Happy New Year!!

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year's Eve!! The husband and I are celebrating quietly while we prepare for Christmas #3 with his family this weekend. Here is to a healthy and prosperous 2011. Thank you for your support and friendship :)

Have Hope

A simple, yet powerful statement, don't you think? I was compelled to create this piece after watching a TV special about local charities and how the demand is so great for their services, especially now. With that said, I will be donating all proceeds from the sale of this necklace to Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan. I love this organization because they do wonderful things and your money goes far when you donate to them. For example, $20 buys 60 meals! My goal is to provide 450 meals ~ think I can do it? During these times, if nothing else, we must have hope :)

Introducing . . . Back Door Deals!!

I'm pleased to announce that I have opened a second shop on Etsy! This is a labor of love that was first conceived one year ago, but it has taken me until now to put into place. I hope that you will check it out ~ I haven't listed everything, so there will surely be some new treasures popping up in the days and weeks to come. You never know what you will find, and that is half the fun :) The name of my shop is Back Door Deals ~ I named it this after a joke between my husband and I. There is a particular beverage shop that we go to, and whenever we do, the owners always give us a great deal, but they tell us to go out the back door, so the other customers don't see us.

This all stems from my love of "treasure hunting". I have acquired more than I could ever use in a lifetime, or have room for in my home. It always amazes me how people discard things simply because they seem old or outdated. Sure, we all love to get new things, but when something still serves a purpose, why get rid of it? To me, items from the mid 20th century and before are so much more lovely than what is being made today. Check out my shop, and see if you agree!

Shop Update ~ Survivor Jewelry is on the way!

A few weeks ago I shared a sneak preview of my new stamped metal designs. I had the best of intentions to photograph and list them to my shop today, but Mother Nature had other plans. It was such a dreary day that I barely had enough time to snap this picture while daylight was sufficient. Ugh . . . this is not my favorite time of year! So, I decided to spend the day creating a few more new pieces, and I will try again next weekend to get them all photographed and listed, just in time for the holidays. I also spent some time working on yet another surprise that I will be sharing very soon . . . yay for surprises!! Be sure to check back for the good news :)

Have you Tcho'd Lately??

I wanted to share this recent discovery because I know there are a *few* other chocolate fans out there besides yours truly. Last month, we took a lil' trip to the beautiful city of San Francisco (more on that later). While walking to the infamous Fisherman's Wharf, we passed this site: Chocolate Tasting Room and Tour?!? Helloooooooo!!! I am there. To our pleasant surprise, we discovered this wonderful chocolate company known as TCHO (pronounced "Cho"). The building you see pictured above is their headquarters where they make their delicious dark chocolate bars and other delicacies onsite. They weren't giving tours on the day of our visit, but they were handing out free samples ~ Good enough for me!

TCHO is relatively new to the scene, but they are quickly making a name for themselves. This would seem like quite a challenge in a place like San Francisco, where more established chocolatiers have cornered the market. TCHO specializes in dark chocolate, which I happen to looooovve. Their different varieties range from "Nutty" and "Fruity" to "Citrus" and "Floral". Much like how the flavor of wine is dictated by the grape varietal, the hints of nut, fruit, citrus and floral come from the type of cacao bean that is used. No extra flavors are added!

This is chocolate to savor. The drinking chocolate you see pictured above is decadent without being overly rich. Needless to say, we didn't leave the store empty handed. Although I am trying to make our chocolate stash last, I know it will eventually run out. It's a good thing I can buy more TCHO here :)

Here's the Dish: Apple and Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese

I'm back with a simple yet delectable recipe that screams "FALL". It combines three of my most favorite things in the food world ~ glorious cheese, apples and BREAD. If you have never fathomed this threesome together, then you don't know what you are missing, my friend. Last weekend we visited an apple orchard. They still had plenty of those forbidden fruits to spare. I stocked up on many different varieties, including McIntosh, Jonagold, Honey Crisp and Granny Smith. As soon as we got home, I whipped up these sandwiches for lunch. It was a fabulous day!

Apple and Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter

Any type of thick, rustic, homemade bread

1 oz. thinly sliced extra-sharp aged Cheddar cheese

Sliced tart apple, such as Granny Smith

Directions:

Hopefully you've made a grilled cheese before. But if not, you can go here for the directions.

Shop Update ~ New Stamped Metal Designs!

Well, I just couldn't keep the secret under wraps any longer :) So, I am treating you to a very special sneak preview of some new designs that will be hitting my shop very soon. I recently invested in some new tools that allow me to fabricate certain elements of my jewelry from raw materials. I then use design stamps to embellish or personalize the metal pieces in whatever way I choose. I must say, I really love it! Below you will see just a handful of what I have created so far. The ideas are swirling about in this little head of mine, so I promise there will be many more to come!

Stay tuned for more!

Plum Crazy!

I really love this time of year ~ if you think about it, Fall is a very colorful season. That is why I was surprised to see, while on a recent window shopping trip, that the "hot" colors of Fall 2010 are rather drab and dull. Let's liven things up a bit, shall we? My favorite color is purple, especially the lovely shade of plum. Lucky for me, plum is plentiful on Etsy. Here is a very small sample of some of my faves: Where to find, from left to right starting at the top: Misty morning translucent resin earrings by Under Glass

Wise Little Owl Organic Cotton Tee by Putu Princess Escapes

Hand Knitted Fingerless Gloves Arm Warmers in Plum By HandKnitted Things

HAZEL Eyes Fun Vegan Eye Shadow Mineral Makeup Kit By PinkQuartz Minerals

Purple Scarf Cowl Warmer By Heatbria

Lampwork Beads RUSTIC PLUM NUGGET TRIO By Radiant Mind

Handmade Earrings, Purple Artisan Glass and Gunmetal, Mulled Wine By WildWoman Jewelry London Fog Fringe Scarf in Chunky Gray Grey and Plum Purple By BeautifulBridget

Racing for the Cure

This past weekend I took part in the 19th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Detroit. It was such an inspirational and moving experience. It was also unexpectedly fun, too! I plan to make this event part of my yearly routine from here on out. Here are some photos I took of the events that day:

Part of the fun was seeing all of the signs people made ~ talk about creativity! Although breast cancer is a serious subject, it was nice to see that some humor made it into the day.

There were many different bands playing along the route, which was very cool! I actually wanted to stop and listen to them. It made for a very festive environment. Here you see the runners passing us walkers on their way back to the finish line. And how could you not laugh at this t-shirt?!?

Or this????

Here are my friends and I with Andrew Humphreys, who is a meteorologist at one of the local TV news stations. He was so kind to stop and pose for a photo with us.

Thanks to all who made a purchase from my shop during the month of May. Because of your support, I will be able to make a nice donation to the Komen Foundation.

Checking In

Hello everyone! I've been away for a while, I know. It seems I have been extra busy and fell off the blogging bandwagon :) I will try not to go MIA again, for a while, anyway. I hope you're doing well and enjoying Spring. We all know how much I love this time of year, especially seeing all the flowers in my yard "spring" up. I am sure I've probably bored you all to tears in the past with tours of my little garden, so I will try not to repeat. However, I could not resist posting this picture that I took recently. This lilac has the most intoxicating fragrance! I wish you could smell it through the computer. One day I noticed there were at least half a dozen butterflies, like the one pictured, resting on it. Do you think they were getting drunk??

Here's the Dish: Potato and Salsa Samosas

Whenever we go out for Indian food, I always order veggie Samosas as an appetizer. Ever had them?? If not, they're these little turnovers that are usually filled with potatoes and veggies, or with meat, and they're served with chutney. I know you'd love them if you ever tried them. I tried making them at home once. To my dismay, they were not only time consuming, but required deep frying in oil, which I am not a fan of. From that day on, I pretty much decided to leave it up to the professionals. That was until I found a different recipe ~ one that uses puff pastry and requires baking in the oven. No sweat! I decided to give it a whirl ~ and I'm so glad I did! They were not only easy to make, but tasted remarkably like the ones I'm used to getting in the restaurants. Surprising, since the ingredients might not seem authentically Indian, except for the curry powder. I was amazed that the salsa reminded me very much of chutney. This one's a keeper for sure.

Potato Salsa Samosas

Ingredients: 1 - 17.3 oz package of Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed according to directions

2 c. frozen diced hash brown potatoes, cooking according to package directions

1 c. Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa

1 tsp. curry powder

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 egg

1 T. Water

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheets into 2 - 12 inch squares. Cut each into 6 squares, making 12 in all. Coarsley mash the potatoes, salsa, curry powder and cilantro in a bowl. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Divide the potato mixture among the pastry squares. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg mixture. Fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle and crimp with a fork to seal. Brush the filled pastries with the egg mixture. Place the filled pastries onto 2 baking sheets.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Serve with additional salsa if desired.

Bringing Sexy (Wrists) Back!

It's officially Spring and temps are expected to reach a glorious 70 degrees here in Michigan this week :) Ready or not, it's time to peel the layers and expose some skin. I don't know about you, but I am much more of a bracelet wearer during the short sleeve/sleeveless season. There's never been a better time to perk up your jewelry wardrobe with the addition of some new bracelets, and I'm here to help ~ You are being treated to a glimpse of two pieces that are so brand spankin' new, they haven't even been listed in my shop yet! It's not like me to jump the gun, but I couldn't wait to share these. Be sure to check my shop in the coming week for them to appear.

The above bracelet features 6mm Swarovski crystal pearls in that shade of coral that is hotter than ever. Both bracelets are hand knotted by yours truly and have gorgeous filigree locking clasps. They are timeless and simple in design, yet feminine and elegant.

This bracelet was created using 6mm Swarovski pearls in that sumptuous shade called "Platinum". It looks so rich, doesn't it? I am most excited because I finally made some hand knotted pieces. I attempted to teach myself pearl knotting a year ago, but didn't get very far with it. After making it a goal for 2010, I finally sat down and put my mind to learning and mastering this technique, and I am enjoying it. I love the look and feel of a knotted piece of jewelry ~ you can be sure there will be more to come in the near future!

My Space!

After talking about it for months now, I'm happy to unveil the finished product! Here are some photos of my new craft space . . . My great new desk is from IKEA. I love that the desktop is roomy and the ends have room for storage. My space offers everything I need ~ it is not only functional but a fun place to escape to, where I am surrounded by little treasures that inspire me.

See that yellow organizer? My hubby bought me that years ago, when my bead collection started growing. You could say that things have expanded just a bit since then, but I'll never part with it!

Here is where I store my packaging supplies, books and more beads! I already had most of the storage containers and shelving units in the photo. I salvaged the three drawer unit. The white shelf is from IKEA. There's a long story behind it, but I'll save that for another day :)

Shop Update: Spring Has Arrived!

The official start of Spring is just a few short weeks away :) Word on the street is that coral is the hot color of the season. I've always been a fan of this shade ~ it looks especially great when paired with light blue, white or even yellow. I am excited to announce that a couple of favorites will be making their way back to my shop this week. If I have a trademark piece, it would have to be the ever popular Miriam necklace. Grab her quick before she is gone! Also, the pretty Valerie necklace has returned due to popular demand :) Below is a sample of what I currently have to offer in coral. Keep your eye on my shop this Spring, as you will surely see some new pieces in this fabulous shade!

Miriam Necklace, $40

Valerie Necklace, $25 Miriam's Sister Necklace, $48 Maude Earrings, $18

Here's the Dish: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

This incredible salad comes to us from Dole and Cooking Light. I'm happy to say that in my quest to eat more salad and not get bored with it, I've found another winner. This one has the perfect combination of flavors and textures that I love ~ the saltiness of the cheese, sweetness from the carmelized onions, and crunch from the nuts and the salad greens. This recipe is not one that you can throw together on the fly ~ it takes about 15 minutes to prep and 30 to cook. But if you take pleasure in the preparation of a meal, like I do, then you know that makes eating it all the more enjoyable ;)

You can click here to get to the recipe. I followed it almost to a "t", except that I used sliced portobellos instead of whole. I still grilled them and ate them in the salad, instead of topping them with the mixture, as the recipe calls for. Still amazing!