Saturday, Sunfish and Squash

Red Coral and Pearls

I love to make crocheted necklaces and I love pearls.   I have had some marigold yellow pearls for well over  a year and I have never been able to figure out what to do with them.  Since bold and bright colors are popular this summer, I thought that this would be the time to do something with these pearls.  Saturday I finally got the inspiration to combine them with red coral and brown artistic to create this necklace.  The inspiration came on the water!

Mid Atlantic Regional Sunfish Race

Saturday,  my husband and I watched the Mid Atlantic Regional Sunfish Race which was held off  Lewes Beach Delaware.  We positioned our boat in front of a bouy and waited for the boats to make the turn. The wind was good and  5 races were held.  Most of the sails were white so I was drawn to this yellow and red sail.  I thought that the colors would really jump out.  I made the decision then that this was the time to combine my marigold yellow pearls with the gorgeous red coral beads that I had just purchased.

My Bead Stash

My decision to mix these two bold colors was reinforced with my dinner.  We had yellow squash. As I stared at the squash, I thought of those pearls once again.  I took this as a sign to make this necklace now.  I believe that there is a kind of a zen to making jewelry as with most artistic endeavors.  Finally  my ingredients for a necklace and the inspiration for it came together.  A new way to serve squash in our house was discovered.  The fresh out of the garden squashed was sliced in half lengthwise .  The squash was grilled with teriyaki sauce brushed on the open center.  This was a winning combination of flavors.  I recommend this recipe for an easy and quick side dish that is perfect for this time of year when gardens are filled with squash.  

Squash Recipe

Delaware Blue Hens

by Chirp And Bloom

If you have never heard of a Blue Hen, then you are obviously not from Delaware.  Delawareans are a small but proud group.  The Blue Hen has a  history that goes back to the revolutionary war.  On December 9, 1775, the Continental Congress resolved that a military battalion was to be raised from Delaware, then known as the Lower Counties on the Delaware. Thus, the Delaware regiment was created. It was a group composed of eight companies representing New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties.  The second company was composed of men from Kent County and was under the command of Capt. John Caldwell, who was an avid fan and owner of gamecocks. The troops often amused themselves by staging cock fights with a breed known as the Kent County Blue Hen.   This breed was distinguished by its blue plumage. The "blue hen chickens" and Caldwell's  Kent County company both developed quite a reputation for ferocity and fighting success."The Blue Hens' Chickens," and that name was formally adopted by the Delaware General Assembly in 1939 when the Blue Hen Chicken was named the official state bird. It is one of only three US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.  The University of Delaware mascot, known as YoUDee, is also modeled after the bird.  The blue hen is not a recognized breed of chicken currently.  The University of Delaware's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources does maintain a breeding group of the Blue Hen Chicken on the campus farm.                               

Delaware has many artisans and a number of groups that feature them.   Delaware by Hand and the  Delaware Etsy Street Team are two that I am an active  member of.  Recently, the Delaware Etsy Street Team  was reorganized under the leadership of Marsha Neal of Marsha Neal Studio.  Recently, photo shoot sessions have been organized.  One is coming up next weekend at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware.  Katy Rose Photography and Design will be there to photograph for a reasonable fee.  Anyone who sells online knows how important and challenging photos are.  Recently, I just figured out that I needed to purchase some close up lenses for my digital camera.  I can't believe that it took me so long to figure this out.  I think that the main reason for this was that I just wasn't aware that there were lenses available for a digital video camera that takes stills.   I am excited about getting these lenses.  I feel like I have resolved my lighting issues and now these lenses will help with the close up issues I have been having.  For those who are just starting out in photography, I recommend that you take advantage of a professional!

Lavender

Bay Moon Design

I love lavender.  I am always on the hunt for beautiful lavender beads. At the Delaware By Hand  artisan  show in Lewes, Delaware,  I met a woman who was looking for a special necklace to match a dress that she bought for a summer wedding. I had 3 lavender necklaces that she liked.  She ruled one out because it had gold in it and she didn't like the gold with her gray hair.  The other two necklaces were different shades of lavender.  Think about it.  There is purple, amethyst, mauve, lilac, plum in addition to light, medium, and dark hues.  She finally decided that the best thing to do would be to bring the dress to my studio to see which necklace would work the best with it.  In the course of our conversation, she mentioned that lavender use to be considered an old ladies color.  I had never heard of that before.  I don't like the idea of being an old lady, but I know deep down inside that I am either there or approaching being an old lady.  I had to look this up and sure enough it is true that there is a history of associating lavender with old ladies.  I discovered that not only has lavender lost both its age and gender specific connotations.  That makes me feel better about me love of the color, smell, and beauty of lavender.

Lavender

If you yearn to wander through blooming rows of purple lavender, a trip to Lavender Fields Farm is all you need.   You can experience all the flavors, fragrances and healing qualities of this amazing purple flower. This farm is the only lavender farm in Delaware and is a wonderful place to visit while you vacation on the eastern shore. It is located one-half mile south of U. S. 9 between Lewes and Georgetown at 18864 Cool Springs Road.  Last year when I visited it,  I came home with a lavender plant that is now in bloom in my garden.  The perfect time to visit is July because it is the peak of the bloom season and the fragrance of lavender hangs heavy in the air.

Remember the Purpose of Memorial Day Weekend and Enjoy Your Family Outing

 I was touched by a news report that I saw about a group of high school students that placed American flags on the gravestones of all of the veterans in their town who served in wars.  These students were members of the Bowling Green High School JROTC who walked  through the veterans’ section at Fairview Cemetery, Bowling Green, North Carolina,  remembering all  those who served.  One of the students said, "It’s a very, very important thing to do,”  “All of these soldiers served our country. It’s the least we can do.”

This reminded me of the Saturday morning I got up at the crack of dawn to go to the Delaware State Meeting of the Daughter's of the American Revolution which was held in Dover about an hour from where I live in Lewes. When I walked into the building there were 3 high school students and a Sergent from Cape Henlopen High School JROTC in Lewes, Delaware.  I had seen them at our Fall meeting also.  I was struck by the fact that they all got out of bed early and gave up several hours of their Saturday to present the colors at our meeting. 

http://www.etsy.com/people/BayMoonDesign/treasury?sort=creation_date&order=desc

Friday before leaving school I asked a few of the students what they were doing over the Memorial Day weekend and they told me they were playing in the Cape Henlopen High School band at various Memorial Day events.  That reminded me of the times that my own children did the same and I was  proud of them for doing that.  Often we bad mouth this younger generation and I am guilty of that too, but it is times like this that I am reminded of the good that they do.
 Memorial Day Weekend is important to artisans in Delaware because we hold our Annual Delaware by Hand Member's Day show in Lewes, Delaware on this weekend.   The weather was great and the crowds came out.  You can't ask for anything better.  There were potters, painters, metal workers, jewelry makers, etc.  It was nice to see some young folks there like Leah Van Rees.  She is an artists that I watch grow up in Lewes.   Wes Stack was there with his pottery.  Before devoting his time to pottery, he was an administrator in the Cape Henlopen School District and my daughter's principal.  I was there with my jewelry. Once again my children's line of necklaces was a strong seller.   I watched the crowd which was made up of people I knew and people that were clearly visiting Lewes for Memorial Day weekend.  I thought of how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful small town by the ocean and know so many of these talented and giving people--both young and old.