Achmed The Dead Terrorist

I came across this Jeff Dunham skit with Achmed. He is very funny and always puts a smile on my face. Happy Holidays!!!!

A Cute Christmas Meme

Okay! This is a first for me. I was tagged on this really cute MEME and I am passing it on to whoever would like to participate.


So you just have to do it and post it, okay? I think that's the way it works.... :-)



1 ) Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate


2) Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps them


3) Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored lights on tree, icicle lights on the front of the house

4) Do you hang mistletoe?
no...I have a fake ball of it but it's not up this year



5) When do you put your decorations up?
A couple days after Thanksgiving, usually



6) What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Pineapple stuffing (goes great with ham)



7) Favorite holiday memory as a child?
All the presents!!!



8) When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I honestly don't remember. I'm pretty sure I was 7 or 8. I found out and then my little sister found our shortly after...I think she found out from the bus???


9) Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We get together with my Dad's brother's and sister, my cousins, and their families...there are 30 or more people. We do a polyanna gift exchange.



10) How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Color lights and mostly primitive looking ornaments.

11) Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love to look at it...hate to be out in it.



12) Can you ice skate?
yes...but it hurts my ankles....



13) Do you remember your favorite gift?
As a child, I had so many. I think what sticks out most in my head is the Barbie Van and also my Cabbage Patch Kid.



14) What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Being with family and giving to others.



15) What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Oma's apple and pumpkin pies.

16) What is your favorite holiday tradition?
We cut down our tree every year. It's fun taking the kids out to a tree farm and cut down the tree. Love to get hot cocoa and cookies afterward.



17) What tops your Christmas tree?
An old-fashioned looking Santa.



18) Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving. I love to make people smile.

19) What is your favorite Christmas song?
Little Drummer Boy!



20) Candy Canes? Yuck or Yum?
I like the Fruit Flavored ones...don't care much for the peppermint ones.

21) What do you want for Christmas?
Healthy children.



22) Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
Usually go to a German Club Christmas party and to a friend's annual party. We also get together with some neighbors every year.




23) Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJ's?
neither. just regular clothes, I'm afraid. We dress up on Christmas Eve.



24) Do you own a Santa hat?
Yes, but it's still in a box with all our unused Christmas decorations.

25) Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
Our extended families and lots of friends

Thanks for playing!!!

And the winner is...

Thank you to all who gave their suggestions regarding my grandmother necklace. All the comments were very helpful and I think I will incorporate a few of the suggestions into a new design.

Congratulations to socmama. She is the winner of the following sterling silver earrings. 4 mm round Mookaite beads highlight 10 mm carved round wood beads. These are really great for everyday wear.



Socmama will be contacted via email and have 3 days to get me her address so I can mail out this prize. A new winner will be drawn in the event of a no-reply.

Thanks again to all who participated.

Christmas Tree Shopping

We went and picked out our Christmas tree today. In the past we have stayed fairly close to home in search of the perfect tree. The past 2 years we have wound up picking a pre-cut tree because of the lack of suitable trees. A friend, who went for their family tree yesterday suggested that we go to Sheerlund Forests. I saw her pictures on facebook and thought that this place looked amazing. It was about 30 minutes drive from our house and boy was it well worth it. There were acres upon acres of trees to choose from. They took you out on a wagon and dropped you off in different areas. We were in search of a Blue Spruce and that was the farthest drop off location. It was so cold and windy on top of the hill, but the kids had a blast looking for the perfect tree. Brennon chose our, and although it's not as tall and round as we normally get...it is perfect for our house and the corner we put the tree in. After we cut down the tree, we went and got cookies and hot apple cider. Noah sat on Santa's lap (with Daddy) and Brennon didn't want to sit with them (I think he was a little scared). When we got in the car I asked him why he didn't sit with Santa and he replied, "That wasn't the real one anyway!!!" There was also a huge ornament barn and I was so temped to get more ornaments to put on the presents I wrap for others, but I refrained. Anyway, hope you enjoy our pictures of our tree shopping adventure.

A Little Something For Your Opinion

Well, I came up with the idea to make grandmother necklaces for our Moms for Christmas presents. I can write about it here since neither of them read my blog. I am just wondering what everyone out there thinks of this necklace. The birthstones of the grandchildren dangle from the heart. If you help me out, there's something in it for you.
Just leave me a comment about this necklace (be nice, but a critical eye is needed). Let me know by 12/8 at midnight (EST) and I will pick a winner for a special something to brighten your holidays :) Does this peak your interest???

SALE SALE SALE

Everything in my Etsy shop is 20% off, including custom order pieces. This sale offer does not include party packs and motherhood necklaces/bracelets. The offer is good from 11/25 until 12/25. If ordering for a holiday present orders must be placed 12/12 to ensure delivery by Christmas.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping.

And the winner is.....

Congrats to Jennifer of Ohio. She is the winner of the beautiful handmade blown glass spiral pendant necklace. Thanks for all that participated. Look back more on my blog for giveaways. I love to do them.

Heart Me, Follow Me, Blog Me....

It's time for another giveaway here at Hammi Jammi Jewelry. This is a great item. It's a blown glass spiral pendant created by Ethan Entrekin of Imagination Laboratories (click here). The pendant is highlighted by 4 mm jasper round stones. There is a silver hook clasp.

So here's what you need to do for a total of 6 contest entries. You can do one of them or all three. It's up to you to maximize your chances:

1) Go to my etsy shop (click here) and "heart me"--1 contest entry.

2) Sign up to follow me on my blog---2 contest entries.

3) Blog about me and my giveaway---3 contest entries. Make sure to leave your blog link and let me know that you are blogging about me so I can check it out.





The contest will run one week starting today (11/13) and will end next week (11/20) at midnight. Participants will have 3 days to claim their prize. I will contact the winner via email.

Good luck!!

Polymer Clay Fun

Andrea Mortenson makes great beads out of FIMO(R) Polymer clay which is available in a limited variety of colors. She carefully mixes and matches different colors of clay in order to create the color palate she desires.

All the beads are made one at a time. To make round beads she often uses a bead roller, but all others she makes entirely by hand.

She bakes the beads and then glazes them (several coats of a water-based varnish). This enhances the colors of the clay and provides long-lasting protection for the beads.


Andrea is a talented artist and I am excited to have created a few pieces using her beads. The first is a pacifier clip using ladybug beads she handcrafted. The beads are strung on nylon coated stainless steel wire which can hold up to 20 pounds.



The next item is a little girl's necklace made from flower beads. The necklace is intermingled with silver colored seed beads and purple fire polished bead. There is a Tibetan four knot toggle clasp closure.



So if you have some time, please check out her website here

Zwei Baby New Blog has Arrived

Heather from Zwei Baby (www.twinmommy.etsy.com) just moved to a new blog address and has it up and running. She's doing her first give away at the new blog address. So, in order to enter do one or more of the following:

*Sign up to follow the blog and you'll be entered (1 contest entry)
*Add the Zwei Baby Button to your blog and you'll be entered (2 contest entries)
*Blog about our giveaway and you'll be entered (3 contest entries)

You can choose one way to sign up or all three for a total of 1 - 6 entries! If you add thw button to your blog or blog about the giveaway please be sure to leave Heather a comment with a link so she'll know and can be sure you get your extra entries!

You have the opportunity to win a really cool Zwei Baby Gift Pack including a custom bed bug for either a girl or a boy, a matching burpee bundle, and a matching everyday bib.


The contest is this week only (it ends on 10/31). The winner will be notified by email so please leave a comment with your email after signing up if you don't have an email listed in your profile already! Winner will have 5 days to confirm winning email and provide a mailing address for shipping.

If you haven't taken a look at Zwei Baby, it's worth a look. Her stuff is awesome (and I know a bunch of you have oogled my diaper bag....Heather made it).

Good luck and happy blogging.

Yoga Yoga Yoga....

My friend, Barbara, just opened up her yoga studio (High Street Yoga and Wellness Center) and I am eagerly awaiting taking a class. With my husband out of town most weeks, I have neglected my yoga practice because of lack of time. Well, he's in town the next few weeks and I am so thrilled to be able to take a few classes. Barbara is doing some great things with her studio. One thing of note is a Free Yoga Class to benefit the North Coventry Food Pantry on Friday, November 7th from 7-8:15 pm. With the holidays quickly approaching, the food pantry is in need of nonperishable food items and cleaning supplies. Refresh your spirit and help others by bringing needed items the night of the class. Also, I think I will be giving away one of my new jewelry items the night of the class (via raffle). It's just something little that I can do to help out.

Great Weekend

Three girlfriends and I went to Cape May for the weekend. I can not even begin to explain how wonderful it was to be free. I am getting closer and closer to these ladies and I know that I will have them in my life forever. This trip lead me to think about how important it is to support each other, nurture friendships, and give them our all.
I have pockets of friends throughout my life...the high school group, the college group, the mommy group....and each group is near and dear to my heart. It tears me up how special all these women are to me. They bring out the best in me and I know that whether we talk every day or once a month we are all connected and can pick up from where we left off. They don't judge, they offer support and advice, and their friendships are just heart-warming. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of these woman and thank God that they are a part of my life. So I just wanted to let you know about them...if they are reading this...they know who they are. I love you all!!!!

My first birthday party activity....

I just got home from doing my first birthday party activity and I think all went well. The girls seemed to have fun and enjoyed making their Halloween-themed necklaces and bracelets. I created some boxes for them to take their jewelry home. I wanted them to incorporate the theme but also be usable all year round. They turned out great!!






Madison's (the birthday girl) Mom had me create some special earrings for her also. It was just a lot of fun to have some girl time.



The only thing I had trouble with was letting go of my creative process and just letting the girls have fun and create for themselves.

A HUGE thank you to Donna and Madison for inviting me to do this. It was a wonderful experience for me.

Here are some pictures of the event:

October Pay It Forward

Just posted my October Pay It Forward item. It's a tourmaline breast cancer awareness bracelet. Act quickly...these things tend to sell out fast!



I am also working on a new venture making yoga-inspired jewelry. My dear friend just opened up a Yoga Studio (Yoga On High in Pottstown) and asked if I could make a few pieces to display in the studio. Fellow Etsian, Heather, at http://www.j2designs.etsy.com is making some re-purposed scrabble tile pendants with words on them for me. I also am getting some hand-stamped metal pendants made. Stay tuned for more jewelry adventures :)

Okay maybe I have OCD....

Just kidding. I really don't have OCD. I'm just super excited about all the fun things I'm creating for my upcoming shows and for my Etsy shop and I want to tell you about it. These items are going to be great for the holidays which are quickly approaching. Can you believe that it's already the end of September. There's a chill in the air and it is definitely starting to feel like Fall. Here's a peak at a few things I worked on today.

The first are are some wine glass charms. I'm going to call them Garden Charms and the set will include 4 charms with various shades of green and blue glass beads. The charms are a butterfly, a sunflower, a dragonfly, and a frog. I also have some charms with phrases on them and a set of tea charms. Here are some pictures:




The next item is an ID tag lanyard. My friend, Joy, is a teacher and she asked me to come up with something pretty for her to display her ID tag from. Low and behold, this is what I came up with:



So if you know anyone who might be interested in these things. Keep me in mind when you are doing your shopping :)

Baby Owen

Here's a picture of my little nephew. I miss him and can't wait to see him again.

Stoneware jewelry

I got the stoneware pieces in yesterday. I couldn't wait to get started on some jewelry. Here's a sneak peak at what I created. I haven't posted them to my website. I might not. I think I will save these pieces for the Open House that I am having at Salon 22 on November 14. Mark your calendars. It will be from 6-8 pm on Friday night. There will be snacks, giveaways and lots of fun!!! I was so happy with how these pieces laid that I ordered some more stoneware to create more classy pieces. ENJOY!!!




I'm also doing a PIF (Pay It Forward) item each month. This month it's a mini bookmark. It's listed inexpensively and all you have to do is pay for shipping and remember to keep the love going and do another random act of kindness for someone else.

Have a blessed week!!!

This That and the Other

Well, what an exciting week we had. Busy as usual. My sister (who lives in NYC) had her little baby boy one month early. Her water broke early Thursday morning. Luckily, Brian was due to arrive home on Thursday around 3:15 and Brennon was at school so I needed to find someone to look after Noah until Brian got home. My wonderful mother-in-law stepped right in. I picked her up at work and she took a half day so she could help me out. I drove up to Bethlehem to the Transbridge Bus Terminal. I was aiming to get on a 2:00 bus. Seriously all the Sunday drivers were out on a THURSDAY. I pulled into the bus station as the bus was leaving. I had to wait to catch the next bus at 3:45. This put me in rush hour traffic near NYC so I didn't get into the hospital until 7:30. I did get to see my beautiful (and tiny) nephew, Owen William Sherman. He was born 5 pounds 9.7 ounces. He dropped weight and now he's in the 4 pound 12 ounce range. Shelley got discharged today and Owen is perfectly healthy except for some jaundice (he'll most likely get discharged late tonight or Sunday). Shelley had a fairly easy labor and delivery and I'm so proud of her. She did great with the help of Mark (who rubbed her back with tennis balls during labor).
I don't have any pictures on my camera, but I will post some as soon as I get them from others.

On the jewelry front, I created some new pieces today. They are mostly necklace/earring sets. I also created a few neat bracelets. Look for them on my website in the next few days. Until then, here's a sneak peak at my lavender love necklace. There are matching earrings to this necklace, but I haven't photographed them yet.

We are.....

Penn State!!!

We had a great weekend. We watched the Penn State game with some dear friends and enjoyed ourselves tremendously. I'm paying for it today, but a good time was had by all. Brennon and his little friend did get into our emergency first aid kit in our car and used up quite a a lot of band aids and they made the gloves into water balloons. Needless to say, I need to restock my kit. My other little son was good. Here are a few pictures of him being Chef Noah and cheering for Penn State. He had a lot of fun watching the game with Daddy and was giving out high fives left and right.




I didn't do too much on the jewelry front this weekend. It was nice for a change. I'm waiting on a few supplies and I should be getting them in this week so I'll be ready to create. I'm debating on purchasing some really awesome stoneware beads and pendants. I think they are truly stunning and I could do a lot with them. Here's a picture of some of the items.






Should I place an order for these stoneware pendants? They are a little on the pricey side. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Birthday Parties and Other Things

I am very happy to report that I am going be the activity at a little girl's birthday party. YAY!!! I believe that she is turning 8 and all the little girls will be making necklaces to take home. Madison decided on a Halloween Theme so I found some really cute clay and lampwork beads with candycorns, pumpkins, ghosts, black cats etc. on them. I am also purchasing some black and orange glass beads to use. It's going to be such a great little party. I'm creating take home boxes for each of the guests that will have their name on the top of the box created out of crystals.

Speaking of crystals...I just added my very own motherhood bracelet to my shop. I used Sworovski crystals in the birthstones of each of my kids and sterling silver block letters, Bali beads, and hearts. I'm very happy with the way it turned out and I will be wearing it everyday. If you know of someone who is having a baby or has a family that she wants to celebrate, pass her over to me and we can create something special.



That's about all from my neck of the woods. Have a fabulous and blessed rest of your week.

HUGE SALE

Heather over at Zwei Baby is having a huge sale on some of her items this coming weekend. There are items for $5-$20...many items are 50% off. Go check out her shop and stock up on all those baby item needs.

http://www.twinmommy.etsy.com

The First Week Is Finished

Well, we managed to make it though the first week of Kindergarten unscathed. I still can't get much information out of Brennon. He tells me what they had for snack and that they played toilet tag the other day. No really...you read correctly...TOILET tag. I thought this was a joke, but it's a real game of tag and the kids have to crouch down and pretend they are a toilet when tagged. Someone else has to run by and "flush" them to get them back in the game. Who thinks up these games??? What ever happened to minnow and guppy tag???

I worked on some new necklaces this week. I made a variation of my Dream a Little Dream Necklace and called it the Joy necklace (after a dear friend whose name is Joy, and always brings smiles and happiness to me). Here's a picture:



I also am getting some really neat enclosure cards made by Casey at http://www.wackykracker.com. She does great stationary. Check out her shop.

I hope everyone has a very happy and blessed weekend.

First Day of Kindergarten

I wanted to share a picture of my son's first day of kindergarten. The highlights of his day are:

1) Urinals that are just his size in the boy's bathroom.
2) Water fountains that are his size too.
3) Riding the bus home.
4) Recess

I can't get much more out of him. He won't talk about his teacher or what else they do. Little boys are something else. I wonder if mothers of girls run into the same communication issues...normally Brennon can't shut up, so I don't know what his problem is. Maybe him being in school will give me peace and quiet???

And the winner is.....

The winner of my August bracelet giveaway is minxymimi. Congrats!!!! Look for other contests in the near future.

Just added some fused and dichroic glass items to my shop as well as some beautiful new bracelets. Here's a sneak peak:

Working Working Working

I have been really trying to get my shop perfected and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. There's so much information on etsy and elsewhere. I just need to focus on a few areas and stop trying to do everything at once. Anyway, I'm focusing on getting my pictures up to par and trying to get my inventory up. I just ordered some lovely beads from Andrea Mortenson at http://www.mountain-dreamer.com. She handcrafts beads out of clay. Very lovely. I also stopped by a friend's shop who works with glass. She showed me how to make some fused glass pendants and I'm really excited about them also.
My contest for a free bracelet ends on Sunday, so if you haven't done so already head to my shop (http://www.carriegrab419.etsy.com) and look around. Return to my blog and comment on what you do or don't like.
My son, Brennon started riding his bike without training wheels last week and has been practicing ever since. He's getting really good at turning. I'm so proud of the little guy. And Noah, just wants to be like his big brother. He'll probably be riding his bike before he turns two...just joking :)

Two Posts In One Day

I wanted to give a quick thank you to Heather of Zwei Baby. She has helped me tremendously with the ins and outs of setting up shop. Plus, her products are so awesome. Check out her shop http://www.twinmommy.etsy.com. Fun and functional baby gear...I can attest to the fact that her stuff IS both Fun and Functional...I get tons of compliments on my items.

The summer days are winding down

Well, it's almost back to school time in our neck of the woods. My oldest son is starting kindergarten and it can't come soon enough for me. It's been a real challenge trying to get work done on my shop and deal with his every whim. It's also bittersweet...no more just picking up and leaving during the week....it's a loss of freedom from just doing what we want each and every day. Now, I'll (we'll) be confined by car pools and bus schedules. Just yesterday, he was a little baby...where did the 5 years go??? At any rate, the few hours he's at school will give me some time to get my act together....if and only if my youngest son cooperates and takes a good afternoon nap.
I'm working on some autumn jewelry. My Pumpkin Spice necklace is already in my shop, as is my Colors of Fall necklace.
I'm looking forward to the cool Fall weather and having some people over for cookouts and bonfires and roasting marshmallows by the fire and hayrides...

New items in my shop

I just added a really beautiful new item to my shop.....My new tourmaline lotus charm necklace. It's really stunning and the pictures (posted to the right) don't do it justice. Check out my shop and have a look yourself. I'll also be posting some new earrings that match some of the necklaces and bracelets already in the shop. Check back soon for them.

If you like my stuff....

If you go to my shop (http://carriegrab419.etsy.com) and like my stuff make sure you add me to your favorites. People who heart me rock!!!
I'm working on some really pretty stuff with tourmaline beads and lotus flower pendants. Check back often.

Happiness....

I am so excited about opening my jewelry shop. It's something that is fun and fulfilling for ME. As a mom I'm always putting my kids and family before myself. I don't know how it happens, but it happens to the best of us. I have been more alive this past week and I attribute this to the shop and having something other than dirty diapers to look forward to. Anyway, I wanted to make a list of a few things that I am happy and grateful for:

1) A husband who is supportive of me emotionally, physically, spiritually and who is the most amazing father to our children.
2) The most adorable children who bring a light to my life and make me smile. They teach me so much about life even though they are 5 and 1.
3) The best friends who support me and don't ask for anything in return.
4) The opportunity to stay at home with my children and still be able to fulfill my creative side.
5) Finding the most beautiful semi-precious natural stones to create with.

Blessings to you all.

Free Giveaway for August

Make sure you post to my blog. Go to my shop website at http://www.carriegrab419.etsy.com and look at the merchandise. Post to comments as to what you would like to see done differently, or any items you would like to see created. You will be entered into a drawing for a free bracelet of your choice. Make sure you include your name and email in the comment posting so I can contact you if you win. Happy browsing.

My shop is up and running

Well, I've been furiously working to get my jewelry shop up and running on etsy. I've created business cards and have created lots of samples to sell. I will be posting new items on the site a few times a week so check back frequently.

On other fronts, I can't believe my oldest is starting Kindergarten in 3 weeks. Where does the time go? The past 5 years have been an incredible experience. Most days I am so happy to have these little guys in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I am so fortunate to be able to stay home with my boys and I really appreciate the creative abilities that I've been given.

Thanks for checking in with me. I'll be posting some back to school sales in my shop soon.