What do I want to do?

That is the question I keep trying to figure out every day. I get so swept up in all types of new crafts and have tried so many and yet I can not decide what I like the most. I have so many different craft supplies in my house that I literally have a craft store. You name it, I have it. So why do I keep searching for the one craft that I will love and stay focused on? I wish I could and I'm sure my hubby wishes the same. I see so many talented people who can make the most gorgeous knitted items or beautiful lampwork beads. I get hooked so fast on new things and do that until something else strikes my fancy. I want to do one thing and stop flip flopping around. I have been working with lampwork beads and I do love it but a person has to spend hours upon hours to perfect that craft. I don't have hours and hours, I have a family to take care of no time to be on a torch for 6 hours. I bought a new book the other day on ceramic clay jewelry making. It looks like fun and simple enough to do, I have made quite a few things with polymer clay so how different can this be. Well, not to much difference except the cost of a high priced kiln to fire them in. Why does every craft have to involve hundres of dollars just to produce one item. Why is crafting so important to me, I ask that everyday. I don't get it, it lives inside me, I think about things I want to make everyday but go many weeks w/out making a thing. I spend more time running around town picking up all the ingredients to make the crafts and then there they sit in the bags for weeks and never get used. What is wrong with me. You know how some people have eating disorders and eat when they are sad or something? I do that with craft supplies. I'm not sad but just trying to figure out "what I want to do" with myself. I know I am mom and wife and daughter and sister and aunt but I want to be something else besides those things. I want to be someone that has a talent. All my life I have had no talent, I'm just me. I have no unique distinct qualities to myself, I'm just me. I want to be something interesting. I have no imagination despite what my mom thinks but moms always say nice and inspiring words to their children. I can copy most things I see but I have yet to create something of my own. So, today another day I sit trying to figure out "what I want to do and who I am" besides mom, wife, daughter, sister and aunt.

Been busy

I've been busy so far this summer with the new puppy and the kids keep me pretty busy. Our little Sadie pup has been such a great thing for our family. She is just what we needed around here to perk things up. She is almost housebroken but still not perfect, but she is trying. :) She is doing so much better on walks too, she isn't pulling as hard as she was before. We take her out every evening and I think that helps her to get use to the leash more and more each day.
Today was such a hot day, we are looking at 100 degree weather for several days in a row without a chance of rain. Our electric bill for june doubled from what it was in May, we need to conserve our energy so next months bill doesn't double. I can say since we have lived in this house for 9 years we have never had a bill this large. I also got our June water bill and that one was almost doubled as well. We told Daph she can't use the sprinkler out front anymore to jump in to cool off unless we are watering the yard. She and her friend were using the sprinkler almost everyday so that makes sense why our bill was so high. We have to tighten up with everything since food is high, gas is high. *sigh*
Let's see, I started taking another lampwork bead class for shaping and control of bead makine. I am getting better but still no pro, that is for sure. I'll keep trying, I won't give up, I really enjoy making beads. Oh, that reminds me, I went to an estate sale today and the lady happened to be one crafty lady and I scored a small kiln. After I bought it realized this thing must have been made in the 1960's. Oops! I can't find any information about it so I am hoping the glass bead store will be able to help me with how to use this new thing. If not I just bought something I can't use. I will have to save up for a new one unless I come across one that is not vintage. lol
Daph's birthday is this Wednesday and we are not sure yet what we are doing but it will be fun.
Eric has been working on the front yard, tearing up the stretch up by the sidewalk that has been a pain to keep the grass green. He was out there with a pick ax digging out that large limestone rock. That was a tough job. Now we have some sun tolerant plants and it looks great. I'll have to take photos of his awesome work.
Guess that's about it for now. I'm trying to keep things updated as best I can.
I wanted to add some recent photos of my bead work from my recent classes.

New Puppy in the house

We got a new puppy. If you had told me a week ago that I would have a new puppy I would have laughed so hard at you. But, we have a new puppy and she is a mini-Doxie Piebald. Eric has always wanted a weenie dog so he is super thrilled. The way I got her was when I went to get my haircut last Saturday a customer came in and said she was giving away her puppies and I jumped on that one right away. These are AKC registered pups and they were free, it doesn't get much better than that. We had talked about a dog but didn't want to spend big bucks to get one so this seemed like it was meant to be ours. The kids absolutely adore her and she has bonded so well with them too. Actually nobody had any idea I was getting her, I surprised them all and boy were they surprised. So, it's all good. Take a look at our new furbaby.

Cuppa Frogga

We have new residents at our humble abode. I should have taken a pic but for awhile I had a garden ceramic high heel shoe in a pot outside on my front porch and when it rained it would fill up and a frog would stay in the shoe, it was adorable. Well recently we planted hydrangeas in those large grey pots and removed the ceramic shoe. One day I noticed the frog was back and living inside the grey pot under the leaves of the plant. How cute we admired and we would look out for him everyday. We also have a bakers rack on the front porch with some small potted plants sitting at the top. One day Eric was watering the small plants and discovered the frog nesting in one of the pots. We ohh'd and ahh'd on how cute it was to see him in his new abode. I was curious how he made his way all the way up to the top and into the plant but I guess those guys have sticky enough little paws to do it. This morning I went out and sure enough, he was back as he was missing yesterday. I said my good mornings to him and went about my way. Later when Eric was going out for a bike ride he discovered that there was now a second fron living in one of the other small planters. We now have a second resident. I hope they don't go telling all their frog buddies to come over as we only have one more plant left. I suppose they could make it a time share. lol Way to cute and the kids are loving the whole thing. Here are some cute pics of our new friends.

Lampwork bead class

I took a class on making lampwork beading yesterday and it was so much fun. I felt very comfortable with the torch and making the beads. I can't say my beads look so great but I can work on that part more. I wanted to learn how to put dots and stringers on the beads so I practiced that and found out it is a lot harder than it looks. I also wanted to make a heart bead so the teacher showed me how simple those are to make. I bought my own kit so I can start practicing some more at home but I also might rent torch time at the studio since their torches are hotter than my kit torch. These are my beads and starting from the left is the bead I made first which is the black one and progressing over to the heart which was the last one I made in class. I am pleased.

Wow, it's been a long time

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted here but life is busy right now with school getting out and the kids having school projects. Summer is around the corner and that means the kids being home and me finding lots of fun things for us to do. They are both signed up for sports camp already at that is at the beginning of the summer. We have a new city pool that opened up so we will be riding our bikes to it often. We have no summer trips planned as of yet but who knows what we will end up doing. Nicholas wants to go see the Alamo and so we may do that and go to Six Flags.

I made lip balm for a swap I was in recently, they are orange dream flavored and remind of an Orange Juilius. An Orange Juilius just opened at the mall and I have been in heaven ever since. Yum!

Lets see, Daph reminded me in a cute way I need to dust more often. She drew smiley faces on the tv speakers the other day. lol

My kitty was helping me do laundry last week, she is a great help as you can see in the picture.

Daph was working on a report of Sacagewea and their school did a wax museum of all the reports. The kids had a blast and there were so many great "famous" people in history. Here is Daph in her costume I made for her and her tri-fold report. I made every part of her costume down to the faux mocassins.

This weekend will be a busy one too. Last night we went to a Round Rock Express game. They lost but we still had a great time and we got to see the Friday fireworks, they were just beautiful. It was super hot but bearable. The kids can't wait to do it again and now that Nicholas plays baseball he was all eyes on the game. I was able to get a pic of the kids but using our phone so the quality isn't the best.

Tomorrow we will eat the inlaws and then on Monday we are cleaning out the other side of the garage. We have lots of house projects in the works. I will try to fit in making some soap and more purses. I need to finish working on my e-pattern that I hope to sell soon. I'm out for now.

Oh ya, giving a shout out to Melis, I hope you are having a great time in Florida. *waving*

Today is Nicholas' birthday

Happy Birthday Nicholas!! I can't believe you are 11 already, I remember when you were born and I held you in my arms for the first time. You made me a mama. I hope you had a great day.

Here is the cookie cake I made for him. I was not going to spend oodles of money on those expensive cookie cakes from the mall so I bought a tub of cookie dough and some disposable pizza pans and made two cookie cakes for him. I took them to school and the kids devoured both of them in record time.