Halloween Clue #3

I wear a six-pence piece on a string around my neck, to remember by. I managed to bore a hole through it, so I could put it on some old string and tuck it into my dress.

Halloween Give Away Clue #1 and 2

I'll be sending a prize to the person who can guess who I'll be on Halloween! I'll do two clues today to kick it off.

First clue, I'm a classic literary character.

Second, I'll be wearing a fancy black dress ( too small, too short), black stockings, and old black leather boots. They're pretty worn out now, though.

Where I've Been

Sometimes.... You just don't feel like writing! This was one of those weeks. I can't wait till this election is over and all the meanness can get off my radar. There are some doozies on our ballot this year, including pot, charter schools, and gay marriage. Nasty, nasty, nasty words being said up here in Washington state! Combine those things with the regular mud-slinging for the governor and land commissioner and treasurer and what have you... I am sick of it all. Tell me your stance, don't lie, and then leave me alone to make my decision!! And, concerned citizens.... You seriously don't need to knock on my door to ask me how I'll vote and then try and guilt me into voting your way. Dinner is burning on the stove, my toddler is trying to escape out this open door, and... I don't even know you!

We had a wonderful week with Grandpa here, the kids adore that man! He was a sweetheart his last night here , he agreed to put the kids to bed for J and I so we could see Tony Lucca downtown. We had an amazing night- I drowned myself in a vat of tonkatsu ramen, we went window shopping on Capitol Hill, and we nabbed some VIP tickets that got us in the door early to meet Tony! And, we got zero pictures. What kind of geeks are we!?

I have to laugh about our music choices over here. I currently have REALLY REALLY sore hands from playing too much TSO on the piano (You know Trans-Siberian Orchestra....right?). On the way to Seattle I had the classical station cranked on either a really terrible alto or a pretty decent countertenor, and was giggling whenever a really witty chord came along.

Today we ran errands. Well, I ran errands and I dragged Ernie along with me. (Disclaimer: She's my little shadow. If I am going anywhere at all, she wants in!). We picked up our produce basket, toured Target, talked with the really helpful man at the tire store (that was sarcastic, but I'm a bit grumpy) , dropped off our library books, stopped for breakfast at a sandwich shop, trekked across the floating bridges to Seattle to pick up my dad's moto gear from a consignment sale at a dealership, and finally came back and cleaned out Costco. (Have you tried the peppermint barked pretzels??? Ugh, so good.)

Cocoa fell asleep on the ottoman (ornament, says Mimi.). Ernie called and invited her cousin over to play. Wonder Daddy and I are chatting about Christmas presents. I have Messiah rehearsal (the first with choir AND orchestra) tonight. Life's just seeming really good right now.

Wire Pumpkin Necklace

It took a couple tries to get to this point. You know, the point it looked like a pumpkin. For the first time, Google and Etsy failed me in an inspiration search. I knew what I wanted, and no one else is making them! Ah well, I can take the road less travelled sometimes I guess :)

Just my favorite copper wire, looped and bent and twirled into something from the u-pick farm. I kind of love it, even knowing that the first time Cocoa grabs it, it will look like a spider (and not the live kind.). Beauty is fleeting!

Co-op and our own school work is done for the day.  My house is tidied, so that when our (blessed) cleaning lady comes, she can actually see the counters and floors.  Most of them.  We had a huge purge in the spring to get rid of everything we didn't need, and I'm doing another (slower) one right now.  I think the kids should have just as many clothes and toys as I am willing to take care of.  Am I right?  They're still learning to do tasks on their own, and when we work together cleaning...well, I'm a lot more efficient.  I don't have to play Cinderella every time, like some girls I know.  They take turns being Cinderella (the one doing all the work) and the sisters (the one sitting on the couch and being bossy.) 

 In a little bit I'm headed up to my sister's house to pick up 22 pounds of fish I ordered from a dock sale. (We averaged about $2/lb for coho, crab cakes, and cooked mussels.  Not bad at all!)  After that, my husband's dad is in town, so if you need us, we'll be hanging out with Grandpa :)  

Candy Necklace (And contest results)

Doesn't this look like candy? Yum! It must be Halloween season.

I think I am on a stash-busting kick- I've marked down the prices on everything in my shop, and I'm working on new designs to move through my piles of beads! Beads like this are too pretty to be left in a box, yeah?

I made a necklace. You like? I like very much! I think I have just enough materials left to make another. Or I could make two bracelets, or some matching earrings?   I can't decide.  The big beads are glass, shot through with rods of colored glass.  The little green beads are stone.  The whole necklace is made up of 20 individually strung pieces of wire, linked together.  It's longer than I normally do necklaces, but for this kind of chunky weightiness, it works!

My little "Guess what Mimi is saying" contest is over...and no one won :(  Aw sad!  Even sadder, only two people had guesses!  But cheer up, I'll have more contests.  The next one is easier.  You don't have to be a sleepy mom, who has stewed in baby babble for 7 1/2 years.  (I swear, I used to have a REALLY high IQ.  Straight A's in high school, honors classes.  Started college when I was 16.  Now, I can't remember why I opened the fridge door.)  

Want this answer to what Mimi was saying?  OK, watch this.

"Mom, you've got to get a new friendship!  Because people are going to SPY in the 'quarium!"

(You should know, when I asked her to clarify, she held her hands up to her eyes in the most adorable "binoculars" you've ever seen.  Just to make sure I understood what she was saying.)  

Ready?  OK, what could I have at an aquarium that I'd need a new one?  My MEMBERSHIP.  I need a new membership to the aquarium.  Why?  What do memberships do?  They EXPIRE. 

See what she did there?  Because she didn't know either word, and just subbed in words...she....no?  Watch for the next contest!  

Filigree Flower Earrings

I have found a place I can work, while the kids are awake! My bed is so tall, and so wide. none of those short little arms and legs could ever reach me. Mwahaha.

Ahem.

I have some resin flowers and filigree settings left over from my recent bridal project. I can't decide if the dangles are too much or not. I showed them to my husband, his only response was a placating "They're very large, honey." But then... Sometimes you have to go big or go home!  The filigree portion is about an inch across, so these are about 2 inches long without taking into account the earrings.

I am going to make up a few more colors of these and put them in the shop- I'll let you know when. So much fun!

Guess what Mimi is saying, win a necklace!

"Mom, you've got to get a new friendship!  Because people are going to SPY in the 'quarium!"

Seriously.  What did she hear me say on the phone?  Can you translate the whole thing?  E-mail your answers to madebymyrnie@gmail.com, I'll choose someone on Wednesday to get a pretty little necklace in the mail!