the weekend and managed to create several bracelets from a variety of crystals, gem chips and other beautiful jewelry components.
The pictures have been taken and scaled down for Etsy and all I need to do now is upload and list. That's another day, most likely tomorrow after work. For now, I will show a picture of all the bracelets in one image to get your interest!