Vacation days

Often I am asked where do your designs come from? What inspire you?   Here is a peak at some of my inspiration last month.



 Long weekend, vacation days, time off, relax & rejuvenate.  Everyone has a name for it and we all need to realize the value of this.
We spent the day hiking and communing with nature. Here are pics from the wonderful day off.  Was there a better way to spend this day? He & I truly enjoyed the long weekend spent together -  hiking and enjoying nature.

The tranquil foam on the pool of water (above) made me want to be able to touch it.   

One of the walls (right) in the Grand Canyon of the East.  Beautiful layers in this rock showing the age of the wall, the mineral inside all made possible by the water moving thru this area. Being a lapidary, this is a treasure to see. 


This last photo (below) is my favorite part of the hike, after we crossed the bridge.  All you could hear was nature- zero people, cars, technology. 


Where?  Letchworth State Park on the 4th of July weekend.

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Enjoy the moment, like we did.  Take a walk down the road, go for a short drive, spend time outdoors and enjoy how you feel when you are there.  

Hello Mid-Winter 2016

Greetings everyone, a new year has begun.  Where did January go?

The short time I planned to take off after a busy holiday season seems to have rapidly grown, just like the flowers in my garden do on some days.  The original plan had me getting this blog out much earlier!. How quickly the days pass and the calendar pages flip over.

Well, onward and upward!  It is  almost Valentines Day and I am feeling very enthusiastic. This weekend we are traveling out of town to attend  two HUGE shows -  a Gem show and a Flower show - both located together at a fantastic museum.  There will be photos to show and a few tales to tell on my return. I'm especially excited to have date night and quality time with my man for the holiday (sorry no pics or stories for this part of the journey).

2015 Leaf Lettuce

Garden planning for 2016 has begun.  It's February and the seed catalogs have arrived so it's time to start planning this year's vegetable garden. Still so thrilled to have harvested the last of the 2015 crops on new years day 2016,  awesome! We happily pulled parsnips and leeks from the garden in the snow and wet!  No surprise to us that they have been a great pleasure to serve as well as being fresh and delicious.

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies

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Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
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Many thanks to all my creative friends who have made this journey such a pleasure to embark upon. Your topic suggestions, as well as comments, are desired and encouraged. Happy creating and peaceful gardening. 

Early June Garden Progress

Happy garden is part of a happy home and provides a healthy harvest.

It is early June and my garden is doing great.  I am enjoying lettuce, chives, snow peas, cilantro, swiss chard, kale, collards and radishes. We are enjoying growing many new crops this year.  Surprised some of them are quite easy. We are avid gardeners in my house.

Clematis vine in my climbing rose bed. The roses are slowing budding. 

For those wondering my Square Fair was great.  Many of families spending quality time there.   I plan to go back next year and enjoy the event.. 




Can anyone tell me what this plant on the right is?  It is edible and easy to grow.  raw or cooked it is delicious. 






One of my miniature roses showing off  it stunning color.  Gardens are pretty and enjoyable.  Feel free to start you own garden.  it is really easy and the most important thing its to keep the new pants well watered until fall.  this means water the day you pant and every day it does not rain for the first two to three weeks.

The summer and fall crops of tomatoes, peppers, leeks, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, beans, and broccoli and doing well.  It went for a dry spring with excessive heat to a super wet late spring. the temperatures seem to yo yo from 80's to low 60's when it rains.  Weather has been great for the greens and the cooler spring crops. 

This is an older rose bush next to my back deck.  it was severely damaged by the strong winter we had this year.  I am surprised to see it loaded with blooms.  Wish I could show the whole plant but rain knocked the petals off several of the flowers. This rose bush is about two feet tall.  It was over four feet all last year. 

One of my favorite plants.  This is a Peonie flower over some hosta leaves.  My Grandmother had two in her garden.  I am delighted to say I have had a second volunteer peonie of the single blooming type come up.
Happy growing to all of you.

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

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Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  

Almost Summer Vacation Time

Well for the first time in many years we took the holiday weekend off.  This past weekend is the unofficial start to summer here in Rochester, NY.  We went to Letchworth State park and enjoyed the fabulous balloon festival. It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the warm weather and the event. Spent the day enjoying the beauty of the park by hiking and watching the balloons.

 I wanted to try and show the beauty of the balloons.  Here they are being inflated with air to prepare them for standing upright.  the next step is filling with hot air and then launching them.  yes those are real people in the pic to show scale.

This is the first one being launched.  

The amazing part to all this is it is really a quiet process. 

Here is is high above us ...higher than the tree tops.... on its way to the gorge and it's wonderful flight.   The orange in pic to the right shows the propane flame which heats the air in the balloon.

End of the day pic at Middle falls in Letchworth State park. What a fantastic day off spent with my guy, Herb.

My stores: Jewelry shop

                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook

Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  

As for what is coming up on this blog.....future topic include more of my team members, garden updates, & why Etsy is losing hand made and vintage sellers.