Red & Green

Yesterday while taking a break, I decided to stretch my legs and take a walk around the yard. Not the WHOLE yard, just the front/side yards.

A few weeks ago, maybe 3, I noticed a TOMATO plant growing by the front door next to the mermaid and the pond! A little volunteer!

I decided to leave it and just see what happens. It has had blooms on it for a week or so, and yesterday I noticed it has some lil' maters on it :)

It looks like we have some Roma's! About the only time I use Roma's is for fresh salsa, so someone, maybe me, spit a seed out walking by the pond. I just may start spitting all kinds of seeds all over the place! (That extension cord is not plugged into the outlet...it was for my pumpkins) I should have tomatoes by Christmas, or maybe even Thanksgiving :D

What drew me outside in the first place was gazing at my poinsettia for most of the day from my craft room. It is getting more colorful.

This is the one I see from my chair! It leans and sways and is perfectly in my line of vision.

The leaves are looking a bit raggedy though from all the wind we had from Sandy.

So tall!

I sure hope it makes it to full bloom!

The other side doesn't get much sun since the maple tree got so huge, so isn't even showing red yet. Did you know that a poinsettia starts changing and getting red when the days are shorter and nights are longer? To get them to the beautiful specimens you see in the stores, they force the blooms by cutting their daylight and forcing darkness upon them early. It takes bright sunlight, and 12 hours of darkness at least 5 days in a row to turn them colors. I would love to have one of each color growing alongside the house!

It's time to put my photographer hat on. I am waaaaaaaaay behind on listings! I would also have somethings to post about if I would just take some pics! I still have to set up my lightbox and lights every time I do a photo session. I would love a permanent set up! If I could just find the space....near an outlet.

Sunshine & Seashells

Before we get into necklaces, I want to show you what's going on in the pond we put in last year!
Remember when it looked like this?

and then this?

and then the volunteer ferns popped up between the rocks?

Well those ferns have grown so much! and my Louisiana Iris is blooming this year!

So Pretty!

I am having a battle with algae right now, but it should be clear in a few more days at the most. I Hope.
But, check out those ferns! How cool is that?!?! I am so happy with my pond! These pics are unedited. Check out the sunshine!

I also have some volunteer berries growing!

I have been pulling what looks like blackberry starts for several years. They just keep popping up in the north flower bed. Last year I decided to leave one and see what happened. This year I have berries, and several new starts.

See all of the little stick like starts around the poinsettia? I'm leaving them. I want to see just what they are going to do over the next few years, and if they get to be too much, then I will yank them. It would be awesome to make my own jam from these freebie berries though.

Thank you to the birds that pooped these seeds in my flower bed (and around it)!

Nature is wonderful!

Okay, how to segway into jewelry after that? Hmmmm.

Nature is wonderful in producing things we can create with!
Like this Heart Cockle Necklace!

I used all sterling components with this pretty shell :)

Right down to the heart shaped bail I attached to the back.

That pearl really is that dark purple! Very nice dye job on these!

I sure need to get a better close up of the bead cap on the pearl. It's a really pretty and delicate filigree.

I've been wanting to do a Periwinkle Shell necklace, too. It almost matches the earrings I made a little while ago.

They look so good with gunmetal.

The gunmetal brings out the blue gray in the shell! I used a dark metal blue peacock pearl and black diamond crystal for the drop.

I also added one to the back :D

The earrings have greige crystals.

 You can find the earrings here in my Etsy shop!

The necklaces will be listed soon!

Elegant seashell necklaces coming up next!

Now, about that pond.....

Have a great Friday!