Earth Hour---are you participating?

Just a quick post to remind everyone if you haven't yet signed up for Earth Hour, please do so.

Lights off at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night.

From the website:
Earth Hour is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world to turn the lights off for one hour. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to make a stand against climate change, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Scandinavia to Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness.

I think we should all do everything we can -- which means that even when Earth Hour is over, we should be mindful of our electricity usage. For tips on saving electricity at home, look here. And for all of us who use computers a lot, this makes for interesting reading.

Enjoy your weekend, people!

Think Spring!

So instead of preparing for my trip to Boston this coming weekend, I'm taking a break from all the hustle and bustle to create something pretty using components from my good friends at Artbeads.

This pretty little two-strand bracelet is just the ticket to put a bit of Spring into your outlook. click on photo for closeup

Comprised of precious little 4+5mm pastel freshwater potato pearls, the bracelet also features a Hill Tribe flower clasp and a darling little sterling silver dragonfly charm.

There are also danglers created with faceted Cubic zirconia bicones in shades of pink, lilac, peridot and clear.

I placed a dime in the photo so you could see just how delicate and sweet this little charmer is. Think Spring!

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: the items in this post from Artbeads were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program for review or design purposes.

Seen at Milan Fashion Week

What were the models showing Giorgio Armani's designs at Milan Fashion Week wearing around their perfect, slender necks?Chunky jewelry with major focal pieces--

Then there was this piece which was reminiscent of Art Nouveau style. The rose motif was popularized by Charles Rennie McIntosh

My question is: where does one find such major focal pieces as these? I suppose the extremely talented make their own, eh?
I, however, am not quite that clever so I reckon I'll be scouring the interwebs for fabulous focals.

I shall wear purple

A week from tomorrow I'm headed up to Boston to spend my 60th birthday with my mother and all my half-siblings. Four brothers and three sisters. We were raised apart and this will only be the fourth time we've been in one another's company.

Since I'm facing the big 6-0, I've decided that rather than freaking out because it means I'm *gasp* getting old, I'm going to look upon it as having reached the age where one is permitted to flaunt one's eccentricities. For me, one of those eccentricities includes the wearing of purple.

Toward that end, I've been gradually assembling an entire wardrobe of purple items--tops, sweaters, scarves, etc. And when I make my trip to Boston, I shall wear nothing but purple.

One of my favorite recent purchases was a delicious Purple hoodie that is absolutely the cuddliest most splendidly purple item I've ever owned. I love it! The scarf in the picture was given to me by my very dear late friend, Miss Clare. She was always impeccably attired and wearing it makes me feel elegant....and close to her.

This particular garment comes from Roaman's where the prices are not always uh, shall we say, economical. But I - thrifty shopper that I am, only paid $8 for it! ;)

Just look at the warm wonderful thermal weave of the fabric. Perfect for the cold Boston weather!

It's been such fun gathering all the lovely purple tops and things and putting together outfits. I know I'm cutting it very close but I did make one more online purchase just this evening, a charming cable knit beret in a lovely shade of lavender that will be the perfect finishing touch.

Who knows where this purple obsession will lead me? Only time will tell and I'll be sure to share all my delightful purchases here with you, dear readers!

And the Winner is.....

First of all, a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in my One World, One Heart giveaway.

I thoroughly enjoyed traveling on the magic carpet and visiting everyone's interesting blogs.

What a talented bunch of people I met from all over the globe.

I learned new things, saw many delightful creations and most of all, found new friends.

Using a random number generator, I picked a winner and that winner is (drum roll please) is the lovely and talented Melodye Shore from California. Here's Melodye's comment:

What a thoughtful, generous giveaway! My sister had breast cancer, and I see the keychain as talisman of solidarity, in support of those who've suffered and those who are still fighting for a cure.

A Talisman of Solidarity. Wow. What a wonderful thought!
So many of our sisters, mothers, cousins, aunts and friends suffer from this dreadful disease. Let's all do our part in the battle. Make a donation here or here.

In April, I'll be setting up a booth at the first annual event for Nassau Goes Pink. I'll have lots of different breast cancer logo goodies with half my proceeds going to fight cancer in all its forms.

Blessings and thanks again to all who stopped by during One World, One Heart. You displayed the true unity behind the annual event and I hope you'll continue to stop by and visit!

Peace,
Heather

My Funny Valentine

When I remember other Valentine's Days that were heartbreakingly sad, I'm so grateful I'll never have to feel that way again as long as I have my Boone Doggie.

"Although he may not be the man some girls think of as handsome, to my heart he carries the key."

He's my Boone Doggie, my best buddy, my lover, my husband, my friend. He's seen me at my best, he's seen me at my worst, and no matter what, he's been there for me--through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, he's at my side.

I'm so blessed to have my darlin' Daniel, my funny valentine.

A Saturday Lesson

You are cordially invited to go with me while I run my Saturday errands.
First stop: Wally World where you might have thought it was Christmas Eve instead of Valentine's Day eve.
The place was packed!!

And what a huge array of consumer goods were displayed for the late Valentine shopper! The number of stuffed animals, bags and bags of candy, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, and flowers was insane! People were really in a frenzy!

Next up: Winn-Dixie for groceries. Not only did I save $17 today on my grocery bill, but I also racked up savings on my gas by using my Winn-Dixie card. ;)

Whenever I shop, I always fill a bag for the food bank. I'd forgotten to deliver it last week and as it turned out, I was glad it was still in the car. After I'd completed my shopping, I was driving past the empty lot beside the grocery store when I came upon a couple standing beside their car which had been heaped high with various and sundry items. The man was holding a sign: Please buy or donate.

I pulled over and motioned to them to open the back door. "I was going to take this bag to the food bank. Please, take it." They were so grateful and so happy for just that small bag of groceries. I wished I could have done more.

After seeing aisle after aisle of so much STUFF and then seeing these poor folks in such dire straits, it really gave me something to think about. There but for the grace of God.....