COCO: Last photo taken the day after his biopsy.

A little over two years ago, our 14 year old Golden Retriever was diagnosed with Melanoma, an aggressive and invasive form of cancer. After a consultation with a specialist, it was determined that because the cancer was concentrated in his snout, it was not operable and therefore he only had a limited time. A couple of weeks later, his health had quickly deteriorated, and we decided it was time to put him to sleep.

On his last day, we spent the whole day with him, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. We took a leisurely drive heading towards the general direction of his veterinarian at the Newport Center Animal Hospital. We spent time at the beach, took frequent bathroom breaks for him because by this time, his body was no longer able to retain food and had constant diarrhea.

His last meal was an angus burger patty that I fed by hand to keep him from choking. As sick as he was, he still had a healthy appetite and would scarf down his food. But because he had trouble breathing through his nose, he would start to choke so I took to feeding him by hand to pace his meal and give him time to chew and swallow between each bite.

That day, he slowly followed us into the hospital, leash-free. All the other times we took him there, he would get a whiff of the place and refuse to step out of the car. This time, it was as if he knew and was telling us it was okay.

That was a little over two years ago. So it was a surprise that I burst into tears when I came upon this site as memories of that difficult time came flooding back.

Red Dog Diary: A Dogumentary. The journey of one dog’s battle with cancer. Check it out. Make sure to watch the moving trailer. Read their list of 10 warning signs of canine cancer. And check out their other blog about the adventures of another happy, waggy golden boy named Spencer. He will bring a smile to your face and steal your heart.

I love beads. Particularly, artisan-made Lampwork glass beads which I consider to be wonderful little handcrafted works of Art. If you’ve ever loved marbles as a kid or have been enamored with stained glass, you will understand my fascination with it - the way the light passes through and is reflected off the surface of the glass; the multi-layers, colors, visual textures, designs and shapes the artist employs; and the way it feels in your hands - the physical texture and form of the bead.

Every once in awhile I will go through my collection I’ve accumulated over the last 3 years to re-organize, re-package or re-label - all as an excuse to admire the artist’s handiwork and take stock of what I have. I am lucky. I’m very, very lucky.

I have a couple of drawers set aside for special beads from favorite Lampwork artists. Beads that I’m reluctant to use, saving it for “someday”. I’ve come to the realization lately that hoarding and holding on to these beads and other jewelry components I deemed as “special” really stifled my creativity. I found myself designing around them and “making do” with beads I didn’t mind letting go as much - for a good cause or to make a little extra money that end up being spent on even more beads to feed my bead obsession.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably going, “Now, wait a minute. This ain’t about movies. Freakin’ beads. How misleading!” Hold your horses. I’m getting to that.

I love beads. And I love the movies. So what’s better than a combination of both? My husband and I have a voracious appetite for movies and watch an average of between 6 to 12 films a week. We belong to both Netflix and Blockbuster and can’t get our movies fast enough. Although, I have to make a disclaimer that we’re “normal” compared to those totally obsessed movie fanatics featured in the documentary, “Cinemania”. Can you say *cuckoo*? Me-OWW

So my friend, “someday” has come. I finally decided to quit holding on to these glass popcorn beads that made my heart race and screamed my name when I first saw them. Aren’t they adorable? And so unique too. The white part of the popcorn has been etched for a “soft” matte texture, while the yellow part has a nice shiny gloss for contrast. I have seen a few popcorn Lampwork beads but none as nice as these. They’re handcrafted by glass artist, Tracy Karen. I paired them with sumptuous coffee Lampwork beads torched by favorite glass artist, Janet Crosby, (since I’m not really a “candy” person but happen to love coffee too!) and a collection of sterling silver movie-related charms. Put ‘em in a bowl of popcorn, candy or coffee beans to surprise a friend and they might just mistake them for the real thing. Simple, yet fetching, perfect to wear to a film fest, a premier, or plain ol’ sitting in my living room watching a dvd in my feet-proppin’ popcorn-munchin’ PJ’s.

Since my wrist is on the smallish side, I had enough popcorn beads left over to make another bracelet that I’ve paired with artisan-crafted Lampwork Gummi Bears, Jolly Ranchers and Jelly candy beads, and a couple of sterling silver charms. This one-of-a-kind piece, titled “I Love the Movies!” will be available in my Etsy store soon if you’re interested. If you have high-speed internet connection, click the photo below to see an even bigger version.

Well, that’s all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time — here’s lookin’ at you, kid.

I’ve been enjoying these all Summer: Laughing Cow light Swiss Cheese spread on Wasa Crispbread topped with fresh Basil from my garden, thinly sliced vine-ripened tomatoes, a generous sprinkling of fresh ground pepper and a pinch of kosher flake salt. Yummy. Can’t wait to eat ‘em as soon as I finish this post!

Hey! Love dogs n’ cats and have a couple of minutes? Then check out these super fun videos from Chessnoid’s blog: Ruff! Meooowwr! *pounce!* Hisssssss! Enjoy!

Chocolate lab + Kitten Playtime
Golden Retriever Puppies first encounter with a Cat

New stuff in the works . . . I’ve been busy working on new pieces but have been putting off photographing as it’s not my favorite thing to do. I’ve acquired a little stockpile so I’ll post pics of ‘em as I list all next week. Please check back.

That’s all for now. Thanks so much for visiting! Hope you’re having a fantastic Summer!

Thank you to everyone - new and loyal repeat customers who placed bids and supported Paws, and to those that helped promote it by word of mouth, by email and on their websites - particularly -

Janet Crosby, one of the best people I have had the privilege of knowing, whose kindness and generosity knows no bounds;
Lori Flanders, a new glass artist for me, who enthusiastically plugged Paws on her website and generously offered more bones for every $5 that Bone Appetit sold (up to $50 - schweeet!);
and last but certainly not least,
Chessnoid, my bestest friend and #1 supporter for the last 20 years, who I’m very very fortunate to have in my life.

Your generosity and support means the world to me. With your help, we were able to raise awareness, raise a little money for two terrific non-profits, all the auction winners got some great deals, a few puppies n’ kitties will be enjoying new toys n’ treats, and all the pet-lovers can feel great wearing their bling, knowing that 100% of the money they paid for it is helping someone somewhere, and possibly saving lives.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone.