Happy Thanksgiving! If you celebrate, I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed the holiday! If not, I hope that you still found a few minutes to reflect on gratitude in your own special way.

I'll be participating in the Christmas Carousel Show this weekend at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. It's being held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in The Jim Graham Building; parking is free; and you'll find a discount coupon for show entry here http://www.christmascarousel.com/pages/coupon.htm .

My booth number will be 2315, and I'll be sharing with Olivia Dowdy-Brown, an amazingly creative artist. If you're in the area, I hope that you'll join us. If you mention that you read this on my blog, you'll receive a 10% discount on any purchases that you make in our booth.

If you're not in the area, and you're tempted by the idea of a good sale... please leave a comment here this weekend with a description or links to the pieces that you'd like to purchase, and I'll create a special discounted listing just for you in my store. :-)

Happy Holidays!

The Sandhills Childrens Center provides a bevy of valuable services to our community here in North Carolina. Perhaps most importantly, they provide Hope. Hope to the children that they serve; Hope to their parents; and Hope to our community.

I created this Hope* pendant especially for them. Throughout the holiday season, half of all proceeds from the sale of this piece will be donated to The Childrens Center. You'll find it online in my Store on Etsy , in my 1000 Markets Store or in person at Artist Alley in Southern Pines, NC. If you're seeking the perfect Christmas Gift, teacher's gift, or stocking stuffer...or if you'd just like to make a donation to a worthy cause...please consider a gift that keeps on giving.

These Hands...

I've just returned from a whirlwind trip to Pennsylvania, and I'm scrambling to catch up. Tonight, I'm too tired for studio time or serious work, so I'm doing a bit of mindless photo editing.

I created this photo earlier this month to showcase my "Seek Balance" cuff bracelet. (I seem to be drawn to stamping words and sentiments that I need to hear. :-) ) Tonight while I was cropping the photo, I was struck by the appearance of my hands. They're hardworking hands, and this photo captured them in intimate detail in a way that I've failed to notice in real life.

My Dad had hardworking hands...the hands of a maintenance foreman in a steel mill; the hands of one who was quick to complete whatever needed to be done at a moments notice; and the hands of one who loved us with a gentle touch. My Grandma had hardworking hands too...riddled with arthritis, they were hands that nurtured ten children and countless grandchildren; hands that gestured when she spoke; and hands that never stopped even as they grew weary with age.

When I see my own hands, I imagine that there might be a similarity between mine and theirs. The very thought pleases me. And while I'll never know the intensity of effort that they or many others who went before me did; I've earned every callous and line, and I wouldn't trade a single one of them.