Sedona Christmas Shopping

     Sedona is one of Arizona's most beautiful places, especially this time of year.    When the red rocks are layered with snow they look magical.    Last week I had the chance to see the beginning of their winter season.
     We took a bus trip to Sedona for a day of Christmas shopping.   It had been warm and balmy for weeks during the day here, but a winter storm was descending on Arizona that Wednesday.     It was overcast and cloudy when we left Sun City Grand, which is rare here.   We are almost always sunny.   As we traveled up I-17 it began to rain.    By the time we reached Sedona it was still raining and in the 30Fs.   Brrrr! 
      Instead of walking around in the rain, we did the only sensible thing---we enjoyed an early lunch.   Oaxaca Restaurant was warm and inviting, with Christmas carols (in Spanish) playing in the background.   I ordered the Red Rock Omelet, which was both tasty and matched the scenery.  Here's the view out our window:

Snow is beginning to stick to the red rocks.

 

        Even though the weather wasn't great, Sedona was still beautiful.   As soon as the rain stopped, we began shopping. 

        After a couple of hours in downtown Sedona, we boarded the bus for Tlaquepaque Village.   What a great place!   Lots of little artisan shops and beautiful art galleries set in a wonderful Spanish villa.   

    

 

      They were featuring a "Festival of Trees".   Different groups and artists created themed Christmas trees.  The trees were being sold to raise money for Toys for Tots.    There were over 50 different trees (maybe more) in every imaginable theme--dogs, toys, cookies, adventure trips, etc.

      Two of my favorite trees were the Quilt tree and the Italian Glass Bead tree.   They are even prettier in real life, but I had to try a few pictures.

 

A close up of one of the ornaments and a picture of the tree skirt.

 

 

The tree is called "Together" and was designed by the Red Rock Quilters.

  

The Italian glass bead tree was created by an artist, but I didn't see the artist's name.

 

       What a wonderful way to raise money for children while giving the rest of us a treat, too.

 

        After the Festival of Trees we shop, shop, shopped.    There were art shops, Christmas shops, and even a bead store, Cocopah Beads.   What more could I want?

       We ended our great day the same way we started, in one of Sedona's best restaurants.     We stopped at Rene for a glass of wine and bit of bread.   On this trip we only had time for wine, but I would love to return for lunch or dinner.   It was warm, with beautiful Christmas decorations and soft music. 

         Too soon we were boarding the bus for home....but we'll be returning in the spring.   

 



 

Christmas in July

    I'm so excited!  Christmas has come early!  One of my bracelets, the aventurine and pearl spiral one, was featured in today's Christmas in July blog.     It's the third one listed.  
    The focus of the article is on the latest Pantone color for fall, which is Koi.   I wasn't familiar with that name for a color, but when I saw the picture of it I recognized it immediately.  It's the same color of the aventurine beads I had used.  
     Until now my bracelet had reminded me of orange sherbet.   Now it will remind me of Koi, Nemo (as in the movie "Finding Nemo"), and all things fun and wonderful.
     Thank You Christmas in July for making my Monday special!
 

Listed on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/listing/161601856/aventurine-pearl-and-crystal-delicas?

 

Aunt Virgie's Jewels

    Aunt Virgie, my father's sister, was my favorite aunt.    She was fun to be around and, since she lived out of state, her yearly visits were always a special treat.   
     As the years rolled by, I grew up and the family changed.   My father, my grandfather, and my uncle all died.    When Aunt Virgie came to visit, she stayed with my mother.   
   

    In 2004 Aunt Virgie gave me an envelope that had broken beads in it and a note.   She wrote that the crystal necklace and bracelet had been given to her in 1950 by her church friends when she and my uncle moved to Chattanooga so he could attend school.   They knew they weren't going to return to Ohio.  They later moved to New Orleans and made that city their home.   At some point the necklace broke, but she kept it because it reminded her of her friends.
     I'm not sure why Aunt Virgie gave it to me.   I didn't make jewelry back then, and I didn't wear fancy crystals.   But, like my aunt, I kept the beads and the note because it reminded me of her.    When I moved to Arizona, I brought the broken jewelry and her note with me.

     Last Friday I took a workshop on how to make a crystal pendant.   I wasn't very happy with the one I made in class, and I thought I would try again at home.   That's when I remembered Aunt Virgie's broken jewelry.    I found the envelope with the beads and the note.

     I had to modify the pendant a bit in order to make it work with her crystals.    The workshop used 11/0 Delica seed beads in between the crystals and to form a bail.  But when I tried to use them, they were too small for Aunt Virgie's crystals.  The seed beads kept going inside the large crystals.  Their pretty effect was lost. 

     I tried Toho #6 gold beads, and they worked better.   Then I tired gold Czech glass, and I liked that look best of all.       

 

   The workshop used all 6mm bicones, but Aunt Virgie's jewels were larger.  They were also in graduated sizes because they had come from one of the broken necklace strands.   I used larger ones on the bottom of the pendant and smaller ones near the top.  I used the smallest ones for the earrings.    I added gold filled ear wires and a gold chain that I had been saving.   The beads have a new look, but they are still Aunt Virgie's jewels.  
     Next week we're going to a music show entitled "Sentimental Journey".   I plan to wear my new/old jewelry there.   I think Aunt Virgie would approve.



 

Golden Friends

    Last week we had a special treat when Ohio friends Larry & Connie came to visit us for a few days.   Larry had been a chemistry major with Kent.  He retired earlier this year, and they were planning a trip to the national parks to celebrate.    Unfortunately the government shut down ruined their park trip.  
      They decided to come west anyway since we had been planning this long overdue visit for months.  We were glad they did.  It was great to see them again.   We picked up the friendship as if it had only been a few months, not 30+ years, since we had been together.   Golden friends are like that.
     We took them to the Desert Botanical Gardens, one of my favorite places in Phoenix.   They had never seen so many cacti.   I remember thinking that, too, the first time I visited there.    

 

     We had lunch on the patio at Gertrudes at the Desert Botanical Gardens.   Yummy as always. 

     The butterfly pavilion was filled with Monarchs, too.

 

      Another day we went hiking in the White Tanks.   This county park doesn't compare to a national park, but it is beautiful in its own desert way.   Unfortunately there weren't any plants in bloom this time of year.   

    

 

We took the Black Loop trail, an easy and popular trail.   

 

      They visited other great Arizona sites--Sedona, Jerome, Tombstone--and we had lots of grilling out on the patio time.   We've already made plans to visit their lake house in Ohio.  

      And we're not going to wait 30 years to do it!

    

Javelina

     The newest visitors to the neighborhood have been javelina.   I haven't seen them here, but our neighbor, Irene, saw two in her yard.     
      Here's what a typical javelina looks like:

 

 

       Although they look like a small pig, they're from the peccary family.    Fish and Game has info on them here:    http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_javelina.shtml  

       He's not a beauty, that's for sure.   This pix came from a Tucson newspaper since none of us have been able to photograph one.  

       I saw a small herd a few times while I was driving through the Aquila area, which didn't surprise me.   It is very rural out that way.   Having them here inside Grand surprised me.  

       When we were walking last night, we passed a couple who said they had just seen one crossing the street.   We kept a look-out, but we never saw any.   

        We know they've been to our yard, though, because they knocked pads off of the Indian Fig cactus and ate bites out of it.  

 

 

     I love the wildlife here, especially the coyotes and roadrunners.   But the javelina can keep on traveling as far as I'm concerned.    

 



Arizona Swing Kings

Arizona Swing Kings

 

       Once again the Grand Cabaret gave us a great evening out.    The Arizona Swing Kings performed to a sold-out crowd last Saturday and got a standing ovation at the end of the evening.  

        We enjoy all of the Cabaret events, and the Swing Kings are one of our favorites.   Lenny King is the musical director and plays trombone.   This time they were even better because they added two treats to the mix, vocalists and a program.  

        The Swing Kings usually play swing and jazz.  But this performance featured all Broadway hits, which is why they needed singers.    The five vocalists were great.     The two men, Art Bigornia and Mike Rust, were new to me, and I hope to get to hear them again.   Bigornia first sang "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", which was very good.  But he nearly brought the house down with "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables in the second half of the show.    Mike Rust sang "Who Can I Turn To?" and "Almost Like Being in Love", which was my favorite.   I love Brigadoon, and he gave a fantastic performance.  

         The three women were wonderful, too.   Joni King and Katie Iverson were new to me.  Joni King sang the first song of the night .    The Swing Kings had started off the show with "There's No Business Like Show Business", and Ms. King followed with "Lullaby of Broadway".  What  a great way to set the stage for the evening!   In the second half of the show she did a great job singing "Over the Rainbow".

          Katie Iverson has appeared in Grand productions in the past, but I missed them.   She  sang two great songs, "All That Jazz" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".  She was in fantastic both times, but especially when she sang the Evita hit.  Ms. Iverson will be appearing on October 25 in Broadway Broads here at Grand.  That show is already sold out.  Lucky us --  Kent and I and our friends, Chris and Lou, already have our tickets.                   

         The third woman, Cheri Seith, performed recently at the smaller Cimarron Cabaret.   On that night she was acting as well as singing, and she sang in character.   It was a good performance, but the character limited her.  With the Swing Kings she sang "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Broadway Baby" as herself, and she was great.  I'll be watching for her again, too, in the future.   

         The Swing Kings were, of course, great.   There were five saxophones, four trumpets, including Dan Reed, a Sun City Grand favorite, four trombones, plus drums, bass, piano and guitar. 

         This is the first time that I remember the Cabaret using a program, but I hope they do it again.   It's great to be able to see the names.   The band directors always introduce the musicians, but it's impossible to remember all the names.   Having a program will help so much!   Plus it's fun to look over the order of the songs and remember them again.

          The AZ Swing Kings are performing again at Grand during the Oktoberfest on October 12.  Some Ohio friends will be visiting us that weekend, and I hope we'll be able to introduce them to one of Grand's real treats.              

 

 

 

Flat Spiral Bracelet

     One of the great things about Sun City Grand is that it offers clubs and classes in so many things.    Grand Stitchers, my favorite club, recently offered a class in how to make a Flat Spiral Bracelet.    I used amethyst for my bracelet. 

      This is a popular class both at Grand and everywhere else.   A quick Google search turned up lots of hits on "how to's" for it.   A beautiful one is Emerald City Flat Spiral Bracelet.   There's even a video on how to make it on Auntie's Beads. 

       I found the center row of amethyst at a bead show last year.  I've been waiting for the perfect project for it.   Along the edge are smaller amethyst beads and Delica #11 crystals.   I added a silver plated crystal magnetic clasp to it.    Although I sell a lot of my jewelry on Etsy, I'm keeping this one.

        One of the interesting things about the Flat Spiral pattern is that you don't have to make it flat.   I used faceted round aventurine to make this one:

 

 

  Along the edges I added 4 mm glass pearls.   It's like wearing an orange sherbet. 

This one is for sale on my Etsy shop.

 

   The Flat Spiral is so versatile, it can be doubled for another different look.    Auntie's Beads did a video on this version, too.  I can't wait to try it.