Happy Halloween!

Hahahahahaaa! Whaaahhaaaahaaaahahahahaaa!

Seashore Sunday

Hello! A beautiful Seashore Sunday to you all!

Belleair Beach, FL

You know I love to be at the beach every chance I get...
but do you know what I want more than that?

I want my hubby to get out and go fishing in the Gulf!

Hubby and a black tip shark

He has only taken the boat out twice since Spring.

The Sea Road Yankeetown, FL

It has been way too hot to fish, but now that we have some cooler weather...maybe he will schedule himself some FUN time! The fishing poles have been gathering dust...the guys haven't done anything fun all summer. They always have a good time, even if they don't catch any keepers!

Nice Grouper Jake!

Nice "catch" Josh!

little crab on a sponge

kissy kissy (my brother)

Hubby, Brady, Jake, and Josh

Personally, I wish he would learn to catch shrimp! (now you know I'm going to have to Google that!)

I haven't had a fishing pole in my hands for 2 long years, and I would love to feel the tug of a fish on my line! ( but I always stay home and make jewelry :D ) Maybe NEXT time?

Did you go fishing today?

Have a Spectacular Seashore Sunday!

Love,
Del

Seashell Saturday

I have something different today.

I came across an article from The New York Times about the over harvesting, or over fishing, of the Chambered Nautilus.

These creatures have incredibly beautiful shells, that is true...but to harvest them to extinction is very sad. The nautilus has been dwelling in the sea for half a billion years. They are called a Living Fossil. To think that there won't be any live specimens in their natural environment for future generations to enjoy isn't only sad, it's appalling.



Many chambered nautilus are harvested to create what is called an Osmena Pearl. It isn't really a pearl, but a jewelry product derived from the beautiful opalescent, iridescent layer inside the shell.

The United States imported 579,000 specimens between 2005-2008. That number is shocking to me.

Marine biologists are lobbying for protection of the nautilus under the same United Nations rules that protect other endangered species.

I have 2 nautilus shells. One was a gift from Grandma in 1984, and I have bought one myself....but after learning what I have, there won't be anymore nautilus bought around here.

Please be a good beachcomber, or diver....never take live shells!

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you take this post to heart!

I hope to see you tomorrow for Seashore Sunday!

Have a super SAFE shelling Saturday!

Love,
Del

Blue Limpet Seashell Earrings in Sterling Silver

A couple of months ago, I bought 100 blue limpet shells with the intention of encrusting a frame with them.
I've been itching to make a pair of seashell earrings with them ever since! They are such pretty shells!

 

 These little lovelies are perfect for an excursion to the beach. 

White baby pearls dangle inside the shells.

All sterling silver components sparkle like the sun glinting off the waves in the sea.

These are the very first pieces of seashell jewelry that I have made using bought shells. Of course, half the fun of making seashell earrings is finding the shells, and I prefer to do some beachcombing, but I haven't ever found blue limpet shells. This type of limpet shell isn't native to the Florida coastline. I have found a keyhole limpet, and I made a bracelet out of it. 

 You can find both of these in my Etsy shop!

I'm heading back to my sea of craft supplies! I'll be back soon with a new beachy creation for you!

Love,

Del

Olive Shell, Pearl, and Abalone Necklace

You may remember a while back I posted a pic of some champagne colored stick pearls, some abalone beads, and an Olive shell...

After gathering additional supplies, I have been working on it...and it is finished!!!

I added some Swarovski Crystal bicones in Sand, some South Sea Shell Pearls, and a few copper beads. 

It lays so nicely around the neck...MY neck :D
I'm sure it would lay just as beautifully around any shell lovers neck!

 Now I need to take some pics of it on my bust. NOOOO not MY bust....my necklace display bust! HAHA!
Had you wondering, didn't I???  This pretty Olive Shell Necklace doesn't hang down THAT far! It rest perfectly on the.. ahem...upper chest ;)
I've been liking shorter necklaces like this lately. Do you?



Love,
Del

Seashell Jewelry

You may have noticed that I've reopened my Etsy shop. I received a custom order for an awareness bracelet, so I started working on it in the middle of the night while Bree was hospitalized. This prompted me to open the shop back up. Laci is working on a shop of her own, so I am on my own now....seashell jewelry, and awareness jewelry.

When I began making seashell jewelry, I did everything the hard way, and I mean HARD. I hand drilled my shells. What do I mean by that? I mean hand drill, not a power drill...no batteries, no electricity. It takes forever and a day to drill through a shell by hand. I am not kidding!
This is what I used.

 

My brother was a sweetie and bought me a battery operated drill. He tried to find a purple one, but he could only find this...

It was better than what I had been using, but it eats batteries. Rechargeable batteries don't last very long either. I borrowed hubby's little old Black and  Decker cordless, but it was angled and difficult to drill with. Last year for my birthday hubby bought me a nice Dremel with a drill press.

This is the best way I have found to drill so far. It is definitely faster!

Considering the time involved in drilling by hand, I was pricing my handmade jewelry accordingly, but it sure wasn't very cost effective to the buyer. Anything made pre-dremel is now in my own jewelry box. I cannot get what I want for them, so I'm keeping them for myself :) You try drilling a thick lucina or a jewel box shell by hand, lol! They are difficult enough, and still take plenty of time with a Dremel.

What's in my jewelry box? or BOXES? These are some pretties I've decided to keep.

and maybe this one too

It is one of my faves!

These are newer pieces, and were done with a Dremel, but I just love them.

and maybe, just maybe...this bracelet

I've been wearing this seashell and seaglass necklace a LOT!

 I only choose to keep something if it matches an outfit, or I can't part with the shell. I don't have pics of all of my shell jewelry....some of them I did make just for myself :D

But...I did take pics of this Tulip Shell necklace. It is my best Tulip Shell, and I just can't let it go. I wear it often!

So that's just a few of my fave pieces...it would take a very long post to show everything! 

I wish I still loved to sew as much as I love to make jewelry. Imagine the clothes I would have!

Do you have an abundance of your favorite crafty designs? Please do tell!!!

Love,

Del

Pssst...sorry for such a wordy post! I hope you got through it :D

Seashore Sunday

 Hey! It's Seashore Sunday!

It's amazing to me that one place can look so different from hour to hour, and day to day.

and even minute to minute...the ever changing seashore.

Hope your Sunday is as beautiful, and ever changing as the sea!

Love,
Del

Seashell Saturday

Helloooooo! It's Seashell Saturday, and I have something a little different to share today!

I have a few tattoos that have special meaning to me, but I am still wanting a few more. Tattoos are like potato chips....you can't have just one!

I am going to get a seashell tattoo, and have browsed the internet for some inspiration. Here are a few of my finds!

from Sharptattoos on checkoutmyink.com

from Chris Reed on TattooSnob

from Google Images

I'm going to be working on my own seashell tattoo design over the next couple of months, and mine incorporates something else nautical.

You can find several shell tattoos on Google Images, but they are not to be shared....which is totally beside the point of taking a pic and putting it on the internet in the first place!

A few months ago I was exploring ocean themed tattoo's and found this one.

This is a clever tattoo! I wonder if he really lost his arm to a shark???? If so, it's an interesting way to commemorate it.

I have a few changes coming up, and I'll tell you about them next week!

Have a Fun Fall Saturday!

Love,
Del

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

After 5 days in the hospital, Bree is home! I picked her up late yesterday afternoon! They still have no idea what caused her kidney failure. She has an appointment on Friday to get her lab work again, to make sure she is still stable. If she starts looking peaked before then, we are to bring her back ASAP. Zach was SO happy to see her, he was doing the happy dance all around her! You can tell she is thrilled to be back home. We are so thankful she is okay, and at this time is not on a special diet. She can still have chicken, beef, and pork from the table! What a relief! I'm sure we could cut her off if we had to, and Zach would have also been cut off of table food because it wouldn't have been "fair". They are so very spoiled! So spoiled in fact, they know how to eat from a fork. Yup! Zach can also eat from a spoon, Bree isn't very good at using a spoon.

Maybe now I can wrap my brain around doing something productive!

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments, and concern for our girl!

Love,
Del

Bree Update

Thank you all so much for your outpouring of concern and well wishes for my girl!!!

She looks so much better! We even got a few smiles out of her :D It was wonderful to see the sparkle back in her eyes!!!

They let us take her outside a couple of times, too!

She was so happy to see us! They even let us get in the cage with her! It was big enough for Bree, hubby, Shae, and me to hang out in!!!

Her blood work results will be in tonight (Saturday) and the urine culture is still 2-3 days out. She was having an ultrasound sometime after we left. They plan to move her from ICU to Internal Medicine on Monday.

She does have kidney disease, and they are calling it acute for now, but it may be chronic. If it is chronic, or ever turns into chronic kidney disease, we can manage it with diet and medication. She was really anxious hearing the other dogs in there crying and whimpering in pain :(

I can't wait to bring her home! Zachy needs his momma dog! In the event that Bree needs a kidney transplant, they said he (Zach) would be a great candidate for a donor, since he is her son. That would be the best possible match. They really are searching all avenues, just in case.

She isn't eating well, but they have her on a low protein food, and it smells just awful. We tried to get her to eat, and she ate a very small amount. I think she will eat it when she gets hungry enough, she is a very spoiled girl and used to eating good food.

She has some arthritis along her spine, in her shoulders, and really bad hip displasia, especially in her left hip :( My lil' girl is turning into an ole' lady) If we thought we spoiled her before, just imagine how spoiled rotten she is going to be now!

My plans for Sunday are....make Creme Brulee for Shae's birthday, go visit Bree, and then have Shae's birthday dinner.

Happy Birthday Shae!

Gaaahhhh....what a weekend.

When I know anything else, I'll let you know.

Love,
Del

It's a Sad Saturday

Dear friends, with much regret I am not doing a Seashell Saturday post this week, and maybe nothing on Sunday either. I just cannot concentrate on it right now. You see, our sweet nearly 8 year old Boxer, Bree, is very very sick.

 Thursday she became ill, and just wasn't our happy nub waggin' kidney beanin' Bree. (The link goes to Youtube showing another kidney beanin' boxer.)

Friday morning I took her to the vet, and after a day of blood work, x-rays, and barium contrast, they said we needed to take her to a specialist. Right now she is at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine getting the best care available in North Central Florida. She is having kidney issues, possibly kidney disease, and they haven't figured out why...yet.  Had she not seen the vet Friday morning, she wouldn't be alive now.

I have put everything else on hold until our baby is better. She is the sweetest Boxer girl ever, and is super polite, loving, and one of our very best friends.

I will be going back to UF Saturday to visit her. She has made some progress with being on IV, and receiving fluids, as she was very dehydrated. She is able to stand up and walk, which is a far cry better than she was this morning...she had to be carried into the vets office.

We have her first born son, Zach, and he is beside himself with grief, longing for her to return home. I'm hoping to relieve his anxiety by bringing her home in a few days.

I'm trying to figure out what blogger has done to my font, also! When I signed in to do my post, my pretty cursive writing was gone. If you are reading this in a plain print...I didn't fix it! Oh, well.

I will keep you updated as to how my baby is doing. And she really is just like one of our kids!!! Right now I can't think of anything but Miss Bree, but I didn't want to leave you all hanging and thinking I forgot about you.

Take care, and I'll be back!

Love,
Del

Living in a Green World

I love living in a green world, Oh yes I do! I also love living as eco friendly as possible, but that isn't what this post is about.

I was telling a blogging friend about a wicker chair I bought at the Salvation Army Thrift Store...
for $10! It was about 6 years ago, maybe even 7.

This is the chair

 I had this gorgeous Pothos in it for several years, until we went to Vegas in 2009 and there was a freeze while we were gone (and no one thought to bring in my plants!)

This is the chair as it has sat for weeks on end because it was taking up space in the screen room just sitting there empty...I brought it in thinking I would do something "else" with it.

I have repainted it, and still haven't found a round cushion large enough for it....
soooooo

It is back out in the screen room, and I have another Pothos ready to vine all over it!

I love the Eastern exposure this room gets. By next summer I bet the pot doesn't even show! This pothos was started as a small piece of another plant...

After snapping this pic, I took a little tour around my yard.

I have volunteer ferns popping up between the rocks around the pond!

on both sides!!!

The Jasmine is also looking and smelling wonderful!

This is one of 5 of my Jasmine

I just love those little white flowers. This is one of my favorite outdoor plants.

Next month the Poinsettia will be getting its red brachts, and has almost grown up to the rain gutter on the house. Maybe this year I will get my family Christmas photo in front of my blooming Poinsettia!

We shall see!

I love this time of the year!