Jewelry Swap with Odette NY

One of the most fun and restorative things about going back to NYC for me is getting together with my jeweler friends. I miss talking and gossiping about what's going on in the indie jewelry world, and compare notes about suppliers and shops and blogs.  There are a lot of lovely things about living in Vermont, but it is easy to become pretty isolated, and it is so nice to reconnect.
Last time I was in New York Jennifer from Odette New York,  Debbie from Debbie Fisher and I had a luxuriously leisurely lunch at the Roebling Tea Room, and Jennifer and I arranged a trade: an Arrow Cuff Bracelet of Jennifer's for my Bent Perch Cuff.  Happily my half of the trade arrived on Saturday!  I have been wearing it ever since.  Thanks Jennifer, I love it!  

Around the Studio

Things have been busy around here, what with getting orders out for Valentine's day, putting together a new line for the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft which is in about 3 weeks (eeeeek!), trying to take some good jewelry photos in this god-forsaken cloud covered tundra I live in. . . you get the idea.  So that's what is up with me.  Here are some shots from around the studio this week, including this morning's computer-side breakfast of a fried egg on toast with guacamole.

Open Hearted Love Bracelet: Limited Edition For Valentine's Day

Available now through Valentines Day.  Click here for details.

An Ode to Caputo's

Of all of the things I miss about Brooklyn, Caputo's Italian Market is definitely in my top 10.  And it was conveniently only three blocks from our old place, so it was close enough to just go grab a sandwich.  Located on Court St. between 3rd and 4th Streets, Caputo's is right in the heart of Carroll Gardens, and is a bit of a throwback to another time.  It is still a family business, with the mothers and grandmothers working in the kitchen in the back, marinating mushrooms and artichoke hearts, making fresh mozzarella, and cooking up huge batches of delicious pasta sauces and fresh pastas.  Yet unlike a lot of old local businesses they have managed to adapt to the changing demographic of the neighborhood, welcome in all the new young families that have moved into Carroll Gardens, and are now busier than ever with old customers and new.  I felt like I practically bought the store last time I was down there, but I am now kicking myself for all the things I didn't buy. Oh well, next time! And in case you are wondering, in the bag was a mozzarella and tomato sandwich with homemade pesto on fresh ciabatta.  And even at this time of year, with out of season tomatoes, it was incredible.  

My Favorite New Winter Accessory

Dear leg warmers, 

Where have you been all my life? I'm serious. And this is not a fashion statement, because I live and work at home, and nobody but TH and Emmett see me all day. But we live in a drafty old barn, with nothing below us except either a crawl space or a concrete slab (depending on where you are in the building) and the air around floor is always freezing and moving here and there. But this week my friend Carolyn knitted me some leg warmers, and now the problem is totally solved!  And I can wear dresses and leggings again now! My favorite work at home outfit is a nice cozy sweater dress, leggings, and my leg warmers. Maybe it is dorky, I'm not sure, but they sure make me happy. Now I need some that come over the knee.

Skinny Laminx

Loving the pillows TH got me for Christmas from Skinny Laminx.  I didn't realize it, but our living room was apparently really needing a little pop of red!

Cuban Night!

Our friends Garet and Carolyn teamed up with the owners of the Country Girl Diner and our excellent local beer and wine shop Meditrina to cook up a night of Cuban food this past Sunday at the diner.  It was a smashing success; all the tickets were completely sold out and the food was fantastic.  My favorites were the cuban sandwich and the coconut custard tart, which were both seriously out of this world.  Although they also put together some tempting beer pairings for the event I had to go traditional and have a michelada (or two?) with my dinner.  Micheladas are a very interesting beer drink traditional to Cuba and Mexico, although they are made a little differently in each place, because Mexico uses worcestershire sauce in the mix, and Cuba does not.  And I was very interested to finally learn the reason for that from my friend Truddi during dinner.  Apparently worcestershire sauce is very had to get in Cuba because it needs to be imported, and therefore would be hugely expensive.  Total ah ha moment.  Anyway, Garet and Carolyn did a bang up job, cooked dinner for 32 people like it was no big deal, and a great time was had by all!  Thanks so much all of you!  Please do these events at least twice a month, and count us in for every one!  

Brrrrrr!

It was insanely cold here last night.  When we woke up this morning it was -11 degrees.  We went out last night because our friends were guest cheffing a cuban food night at the Diner (delicious, and blog post to follow tomorrow), and when we got in the car to go home at 9 it was already -1.  Buy the time we got up to our house it was reading -4.  And when we got in the car to go home there were these amazing geometric frost crackle patterns on the windshield.  I've never seen that before.  Does anyone know why that happens?  It was a little hard to photograph, but I thought it was so cool, I had to share.  

And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

New York.  Headed home tomorrow.

Lying on the Pond

   I spent a good chunk of yesterday morning flat on my belly on our frozen pond shooting pictures of jewelry on the ice.  I got the idea from a picture I took last week of a close up of a hockey puck while I was shooting my nephews playing hockey.  The texture of the ice is just so cool.  These are some of the shots, and the final one with the logo is the one I decided to use for my postcard for the Buyers Market of American Craft, a wholesale show coming up in February.  

And just as an aside, I have come to realize that enjoying (bearing?) winter has everything to do with being dressed properly.  It took me three trips to the pond to get it right, both in the photography and in the attire.  So in case you plan to go lie on a frozen pond, I strongly recommend Patagonia capilene! 


(p.s. I just added the cuff bracelet to my shop, so click here for pricing info etc. And the rings and the necklace are in there too.)

Homesteading Roasters

Check out these adorable dishtowels from Homesteading Roasters, in Alaska.  They have lots of little wood stoves all over them!  I ordered them as a gift for friends up here who also heat their home primarily with wood.  But I was so very sad to part with them that I may have to order a pair for myself!  And the folks at homesteading roasters very nicely included this gorgeous note card in our package as a little unexpected gift.  Isn't it pretty?

New Blue

So very in love with the new hand-blown glasses that were a gift from my Mom made by Nick Kekic of Tsuga Studios here in Chester.  They are a beautiful cerulean blue with a lime green rim, and I love the way they brighten up the open shelves where we keep our glasses.  And they are a perfect size for water too.  The little orange vase in the bottom image was made by Nick too.  Love. 

Misty

We had a really strangely misty night the other night that made everything look really cool and glowy.  I took some  pictures where you can see how the lights are lighting up the moisture around them.  My parents are home for the holidays, and it is so nice to look out the window and see their house all aglow.  

Handmade Christmas - Part 1

This past year I spent many many hours exploring the inspiring world of creativity and handmade beauty, both on Etsy and at all of the craft fairs I participated in.  And the more and more I get involved and connected, the more I love it.  I don't know if it is because I am a maker myself, but I am just endlessly fascinated by what people design and create with their own hands.  So of course I spend a lot of time coveting and drooling, so I thought Christmas would be an excellent opportunity to add some of these items to cart, as it were, even if they weren't going to stay in my possession for long!  Here are a few pics of some of my favorite purchases, and scroll down to the bottom for links to more information about each artist.

top photo: A beautiful bowl by Rob Cartelli 
middle Photo: A painting of an AT-AT for TH from Against the Woodgrain on Etsy
bottom Photo: A 2012 calendar and a tea towel and letterpress recipe card set from Leah Duncan on Etsy