It's Grilling Season!

I know, I know - what does this have to do with jewelry? Absolutely nothing! But I thought I would share one of my favorite grilling recipes with all of my blogger buddies as a "something different".

Now, this is a really complicated recipe so be sure to follow the directions closely. One slip up and the whole thing could be ruined (like I could cook that way!!) I actually have requests from friends to bring these to parties, which is amazing since I am a basic cook at best. The great thing about this recipe is that you cannot mess it up - as long as the hot sauce mix touches most of the chicken, they will be fabulous. I've adjusted how much hot sauce and ranch dressing I use, depending on the size of the package of chicken, but it is a total taste preference.

Slow Burn Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• Family pack of chicken wings (I like to cut the tips off the wings and then cut them in half but you can certainly leave them whole if you prefer)
• Large bottle of hot sauce (generally found with the marinades - I like Frank's Red Hot but pick whichever you like or prefer)
• One package dry Ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Wash and place your chicken wings into a large ziploc style bag. Mix the hot sauce and ranch dressing together. Pour mixture over chicken wings, securely close the bag, and let the mixture marinate for 24-48 hours (the longer they soak, the richer the flavor) in the refrigerator. Grill the wings on a medium heat until cooked through and serve hot.

An alternate to grilling these would be to broil them, making sure to watch them closely to avoid burning them. I prefer to grill since chicken wings tend to smoke a bit and much better to have this happen outdoors.

Enjoy!

Busy, busy, busy

Hello all my blogger friends! I've missed you all but needed to take some time to find a new job (I HATE sending out resumes and job hunting) and get settled into my new position (now into the second week). While that has been happening, my little Etsy shop, my blog and creating fun new pieces have all taken the back seat (so to speak). I've been thinking of you all often!

Now I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things! I've been experimenting with new materials again and have some fresh, new items that I will be posting up to my shop over the next couple of weeks.

To give you a peek, I have some bright and colorful necklaces (pictured below) that would be great for the summer months or as a gift to that tween/teen in your life. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them! The rubber cords and sterling silver are perfect for those hot and humid summer days!

Featured EtsyBlogger - Cozy

Looking for fabulous handknit items for your home? Well, look no further! One of my fellow EtsyBloggers, Cozy, has terrific AND functional items for you to use and make your home more "cozy".

These kitchen cloths are among one of my favorite items in Cozy's shop. I love the oatmeal color and I can just imagine using them in my kitchen instead of those that anyone can buy at Walmart.

Cozy also carries some really adorable accessories. As a paisley fan, I fell in love with this Blue Paisley headband:
Have fun shopping!

What have you been up to lately?

My goodness - I can't believe how quickly spring has sprung. My poor little blog has suffered mightily since I have been trying to enjoy the warm spring weather and get some long neglected outdoor chores done. Here in NH, the lilacs are starting to bloom (is there a more heavenly scent?), my bleeding hearts have blooms on them, and I have lovely little green shoots popping up everywhere!

With the upcoming summer, I decided to also add a new product line to my jewelry selection - belly rings! I've added some photos below - I'd love some feedback on them since it is such a new item for me!

"Starfish"

"Butterfly"

"Mr. Sun"

So what have you been doing lately?

Recycling sterling silver

I recently discovered that you can recycle your scrap sterling silver by sending it in to be refined. In the interest of reuse and recyle, I thought I would post a list of companies that will recyle your scrap sterling (or other precious metals). Most of these companies offer a choice of either a check back or credit toward a future purchase.

G&S Metals

Hauser & Miller

Hoover and Strong

Marvin Tanner, Silversmith

Midwest Refineries

Monsterslayer

Rio Grande

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not personally used any of these companies yet - I'm still saving my scrap for a rainy day. But I save every single link of chain, cut off headpin, and wire that didn't wrap properly for a raindy day payoff - AND it's good for the environment! Talk about a win-win situation!

Blogger Carnival - Poetry

The EtsyBloggers Street Team have a Blog Carnival theme each week. This week the theme is Poetry Reading Day, which is April 28th. Tough one for me, I must admit.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like poetry. BUT - it is not something that I aspire to read, write or even think about. This might make me a social moron, but I evidently do not have a poetic bone in my body. Maybe it was all of those high school English classes where I had to deconstruct every line, ready into every nuance - way too much work as far as I was concerned. I'm more of a lay-it-on-the-line kind of girl (my no nonsense New England upbringing showing through) - if I'm happy, then you'll know it. No prose needed.

That being said, I have nothing but respect for those who can write expressive poetry and understand that world of words. The just right turn of word, the thought provoking phrase and it emits a world of emotion. Kudos to all of those who have the talent.

On that note, I will leave you with one of my favorite poems by William Blake - I hope you enjoy it.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

picture from http://freeherbpictures.com/ - © 2002 Karen Bergeron

Latest projects

Oxidizing has become my newest "thing" - and I've made some fun new earrings just so I could keep practicing!

Pearlicious Earrings

Rosy Rhodonite Earrings

Lakeland Earrings