Spring Break.....

The girls were on spring break this week, and hubby stayed home all week with us too. It's been so nice. The weather (up until today) has been really great. The girls have spent endless hours playing outside while hubby gardens and I have some time to myself indoors.

I spent some of my time creating for the Aspiringmetalsteam on Etsy. We had our 2nd team challenge. The challenge was to metalsmith a piece inspired by the children's nursery rhyme:

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz,
I wonder where the birdies is?

So, I made this.

Yeah, it looks interesting right? You want to see a close up don't you? Too bad. This is all you get. For now. It's a hot mess up close. I have a little problem with it that I need to work on, and am determined to get it right. Then you can see it all up close and personal like.

My teamies have already seen it up close in it's current state. I can't stand to look at it myself. I'll tell you, macro pics show everything.

Anyhoo... some of my time was also spent enjoying a good nap or two, needed after staying up late reading, or working. I've not adjusted well to the time change at all. As in I haven't even tried to adjust to it. I'm all screwed up, and can feel the craving for a normal week. That, and I've decided I really need to step it up in the working out department. I worked out this morning for the first time in two weeks. Two weeks! I'm so exasperated with myself. It seems to be one of the things that has been taking a back burner to working on making jewelry and findings. Along with the laundry, but we won't go there......

So, we took the girls to the park several times this week. My favorite trip of the week was to the Ft. Worth Botanical Garden. We go every year in the spring to see all the beautiful flowers. I must say that I was a little disappointed this year. I think it is because with all the snow storms and cold winter we've had, it's taking things a little longer than usual to get going.

I am so inspired by flora in my work, I wanted to take some pictures for inspiration. See if I can't translate some them into metal.

Here are some of my favorites that were in bloom.





The daffodils were in bloom, but had already started to wither. And no tulips! Where were the tulips? And my favorites? The irises?

I told the girls we'd go back in a couple of weeks. I just have to see those irises!