REVISITING…

•June 27, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Ah, it is the wedding season!

One in NY in June and one in July in Northern California!

Love them!

And since I didn’t start this blog until after we were married…I decided to do a post on The HenderBalz Wedding Extravaganza!

Matter of fact, it was the day of the wedding when my oldest brother penned the phrase, “The HenderBalz!”

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Aren’t you excited?

If you like pink and orange, you should be!

Our Casual Friday Night Dinner!

From Friday Night Dinner – Dawn & Jim’s Wedding

Jim and Dawn on glass!   Thanks Diana!

From Friday Night Dinner – Dawn & Jim’s Wedding

Some Friends, Some Family!

Wedding Day Fun!

From WeddingDayLuncheons

Girls Lunch!

and

Boys Lunch!

From WeddingDayLuncheons

And now the big show!

Pre-wedding with my Princess goddesses!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

While other guests enjoyed the bar!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

We’re Married!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Let the Party Begin!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Dancing!

First Dance, at least!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Flowers and Martinis!

Flowers by Becky!

From Wedding Party Decorations

Pink and Orange Cocktails for all!

Cocktails by Randy!

And Pink and Orange Cupcakes for all!

Cupcake decoration by Heather!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Handmade topper of Bride & Groom by  Heather too!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

And a cupcake for Our Little Man Nephew!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Oh dear, what were we laughing about?

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Dawn and a couple of long time besties, Heather and Diana!

And Jim and his long time friends, Willie, Duncan & Chris, up to no good, I am sure!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Okay, the party official has started now!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

An Italian Welcome to the Family!

A kiss on the lips by the oldest brother, and a whisper in the ear,

“You break her heart, I break your knees!”

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

It’s not a wedding without…

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

The YMCA song…

or…

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

The Hokey Pokey!

But it is not an Assyrian Wedding without…

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Assyrian Music and Dancing

Although my friends tried…

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Jim’s family rocked the dance floor!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Getting ready for our year in Central America, with a Latino feel, gift table!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Kisses from all the girls!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

And Cheers from the men!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Dawn and some of her family!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

And just a bit of Jim’s family!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Our Parents!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Peggy & Paul!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Alice & David!

The Fountain!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

The Lounge Area!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding
From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

My sister’s vintage suitcases in honor of our love of travel!

From Wedding Party Decorations

Guestbook & Goodies Table!

From Wedding Party Decorations

Wedding Info in a vintage valet travel case!

With one of  the Middle Eastern style seating areas in the background!

From Wedding Party Decorations

Back to the Party!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

A little drinkie for us!

And what the what?

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

A big drink for our Little Man Nephew???

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Taking a bit of a rest before the end of the night!

All my girls, the princess goddesses!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

And all Jim’s men, the nobel gnomesmen!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Good Times and Cheers to All!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Thank you to Samantha and my family for organizing, setting up and breaking down!

But it did not end there!

The After Party!

From Dawn and Jim’s Wedding

Yes, I danced “On Top Of!” And that is all I will say about that!

The celebrating was not yet done!

The Day After…

Breakfast…that is!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Mom and son at the breakfast bar by Carlene!

From big fountain to little fountain!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Left over Wedding decorations, get double use!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Good times in the backyard!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Double use for the cupcakes too…Paul’s 70th birthday celebration!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Which the kids enjoyed, of course!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

Thanks for the good times!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

And thanks to our parents, for getting married so long ago!

From Day After Dawn & Jim’s Wedding Brunch

To this day Peggy & Paul have been married 25 years and Alice & David have been married 45 years!

Peggy was married to Dawn’s father, Carl,  for 12 years before he died.

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Posted in 2012, April - June
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LONG WEEKEND LONG ISLAND!

•June 15, 2012 • Leave a Comment

You can take us girls out of Long Island, but you can’t take the Long Island out of us girls!

Click on photos for full photo albums!

My Mom and I on the way to Long Island!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Oh, I mean Goddesses on our way to Long Island!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Cute Store in downtown Seyville!

How Welcoming is this?

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Family from all over the U.S. came together for these two Sweethearts!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Weddings Bring People Together!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Especially killer Picnic/Outdoor Weddings on the Rustic Waterside at the Wonderful Long Island Martine Museum!

Great Wedding, Wendy & Eric!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Arch made by hand by the Groom, my Cousin Eric!

Very cool, eh?

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Lemonade, anyone?

Cuteness down to the colored paper straws!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Adorable Centerpieces…with meaning!

The Bride loves to read (Vintage books) and the Groom is a Tattoo Artist (Vintage Ink Wells).

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Hired Singer!

This bird beautifully sang through the whole ceremony like it was all planned that way!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

It’s not a pig roast…without a pig head!

And of course, there was dancing!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

We are Family!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

The Bride and Groom Snuggle on the Dance Floor!

Even My Mom Threw Up Her Leg!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Then there was cake!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Topped with a Day of the Dead Bride & Groom!

The Sun Started to Go Down…

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

And the Party went on!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

As well as the dancing!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

New use for the centerpieces!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

And one last dance!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

Good-bye & Good Night Everyone!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

BUT…

The Celebrating did not end there!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Birthday cake faces!

The Bride, Wendy, and her newly one year old niece, June the day after the wedding!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Cousin Eric’s leg! Check out The Devil’s Rose in Blue Point, Long Island, NY!

Cutest Cousins Ever!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Austin and Zoe!

Speaking of Cousins!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Austin and 3 of his Balzarano Cousins, Jess, Josh and Justin in Port JefF!

Baked Ziti Dinner at Ricky & Julia’s.

Yum Yum!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Check out BALZARANO PAINTING !

Family Visit…

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Our Dad and both sets of Grandparents rest here.

And then a stop at my favorite food stand ever!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Every time I go here, the guy yells at me…

I LOVE IT!

And then a visit to Port Jefferson!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

And then our good-byes!

From You Can’t Take the Long Island Out of the Girls!

Good Times, Very Good Times!

Thanks to my family for making that so!

That means you too, Wendy, my new cuz-in-law!

One last thing…we were allowed to take home some of the centerpieces!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

The Ink Wells, fit in nicely with my bottle & air plant gathering on the kitchen bar!

From The Wonderous Wigger Wedding!

And the books fit in perfectly with this bunching!

Thank you Eric & Wendy for the really cool gifts!

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Posted in 2012, April - June
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THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!

•May 30, 2012 • 1 Comment

Thank goodness we like oysters!

Along the road, you get bits of sand and shell, but if you are willing to
grab the world by the tail and swallow it raw…

Your world may grow!

Mine grew from “My Own Little World” to “Our Own Little World!”

Now, after all these years, “My/Our Own Little World” has moved out!

From Mi Shopito

And this “World” is really little…only 3′ X 5″…but it is mine!

From Mi Shopito

I am renting space in a local antique store selling my wares, whether it is something I made, an antique or something vintage that I put my twist on, it is for sale there!

Laura’s Emporium on US 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida is where my “World” is right now.

I love old books, and I love them even more all prettied up!

From Mi Shopito

Necklaces, vintage style!

From Mi Shopito

Crafts and antiques are a huge part my “world” and this photo says that perfectly!

From Mi Shopito

Rust and leather is always a great mix for a funky centerpiece!

From Mi Shopito

And my “world” always has a bit of pretty in it!

From Mi Shopito

So far so very good!

Great prices and will ship!  Just saying…

From Mi Shopito

PS…Jim is making plans to retire and live off my new earnings!  Ha! Yeah, right!

Now…here are a couple of  FUN videos of our past adventures!  

ENJOY!

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Posted in 2012, April - June
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Italians Swimming with the Fishes!

•May 24, 2012 • 3 Comments

Yes, that does describe our recent weekend away on the Central West Coast of Florida.

I kid you not!

After an after work surprisingly quick drive to Sarasota, FL, we had a lovely evening out in the ever so cute and lively downtown area.  Great food, Yummy Drinks, Friendly People and Good Cigars for Jim!  Our big night out…do not expect this kind of behavior from us aging kids for the rest of the weekend!

The next morning, a bit later than planned, we headed north to St. Petersburg, FL.  Our first stop, the ever so awesome Salvadore Dali Museum!

From Central West Coast Florida

Love the Architecture of the place!

From Central West Coast Florida

Could not get enough.

From Central West Coast Florida

Okay, Okay…here is a photo of the only piece of art we were allowed to photograph.

From Central West Coast Florida

A small piece of the Salvador Dali Rainy Rolls Royce!

After a nice lunch in an old hood in St. Petersburg,  we headed to the “Ybor City” hood in Tampa!

Very historic and oh so very cool!  This area is where the cigars were made back in the day!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

Everything old and awesome!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

You know us…we love the rust!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

And the textures!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

Oh, Okay…we love to be silly too!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2
From Central West Coast Florida – 2

After our day of touring, we headed north once again stopping in Hudson, FL for a visit with my Uncle George and Aunt Gladys. Uncle George is my father’s fraternal twin, so I have always had a soft spot for him.  Especially since my father died when I was 4 years old. My oldest brother looks a lot like this uncle.  We have been told my little brother looks a lot like my father.

From Central West Coast Florida

My Mom and Dad from way back when! Weren’t they just adorable?

From 2012-05 (May)

After our visit and drive to Crystal River, we hit the sack right away preparing ourselves for an early morning adventure the next day!

From Central West Coast Florida

On the Boat and ready to swim with the “fishies” (aka Manatees)!

Our second snorkel spot…lovely isn’t it?

From Central West Coast Florida

Three Sister Springs, off of Crystal River.

Are you ready for our underwater photo of a manatee…woo hoo!

From 2012-05 (May)

Okay, our throw away cheapie camera did not work so well in the murky water!  But that is a manatee with scars from a boat’s motor! I petted the scars and they are really hard and lumpy. Probrecito!

After our big adventure, over by 9:30 am mind you, we headed to town for some coffee.

From Central West Coast Florida

And that is about it in town! Cute tiny downtown!

After a stop at the hotel, we decided to check out the Crystal River Preserve State Park.

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

Our Lunch Spot! Fresh Crabs!

And Moss Haven!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

We had a nice dinner out with friends that night, but still to bed early! The next day we headed East!

Our first stop was a bit scary, too perfect completely shut down on Sundays, kind of town (Leesburg, FL). It sure was pretty though!

Reason why of Sunday closure, I am sure!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

They had fancy posts!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

And I was teased with this closed store! Argh!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

After that we spent some time in the adorable, Mount Dora! Shopping and lunch, yippy!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

The Mason’s building…cool…eh?

Fun sidewalk art outside a store!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

And of course, our fav…rusty metal!

From Central West Coast Florida – 2

New places, fun adventures, old faces…good times!
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Posted in 2012, April - June
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Making Things!

•April 19, 2012 • 4 Comments

Old Knobs Rock!

From How to Pallet Coat Racks
From How to Pallet Coat Racks

A place to hang your hat!

And…

Some old Bottles & Thangs!

From How to – Bottles

The Map Flower

From How To-Flower Canvas
From How To – Wreath

My Upcycle Wreath!

AND…

I even got to cleaning things!

From How To – Clean Skull

That is the inside of a clean cow skull!

Cool, eh?

And how about these clean choppers?

From How To – Clean Skull

Okay, they could be a bit more clean!  Time to floss Bessie!

If you want to know how to make (or clean) any of the items, please click on the photos and it will take you to the “How To” Album.

As of May 1st, I will be trying to sell the things I make, find, and clean!  Wish me luck!

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Posted in 2012, April - June
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ARFT

•April 16, 2012 • 1 Comment
From Safety Pins & Pendants

I usually just tell people, “I make things.” I like that because of the vastness of it, but after a conversation with Jim about the difference between art and craft, I looked it up.

I found this description to work for me on Difference Between Art and Craft…to a point:

Art vs Craft
“Most people do not see any difference between art and craft as they are both considered to be forms of creativity. Let’s consider how art and craft differ.

Art is a form of work that is the expression of emotions. Craft is a form of work, which results in a tangible output, for example, moulding and carving.

Art is often described as unstructured and open ended. It has no limitations of expression, just like in painting. Craft on the other hand is structured, which means that it has a certain form that is visible.”

I agree and disagree…as a craft I am going to make a necklace, but to get to the end point there is emotion and open endedness!

So…I created my own word!

Arftist!

Others in the running were CRARTist and Creatist!

Use it, if you want…or call yourself anything you want!

In all honesty, I will probably go back to “I make things!” ;o)
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Posted in 2012, April - June
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WE TOOK ON THE WILDERNESS!

•April 12, 2012 • 8 Comments

AND WON!

UH, IT WAS MORE LIKE…BIRDS, BUGS and GATORS, OH MY!

We hit the Everglades National Park as well as a bit of the Southern part of the Florida West Coast and we got so much more than we bargained for…

So many more alligators, turtles, shells, and birds!

Here is our photo documentation of such things!

First and foremost…

The  Air boat ride!

From Anni Weekend

Nice Scenery…

From Anni Weekend

And Alligators and Birds!

From Anni Weekend

I think this guy liked me…as he came right up to me in the boat.  I so wanted to pet him!

From Anni Weekend

Poser!

From Anni Weekend

Nice Eye Lash!

From Anni Weekend

Shoes maybe?

From Anni Weekend

Now the Birds! An Osprey, the hunters of the area!

From Anni Weekend

And then there is the scavenger…The Turkey Buzzard. But they do keep the parks clean from smelly dead animal bodies!

From Anni Weekend

After the ride, we enjoyed a walk through their small zoo.

Yes, that is me holding a little gator!  He was so soft!

From Anni Weekend

Beautiful Turtle Eyes!

I will take a moment here to remind you that turtles are my favorite animal…all turtles.

And you can SEE why by this Painted Turtle’s eyes!

From Anni Weekend

Even though this guy, a giant tortoise, has food in his “teeth” he is large and in charge!

From Anni Weekend

Fun Facts about the Giant Tortoise:
1. They are the biggest reptile in the world.
2. They never stop growing.
3. They can live from 6 months to a year without food or water.
4. They can live up to 100 or more years old.

HOW YOU NOT LOVE AN ANIMAL LIKE THAT?

After our fun little zoo visit we hit the Everglades proper and it came with wildlife galore!

The Anhinga!
These birds dive under the water for food, so they need to dry out their feathers to be able to fly again.

From Anni Weekend

Beautiful Black & White

From Anni Weekend

And now some baby Anhingas!

These guys are around 8 weeks old!

From Anni Weekend

These are only 5 weeks old…and check out what they are doing!

From Anni Weekend

Yes, they put their head down Momma’s neck for their feedings!

Baby Anhingas don’t care!  Baby Anhingas don’t give a shit!

From Anni Weekend

A bit of Florida Everglades Flora along our walk too close to nature!

I think I heard a Who!

From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

Not many flowers in the Everglades, but the color pops when you do find one!

From Anni Weekend

Love this itty bitty flower!

From Anni Weekend

Baby birds were not the only babies we saw! How cute!

From Anni Weekend

Back to the Turtle…this Painted Turtle cracked us up!

Not just because of the plant growth on his back…

From Anni Weekend

But because of how he was sunning his clawed toes too!

From Anni Weekend

Then we went off-road in Big Cypress National Preserve!

From Anni Weekend

Yep, that is 6 foot gator that close to our Subie! Subie likes the swamps!

Gators Everywhere!

From Anni Weekend

Look at those teeth!

From Anni Weekend

Let’s not forget the Bromeliads! I love the Bromeliad! So much…I touched them!

From Anni Weekend

Look at the color!

From Anni Weekend

A thousand gators and a million bromeliads later we got back on the main road (meaning just a 2 lane “highway” called the “Tamiami Trail”) and saw the below sign.

From Anni Weekend

Like the gators were not dangerous enough!

We made it safely to Everglades City…just in time for dinner!

From Anni Weekend

After a fun night hanging with the Everglades City folk, we headed up the West Coast of Florida!

Our first stop was Tigertail Beach, on Marco Island! Jim’s first time in the Gulf of Mexico!

From Anni Weekend

Shells, freakin’ everywhere!

From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

The sand was like flour and the locals were blue!

From Anni Weekend

And hungry! This Osprey eats the lunch he just caught!

From Anni Weekend

After out exploring the beach, we went North to Naples!

Like the Osprey…we ate our fish lunch too! Yum yum!

From Anni Weekend

Nice Nice in Naples!  Nice lunch, nice time window shopping!

After driving more north, we made it just in time for Sunset on Sanibel Island!

From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

But that is not all we wrote, because we had to check out the “Bubble Room!”

From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

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From Anni Weekend

And now this is all we wrote! Good night folks…we have a tunnel to go through!

From Anni Weekend

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Posted in 2012, Jan - March
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FOR MY JIM…

•March 29, 2012 • 3 Comments

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY, SWEETIE!

From Anni-Craft

Maps and train tickets from our honeymoon and words from one of our wedding songs!

From Anni-Craft

I saw something similar online and tried it, but with my husband in mind!

This was my first attempt at something like this and although I like it, I have learned a few things.

1) The larger and more simple lettering the better!
2) The background needs to be more dark if you use the white for the top layer.
3) I NOW know how to decoupage better (that is after the fact)!

But if you are interested, below I share with you how I made this piece.

First, the supplies needed:
1) A flat surface of some sort. I bought a cheap canvas. I got the idea from a person who bought a paint-by-numbers painting at a thrift store.
2) Mod Podge (if you want to decoupage which is “gluing” paper onto a surface). 
3) Paper items to decoupage (graphics, photos, magazine ads, maps, etc). Any item can be used, but make sure it is darker in color so the lettering “pops” out with the white-washing.
4) White Paint and brush.
6) Re-sticking lettering.

From Anni-Craft

After I cut out the parts of the maps I wanted to use, I laid them out on the canvas to make sure they fit.

From Anni-Craft
From Anni-Craft
From Anni-Craft

Then I started to Mod Podge the maps to the canvas, which means I just spread it out on the canvas and then on the map after I laid it down.

When I did this, I wrapped the maps over the edge of the canvas!  

The maps wrinkled a bit, but I did not mind that as it made the maps have a more textured look.

I learned a wrinkle free technique afterwards and here is it:
1) Brush a light layer of Mod Podge on the surface and fan it with paper for a few seconds so it is not super wet when you apply the piece of paper; 2) Lay the paper over the Mod Podge and press edges and corners down good; 3) Let dry completely as is; 4) When dry brush a good amount of the Mod Podge over the top; and 5) Let that dry.

And I let mine dry too!

From Anni-Craft

 Below is the type of letters I used.  I recommend using all Helvetica as it is a thick bold letter.

From Anni-Craft

I cut the letters out and positioned them on the canvas to make sure I would get them straight.

From Anni-Craft

After letter application, I painted a light layer of the white paint over the decoupaged canvas.

From Anni-Craft

I just showed Jim the above photo and he really like this style…so you can see the maps more and read the words easier.

So much for my artsy effect!

Anyway, I covered it completely with a thin layer of white paint,  and then let dry!

From Anni-Craft

When dry, peel the lettering off…and there you have it!

From Anni-Craft

With the next attempt at  this, I will use the rest of the phrase in the same song.

Jim,

I Love You More Today Than Yesterday,

BUT NOT AS MUCH AS TOMORROW!

Love,

Your – db!-

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Posted in 2012, Jan - March
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LOCALS ONLY!

•March 21, 2012 • 3 Comments

I grew up being a beach town Local (Sound Beach, NY; Daytona Beach, FL; Virginia Beach, VA; and even SF has a beach).

I guess what comes around, goes around, as I am a Beach Local again!

As Locals, it is our responsibility to get to know the area!  So we have, especially with our February houseguests!

This is OUR Local.

One of our neighbors:

From House Guests Extravaganza!

The Golden Silk Orb Weaver (I think)!
No worries…the bite is considered less severe than a bee sting.
And get this…their web silk is the strongest natural fiber known to man!

Okay Okay, below there are photos of cute Florida Fauna!

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First, here is some cute Florida Flora!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Sea Grapes!

And they are edible…to us humans as well as local birds and mammals!

I have not tried them yet…but who knows with my crafting, I just may put together some Sea Grape wine!

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Back to looking for Florida Fauna!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

No, we did not find the elusive Audrey humanoid…we were looking for Manatees!

We are on North Hutchinson Island, South Beach, Florida at the Round Island Oceanfront Park, West.  The west side of the park is on the Florida Inter-coastal Waterway where some manatees like to hang out in the warm waters!  On the above day we actually saw a Mom Manatee and her baby!

It is hard to photo them as they do not show their cute whiskery face above water for too long!  Even though I did not get a photo, I am glad we saw them as Audrey, after not successfully searching for them previously in Florida and Honduras, was starting to believe they are just a figment of people’s imagination!

I tell you, they are easier to find than the Vermont Moose! We saw no moose in Vermont (one in New Hampshire though) and I have seen manatees 4 times now and Jim has seen one!

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Now here’s a Florida Fauna Cutie!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Look at that Smiling Southern Stingray! He is a regular at the Oceanography Center in Stuart, Florida! And you can even pet and feed him there. I love this place, check the link out below:

Oceanography Center Stuart, Florida

You can pet the below Sassy Stingray too!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

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Below is my favorite animal of all time and if you ask me, one of the cutest fauna’s of all time too!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Turtles have been my fav since I was a kid and took in a lost turtle.  Since living in Honduras and seeing Sea Turtles while snorkeling and diving, I think they are my favorite out of all turtles.

This turtle is a rescue turtle, somehow his shell was cracked (probably from either a shark or boat motor) at one point in time messing up his buoyancy under water. Even though they were able to fix the crack, the poor guy’s bottom is always up which leaves him as prime dinner to some nasty ass’d shark (sorry I was channeling Randall from the Honey Badger video there for a second). He is now safe and happy at the Oceanography Center!

Some Local Turtle info for you. Around 50,000 sea turtles (5 different types) lay their eggs in Southern Florida from March to October!

We look forward to going on a guided hike to see them in action as it is amazing.

These Momma’s crawl up the beach far away from the water with just their front fins, dig a deep hole with just their back fins, lay their 100-150 eggs, cover them up and then head back to the water. And believe this or not, then they do that all over again 5 – 7 times in the same season!  Another one of the reasons sea turtles are so amazing is that only 1 turtle out of every 100 eggs hatched survives! Between man and nature, those little guys (and they are tiny after they are hatched) have a hard start!

Ha, the Oceanography Center would be so proud of me sharing what I learned from just one turtle presentation!

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Back to the photos! A fine example of what so many look for when they come here!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

The manatee!

For those that has never seen one, this is a good example of the Sea Cow.

The nickname is from their land-locked genteel herbivore friend, but there was a type of manatee called Sea Cow that is now extinct.

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Now, a new species to Florida…THE HENDERSONS!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

At the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida!

Learn about the Castillo for yourself here:  St. Augustine Fort, Florida

And on to other parts Castillo...

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Okay, I was intrigued by these matching billowy dressed gals.

As well as the architecture:

From House Guests Extravaganza!

And more Flora!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Not to mention the fine old cannons!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Now on the visit the cute streets of the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida!

Learn all about historic St. Augustine:  Old Saint Augustine, Florida

From House Guests Extravaganza!

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From House Guests Extravaganza!

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From House Guests Extravaganza!

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From House Guests Extravaganza!

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From House Guests Extravaganza!

Off to the Fountain of Youth, I drink this water as much and as often as I can!

Learn how you too can stay young:  The Fountain of Youth

Just in Case!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Peacocks love the Fountain!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Feeling Refreshed after the Fountain water, we headed south!

To Daytona Beach, Baby…for a lunch with Dawn’s family!

Check out the facts about the Worlds Most Famous Beach town:

Daytona Beach, Florida!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

My brother, Wayne, and Jim’s Dad, David, off to the water!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

The cute couple on the Boardwalk and then some!

From House Guests Extravaganza!
From House Guests Extravaganza!

Back to Fort Pierce and being Locals by our pool!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

By the Atlantic in West Palm Beach!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

On a mangrove forest hike!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

And where Jim works!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

And now a break from The Henderson’s Florida Vacation for more Florida Fauna!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

The ever present Pelican and below is finally a photo of the elusive Manatee!

From House Guests Extravaganza!

Okay, maybe not what you were expecting…but that is as good as it gets!

AND THAT IS AS GOOD AS LOCAL LIFE GETS!

Florida Fauna, Flora, Beaches, Pools, Old Forts, and Sun!

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This post is in honor of a couple “Locals Only” peeps from my past, may their and their kid’s lives, be healthy.

THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER THE VIRGINIA BEACH BAND, LOCALS ONLY, FROM THE 80’S…

HERE IS A FLASHBACK FOR YOU!

And they will have a reunion gig the weekend of June 15 and 16 in Virginia Beach!

Be There or Be Square (that is an 80’s phrase isn’t it?).
http://youtu.be/5cj7ujmduYM

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Posted in 2012, Jan - March
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SAFETY PINS and PENDANTS!

•March 12, 2012 • 1 Comment

I CAN’T STOP MAKING THINGS, AND I CAN NOT DENY IT!

Below are some items I made from stuff either lying around the house or that I pick up cheap on-sale at stores, yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets or antique fairs!

Safety pins, we all have at least some lying around!

But when I realized I had lots of them, I put them to work for me!

Well, I went to work on bringing my some-what-punk-definitely-alternative youth back to life!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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From Safety Pins & Pendants

And I brought this old shirt back to life too!

Here is how I did it:

1) Get/find pins.

2) Get/find shirt.

3) Put pins in some decorative manner on shirt!

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Now…
If you are like me, you pick up little things here and there because they are cheap, cool, lovely, funky and even free!

So, I have a collection of items like vintage buttons, shells, beads, strings, rocks, chains, charms and the such.

Right now I have a penchant for pendants on long chains.

So I went to work on putting all my items together in hopes for new jewelry!

This one I did in Vermont!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

I think I picked up the red plastic coral looking pendant on sale for cheap at Micheal’s and had the two chains laying about in my jewelry container. Put the two together with the use of one of Jim’s tools…and I had a necklace that I have worn a lot!

And here is what came after that!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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The below two are made from vintage buttons, shell, metal decorative pieces, a crown charm and chains.

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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I bought a cheap feather necklace from Forever 21, but the feather fell off right away.  The chain and beads went perfectly with this round decorative piece I had laying about!  Easy peasy necklace!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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And these were even easier.

We bought the owl in Central America and have had it around for a while now.

Owls are big right now…so a big owl on the end of satin string seemed like a perfect match for a fun necklace!

I am thinking the Octopus will be the “new” Owl, so with that in mind I could not pass up this octopus pendant on sale for cheap at Michael’s!  Add chain and “tadaaa,” you have yourself a new Octopus necklace!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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And these are oldies, but goodies!

I made a bunch of rock jewelry in the 90’s and these are the ones I kept!

I enjoy wearing them again…along with the earrings!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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From Safety Pins & Pendants

The things I can do with rocks, paint, leather string and glue and…

Ooooh, the places I can go in them!

So many necklaces, so little places to go!

Where shall I wear this, my newest creation?

From Safety Pins & Pendants

This was made with a chandelier crystal that I bought for $1.00 with the clasp on it already and the chain I bought for $1.25, both on sale at a local antique store.  I cut out a graphic that was on a cool bag from purchases at yet another antique store. I Mod Podged it on the back of the crystal and then glued beads around the paper to make it look more complete.

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The one below is a gift for me Mum In-law! It’s coming soon Alice!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

Made with two local shells I found on the beach, pearls and beads!

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Chloe Kitty is modeling my next creation!

From Safety Pins & Pendants

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From Safety Pins & Pendants

Not only do I think the octopus is the new owl, but I am obsessed with them.  So, I had to buy this pendant that was on sale at Michael’s. Added a shell bead from an old broken bracelet, attached the chains, and I got myself another necklace!

Well…

ALL OF THESE MAY BE FOR SALE…SOON.

WISH ME LUCK!

OH…Here’s How I did them:

1) Collect things..small and medium things (things that could be pendants and things that one can hang a pendant off is a good idea too).

2) Lay them all about you, with tools of the trade (in my circumstance that meant “O” rings, needle nose pliers, and a glue gun) and start playing with what looks good with what and then attach!

And there you have it!

Funky cheap jewelry…or not so cheap if you buy it from me!
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Posted in 2011, Jan - March
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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