Wednesday Morning at the Beach

Just some pictures from the beach today.  

I had some orders to fill and spent some time walking the beach. It felt amazing & really lifted my spirit!

I made some bracelets and an anklet.  

Check out my Facebook page if you're interested in one. 

Summer is here!

Well just about.

Things are going well.  Still with Tony, still blaming him for the weight gain.  LOL

But I seem to be over the hill getting over Lyme Disease.  I 'll know for sure in a few weeks when I go back for more blood work.

Life is changing for me.  I'm not doing online training anymore. I've moved to another part of the company where I'm monitoring sales calls. I like it because I get to work from home still but now i can set my hours, which is awesome. I still have my awesome business, which I'll get back to in a bit and last week I completed my training to become  real estate agent!  Just have to pass the state test on Friday.

I had my license years ago but it wasn't the right time for me.  Now I think it's going to be an awesome adventure and I'm looking forward to it.  What's really awesome about becoming an Agent with HG Realty is not only the owner/broker my friend, but it will afford me the flexibility I'll need being a single mom & doing the call monitoring!

Plus the flexibility to do my Beach Artistry too!

How about some pictures to catch you up. I did a very poorly attended show this weekend.  This is my 2nd show with this company and both were poorly attended.  At no point were there more shoppers than vendors.  But it gave me a chance to do a set up and see what work & what doesn't.  One thing that doesn't work right is my brand new tent.  I will be taking it back this week.

I finally have more space to work in the house so I'm be making some new stuff. Can not wait!

Also, I'll be doing a Sunday Market in Asbury Park called Asbury Fresh on 7/5.  I did them 2 years ago and liked it.  I'll also be doing an event in Lacey, NJ on August 1st.  Can't wait!

Check back for more details!

Oh hey look... my blog

Wow, I really suck at Blogging!

Let's try to get back to doing this.

Update on me
Ex moved out so it's just me and the kids
We had to put down our border collie Becca 2 weeks ago, that sucked and still does
Weight is about the same
I was diagnosed with Lyme's disease and I recently started a long term antibiotic treatment, let's hope it works. It's actually what they call "late state" Lyme's because apparently I've had it forever.

My kids are doing awesome and appear to be ok with the divorce

Even though I did not want to date, I started dating.
Then I said "no relationships!  I'm just going to go out & have fun, nothing serious"
Yeah, that didn't work either. I met the most wonderful man in the whole world & I couldn't be happier.  We've been dating since 9.27.14.  He is absolutely amazing.

Ex has had some women issues including one where I feared coming home and finding my Jack Russell Terrier in a pot of boiling water... (you have to have seen the movie to get that reference). Otherwise we get along ok.  I wouldn't say we're friends, but we're still decent to each other so things are going along ok.

I still have my awesome day job of being an online trainer working from home. I recently started helping out monitoring the sales calls which is kind of neat.  I also teach for the local adult school and this semester I'll be teaching 2 nights a week this spring.

And of course I still have my awesome store! You should check it out!

BeachwritingsNJ

I'm trying to think of different ways to keep me blogging, so hopefully it won't be months before I update again!

I've started making sea glass necklaces that could be used for bridal parties, so that's fun. 

I think I'm going to keep focusing on the beach writings.  Tons of people make jewelry and a lot of people make sea glass jewelry and even though mine is different, it does tend to get a little lost in the shuffle.  I figure if I focus on the beach writings, which is my first love, and spend down time working on sea glass creations, hopefully it will work out.

Hope you're all doing well!!!

Just some pictures

I realize I again have let my blog slide.  If I post pictures will that make it up to you?

These are from today on Brick Beach.

This is the very first piece of red sea glass I've ever found. I found it yesterday. 

My attempt at a sea glass hummingbird

New beach writing necklace in my store (click any of the links on the right)

Lastly a selfie!

Have a GREAT day!!!

St. Patrick's Day!

I love St. Patrick's Day!  What's better than a holiday that calls for DRINKING!

Honestly, I rarely drink. It's not that I'm some goody goody, because I'm really not. It's just that I hate the bloated feeling the next day and it's really just empty calories.  So unless I'm out dancing, I limit my intake and rarely drink at home.

But St. Patrick's Day is built around drinking nowadays.  And the Belmar Parade :)

Last year I tried my hand at making Shamrocks out of wire & sea glass and they were a HIT!

So I"m going to do it again this year!

I have this one listed in my The Craft Star Store

https://www.thecraftstar.com/product_details/107425/shamrock-green-sea-glass-silver-necklace-pendant-st-patricks-day-irish/

And I'll list new ones soon.

I made these recently but they're not listed in my online store yet. 

Thanks for looking!

It doesn't have to be hard

I totally made something so much harder than it needed to be.  Do you ever do that?

I have wanted a bike stand for my bike for a long time.  Because of my spine issues I am limited to how I can work out.  And honestly I think walking on a treadmill is the MOST boring exercise.  Even if I'm watching TV I still find it boring.

But riding my bike. Oh I love riding my bike and as long as I don't fall off, it's a perfectly fine exercise.  But it's winter so that is just not going to happen.  So I hit the "complete order" button and bought myself a bike stand.

This  is what it looks like.

Not my bike.  My bike is a girls bike & it's purple of course.

Ok I get it and days later, I start putting it together.  The manual says to take off the bikes rear axle and replace it with the one they give you so that it's easier to take on and off.

Yeah, it wasn't that easy & finally realized I don't have the right bike tool to do it.

Crap.

Ok back to the internet for more reading.

Long story short, I didn't need to take off the axle, it works just fine with the one that comes with the bike.

Grumble grumble stupid instructions grumble grumble.

So I put my tire back together and put everything back the way it was, including the brakes which you have to basically almost remove to get the tire off... and I put it on the stand.

Well would you look at that... it fits.

Few adjustments later, a good show on the iPad and I'm riding my bike!   Yeah me!

I wish I had just tried that in the first place.  But I was trying to be good and RTFM!  So much for that! LOL

Ok putting it on the stand makes it slightly too tall for me so I'm going to need step stool LOL but otherwise it's AWESOME!!

Makes about as much noise as an exercise bike but once the warm weather is here I can take it apart & store it until the weather gets cold again.  In the meantime I don't have this huge ass clothes hanger sitting in my living room!

Now let's just hope I don't fall of it.

LOL

Just me & a little news

Hi everyone :)

Just wanted to tell you that I've opened a 2nd online store.  http://beachwritingsnj.thecraftstar.com/

It has basically the same photos as my etsy shop (listed over there -->  )  but all of my new sea glass items will go in my new shop.

In a nutshell, I just wanted to get all of my eggs out of one basket. I really should look into setting up my own online store.  One day! :)

Hope you are all doing well and have a great Labor Day Weekend!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Part 2

I think I already have a post titled The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, but I'm not 100% sure and just too lazy to look!

I had no plans to go to the beach this morning.  Weather report said cloudy with possible showers in the morning.

The Good!
So I was VERY surprised when I saw sun streaming through my windows at 6 something this morning (forgot to close the blinds last night) so I slowly gathered my stuff and went to the beach.

Only to find this; the Bad

Not one of my beach writing orders were simple ones today so there was no way I was getting any work done, so I took a seat on the edge of the drop off.

OH hey, what's that on my ankle... why it's one of my bracelets made into an anklet.  Need to get those listed in my shop. 

There were some guys surfing so I figured I would take some shots of them.   I call this one

Lone Surfer

He wasn't really alone though.

So I take a few action shots. I liked when they got between me & the sun because they ended up in silhouette and looked pretty cool.

That is until I got home and saw this; The Ugly

I saw this on a few pictures at the end of my last trip to the beach and figured it was just a stray hair.  I guess it is just that, a stray hair, but apparently its INSIDE my camera.

So it was good that I got up and went to the beach, because let's face it, the beach is awesome.  It was bad that I couldn't do any writings because they would have had that ugly hair in them.  But then I guess it goes back to being good that I couldn't get any work done because I'd have to redo them all and that means another trip to the beach tomorrow, which is also good!

I think I just confused myself LOL

The Jersey Shore is Coming Back!

I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blog.  I just haven't been motivated much to write.  I'm going to try to change that!

Starting today!

I just celebrated 3 years since opening my Etsy Shop.  I would have loved to gone back to Brick Beach 1 on my anniversary but it was still closed thanks to that bitch Sandy.

But that all changed today!

I was in the shower, listening to 94.3 The Point when they said Brick Beaches 1 & 3 were open as of today!

I felt the same way I felt last year when the power came back on 8 days after Sandy knocked it out.

Hopeful.  Things CAN go back to the way it was, or maybe even a little better?

There is still a LOT to do down here.  Lots of homes that need to be rebuilt, but it's getting there.

Make sure you come visit the Jersey Shore this summer. Or why wait, I heard part of the Seaside Heights boardwalk is opening this weekend!

Anyway, back to Brick Beaches. I went to BB1 and here are some pictures.

The Entrance

The radio & the township's Facebook page said 

it was open, so I ignored the red flag & no trespassing sign.

I'm such a bad ass LOL 

 I'll explain the circled area a little further down.

I get annoyed when people who haven't stepped foot on the beach spread rumors that the beaches are filthy.

Looking North

Looking South

Ok so I saw a folding chair in the surf. But other then right after Sandy, this is the first real big piece I've seen washed up on the beach. 

And of course I did this <3 p="">

First piece of sea glass

 Then I found a piece of aqua sea glass. 

Seriously, the beaches are BEAUTIFUL!

Except....

For

All the freaking balloon crap!

I found & removed more than 10 pieces of or whole balloons.

TEN.

That yellow circle on the 2nd picture up there.  That was 2 more balloons I noticed on my way off the beach.  

I have NEVER seen so much balloon garbage on the beach like I did today.

Obviously accidents happen, but seriously people, why not just pop the balloon and throw it on the ground. It's littering and balloon release events are just MASS LITTERING events.

Learn more about how balloons are 

NOT biodegradable from

Balloons Blow

Luck of the Irish!

On Sunday I was having issues with my back so I basically just stayed home and took it easy.

While sitting there watching bad Sunday afternoon TV I decided to try my hand at making Shamrocks from the jewelry wire and then attached them to green sea glass.

This one sold in 5 minutes of listing it.  So I made 4 more, they sold within a day.  I made two more and they're hanging out in my online store. Click the pictures to go to my store if you want to buy one.  If I'm sold out, just shoot me a message and I'll let you know if I have more.

Then my friend Kathleen said "I like silver, can you make one with silver?"  While I went with copper because I like the way it looks with the green, plus it goes with the whole "Shamrock/Pot of Gold" motif, I made a silver one for her.

And she's coming to pick it up today :)

Love it when Irish eyes are smiling on me!!

Little addition, I made these today.