Red-colored heart-shaped object. And it’s not even Valentine’s Day!

Recently, I was at my mom & dad’s house.

This may not seem like a big deal to you but it is a HUGE deal to me!

 

My parents live more than 4,400 miles
(that’s 7,000 km, my European friends) away from me.

So it’s not like I can just hop into my car and arrive at their doorstep on a whim.

 

Seeing as I hadn’t seen my dad in about 5 years (yeah, crazy, I know!) and my mom in over a year, I had decided to spend the entire month of December and the first week of January  at my parents’ house in Chicago.

I even slept in the same bedroom I had when I was between the ages of 7 – 17!

What memories!

 

I started looking through the closet and drawers.

 

Imagine being able to look through your old dressers and closet!

 

 

While you are imagining, I’d like you to imagine something else.

Imagine the excitement of a little girl, rushing to the living room
on December 25th at 6 a.m.,
and discovering a mountain
of colorfully wrapped boxes
under the Christmas tree.

 

That’s exactly how I felt when I opened the dresser drawers.

Where my old stuff used to be.

What I discovered instead were piles of beads and semi-precious stones.

My mom’s stash of beads.

And she said I could keep them!

Oh, the joy!

 

But…

There was a problem.

Keep in mind that after the holidays, I had to fly back to Spain.
Leaving behind cold and dreary  Chicago weather and exchanging it for sunny and warm Spain.
No problem there!

 

So what was the problem?

 

The  dilemma was that I was only allowed 50 lbs. (23 kilos) in my suitcase.

 

Which meant that I had to decide judiciously what I was going to take with me, and what I was to leave behind.

 

Decisions, decisions!

But…

what a FUN decision!

 

I made up my mind to take the pile of coral.

(I also decided to take the pile of turquoise but that is another story. Oh, and the silver. You can bet I didn’t leave behind the sterling silver.)

 

So here it was, sitting on my studio desk back in Spain.

A bright bunch of coral.

Luscious.

And red.

DSCF4263ok (800x600)

 

 

Grab a closer look.

 

coral beads

So I pulled out my jewelry making tray.

And started to play!

Hmmm, what goes with coral?

 

Turquoise goes with coral!

 

 

turquoise with coral

 

And what goes with coral and turquoise?

 

Why, amber and sterling silver do!

 

 

amber, turquoise, and sterling silver

 

 

I played and played.

And here’s what I came up with.

It’s sitting on my studio desk right now.

rough draft of coral and turquoise necklace

So here it is.

The “rough draft” of my coral + turquoise + amber + sterling silver necklace.

“Still not finished?”, you ask.

Yeah….uhhh…

Still not finished.

Heck.

Ran out of jewelry stringing supplies. Bummer. Whatever.

Had to order more supplies.

Still waiting, semi-patiently,  for the order to arrive….

 

You want to see it when it’s done?

What do you think?

Should I re-arrange the beads?

Take out something?

Add something?

Do you ever wear statement necklaces? Yes? No?

 

LET ME know!

Write your opinion & ideas (heck, or just say HI if you can’t think of anything) in the comment section below!

 

thanks <3

 

 

 

 

 

Diary of my Christmas day in Chicago 2014

Christmas wreath on window

Here’s my photo diary from today, the 25th of December.

I was particularly looking forward to this as I hadn’t spent Christmas

with my mom and dad and my uncle since 1991!

Please sit back and enjoy as I show you my day.
Everything ready?
Let’s see…..
 Is the Christmas tree in the entrance hall? Check.
 Ecological potted Christmas tree
Is the wreath hanging in the living room window? Check.
 Christmas wreath on window
Can’t quite see that wreath?
Here’s a better view.
 Christmas wreath on window
Is the table set? Check.
Gosh, this was ready 24 hours ahead of time!
Mom sure knows how to organize!
Table set for the holidays
Morning of the 25th.
Who is actually preparing for the feast?
Mom in busy at the stove  cooking.
Dad is boiling some water for his mid-morning tea.
Where am I?
I’m taking the photos!
Christmas interior
Table set. Food prep done.
Even the coffee cups are already set out!
Time for Mom to relax!
AND put up her legs, if only for a few minutes.
 Here she is, catching up on the news, waiting for the guests to arrive.
Relaxing after preparing Christmas meal
And here we are, finally at the table!
And here is the food!
Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!
Patiently waiting are Dede Vytas, Ponia Kristina, Tetis, and Ponia Birute.
Mom’s not in the photos.
She’s in the kitchen fetching more plates of food.
Am I helping?
I’m taking the photos!
Christmas meal
Here Mom is back from the kitchen, making room for more food on the table.
Christmas meal
On your marks, get set, GO!!!
Time to dig in!
Oh, but wait, here’s a close-up of the duck à l’orange before we begin.
Someone’s hand is already reaching in there, anxious to start!
Roast duck
A bit of frantic food passing!
(That’s why the photo is out of focus. My hands were shaking from hunger pangs.
I was too quick taking the photos, worried I was going to be left with nothing.)
Christmas meal
No photos of the empty plates. I don’t think you care to see that anyway.
Have we finished eating?
Well, no, not quite.
Time for the death+by+chocolate +cream+butter+sugar dessert.
(May I add that it was a probably a good idea you’ve scheduled that appointment
to check your cholesterol levels BEFORE Christmas.)
 Christmas meal
 Can you see what is there in the middle of the table?
 It is a Bûche de Noël.
Baked and decorated by moi.
You see, I DID do something other than take a few snapshots.
Boy, was the food delicious and the conversation entertaining!
Thanks everyone!!!
The best present of all: your presence!
Lots of Love and Buckiai,
Indre
P.S. Sorry about the excessive use of exclamation points!
I really did have a great time so how else can I show my smiling face if not with loads of  exclamations!!!!!!!
P. P.S. Did you like this diary? Yes? No? Did YOU eat lots and lots on Christmas day?
Let me know! Write something down in the comment box below! Pretty please 🙂

How did you feel when your dream came true?

Hello my goddess!

 

 I decided it was about time I told you the real reason why I start my letters with “Hello my goddess!” yet as I am writing this I am surrounded by pins and needles and cutting shears and bits of linen…

DSCF3724

 …………so the last thing on my mind right now is to recount the saga of why I decided to name my new shop Hello My Goddess.

 

You see, the day after tomorrow I present my summer collection of linen clothes in a fashion show. YIKES! Did I say I was nervous? Well, I wasn’t…. yesterday. Today…oh, you better believe it, I AM!

 

Gosh, I am still in the process of sewing oodles and oodles of tiny little triangular bits of linen onto a sweet little bustier top.

DSCF3721

 

DSCF3720ok

Let’s pray  it turns out OK as it’ll be part of the grand finale when the bride comes bustling down the runway!

 

Just when she is out there in all her crowning glory, all twirling about in a majestic linen cape and this (hopefully!) incredible bustier,  the announcer will call out my name so that I go out and wave to the public.

 

“Hello My Goddess!”,  I’ll shout down to the on-lookers! (No, not really! But I’ll be thinking of you, my dear friends, those of you who  are supporting me from the side-lines and unable to come!)

 

Ever since I was a prepubescent preteen, I’d been fantasizing about designing for a fashion show……and, whaddya know, only about 4 decades later, this Friday, June 6th, will be the 3rd time I get to fulfill that dream. Yay!

 

Have you ever wanted to be an actress ….and finally landing the leading role in The Ice Queen?

 

Have you ever dreamed of playing the lead guitar in a rock & roll band….and just landed 5 gigs to play live in London?

 

Have you ever dreamed of going to Europe …and all of a sudden you find yourself with a croissant and a café au lait, in a cute little patisserie around the corner from Notre Dame?

 

Have you ever fantasized about living in a clean house…and all of a sudden your teen volunteers to vacuum the living room? (I wish! Dream on, girl!)

 

Yes, Dorothy, believe it or not, dreams (sometimes) really DO come true!

 

How did you feel when your dream came true? I am curious to know!

Everyone else is, too!

Please share your story down below in the comments 😉

 

And see you next time…

…with the true meaning of Hello My Goddess !

 

Right now I really gotta hurry on back to my ol’ faithful Singer and get this bridal outfit finished!