At the Studio and a Give Away!!!

Today was one of those days when the weather started off clear, beautiful and warm and by the end of the day, it left you scrambling for umbrellas, sweatshirts and raincoats.


It was a perfect day to be in the studio! I love my studio... it inspires me!

This is Tuesday's beautiful sunset from my studio...

Red Sky at Night... Sailor's Delight

The geese are heading south

The sky was a perfect compliment to my newest addition to the earring collection!

Semper Fi Love

These earrings are made with beautiful swarovski crystals in the official colors of the USMC!

A cute sterling silver puffy heart is added!

Hung on hypoallergenic surgical steel french wires and with a drop of approximately 1/2".

Let's give one of these away!

Simply leave a comment and we will pick a winner on Friday.

Blog it and

Facebook it for extra entries!

Hope you had a great Wednesday!

Happy Hump Day!!

Semper USA!

Camille Anne

Tuesday Tidbits - What I love, love, love about the Military

For some of us, it is Navy / Air Force Week - the week when on Saturday, the football teams from each of these service academies face each other on the field and play for honor and bragging rights (and the Commander-in-Chief Cup).

For the men and women who serve in each of these branches, it is a time where they wear their service pride on their sleeve and defiantly rant about the short-comings of the "other" guys.

For the students attending each of these academies, it is a week of fun, shenanigans and unbelievable pranks that leave you scratching your head and wondering "how did they pull that off?"

Herndon Monument, USNA

O-Dark Hundred

Tecumseh, USNA

O-Dark Hundred in the pouring rain

What I love, love, love about the military is they go at it -

head-to-head, toe-to-toe, prank-to-prank -

with all the gusto and determination they display for opposing forces with one exception...

At the end of the week, they all remember they are one united force...

together, in one Nation under God, supporting each other.

And at the end of the week, they again are one team defending our Country and our freedoms!

Semper USA!!!

Go Navy and Air Force - May you all stay safe and enjoy your week!

Monday Night Chuckles

It's Monday night - which around here means football and Moe's for dinner! I just love Monday's!! Because Monday's are just so great (it's the football and Moe's I tell you), I've decided Monday night will also be Monday Night Chuckles Night too... aren't you just soo excited?

So, for our inaugural Monday Night Chuckles, I bring you ....

The US Navy today announced that it has released a senior Al Qaeda terrorist after questioning him extensively for 27 days while he was held prisoner aboard a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. In a humanitarian gesture the terrorist was given $50 US and a white Ford Fairlane automobile upon being released from custody.

Have a Happy Monday Night!

Semper USA!!

Camille Anne

Semper USA Style

Happy Weekend to Everyone... Hope you all are doing great and enjoying the first weekend of Fall!

With the recent change to fall-like temperatures (well, that was prior to the bizarre heat wave here in Maryland which has had the temperatures up into the '90's), I decided to venture out of the air conditioning and work on some much procrastinated outdoor projects. I had been putting off sweating and the displeasure of the buggies through the summer months, but it just seemed like the perfect time to get these little babies done and off the list.

Alot of these projects feature handbuilt, handpainted or handmade items that I've been creating throughout the recent months. Some of these will be available for purchase or I can supply instructions. Let me know what you think!!!

So without further ado, here goes - Semper USA goes outdoors

Office Entry Way

The entrance to my office. What do you think?

I love making wreaths... I mean I love, love, love making wreaths!!! I have a wreath for about every occasion and then some, but this one stays on my office door year-round. These will be available for purchase in the near future!

Hand painted banner!

Hand painted door bell... can't sneak up on me with this sucker! I have one on the inside too!!

Hand made and hand painted mini-planters. Perfect for the steps!

Window Planters

These are hand made and after seeing these pictures, I've decided they're not done!

They are getting white stripes tomorrow!

Garden Trellis

One of my most favorite projects in a loonnngg time! I bought this trellis at an auction for $1.00 - Yes, $1.00!!! It was a little worse-for-the-wear, but with a little TLC, white paint and new planter boxes crafted from scrap wood, I think this little baby is a beaut! I saw a trellis at Lowe's for $200 (not nearly as nice), so I'm REALLLLYYY lovin' it now!

Adirondack Chairs

These were all white (there are 4 of them, but I was having technical difficulties getting a good shot of them all) until one day, I decided they were going to become a flag... haven't decided if I want stars on the blue one... what do you think?

All of these little projects were done with extra materials and/or on an extremely low-budget!

Semper USA!!

Camille Anne

A New Appreciation for 15 Minutes

Well, it seems that this blogging thing isn't coming as naturally as I really thought it would. I am averaging a blog a month which is way short of the 5 a week I thought I would be able to commit to the digital abyss. It's not that I don't have ideas. All day long, I think and think and think of exciting, comical and not-so-comical, thought-provoking topics, comments and ideas upon which I could spew paragraphs and paragraphs. The only drawback to that is that by the time it comes to actually doing anything with those ideas, comments and topics, I seem to falter and fizzle.

I wasn't sure why that was until I spent the day with my oldest son shadowing him in his day at his college (which happens to be USNA). After spending the day with him I have a new found appreciation for the value of 15 minutes. Until that day, 15 minutes was the time to flip through a magazine, read the ads, wander from room to room straightening. In my mind, 15 minutes wasn't enough time to do anything of any relavence. I looked at my time in one hour increments, sometimes more. Sometimes I looked at my time slots as morning, afternoon and evening.

It's not that I don't know what can be done in a day. After raising 4 children, the first 3 stairstep (you know the kind - 3 in diapers - what was I thinking method of having children) with the last coming 10 years after the first, I know what is possible to cram into a day. My days seemed endless and looking back, probably were. I think with age, I sort of lost the drive and went into slow motion. Which isn't a bad thing unless you get too slow - which I think I did.... which isn't a good thing if you're an overachiever like I am. It leaves you feeling terribly unproductive at the end of the day, and dare I say, unfulfilled.

Anyway, after that day which left me exhausted and sore, I'm looking at 15 minutes in a whole new light and now realize just how much I can get done in 15 minutes. For example, in the past week I've used 15 minutes to.....

..... fold and put away 2 loads of laundry and start a 3rd load.
..... make rice krispy treats for my youngest.
..... run 1.5 (well, almost) miles
..... clean 2 bathrooms
..... take a shower and dry my hair
..... unload the dishwasher and reload with all the dirty dishes and do the dishes in the sink
..... you get the point!

So, my new commitment to myself is to spend my new found 15 minutes on this blog... which is just one facet of my multiple personalities. This blog is the side of me that is absolutely devoted to the military and my appreciation for all they do for me and us. It is something inside of me that makes me cry, makes me laugh, makes me clap and makes me proud to be part of the USA. Since I rediscovered the value of 15 minutes at USNA and by watching my military son, it seems only fitting that I use that 15 minutes here recognizing the selfless dedication of our military and the beauty of the US of A.

I'm timing myself and ding... I made it! Now, what to do with the next 15 minutes!

What do you do with your 15 minutes? Let me know the best way you spend 15 minutes... I'd love to hear!!!