Holiday 2010 Launch

Finally! The last collection of 2010. These are made to be gifts on their own since they are pieces that stand out from the pack. They're all made from antique brooches, pendants or chain. And are all here in time for Christmas shopping!! Past these on to your friends, husbands, boyfriends, moms, daughters, and anyone else you know! (Repost on Facebook by copying the address link.) I hope you all like this collection as much I do!

Thankful Thankful

How was your Thanksgiving?? Ours was great and I have so much to be thankful for this year. So much went on the past 4 days that I think I'm going to have more pictures than words. However we had a great time with family, saw Sis-in-law's newly married house, shopped, ate, watched football, hung out with friends, and went to some Nashville institutions!

Our Thanksgiving setup

Hiding through one eye

She made everyone a personal name tag

He obviously hates the camera :)

More Please

Father-in-law checking out the Nutcrackers - he collects them

Inside the Opryland hotel watching the dancing water

The kids were screaming out of excitment

WE stopped to have a drink at one of the many restaurants inside the hotel - this place is as big as Disney World

Back in NYC getting our Christmas tree (on the street where we carried it back)

They just lean them up against the fence so its a bit hard to tell if they are full, holey, etc...

BUT we got one!!!!!!

Tomorrow will be quite a big SMD day!

No Creative Juices

Warning - I won't be a thoughtful blogger until after Thanksgiving due to work overload and getting ready for traveling during the busiest day of the year. So here is another great find from etsy shop, Woodyliana to hold the fort down. (I am in the market for some pillows - these just aren't the right colors.) Let me know if you have any good suggestions!

Forks and Holders

So I started to blog about decorating for Thanksgiving. But then I came across this blog post by Brooklyn Limestone that got me so excited that I am just going to re-post. Even though we're not hosting any holidays in the near future one day we will and I want to create these napkin holders! Even if we never host a holiday dinner I still want these napkin holders.

Check out the blog for the tutorial!

Success!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, these past 4 days went by so quickly! The jewelry extravaganza was a success! I came back with piles of brooches and chains and beads. Seeing the family was wonderful and seeing the little man talk so much was hilarious. I can't believe how much toddlers change in just a month! A month ago little man had a list that he could say and now he repeats EVERYTHING you say. I wish I could see him everyday! However, I cannot and I also have a TON to get done before we leave for Thanksgiving. I've got to get working on this new jewelry. Sorry the pictures aren't very good and the color doesn't do anything justice but I didn't have time to play with the settings... These are just half of what I got these past few days!

Jewelry Extravaganza

Later today I'm off to Florida for my annual jewelry extravaganza trip! I always look forward to this trip because on top of buying a whole lot of unique brooches and chain, I also get to stay with my Sister and her family, and my parents normally drive down to hang out with us. So all day Friday I will be searching through mounds of jewelry to bring back and design more pieces in time for Christmas shopping! If any of you have an idea of a custom piece you want me to be on the lookout for just send an email. For instance, I will be on the lookout for a gold locket that has the ability to have initials engraved. (right, M.E.?) ;) Anyone else?! Just let me know. I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you back on Monday!

Stocking Stuffers

I know Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet but with the Christmas commercials beginning and the Rockefeller tree going up, I have also begun working on Christmas items. Of course you will have to wait until after Thanksgiving (when it is officially the Christmas season) for when the items will be up on the website. But lets just say that they will be items all under $36. So they would be perfect for stockings or for friend exchanges. So don't blow all your money during Black Friday. :) Here's a sneak peak...

Still Apples

Remember a month ago when Hubs and I went apple picking? Well we're still up to our ears in apples. (Granted we have been traveling fools which means limited baking/cooking time but still!) Well, since Hubs is finally not traveling this week I decided to make an apple pie. I myself am not a pie lover but Hubs is and therefore he gets a pie. As he says he likes the "brown sugar and butter topping kind." So I found a recipe that looked like it would do and it actually turned out to be edible so I'll share the recipe with yall. If yall have any great recipes that includes apples please share! Here goes...

1 refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crust

TOPPING:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut in small pieces

FILLING:
7 medium to large tart apples (about 3-1/4 lb), such as Granny Smith or Pippins
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Have ready a 9-in. pie plate and a baking sheet. Place oven rack in lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 450°F.

2. Line pie plate with pie crust as package directs. Flute or crimp edge.

3. Topping: Mix flour, sugars and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in butter (or rub in with fingertips) until mixture forms moist, coarse crumbs that clump together easily.

4. Filling: Peel, halve and core apples. Cut in 1/8-in.-thick slices by hand (or with the slicing disk of a food processor). Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, sprinkle over apple slices and toss to coat.

5. Layer apple slices in pie shell, mounding them higher in center. Pat topping evenly over apples to form a top crust. Place pie on the baking sheet to catch any drips.

6. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 45 minutes longer or until a skewer meets some resistance when center of pie is pierced (apples will continue cooking after pie is removed from oven) and topping is golden brown. (If topping browns too quickly, drape a piece of foil loosely over the pie.) Cool completely on a wire rack before serving

A DASH of a weekend

Happy Monday morning to you all! This weekend was great but fast! First off, my sister's husband came in town for a guy's weekend with the Hubs (and to see Dave Matthews at Madison Square Garden.) I was supposed to be in Auburn for the big AU vs GA game, although I ended up not going and therefore somewhat crashed guy's weekend. Before we go any further - WAR EAGLE! Now moving on, I had some girl time myself which is by far one of my favorite things. I also learned that I have forgotten how to shop - or should I say shop and pull the trigger. You see, after being on a student's budget the past 2 years I've somehow forgotten how to walk away from a store with items in a bag. And yet another reason to have girl time - shopping "encouragers" which in turn helps the economy. :) Haha Sunday was a fun day - I spent the day crashing guy time. After church the 3 of us went to lunch, Central Park, then back home where we ended up seeing Kim and Kourtney Kardashian filming the opening scene of their new show - Kim and Kourtney Take NYC. (They are staying in a hotel a block from our place.) The setup is quite elaborate for such a thing - not quite reality. However, still cool to see the background work that goes into it all. We got a lot of iphone pictures but no real camera pics. I hope yall's weekend was wonderful and exciting as well!

I snapped a pic of the guys while not looking

The crowd on the other side of the street looking on the filming process

This is just one of the lights

Kourtney...

Kim - touching up makeup

Lovely Weekend

Are yall ready for the weekend like I am? Hubs is getting back today and our bro-in-law is coming in town for their guy's weekend. Therefore, I'm hitting the city with some girls and am pumped to actually be in town for a weekend. And yes, I will be beginning my Christmas shopping! And what a perfect time since the Rockefellar Tree arrives today to begin setup! I hope yall have a great weekend!

Pics of Central Park last Sunday

Pumpkin Muffins

Don't ask me how I found this recipe because I wouldn't be able to tell you but I'm sure glad I did. I somehow came across a recipe in Midwest Living for a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe - although they called them, Double-Flavored Muffins. I made them tonight for our girl's bible study and for Hubs and bro-in-law to snack on this weekend during their "guys weekend." However, to get to the point the muffins were great and easy! So click here for the recipe and maybe even check out some Midwestern living...

Do the Running Man

Some of you might know that the NYC Marathon was this past Sunday. I have never been the one to be intrigued with running (and personally its not something I enjoy) but it was truly amazing to see the insane amount of work that these runners put in to get here. I came away with a crazy amount of respect for these marathon participates - notice I didn't say runners. See Hubs and I walked over to Tavern on the Green after church since that was the ending of the marathon. Before the winners of the Female and Male runners came through we were able to see the professional wheelers. Watching them was plain and simple - inspiring. I might have even teared up a bit seeing some of the pain and joy as they neared the finish line. However, it was so cool to see the winners come through and be at the finish. Gebre Gebremariam from Ethiopia won the men's race coming through not evening look like he was tired in 2 hours and 8 minutes. I think that's how long it would take me to run 5 miles. Edna Kiplagat ran in 2 hours and 28 minutes. Seriously, unbelievable! It was a great Sunday with the race, walk through Central Park (with awesome weather) a little Midtown shopping and then off to small group. Here's a few pics of the runners...

The first runner is about to turn the corner

Winner

He's not even tired?!

Pleased to Introduce

you all to my new friend, Nellie Neckerson. She is my new mannequin girl. I've been wanting a mannequin for years now (it began in college for draping reasons but the past couple of years its been for jewelry purposes.) Sis always tells me that the necklaces look different in person than on the website and needed an upgrade. Well, last month I surrendered and upgraded! I'm so glad I did - thanks Sis! The pictures are so much better and you all can finally see where the necklace falls, how it lays, etc. I still have a few more necklaces to photograph but the majority is done. Hopefully, Nellie Neckerson will help out with selling some Christmas gifts...wink wink. Anyway, let me know if you think it's an improvement or if it's just in my head.

On another note, Nellie and I will be alone again this week since Hubs is traveling. So I'm sure we'll get a lot done and maybe even a few more pieces made - fingers crossed.

Here's the Before and After -

Before - on glass dome