From the heart of the Smokies, I bring you...

Merkaba Jewelry

A wife, mother and jewelry artisan, Jennifer of Merkaba Jewelry grew up in New England where she became the nature lover she is today. She says her inspiration is all around her. I believe it since she now lives in the Smokey Mountains of western North Carolina!

Jennifer uses only the finest materials when creating her gorgeous jewelry. She uses quality gemstones, freshwater pearls, artisan lampwork glass beads, polymer clay beads, sterling silver, and Swarovski crystals.
Jennifer also makes the most amazing scarves and scarflettes. She uses Lion Brand Homespun Yarn; super soft and snuggly! I am a proud owner of a few Merkaba pieces, including earrings and a fabulous scarflette.

I believe I first "saw" her in the many treasuries she was featured in on Etsy. I then got to know Jennifer from the Dawn's Boys Charity in late December 2007. We are now team-members of the Etsy Angels Street Team and I am happy to consider her one of my friends.

If you make your own jewelry, well Jennifer can help you there too. She opened up her Bead and Supply Shop- Merkaba Beads on Etsy at the end of January 2008. She's doing exceptional there as well!

Here are just a few pieces Jennifer has made; most are available in her Etsy Shop!

One Week Till Mother's Day. Are YOU Ready?

We'll be celebrating our Mother's, Grandmother's Aunts, Sisters, etc. one week from today!

I bet you did not know this little tidbit about Mother's Day...I did :)

Jarvis' "Mother's Day"

In 1907, Mother's Day was first celebrated in a small, private way by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia, to commemorate the anniversary of her mother's death two years earlier on May 9, 1905. Jarvis's mother, named Ann Jarvis, had been active in Mother's Day campaigns for peace and worker's safety and health since end of American Civil War. The younger Jarvis launched a quest to get wider recognition of Mother's Day. The celebration organized by Jarvis on May 10, 1908 involved 407 children with their mothers at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton (this church is now the International Mother's Day Shrine). Grafton is, thus, the place recognized as the birthplace of Mother's Day.

The subsequent campaign to recognize Mother's Day was financed by Philadelphia clothing merchant John Wanamaker. As the custom of Mother's Day spread, the emphasis shifted from the pacifism and reform movements to a general appreciation of mothers. The first official recognition of the holiday was by West Virginia in 1910. A proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day was signed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on May 14, 1914

How did I know this information you might be asking? I grew up in Fairmont, WV, about 20 minutes from Grafton! I've visited Anna Jarvis' home/Museum and the International Mother's Day Shrine. Visit my Blog again around Father's Day for more information!!


I've included a picture of what my Fabulous Mother is getting for Mother's Day!
Large freshwater peacock pearls are hand-knotted with gray silk. Matching earrings include two peacock pearls that are carefully handwrapped in sterling silver.

The Natural Beauty and Phenomena of...

This past weekend, my husband and I went camping at Lake Ouachita State Park in southwestern Arkansas. It was a much needed break from the ole daily grind! The weather was perfect; cool, breezy and sunny; for the most part. We got to our camp site on Friday afternoon. It was a little tough getting our tent set up in the windy conditions we were faced with. At one point I thought our tent was going to take us up into the sky like a parachute! We managed to get our tent set up, with rain cover, just in the nick of time as it started to rain. The Park Ranger then advised us campers to "secure our belongings and seek shelter in either our cars or the shower house". Great. We decided to drive around the park instead of sitting in the parking lot. I think we got lucky as we only got a light shower. The worst of the storm (oh did I forget to mention the tornado warnings?) went just south of us. whheeww!!! We were able to get back in time for me to cook chicken fajitas on the grill.

Hubby got a nice little campfire going after dinner. We couldn't help but sit there in silence and watch the flames dancing amongst the red oak logs in the fire pit.

Sitting in front of a campfire; you are transfixed on the bouncing flames. What is it about fire that has us memorized? Is it the array of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows? Or is it the way the fire seems to dance in rhythm with the surrounding air movement? Maybe it is the powerful heat that is associated with the fire. Whatever the reason, we all can admit to being drawn to the natural beauty and phenomena of fire.

From Wikipedia:
Fire is the heat and light energy released during a chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities within, the color of the flame and the fire intensity might vary.

Below is a collage of photos that I took of our campfire. I love the 3 distinctive colors in the "wavelength" of the fire in the first photo. The second photo was a magical dance of flames. The third photo was interesting as the flames seemed to be transected by the logs.




Though I didn't get a photo, we enjoyed our ooey and gooey smores we made. Delicious!

The rest of the weekend was wonderful. On Saturday morning we ventured on a 4 mile hike through a mountainous terrain. The dogwoods and azaleas were in full bloom. Christmas and Maiden Hair ferns were lush and green with an occasional fiddle head here and there. Rocks were covered with velvety soft moss and lichen. The trails meandered around the eastern shore of Lake Ouachita.

While on our morning hike, we were serenaded by the dawn chorus of songbirds including Red-eyed Vireos, Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Summer Tanagers, Pine Warblers, Black and White Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Carolina Wrens, Yellow-throated Vireos, House Wrens, American Redstarts, and Tennessee Warblers.

After finishing our hike, we went back to our campsite and had lunch before taking a small tour of the lake in the boat. The water was so rough and choppy. Glad we didn't plan on water skiing or wakeboarding. Also glad I'm still chicken to even try it! I can snow ski, but not sure about water skiing. I think it would hurt much worse falling on water going 30 miles an hour versus falling in fresh soft snow!

Saturday night we went for pizza at some place that was highly recommended to us. It was fair. Nothing to write about, that's for sure! We walked around historic Hot Springs and window shopped. One day I want to try out these hot springs baths and spa treatments!!!

We packed up Sunday morning and drove back home. Chloe definitely missed us and was glad we were home!!!
A great weekend that my Hubby and I both needed. I don't know if I can get back into the swing of things, even if after only 3 days of "vacation"!!


Pictures below are of Lake Ouachita and the surrounding Ouachita Mountains.

Happy Earth Day; Celebrate with a Sale!

Celebrate Earth Day - Come visit my shop for an Earth Day Sale!!!

On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire. Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations, and citizens like you, what started as a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our global environment. Learn about the history of Earth Day.

I'm an Environmental Scientist by day so Earth Day means a lot to me and the Agency I work for; Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality

In honor of Earth Day, I'm celebrating with a sale. Until 11:00 PM, CST, enjoy 25% OFF in my Etsy Shop!!! You'll find a wide array of gemstone, freshwater pearls, and Czech glass and Swarovski Crystal jewelry. Mother's Day is just around the corner too so today would be a perfect day to shop!

Spring Blog Drawing Contest....

And the WINNER is....



Janet or Bluesaphire, or JTsBoutique, or FairyFoofieBubble!!! She goes by MANY names on Etsy!!! Congratulations Janet!!!!! Janet is currently on vacation and can pick up her prize when she gets back!! Thanks for "playing" everyone! Maybe next time we can get more entries. I only had 11 entries this go-round.


I put the names into a hat and had my husband draw the winner.