New Blog

It is not really a new blog... but I feel as if I have rewritten a whole new blog. I added pages to the top of the blog.. so that people who are interested in my beach adventures can view those and people who want to know what is going on in my shop can check that out.. without having to weed through stuff you might not care about. This is the plan at least! I have been noticing other blogs with pages like this and I have found that I like being able to look through their blogs in this way so I am adding it to my blog and will looking forward to feedback Please please leave me a comment let me know what you think, do you love it.. hate it.. don't care.. think it would work better if...? Any and all comments are welcomed.

One thing I still need to do is to add labels to more posts from the past. People always told me I should be using tags/labels. Not only on the blog but in my shop. The more I do the more I am understanding a couple of things. One would be why and what they are and how it makes it so much easier to search and find what one needs or wants. The second thing I am picking up on is how stubborn I am and how in the long run it does not make it easier for me. I am pretty good at making whatever I have work for me. Example would be... when asked if I like the keyboard to sit on the desk top or on a slide underneath, I answered... I can make what ever work. Which is true... I can work with it either way... never really thought about how it would work best for me and much more productive that would be in the long run. Now as I am going back and adding labels to every post the hard way.. I am coming to understand that having things work the right way, the best way from the get go makes more sense and less work in the long run. *yes I see some of you, who know me well, rolling your eyes* In fact.. I am looking at a lot of things that have happened in the last few years... and thinking to myself... no more settling... no more monkey *bleep* to get things to work for me.

Now it is noon.. and I am not sure what to do.. I want to go to the beach.. but yesterday I over did it and spent too much time there and am a bit sore today... it is like doing 3 hours of deep knee bends or squats ... people may think I do not get any excise at the beach.. but let them spend three hours with me and then tell me that the next day :) I do not get any cardio though... that I do agree on. I look outside and it is so beautiful and sunny ( not warm though ) that it is hard to spend it inside.. I can hear and see the beach screaming for me to come play... yet.. I do need to get a couple more things done around the house.. some more laundry and make a grocery list... some of my projects needs to be cleaned off the kitchen table and I think today I will stay in and recover a bit and work on indoor things.. tomorrow I will head out again.

Please remember to check out the pages and let me know what you think of them :)

Thank you,

~Michelle

Stormy and Beautiful

Loved it!! I dressed up really warm... looked like it was going to be raining. I had on my socks.. then some wool socks.. then some long johns.. then my jeans.. a tank top.. a long sleeve t-shirt a sweatshirt a big insulated flannel... wrap the scarf around throw the mittens in the pocket.. put on the boots.. and threw on some rain gear....and I can hardly move. I was plenty warm though. Off I go to the beach.. meet up with a friend and we start out on the adventure. I walk pretty slow on the beach.. ok... R E A L L Y Slow. I tend to go from the waters edge to high tide and back and forth.. stopping to take pictures, look at rocks and collect my treasures. I was also having a bit of a problem... as I was plenty warm enough.. but bending over to pick anything up was proving to be a bit difficult.. and then.. the long johns kept wanting to slide down to my knees.. and take the jeans with them.. I seriously felt like one of the teenagers I am always yelling at.... yet I was hiking up my britches with every step. I thought about running home and taking off the long johns but I just kept giving some tugs after every bend over.

The beach was so loud and and so many treasures.. the waves were crashing and the water was churned up.. it was beautiful. I had thought I might get rained on but.. no rain.. in fact the sun came out and by the time I was done I was plenty warm enough. Only found one agate.. but I found some pastels which I LOVE!

and lots of browns with cool patterns on them.

I did also get some some whites and some greens and a heart rock and a couple pieces of pottery. Lots of treasures still to be sorted.

~Michelle

Storm is a Blowing

Muddy Waves
Originally uploaded by Chelle_Ballard

Last week the weather was so nice, about 50 and sunny and the beach was calm... I guess it was a nice week.. but tonight the wind is picking up and I am getting excited... as the house moans and creaks I am even more excited as the wind blows up from the water onto the front of the house.. this means... tomorrow the shore will be all messed up and more treasures to find! It was nice last week to stroll along the beach and find a few treasures and to just enjoy the beach, the sunshine and the neighbors.. but tonight I am excited for tomorrows adventures and treasures and time alone on the beach :)

The video is from a couple of weeks ago when it was stormy... I uploaded it to flickr and then blogged from there.. seeing how it works :)

~Michelle

ArtFire Front Page

Today I got an email that one of my items had been picked for a collection of pacific northwest items called "Cloudy Day Collection" on artfire by another member there ( Matheson Gem Works )

Right after that I saw an email pop up about it again and I almost ignored it.. but I clicked on it and it was to let me know that the collection my item was in was now on the front page of the main site :) I grabbed a picture of it since to be honest I have not paid much attention to how to get a collection on the front page or how long they stay. I know I am making a huge deal out of this... it is not as if my shop sold out or anything.. but after years of being on another site and seeing the same things over and over again on the main page.. I had not given any thought to it.. this today is just another reminder that Artfire is NOT anything like any other site... everyone counts here and gets a chance to be showcased a bit :)

Thank you Matheson Gem Work and thank you Artfire!

Please take a minute to click on the collection and have a look around.. clicking on each item will take you to the shop it comes from and you can see more of that artists wonderful work!

~Michelle

Happy Happy Birthday

To Java Cupcakes Blog!! It is an awesome blog ran by a wonderful friend. She has the best recipes ( not just for cupcakes ) and is a wonderful fun person to get to know and visit with. I first ran across her on twitter.. someone did a rt of something of hers.. and I was off to check it out.. and right away I was in love. My parents were coming over for a visit and I wanted to make something fun for dessert.. I always am making new things when they come over.. they have the best attitude and are willing to try just about anything and give me an honest review. I went flipping through the recipes on java cupcakes blog.. I was so impressed that there were so many to pick from.. turns out I was not able to pick one.. I found two I just had to make.. and they were super easy and fun and so flavorful. Since then I have been back several times.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes and Rhubarb Cupcakes

Those I made when my parents came over.. and a few more times. That is now my favorite thing to do with rhubarb! I have also made the Peanut Butter Fudge and this one is super easy and to die for... seriously the best in the world. The Peanut Butter Brownies are the same thing... way out of the world good!

This is my version of her Peanut Butter Brownie..one thing I love about her recipes is that they are real and user friendly.

Please take a minute to go wish her blog happy birthday... she is having a giveaway too.. you can win a limited edition print from CakeSpy

~Michelle