Vacation Download

Finally time to post my vacation pictures - hey, it's only been a month, right? The kidlet and I and some friends went out to Palm Desert the first week of April and had a great time going to the pool and the zoo and riding the tram up to the top of San Jacinto peak.


Here are some pictures from the zoo:

Giraffes.

Obviously :-)

More giraffes. In case you couldn't find them in the first picture.

This gorgeous cat is called a cerval and I was all set to take a fabulous picture of her except that during the "delay" on my digital camera (y'know, that annoying pause between when you press the button and when the darned thing actually TAKES the picture?), she turned her head. So, here is a fabulous pic of the back of a cerval's head.

Isn't her coat pretty, though?

This is the smallest member of the fox family - called a fennec. This was his first time doing the animal show so they had him on a leash. What a cutie!

And here's the fennec meeting a desert tortoise.

Then we headed over to the amazing butterfly and hummingbird exhibit where I engaged in my yearly battle with my digital camera to try to get at least ONE amazing shot of a butterfly. See what you think about my results:

A spicebush swallowtail and a painted lady stop in a puddle for a drink. A little blurry, but not too bad.

A zebrawing butterfly taking a rest.

A male spicebush swallowtail on some pretty purple flowers that I don't know the name of.

Spicebush swallowtail again. I kept following this guy around because he was being so obliging and holding still for me. Love the iridescence on his wings.

I like this shot because you can see the pretty colors on the underside of his wings and the spots on his body.

And then it was the hummingbirds' turn...

Okay, a LITTLE blurry, I know, but HEY, it's a hummingbird in FLIGHT. Kinda hard not to have it be blurry, ya know?

Not much better, but you can see him zeroing in on the feeder.

Sigh. Some day, I REALLY need to take a camera class.

I did better with the mamma birds on their nests:

I was so amazed that she let me get this close!

Hard to believe there are two babies underneath her in that tiny, tiny nest!

Profile shot, please! Make sure you get my good side...

And then some pics from up on the mountain (no animals, unfortunately):

I liked this little baby tree growing right at the foot of two really huge trees.

Big rocks and a tree stump. I know, I bring the excitement with the pictures, don't I. But hey, at least they didn't move so they are NOT BLURRY!

I liked how the bare branches on this bush had kind of a "lacy" look to them. At least, they did when I saw them in real life - not sure it came through in the picture. But again, NOT BLURRY!

And, more rocks. Because, you know, they might've changed from the previous picture and this IS taken from the other side of the formation. Oooh...the excitement!

So, why did I bother to take and post all these boring pictures of my silly little vacation? Well, I had this idea percolating that I might use some of the for jewelry inspiration. Now, using nature photos is in no way a new idea (it's rather old and worn out actually), but it's new for ME. And since I do have a tendency to get stuck in the same color choices (blue, turquoise, green anyone?) or using the same materials (lampwork, crystals) over and over, I thought it might help me break out of my rut a bit.

For example, I would never think to mix black, blue, orange and white in a piece, but the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly looks FABULOUS dressed in his colors...and still manages not to clash with the mossy rocks or the bright pink flowers.

I can even go more literal with the idea and use some butterfly charms or the actual butterfly wing pendants I bought at the LA Gift Show oh, like THREE YEARS AGO or something.

And I have a gorgeous porcelain hummingbird pendant, too.

Anyway, you get the idea.

I've already started expanding into a new area with an exciting collection that I'm hoping to debut later this week. It has nothing to do with these photos - I haven't started putting my "photo challenge" into practice yet - but it is a HUGE departure for me in terms of materials and style. So, keep an eye out and I'll hopefully get the web pages finished and uploaded and pics posted here by the end of the week (she said, fingers crossed).

Okay, more beads tomorrow.

KJ

Enchanted Forest

So, about a month ago, I bought this lovely set of beads from Sue Beads on Etsy:

I took them with me on the trip to the desert (pictures of that to come in a future entry) in early April and I was lucky enough to have the time to create this:

This piece is a bit different for me because I normally like to surround lampwork beads (especially really outstanding ones like these) with fairly simple designs so that the beads can really stand out. That was my initial plan for this set as well, but when I started playing around, I just got carried away and kept adding more and more and more beads and, well, three strands of beads later, I had "Enchanted Forest."

The beads I used include: faceted smoky quartz rounds, Swarovski crystals in indicolite and light topaz, Swarovski pearls in Tahitian blue, some really cool Czech glass ovals in an olive/brown mottled color that look like real stones, green garnet rondelles, mother of pearl round beads, Bali vermeil spacers and 2mm gold-filled round beads. Indecision as a successful design technique? Yep. I'm going with that.

I sent Sue a copy of the finished piece and, fortunately for me, she liked it and posted it on her blog (which is really great and has lots of eye candy so you should definitely check it out).

I bought these beads from Sue as well:

But, as is typical for me, I haven't done anything with them but add them to my hoard yet.

Bead hoarders unite!

Okay, that's it for now.

Kelly

Back to the Beads

Okay, I promised we'd get back to normal around here and I meant it so here we go.

These are some cute clay "ocean-theme" beads I purchased a while back and just recently realized I never posted them here.

Unlike most of my purchases, I have some potential designs planned for these babies and I've even bought some metal "ocean-them" charms and things to go with them. Now, just need the TIME!

In 2007 (yikes!), I bought this pretty set of lampwork lentil beads on e-bay and while I was on vacation, I finally got to make something with them:

The vendor kindly included a couple of extra beads to the set so I had enough left to make earrings:

Okay, that's it for now. I do have a HUGE backlog of pics, though, so there may be more later today.

KJ

Dad's Funeral

Today will be the last day I will post about this in detail, but I did want to show some of the pictures and hand out some thank you messages so please bear with me.

To everyone who came to the service, sent flowers, left comments here on the blog or just generally supported my family and me through this difficult time - you have my heartfelt gratitude.

It's been wonderful to know how many lives my Dad touched and what a positive influence he was on everyone around him.

Here are a few more pictures from his life and from the services:

This is my Dad with (I think) his grandparents.

Dad with his roommate at the Naval Academy. No wonder he always insisted my bed be made so neatly (not that I ever did it).

Another Academy pic. Dad is the one in the jeans.

Dad did love his card games - looks like that started early on. He's the one on the left reaching into the middle of the table.

Dad with his parents at the Academy - Parents' Weekend 1958. Was he handsome in his uniform or what?

There are lots more pics, of course, but I just get a big kick out of these really old ones.

And now some from the funeral:

This is from the visitation on Sunday after we closed the casket. It shows the flower spray and the folded US flag since he is a veteran.

One of the arrangements at the cemetery. I thought it was particularly pretty.

Dad was buried with military honors - a 3-person team from the naval base in San Diego came and did the flag folding and presentation ceremony and a bugler played "Taps." It was really beautiful.




I tried to get a shot when they held the entire flag up for view beyond the casket, but it happened so fast that with the delay on my digital camera, I missed it (hate that delay!)

I can't believe how young these sailors are. They don't even look 18 to me!

After this picture, the flag was presented to my mother, but since I was sitting right next to her, it didn't seem appropriate to take a picture right there at that moment. I think some of the other guests may have caught it with their cameras. I hope so anyway.

Thanks again for bearing with me while I pay final tribute to my Dad. Next post it's back to the beads - I promise!

Kelly

In Memoriam...

Harry Eugene Morgan, Jr. (aka "Gene") passed away April 24th, 2009, at 2:40 AM. Following is his obituary and some pictures.

Gene was born on February 9, 1938, in Phoenix, Arizona and was the second of four children born to Harry and Mildred Morgan. He grew up in Phoenix and graduated from North Phoenix High School. He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy which he graduated from in 1959 as a member of the 19th company.

After graduation, Gene served aboard the USS Fechteler and in the ROTC unit at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While there, he met and married Rebecca Reiland of Santa Fe, New Mexico, with whom he recently celebrated his 45th wedding anniversary.

During his naval service, Gene was posted to a number of places including Northern California, Idaho, Connecticut, South Carolina, Virginia and finally, Hawaii. During this time, he and Becky became the proud parents of daughter, Kelly, and son, Mark. While in Hawaii, Gene served on several nuclear submarines including the Benjamin Franklin and Lafayette. His time in Hawaii also led to a lifelong love of surfing.

Gene retired from the Navy in 1970 at the rank of Lt. Commander. He and his family settled in El Toro, California, and he took a job with Southern California Edison as a nuclear engineer. While with Edison, he worked in the Steam Generation department as well as on all three units at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. He would eventually rise to become Vice President and Site Manager at San Onofre and held that title until his retirement in 1993.

During his life, Gene had a passion for surfing, skiing, reading and music and played competitive beach volleyball for many years. Always health conscious, he ran or worked out nearly every day until suffering a stroke in November, 2008. His charismatic personality and wonderful wit brought joy to everyone. He was generous with his time, responsive to the needs of others, and dearly loved his family, friends and neighbors.

He leaves to cherish his memory and celebrate his life his devoted wife Rebecca Morgan; daughter Kelly Morgan and grandson Ryan Osborne; son and daughter-in-law Mark and Laura Morgan, grandson Casey Morgan and another grandson due in May; his sister, Carole Bunker, brothers, Phillip and Michael; many other family members and an array of lifelong friends.

Dad and me in 1968 at my aunt's wedding. I was three years old.

Dad and me at Delta Delta Delta sorority Dad's Day in 1985. We're on the bus on our way to a Bruins' football game.

And seriously, how AWESOME was my Dad?!! This picture is from 2004 - he was 66 years old!

Dad was an amazing, accomplished, intelligent guy with a wicked sense of humor. The world is a poorer place without him and we will never forget him.

Love you, Dad!

KJ

Rough waters ahead...

Just a quick note to say that yes, I'm back from vacation, but I will probably be a bit scarce around here for a while. Or not - the writing might help me. I don't know yet.

My dad had another stroke last week while I was gone. He's semi-comatose now and not expected to recover. We will be putting him on hospice care sometime in the next 24-48 hourse and he will most likely pass away sometime in the next couple of weeks.

With the exception of the bad news, the vacation trip was great. We had a fantastic time in Palm Desert and the weather was perfect. I've got some great pictures I hope to post as soon as I have time to get them downloaded frrom the camera. That sorta depends on how things go over the next couple of weeks.

I got some jewelry made and some new beads came in while I was gone so I've got those pictures, too. There just may be some gaps between posts.

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments - they really brighten my days!!

Back when I can be...

KJ

Fleur de vacances

45 more minutes until I am officially on vacation. Not that I'm watching the clock or anything. And really, vacay doesn't start until I'm at the pool tomorrow with a pina colada in my hand because tonight I have to finish the packing and the checking off of things on my various "don't forget to pack _______" lists and charging the cell phone and headset and putting gas in the car and cleaning out the parrot cage and charging up the portable DVD player for the kidlet to use in the car and, and, and...

Well, you get the idea. That pina colada will be well earned.

It's also starting to hit me that this vacation will have its bittersweet moments. Staying at this particular location was the last thing we all did as a family (my parents, my brother and nephew and me and my son) just a couple of weeks before my dad had his stroke back in November. We all had such a good time so I'm very thankful for the memories, but it's also hard to realize that dad will never play in the pool with my son again or sit at the poolside bar drinking his own frou frou drink of choice while I have my pina colada or help me up and down the stairs with unloading the car and all the other stuff we did together that I miss about him.

Mom won't be joining us either because she won't leave dad and while I wish she would take a break for herself, I can't help but admire her steadfast devotion to him. After all, isn't that what we all hope for from our life partner - that he or she will be there when we're in our darkest hours?

Okay, well, now that I've depressed the heck out of everyone (hey, there's a reason that alcohol keeps getting mentioned in this post), how about some jewelry?

I decided last month that I hadn't made enought bracelets lately - have been mostly stuck on earrings and necklaces for no real reason other than that's where the beads have led me. So, this set of lampwork was perfect for a bracelet-sized project and that's what it grew up to be.

Silvered-ivory glass and blue and purple dichro effects make these lampworked lentil beads look like little planets as viewed from space. I added Bali silver, faceted lavender pearls, Swarovski crystals and LOTS of wire-wrapping and finished everything with a toggle clasp set with lavender crystals and a sterling silver fleur de lys charm.

Why the charm? I don't know - it just asked to be added so I went with it.

Okay, that's it for me. See you in a week.

Bonnes vacances!

KJ

And back to beads...

Still busy. Still in vacay mode (why isn't it Friday at 5 yet?) Still have a million things to do to get ready for the trip - like packing my project bag with some things to work on while I'm out there (which, of course, I will have NO time to do because the kidlet will want to spend all day at the pool but which I will take anyway just like I've done for the last 4 years because I am a slow learner or hope springs eternal or something cliched like that).

So, beads:

Okay, I know, chicken and egg beads are not exactly "glamorous" and certainly not in the league with the other beads I've been posting lately, but when I saw this set (came with lots more chickens and eggs and spacer beads than pictured here), I just HAD to have it. Why? Well, y'see, I work for a medium-sized restaurant chain's corporate headquarters. This chain is very well known on the West Coast and getting better known in other parts of the country. What's the name of the company? Well, let's just say we're "crazy" about our chicken. I thought these beads might make fun gifts for some of my friends around the office.

I've been eyeing this artist's beads for a while and then a friend bought some and when they came in and I saw how beautiful they were (and perfect for earrings), I just had to have 'em.

And, not being content with just one set (because they really are SO PRETTY) and because I don't work with pink or red often enough and am trying to push myself to expand my color palette, I had to get these pink babies. The flowers on them are so sweet!

This set is called "Strawberry Lemonade" and since it fit in so nicely with my "buy more pink" strategy and looked so summery and refreshing, it came to live at my house as well. Love the cubic zirconia centers on the flowers in the large focal bead!

Okay, that's it for this edition of "how come she complains about being so busy, but she has time to buy beads?"

1 more day....

KJ

Busy, busy, busy

I am C-R-A-Z-Y busy. No time to talk. Vacay mode (i.e. must get ridiculous amounts of things done in...yipes...48 hours til I LEAVE!)

Here are some jewelry pics:

I just LOVE this set of lampwork beads. Ivory base covered in the most amazing frit blend of olive, teal, purple and gold and accented with glints of real silver wire. The spacers are a reflective gold/silver glass lampworked into spiral shapes and also two small rounds towards the back of the necklace. I added loads of pearls, Swarovski crystals, gold stardust beads, Bali vermeil and did some wire-wrapping to put it all together.

The back 1/3 of the necklace on each side is chain and then I finished everything off with some Swarovski crystals, a toggle clasp and a pearl dangle.

These lampwork beads are the same as the "Rose Princess" earrings I posted a few posts back except they are this amazing sky blue color. I added long chain dangles dripping with crystals and pearls.

Have a great night!

Kelly

P.S. Thanks for the comments!