SuzeBlogz: March 2014

New England continues

I failed to mention (in yesterdays blog) that one of the first things I looked for when I arrived in Manchester was their local bead store....of course..!

I googled and found THE BEAD PATCH

Owner John was there, (his wife Patt was home ill), but he was so lovely and I have to say, they have a great selection and wonderful prices.

I was ecstatic to see they sold a few looms but the Jewel Loom (center) he told me is their best seller...yay Julianna Hudgins !!

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I promised more pretty scenery...(hope no one is getting bored with my obsession)...I know many of us are sick of seeing snow, but I have to say it looks very different up here in ski country !

AND....here's something we would NEVER see back in New Jersey....maple trees being tapped to give sap.

Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

I was fascinated !!!

and more of the yummy HUGE multi hued houses

and historic places (churches of every demonination on practically every corner !!)

and even apartment houses

and schools

practically everything, to my eyes, looked right out of Colonial times.

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I'm something of a history lover no matter what country I'm in.....and....... a real tourist...just take me "around" even if it means just looking at buildings and I'm a very happy camper.

We ventured into Concord today....the state capitol of NH.

As we leave our ski area the trees sparkle like diamonds

it's a long and winding road into town.....

the roads are majorly bumpy, full of potholes and we're bouncing around in the car like crazy....but..as long as I have my camera I'm happy ! I love this pix that The Lenster took cause the red hair against the white is so striking !!

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we got to see the home of our 14th President Franklin Pierce

the state capitol

we stopped to see some of the famous stone arch bridges in Hillsborough. They are declared historic structures.

Concord was also home to Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, a new religious movement that emerged in New England in the late 19th century.

This is the church she founded

and this was such an unusual place of worship. Beautiful stained glass windows.

Other moving memorials were...

and this bronze eternal flame dedicated to fallen police officers

stay tuned....there WILL be more !!

Posted at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A little New England Trip

Manchester is the largest city in the state of New Hampshire and the largest city in northern New England. And, at this time of the year it is still very beautiful with traces of snow and green.

The Lenster and I planned a little driving vacation and New Hampshire is about 5-6 hours from home in New Jersey. We'd never been to this particular area before.

we are actually staying in a resort town about 40 minutes west of Manchester in a lovely place called the Crotched Mountain Resort in Francestown.

we have a darling little time share apartment, complete with fireplace, king sized bed, 2 TV's, big open space kitchen area, a balcony.....and FREE WIFI !!

Here's tiny bit of the history of Francestown:

The population was 1,562 at the 2010 census

Incorporated in 1772, Francestown takes its name from Frances Deering Wentworth, the wife of colonial governor John Wentworth. There were 928 residents when the first census was taken in 1790. For some time the town used its location on the only route between Boston and Vermont, the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, to collect a toll of one cent per mile from coaches and wagons. High-quality soapstone was mined in Francestown until the 1890s.

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Our first day here the weather was misty, rainy and that put a bit of a damper on my picture taking but I still managed to get a bunch as we headed into the city of Manchester...established in the early 1700's

The architecture was remarkable....The homes are HUGE and COLORFUL !

we sought out the local synagogue , Temple Adath Yeshurun, but sunday school was over and they were closed. Their Reform congregation has been serving greater N.H. since 1893.

found some fun signs and advertising around town...

and I loved this fire box outside someones home

concluding today...

with more lovely scenes tomorrow

Posted at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sho Dan/Black Belt

so excited and so happy for Jennifer....hard work, discipline, wonderful instructors, excellant dojo and, after 5 years she acheived her BLACK BELT, 1st degree, in traditional Okinawan Isshinryu Karate.

and of course we weren't the ONLY ones super excited, as is so evident right here....

We all gathered at the Lenape Elementary school gym for the ceremonies

and it was nice because we were allowed to actually sit on the floor outside of their circle to get up close and personal.

however.....before the actual belt ceremony lots of katas (a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs) & board breaking were demonstrated. In board breaking did you know that the grain of the board must be cut so as to be parallel with the striking hand.

shown below is instructor Mr. Levitz, 5th degree Black Belt, and owner of the New Paltz Karate Acadamy. Their school competed as well.

Katas involve stepping and turning all while attempting to maintain perfect form

and, there was Kumite (sparring) with the younger children

Sparring gives these young children an experience in two critical areas: timing and distance

Jen studies at TOKOKIN: Traditional Okinawan Karate School of Kinnelon, a traditional martial arts school

1375 Route 23 South, Butler, New Jersey

Her fantastic instructor is Mr. Christopher Miller a 4th degree BB (shown below with Jen and another student)

and Mrs.Miller (herself a 4th degree black belt !) and you know who !! Both of the Millers study under Mr. Levitz (shown above in black). He is their teacher !

Just a great day ! So proud !

Posted at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OMG...I Want It !!

I got a little lazy there for a minute....so, Im first getting around to posting this past weekends happenings.

Got to FINALLY meet my friend Anita (r) whose son is good friends with my Jennifer. Anita lives in Nanuet, New York, (about 2 hours from me), and is an amazing jewelry maker & designer. So, naturally she took me to a wonderful Gem & Bead store...

where I finally met Kim O'Leary (c) who owns

CRYSTALS ON THE ROCKS

70 S. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960

we'd all been 'in touch' on FaceBook for a long time prior to meeting.!! We felt like old friends, all of us, instantly!

Kims' shop is chock a block full of amazing crystals.

and some wonderful buys on antique, vintage findings

she has terrific pricing on just about everything

and lots of vintage beads too !

and then...

Right across the street was another "Suze" store...my taste exactly!

Maria Louisa Boutique

75 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960

she carries some wonderful jewelry, like this one from local artist Linda Mensch

and she sells a huge variety of TOMS sneakers & shoes

and I found these leather chairs that called out to me BIG TIME, so I BOUGHT THEM !!!

WHY...

(and here they are in my house !!)

she has cast bronze & steel art from artist Eric Laxman

The store was like a visual Disneyland

There was more excitement after this..but that'll be tomorrow !!

You will come back, wont'cha !!

Posted at 04:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Newfangled Neo Chain

Newfangled....Different from what one is used to

YUP...that's what this yummy, two toned chain is all about !

and when my BLOG-HOP package came in the mail from Toronto based artist (and friend) Carmi Cimicata, on behalf of The John Bead Company, I was really rockin' to get started & see what I could do with it !

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BUT...first let me explain....John Bead Co. does NOT sell to the general public. They are a wholesale only company. For information on their products it's best to visit www.dazzle-it.com or visit them on their FaceBook page or their BLOG

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We were given a few different colors of this new collection of chain & findings and told to make whatever we wanted.

I was VERY partial to the lime green two tone and happy I got that as one of my group of colors.

This is an all-in-one necklace, not three separate ones.

You can really see how the it 'glitters' because the cut in the chain exposes the brass or gold beneath. I actually used some of the purple jump rings and hung them from the green chain as an accent.

and below......you can see the fabulous purple ear wires & jump rings and more of that lime green chain !

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I made something very simple with the purple chain. Stringing two together, again to become one. The chain is so easy to cut.

then, I made a pair of earrings to go with it.

and lastly I used the black and gold chain to make my absolute favorite....one I know I won't be able to part with it because it hangs so perfectly....!!

All I can say is.....this was one of my favorite BLOG HOPS using John Bead componants and I hope I get asked again because they make SUCH cool stuff !!

Check out the John Bead blog for ALL the artists submissions beginning on MARCH 19TH.

Posted at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Making Bracelets

Always fun when you teach something to a virgin !!

These lovely ladies from the Brandeis Womens Club (to which I belong !) had never so much as opened a jump ring before...so, they loved making this delicious pearl bracelet for their very first try !

Of course we only use the BEST, most ergonomic friendly tools from Vintaj for our project !

and beautiful pink pearls from CJS Jewelry distributors in NYC (you need a wholesale licsense to buy from them).

I have 23 ladies signed up for this class and this group represented the first 6.

Everyone got 12 pearls, 3 charms and 15 jumprings.

I predid the pearls with loops.

and, I supplied everything....We used chain nose pliers, round nose pliers and flush cutters...all from Vintaj.

I bought a spool of inexpensive chain at the local Michaels.

Yup...having taught for years I even knew enough to make them name tags !!

and I had examples of other bracelets using the same technique as theirs only a bit more "upscale"..

SUCCESS !!! in 2 hours !

In April I have the rest of the signups !!

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Tomorrow night (March 15th) begins the Jewish holiday of Purim (pronounced Purr-im)

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The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”

Oh Boy !!!

On this festival we listen to the reading of the megillah (the Scroll of Esther) twice: once on Purim eve, Saturday night, March 15, and again on Purim day, March 16.

We give to the needy

we dress up, we eat, drink and be merry

More on this tomorrow !!!

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and then...

Look forward to an exciting blog post about THIS !!!

Posted at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Calgon....take me away !

and so....the limo comes and picks us up...(I have peeps)

and then, we're off......My DIL Patti and my Sweet 16 (that day !) granddaughter Alyssa go to the NYC International Beauty Show. This is a wholesale trade show,

I have more peeps who know peeps that got us in !!!!

Now, if you thought craft shows, like CHA, were overload....you haven't experienced the hair & beauty show....OMG !

all you keep saying is "excuse me...excuse me" and shove politely!!

thousands of people.

Like HELLLLLOOOOO......every shade of hair color imagineable could be seen on the show floor....and that was just the people attending !!! LOL !!

and, you get to try out a ton of different products just for the fun of it. I think I was trying salt scrub from Israel here....

and Patti was getting new color chalks put in her hair

and I can't even remember what they were trying to sell me here...!!

But Wait...there's more.....if you're lucky, (and smartly come with no makeup on), you could be one of the lucky ones who get a SPA treatment...men and women...