ThePreferredLife.blogspot.com Is My Baby...

ThePreferredLife.blogspot.com is my baby and has been a great outlet to share my thoughts with you.  It has revealed the little simplicities of life that I enjoy.  Topics have included my passions for jewelry design, photography, gardening, cooking, entertaining, travel, family and relationships, and my love for all things associated with the beach. 

Yes, I am a country girl and proud of it.  My parents played an intricate role in the shaping of my personality, making me who I am.  Mommy (yes, I will refer to her as Mommy ‘til my dying day) was a class act in everything that she did.  Professional and caring as a registered nurse serving our country’s veterans, Mommy was also a class act when it came to caring for and entertaining family and friends.  Her culinary skills and flair for style were impeccable.  Always a lady, she had the great talent of positively impacting everyone that she encountered.  From teaching someone how to create a great table-setting for their first dinner party, to making everyone feel welcomed and comfortable, Mommy also had the talent of educating and scolding someone at the same time without belittling them.  A skill that I am still trying to fine tune.

Now, Daddy was cut from a different cloth all together.  Loud, boisterous, and adventurous, he had a real zest for life.  He would cuss you up one side and down the other while giving you the shirt off his back all at the same time.  A proud serviceman for the U. S. Army, Daddy was a man’s man.  He was an avid history buff, loved the great outdoors and all things related to sports.  While on summer vacations, Daddy cultivated my love for traveling, fishing, farming, hunting, eating, and taking my shot in life.  He would tell me “We live in the only country, where an orphan can become President.”  Other great verses of his included, “Don’t have a whale appetite and minnow ass,”  “Remember, you aren’t the only one that has a dream,”  “Pace yourself, if you want to win,” “They ain’t making no more land,” and “You only get one life, you best go for yours.”

Now Mommy and Daddy have gone on to that Great Watermelon Patch in the Sky.  But today they were weighing heavy on my mind, and I wanted to dedicate this post to them.  I had the greatest parents in the world, and I thank God for them.  They truly loved me.  The lessons they taught me still stir in my heart today, but things are different now.  I’m not as young as I used to be.  I am not a little girl anymore, but still a little girl at heart.  I’m country and fabulous.  Thank God, I have a job, but I want to be the President of my own destiny.  I love my family and friends, but I want to trek into new territory.  Now what in the world this new territory looks like, I have no earthly idea.  Ideally, I’d like to live in Europe again, let my work be photography and jewelry design, make money on the internet, shadow some of the greatest fashion designers for a year, have Santana teach me to play guitar, help kids in some way, spend time learning from old folks, travel and see America by train, shop, eat at fine restaurants and write about them, take a 6 month cooking or jewelry design class in France or Italy, run a food truck, smile at somebody and say, "Good Morning" and they do the same in return, and there's plenty more I'd like to add to the list. 

Over the last few months, I have been reading a lot of books, articles, magazines and blogs, trying to figure this all out, and Marie Forleo has kept me going.  Her approach is cool and funky.  Thank goodness cause these other guys bore me to death in about 3 seconds flat.  She has her RHH Live conference at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen center next month in New York.  If you can get in, I recommend that you go.  She has given me the encouragement and where-with-all to become the metamorphic butterfly that I want to be. 

So with that said, I am making some changes and ThePreferredLife.blogspot.com has now partnered with Overcocktails.biz.  The goal is to continue sharing with you little treasures that make life memorable and fun, but turn things up a notch.  Overcocktails.biz is a website that allows you to take advantage of a few fruits that make life a little more enjoyable.  The site allows you to shop for top of the line deals, and as the website name suggests, we want you to have a great time, browse the site with friends and family, comment on the articles written and a have cocktail or two.  Enjoy! http://www.marieforleo.com

"Emerald Opulence"

These photos are of my latest design called "Emerald Opulence." It's a 22 inch handcrafted necklace made of Swarovski crystals, sterling silver star spacers, lime green jasper, and a sterling lobster claw clasp.  Photography of this piece gave me a run for my money.  I have reviewed approximately 110 shots trying to display this piece as gracefully as possible.  I think it's quite beautiful and elegant.  Let me know if you like it.  

Thanks, Valeta

My Little Container Garden of Inspiration

Bell peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, chives, and strawberries have all delivered decent yields this year.  In mid-March, I started planting my container garden from little seedlings.  Patiently watering, weeding, and feeding my plants have changed my patio into a little oasis.  Daily over the last 3 months, I would fill my water baths for the birds in the morning, and look over the plants for bigger leaves, strengthening stems,  and budding flowers.

The blooming flowers were beautiful, vibrant shades of yellow and a crisp white.  Every now and then I would fry some squash flowers for a tasty treat.

Since the winter was mild, spring was a wonderful time for early planting and perfect temperatures gave the plants a good start.  March in Atlanta had average temps of the mid to upper seventies.  Not too hot and not too cold during this year's growing season.  I hoped for more rain as a natural water source for my container garden.  I've been told the water from the hose contains chlorine and rainwater is a much better natural resource for gardens.

With the days growing longer and warmer weather, the patio has also been a haven of inspiration.  Looking through the patio door, birds would fly by and stop for a drink of water, a bath, or to steal a piece of fruit.  I don't mind sharing.  I've seen everything from robins, sparrows, brown thrashers, cardinals, blue-jays, doves, quail, hawks and owls.  The songs they sing are serene to me.  The bird feeder we installed seems to have been dominated by the aggressive squirrel family more than the birds.  They have shaken, rattled, and rolled the feeder so hard that it has been ripped from the tree branches and the birds settle for the dropped leftovers.

Listening to the birds singing in the trees, watching the squirrel family cut a path through the backyard, and catching a glimpse of bunnies darting across the yard have given me inspiration to create new things and trailblaze new and unfamiliar territory:  new jewelry designs and adapting my photographs into postcards.

I want to be practical, plan accordingly, and make the best decisions for my family and my business.  I have hopes and dreams for my business.  The balancing act of a full-time job, a family, and not enough time in the day to dedicate to my business to help it grow is the subject at hand for me.  Am I too old at the age of 46 to go after, or even still have a dream?  What do you think?

My daddy used to say America is the only place where an orphan can become President of the United States.  I too believe in this philosophy.  America, where I live, is the land of opportunity, but in reality, wherever anyone lives, LIFE will throw you a curve ball.

Writing this blog is my therapy session.  I makes me think.  Tough questions are being asked, pondered, and definitive answers have to be delivered.  This is where I am right now.  I bow my head and whisper intensely, "Lord help me, please!" 

Hey Everybody,
I've been getting bills paid, working on my container garden and on a few new jewelry pieces to go out on www.rubylane.com/shops/cmeicuoriginals soon.  Spring cleaning of what I call my southern cape cod home has been a little inspirational.  I am ready for the summer, and fun times on the beaches of Tybee with my nieces and nephews.  With all the spring cleaning, things are now sparkly and new again.  Over the last couple of weeks, I helped to rescue a baby bird after severe thunderstorms came through, made the discovery of some baby bunnies burrowing under tree branches piled up in the yard after trimming a few tree limbs, and came across a frog and lizard which I have not seen in the back yard for years.  Just like spring cleaning makes you feel rejuvenated, so do the baby animals that I discovered a few weeks ago.  I have my mojo back, cause I like my new bracelet and earring designs.  Photos and information about my other projects will be posted soon.  Missed writing and talking with you.  Don't want to stay away so long anymore.  See you after while.

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Slowly but Surely...

It's been a while since I have even looked at this blog, let alone updated it. Life has thrown me a few curve balls that have shaken me to my core. But I still stand. Steve Harvey and my family have held my hand, and brought me out of the darkness into the light. Time flies after becoming an introvert. I have lost both parents. My rock and foundation shook. Through prayer and drawing closer to God is the only way I made it through. Steve Harvey of the "Steve Harvey Morning Show" gave great words of wisdom, "If you have nothing else to hold onto but God, that is not a bad place to be." Old folks always said "He'll make a way out of no way." It's amazing how you hear those little pearls of wisdom all your life and they fit perfectly when you need them most.

I have so much to be thankful for. With God guiding my footsteps, I can't wait to see the results. Step by step...

Valeta

...And Still Moving

It's been a long time since I've blogged. But I've kept things rolling with my collection www.rubylane.com/shops/cmeicuoriginals. Thank you Jesus! The balancing act of maintaining a regular 9 to 5, starting a business and taking care of family has really been a tough roe to hoe in the midst of a recession. It seems that having one bread winner in the household has changed right before my eyes. Go to school, get your degree, find a good job, get married, raise a family, then retire are things of the past. That was the philosophy instilled in me by my parents. That too has past! I digress.

During the last year, business has been slow as my attention changed focus to family and work. My dad, the fighter that he is, overcame some health issues that had us worried and the job still has folks on edge, wonderng if will we have a job one day to the next. A lot of family and friends are facing the juggling act of finding a second job or starting a side business to make up for lost income or to hedge the threat of losing income. I have faith that our country will bounce back and new trailblazers will be revealed through the triumphs that come out of this recession. A change gone come.

Time Keeps On Ticking

Well, the last few months have been fast and furious. Since my last blog update on June 26,
2009, I have turned a year older, hit the ground running to set up appointments to display and
sell my collection, entered my first craft show, and set up my business online. My collection is
now available at http://www.cmeicuoriginals.rubylane.com/.

During my family vacation in Savannah, GA, I was fortunate enough to make an appointment
with gallery owner and photographer Bryan Stovall. He graciously set an appointment with me
to view my collection. He is researching the expansion of his gallery to include additional works
of art outside of photography. He, as well as some gallery visitors, admired my collection and
tried on pieces. The feedback was tremendous. The name of his beautiful gallery is Bryan
Stovall Gallery & Studio on 10 Whitaker St., Savannah, GA 31401, office phone 912.238.1877,
and website http://www.bryanstovall.com/. Stovall is extremely talented. His studio displays
wonderful digital photographs of historical landmarks throughout coastal Georgia and South
Carolina, wedding photography, children's portraits, abstracts, landscapes, and seascapes. My
favorite piece in his current collection is that of "Old Sheldon Church" near Yemassee, S.C.
From its first service in 1757 to its current serenity, "Old Sheldon Church" has followed a
tumultuous and fiery history. As kids, my dad would take us there to view the grave sites,
historical markers, and play at the water pump. It's a magical and beautiful place to me. In
2002, Mr. Stovall transitioned to an all digital studio equipped with the use of computers,
scanners, and high-quality printers. He praises the immediacy of this medium.

Should you get the chance to visit the wonderful, mysterious, and beautiful city of Savannah, GA, please visit Bryan Stovall Gallery & Studio and your breath will be taken away.

Handcrafted Jewelry
for those who love
beautiful works of art!

Valeta's

I love making handcrafted jewelry. My friend Adrianne got me into making earrings, necklaces and bracelets after I saw several of the beautiful creations that she made. What I enjoy so much when starting each piece, is the giddy feeling that comes over me, when the piece actually starts coming together. It also gives me this great focus on completing the piece that I've dreamed in my head and tried to place on paper. I'm not the best sketch artist, but I try. After completing a few of what I call dream works of art, I showed them to a few friends and co-workers. They gave great feedback and then asked that I make them a custom piece. Next, was the true litmus test. Several family members gathered at my sister Portia's gorgeous home for what we called "Grown Folks Weekend" during the Memorial Day weekend. We ate, drank, shopped and told lies all weekend long. We had a ball. While sitting at my sister's dining room table, with tools and a plethora of baubles and trinkets spread around, my cousins came in the room modeling the new outfits they purchased and started making requests of me for pieces to go with those outfits. Now these ladies can dress, and dress well they do, so the challenge was on. After that inspiring acknowledgement from my family about my work, as my family is brutally honest, I churned out some really fabulous pieces for them over the next two days. With the blessing of family and friends, I have decided to put my toe in the water and see if others like my work. I think starting out small at festivals, craft and art shows, is smart. I want to test the waters to see what other people think. Hopefully you all will enjoy the pieces of my collection as much as I enjoyed creating them. Please provide suggestions and feedback.

Thank you,
Valeta

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