good friends, good food, and good times

What a beautiful day it was yesterday. One of dearest friends in the world was here to visit and catch up. She's on an eastward track and we only had one full day but we sure had a good time. Here we are at Balnced Rock with the Ouchita mountains in the background. We took a small hike, checked out the Fordyce Bath House Visitors Center, went for evening boat rides on Lake Hamilton, swam in the too warm water, ate good meals and enjoyed the sounds of the night from the balcony deck. It had been a few years since we've actually had the opportunity to see each other face to face and it was a such a blast to have her here, and to meet her man, who is super nice. Nothing compliments good friends better than spending time in a beautiful surrounding.

Last weekend me and the boys went up to Mountain View. Just a pretty place to visit in the Ozarks. Here are my fellas on Father's Day swimming in and playing at Sylamore Creek. Mountain View is the self-proclaimed Folk Music capital of the world and home to Jimmy Driftwood. We caught some truly fantastic Celtic music on the square when a group from St.Louis set up with instruments and played late into the night. Most evenings around the main square visitors and locals alike gather to hear various kinds of folk music as musicians meet up and form small circles to entertain the masses. What a blast.

We were also there on a weekend that coincinded with a BBQ cookoff. So we got to taste a variety of BBq and see how different each person's take on it can be. So much fun and so delicious.

Stay tuned for my new series of Beaded flower how to's coming soon.

bursting with inspiration

last week i went hiking on the trail to goat rock with my boys, we came across beautiful wildflowers blooming, some were ones that are also common in the east, others are similar but native to here in the ouchitas. all were beautiful and i wanted to share them with you. wildflowers come out from the ground on their own volition with no help from human hands. they splash the world with brilliant colors and liven up street corners, parking lots, and even old cracked concrete stairways. it's the spontaneity of the wildflower that inspires me and i use that to create my beadwork pieces. here are some pictures of the wildflowers that can be seen on hot springs mountain.

butterfly weed with delicate, bright orange flowers standing out behind the green of the path

pale purple coneflower is a lighter version of the purple coneflower i am used to in the appalachians, also the petals seem longer and more slender to me

lanceleaf coreopsis is a brilliant yellow that covers the hillsides in both sun and shade

this scaly blazing star with small ball flowers that have long threadlike petals coming out of them is very different than the one i am used to with long spikes and spindly flower petals

color coated/coded

spent this past weekend up in fayetteville visiting with friends. had a great time talking, eating, talking some more. j's outdoor living area so awesome. when the frogs started singing, and wow did they sing, i felt transported to a tropical paradise complete with warm/cool mixed breezes, tree branches swishing loudly and the refreshing night air all around.

multitudes of beads took the journey with me as i have been working on repleneshing my stock of items available. the flowers in a plethora of colors are slowly making their way into my trays. as i began to stockpile flowers for transformation into clips, rings, and earrings, that i tend to have quite the collection of blue hues with shades of purple follwoing closely behind. i wonder what that says about me?

the chorus hidden from view

begins a pervasive rhythm

of trills, clicks, gurgles and peeps

each musician adds to

the masterpiece

guiding along our conversation

the wind picks up,

the tree branches add percussion

chimes are played by the wind

the symphony is all around us

it seeps into my bones

my foot taps in time

the crescendo

then the last few notes

float

hovering on the wing of

some passing weather system

silence is golden

my fair friends

sushi, celebration and good company

the breeze is blowing cool this morning
a high pitched call from nearby treetops
travels far
the branches bend and sway
waving good morn to the world
as they dance on the air streaming by

good people surround
well, still sleeping sound
in this warm and welcoming
home
friends gather
to celebrate the life given

sushi rolls by
on wooden boat
sweet warm drink is poured
soup, salads, and other vittles
grace the plentiful table

my heart is at ease
and i feel pleased
that we have taken this
weekend excursion

this morning

it's morning here

on Lake Hamilton
i can hear birds singing

joyous songs
a dog barks

across the cove
and squirrles skitter

about the yard
the heat has begun

to settle in
the bugs are all a frenzy
for our fresh, pulsing, life-giving blood

this is summer

last night
at sunset
we could see small fish
breaking through the lake surface
defying the limitations of gravity
with hopes of a feast
the evening bug swarm
skimming just above the water.

the waxing moon graced the sky
and the swallows and bats
swooped

such is life on the lake
a beautiful dance
surrounding me.

fascinator fascination

as i've been looking around the web and checking out what seems to be in as far as fashion trends, i have come across a widely popular item, the feather fascinator. truth be told i wasn't really sure exactly what a fascinator was, at least by name, until about two weeks ago. anyway, my creative juices got flowing to see how i could combine my beaded flowers, feathers and various hair accessories to come up with a few versions of my own. i've posted them here in the incomplete phases just to get 'em out there and feel like i did something.

i'm also really excited because a few weeks ago i ordered some bronze ring bases from turkey and they arrived today. they are a bronze ring base some wiht silver plate and some with gold plate and some with just a bronze finish. i was so thrilled that they finally got here i went right to work creating some simple, sparkly fun rings that i will have available on my etsy site very soon.

off to find more inspiration in the beautiful wildflower photos i took yesterday while hiking to goat rock and gulpha gorge.