Fried Green Tomatoes

I picked my first tomatoes out of my garden last week~! And when I say picked, I mean they kinda fell off the vine into my hands. Probably because I was sooo excited that they were doing so well, and I probably fondled them a bit too much. At any rate, I had these great green tomatoes so, we made Fried Green Tomatoes. And they turned out super yum!

Ingredients:

3 medium, firm green tomatoes, sliced

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/4 c milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 c cornmeal

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

olive oil

Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 min. Place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

Now, heat up your olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for about 5 min. on each side or until brown.

Spring Show this weekend in Austin, Tx -- May 2nd and 3rd

This weekend is the fourth annual spring show for Handmade Austin Women. Handmade Austin Women are dedicated to unique design, and the highest quality in handcrafted work.

The Handmade Austin Women Spring Show is an annual market that presents unique artisan design and outstanding handcrafted art. They organize the show to promote the profound benefits of sustaining women artists at work here in Texas. They support Austin's cottage industry and the growing character of our local, independent economy

Since it's the weekend before Mother's Day, this would be a great time to get out there and find some cool stuff for Mom (or if you are a Mom, find some much deserved cool stuff for yourself~!).

Hosted by: Ginko Studios; Located at: 800 Gullett Street, Austin, TX 78722 (512)389-1920

I heart Steampunk~!

Actually I heart Steampunk jewelry by one particular etsy artist, www.CatherinetteRings.Etsy.com. And Catherinette Rings is having the best giveaway ever. I mean it. EVER. These are the coolest rings I've ever seen. And right now, you can enter to win a ring. Seriously. I can't say enough about these jewelry pieces. They are super fab~! So, click on this link and go sign up...or at least take a look...because I love them so hard, and I know you will too~!

Monday is National Hairball Awareness Day ...

How gross is that? I know. It is gross. I was at PetSmart today and was chatted up by a sales associate. I literally laughed aloud when she told me about the upcoming...holiday (?). Not because I think hairballs are funny. They are not. They are awful. I am not trying to belittle their awfulness. I do, however, find it funny that there's an awareness day for it. Because that's just silly. And seems invented...by....I don't know....maybe a company that has a product that helps with hairballs. Which, in this case, happened to be Science Diet pet food who the sales associated just so happened to have coupons for. But, then again, I did find this link where they are celebrating the "holiday" in Washington, DC. You know in case you want to "touch an actual animal hairball." (Gag.) But, I digress. The REASON I even know about this is because we got a cat! He's so precious!

Jazz-Purr

I've been thinking about cats since I held some kittens at a pet store a few weeks ago, and I happened to be at an animal shelter last week with a friend. And there was this sweet kitty who was King of the Day and a VIP at the animal shelter. Considering that this is NOT a no-kill shelter, I think those are both dubious honors. Also, he had been at the shelter for over a month. He's 5 years old, and his former owner said that they surrendered him because he was spraying everything in the house. But...he was soooooo sweet at the shelter. And very cute. And he was older, had been neutered, and was declawed. (I KNOW the declawing thing is cruel, but I have leather furniture so, I figure if I got a cat that is ALREADY declawed, then it's not as cruel or something.) Anyway, I decided to take a chance on this little fur ball, and I am so glad I did. He's awesome! And he hasn't sprayed anything at all..not even once. He's just a great addition to the family.

So, helping kitty adjust to his new home, has taken up a lot of my time. But, I did have time this week to add two new jewelry designs. I've been thinking about Mother's Day coming up next month. And I found some charms and chain that I really love. I think they are a great mix of vintage and contemporary. I found some awesome 1960s brass chain. It's heavier than I usually work with it. But, it's not too heavy. When I bought it, the seller had it listed as the "perfect chain", and I think it lives up to it's name. So, I added a vintage brass scripty Mother charm and a semi-precious blue lapis stone, and came up with this:

blue lapis + vintage brass

I also stumbled upon a brass locket that looks exactly like one my Mom had back in the 1970s. It's a double-sided oval locket with an art nouvaeu design on front and back. I paired it with the vintage 1960s chain. I absolutely love it. I made one for myself to keep and one to sell.

art nouveau locket + vintage brass chain

FREE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY from Love and Lust Designs

Love and Lust Designs is giving away a free Gaia Necklace and Earring giftset. Click here to enter in the drawing.

This giveaway will end April 30th and the winner will be announced May 1st!

FREE ART PRINT GIVEAWAY

Allover Art has a special giveaway from j. brown Art. Click here and follow the instructions to enter for a free print of your choice. Some very cool artwork!

The giveaway runs from Thursday, April 23rd to Thursday, April 30th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen and the prize will be the winner's choice of any 4x6 fine art print with free shipping from j. brown Art!

Wordle

Have you seen Wordle? It's a time suck, but it's a little fun one. You can type in your blog site or you can just type in words. It will randomize the words and art it up for you. Here's the one that I did for my blog.

image courtesy of http://www.wordle.net/

What the pho?!

A friend of mine just turned me on to an amazing Vietnamese beef noodle soup...Pho! It is delish...pho sho~! I ate it for lunch at my friend's house and then I served it again for dinner. The same day. It MORE than fills you up. And if you make this, you'll be in awe that I could eat it twice in one day, as filling as it is. Here's what's in it. There's really not that much to it...and best of all...it's a very inexpensive, great tasting meal!

Ingredients:

• 6 c. beef bouillon
• 1/8 c. minced scallions
• a splash of rice vinegar
• 1/4 c. fish sauce
• 1/4 c fresh springs washed and chopped cilantro
• (If you eat meat, you can add flank steak, chicken, or shrimp to this soup too!)

Add:

• chili sauce (add depending on your tastes)
• soy sauce (add depending on your tastes)

Finish with:

• rice stick noodles (boil water in a separate pan than the other ingredients...and then toss in your noodles for 30 seconds only, drain, and pour your soup over them in a bowl)

Serve with:

• lime wedges

Also, for the first time ever, I have started my own little potted garden on my patio. Things are JUST starting to grow, but I'm really, really excited about it!

tomatoes

chili peppers

cilantro

In jewelry news, I am working on more new pieces that feature that amazing vintage brass chain that I got in. I'm designing some new necklaces with it. (Stay tuned for those.) And I just added some new designs with shell and copper. I love the earthy tones of copper. These earrings are modern and chic. I love them!

Random awesomeness

I swear. I'm not always going to do product reviews, but I HAVE to share about this awesome lip stain that I just tried last week! I am forever looking for that perfect balance of long lasting color and good feelability on my lips with a lip stain...and I found all that and more with Covergirl's Outlast Lip Stain! Love it. It comes in a pen form so that you can be really precise with your application AND you can put lip balm or gloss on top of it without messing up the color. This. Is. Awesome.

Also, I received an email from a friend this weekend that made me really happy and made me feel really stupid all at the same time. So, I've been using Reynold's Wrap aluminum foil for like forever. And she sent me an email telling me that you can push the tabs in on both ends of the box to secure the roll and keep it from coming out of the box. It's ALWAYS been on the box. But, because I've been so freaking crazy fighting with my foil that rolls out on the counter, I never even noticed it. Same thing with the Saran Wrap. So. Um yeah. Am I the only one that missed this crucial piece of info?

In jewelry news, I've posted several new designs up on my etsy site. I did some hand wired beaded necklaces. Those are new for me. And I got in the best vintage brass chain...ever. It's gorgeous. I used some of it to make this super fab earrings~!

blue lapis + vintage brass + gold filled earwires

APRIL GIVEAWAY!!!

~ FREE ~

We Blog Artists is giving away a customized Once Upon A Time watercolour! Deadline for entries is April 6th. Click here to register!

Some things might be worth it ...

At the mall, do you have those super annoying kiosk people trying to lure you in and buff your nails and sell you their super expensive Dead Sea nail kit? I do. And I hate these people. Loathe them. I have never stopped at their kiosk. I refuse to make eye contact with them. I blow them off. Sometimes I pretend that I can only speak sign language. Just to get them to leave me alone. WELL...a friend of mine gave me one of these nail kits as a birthday gift. Oh. My. Word. This stuff is awesome~! My nails look amazing. I mean. Seriously. Amazing. It looks like I had a full on, professional manicure when I spent not a ton of time on them all while watching tv in the comfort of my own home. So, would I now stop at one of those kiosks, deal with those pesky kiosk sales people, and pay a lot of money for the experience? Um. I can't say that I would. But, I can say that I am super grateful to my super sweet friend and her awesome bday gift! :)

My wabbit made it to the front page of Etsy today!

It's the first time this little wabbit made it to the front page! (And mine too!) Yayyyyyy! The front page is a showcase of different items from shops all over Etsy. Members hand pick the items and then make Treasuries. Treasuries help artists promote the handmade work that is available on etsy. You can't put your own work in a treasury and expect it to get to the front page. You have to be selected by someone else so, it really is an honor just to be nominated. :)

Craft Show in Austin, Tx...April 4th

I am a proud member of Etsy Texas Crafters! While I won't be able to attend this weekend, Etsy Texas Crafters will be at the Home Grown Austin event on Saturday, April 4th from Noon to 6PM at the Grape Vine Market.

Along with some awesome handmade items available for purchase, there will be live music, wine, spirits and gourmet goodies for you!

I love books, and I love this

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

More than just a pretty face ...

All of my designs begin with a beautiful visual ... but the stones that I use to complete these visions are selected for more than just their aesthetic value. Each piece that I design has symbolic meaning as well. I'm not trying to design just a visual. My goal is to design a whole experience for the wearer. While I make no claims to the power of gemstones, I do tend to choose them based on the symbolic meanings as well as their physical beauty. Below is a list of some the gemstones that I use often in my jewelry and their symbolic meanings.

Amazonite is a semi-opaque stone that was used extensively by the Egyptians. It is called the stone of courage and is said to be named after the Amazon women warriors. It is considered a soothing stone that enhances creative expression, aligns astral bodies, and unity with life.

Bloodstone is a dark green variety of chalcedony that has nodules of red jasper throughout. Polished sections show red spots on a dark green background. From the resemblance of these to drops of blood is how it gets its name. Bloodstone is used to help one become more knowledgeable in the ways of the world. Bloodstone is also believed to be a very magical stone.

Chrysocolla is called the "peace crystal" because of it's calming and soothing powers. This semi precious stone is a stone of peace and tranquility. It is said to promote level headedness and clear thinking, decrease nervousness, and enhance intuition.

Citrine is a semi precious gem that symbolizes light-heartedness, joy and happiness. It is said to enhance creativity.

Coral is an organic substance and semiprecious stone from the ocean. It is one of the five sacred stones of the Tibetan Buddhists and symbolizes the energy of the life force. Coral is believed to bring success to the person who wears it.

Freshwater Pearls are said to promote sincerity, truth and loyalty.

Green Aventurine is an all-purpose healer, used to reduce stress, develop confidence, imagination and improve prosperity. Many believe that this semi precious stone has the capacity to calm a troubled spirit and bring about inner peace.

Jade is believed to produce serenity, wisdom, balance, moderation, prosperity and stability.

Turquoise has long been appreciated as a holy stone and a good-luck charm. It is believed to promote good fortune, happiness, and long life.

Quartz jewelry is said to bring about feelings of harmony, peace and bliss in the wearer.

Spring fever~!

Spring is definitely my favorite season, and we finally had some sustained sunshine here today. As promised, here are some new designs...inspired by warm weather and the great outdoors!

nature's song

brass leaf + tahitian blue crystal pearl + olivine jade chips + gold filled chain

love song of the mermaid
ocean blue quartz briolette + gold filled chain



branching out

coral branch + gold filled chain

all abuzzzzz

brass bumblebee + freshwater pearl + turquoise + gold filled chain

What's your color?

More fun with color. Colorstrology.com has a what's your color quiz. I'm a dark pinky red. There's more to me than meets the eye. The casual and superficial are not for me. Hmmm. Sometimes. Othertimes, the casual and superficial are exactly for me. Kind of like this quiz. :)

One of a kind designer items without breaking the bank!

I was talking to a friend the other night who had never heard of etsy.com. I took her to the website, and we spent about an hour just looking at all the cool stuff that people are making. She became an instant fan. I LOVE etsy! Not just because I have a store on etsy...but because you can find some of the most amazingly awesome one of a kind pieces there...at great prices! In a down economy, etsy sellers offer us affordable style. From jewelry to clothing to vintage items to just about everything you can imagine...handmade by indie designers. Unique pieces for unique individuals!

I even got turned on to a genre of jewelry that I have fallen head over heals for. I love sci fi. I love the idea of time travel. I love modern. And I had never heard of the Steampunk trend until I came across etsy seller CatherinetteRings. These rings are spectacular!

Another one of my fave designers and etsy seller is Texas Scum. These are one-of-a-kind, custom-made, silk-screened T-shirts, tank tops, hats and more by a true Texas Artist. I love all of their stuff, but I like the Texas Twister tshirt the best!

click here to see more from texas scum

Just for fun quiz

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in it, but here's a fun, time wasting quiz about your creative style! I turned out to be a Hands On creative.

New charms are in!

FINALLY!!! My new charms arrived, and I could not be happier with them. Sooo cute! I've barely started creating with them, but I have already made a few necklaces with my new brass crown charms. I'm also excited to have started building up my supplies so that I am now offering a crown charm necklace where you get to pick your own "crown jewel" in the form of a swarovski crystal! So pretty with three color choices in dark pink, blue, or peruvian opal!

brass crown charm + siam swarovski crystal + gold filled chain

brass crown charm + cobalt blue swarovski crystal + gold filled chain

brass crown charm + peruvian opal swarovski crystal + gold filled chain

More necklaces to come soon...with more new charms...and nature inspired themes!

Caring for your handmade jewelry

I was hoping to write about these awesome new charm necklaces that I wanted to work on this weekend...but my charms haven't come in yet! I'm kinda bummed because I'm soooo looking forward to working with them, and I got some new peruvian opals (gorgeous!) in that are going to look great with them! Hopefully, they'll get here soon. Until then...here are some tips on caring for your handmade jewelry so that you can enjoy it for a lifetime!

1-Jewelry should be the last thing you put on when you get ready in the morning. It should definitely come after hair spray, lotions, and/or perfume.

2-Store your jewelry individually to avoid scratches, reactions to other metals, etc. I use these storage bags that you can find at retail stores, and I love them. I can see everything. They have zippered closures. And my pieces are safe and secure from harm. Also, sterling silver, copper, and brass jewelry will actually tarnish slower if stored in sealed plastic bags.
3-Do not sleep, shower, swim, or clean with your jewelry on. Soaps, chlorine, perspiration, and cleaning products can all cause harm to your jewelry.

4-When caring for gold filled jewelry (which I use a lot), simply wipe it with a soft cloth. Never use a paper towel, tissue paper or kleenex though as they might scratch your jewelry.

5-Sterling silver will tarnish. You can slow down the process by storing it in sealed bags, but tarnish occurs when it is exposed to air so, at some point, it's going to happen. Use a commercial sterling cleaner when this happens, but be careful if your piece contains gemstones. I recommend researching the particular gemstone to be sure that what you do to one part of the piece, is okay for the entire piece. (Be especially careful not to put any of these in chemical cleaners: coral, jade, opal, pearls, or turquoise. There are other gemstones that won't tolerate chemicals...but these are ones that I use commonly and that I know for sure will be damaged by chemical cleaners.)

Guide to metals

I get asked a lot about what the difference is between gold filled and gold plated jewelry so, I thought I'd make up a cheat sheet to the different metals you'll come across. I use gold filled and sterling silver for my earrings. I mostly use gold filled and sterling chains for necklaces because the quality is soooo good. But sometimes, I just really like the look of base metals for these too!

Gold filled is a much higher quality than gold plated. Gold filled jewelry is the next best thing to solid gold. It is made by forming a tube of solid gold that is then filled with a base metal. The gold is bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure, making it about 100 times stronger than something that is gold plated. Everything you see and touch on a gold-filled piece is actually gold. That’s why this piece will never tarnish or turn your skin green or flake off. For most people, a gold filled piece will last a lifetime. Gold filled jewelry is economical and durable. You get the look and feel of gold for a fraction of the cost!

Gold plated has a microscopic film of gold particles that have been adhered to a base metal through a dipping process. While it may have the same look as gold filled pieces initially, gold plated pieces are of far lesser quality and has the tendency to flake off, turn your skin green, and wear off over time.

Sterling silver consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Because pure silver is relatively soft and easily damaged, sterling silver is most often used for jewelry. It is both beautiful and durable. Because it is such a high quality silver, it will develop a lovely patina over time. It requires polishing if you like the high luster look of pure silver. With proper care, your sterling silver pieces will last a lifetime. Sterling silver jewelry is both beautiful and affordable.

Pewter is a tin alloy consisting of tin with copper, antimony, or bismuth. Pewter has a slightly dull look, and can never be polished to the fine luster of sterling silver.

Base metal is a catchall term to describe any of the non-precious metals which can include steel, zinc, brass, tin and copper. These can be used as the core of gold filled/gold plated jewelry. They can also be used on their own. I love to incorporate raw brass pieces into my own designs as they develop a lovely patina over time and will go from a shiny goldish finish to a warm honey colored finish. I love these pieces in all their various stages!

Hot colors for Spring!!

We are getting closer and closer to Spring, and I can't wait! Spring is a time for new beginnings, warm weather, and fun! And the hot trends in color are super fun! Here are the Pantone Spring 2009 Colors.

As far as accessories go, I just posted up some super cute little hooty owl earrings that are right in line with spring trends. I also designed a charm necklace in this style/colors. I wear one of these myself and get complimented on it all the time!

raw brass owls + dark citron swarovski crystals + gold filled earwires

You can check out the earrings and necklace at my etsy store at http://www.tornadoallidesigns.etsy.com/.

I just ordered some new jewelry supplies, and I can't wait for them to come in...I have more cute charms coming and can't wait to incorporate more of these fun spring colors into my designs!