New space!

Mr Hazel and I switched home office spaces, which means I now get a whole room to myself without the guest bed. There's now enough space for my desk and computer, plus a separate work table dedicated entirely to my jewelry, which I've been dreaming about for so long.

Here is everything finally set up.



And on the opposite wall:


I love how I now don't have to put everything away, only to take my beads and tools out the next time I need them. I can just leave stuff on the work table and come back exactly as I left everything.

It feels so decadent!

Matching bi-color quartz necklace

Here is the matching "Eugenie" necklace.

I had the hardest time with these photographs. I couldn't capture the sparkle of the quartz adequately - it kept coming in very dark.

Hopefully these are better.

Check out the Eugenie necklace at the shop!

Green amethysts

These green amethysts are perhaps my most favorite find at the gem show. I was trying to decide between these and the more traditional pale lavender amethysts. The beautiful sparkle of the facets and the gorgeous pale green color convinced me. I love, love, love this stone.

And because they are so snazzy, I named them "Samantha" after the last SATC gal! They are made with my signature handmade earwires.

Samantha is now up at the shop!

Mini garden

This summer, I am toning down my gardening ambitions after a couple of gardening seasons ended with wilted flowers, as well as nearly killing my two azalea bushes.

I think I can handle this mini deck garden. Not too many things to remember to water.



My lavender pots! I can't wait until they flower and I can harvest and dry the blooms.


This one is Provencal lavender.


The azaleas have bloomed. This, however, is not the bush I planted - unfotunately those bushes did not flower due to my forgetting to fertilize them in the fall.


My sister and I went to see SATC again last night. It was even better the second time around! Although I do have to now quibble about the huge plot hole - the deux ex machina, if you will - in the form of the blue Manolos. That's all I'm going to say about that because I don't want to give away spoilers here...

Armageddon!

Today's weather forecast:

A damaging evening t-storm; storms can bring downpours, large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado.

I love how that tornado is tacked on at the end there, as if it's a mere afterthought. Oh, yeah...by the way...and...a tornado.

Also, I read that the astronauts up in the space station finally have their toilet pump so they can repair their broken crapper, courtesy of the space shuttle Discovery. I hope they were brought extra pumps, just in case. Seriously, though, I'm sure our tax dollars can withstand the expense of putting in a second toilet up there. All those billions spent on the space program, and only one toilet?

Is it time for me to stop obsessing about space toilets?

Sex and the Suburbs

Over the weekend my sister and I went to see Sex and the City. However, we did not see it in the city. We went to the deep 'burbs. In a minivan. I was mortified, but as it was a free ticket and a free ride, who am I to complain? (Thanks, sis!)

We both ended up loving it, despite the host of mixed reviews. I thought Samantha threatened to steal every scene she was in. She was absolutely delightful. But note to Jennifer Hudson: stick to singing!

One scene was particularly bittersweet to me because it reminded me of the time I moved out of my bachelorette pad in the city. It was an exciting time - moving in with Mr Hazel (to the 'burbs, but still...) and starting new adventures together. But it was also sad because I loved my apartment and leaving it signaled the end of my wild and wacky girl bachelor days.

Watching a similar scene in the movie made me tear up in nostalgia.

And my favorite montage? Why, the wedding gown photo shoot, of course!

Cupcake time

This weekend, thwarted yet again by my quest for red velvet cupcakes, I gave in and made them myself. I've been too cowardly to taste them after they were done baking, but according to my two taste testers, they turned out pretty decently.

Here's the batter all mixed, looking scary and blood-red.


All ready for the oven.


And here they are all baked and frosted. I ended up nixing the cream cheese frosting I had made and using regular vanilla frosting instead because the cream cheese tasted really good but came out all clumpy and weird. I need an electric mixer.