Thursday, December 23, 2010

Feliz Navidad... from our home to yours :)

***click on our picture for a special greeting created just for you...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!   love ya :)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Happy Halloween... carnelian style :)


The leaves are vibrant with color and the temperature outside is dropping quickly! Stay safe and have a terrific Halloween...




Friday, October 29, 2010

We're a CHAIN! :)

I might be dating myself... but remember that great line in "Steel Magnolias" when Dolly Parton's character realizes her beauty shop is now a chain?  That is how I felt tonight :)

It's been two and a half years since we opened our first cyber shop on Etsy and now... drumroll please... we opened our second cyber shop on ArtFire!  We have really enjoyed sending our creations all over the world!  The wonderful feedback we've received has always brightened our days... thanks to all of you!

In honor of "Steel Magnolias" and our newest shop on ArtFire... I searched for these pictures from way back when.

Harbor Playhouse (Corpus Christi, TX) production of "Steel Magnolias"... I was Shelby... what fun :)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

new shop on Artfire :)

Welcome! We're glad you found us and we hope you enjoy browsing our shop!

We design, create and guarantee all of our work! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions! Check back often as we are constantly making new items! Designing jewelry is our passion and hopefully one of our pieces will find it's way into your heart and soul!

Each purchase will arrive beautifully packaged and ready to "gift" to that special someone or even better... for the most important person in the world... YOU!

Thanks for shopping with us!

Belinda & David

new location for our wearable art...


we are always creating new designs...
check out our newest storefront on Artfire :)

Friday, October 15, 2010

do animals have souls?

have to share this because it is so beautifully worded... :)


Do Animals Have Souls?
by Stacy Mantle



I was talking with a coworker the other day and he informed me that animals do not have emotions. This is just after he told me (the day that I put my dog of 17yrs down) that animals do not have souls and therefore will never enjoy the concept of heaven. Now, this coworker has the disadvantage of being, what I refer to, as a "bible-thumper." He is, in fact, a born-again Christian. Please bear in mind that I have nothing against Christians, nor do I have anything against religion in general. I do, however, have a problem with this coworker passing along faulty information.



Animals do have emotions and they also have souls, and I'll tell you how I know that. In over twenty years of working with animals, I have never seen a kitten duct-tape a live human baby to a freeway. I also have never seen a cat find enjoyment from setting a human on fire. I've never gone hiking in the desert to find a child that dogs have left tied to a stake, without food and water, subjecting it to a painful death in the desert heat. I have never seen a chicken force two unwilling humans to fight in a ring with razor blades attached to their feet while the chickens place bets on who will be the first to die. I haven't seen a puppy place eight children in a gunnysack and drown them in a river. Neither have I seen an eagle aim a shotgun at an unarmed human. I have yet to see a bear kill a human simply to place a head on the wall of their cave. And to this day, I have not seen a pigeon drive a car down the road and aim for humans who were walking around the park.



Let me tell you what I have seen. I have seen my own cats sleep next to me so they may keep me a little warmer while I was ill. I've seen my dogs play games with me just to force a smile to my face. I have seen a cat rush into a burning home not once, not twice, but six times to save her kittens, nearly losing her own life in the process. I have seen a ferret pull a frightened kitten out of a deep hole in the ground. I have seen a coyote fetch another dog so that it may get the proper medical care that it needs. I've seen a dog, who loves to jump on people, avoid jumping on me when I injured my back. I've seen elephants cry. I've seen monkeys scream in empathy when one of their own were injured. I've seen puppies whine all night long when they were separated from their mothers. I've seen a dog pull a child away from a fire.



These are only a few of the things that I've seen. To list them all would take a lifetime, and I think you get my point. As for the soul thing? Well, it is my humble opinion that if you have emotions, any kind of emotions, then you have a soul. Ironically, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church recently stated that he feels the same way.



Now, I can't prove that animals have souls. But then, I can't prove that you or I have one either. And for all those people who firmly believe that animals don't have souls - well, I suppose if there really is a heaven, you'll probably have the job of cleaning out all the litter boxes...








free spirit...


It took many years to get here... but praise God... I am a "free spirit" :)

May you find your true self and live according to your own wishes and beliefs...

Monday, September 20, 2010

chocolate chip cookies...


We love cooking as much as creating wearable art! 

Tonight was "chocolate chip cookie" night!   It's not unusual to see me baking in the wee hours of the morning... now I've added the inspiration of Christmas!  Yes, the Christmas CDs are out and I'm thru #16 of the 50 in our collection and it's not even October :)

Want to share a little something wth you...

mendlbarr tip:  refrigerate the cookie balls- when chilled, place in separate serving freezer bags... now you can have fresh baked cookies whenever you want :) yum!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

First SALE at mendlbarr... "celebrating the best month ever"... my birthday month!


************BUY 1 GET 1 HALF OFF**************

(difference will be immediately refunded thru PayPal or I can make a special listing for you)

Now is the time to buy yourself that special present :)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010


First SALE at mendlbarr... "celebrating the best month ever"... my birthday month!
************BUY 1 GET 1 HALF OFF**************
(difference will be immediately refunded thru PayPal or I can make a special listing for you)
Now is the time to buy yourself that special present :)

Friday, August 27, 2010

leaves are turning colors :)

My favorite time of year is here!

Heard it once said that we always love the time of year in which our birthday falls... guess it's true?  Placed our fall wreath on the door and will be placing our pumpkins and other decorations soon!  Bring out the cinnamon, cranberry and apple cider candles... fall is here!

Because we release our creative energies on designing "wearable art"... here are few with wonderful fall colors :)  Enjoy!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

renew an old outfit with new wearable art...

Love that treasured dress but want to add new excitement?  Or maybe your "power" outfit lost some of its effectiveness?  Change your wearable art and see it in a different light... enjoy!  :)


Thursday, August 5, 2010

vintage evening bags...

Vintage fun, vintage perfection!
Who wants to wear something gorgeous and oh! so unique?  Take a peek at these vintage evening bags we have on our Etsy site...

Saturday, July 31, 2010

just dust yourself off and get back on the horse...


Why is it that one moment I can be on such a "high" and in no time, I feel like I got bucked off a horse and I'm eating dirt?  This morning was terrific... spent hours on the terrace tending to our abundance of plant life and even noticed the cicadas singing :)  Still in that serene peace... I grab the blackberry... why????

Answered an email from a distant pal back in Texas and soon it gets ugly... judgement and preaching.  I get sucked in and drain myself of all that wonderful "high".   Fighting the urge to crawl in bed and dwell in this "funkiness"... I decide to dust myself off and climb back on that horse to continue the wonderful ride!

Lessons learned...
1)  Protect your sacred time by not allowing the outside world to intrude! 
2)  When the "funkiness" appears... just dust yourself off and get back on that horse!

Friday, July 30, 2010

moonstone creations

We love using stones that mesmerize and flash colors as you move... these two creations do just that!



Whether you are dressing for a dinner date or just want an earring to wear with your favorite jeans... these will soon be your favorites!  Enjoy!




Thursday, July 22, 2010

Owl City - Fireflies




"I like to make myself believe..."
Wow!  This awesome video has inspired me to create some colorful, fun and magical pieces.  Be on the lookout for our "fireflies" collection... coming soon :)  Enjoy!

turquoise and black...














A terrific combination of organic and elegant... beautiful with that new pair of jeans and a crisp white blouse!


turquoise dance $38


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

blessings and graces

the power of "saging"

Want to share something with you that just might make life a little easier! 

Robert Downey, Jr. has been a  favorite of mine for a long time and when I read that he has improved his life with the use of "saging"... I had to do my own research and give it a try.   I am now a true believer in the powers of energy and utilize "saging" in my life.  Peace immediately surrounds our home afterwards... we've become more productive when the "negative" energy is sent away.  May you find this information helpful.  Heather Buchanan, HamtonsHeather.com, writes:
Have you ever had the feeling that there's an invisible little grouchy entity which has attached itself to you and is wreaking havoc with your life (not including certain political figures)? I'm a great believer in the power of energy be it positive or negative and when I hit a patch where I've done yoga five days in a row, shaved my legs, finished my column, and chased two mating ducks out of the middle of the road so they didn't get hit by an oncoming truck, and I feel good about myself, magical things can happen.
After spending two days, in bed, in a cloud of yuckiness... I decided to grab my sage and give it a try!  Yes...finally feel like myself again!  It's times like these that I wonder what kept me from remembering the powers of "saging"?  So you ask "what is it?"  Nicole Brown, eHow Contributing Writer, gives a concise description:

Sage has been burned by the Native American people for centuries. Today, burning sage has become a widespread practice. Sage can be used for a variety of different purposes. One common use for sage is to cleanse a space. Sage can be purchased in a ready-made bundle or loose. Once lit, the smoke from the sage can be fanned around the location with the intent of purifying the area and removing any negative energies. Sage can be burned in your home to cleanse it of a haunting or unwanted spirit activity.
Hope this enlightens and inspires...
Belinda :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

God works in mysterious ways...

Remembering a blog post of mine from way back.  This is a picture of the Guadalupe River in Texas... many fond memories of tubing and how, in parts, it was slow and boring and at other times fast, furious and so much fun!  Life is just like that... God works in mysterious ways!

If you ever have the time for me to go "on and on and on" about the unique and crazy things God has done in our lives... I am more than happy to open up and sure hope that you, too, will share your miracles and inspire :)

Blessed in many ways... it's still amazes me how God can bring people into your life at just the perfect moment!   The anticipation of meeting someone for the first time, whether by phone or in person, can be an adrenaline high!  Getting to know someone and digging deeper to see what makes them "click"?  The best part is knowing that, somehow, you are kindred spirits... a divine purpose will be fullfilled and we may never really know the "big picture".  If you have faith and realize there are no coincidences... what a wonderful ride!

Had a terrific conversation with someone brand new!  Afterwards... felt energized and hopped on that lonely treadmill staring at me.  Hope this is the start of a new direction... ready to ride the rapids, hold on to my inner tube and "enjoy the time" (there is a wonderful mom out there who shared these wise words to my new friend ... I now share them with you!)

God bless all of you!
Belinda :)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

inspiration is everywhere...

God surrounds us with so much to inspire creativity! Our family member, Sabu, was the driving force for our "sabu" collection...






Now it seems a song and this miraculous dancer inspire us to create something with them in mind... stay tuned and we'll post when completed :)   If you watch "So You Think You Can Dance", here's a repeat... if not, you're in for a treat :)






Wednesday, July 7, 2010

blessings come in many colors...

We are country folk living in the big city... so we try and bring as much of the country to our terrace!  Who would've thought butterflies would visit us on the fifth floor?



All of the attention to detail has paid off as we enjoyed the first jalepenos... chopped finely into the sour cream sauce atop our chicken enchiladas :)  Our strawberries are a sweet surprise!  We also have concord & muscat grapes... chives... parsley... and the pride of all... a peach tree!

Yes... blessings come in many colors...

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

our earrings "in action"...













A friend purchased our "i do" earrings for his sister to wear on her wedding day!  We were excited to see the gorgeous pictures and to know that our creations were part of her special day!  Our hometown beaches (Corpus Christi, Texas) were also part of this blessed event. 



Thanks, Stephen, for sharing such a memorable day with us!

Friday, July 2, 2010

our creations in "your" blog... wow!

What a surprise to find out that our creations made it into two different blogs recently! 
Thank you... thank you... thank you... :)

                These were featured in  "aisle with style"...



and this one made it into "buried in betsy's closet"...