Red, White and Blue

Red, white and blue beads hung with lobster clasps from an 8" silver chain bracelet. Blue matching 2" dangle earrings.

The Blues

Necklace, bracelet and earrings in shades of blues. Some of the beads are foil lined, giving them a little sparkle.

22" necklace, 8" bracelet, 2" earrings.

Chandelier set

1.5" chandelier earrings and 20" necklace. The beads are light, iridescent blue, light purple and silver. The chandelier dangles are light blue and crystal.

Red and Silver

Silver hearts and chain highlighted by red beads. I'm still working on getting better pictures. 8" bracelet with 4" earrings.

Cheap Seats!

Last Bandits game of the season. We had a great time with Lisa, Anthony, and Kayla Alvear! It's a shame we lost, but there is always next year.

Serena's Bachelorette Party

All 16 of us - ready for a long limo ride to four wineries

Amazing fruit kabobs! Laura, Serena's maid of honor, thought of Everything!

We had a great time! We went to Willow Creek in Silver Creek, Liberty in Sheridan, Merritt in Forrestville, and Woodbury in Fredonia. Great company, great food, and wonderful wines!

April Showers bring...

Checking out the ticker...

Should have the results by the end of the week.

Just shoot me.

In the course of getting my New York State Teaching Certification done, I have to take a few exams: the Praxis II 0069, which tests Middle School Mathematics knowledge, the Mathematics 004, which tests secondary school Math knowledge as a whole, and the Pedagogy exam, which tests teaching methods (never mind that I don't have any yet). So, on April 4th, I signed up, paid for, and scheduled all three: Praxis for 4/13/13, Math 004 for 6/8/13, and Pedagogy for 6/15/13. 

I spent Thursday evening and all day Friday brushing up on my Middle School Math skills. It is a 4 hour exam, and I was confident I would do well.

Saturday morning, at 7:45 a.m., I showed up at Buff State to take my Praxis 0069. They gave me test 0061. I told them I didn't think that was right; I signed up for 0069. No, it turns out I really did make a HUGE mistake and I signed up for the 0061. Better yet, the test was on trigonometry, which I pretty much haven't touched in six years.

And even better yet, I paid for it. To the tune of $115. 

No refunds, and since they didn't have the 0069 there with them, I took the wrong test.

The next time the 0069 is offered is 6/8/13, but I already have 004 scheduled for that date and time. The next time it is offered after that is 7/20/13, which would be okay as long as I pass, but if I don't pass or for some reason an emergency comes up and I can't take it on that date, I would not be able to student teach in January as planned because all my testing has to be complete by August 1st in order to qualify for January 2014 student teaching. 

Another bonus? The prices of the tests went up. Instead of paying $115 for the 0069, it now costs $139. 

I'm not sure whether to laugh, cry, or drink. I figure this way, though. If I did well on it, that's one more thing for my resume. If I did poorly on it, it doesn't count anyway, because it wasn't the test I was supposed to take. 

I'll find out how I did next month.

Beautiful Sky

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Special effects were outstanding. We saw it in 3D, which was nauseating for me at times, but Ian LOVED it. It was a great Boy movie...lots of action, adventure, and explosions!

It's Opening Day!

Summer is finally here! (Well, almost. This is Buffalo, after all.)

Opening Day always marks the end of winter and the beginning of living again. Ian and I are taking Hope and going to the Game. Go Bisons!

Another Hooded Scarf

My sister really liked the hooded scarf I made for my niece, Carly. She needs something with a closer weave, though, because she gets cold so easily. I decided to start the hood like I started Carly's, but do the body of the hood and the scarf with a stitch that is more dense. I re-discovered the basket weave stitch online and am giving it a shot So far, it looks good. 

Amber Splendor

I need a better camera. I recently purchased an Olympic digital Ph.D. camera (Push here, Dummy) but the color is always off, and I'll be dipped if I can figure out how to fix it. I just don't know enough about them. Next time a Nikon digital goes on sale, I'm there!

Anyway, this necklace is actually beautiful with amber, gold and brown beads connected with gold chain. I'm going to talk to my friend's daughter about taking some pictures of my jewelry so I have better photographic representations of my product, and then I'll think about opening a store. I also have to remember to ask my brother what is a reasonable amount to pay her for her time...

Serena and Eric

Taken at their Bridal Shower

Down for the Count

Ian and I have been fighting something lately. Yesterday, I woke him up at 6:30 to go to bed, I followed by 7, and we slept the night through. I've still got a temperature. He seems to have bounced back pretty quickly.

Sunrise

My latest project

For Susie's Granddaughter

Susie's granddaughter wanted snowflake earrings for her birthday. Susie picked the charms she liked, and asked if I could make her a jewelry set with clip-on earrings. No problem! I hope she likes them as much as Susie and I do. 

Happy Pi Day!

What Teachers Make

I found this poem on a website for teachers, and think it is absolutely perfect. I am not pursuing a degree in Mathematics Education because I am seeking 'big bucks' or 'gobs of time off'. I will probably be dirt floor poor and scraping to pay my student loans. But I will be making a difference. 

I do have to say, too, that I doubly enjoyed this poem from the standpoint of a legal assistant to personal injury attorneys. Mr. Mali says it well:



What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don’t work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, “What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we’re eating, after all, and this is polite company.

“I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor,” he says.
“Be honest. What do you make?”

And I wish he hadn’t done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and a**-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you get a drink of water?
Because you’re not thirsty, you’re bored, that’s why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, “Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.

I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a g**d*** difference! What about you?

Mr. Mali's website can be found at www.taylormali.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TaylorMaliPoet?ref=ts&fref=ts

Flowers

 At work and

...at home.

I love carnations.

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend!

Isn't it beautiful?

Snitch

Excellent movie! Ian and I both enjoyed it, and had a very intense discussion after about how the choices people make affect others. :)

Serena's Earrings

Serena asked me to make earrings for her wedding. I am so honored, and incredibly touched that she thinks my creations are beautiful enough for such an important day in her life! She found a picture on-line of earrings she liked and asked me if I could make them. It worked!

I added an extra pearl to fill out the earrings a bit, and with the beads that were left, I made her a simple bracelet. She loves them both, and told me they look wonderful with her dress. I can't wait to see pictures! I am sure she will make a breathtaking bride.

Wedding Jewelry

My friend and co-worker, also named Serena, is getting married in June. She asked if I would make earrings and bracelets for her bridesmaids. I am so honored!

Her colors are yellow, orange and pink, all vibrant, beautiful, and bright. Here they are:

 

I will be making the bride's earrings next. :)

Catching Camp

LaniMom's New Afghan

I started this afghan near the end of April, 2012, while patiently sitting with my father and family in the Erie County Medical Center Trauma ICU waiting room. It kept my hands busy while my mind worried...

It went to ECMC when she was in acute rehab, to the Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center where she stayed for sub-acute rehab, and to all the many doctor appointments and treks back to ECMC in between. 

I finished it today, and I am going to give it to LaniMom tomorrow. I hope it keeps her warm and reminds her of her family's love.  

Fielding Camp

Bracelet/Earrings set

Giraffes pick and choose their social circles

Giraffes pick and choose their social circles

Everliving Beauty

A friend of mine has started an online retail business . Please visit her store, Everliving Beauty. She is selling cosmetics, women's casual wear and dresses at reasonable prices. 

Calvin Strikes Again

I made a pot of macaroni and cheese for lunch. Calvin wanders out into the kitchen and says, 

Oh, thank you, Mom! What are YOU having for lunch? 

Thoughts on Change

It is largely agreed that America has pretty poor health care provisions for its citizens. Any time changes to the health care system were proposed, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and other big money sources dug their heels in, and nothing happened, nothing was changed.

Until the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is a good start toward improving our health care provisions.Opponents of the Act took their cause all the way to the Supreme Court, where its constitutionality was, in large part, upheld.

What struck me as ironic about the entire thing is that almost everyone, from private citizens to larger companies, would say we needed better health care, yet no one wanted to DO anything about it! When someone did take the initiative to make changes to improve a system that was not working, it was fought tooth and nail. 

Although it makes no sense, it seems to me people are screaming for changes to be made and then vehemently opposing any changes they are faced with. They want changes to be made, but only if it doesn't affect them or what they conceive to be their precious rights. 

Now we have the issue of gun violence. No one, since perhaps before 1994?, has made any effort to make reasonable changes to our gun laws. It's taken the violent death of 26 people in an Elementary school to force the issue. An initiative was taken, and changes are in the works, and on the heels of the President's speech, 33 days from a massacre in an Elementary school, the right wing lunatic fringe is again all fired up because these changes will affect their precious rights, fighting tooth and nail against any improvements to what has proven to be a broken system. 

I don't understand it. 

When did owning an assault rifle become more important than people's lives?  What are people thinking?

Snowmagheddon

I took this picture out my front window through the screen. Ian shoveled for hours today.  We got about a foot of snow last night.

 I am SO thankful I'm on vacation this week!

Merry Christmas!

Baby afghan

My hairdresser is pregnant and expecting a girl next month. I just started this...and I'd better hurry!

Christmas Eve

I love wrapping presents. There was a time when that was how I made extra money...$1 for a small package under 6" around, $2 for a medium package under 12" around, and $3 for anything over $12". Good times!