Rainbow cupcakes to brighten a rainy day

If you haven't checked out the OneHundredDollarsaMonth.com blog yet, you are really missing out!  Here is Mavis's recipe for rainbow cupcakes.   Don't worry about the title!  These are great for summer!

Keeping kids busy while dining at a restaurant

        To keep my 6 year old son busy I always bring a few activities such as, Melissa and Doug Place mats and food stickers. Last night we had a great dinner out at Docker's with my parents.  My son was entertained the entire time.  He made everyone at the table a make believe meal.  After a two hour dinner, we still have some place mats and stickers left for our next dinner out.

This sells for only 5.99!

How do you keep the kiddos busy when you dine out?

Food Mills: which works best? hand or Kitchen Aid attachment?

Canning Season is almost upon us.  One thing that I have put off getting is a food mill.  It will make prepping tomatoes for homemade sauce so much easier! In past years I have hand peeled all of my tomatoes.
I can't decide between and hand crank version or the attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.  What do you think?  What do you use to process tomatoes or apples?

Amazon has Victorio VKP250 Model 250 Food Strainer and Sauce Maker on sale today for 51.58, normally 69.99.  Amazon deals don't last long, so get it now if you are interested.

Otherwise the parts to make the grinder attachment into a food strainer for the Kitchen Aid attachment  is on sale today from 64.99 down to 47.00. 

 What do you think?  What do you use to process tomatoes or apples?

Summer Fun Odds and Ends

Well, I guess I chose well for my last entry. Two of the four sold already. I am excited to finally have used s few of the antique celluloid animal charms. I paid close to $100 for the stash of vintage celluloid animal charms that I have, back in my crazy ebay sales days.

I have a few new creations, but haven't found time to list them yet.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Not sure what we will do. I know it will involve the beach and some good food, other than that, what more does a girl need?

Close to closing on the new house. I can't wait to get moved into my new studio. I may have to forgo beading for a little bit to get the rest of the house organized.

I created a bright and fun etsy treasury today. Check out my etsy shop for a link.

Geat New Reading

Recently I took a trip to the book store and scooped up some great finds. The first was a jewelry magazine from the U.K. called Making Jewellery. This was a great find full of new ideas with a fresh perspective. I already sell quite a bit to customers in the U.K., so I figured I may as well add the word "jewellery" to my tags on etsy. Now my U.K. customers will have an easier time finding me.

The next great gem I found was a book called The Handmade Marketplace. This great book from Storey Publishing is full of tips and tricks for selling your wares "locally, globally, and online." The author is Kari Chapman. I love the ascetics of the book and her ideas. I also love that she gives validation to the idea that it is okay for crafters to branch out. I have always dabbled in many arts and crafts and appreciated the "Amen" this book provides. Another great element of this book is the plethora of advice she peppers in from other successful crafters. I highly recommend this book. No matter if you are new to selling your wares or have sold over 1000 pieces like I have, you will find tips and tricks well worth the cover price of 14.95.

The third bit of reading I added to the tower on my nightstand was the 10th anniversary issue of Gatronomica. I love this magazine for its scholarly approach to food which often seems to mingle with art. This of course is the best of my two worlds all rolled up together. I may even breakdown and choke up the 42.50 to subscribe. I am almost sure that the price is less than in the past. I really enjoyed Carol Field's "Rites of Passage in Italy". Although one of favorite and most popular bracelet themes is El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), I never knew it was also celebrated as a bright and happy holiday in Italy as it is in Mexico. I think that may put a new spin in my next Muertos bracelet!

With Spring approaching it is important to be open to new inspirations where ever they may lie. If you aren't open to inspiration from odd places you may miss out all together. Happy Spring!

Cheers and Chocolate

If you happen to live in Western Michigan and you enjoy gourmet chocolate, fabulous French Pastries, wine and silent auctions you must attend Cheers and Chocolate in Muskegon. Cheers and Chocolate is my favorite charity event to attend of all time. I have donated my jewelry many times to silent auctions for various causes, but this is my first time donating to Cheers and Chocolate. I am usually just there hanging out stuffing my face with chocolate and passion fruit filled delicacies (my favorite ever since we had Chef Luis prepare them for our wedding feast) and buying up the goodies in the silent auction.

The event benefits two of my favorite causes: The Culinary Institute of Michigan and Every Woman's Place-a women's shelter. Tickets are available at the C.I. or Every Woman's Place.

Pearls and Oysters

Since I first heard about the Bead Star contest and magazine I have been brainstorming ideas for the nine categories. My work is quite eclectic, so it will be easy for me to come up with entries for most of the categories, or so I thought.
I looked through my recent creations and selected my entry for "plastics" and a possibility for "metals". My plastic entry is one of my popular bauble bracelets. I love how lightweight and sparkly they are.
Today I decided to create something similar to the copper talisman bracelet that I was intending to enter in the metal category. I was second guessing myself on whether or not it had enough metal. Loving beads as I do, I tried to use restraint on my second creation, but ended up with even more beads on the second bracelet than on the first. I am thinking about using it as my "stone" entry now.
I am really happy with my "pearl" entry. I will post a photo later. Speaking of pearls, I was quite delighted to find fresh in the shell Louisiana oysters at Sam's Club yesterday. I plan to lightly coat them in cornmeal and fry them up for dinner later. They are so sweet that way! My brother stopped by last night and shucked one and said they were fabulous. If you haven't checked out his detailed blog, What's Eric Cooking?, you should. It is the blog I would write if I had more time. He photographs every step os his cooking process.
Maybe I will find a pearl while I am shucking. Does that really ever happen? I still remember reading The Cay in high school. That is really my only knowledge of how pearls are found; beyond my finding them at Lima Beads or Fire Mountain that is.

Soul Satisfying

This morning as I got ready to leave for school I had a huge list of bead related topic ideas bouncing around in my head for my blog; but then the day happened. I was already excited as we had two events going on today at the middle school I teach at; Soul Food Taste and a student performed assembly. These events were coordinated by staff and volunteers to celebrate African American History Month; but really this was a celebration of diversity, coming together, and our "Bunker family".
I had arranged for some of my newspaper students to photograph at both events. I knew the day would be great. I knew we would get great photos. I did not know I would feel so invigorated by the phenomenal assembly and the fabulous food. What a day! I am still in the process of sorting and rating the photos my students took today, but I had to stop and write about it.
Since I am inspired by everything around me, I know a bracelet will arise out of this! I don't like to show student faces outside of school publications, regardless I loved the "foot photo" one of my students snapped anyhow.