the first day of school

the girls started school last week.  hazel is now in third grade and june is in kindergarten.  it is impossible for me to believe.

just as i did for hazel for her first day of kindergarten, i made june a bracelet.  you can see the post about hazel's first day of kindergarten here.

(hazel's has gotten quite full.)

i told glenn i thought we should think about having another baby.  he reminded me that i said i wanted to have another baby when hazel started kindergarten.  he told me it would pass.  my babies are growing up!

introducing... dorothy!

so i am a bit late with this post, which i know will not surprise you at all.  but here is my "new" van.  i purchased her in april. found her on-line, flew to dallas to buy her and drove her home.

she is a 1997 roadtrek 190 versatile, my dream van.  

i have wanted a van like this for a very long time.  i am so so delighted.

she seats four people 

(and actually up to six because, as you can see in this photo,  the bed in the back can be converted to a little "dinette" area, and there are also 2 seat belts back there.  if one were not concerned with things such as seat belts, 10 people could comfortably ride in this van.)

she also sleeps four.  the driver and passenger side front and back seats convert into single beds, which are perfect for the girls, and would probably be fine for adults too; i haven't tried them out. (this is a very messy photo; it started raining and we threw everything in.)

and there is this double bed in the back.

very cozy.

the front seats also do this.

there is a lovely kitchen, with a stove, sink, refrigerator, and microwave.  i do not even have a microwave in my home.

and there's even a toilet.

all of the amazing custom curtains were made by my amazing friend, cat.

olive approves.

i bought one of these united states maps to keep track of where i travel in the van.  

i have put 17 stickers, and over 7,000 miles on since i bought her.  we have camped more this summer than we ever have and long trips are so much fun.

i couldn't be happier, and look forward to many, many wonderful times with her!

deer, rubies, feathers and such. and chickens

this week i made all of these pieces.

there's a bit of a fur and feathers theme happening, as you can see.

i'm intrigued with the idea of doing totem animal pieces, have all sorts of ideas, but was only able to do the deer and the wren before i leave.

the a wounded deer leaps highest ring,

with AMAZING lemon prehnite

several layers of silver and a nice thick band

and miss emily dickinson on the back.

i've been loving her lately.

this stone truly is incredible.  the dear patty brought some back for me from tucson this year.

sorry, but as i am writing this i am recognizing that i cannot sell her.

she will have to be mine.

but i did make a sister innocence necklace,

with a beautiful faceted labradorite.

as a totem animal, the deer represents innocence.

the little ruby wren necklace,

with faceted labradorite and fully faceted ruby

as a totem, the wren represents boldness.

i think we could all use a bit more boldness in our lives, don't you?

and this prehnite feather necklace,

with a delicious prehnite set without a back and one of my hand-cut feathers

this stone is fabulous.

and i rather like the feather too.

(the back of it says, emily dickinson again, 'hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul..."

LOVE this one

 and the "the thing with feathers" ring,

with aquamarine and faceted labradorite

a plunge ring,

with lovely rose cut rainbow moonstone

inside the band are conor oberst's words "into the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love, we must plunge we must plunge we must plunge".

a beautiful high dome stone

with a very nice flash

and this little ruby band

with a tree bark texture

and a very unique stone.  the ruby is more pink than red, almost lavender in some lights

and almost looks more like charoite

simple and sweet.

these pieces will all be in the etsy shop tonight or tomorrow.

and i thought i should update you about my chicken situation.  do you remember this,  back in april 2011?  we got chickens for the first time.  we all loved them dearly.  i never told you because it was just too devastating, but they were all eaten by an unknown predator.  all but one.  the survivor, penny,  we gave to our neighbor.  this april, we decided to try again.  we reinforced the coop and moved it just right outside our bedroom window where we could hear anyone trying to eat them and rush to the rescue.  this photo is of the babies in april.

and here they are now

 from left to right timber, winnie, zoe, sunshine, and chloe

(though i admit it is very difficult to tell chloe and zoe apart.)

they are not laying yet, but will probably start in late september.

and i know i am not supposed to have favorites but winnie here, with her fluffy little cheeks and curved beak has my heart.

so, now that we are situated to have chickens again, i asked my neighbor if we could please have miss penny back.  turns out, all of his chickens were also massacred, and she AGAIN, was the only survivor!  she walks with a limp, but she is so lovely.  so she is living with us again and i am so glad to have her back.

and, every other day or so, she leaves me a wonderful little gift.

stay tuned for my next post, where i tell you all about my upcoming trip and share my new van, dorothy, with you!