Friday, April 27, 2012

♥ Busy Bee ♥

I seem to always be running behind. I don't know what my problem is. I suppose I pile too much "stuff" to do on my calendar and can't get it done. I suppose I need some "time management" classes, but who has the time for that? LOL

I have been busy as a bee making tea balls! I shared a week ago about the wholesale order I had going to Canada and thought I would share those with you. :)


Quite a few, wouldn't you say? :) And of course I had tea-themed earrings to make too.


Needless to say, I have been running behind in my Etsy shop, so I've been busy the last week making teaballs and the medical alert bracelets too. Not enough hours in the day! ;) It's a good problem to have!

 We'll be planting rose bushes this weekend so hopefully that will go well for us. ;)

Have a TEA-rrific weekend!
SHERI :-)


Thursday, April 12, 2012

♥ My first Wholesale Order! ♥

I am feeling quite good today! I had a business owner in Canada email me about doing a wholesale order of my teaballs & earrings for her shop. Who me? Why, I'd be delighted to!

I was hoping, before our economy went south, to approach several tea shops in our area about my selling teaballs and tea-themed jewelry. Now there isn't one left within a 200 mile radius of me! So sad.

So I am anxiously awaiting my order of 50 teaballs to arrive so I can get started. It felt so humbling that someone would choose me from the few teaball'ers I've seen listing there. It was also exciting to get that bit of validation that I'm on the right path here. :)

So I'm choosing beads and charms and making the 10 pairs of earrings while I await the arrival of a big box of teaball infusers! ;) I just feel so happy and thankful I had to share my good news!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

♥ Changes in the Air ♥

It's a cold, wet, rainy day. But I really can't complain. Days like today remind me of the little rhyme I learned as a child..."April showers bring May flowers". I can't help but smile when I think of that. I am blessed to live in a part of the U.S. that has 4 distinct seasons and I love each one for their differences.

We seem to have entered into our spring early this year and I see neighbors out planting flower already. It really is a no-no for our area because as my grandmother used to say, "no planting until after May 15th." We can still get frost and plants are really vunerable until after mid-May here.

We've decided to do a bit of gardening this year. We spent last weekend at Home Depot buying lumber and brackets to build containers for square-foot gardening (or raised beds). This seems a bit easier for two 'crippled folks'. Of course, I always laugh and say "I don't have a problem getting down on the ground, it's getting back up!" ;) Jeff wants to do a bit of "homesteading" since he's vegetarian now and we're spending so much on organic produce! So I'm sure I will be sharing our adventures as we garden this year. :)

I've been making my beaded teaballs for my etsy shop and have added some tea-themed earrings. I want to get back into my russian punch needle, but can't find the needle! Ho-hum. I guess it's "tucked away" somewhere since we moved last year. I finally broke down and ordered a new one so I can get started. Hopefully it will come in soon. I really miss doing the punch needle. I was selling it rather regularly on eBay and hope to get back there soon. So, let's see....gardening, jewelry-making, punch needle, still working full-time....I really need something else to do. LOL

I do feel like there are some changes coming soon. I had this feeling before I went back to school for deaf interpretation. It's really kind of hard to explain. I've been working alot more with the subject of "diversity" at work. I was elected to the board of the "Commission of Equal Opportunity and Diversity" at work last fall. I've certainly been interested from an ADA standpoint between my own handicap/mobility issues and working with the Deaf. Yesterday I spent the day at a Diversity and Inclusion Workshop and it was really an eye-opening experience.

I'm not sure where I am headed, or what the changes will be, but I do feel like there are some changes coming in my life with my work. It's kind of exciting to be standing on the brink, not sure where it's headed. Seasons bring changes, and there are always seasons in our life too. I can only embrace the changes and know that someone higher has the best plans for me. I just have to let go and accept it.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

♥ Tea on Tuesday: Peanut Butter Eggs ♥

I can't imagine Easter without these. :)

Ingredients:
•1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1 jar (17.3 ounces) creamy peanut butter
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar
•2 cups flaked coconut, optional
•6 cups (36 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
•1/3 cup shortening

Directions:•In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Stir in coconut if desired. Form rounded tablespoonfuls into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.

• In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening: stir until smooth. Dip eggs until coated; place on waxed paper to harden.

• For more decorative eggs, place about 1/4 cup melted chocolate in a small plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag; pipe chocolate over tops of eggs. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2002~~