Butterfly bracelet

I have a newly-listed goody at the shop, the Harlow bracelet. Made of ivory bone butterfly and pale green chrysoprase nuggets - check her out!

Also, one of my favorite artists, Betsy Carr of Foundling, was featured on Etsy. I love her work and try to check out her blog often. Her shop is chock full of jewelry and accessories with a decidedly vintage flavor - I've bought a pair of her red poppy bobby pins in the past and they are absolutely adorable.

Hope you are all staying warm on this chilly winter's day!

Winter scene

This is what things looked like outside my front door Tuesday morning (yes, the plow hadn't come through yet). Luckily, we didn't get as much as other places, but this whole landscape had turned into ice by Wednesday, causing havoc everywhere and shutting things down. I was hoping we would be able to get through the winter season without any kind of snow or ice storms - an obviously futile wish!

Bookworm

I finally finished reading my nemesis of the past four months, David Gibbins' The Lost Tomb. The full review is posted over at Paperback Musings.

I had to finish this book if it was the last thing I did. Even if it took me four years. Now that I'm done, I can go about my business again. What a relief. Damn you Gibbins!

Twilight Tuesday

My cat, Nomad, is going to star in the next installment of Twilight!

The latest casting news for New Moon is that Dakota Fanning, who I have an irrational hatred for, has been confirmed to play the vampire Jane. Because of my irrational hatred for her I'm not overjoyed at this news, though I admit she does have a certain creepy, empty, otherworldly look to her that would make her a perfect Jane. And these are the guys who are favorites to play Alec. I think Draco Malfoy would be a hilarious choice.

Lastly, my coworker Maggie told me she stayed up till 2:30 this morning reading Eclipse. Do I smell a budding Twihard in the making?

On real people

My friend Camille posted a couple of pictures on Hazel Designs' Facebook page from her wedding that showcase the jewelry she commissioned from me. Here is one of her wearing the Anne bracelet that was her "something blue" during the dancing of the horah (the other arm is her hubby Jeremy). Isn't it pretty?

And here is one of her bridesmaids wearing the smoky quartz bracelet and earrings!

Check out the rest of my live models on Hazel Designs' Facebook page, including Camryn wearing the Camryn. And a huge thanks to Camille for giving me permission to post her lovely photos.

Twilight Tuesday

I've been glued to CNN all day long, but I couldn't let today pass by without a Twilight Tuesday post. Here is my t-shirt given to me by Alissa for Hanukkah. One one side, the Cullen crest:

And on the other, the Twilight logo. As it should be.

To the mountaintop

Today's observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 80th birthday holds special weight this year, coming on the eve of the inauguration of our nation's first African American president. I feel humbled every time I think about it.

MLK Day has also been designated as a day of service to others. I've been sidelined with a bad cold and sore throat all weekend, but I'm hoping to get a chance to pack up some clothes for donation in order to do my part, however little, in commemorating this important day in the history of Civil Rights.

Inaugural frenzy

The city is abuzz with all things inauguration, with wall-to-wall coverage on the local news as the preparations reach a fevered pitch this week. It's pretty exciting, the atmosphere here, especially the feeling of being at the center of the action. Everyone's talking about the proposed road and bridge closings, about how workers will have to sleep in their offices overnight, about the massive crowds expected, about the A-list musicians coming to perform (Bono, Springsteen, Beyonce, Jay-Z), about how much the inaugural balls suck in reality, and about how the city quite possibly won't have seen anything of this magnitude ever.

I wanted to go over to the Capitol today to take pictures of all the preparations, but it was so cold that I wimped out. Since they are giving us inauguration day off, I briefly considered joining the crowds for either the swearing-in or the parade, but the dire warnings by local officials of "record crowds" and "bridge and road closures" and "freezing temperatures" made me re-think that plan. Some locals will be escaping the area, but I'll be ensconced at home, warm and toasty on the couch, watching all the excitement on TV.

Twilight Tuesday

The release date for the Twilight DVD is here! March 21, 2009 - I've started a countdown clock on the left. It will be a 2-disc special edition, with these features:

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC ONE

• Five extended scenes with director introductions
• Audio commentary (Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart)
• Three music videos (Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park)

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC TWO

• Five deleted scenes with director introductions
• Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
• Comic-Con Phenomenon featurette
• And more!

And according to a Catherine Hardwicke interview, the deleted scenes include more kissing and biting scenes, a scene where Edward and Bella say "I love you" to each other, and a scene from Midnight Sun. Midnight Sun!

In addition, the latest rumor about New Moon is that Vanessa Hudgens (of HSM fame) is auditioning or being considered for the role of Leah Clearwater. Since I only know Vanessa Hudgens from the gossip blogs and have never seen any of the HSM movies, I can't judge if this news is good or bad, so I guess we'll just have to see.

A vacuum cleaner rhapsody

Oh, Bissell 37604 Lift-Off Revolution Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner, you are truly a wondrous creation. Not only do you pick up cat hair like nobody's business, but you also light up and make nifty vacuum sounds. Added to your appeal is your high-tech look, much like a droid from Star Wars. Or Wall-E's cousin. And all your various brushes and gadgets and knobs and other accoutrement, magical things to my wondering eyes. Lucky was the day we saw you, waiting for us at the Target shelf, as if we've known you all our lives. It was truly meant to be. Now, more than jewelry, shoes, or cupcakes, you have easily catapulted yourself into my #1 favorite thing in the world.

I love you, new vacuum cleaner.

The sun will come out...

Not this weekend, that's for sure! The weather didn't cooperate with me at all the past two days (except for that one hour we were out running errands), so I didn't get to photograph my new stuff. Luckily enough, I took this picture last weekend so I was able to list a new item at the shop today - the matching Bronwen bracelet. Buy her now and be my instant BFF!

And finally, the one surefire way to tell that you are old: when you get so excited by the idea of buying a new vacuum cleaner, and get even more excited about bringing it home, putting it together, and trying it out.

Wow. I need to get out more.

Dear editor

Today I wrote a "letter to the editor" and sent it to my paper. I'm on pins and needles to find out whether they'll publish it. I found that I had so much fun writing it that I'm considering sending letters on random topics to random newspapers on a regular basis. A couple of years ago, I got my letter published when I wrote about - ready for this - Columbus day. When I saw my name in print, it literally made my day.

Maybe I can even send them in this!

Fake resolutions

I have never in all my life made New Year's resolutions, but I thought it would be fun to make some up if I were the kind of person to make such resolutions. So, with the understanding that I have absolutely no intentions of following through, here are my fake resolutions for 2009:

1. Stop honking at fellow motorists and giving them the finger.
2. Stop ogling diamond rings on Pricescope.
3. Stop ogling shoes on endless.com.
4. Join the gym at work and get back on the treadmill (ahahahahaha!)
5. Stop hating on David Gibbins. I'm sure he didn't set out to be such a crappy author.
   
6. Be nicer to my fellow train passengers.
7. Stop driving Mr Hazel batty with discussions of Twilight (keep dreaming, Mr Hazel!)
8. Decrease the amount of poop jokes I tell to people.
9. Stop obsessing over the cupcakes at Red Velvet Cupcakery.
   
10. Eat real salad with actual vegetables instead of bacon in the ingredients.

Well, good thing I'm not following through on these or I'd be in real trouble.

January from where I am

Frozen
Stormy
Rainy
Icy
Dark
Windy
Waterlogged
Dreary

Oh how I hate you, cruel, cruel January.

Twilight Tuesday

Every year, the Post publishes a list of what's in/what's out for the new year, and for 2009, not only did the Twihards replace the Claymates, but they also ranked #1 in the "what's in" column.

For the unitiated, Twihards are uber-Twilight fans, one step above the less obsessed Twilighters. Which brings me to the list of what makes a person a Twihard. I had a feeling I would qualify - and I do, based on these~

• Twilight Tuesday is the most important day of the week.
• You dream of going to Forks, or living in Forks.
• You have urges to visit Italy.
  
• You've supplied said literary crack to your friends, and wouldn't talk to them until they read the series. (I've turned at least two people to the dark side, and I aim to turn more!)
• When you grow up, one of your kids is going to be named Edward. (Mr Hazel doesn't know this yet, but it will be so)
• You dream of driving a red 1953 Chevy Pickup, while your husband drives a silver Volvo s60 r.
• You look up to the sky on a rainy day, and think "Damn I feel as if I'm in Forks!"
  
• You hate how Edward has a fattish, hairy chest while Jacob has a six pack. (This is depressing, but so true - RPattz needs to work on this for New Moon)
• You hate Jasper's hair, since it looks like the wig is about to pop off any minute.
• All you want is everything to be perfect in the movie.
• You have considered sprinkling glitter on your future/husband so you can pretend you're with Edward.
• You have seen a silver Volvo parked outside a store, and have either taken a picture with it and/or gone inside the store and look for Edward.
• All of your friends think you need to see a shrink.
• Talking with random strangers about Twilight is fun!
• Edward Cullen is your (fictional) boyfriend.
• You've forced your boyfriend/husband/best boy friend to read Twilight, and made them take Edward's actions to heart. (Sadly, this didn't work)
  
• Your [blog] is either dedicated to Twilight, or has a huge portion of it dedicated to Twilight.
• You enjoy criticizing every aspect of the Twilight movie, since you know they are only taking out your favorite quote/scene just to annoy you.
• When someone makes fun of Twilight, it's like they are making fun of you, and you jump into an argument with them about how Twilight kicks ass.
• You felt betrayed when you found out Edward would drive a hatchback instead of the s60 r.
• You refer to to Robert Pattinson as RPattz or Spunk Ransom.

Hoops, redux

I've been slowly re-taking photos of some of the jewelry listed at the shop to make them nicer, like these Audrey metal hoop earrings. The original pictures were flat and didn't have a lot of texture or contrast, so it was hard to tell much about the piece. I like these shots better. But I just realized that I overlooked taking photos that accurately show the scale; I'll have to remedy that.

New supplies

I love these gorgeous brass charms that I found on Etsy. They were given an aged finish for a beautiful distressed look. Still mulling over the designs I want to use for them, but I'm thinking at least a long necklace for one of the keys, with oxidized findings to match the antique look.

Earrings for the new year

My first new product for 2009, the Bronwen earrings! I first heard of this name when a good friend of mine from writing camp way back in the day told me that her roommate in college was named thus. She was Welsh. Except now I can't remember if it's spelled Bronwen or Bronwyn. Hmm...either way, check out the Bronwen earrings at the shop!

One year anniversary!

Today is the one year anniversary of my Etsy store, and I wanted to take the opportunity to send a huge thanks to all my customers and supporters and blog friends for a wonderful and successful first year! 66 total sales, not including custom orders, is 66 more than I was expecting!

Don't forget free shipping on all items at the shop from now until January 8.

Wishing all of you the best for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2009! Happy New Year!