Celebrate ~ Celebrate...Dance To The Music!

If you know the Hess family, then you know we are all about family and celebrations...the obvious as well as the obscure.  It doesn't take much!

This past Sunday we celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday.

Amanda, aka Kiki, has enjoyed many celebrations through the years ~ to name a few...

First Christmas, 1975, with Uncle Erik

Halloween ~ 1977

Thanksgiving ~ 1980

Today I'm 8!! ~ April 28, 1983

First Holy Communion ~ May, 1983

First day of school ~ 1983

Fiesta at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ~ 1988

The girls in OCMD ~ 2011

On Sunday, surrounded with her family and friends, Kiki chose to celebrate her birthday at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

The guests ~

Birthday cards ~

And sweet remembrances ~

Party favors - sunscreen, lip balm, and facial mist!

Sunday became another wonderful memory which we have tucked into our hearts.  Thank you, lovely Amanda Leigh, for choosing us ~ your family!

As for me, I'm back in the Hive this week, cookin' up more honey...I've got a lovely show for which to get ready, some commissioned orders, and an Anniversary this week...43 years with the love of my life, sweet Ron.

For those who might not know this, Ron and I eloped just prior to his fraternity hell night!  And they said it wouldn't last...well, it did last and I'm here to tell you that love gets better and better the longer you work at it!

Oh, we did get married in Church a few months later as I don't think my mother would've ever spoken to me again if we didn't!  LOL

Have a lovely week, sweet friends.  I'll be thinking of you and pinching myself for having such lovely people with which to share my life, virtual and otherwise!

It's A Clean Sweep!

I think I'm going to let this week's pictures tell the story of the past week, since I KNOW they're worth a thousand words!  I will just preface everything with a little information...

Two and half years ago, when my sweet man set up my studio (below),  becoming a jewelry artist was nowhere in my near-future plans.

Moving all my art out to the studio freed up my little office in the house for storing memorabilia, photo albums, keepsakes, monthly household business, and pretty much a "catch-all" for anything that didn't have a home....


At the beginning of 2012,  my muse called ~and I was off on the jewelry adventure of my life!  I knew the studio would be a great location for torch soldering, iron soldering,  and maybe even etching.


I was so "smart" and designated my home office for the fine detail and finishing work that my jewelry required.

What I failed to do was anticipate how this segment of my artistry would "take over" my office and life.

The walls began  to close in as my inventory, materials, tools and other supplies grew....

Now, don't go running out of the room screaming "Hoarder!" ~ my friends will tell you that I'm a germaphobe, neatnik, clean home obsessive ~ but the office....well, it just had a lot of STUFF.



So, last Tuesday I began what was to become the biggest purge of my life ~ a 5-day purge to be exact.

Are you ready? ~ it's quite a ride!

From left ~ right...making progress

Here's what went to Goodwill ~ 10 parcels in all...

Here's what got packed away in the garage, the studio, the guest house, and the attic (I told you the office became a dumping ground!)

Would you like to see the final results?


Here we go...

Voila!

Now, I'm ready to get back to work!

The Hive's in order, and the only "buzz" is  jewelry-speak!

Only one more item to change and that's a darling chandelier that we've had for awhile...not knowing where we wanted it to reside.  That's for another day.

We do have a new family member ~ Ruby the iRobot Roomba!  Ruby, I couldn't have gotten through this purge without you.  Thank you, dearest Nancy R., for urging me to buy one.  How did I ever live without it??

Before I leave you this week, I want to share the most lovely treasure with you...

My dear, darling friend, Katherine in Toronto, sent me a beautiful card along with this precious Easter ornament which she made.  Surprises are one of the loveliest of gifts, don't you think?  Almost as lovely as friends ~ thank you, my dear heart Katherine!

So dear ones... I'm blessed to know you, blessed that you are my friend, blessed that you are in my life ~ be safe, love one another, and be happy!

In Memoriam

click here ~ Be Not Afraid

Sacred Sisterhood

"It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving."

"We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love."

      ~ Mother Teresa                                  

On Saturday I had the blessed good fortune to spend my day with more than eighty Godly women at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, right here in Tucson.  

The theme for this retreat was "Sacred Sisterhood." How better to start the Retreat, or any day for that matter, then with Mass!  The music, Scripture readings, and Father Richard's homily were all about sisterhood, which spoke so deeply to me.

Following Mass, we were treated to a delicious breakfast (sorry...forgot to take pictures!!) .  We enjoyed a variety of homemake drop biscuits, fresh fruit salad, yogurt, and homemade granola.  The gentlemen from the parish spoiled us as they cooked, served, and cleaned up this morning feast!

Thank you to Ron Russell for being Top Chef!  You and your team were amazing!!

Chef Ron with Dave, one of the many helpers.

Following breakfast, Janet gave us something to think about  ~ Cairns.  

If you are a hiker, you're probably familiar with the term.  If not, click here before reading further....

Janet was so inspiring and we each got to make our own cairn, relating to our direction in life...

my very own cairn holds special meaning for me

TC shared a moving, personal story of sisterhood ~

Given a prompt,  we then engaged in discussion with the sisters at our individual tables...

Sue and Judith

Barbara, Alma, and Agnes

Terri and Marty

Terri was already a sister ~ she was my Principal at my first teaching job!  How blessed I am to have these women in my life...

Time was given to journaling and prayer ~ somehow, the day just flew by ~  and before we knew, it was lunchtime! Returning from the Chapel to find this yummy and beautiful spread at our places.

The latter part of the day was devoted to decorating the Composition notebooks which were our journals, and my "raison d'etre" for being part of this Retreat.  

 I was a guest presenter and led the ladies in putting the crowing glory touches to the precious, sacred thoughts which this simple notebook held.

my Life journal

Here are the amazing ladies who made this possible!!  Thank YOU!!

Bette, Helen, Anna, Marianne, TC, Renie, Sue, Janet

We closed our day with a powerful ceremony ~ each bringing our own light into the world....

my little light ~ I let it shine!

If you click here, you can enjoy the beautiful song we experienced....

Thank you for your love, friendship, and sharing with me...you are blessed and priceless!

Healing....

Not wanting to put a "downer" on my Easter Sunday blogpost, I didn't share my accident with you.

After cleaning up our kitchen on Sunday evening, we began shutting windows and doors ~ the temps were in the balmy 80's and it was delightful to enjoy the fresh air.

However, I didn't realize how dangerous the venting window in our kitchen door could be....

As I closed the window, it's spring-loaded mechanism released with a vengeance,  slamming down on the right hand ring finger.

Not knowing how bad my injury was at the time, I thought the nail had been severed from the finger...

My family was amazing and couldn't do enough for me ~ I'm sure you'll agree that at a moment like this you don't want anyone holding you, trying to put ice on your finger, or anything else....

I just paced and cried and held my throbbing digit, and tried not to throw up!  When enough time had passed, I took some Advil and headed off to bed...enough excitement for one day.

Well, my sweet loving hubby had gone in earlier and turned down my side of the bed!  That, in itself, was a healing moment!

Fortunately, as you can see in the picture, by Monday a steri-strip was all that was needed to contain the small gash.  Most of the damage was bruising, on the finger tip and under the nail.

The bruising did prohibit me from working on any jewelry last week ~ just too painful.  I took it as a sign from Above that rest and a slower pace was what I really needed.

The highlight of my week came on Friday when I had an entire day with my baby girl, Shotzie.
At Christmas, I gifted each girl with a certificate for a shopping trip and lunch with me.  Most often we three spend our outings together, so this gave me the opportunity of having each girl all to myself {tee hee}

Kiki cashed in her day back in December, but Shotzie waited until this past Friday.
What a glorious day it was....

Our day began with manicures at Gadabout, next we met our dear friend Jennifer at Starbucks for coffee, and then on to retail therapy and lunch!

 

After lunch, we decided to make a trip up to La Encantada for some more "therapy"....

It was gorgeous Tucson day,  and I'm so happy to have spent this precious time with a very precious young lady!

Well, it's back to Hive for me ~ the finger is healing nicely...

I've got some pieces that are begging to be finished, so keep an eye on the Boutique and my Facebook page for the updates.

I hope your Spring is kind and warm and perfectly lovely ~ caressing all your senses!!  Have a beautiful week, my sweet friends.