RIP Michael, Farrah and Ed

What a sad week for the entertainment world and for all of us.

I remember my mother taking all 4 of us children to see the Jackson 5 when I was young. My parents bought us Jackson 5 albums and let us hang a poster in the living room. They were so awesome (and still are.)

Maybe Michael Jackson will find the peace he never seemed to have in his life.

Today's quote comes from another person who we lost too soon - Gilda Radner: I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.

Wordle

Have you heard of Wordle? It's a great site that will take words and make them into pieces of word clouds like the ones you see above. They are based on my blog, but of course!

Take it for a spin! You'll have fun!

Today's quote comes from Eric Hoffer: Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature.

Projects from Bead and Button 2009

Fireflies at Sunset - class taught by Carol Cypher. Flexible peyote tube - love the use of the drops - brings out flashes of color. This one worked up pretty fast and I'm very happy with the results. I enjoyed taking class from Carol and really like her hair!

Peapod made in Mary Hettsmansperger's Color on Metals class. Loved the class, love taking classes with Mary! Learned so much and played so much.

Quote from Picasso: Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

I Just Heard a Beautiful Sound!

Isn't she pretty?

The Hiawatha in Milwaukee.

The observation car of the Hiawatha.

The sound of a steam locomotive. I live fairly close to the railroad tracks and most of the time the horn is a sound I ignore, but this sound I love.

My family used to take the Hiawatha from Milwaukee to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. It is a fond childhood memory.

Another quote from today comes from Seneca: Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

We Lost a Great Voice

RIP Koko Taylor 1928 - 2009

The Blues are American through and through.

Today's quote comes from Edgar Winter: As far as I'm concerned, blues and jazz are the great American contributions to music.

Bead and Button Video

Short, but sweet. More on Bead and Button when time and energy allow.

Today's quote comes from Angela Monet: Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.

What??!

I do not understand why toilet paper manufacturers use animated bears and puppies to sell toilet paper. I think it's so stupid that I won't waste (pun intended) my money on their products. Does anybody care what kind of toilet paper animated bears prefer? I think we should bring back Mr. Whipple!

Today's quote comes from Abraham Lincoln: What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.

(More on the Bead and Button Show when I get a chance to take some photos!)

Another June, Another Bead and Button Show

Image by Mabeline Gidez - Tiny Embraces pattern.

I have taken two classes so far this year - the first was Mabeline's Tiny Embraces bracelet. It was a cozy class - only a few of us - and I was the only one not to finish during the class time. Oh well. I'm going to finish tonight. I enjoyed learning the pattern and meeting Mabeline. I think that her designs stood out in the catalog this year.

Today's class was Color on Metals taught by Mary Hettsmansperger. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and made many pendants. It was the polar opposite of Mabeline's class - no mistakes that couldn't be fixed and involved using a torch. I was happy to learn a torch all day - feel more comfortable using one now.

When I get a chance, I'll take pictures and post them here. So far, this Bead and Button Show has been the best for me and we haven't even been shopping yet!

Today's quote comes from Anawanitia: Art is not so much expressing oneself, as it is discovering oneself.