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

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