January Giveaway

My first giveaway for January will be the earrings you see pictured here. They feature brilliant cobalt blue and bright red vintage glass beads. The copper earwires were designed by the very talented Solivio on Etsy, and they are lovely in their own right. These measure a total of 2.5". My hope is that the delightful colors will help to wipe away the winter doldrums. (Coincedentally, the last pair of earrings I gave away were also cobalt blue ~ go figure!)

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. Entrees must be received no later than 12:01 am EST on 1/17/09. This contest is open to those age 18 or older. Please enter only once, in fairness to others.

A winner will be randomly chosen and the results will be posted on this blog by 1/18/09. The winner will not be contacted, so you will need to check back to see if you've won.

Thanks for helping me celebrate 2 years on Etsy! Good Luck Everyone!!

****This contest is now CLOSED. Thanks for entering!!****

It's my Etsy ~ versary!!

I've fallen way behind on my blogging. The holidays were so chaotic (in a good way!), that I never even had a chance to extend my wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope that 2009 is off to a good start for you.

This month marks the 2nd anniversary of my Etsy shop, and I'm very excited about that! I've got some fun plans in the works for the entire month of January. This week, I am offering *FREE* shipping on all orders. Next week, a new promo will run, but that's a surprise for now ;) All month long, every order will receive a free pair of earrings. It's my way of saying thanks!

There will also be a few giveaways held on this blog, so be sure to stay tuned. Tonight I am fending off a cold so I am going to keep this short. However, do check back for lots o' fun and surprises!!

Etsy Front Page!

Sometimes the best things come to you when you least expect them. The last thing I expected when I opened my inbox this morning was to discover that one of my shop items was featured on the front page of Etsy. That's my "Noelle" necklace in the picture at top left. It has now sold :)

It is kind of ironic that I wasn't online Tuesday night to see it for myself. Normally I would have been, but I had had a pretty crummy day and decided to take a break from all things Internet related.

If you don't sell on Etsy, you're probably wondering what the big deal is. Without going into all of the details, let me just say that having one of your items make it onto Etsy's home page is the equivalent to getting your 15 minutes of fame. It is tremendous exposure for your shop. Some sellers, it seems, are luckier than others and are often featured. I am not one of them. Put it this way, this was the first time it has happened in the two years that I've been selling, or at least as far as I know. So, you can imagine that I was pretty geeked!

I have to thank two of my fellow sellers ~ jamieshelman was kind enough to send me a "convo" to congratulate me. I thought that was so sweet. Please check out this Seller's wonderful shop full of playful cat drawings ~ it just recently opened. I think my personal favorite item is this one, since I can most certainly relate to it. I am always amazed by those who can draw or paint, since I have zero talent in either of those areas. I wish Jamie much success on Etsy!

The seller who created this lovely Treasury that made it onto the front page is the super talented shellieartist. I've admired her shop for quite some time ~ you must check it out. Shellie creates the most uniquely beautiful works of art using fabric on wood. I've never seen anything like it before ~ truly awesome. It is hard to pick a favorite from all of her lovely creations, but this would be one of mine.

Thanks so much, Jamie and Shellie ~ I will not forget your kindness!

Affordable Luxuries

As much as I would love a weekly visit to the spa, my budget just doesn't allow for it. So, I've had to resort to a lot of DIY pampering, which is actually OK with me, since I get a little weirded out by receiving a rub down from a total stranger.

I've bought quite a bit of Bath and Body products on Etsy. I like that most products feature natural ingredients, and you know exactly what you are getting. I have very sensitive skin and can't use a lot of the products that are sold in stores.

These are some recent purchases from a relatively new bath and body shop on Etsy called "Scentual Soundtracks". The wonderful and special lady behind the shop has been a loyal customer of mine since my first days on Etsy. I am so excited that Shanesha has opened up her own shop, so it was only natural that I would want to share the news.

The tagline of Shanesha's shop is "Bath & body that's music to your nose, heart & soul". I love that! She has blended a love of music with her homemade and customizable bath products. It's a feast for the senses.

The products pictured are, (from left to right):

*Coconut Cocoa Symphony - All Natural Handmade Facial Mask

*Scentual Soaking Salts

*Naturaroma Solid Perfume - CitrusMint- (Vegan)

*Passion - Aromatherapy Massage, After-Bath, and Body Oil

*Lotion Sample, "Spice Cookie" (smells good enough to eat!)

I wish the photo was "Scratch and Sniff" ~ the room smelled so glorious as I was taking this picture :)

I love that Scentual Soundtracks products are both high quality and affordable. A lot of us are pinching pennies these days, but you can truly afford to treat yourself here. The "Coconut Cocoa Symphony" sample size mask is only $1.25! You mix this with ingredients you have at home (directions are provided) to create a facial treatment that would rival any found at one of those high priced spas.

Shanesha is a dynamic, wonderful person ~ you should also check out her blog. This lady has a true gift for words as well. She is already on her way to much success on Etsy and in life. Best of luck, Shanesha!

Pasta Carbonara - A Most Divine Dish

Not long ago, my mom gave me a cookbook that her church had put together in celebration of its 40th Anniversary. It was one of those collective cookbooks, where the members were asked to contribute their favorite recipes. Truly, I think that is the best kind of cookbook, because the recipes come from "real" people. You can be pretty sure they they are tried and true.

At that time, I was on major pasta kick. I craved anything and everything Italian. When I found this recipe for Pasta Carbonara, (which was submitted by the priest, no less), I put it on my "must try" list and purchased the ingredients I didn't have right away.

The great thing was, I already had most of the ingredients! The only thing I didn't have was the Pancetta (which is very similar to bacon), but I easily found that in the deli of a nearby Produce market.

This was simple, delicious, and so very satisfying.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

2 T. Olive Oil

2 T. Butter

1/4 tsp. garlic, chopped (I used more!)

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

1/2 lb. Pancetta (cut into bite-size pieces)

1/4 c. White wine

1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

3 large eggs

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

1 lb. cooked pasta noodles (I used Spaghetti)

Saute' garlic and onion in olive oil and butter over medium heat, until limp. Add pancetta, saute' until crisp. When the pancetta starts to crisp add the white wine. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pasta bowl, whisk together the cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm spot; do not let the eggs begin to cook. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente ( I did this while I was sauteing the other ingredients). Drain pasta and immediately while hot add to the cheese and egg mixture. Add pancetta. Serve immediately with extra parmesan.

This made about four decent sized servings. Hint ~ prep and measure your ingredients before you get started ~ this dish comes together quickly!

Playing Dress Up

I've been adding some glitzy new pieces to my shop, just in time for the holidays when there are plenty of parties to attend. I do miss the days of getting all glammed up ~ these days it seems that most of the holiday functions we go to are more of the casual sort. That doesn't mean I can't dream, right?! While surfing on Nordstrom's website, I found some lovely cocktail dresses that would pair up perfectly with some of my very own creations.

May I make a few suggestions:

This silk grey/black/champagne number would look even more stunning with my "Dirty Martini" earrings.

For you daring souls, a Robert Rodriguez Backless knit dress in black, with my "Starry Night" necklace.

Electric Blue pleated charmeuse dress with the "High Maintenance" copper crystal and silver necklace.

It's fun to play dress up :)

Enjoy your holiday festivities, and don't forget to pick up a new piece of jewelry that you can sparkle and shine in!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"I drink, therefore I am. I eat, therefore I am more" ~ W.R. Tish

Very fitting for today, I think :)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Cold Weather Comfort Food

Soup is a favorite of mine, no matter what the season. With below average temps in the mid-30's and days at a time of nothing but gray skies, it seemed like the perfect time to whip up a batch of homemade chicken soup recently. The best sounding recipe I found was the one below, which is adapted from Sandra Lee's "Semi-Homemade Cooking". The best part about it is that it can be made in a Slow Cooker ~ the busy gal's best friend ~ hurrah!

The recipe suggests using one of those store bought Rotissierie chickens ~ which is a great time saver, if you happen to have one on hand. I did even better than that, by using two large cans of Premium chunk chicken. It was more than enough to make the soup very "chicken-y", and I swear on my life that you could not tell it was canned chicken.

The measurements below yield one large crock full of soup, or roughly 8 servings.

Lazy Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped (from a store bought chicken)

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrot, diced

1/2 cup frozen peas

4 (14 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (with roasted garlic)

2 teaspoons assorted herbs (chives, parsley, and tarragon) salt

pepper, to taste

2 cups egg noodles, cooked

Directions:

1. Remove skin from the chicken and chop the meat.

2. Put the chicken into a slow cooker with the onions, celery, carrots and peas.

3. Stir in broth, mushroom soup, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.

5. When soup is finished, stir in egg noodles.

6. Season to taste and serve.

How Did I Get So Lucky?!

I feel like I've hit the Treasury Jackpot!! I returned home this evening to find that I have been included in three more Treasuries, thanks to Alison of Alison Kelley Designs. She is another talented and generous jewelry artist on Etsy. By now I feel like I am completely indebted to both she and Janna. As soon as I figure out the whole Treasury thing, they will be the first ones that I chose to include. Aside from being awesome people, their work is stunning. Alison also has a second shop that features exquisite bridal jewelry. Be sure to check it out! Until this point, I've been pretty inept as far as the whole Treasury thing is concerned, but I'll work on that ;)

For the "Blue Beauties" Treasury, click here

For the "Pure and Simple" Treasury, click here

For the "Emerald Isle Treasury, click here

Thanks Alison!!!

One more surprise . . . I also found out that my shop was featured on Kriskrop Memories' blog!!! What a treat and nice surprise :) A bunch of other super talented Etsy shops were also featured; you're bound to discover some new favorites. Read about it here.

Thanks to all, you really made my weekend!! And what a busy weekend it was ~ I spent most of yesterday creating some new jewelry designs that will be premiering in my shop in the next few weeks. It was the perfect weekend for staying in where it was warm and dry. As I type this, it is snowing outside ~ yikes!!

More Treasury Love

My Friday started out on great note, thanks to an email from Janna that my "Au Naturale" necklace had been selected for yet another one of her lovely treasuries. I really don't consider myself to be one of the "cool kids" on Etsy, so this new found stardom is completely humbling. I am grateful. I wish I could say that yesterday ended on a positive note, but it didn't. The company I work for announced that it had to make cuts due to the current economic conditions. As a result, some of my colleagues are now unemployed. Thankfully, my position was spared (this time), but the grim news made for a very tense and sad day around the workplace. Unexpected job loss is not an unfamiliar concept to me, so my heart goes out to anyone who is facing it, especially at this time of year. There just seems to be no end in sight to this fiasco, and now it has completely hit home. Things have got to get better!

The Sweetest Thing . . .

. . . is when a fellow Etsyan thinks enough of you to include one of your items in a beautiful Treasury :) Thanks to the gracious and talented Janna of jaC Jewelry, two of my items recently appeared in this lovely showcase of beautiful Fall goodies.

Thank you, Janna!

Speedy Meal Idea: Tequila Shrimp

I love shrimp like it's nobody's business, so I am always on the lookout for new recipes that call for it. This fresh and zippy recipe for Tequila Shrimp earned extra points with me for being easy and super quick to throw together. Hey, even those of us who don't mind slaving a bit over the stove enjoy a speedy dish every now and then ;)

The below recipe should yield two servings. If you're a hearty eater (like hubby and myself), you might want to consider doubling it.

Rumor has it that this dish is worth 4 Weight Watchers points, not including the tortillas or rice that can be served with it. I give it a "thumbs up" for being healthy and delicious!

Tequila Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

14-16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped sundried tomato

1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

"Drizzle" tequila

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

4 small flour tortillas (optional) or 2 cups hot cooked rice (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and the shrimp.

2. Saute the shrimp until pink.

3. Add the onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

4. Let it sit for about 2 minutes then enhance the flavor by adding the tequila, chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes so it may absorb the flavors.

6. Serve over hot rice or with flour tortillas.

Are you a Recessionista?

I've been hearing the term "Recessionista" quite frequently lately. It seems pop culture gives birth to these catchy phrases every now and again. This clever word was obviously spawned by the current economic conditions and is the combination of the word "recession" and "fashionista". The definition is as follows: "A person who is able to stick to a tight budget while still managing to dress stylishly."

I am a self proclaimed bargain shopper who never pays full price for anything, no matter what. I will turn my nose up at anything that is not on sale and I love the thrill of the hunt for bargains. Although I do not consider myself a "fashionista" or trendsetter, I do love clothes, shoes and accessories. I've been really tightening up the purse strings this year by not buying very many of the aforementioned. I'll be the first to admit that it hasn't been easy.

Recently I was on a quest for a new purse ~ a good leather one that will hold up for a while. While designer names don't much matter to me, I did feel like splurging a bit. I justified the urge to splurge by the fact that it has been quite a while since I have spent any money on "me". So, I went to my favorite place for purses, TJ Maxx. OK, make that my second favorite, since I love the purses on Etsy most. But this time I was looking for leather and my budget would not allow for the $300 leather purse I've been eyeing there.

After tearing through every purse on the many racks in the store, I kept going back to a shiny black number whose pricetag was a bit more than I had budgeted for. I liked everything about it, and it looked and felt like really good quality. Still, it was more than I wanted to spend. I put it down and walked around the store to grapple with this tough decision.

It was then, that I caught sight of a sign on the wall, "LAYAWAY".

I approached the salesclerk and asked what the terms were. Could a purse be put in layaway?

"Yes" said the salesclerk.

Now, I recall the days when my mom would cart my sister, brother and I to the local Kmart and have us pick out our school clothes, which she would then put into Layaway so we would have them in time for school to start. This was a necessity for my parents, who were supporting three kids on one income and who didn't believe in putting anything on plastic. They were smart.

The idea of having the store hold onto my new purse for 30 days while I made on time payments made the purchase a little easier for me to swallow. I went for it.

If you're at all curious, here is a link to my new find. I am happy to say that I paid far less than this price at the "Maxx". I'm actually quite pleased with the deal I got.

These are tough times we are in, no doubt about it. Many of us are trying to hold onto what money we do have and not give into the temptation to spend. However, I do feel that it doesn't hurt to treat yourself, even in the smallest of ways. Besides, spending a little cash can help boost the economy.

I'm trying to do my part. ;)

Gift Ideas Under $20

I'm so excited!! Thanks to the wonderful Janna of jaC Jewelry, my "Solitary Confinement" earrings are featured in a gift guide on GilBea's Fashion and Handmade Blog.

Be sure to check out this Gift Guide, which features excellent handmade items that are under $20!! These are some really great suggestions for those of us who are on a tight budget this holiday season.

Happy shopping!

El Dia de Los Muertos

Today is El Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead ~ a traditional Mexican holiday where families gather to remember and pray for their loved ones. This day has always intrigued and fascinated me. Personally, I'd rather celebrate the life of those who passed before me than mourn their loss ~ it doesn't mean that I'm less sad that they are no longer part of my daily life, it just gives me a sense of peace that is often hard to achieve when you've lost someone dear to you.

The skull is a widely used symbol of this day ~ one that seems less morbid and actually quite beautiful, as they are decorated with flowers and even made of things like sugar. Being raised Catholic, I'm familiar with "All Saints Day", which is also today ~ but I can tell you that I've never observed it.

The skull in the photo is a sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle that was on display along with many of her other works at the Missouri Botanical Garden when we visited this past summer. It was really quite extraordinary, so I wanted to share it as a symbol of this day. Niki's work is amazing (she passed away in 2002) ~ be sure to check it out if you ever get the chance.