Please remember....on January 1, 2011, www.kathybarrick.etsy.com (my Etsy shop for Carriage House Samplings charts) will disappear.

That's all!

I'm feeling human again, thank goodness!  Today was the first day I felt like doing anything, so I made jewelry.


I couldn't wait to start using those beautiful South Sea pearls! 
That's all my news!  I know, it's pathetic!

It seems I've been slammed with a horrible head cold.  To those of you who are waiting to hear from me, please be patient.  I'll be back in touch as soon as I'm "over the weather" again!

Congratulations Sheri!  With your guess of $610, you were the closest.  The actual amount paid for the beads in the photos was $611.

Sheri, please email me at kathybarrick@gmail.com.  Thank you!

 
Here's your last hint:  Liz was the closest of all the guesses.  Get your guesses in by midnight tonight East Coast Time!





Art has been on vacation this week.  It's been a working vacation.  He brought in six cords of fire wood and stacked it against the barn.  The stack is 6 feet tall, 30 feet wide and about 6 feet deep.  It's our primary source of heat for the winter.  Not a fun way to spend a vacation, but we'll be very grateful for the wood this winter. We're already firing up the woodstove and the house is wonderfully cozy and warm!

When Art is on vacation, I don't get much done jewelry related.  I helped stack this wood and helped Art get everything around here ready for winter.  Window unit air conditioners are out, pool furniture is stored in the barn;  we're making major progress.  I am one tired girl!!

Good luck!

I added this piece to my shops yesterday and wanted to be sure all you witches got to see it!  It's an antique pincushion, made of ultra soft leather.  You can see it both here and here!

My other news is that I now have a (sort of) job!  The guy who owns the antique mall where I have a booth is an expert at restoring old houses.  Because Art has no time to finish our very last room to finish, the living room, we've asked Greg to do it.  Right now he's finishing up the floors...he's taken the gorgeous random width boards from our attic and is putting them down in the living room.  After that, there's tons more to do.  Anyway, in order to free up Greg to work at our house, I'm working at the antique mall a couple days a week.  And I LOVE it!! After working at home for the last 12 years, it's great to be out among people.  I LOVE antiques, so it's the perfect environment for me.  My wages are being deducted from our bill for the work Greg is doing, so it's definitely not a paycheck thing; it's more of a get me out of the house and among live people thing!

And yes, I am controlling myself!  I've only bought one thing....so far!

First, let me say I cannot control where these darned photos are going.  I can't seem to get them arranged correctly, so please be patient!

Sweet Girl is HOME!!!!  YAY!!!  Liz returned from Ireland Saturday and I was thrilled!  I picked her up at the airport in Philly even though she had a ticket to fly into Baltimore, just so we could have more time together Saturday.  We ended up having a great day.  We drove down 95 and stopped in a tiny town called North East in Maryland and found some of the most wonderful antique shops. 

Check out Liz's blog (here) to read about her trip.  Her photographs of Ireland are stunning.  She had a great time!

Liz brought me back the most wonderful gifts from Ireland.  She's the most amazing "gifter" I've ever known.  She always find the perfect gifts for everyone!  She gave me the sweet purple velvet box filled with wonderful treasures for my jewelry. Absolutely wonderful!!  I collect velvet boxes and grab them up whenever I can find them.

I have an ad in the new Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine.  This is a fabulous magazine, published in Denmark, hard to find here in the States, super expensive, but worth every penny.  If you appreciate French decorating, you've got to get this magazine!  If you'd like to get it, I recommend:  www.thebeautifullife.com.  Check out my ad!  Chelsea, my website designer, did it for me and she does amazing work.

I'm off to start my day.  I have more news to share, but have to run.  More later!

More photos can be found here and here.