BTW (ugh, can you believe snow is in the forecast?)

Although it would be nice to have a bad-weather-provided day off : - )  So, a little progress on the ol' bead table this week.  I am putting together two projects for contests.  I love challenges, let me tell ya!  It's been such a great way to learn, bead outside the box, work on my photos, and meet lots of neat folks.  One of the first I joined in on is Margie and Me, hosted by Marcie over at La Bella Joya.  Marcie is a wicked good seed beader, so it's been fun seeing the mix of projects that turn up with each of the challenges.  You can kind of see the picture with one of this month's challenges in the middle.  I just so happen to have rainbow agate from this shopping trip that is a perfect match for the colors, and think that I will add tan round beads and the matte silver chain.  I have a single yellow Gaea bead left over from my Art Bead Scene monthly challenge entry (told ya I loved me a challenge) so I think I will add that as a dangle (it is called the Yellow March inspiration after all).  The other idea rattling around my head is one for the Happy Mango Beads Trash to Treasure contest.  I participated in it last year using a shell I picked up on the beach as a focal.  This year I think I will use some cool neoprene washers I found recently at the hardware store - a box of 75 was less than 2 bucks - what a steal!  I think the red double carp focal I found at Michael's for $1.99 would look cool with a "chain" of the washers.  Hope the rest of your week is great!