Texas Weekend

This weekend my family, well, all of my grandmother's children and all of the granddaughters are going to the family ranch in Texas to finish the memorial of my grandmother who passed away in February. I have mixed emotions about this weekend, because I think it will be hard, yet good and sweet as well. It will be just family there, and we will spend it with songs, scripture, stories, and prayer that would celebrate her life well. I think we are all at a point where we can truly celebrate the life she lived after 3 months of grieving. I wanted to share the scripture I want to read that reflects her well.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and

does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:
Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise in the gates.
*Proverbs 31-25-31

I will also get the opportunity to see my friend Amy in Dallas before we fly back home on Monday morning. She is going to join our family for dinner on Sunday night. I am excited to be introduced to this huge part of her life that she loves so much!

Earring Holder #3

This is a new style that I had never tried before, and I really love it the way it turned out! It is a black frame with tan paint, and a champagne ribbon. I think this will be a big seller, and this seemed to be one of the favorites of the 3 earring holders that I made. The price for this item is 15 dollars. If you are interested in this item or would like additional information, please email me at hrichards14@gmail.com

Earring Holder #2

This is an earring holder I have made before, and she really asked that I use this design as one of the frames I make for her. I gave it a little different twist and used a brown silk ribbon instead of the twine that I used before. The price for this item is 15 dollars. If you are interested or would like additional information, please email me at hrichards14@gmail.com

Earring Holder #1

A lady contacted me a couple of weeks ago requesting that I make her some earring holders. She owns a couple of boutiques around town and wants to possibly sell them in her stores! Woo! She wanted me to make them catchy and fun, and she wanted me to create 3 to start out with...one for her, and also to show to some of her colleagues. This is the first one. I originally made this as a picture frame, but thought it would be a great idea to make it as an earring holder. The price for this frame is 20 dollars, rather than the original 15 dollars, because of the time it takes to paint it. If you are interested in this item or would like additional information, please email me at hrichards14@gmail.com

Swainson "Family"

A really great family friend of ours contacted me a couple weeks back to create a letter word for her, and she wanted to do "FAMILY". She asked me to come over to her house and take pictures of things around their home to help represent them. I was excited and nervous, because I hoped my creative side would come out...but they had a great house and a great property with letters everywhere!! It was so fun! The "F" is a furniture piece that means alot to their family, the "A" is the upstairs window, the "M" is their bookcase, the "I" is one of their flowers outside, the "L" is one of their kitchen chairs, and the "Y" is a great tree they had in their front yard!

As a reminder, these frames are 5 dollars per letter, and 10 dollars for the frame. The price for this word is 40 dollars. I also decided that if you want me to come out to your house to capture letters around your home would be an additional 10 dollars. Gina got a deal because she gave me the idea to do that! Thanks Gina! Happy Friday to everyone, enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend!!! My family will be spending it by the pool with some barbeque!

Email me at hrichards14@gmail.com if you are interested in this item!

Bridesmaid Jewelry

For JJ's wedding, she took all of us to Lilly's Bead Box a couple days before her wedding and told us to make any jewelry we wanted to wear for the wedding! It was really fun, and it really showed everyone's personalities. Our dresses were navy, so I thought gold would go really great with it. The stone is actually a clear swavorski, and it is cool because it changes colors depending on the light or what color you are wearing. The earrings are surrounded by a gold link, and the necklace is the same, attached with a gold chain. The price for this item is as follows:

Earrings: 15 dollars

Necklace: 30 dollars

Combo: 40 dollars

If you are interested in this item or would like any additional information, please email me at hrichards14@gmail.com

Taylor and Amber's Wedding Pictures

OH.MY.GOODNESS. The pictures are unbelievable. The photographer is Sharon Clark, and she was our Young Life leader at Bearden High School. She has known our group of friends since we were freshmen, 14 years old. It is the 2nd wedding she has done of our friends, and it is just so fun to have her there to share the day with us, and it is just so fun to have someone you know and love be part of everything! Here is the link to her website, and there is a slideshow at the end of the post for their wedding with LOTS more pictures! Also, I wanted to post a picture so you could see what Sharon looks like since she is always BEHIND the camera. Love her.

http://www.smittenphotographyblog.com/

Don't Forget...

To check back over the next few days because I have a lot of new things to post on the blog! I have 3 earring holders that I am making for people, as well as a "family" letter sign. I have been really busy making all these things so check back to see all the new products!!! I hope everyone has a GREAT day!!!

A Sneak Peek!

To be honest with you...I didn't take ONE single picture with my camera all weekend! I can't believe it! The weekend was just crazy, and the photographer took plenty of pictures for all of us to see. We had a blast all weekend...there was an 80% chance of rain on Saturday, so we were prepared for thunder storms and to get soaked, but the day was BEAUTIFUL for the pictures and the ceremony, and as soon as we got into the tent for the reception, the clouds let loose! By that point, it didn't matter, and everyone danced the night away. I think the rain actually made people stay longer so they didn't have to get wet, haha! I know it was the best day of Amber's life, because you can see the joy on her face in every picture! These pictures aren't actually mine, I stole them off of facebook so you could see. When the photographer posts her pictures and slideshow on her website, I will send a link so everyone can see! I just wanted you to see what a stunning bride she was! Everything about it was perfect! Happy Monday!!!

That's Right.....

Wedding #2 is just around the corner!!! My sweet friend Amber, who I have known since the 8th grade, is getting MARRIED on Saturday! Her wedding week festivities have already begun, and I will be busy for the rest of the week, but I wanted to let everyone know what I will be doing for the next few days! Last night we had a little cookout at her parent's house with family and the wedding parties and a sunset boat ride to kick off my first day on the lake this summer! Tonight her bachelorette festivities will be happening...it will start off at 5pm with manicures and pedicures, then we are heading down to NAMA for some sushi, then we are going to Margaret's house for some games and lingerie! woo hoo! Friday, I will start off my day with a 2nd interview (pray that goes well), then I will head down to Lakeside Tavern for the bridesmaid luncheon. It is also Mackenzie's birthday, so we will celebrate her tomorrow as well. Then the rehearsal at 5pm, rehearsal dinner at the square room at 7:30 which I am really excited about because it is SO cool! Check out her wedding venue site and the square room website too!

http://www.castletonfarms.net/images.html

http://www.thesquareroom.com/

Also, please pray for the weather because it shows some rain in the forecast!!!!

The Beach!

As promised, I would post some of my favorite pictures taken recently at the beach! I love the white sand between my toes, I love the crystal clear blue water, I love the palm trees, I love the big waves, I love the sunrises and sunsets...my list could go on forever, but I won't bore you because this is what mostly everyone loves about the beach! This summer, my family and I are going to Navarre Beach in Florida, just east of Destin. It is less crowded, and once you park your car, you could just walk to all the restaurants around town. I had my first experience there with my mom last year at our friends condo, and I can't wait to go back with our family in August! My family also loves St. George Island, which is where our family picture is taken. We just rent a huge house with some other families and cook in almost every night because there isn't much to do there...we play games and relax all week. My favorite beach I have EVER been to is St. John, U.S.V.I. on Spring Break with 10 of my best friends! We went on a cruise to St. Thomas and we took a 30 minute ferry over to St. John and it was the best decision we ever made! It was AWESOME! I can't wait to go back someday very soon. I had never seen anything like it...the bluest water that I had ever seen, surrounded by mountains. I mostly loved it because of the quaint little town...no one bothered us with trying to sell stuff, they had the best shops, restaurants, and cutest little churches everywhere. I will dream about these places while it continues to rain in Knoxville....

Another Reminder of the Beach

Man, I should have created this week as beach-themed blog! I guess I have beach fever this week, because I really have the itch to go really bad...but I won't be putting my toes in the sand until August 15th. I hope I make it until then, haha. Maybe tomorrow I will post some of my favorite beach pics...so check back to see! The colors of this necklace just remind me of being at the beach, especially since one of the pictures is taken with my wicker chair. This is a strand of Amazonite Flat Faceted Nuggets (you like my technical words?) and it is attached with a silver chain on the ends to adjust the length. Every time I wear it I get lots of compliments, and it can make a plain outfit stand out. It looks great with a white, brown, or black shirt or dress! The price for this item is 50 dollars. This is one of my more expensive pieces of jewelry, but that is because the gemstones are a little expensive...but SO worth it! Shoot me an email if you have any questions or are interested in this item at hrichards14@gmail.com

Boy is this the truth....

I love that Summer is practically here, now if it would just stop raining! I made this sign about 2 1/2 years ago for my friend Mary who had a baby boy on the way! They love the beach as much as I do, and they created his nursery using an ocean theme with waves and creatures everywhere! This is a wood piece that is 12" wide and it is hung with twine. The price for this painting is 20 dollars. I could create a wide variety of items for children's rooms including letters, paintings, frames, crosses, or any type of sign. If you see something in a magazine or out in a store and want to replicate the idea, send me an email and I would love to work something out! If you have any questions or would like additional information on an item, please send me an email at hrichards14@gmail.com

So, if you have a little one on the way, keep me in mind! Also, I have created some jewelry pieces recently that I will be posting later in the week so remember to check back! Happy Monday!

Chad & Steph Come to Town!

This past weekend, my brother & his girlfriend came to Knoxville for a relaxing weekend. Last time she came in town was my graduation weekend & our family friends' wedding, so needless to say we had lots of family in town & it was a little overwhelming for her! This weekend was perfect...we had some people over on Friday night for a cookout and time around the hot tub & fire pit. If you've been around my family at all, you know this is what we do best! Saturday was a beautiful day, and we just relaxed by the pool ALL day and got a little sunburnt. Saturday night we went out to eat at our family favorite restaurant, Altrudas! Afterwards, we stopped by a wedding shower for some of our friends and spent time with them outside on the perfect night! We definitely laughed A LOT (mainly laughing at my mom), but my favorite part was just getting to spend time with them!