Petey and the sheet music

After a long day of practicing the piano Petey had had it with music. This one song was giving him so much trouble he did what he does best and nibbled the heck out of the sheet music.

So he nibbled...

...and nibbled...

...and nibbled...

...and nibbled some more...

Just when he was about to fling the whole operation across the room...

...Laurel showed up to give him a hand (paw).

And together they nibbled...

...until Laurel saw the camera and came over to put an end to the show. She roughhoused the paparazzi with her whiskers...
It was a bad scene.

Let's read a book together!

A while ago I proposed that we all read a book together. Then, of course, I never mentioned it again. Typical. So here I am now mentioning it again. Let's read a book together! At first I was going to compile a list of all the books that you fine folks recommended and have a vote on which one we should read. Then, as I was catching up on a blog I like to read now and then, The Deliberate Life, I came across the recommendation to read The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. I zipped over to Amazon and read the reviews and I was sold immediately. Below is the review from Amazon:

In her cinematic debut novel, Kate Morton immerses readers in the dramas of the Ashbury family at their crumbling English country estate in the years surrounding World War I, an age when Edwardian civility, shaken by war, unravels into the roaring Twenties. Grace came to serve in the house as a girl. She left as a young woman, after the presumed suicide of a famous young poet at the property's lake. Though she has dutifully kept the family's secrets for decades, memories flood back in the twilight of her life when a young filmmaker comes calling with questions about how the poet really died--and why the Ashbury sisters never again spoke to each other afterward. With beautifully crafted prose, Morton methodically reveals how passion and fate transpired that night at the lake, with truly shocking results. Her final revelation at the story's close packs a satisfying (and not overly sentimental) emotional punch.

Sounds good, eh? I ordered my copy today. If any of you would like to join me I suggest we start after the first of the year. That way everyone can get a copy in time and we can all start together. I really liked the suggestion by Bellajoya that we could create a piece of jewelry inspired by what we are reading. I would like to take that a bit further and open it up to any kind of medium, not just jewelry. AND it is not a requirement, just something fun to do. If you don't want to create anything and just want to read a good book that is just fine and dandy.

So tell me what you think. Let me know if you want to participate. We can make this fun! (Any ideas and suggestions are welcome!)

An original steampunker

Meet Miss Emma Josephine Miller from Middletown, NY. Born October 1, 1868. Died June 9, 1888 (most likely not long after this photo was taken). I found her today while browsing around an antiques shop and was quite thrilled to see that she is wearing a skeleton key brooch. Last month I pondered the origin of the use of skeleton keys in jewelry so the discovery of this photo seemed quite fortuitous. And take a look at her embellished dress! She has more rigging than a sea-bound warship! (You know, back when there was such a thing as sea-bound warships...)

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy Emma like I do. Her brief twenty years on earth can still bring a smile over 120 years later. :)

Flipping the bird 19th century style

It's been a while since I shared any of my antique photos with you all. I can't even remember when the last time was, so I owe you a good one.

Click on the photo for the close-up... you will see that sister number three is indeed flipping the bird, and I believe (because I realllly want to) that she meant to do it. Just look at the hint of a smirk on her lips! And then look at the other two sisters. If they were your sisters you would be flipping the bird too. The one standing looks like she might be trying to control the photographer with her mind. The girl in the middle seems to be torn between the two - she knows what the troublemaker on the floor is doing but must remain dignified since sister number one is holding her down with her vice-grip of a hand.

Three lovely sisters from Pennsylvania, USA. Photographed by Nick & Knecht, Excelsior Traveling Artists, circa 1865.

(Before anyone says that it's not her middle finger... just work with me! It's funnier to think that she is being naughty... don't you think?)

The princess and the pea

New in shop: Pink Princess necklace with a sweet little vintage Austrian crystal dangling below. (So cute I could almost puke.)

Modern Peapod in deep ocean blue with a hand-forged copper band. This is the first of my copper rings that I am listing. It's a size 8.

Now it's back to waiting for the FedEx guy to get here with my jewelry box order. I am out o' boxes and need them TODAY. I hope I don't scare the guy too much when I run up the street, jump on his truck and rifle through his packages. (huh, that almost sounds naughty...;)

I almost forgot! Thanks to everyone who signed up for my newsletter yesterday! You guys rock! I'll be working on a very special first mailing for sometime around the first of the year. Keep your eyes peeled! :)

New newsletter news

Some of you have already noticed the new addition to my blog sidebar. You guys are so observant! For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about... I have finally started a newsletter! You can sign up for it just by entering your name and email address (and then you have to confirm it by responding to an email). Easy peasy.

Why should you sign up?? Good question! Well, my goal is to offer special sales and discounts via my newsletter every now and then. These are deals that will only be available to newsletter subscribers. This will apply to both my RoundRabbit shop AND my RoundRabbitExtra shop - so jewelry buyers and jewelry makers alike will be happy happy happy!

If you have made a purchase from either one of my shops or if you have signed up at one of my shows you will automatically be on my mailing list. (Automatically - as in once I input over 2,000 email addresses - I guess that's what snow days are for...) Of course, you can still sign up now if you want - and it will save me from entering one more email address.;) Anyhoo, be sure to sign up to receive some Round Rabbit goodness.

The hoop earrings that took over the world

I listed this fabulous pair of porcelain hoop earrings in my shop today. They are officially the biggest hoop earrings I have ever made (2 1/2" long!) - I am quite certain that you could jump a poodle through them if you wanted to. And yet they remain feather light! Imagine that!

I call this pair North Star Diamond and I think they are just perfect for the holiday season. They have that Wintry, meaningful look, do they not?

I'll be listing a lot of new things this week so be sure to check out the shop. There is still plenty of time to get things before Christmas. I am shipping daily, sometimes twice a day.

In other news I want to send out a nice big Thank You! to everyone who came to see me at the Plowshares show last weekend. It was my last big show of the year (I just have one more weekend at my studio show) and it is always such a nice note to go out on. I'm not sure what it is but the crowd, the organizers (Syracuse Peace Council - woot!), everything about this show gives me the warm fuzzies. It's a great way to end the year. So, thank you. :)