Marching into Spring
Happy Spring!!!!!! March is here and the garden is waking up from its winter slumber! I’ve been dreaming about what I’m going to plant this year in our garden and all the beautiful flowers that make their appearance this time of year!
March is also the month of Aquamarine. I love this beautiful stone for its calming soft blue and green colors and the stone’s ability to be worn in almost any type of setting.
Aquamarine and white topaz necklace with sterling silver woven chain.
Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March., and the gem for the 19th wedding anniversary. The name Aquamarine is derived from the Latin for seawater. Legend has it that aquamarine stones will calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. The gem is also thought to help keep marriages happy.*
In 1971, Aquamarine was designated as the state gem of Colorado. Many deposits of aquamarine have been found in the Mt. Antero region of Colorado and the Denver Natural History Museum has an amazing aquamarine collection.
Blue Agate and Aquamarine Briolette Earrings
It’s easy to see why Aquamarine is such a beloved stone by so many! The soft calming colors make this stone perfect for jewelry!
Happy Spring!
Chrissi
*gemstone information is sourced from the GIA Gem Encyclopedia.
Springtime means Gardening time!
Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons, especially here in Oklahoma. It means the weather is warming up and all the beautiful flowers are waking from their winter slumber. Spring also brings with it hope for my garden. I have already started thinking about what we are going to plant this year.
Each year, I have so many plans, and expectations of what my beautiful garden and flower beds will bring. I anxiously start looking through the seed catalogs (Baker Seed is my favorite!) and as I am at the farm store picking up feed for my horses, I can’t help but go through the seed display dreaming of what my beautiful garden will produce.
Miss Vivianne is helping me pick out her favorites. I love getting the spring seed catalogs!
However…as they say…the best laid plans….
The truth is…my schedule gets really busy with work, the horses and making jewelry during this time of year and usually the garden gets put on the back burner. I am finding the the older I get, the more I desire spending time at home and in my garden and especially time with my horses. The rush of always working gets old and this year, I am determined to make the garden more of a priority. Mostly, because we have the space (and endless access to good quality horse manure), and nothing beats fresh produce! But also; I find such peace, inspiration and connection with my garden. Seeing the first shoots of new life come out of the ground is mesmerizing, and knowing that we are doing our best to work the land and share the fruits of our labor is so satisfying!
Prepping the garden is a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it in the end!
This year…I have a new plan. I have blocked off time just for the garden. I’m starting my seeds early…I’ve already started cleaning up the flower beds and garden. I’ve consulted with a good friend on how to take care of our fruit trees organically (in hopes that we actually get fruit and not so many bugs). I’m learning how to do my own compost so that we have good soil and I can’t wait to get started! I’m learning all about cool crops versus warm crops, how to rotate what you plant for the best results and so much more!
Learning more and more about gardening.
Our goal this year is to have a big enough garden to can some of the vegetables and fruit for the winter and also to share with our friends and family. God has blessed us with being able to own a large yard and we are grateful to have the ability to turn it into a small orchard and garden. I hope to be able to share with you all the journey of our garden this year,
Happy Spring ya’ll!
Chrissi
Spring is in the Air!
I don’t mean to complain…but this has been a LONG winter! I’m anxious to get outside…feel the fresh sunshine on my face and feel the warmth of the earth instead of the chattering of my bones!
Spring is my favorite time of year. Everything is waking up from the winter slumber. My daffodils are peeking out from the ground and I love hearing the birds chatter about more in the mornings, so I know we are getting close to getting out of this deep freeze! Plus, my wonderful mare, Millie is shedding off her coat! She’s always right! She hates winter as much as I do!
The studio has been my sanctuary this winter. More than ever before. And, like spring time, I feel that the creative juices are waking up and flowing like a spring creek! I’ve been really drawn to the new shattered hearts that I’ve been creating, and I have several custom projects in the works! I’ve been working on some ideas for a statement piece that will incorporate lots of warm tones in citrine, Mexican fire opal, carnelian and rutilated quartz. I have a goal this year to finish up a piece worthy of submitting for competition and I think this one might make the cut!
I hope everyone has survived this long winter solstice without too much mental fatigue. I really look forward to sharing these new designs with you all!
Take care and stay warm!
Chrissi