Saturday Squee: The Cutest Snail You'll Ever See

Lovestruck Snail by ColtPixy

Seriously, have you ever seen a snail you wanted to cuddle with more??

Monday Mix: Random Acts of Kindness Week

My First Polymer Clay Sculptures - Not Perfect, but I'm Happy :)

 Good Monday morning on this, the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week! I've got a great week in store for you all, so I hope you've buckled your seat belts. With this week being Random Acts of Kindness Week, I will aim to do one random nice thing each day. Today: Maybe we can send our special someone a couple of nice, short emails along the lines of:

You are awesome! 

I love waking up next to you :) 

You look great today!

Keeping them short and sweet makes sure they aren't bogged down reading lengthy emails when they should be working, but allows them to take 2 minutes to stop and smile :)

Before I get to this week's events, I'd like to share a milestone: yesterday, the Facebook page for Little Studio Jewellery by Meghann Lynch, reached 100 followers! The followers on that page have been given a little treat, so, if you want in on a pretty sweet deal, visit & LIKE the Facebook page and start saving. It's a limited time offer, so hurry on over and get yours today. The link is down and to the right on this blog --->

Tuesdays I like to unveil new pieces of jewelry, or show you pieces that I've rephotographed or redesigned. Tomorrow will be a grand unveiling of a totally new necklace inspired by Cleopatra's later life. Make sure you check back tomorrow for that! It is rich and luxurious, perfect for work or a night out.

Because, Really, Everyone Loves Seeing a Wiener Dog From the Side

This Wednesday, Arwen the Wonder Dog wants to show you her napping spots. She's been getting me to take her photo in her most favorite places, so get ready for some cuteness there :)

Thursdays are Treasury days, and though I haven't made that one yet, be prepared for a collection of beautiful handmade items from my fellow Etsy sellers. Any ideas on a theme? Let me know in the comments below and I'll do what I can...

This Friday will feature another great artist, Badgereels. You must stop by on Friday to see her work, it is really pretty (or manly, depending on the item) and functional, guaranteed to add a little whimsy to your workday :)

Finally, regarding the photos on the blog today: I've finally started playing with the polymer clay I bought almost 5 years ago. Amazingly, it's still very soft, so that was a relief (at $5 a small brick, I would have been seriously miffed to find it all dried)! While I'm sure I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head, I really loved making little sculptures throughout my childhood (though, thankfully, none have survived), and thought that this would be a bit of fun on my Sunday afternoons, when I try very hard not to do any business or work of any sort. The last few weeks I've white knuckled it. While normally reading or video games would help, it has been really hard to get away from the laptop, and so I knew I needed a stronger, totally absorbing distraction. Enter polymer clay, or "smooshing" as the experts call it (I am NOT an expert, but I like the sound of that word, so I might have to purloin it).

Inspired by My Own Playful Puppy, This Was My Second Ever Polymer Clay Sculpture

I have to say, I had an absolute blast! No pressure to make things to sell, no pressure to be perfect the first time (well, okay, I did have a bit of self imposed pressure, to be honest), and no pressure to be on a deadline. I spent a marvelous 2 hours conditioning, playing, pinching, sculpting and baking my first 3 little sculptures. I learned quite a bit; 1. blue clay under your nails is very hard to get out if it dries even the tiniest bit, and looks like you have cyanide poisoning; 2. I need armature to make the dogs' legs sturdier; 3. my cheapo, $20 toaster oven bought especially for baking clay is bang-on temperature wise (thank you, Black-&-Decker!), 4. I don't need to worry that polymer clay will spontaneously self-combust (I watched the oven like a hawk, biting my nails and occasionally throwing looks at the fire extinguisher "just in case"); 5. I LOVE POLYMER CLAY! I've already started adding polymer clay how-to books to my Amazon wish list (now 661 items strong - gotta love Amazon!), and woke up at 3AM this morning thinking of other things to make next week. I strongly recommend trying polymer clay "smooshing" if you haven't already. It is tons of fun!

Keep checking the blog this week to discover everything that's going on, and check back next Monday to see what else I was able to make with my new polymer clay hobby :)

Saturday Squee: I Love Pugs

Black Pug Puppy from here: http://www.dipity.com/tickr/Flickr_pug/

I love pugs!! They're so cute and snorty and fuzzy and tiny! I love their bulgy eyes and scrunchy noses and curly tails.

"Pugkin" pug Pumpkin Hat from JessicaLynneArt

So cute they're SQUEE! Have a happy Saturday :)

Saturday Squee - I'm a fool for Puppies

Ada the Labrador Retriever, Found on Dailypuppy.com

I love puppies. I freely admit that when I see one, I go from quiet, reserved me, into full-blown squeaking, cooing, baby-talking messiness. And I'm okay with it. Love is a beautiful thing. Puppy love? Well, let's just say I can't get enough of them...
Those watery eyes, so innocent and full of life.
Those giant paws and ears, too big for them now, but will be quickly grown into.
The little squawk that becomes the bellowing bark.
The fuzz that turns into sleek fur that gets into every little nook and cranny.
The puppy antics that are annoying, but so funny you have to walk away quickly so they don't see you laughing so hard you want to pee your pants (evidence: Arwen as a puppy deciding to "play" with the 11 foot logs that line my gardens. At all of 25 pounds she was determined to drag one around the yard, snarling the whole time, and even tried to get one up the back stairs. She saw me laughing at that one - I fell over after the log tripped me and was laughing so hard I couldn't stand up for a good 5 minutes).
The initial dependency on you that turns into deep, unequivocal love on both sides of the equation. As Audrey Hepburn once said, "Who thinks you're as fantastic as your dog?".
What is wonderful is that as they get older, the love gets even deeper. Arwen is now 8-1/2 and other than my close family members, I don't think I've ever loved anyone or anything as much as her. She is my best friend, my buddy, by crack-head. She's my grown up puppy and will always be super-cute to me :)

Tuesday's Treasures: My Healing Quilt is Here!!

~Working in My Office With the Healing Quilt~

Back in the spring, my mom and I went to her Quilter's Guild's Quilt Show in Ottawa, Ontario. We had a great time, I was amazed by all of the art (my mom's included), and saw some really neat vendors. I found my mom's birthday presents of a really neat book on quilting landscapes and some special fabric paper she needed, and she found my birthday present of an 'Easy' quilt kit. I liked the fabrics, plus, I figured that as it said 'easy', it would be easier for my mom to fit it into her already busy quilting schedule. We were only about 6 months early for our birthdays, but it was great! Fast forward through the summer, and my mom found the quilt kit's instructions to be fairly backward, it didn't include the borders or backing, and despite the fact that my mom is an advanced quilter, it was making her life tough (sorry Monna!!).

~Cuddling on the Couch With the Healing Quilt~

However, it is now finished, and I LOVE it!! It was made with so much love and kindness and issooo comfy and warm. It has come just at the right time as well - the heat is now on full time in our house, and we just got less than 1/2 tank of furnace oil....for $324!! Needless to say, with prices like that the heat will be a little lower in our house this winter, and I will be curled up under my healing quilt, nice and cozy, and happy that I am surrounded (quite literally) in love. I have now discovered that I need to bring it with me everywhere in the house, as nearly the second I put it down....

~Usurped! Arwen Takes the Quilt~

...Arwen or Brennan takes it!! Here I got up to get a glass of water, and, sure enough, Arwen(with the seal if you notice) has usurped the quilt. At least it is easy to get it away from her - when Brennan takes it, he can hold on to it!! Not that I blame them...something made with this much love is hard to ignore (my dad even helped draw the hearts that my mom quilted)!

Thank you Monna and Daddoo, I LOVE my healing quilt!

I hope you all have a great day, see you tomorrow!

Melodious Monday - I LOVE Plurk!

Okay , okay, when I first heard about Plurk, ANOTHER site to social network, I thought my head would explode. Honestly, aren't I on enough sites already??? (See yesterday's posts for that). But after reading RoseWorksJewelry's blog post on how it is similar yet different to Twitter, I thought I'd give it a try. To me, it seems like a great merger between Twitter, Facebook and MSNChat. You can easily follow conversation threads, or ignore them. You can easily find your current friends, or make new contacts by following other's friends. Want to see people's lives but don't want to chat with them? Instead of becoming theyr "friend", become their "fan". You can't message each other, but you can see what the other is up to. It can automaticall post your updates to Twitter and Facebook as well, to save you posting time ifyou are into that.
Yup, I love Plurk! I've already met some cool people and I've gained 10 new followers to this blog in the past 2 days - welcome to all the new people, thank you for following me here!

Until next time, remember to enter my monthly contest by adding your name and email to my monthly newsletter (You have to sign up there first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

Today's the Day!

~She Can't Wait for Her Grand-Monna!~

So today is the day: my mom is coming over for a few days while Brennan is out of town! We are going to sew things and start our Christmas baking and watch old movies! I am so excited and so is the dog, as she knows when 'grand-monna' is around she always gets treats!
I'm so excited, it almost erases the soreness this morning - not only is it really cold outside, but I spent ALL day yesterday cleaning the house - the kitchen (including scrubbing the outside of the cupboards), dusting every nook and cranny, tidying the whole house, cleaning my office/guest room (the cleaning never seems to be done), vacuuming the floors and stairs, SCRUBBING the floors and stairs, scrubbing all the windows, cleaning my bathroom....whew I'm tired just typing it! I also decorated the house for Christmas on Saturday night, which reminds me, I need to get photos up here to show you!
I'm also expanding my sale on my Etsy store: buy 2 get one free! 1 week only!
Ok, I have to go catch my breath...and do some laundry, see you later!

In Loving Memory of a Wonderful, Furry Friend

~Gandalf March 30, 1995 - November 3, 2008~

Well after taking Gandalf to the vet for an exam on Saturday for a problem I had noticed with his hips, they asked us to bring him in today for x-rays of his pelvis and legs - they thought there might be something wrong with his knee as it crunches a bit when he walks. We brought him in this morning and the vet called a few hours later with their prognosis: his knees were OK, but his hips were the worst they had ever seen. He had arthritis and possibly a genetic disorder in both his hips, causing the hips joints to basically disintegrate. He hasn't really shown any sign of it as cats are quite adept at hiding pain and illness until it is too late and they are in absolute agony. Although we could put him on medication, with the possibility of having surgery to remove his hip joints, there would always be problems, even to the extent of destroying his kidneys. In the end, there was really only decision to make.
At 3:40PM today, Gandalf went to Kitty Heaven. He was a wonderful cat, full of love and purrs. Always happy to sit on a lap, sleep on my tummy, and eat any bit of fluff or bug he could find on the floor, he is survived by his canine friend, Arwen, his mom, dad, and Grand-monna and Grand-papa.
He was 13.
He will be greatly missed.
Many tears have been shed, and many more are still to come, but ultimately he is free of pain, free to chase any bird, bug and squirrel and free to visit his first canine companion, Willy. He will always get his girl, and will always be able to sleep in, on and around any and every shoe he wants. He will always have as much food as he can eat, without having to worry about someone saying he is a little on the heavy side.
Goodbye my fuzzy little buddy, my handsome little man. May you give head-butts to other friendly faces, may you impress everyone with your giant thumbs. We love you, miss you, and wish you well on this, your final journey to the litter box.
Thank you for being my bestest furry little guy. Mom will always love and remember you.
My heart is broken, but I know it was for your best happiness.
Meghann

Squishy Kitty

~My Squished Cat in a Red Box Needs Prayers~

In the midst of the worst flare up I have ever had, complete with the worst pain I have ever endured, I noticed that on my cat's sore hip there is a little spot on his leg that he has chewed his fur off. A few days later I noticed that he had chewed a small sore in the same spot, so he is off to the vet on Saturday. He needs all your prayers, as I think he is getting displaysia in his hips. He already needs dental surgery (we are trying to come up with the money somehow), but the displaysia is sort of a deal-breaker. I had a dog with displaysia as a kid, and it doesn't matter what you do - drugs, surgery, anything - it doesn't fix the problem, only prolongs their pain and suffering. Even though he is pretty healthy now (he is 13, so no one is perfect at that age), I don't want to fill him full of drugs that are going to have side effects and make him dopey, or the other extreme - hide the pain so that he damages his joints without realizing it. We need lots of prayers that whatever is going on is fixable (and that we can afford to fix it!!) or I am afraid I will have to make the most difficult decision of his (and my) life. I love my little fuzzy buddy, and he is my best furry friend. I want him to be happy, healthy and safe, and I can't in good conscience keep him doped up on meds when I know that he shouldn't be. If need be, I will make the decision to let him go to 'kitty heaven'. We need prayers - for him and me!
Until then, I am taking lots of pictures and giving him lots of chin scratches :)
God bless,
Meghann

Falling for Fall All Over Again

~An Abandoned Tractor Waits for the Icy Grip of Winter~

I love fall colors! The past Thanksgiving weekend Brennan and I went to his parents beautiful house in Huntsville, and wow what an amazing symphony of colors awaited us! The drive was long, and by the time we got there I was in full spasm-twitching pain, but I love going up there to see his family - they always make me feel so welcome and part of the family. We sat on their back deck and enjoyed the colors of the leaves and gorgeous sunshine for hours on end. It was an amazing lesson in how to relax - and for once I passed that test easily! There was always something more to see, more colors, more shadow play on the leaves and ground. It was awe inspiring to say the least. It really makes you feel small (in a good way!), knowing that you are part of something so much bigger than you.
We had a great visit and wonderful meals and conversations. I was sore, but I got through it, with a little help from the leaves, and a lot of help from family :)
Meghann

September is Good for My Fibromyalgia

~My Mom's Beautiful New Bookmark~

For some reason, the end of August until the end of September (cold weather permitting) seems to be the best time for my fibromyalgia. It's not too hot, not too cold, and my good days just about equal my bad ones. I'm able to concentrate, and although I'm still chronically tired, I actually get about 3 hours straight sleep per night!
I think it is also the change of seasons. I love spring because it means summer's almost here, and I love summer, because, well, who doesn't love summer?? But fall is always such a noticeable transition. Even though I dread it leaving because it means the beginning of cold and pain, I love the breezes and colours. I love watching the birds fly in formation as they prepare to venture back south (though I really miss them in the winter). I love my animals getting their thick, fuzzy, winter coats (though I hate having to brush them each twice per day and clean the floors just as often when they shed!). I also LOVE to bake!! Apple pies and pumpkin pies and muffins and roasted squash (oh my!) I love the homey feel of warm houses closed up against the cold, smelling the wood fires.
Maybe that's why my fibromyalgia isn't as bad now. Whatever it is, I'll take it! I will enjoy every last day of lessened pain. I know winter brings pain and horrible days, but for now, I'm doing OK. My Etsy store is also having a sale and keeping me quite busy, so that helps too! Check it out here at: www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com I'm also updating my web page so please be patient if it is acting up :)
That's all for now...jewellery artist out!
Meghann

Sort of Happy Birthday...

~Insert Candle Here~

Though my birthday isn't until Wednesday, my mom's was on Saturday, and my sister's was on the 29th of August, so we all went to my parents' house for our birthday celebrations on Sunday. It was a great afternoon, despite my being in a lot of pain - the sudden cold weather seems to have really hit me hard. Brennan has some viral thing going on with his sinuses, so he was not feeling his best, but he put on a happy face and enjoyed the day too (my strawberry-chocolate cupcakes helped - see my food blog for the post soon!). We all had a great afternoon and everyone got some really nice gifts. My sister got me a magazine subscription I've wanted for a long time, but never got myself, my parents gave me a WillowTree angel for my collection, and a book on learning how to sew (I know, I never have enough on my plate!), and my brother gave me a gift card so I can treat myself to things I never seem to buy for me (which was really generous considering he is in University still). There were great nibblies provided by my parents, and I, as I mentioned earlier, brought the cupcakes. I purchased a book, called, "Crazy About Cupcakes" a while back because I want to make them for my wedding dessert, and ever since, I have been absolutely crazy for cupcakes. I'd never even had them until I got this book, but WOWEE, I love them now! I do, of course, have to modify all the recipes for my allergies, but that just adds to the fun and challenge of it all. I had intended to make strawberry shortcake cupcakes for my birthday, but there weren't enough strawberries, and no chocolate at all, so I made my own version and they are AMAZING! Totally forgot I was in so much pain ;-)
That's all for now, I've had some pretty painful days and my Etsy store has been doing so well I haven't been napping (which I am not complaining about - I love my Etsy store!), so I'm pretty tired and sore.
I'll catch up with you all later, hugs for you!
Meghann

Holy Cow I Need to Breathe!

~One of the New Flower Bobby Pins~

Ok, so when I said that I need to distract myself to avoid pain from Fibromyalgia, I don't think I quite meant THIS distracted, but I am having the TIME OF MY LIFE!! I have made more sales on my Etsy store, and one of my Etsy Street Teams is having a 1 year anniversary birthday bash 20% off sale (see my jewellery blog for details and a coupon!), I am making more jewellery, trying to exercise as per the doctor's instructions, clean my house, spend time with my fiance, dog and cat, run the rest of my business, and sleep! I LOVE IT!! I am still able to nap (usually) when I need to so that is great. Oh yeah, I also have a new store on iCraft at: http://www.icraft.ca/littlestudiojewels it has different items not listed on my Etsy store so check it out!
I have to say that even though I am still in flare ups almost constantly, tired, sore and stiff, it is a real Godsend to have a supportive family and friends, and to have found Etsy. I am able to meet with other artists, and socialize from my home. I am getting more and more inspired to create more great jewellery (I'm even drawing again!) and photography. I am slowly building my reputation online so that people know they can purchase from me with confidence. I am building my own confidence! I have been so worried for so long that Fibromyalgia would take my income, social life, sense of pride, everything, that this is the greatest blessing I could have received right now. Thank you God! Thank you family! Thank you friends! I love you all and appreciate all your support.
Ok, enough with the cheeeese, I am going to make more jewellery, and hopefully go get some sleeeeeeep.....
Much love,
Meghann

Stress Rains Down - and More Rain Rains Down

~My Wonderful Cat, Now in Need of Dental Surgery~

I've had a bad week. A really, really bad week. I'm sore, exhausted at nothing, and broke. Broke, broke, broke. I haven't been able to work since last November. I can't afford my medications for my fibromyalgia (not that they were doing anything anyway, but I always had hope), I can't afford my physical therapy for my fibromyalgia, and now, on top of hydro bills, phone bills, and other everyday expenses, my cat went to the vet for his annual check up and apparently needs dental surgery. $1100 of dental surgery to be exact. He is 12 years old, and has been my bud since I was 13, so I will not let him suffer. The vet says I need to do it before Christmas, but the sooner the better. I want to. I really, really want to do it now so he doesn't have to go another day with bad teeth (I can't even imagine). The obvious problem is, of course, that I don't have the money to pay the hydro bills, or get my hair cut, or replace my socks with holes in them.
I need help! Please pray for me and the cat. I don't know how we'll get the money for this - my fiance anf I haven't even been able to save anything for our wedding next year.
......And it is raining AGAIN. Jeez, will someone please turn it off for more than a day?
The good news: the dog is in perfect health, and so is the cat, apart from the dental stuff. The cat isn't in obvious pain, and still eats, though now I'm moistening his food slightly so it's easier to chew. It could be worse, I suppose.
I try to stay positive, and make more jewellery in the hopes that it will sell. I have more coming, so keep checking the jewellery blog and my website for more details (the links are on the bar at right).
Take care, I'm off to overturn my patio chairs full of rainwater.
Meghann

Love is the Best Medicine

~My 'Lil Love Bug, Gandalf~

When my fiance is at work and I'm alone and sore during the day, there is nothing I love more than to sleep. I should say, that I love to sleep and have my animals keep me company. My cat Gandalf sits on my tummy and purrs, making him my personal massaging heating pad. My dog Arwen takes my fiance's pillow and most of his side of the bed, puts her head on his pillows and stares out the window into the backyard. Sometimes she'll sleep on her back, spread eagle with her paws straight in the air and SNORE! It's amazing how a 50 pound dog can snore louder than an adult more than 3 times her size! That being said, I'd rather have her snore than not have her at all.
Knowing my animals are always there, loving me no matter how sore and cranky I am, makes the day better and go by faster. Love truly is the best medicine! That, and my animals are hilarious! Laughter helps too. They play together, and when that gets boring, they sleep side by side, sometimes touching paws, tails, even noses! I am blessed to have companionship - even when my fiance is at work, my animals are always by my side. On my most painful days, they hardly go more than a few feet away, and I am grateful for that!
That's all for now, I'm off to play with my dog,
Meghann