You can go home again......

One of my favorite places to go when I make a visit home, as I did this last week, is Wegmans Supermarket. I grew up with this chain of supermarkets. They have grown and expanded over the last 30 or so years and to go there is really a shopping experience!

I have lived many places in the U.S. and have yet to find a Supermarket, as super as Wegmans!

You can find such a diversity of food, specialty items, homegrown produce, and even gift items! Their range of products under one roof is amazing!

I missed making a visit on my last trek home. I had made up my mind, that this time, I was not going to skip it......no matter what any well meaning family member had to say about finding good food or deals elsewhere! So, I made a concentrated effort to make a lengthy stop at the grocery store of my days gone by that obviously has a place in my heart (or stomach)!

On this visit; I picked up some Western New York specialty food items such as local cheese, mustard, and chicken wing sauces. And I was able to get some t-shirts, hawaiian micro-brewed beer, and locally made hot dogs to bring home with me. Each time I sample some of the food or wear the t-shirt, I'll experience a taste of home and some really fond memories of a great grocery store that I still miss....many years after moving away!

If you'd like to read more about the Wegmans supermarket chain; here are some links.....

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&clear=true

And check out their menu magazine online at;

https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&krypto=QJrbAudPd0uK9R2haUUOtw29EsL81umE9FURUm2UdayiKb1qPL4mjxD7v2XfbKnn&ddkey=http:CategoryDisplay

I was able to view the hard copy of this terrific kitchen supplement while on my visit! Tons of great, simple, and probably delicious recipes complete with wine and beer accompaniments!

And don't forget to check out my Etsy shop this week for some NEW jewelry postings at;

http://carolsjewelryorchard.etsy.com

Thanks, Carol

The Learning Curve; Changing from a PC to a Mac.

Well, I thought I would write about how my week has gone from frustrating to satisfying involving our new computer system.

About 10 days ago, we purchase a brand new Mac os-X computer. It came ready to work, right out of the box! Wow! That has never happened with any of our PC's. For the first few days, all was well. I wasn't having too many problems learning commands that seemed pretty similar to our ten year old PC.

Well, my frustrations started at the beginning of the week...last week. Over last weekend, my techno-savy son transferred about 5000 photographs for me from the pc to the mac. My old system supported Microsoft digital library and an old Picture It! program that I used every year to make our family calendars. The new system had iphoto on it. The problem was that what used to take me literally seconds for picture editing, was now taking minutes! I think the height of my frustration was Friday when it took me a half hour to adjust just 3 pictures. And I'm just talking exposure! The iphoto wasn't doing what I needed it to do. And I was impatient while trying to learn it! This was not a good combination.

So, I knew I needed to start researching my options. The new machine was great, learning a new software was not. The first thing I did was google photoediting software for macs. Then, I also posed the question to the forums on the etsy site. The nice thing about this all was that what I found out from the google search and from practical experience of other etsy artists was compatible. I also downloaded a free trial of adobe photoshop for 30 days.

Here is the forum link;

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6456271

Well, by Saturday morning I was playing on the photoshop and able to adjust about 5 pictures in about 15 minutes. It has the easy cropping tool, exposure adjustment, and visible pixels at my fingers tips. At the same time, by afternoon; I was able to play with the iphoto and see that it also had some really neat applications as well. The iphoto works well as the bridge program for the adobe.

So, all things considered, my learning curve was relatively short. Don't get me wrong, I'm still learning both programs but it is definitely more enjoyable than it was! And I'm also glad to report that the smilebox program I have for posting slideshows still works well on the mac. I've posted some of my jewelry with green components for St. Pat's. Take a minute, let it load, and enjoy!

The music is nice, too! Have a great week!

Let's be nice to each other!

Well, after a great week, last week....feeling friendly with the world, I'm feeling cynical this week. I decided to post here, as opposed to the etsy forums as I've had enough for a while.
As with all facets of life sometimes, people are just rude in the forums! Or you are ignored.
Hmmmm. I need a break from that!

On a positive note I have found a new (to me) photo editing program that has been fun to play with. It has been consuming entirely too much of my time! I'm in the throws of making my yearly gift calendars from our family pictures! It is always fun to look back over the adventures of the last year! I take lots, and lots of pictures. The program is Picasa by google and it's FREE!

On another downer, I have a great sale going on in my shop that hasn't had ANY response! It ends on the 28th. I have a special section of earrings for only $2.80 each pair! Today (2/24) only, I am offering FREE SHIPPING on these! Prices have already been reduced and shipping fees removed!

Maybe people think there is something wrong with these earrings! There isn't! Just making room for spring and summer stock! Go to my sale earring section in my shop and check them out yourself at; http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolsJewelryOrchard?section_id=6683802

I thought I would post some pictures of some, too! Enjoy!

I'm off to get out in the bright winter sunshine we have today!

The Joy of Reading.....

I won't have a long post today, as I have a nasty cold and am coughing a lot. I'm now headed into my second week of this thing. Yuck!

Anyway, I thought I would write a little about reading. I love to read and luckily, am raising children who love to read. My boys all read to me orally each day (well, my teenager doesn't ) and now, to themselves for lengthy periods each day (my teenager does). Each has genre's they like and are finding their own authors that they enjoy. But this weekend, I was looking for something my youngest (age 8) would enjoy on his own and with me. He is fortunate to read above grade level, so we can really delve into some good books. From the literal library, he has in his room, I pulled the classic, James and the Giant Peach off the shelf by Roald Dahl.

After only a few pages of reading to me, my son was enthralled. He was immediately taken in by the characters and possibilities of what could happen in this story. This was Friday. By yesterday afternoon, he asked to read it and by last night we had my 10 year old listening, as well. It was so enjoyable to read this classic book, a book I loved as a child, with my children. Neither one recall seeing the movie. For this I was glad, as I really didn't care for how the characters were portrayed in the movie version. But, I'm sure we will watch it again, after we finish the book.

I love reading with children. It opens such a vast world for them. I am an active volunteer at my sons' school with the reading curriculum and do a book club for a class that neither of my boy's are in anymore. It is so enjoyable to have this time with my boys each day and other children one to two times a week!

I think for a while my boys and I were reading some titles that weren't all that enjoyable, but a return to this classic has engaged us all. I can't wait until story time! Grab a child and read a classic! Or just read! It's important!

It made me laugh when I said to my youngest, "Oh, this book is one of my favorite books of all time", and he said, "Mom, every book is your favorite!". Maybe, that is so! I hope it will be for him!

FYI: I am having a couple of nice sales in my jewelry shop and this is the last week.
#1) A special section of earrings are only $2.80 each. You can view these at;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolsJewelryOrchard?section_id=6683802

#2) I also have a Buy one, Get one 50% off sale going on, too! Buy any one item and choose any other item that is the same or less in price and save 50% off that item. Please read my shop announcements for details on this sale. Everything is eligible except the sale section of earrings!
Enter my shop here;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/carolsjewelryorchard

Thanks for reading and following. Have a good week!

Creative Pursuits.....Do you have more than one?

I really didn't realize until I was well into adulthood that I had a creative soul. Looking back, there were signs......I grew up being a student of music, loving to write and draw, taking sewing lessons, etc. But then, came college, and I was always very serious, a perfectionist, wanting to do over that 100%. I let my creative interests slide.

Today, I'm back in full swing and lucky that I have time for my creative endeavors. If I day goes by and I don't do something creative I feel stagnated and become somewhat crabby! So, I am careful to carve out some "me" time to work on my beaded jewelry creations. (look up my work at my etsy shop at the following address; http://carolsjewelryorchard.etsy.com )

Do you have more than one creative pursuit? I do. I love photography, creative writing, interior decorating, developing curriculum and projects for the garden club I run for children, and recently knitting! I'm almost finished with a scarf I started three winters ago!!! Obviously, the knitting is not one of my favorite creative interests. Next to making beaded jewelry, my favorite alternative creative pursuit is photography. I love taking pictures of landscapes and nature (flowers and butterflies, in particular).

One morning last week, the creative juices just weren't flowing for my jewelry making. Luckily, I ususally know this within 15 minutes of starting at my work station. And I've learned to get up and walk away, rather than push through it.
We had just had a beautiful new snow fall over night and it was a foggy, cold winter morning here in the mid-west. So, I grabbed my camera, bundled up, and went out to our yard to take some "frosty flower" pictures and pictures of the valley behind us.
I spent about 45 minutes out in this winter wonderland and came in, sure I had gotten some great pictures and definitely, refreshed.

I think that is what is most important about having more than one creative pursuit. When you need a break, feel bored, or creativity is not happening in one particular area; you can temporarily turn your interests elsewhere! If you don't have more than one creative interest, I highly recommend that you develop one! I think you'll soon see that it has benefits!

A couple of my photographs are listed in my jewelry shop. Currently, I'm just listing one per month. After all, it is a jewelry shop, but you can check them out! Found to the right of this post is one of my favorite from my winter walk last week!
Enjoy!

And for those that read my post last week; all is well with my order from the poor speller. The poor spelling certainly was NOT an indication of the quality of products! I'm relieved!