Did the Grammy's make a Big Bang?

Yeah, I'm a little late.  It took me a while to decide what I wanted to say about this year's Grammy Awards show.  I'm still not sure.  I do know that it got great ratings, better than it has in past years.  Any ideas why?

The big showstopper, of course, was Pink.  Her very theatrical show was entertaining, unexpected and a little daring.  It sure made Lady Gaga and Elton John look tame by comparison.  Speaking of Lady Gaga, I just don't get her.  I don't think her voice is all that great and she seems to be out for just shock value.  Been there, done that with Madonna, who has a much better voice.  However, I did love the futuristic looking dress that Lady Gaga wore on the red carpet.  

Again, on the red carpet, there were gowns with large expanses of bare neck and chest areas just crying out for some jewelry.  Why such a dearth of necklaces on red carpets this year?  I get it on some.  It would take away the drama of a great neckline, or the earrings worn were glitzy enough.  But some women just looked like they were in such a hurry they forgot their jewelry.  Is it just me?  When I get dressed up, I don't feel sufficiently dressed up unless I'm wearing at least one piece of killer jewelry.  

Anyway, here's my Grammy Winner.  I created it during the boring parts of the show.  It appears that I had plenty of time to complete it.   

Oh! I almost forgot!  So far this week, my favorite TV moment was watching Sheldon and Leonard in the ball pit on The Big Bang Theory.  Watching two geniuses playing tag in a kiddie play area was so ridiculous it had me laughing until I was out of breath.  Bazinga!  (I have got to come up with a piece of jewelry and name it that!)

Remember - LOST IS BACK TONIGHT.

What is a new year, really?

Yesterday was my birthday. Thursday is New Year's Day. While it may be a new year for the calendar, isn't an individual's birthday really the beginning of their own personal new year?

So, in that spirit, I've already made and started on my resolutions. (Son #6 calls them revolutions.) I'm going to continue to take better care of my health (started a diet last month and went to the doc's today for a checkup). I'm going to increase my jewelry inventory so I will have enough on hand for both in person and internet sales. I'm going to work on my internet presence, updating my web site and etsy shop at least weekly. That means I'm going to take more pictures of the jewelry too, of course.

I guess it's convenient that my personal new year comes so close to the calendar new year. But what about you? Will you be making any resolutions this week or will you wait until your personal new year/birthday? Or will you just skip it completely and let things happen as they happen?

Negligent in my duties

Has it really been over a month since I last updated this blog?! In my defense, there's been a lot going on.

The whole family, except me, came down with the flu. As they got better, we had a visitor from Michigan (Hi Monica!) who stayed with us for a week. The day she left, I got sick but at least it waited until the day after a jewelry party that I'd been looking forward to doing. I met some wonderful ladies at that party. Thank you, Ann, for hosting it. I hope you all had as much fun as I did.

Son #5, who turns 21 on next Monday, has decided to enlist in the Army. What a mixture of feelings that brings up! I'm proud of him for taking control of his life and making the decision but I'm scared to death of what might happen. He takes his physical in 2 days and, if all goes well, heads off to boot camp on April 21.

Our lovely daughter-in-law (wife of son #1) has been quite ill for over a month. She had surgery at the end of January and her recovery has been troublesome. She's been hospitalized twice since the surgery but it looks like she's finally on the road to recovery.

As for the jewelry business, I'm gearing up for the "show" season and trying to build up stock. This is a difficult process because I constantly have ideas for new items but also need to have plenty of the "standards" on hand. Look for some exciting news coming up in a newsletter soon. (If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please send e-mail to sweetpea@sweetpeacreationz.com with NEWSLETTER in the subject line and I'll add you to the list.)

In the meantime - IT'S SPRING! I love spring in Virginia.

Snow Day!

It's snowing in Virginia. I think this is the most snow we've seen since we moved here three years ago. Schools are closed. Businesses are closing. Our bank closed at 11:00 a.m. due to the weather. I don't think we've gotten 6 inches of snow yet. What has everyone freaked out, though, is the sleet and freezing rain that has been predicted for this afternoon and evening. This is a perfect day to sit in front of a roaring fire and work on chain maille.

I call this necklace, based on the Japanese 12 in 2 weave, a flower necklace. My son thinks it looks like snowflakes. For today, we'll go with the snowflakes. (You can find it at www.sweetpeacreationz.etsy.com.)

So, what do *you* do on a snow day?