US Holiday - Labor Day

For many of us here in the US, Labor Day weekend signifies the symbolic end of summer. The kids are heading back to school, the nights are starting to cool down, lightweight jackets come out of the closet, and sandals get retired. The long weekend looms before us like a special treat (unless you're working one of those industries like healthcare or retail, in which case special holidays really don't exist) - a last chance to go out and play in the warm summer sun before the fall season arrives.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894. All fifty states observe Labor Day, which was instituted as a day off for the "working man", according to Wikipedia. Many cities and towns have parades to celebrate.

For many of us, including myself, it is time to enjoy the last rites of summer passing. My husband and I always have a bar-b-que on Monday (the official holiday) and sit outside enjoying the cooler weather. With the extra day off, I also often take time to pack away items I won't be needing in the near future. My flower beds get one more pass - cutting and pruning away flowers that have faded so new ones can appear. As fall is one of my favorite times of year, I really don't mourn the passing of summer - the best is yet to come in my humble opinion.

Best wishes to all of my blogger friends to have a safe and happy Labor Day holiday weekend (or just an enjoyable weekend if you live outside the US).

Featured Etsyblogger!

This morning I woke up and packed a small suitcase - I'm heading to Maine to visit my Mom, brothers, grandmother and see lots of old friends! It takes 6 hours from my house to get there (yuck!) but I've got some great CDs for the trip and plan on stopping at one of my favorite bead shops on the way. Hmmmm, I wonder if I could write this off (LOL - just kidding IRS!)

OK - so onto the important stuff. The featured Etsyblogger of the month is .... *drum roll* ... Tulips Treasure Box! While there are many beautiful items in her shop, my mouth actually dropped open with this piece - so much work and attention to detail!

"Framboise Drupelet BLACK RASPBERRY Essential Oil Necklace"

Beautiful and functional - it allows you to fill the handmade essential oil glass vessel focal with your favorite scent. How cool is that?? Stop on by Tulips Treasure Box for more gorgeous items!

Getting back on track!

Slowly but surely I am getting back on track with my Etsy shop. This summer has been a bit difficult due to a number of things (job being the main item on the list) but things are finally starting to settle down and get back to normal.

This past weekend was spent catching up on housework, taking photos, and writing descriptions. Trying to come up with a quick way to post new items during my work breaks has been a challenge but I think I've finally come up with something that works. I send the pictures and a written description to my personal email from myself (make me feel like I'm getting mail!) and then its just a matter of copy/pasting the info onto the site.

Here are a couple of new items just posted up today - I hope you enjoy them!

Cool Tones Anklet - Sodalite, New Jade and Sterling Silver

Green Secrets Lariat Necklace - Swarovski crystals and sterling silver

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?