Some of my jewelry.

My Earth Day Necklace for a Tree Hugger

This is my tree hugger necklace: Sterling Silver Leaf Charm With Green Swarovski Crystal. I love it completely. It's simple, straightforward, but says it all, doesn't it? I've sold several of them, but each one is slightly different. So, plant a tree, spare the bees, and take care of Mother Earth.
You can find it at my Etsy store www.maggiemcmane.com and soon in my artfire store. www.Maggiemcmanedesigns.artfire.com. Here is a direct link to the listing in my Etsy store:http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23019219

Blue Mystic Topaz FW Pearl Tanzanite Qtz Sterling Silver Necklace by Maggie McMane Designs

Blue Mystic, Tanzanite Quartz, Freshwater Pearl, Swarovski Crystal Beaded Cluster Necklace

Wow,t hat's a handful! I just listed this necklace in my Etsy shop. I think it's luscious! I really do. I absolutely adore the colors and style of it. I also have matching earrings that are equally fabulous! I used faceted Blue Mystic Briolettes, Faceted Tanzanite Quartz Round Stones, Swarovski Crystals Bicones, Freshwater Pearls and lovely Sterling Silver. Here is the link to the actual necklace: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22373723

My purchase from Tilesmile on Artfire.com

I bought this tile from Tilesmile on Artfire.com. It was a gift for my sister, who always signs her emails to me with an xoxo. She loves it!

I am including a link to her store because she has many more tiles that are just as fabulous! http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=11391

A rare snow day in South Carolina

This snowman was actually born at 10 pm on a Sunday evening. We were in church when the snow began to fall. The drive home was a bit tense because it had been years since I had driven in snow. I actually forgot the sound anti-lock breaks make. Within in an hour or so, the snowflakes were an inch or so wide. I can't recall ever seeing them so large, except the handmade ones children plaster over school windows.

My kids wanted to ensure they would have plenty of new snow to work with in the morning, so they started building "Willy" that night. Snow is so rare here, there was a chance that whatever fell in the dark would be gone with the light. It wasn't. The following morning was amazing and fun. We ended up building another snowman, but he was much smaller and was never named.

Although tilted, Willy lasted for several days. That Sunday night was also a blessing for us. It was a moment in time, when we stood together on the back porch and listened to snowflakes fall.

Fabulous New Spring Jewelry

I am so excited for Spring to come. I can't wait to tend to my garden, add new flowers, trim old stems, and watch for new growth. While I wait, I find myself creating jewelry in flowery colors.

I used faceted Prehnite Briolettes, Swarovski Crystals and Freshwater Pearls. They remind me of a bouquet of flowers. How about you?

My first post.

I find it ironic that I have had such a difficult time creating my blog. Why? Well, it's because I have spent years ... YEARS ... writing. I have written piles of gut wrenching, horrible poetry, a ton of short stories, a number of children's books, and several novels-without selling any of it. Really, who wouldn't buy bad poetry? William Hung, reject of American Idol, sold the phrase, "I have no regrets" and released a couple of albums, People! Seriously.

What I discovered was that writing, in of itself, is not difficult. It's an act of putting thoughts into words and then, words on to paper. How hard could that be?

Until recently, I thought writing was the easiest thing in the world to do. It was easier than flossing, easier than following recipe directions in a cookbook, easier than making a left hand turn onto a busy road when you are from a state that has banished them in place of jug handles. It's easier than teaching a dog to return the toy in a game of fetch, easier than getting your sister to admit she was wrong for bashing you in the head with a golf club when you were ten years old, easier than getting a teenager to clean up his/her bedroom. It's easier than hearing your doctor offer advice like this when you are only 40 years old, "Well, if you were my mom, I'd tell you ..."

I know differently now. This isn't easy for me anymore. It's not that I don't have things to write about because I surely do. I could write about the UPS man who always leaves his packages right next to the front door in order to torment my dog. I could write about how frustrated I get wasting my time unsubscribing to emails I never actually subscribed to in the first place. (How do they find me???) I could write about the casual friend/enemy who never acknowledges that she has heard what I have said when I explain, "Sorry, we're busy this weekend. We couldn't possibly watch your cat, Skunky. Besides, I'm deathly, horribly, ebola like allergic to cats. I could die ... literally die if your cat even approaches me. Plus, we're going away. We won't be here. We won't even be in the country. Seriously, our plane leaves in like ... like 25 minutes. I'll barely make it to the airport. And, I could die, literally die, if I have to take care of Skunky ONE MORE TIME. Saddest thing of all is that I actually like cats, just not hers --and I'm allergic.

So here goes! I will consider this part of my weekly routine. Perhaps the fairy of all things written will visit me. With any luck, my kids won't swat her and the dog won't swallow her. Instead, she'll douse me with dust that won't make me sneeze and I will feel inspired. We'll see. We'll see.