Mint Ice Cubes

I couldn't help but share these mint infused ice cubes - especially in the 100+ degree heat we've got going on here as of late. The mint came from our backyard garden, was simply stemmed and placed into individual ice cube trays for the effect above.

While these particular cubes were made to go into the delicious mojitos for Tim's H&H Happy Hour series, I'm thinking they'd be such a clever compliment to so many other summer drinks (both spirited and virgin) like lemonade, iced tea, sangria, ginger ale, even an unexpected surprise in a tall glass of fresh water. Cheers to cooling off and staying creative while at it!

Cooling off in the E.A.T. Kitchen

Over the past week I've been lucky enough to cool off in this 90 degree Virginia heat with samples of some of the best Bloody Marys I've ever tasted right here in the "E.A.T. Kitchen."

Tim's been working on perfecting his summer cocktail repertoire in preparation for a new happy hour series he'll be guest posting for on our local neighborhood news blog, Hills and Heights.

That preparation included infusing vodka in our freezer for two weeks in a mason jar with basil, garlic and habaneros - lemme tell you how much this kicked up the drink and was unbelievably easy to do.

Another pro tip I picked up (don't laugh at me if this is bar-tending 101) was how to "salt rim" a glass for a drink. Basically, you just sprinkle the salt or other coating you want to rim the glass with on a plate, rub a wedge of lemon or lime around the rim of the glass, then simply place the glass face down on the salt and twist a few times. The citrus juice keeps things sticky. Tim used Old Bay seasoning on the rim of the glasses for these Bloody Marys - love!

For the full drink recipe, check out the post over on Hills and Heights. What summer cocktail of choice are you looking forward to this season?

City of Epic: An Exercise RPG

One of my friends, Kelly Maguire, who I not only took Craft and Materials studies classes with in art school at VCU but have also had the pleasure of working with at Etsy in the past is working on a new creative venture involving placing the real time workouts you're already doing into an interactive storyline with rewards to help keep you motivated.

They've launched the initial details on Kickstarter, so if you're curious check out the video above to learn more. If you'd like to help support the growth and development of the project, help both Kelly and her business partner, Catherine, by spreading the word via your social networks and/or get more directly involved as a backer right from their Kickstarter project page.

I'm looking forward to watching as the project progresses since I've always been a big fan of the creative projects Kelly has taken on - including her line of lasercut novelties, Everything Tiny, and her building of the popular Indie Craftshows Directory.

Good luck guys!

Pinterest: Are you Pinning?

Are you pinning? Have you heard of pinning? What is pinning?

Pinterest is one of many great bookmarking sites catching on. The site basically allows you to bookmark and categorize any image you come across on the web for any reason. The visual layout is clean, simple, and inspiring. It's great for organization, saving ideas, and discovering new sites/products via other folks' pins/boards you admire. Personally, I've found it perfect for bookmarking blog images, diy projects, fashion, home ideas, Etsy products, and recipes I'd like to try. I also like to search the site for topics of interest to me just to see what other folks with great taste have come across which I might've never found on my own.

At this time Pinterest is still invite only so if you're considering taking it for a spin let me know in the comments and I'll send you one. Click the image above to find my own Pinterest finds and follow along. Already have an account? I'd love to know how you are using it and follow your finds.

Taking on Basic Composting

Tim and I have been talking about composting our kitchen waste* for a few years now and it was finally time to stop only talking about it by taking matters into our own hands. We knew we wanted to do it ourselves and start out really basic so it becomes something we can lean into as we learn more instead of a huge project we get overwhelmed with - I always think when you start simple, there's always room for growth and improvement.

After researching basic tutorials, we decided to go with a ventilated bin process that we can add to and mix manually over time. The project basically consisted of drilling holes throughout the sides and base of a metal lidded trash bin with a power drill. The holes are there so air can reach the compost. Once drilled, we added layers of dry leaves from the yard, kitchen scraps, and more leaves. We lidded up the bin and placed it on wood planks - again, for ventilation. We plan to continue in this fashion, mixing the compost every week or so, until we start to get that dark rich substance we are hoping to cover the garden with in late spring/summer.

I'm more than thrilled we've finally found a sustainable solution for leftover kitchen waste* other than the garbage. I'm also nerding out a little on the idea that we'll have much less garbage not to mention the sustainable foods we buy and use today will transform into nutrients that will feed and nourish the food we grow months from now - and so the cycle will continue.

*By kitchen waste/scraps I mean: fruit, vegetables, plants, egg shells, and coffee grinds. I understand it's not good to compost meat, bones, dairy, or any processed types of foods. That being said, it's our first time taking on DIY composting, so any tips for success are more than welcome!

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P.S.
As an aside, Basil was intent on supervising the project from start to finish. Can you believe how much he's grown since we first brought him home and even over the holidays? He just turned 6 months old and is still all puppy - just bigger. I promise a more robust Basil update soon.

Take a Break With Gifted Magazine

One of my favorite indulgences is curling up on the sofa with a glass of red and my latest magazine. I'm the type that likes to read the entire issue in one sitting - it feels like such a treat.

Earlier this week I was delightfully surprised to see the launch of Creature Comfort's online holiday magazine and gift guide, Gifted. It's chock full of Etsy designers, new bloggers I could add to my reader, holiday gift ideas for everyone, DIY projects, tutorials, and simply inspiring images all around - the whole piece of work is an obvious labor of love and just visually pleasing to *virtually* page through.

If you need a diversion throughout the day today or if you're more like me and want to take it all in at once - Gifted will make for an unexpectedly nice weekend read just in time for holiday inspiration and planning.

Contrary Pocket Knife Necklace Giveaway

Check out the Contrary feature over at Refinery29 to find out how you can win an entire 5 piece set of my pocket knife necklace line. Complete every outfit in your wardrobe, or keep one for yourself and be the talk of your friends when you come bearing gifts.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

The Etsy offices are located in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. Yes, I said DUMBO. It stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass" and literally takes up the space directly underneath the Manhattan bridge. DUMBO is one of Brooklyn's treasures filled with cobblestone streets, posh shops, flea and farmers markets, eateries, fashion forward passer byers, and unmatchable views of the bridges, water and city. In fact, it's pretty much like walking through the scenes of a NY film. Each time I'm in the city for work I seem to stumble across a photo, movie, or other media shoot taking place in the middle of the street.

If you happen to find yourself in DUMBO or make the trek over the bridge from the city, you must make the trip to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. As the weather continues to warm up, I look forward to visiting this neighborhood staple with each trip to NY. Not only are all the flavors classics made with natural ingredients, but the factory is located right on the water in an old twenties fireboat house.

P.S. That's a coffee ice cream I enjoyed.

Support Local Business with Saturday Stroll

In or near the Richmond, Virginia area this weekend? Check out the newest addition to weekend activities down on Broad Street with Saturday Stroll. If you're an artist, crafter, or gourmet and interested in being a vendor it's completely free and a great opportunity. Sounds like it's gonna be a beautiful weekend weather-wise so I'd expect it'll be quite busy. Details on how to get involved via Quirk Gallery and Saturday Stroll below:

Come to Shop Richmond Weekend's kick-off and help us jump start Saturday Stroll. Join us March 20th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m in Midtown (starting at the 300 block of West Broad Street to be exact) to have fun while learning more about your local businesses. And remember to exclusively support your local businesses the entire weekend. Enjoy live music, restaurant specials and more!

Vendor Interest: simply email contact@shoprva.org with your name, the name of your business (if applicable), type of merchandise/food, email address, and contact number. There is no fee to become a vendor. Each vendor will be allotted between 4 and 6 feet of space on the sidewalk. You must bring your own table, chairs, signs and merchandise. You must register by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, March 17th. contact@shoprva.org

Duck Eggs

Picked up some fresh duck eggs at the market this past weekend. They are slightly larger than the chicken variety with sizable thick yolks. They can be used in any egg recipe and seem to enhance the richness of the dish. While I still love a fresh chicken egg, it was rewarding to try something new while supporting the local market.

Polyface Farms featured on Oprah

Just caught wind of Polyface Farms and Michael Pollan to be featured on Oprah today (1/27/10) in a show centered around learning more about what's in the food offered at the grocery store, where it comes from, and making your own decisions based on that knowledge.

Polyface Farms was featured in the movie Food Inc, one of the films I've recently viewed which helped me come to my New Year's resolution of thoughtful consumption. After some further research, I learned Polyface Farms is located in Staunton, Virginia not far from Richmond. Tim and I are toying with the idea of making a trip this spring to take one of the farm tours. Interestingly, I also learned one of the PR employees of the farm, Wendy, lives in Richmond and makes/sells T-shirts for the business through Etsy (the shirts seem to be temporarily sold out, but am sure they will return)!

In any event, check your local listings for the Oprah show today if you are interested, I'll be taping it for sure.

How To: Fancy Favors with Recycled Studio Bits

It's no secret I take great care in the presentation of packages I deliver from Contrary orders. What most folks don't realize is just how simple it can be to take fancy packaging to another level with studio supplies you may have overlooked. It's not only one way to help make the most of materials, but a solid means of owning your brand and wowing your customer every time.

I make most of my shipping supplies by hand using recycled menus from a french restaurant. It's so simple to find fancy paper all over the place that would have otherwise gone straight to the landfill, not to mention many places are happy to have the extras taken off their hands. Lately, I've been sewing up these decorative little paper garlands with the menu scraps I have on hand to use as favors included in select shipments.

Love them too? Here's how to make a set of your own:

Materials:

• Scissors
• Craft shape punch (optional)
• Paper or fabric scraps
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Typewriter or Pen (optional)
• Cellophane bag or wax paper (optional)
  

Step 1: Cut or punch desired shapes for your garland out of your scrap paper or fabric. Quantity of shapes is up to you in order to create desired garland length. Use additional scrap paper to create a label insert for the garland's final package. Below, I used a typewriter with the text: a little garland made just for you...

Step 2: Once desired shapes are cut, sew them one by one using a sewing machine. Make sure you have a little extra thread at the start for final garland to hang freely. Continue to hold down the pedal after shape has passed through the needle to create space between each shape. Once all shapes have been sewn, make sure again you allow extra thread at finish for slack on the garland.

Step 3: Finish your garland favor by bundling it flat in a cellophane bag or folded wax paper. Include your
label and voila!

I hope you'll enjoy getting creative with the free resources around your studio in order to add a little punch to your packages.

For those of you that love these little paper banners but don't want to make one, I'll send a free version to the mailboxes of the first three commenters on this post. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you for shipping info.

Now that's what I call a necklace...

I found this great necklace on Etsy after a coworker of mine ordered one and opened it up at the office...now that's some great marketing, hey? It was one of those moments where she tried it on and I was in love. It wasn't until after she told me she snagged it for under $40 that I scrambled to contact this seller to make a custom version just for me, swarovski scrystals and all:

And now I've finally got my own version. After wearing it to work today, I think I might have sold a couple more for this clever Etsy seller, ha! So....if you're thinking you need one too, go right ahead and contact featherandbean about making one for you. She doesn't have any listed in her shop right now, but she takes custom orders and even lets you choose your own color swarovski crystals.

Etsy Shopping...

Last weekend, I picked up these two tiny stacking rings to wear with the silver one I already have. They are from the Etsy seller, tinahdee, and I found them on sale in the Etsy Weekend Deals article that I write each week.

Here's a heads up on this weekend's edition of deals on Etsy if you've got the shopping bug:

Keep an eye out for next weekend's edition; I've got an extended promotions article especially for Memorial Day Weekend up my sleeves...it won't disappoint.

Process Piece: How I make fork bracelets

I just finished making a new batch of fork bracelets which you can find in the shop, here. I always get a lot of comments and questions from shoppers and other artists pertaining to how the forks are made, and what goes into the process. Today, I thought I might give you a little bit of a peek inside my studio when I'm making a new batch.

While earning my bachelor's degree in fine arts from VCU, I took a series of jewelry making classes, which taught me the skills for heating and working with metals, as well as the knowledge I needed for the types of equipment and tools that go into working with metal.

When I'm working with forks, I much prefer antique silver plated versions. They are a little tougher to work with than solid sterling, but I tend to get more of an antiqued quality to the finished bracelet from the base metal showing through in areas of wear and tear, which is something I'm going for.

To prepare the forks before working with them, I heat them through to their cores using a jewelry torch in a process called annealing. Basically, this is a process that changes the chemical makeup of the metal to make it easier to work with and shape. Safety note: Working with a gas torch and hot metal is a pretty dangerous process, so if you are considering trying this at home, please wear protective gear and take some metalsmithing classing in order to make sure you have all safety precautions and proper equipment set in place.

After heating and cooling the metal, I'm able to start working with it in a series of steps that consist of flattening, cleaning, shaping, and hammering out the shapes of the bracelets. This is the part that requires a little muscle, so I like to convince myself that making batches of bracelets counts for exercise.

Once the bracelets have taken shape, I run them through a series of polishing steps to make sure they get that perfect sheen. Making fork bracelets from start to finish is certainly a process, but one that is very meditative and something I have grown to love.

You can always find the newest batches of bracelets I've made right here in my shop.

Alternatives to the traditional vase

Lately, I've been really into the idea of using household items as flower displays. I've been sprucing up my space here and there with odds and ends as the weather continues to hint at spring. Below I've used a water pitcher from a restaurant I used to work for, and a glass sauce bottle to house recent blooms.









Before you go looking for that same old glass vase in your cupboard, take a look around at what else there might be to add a touch of je ne sais quoi. You just might surprise yourself.

Free printable mailing labels

I found these clever little mailing label templates while visiting Creature Comforts last weekend. They'd be perfect for dressing up your standard letters or giving an updated look to your packages. Hop on over for the free printable download and enjoy!

Happy April!

A new camera makes a difference!

So I splurged a little and decided to invest in a nicer camera than my trusty digital point and shoot. While it's gotten me this far, I really felt I was ready to take my jewelry photos to the next level. So in my own little self serving way to stimulate the economy, I went with the Canon Rebel XSI. I couldn't be happier at the moment while I'm learning the ins and outs of my very first SLR camera.

Check out the fruits of my recent shooting labor below:

I'm loving the revamped look of my jewelry with the help of a macro lens, I think it just adds that needed touch of professionalism I couldn't quite achieve before. It's still a learning process and I have a way to go, but am super happy with the purchase thus far. Just click on any of the photos above to view more shots of each piece!

P.S. If you're interested in upgrading your own camera (or anything for that matter), check out this great shopping comparison site, pricegrabber. After hearing about this site, I saved over $200 on the camera just by buying it on Amazon vs. a big retail store.

No joke.

Now Tweeting

So I broke down and finally set up a twitter account. You can find me here, but no promises I'll be able to update frequently! Whew, talk about the pressures of social networking. Twitter describes itself as "a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: "What are you doing?" After creating an account, people can choose to follow other people's Twitter posts, viewing posts online or via a mobile phone. Twitter is about quick glimpses into you or your brand, as you have 140 characters to type or include interesting links for your Twitter followers to read and respond to. Here's what Etsy has to say about Twitter and how you can use it to your advantage if you so wish!

One might think a website, a blog, and a facebook would be enough for a girl...yet here I find myself at the mercy of twitter. It's all the buzz you know...or should I say tweet?

Twitter, here goes...

Etsy Deals

As many of you know, I write the weekly column on Etsy called "Weekend Deals." Here's a screen of the article this week, so check it out if you are in the mood to shop but feel like keeping a tight budget! When the article is published, it usually highlights between 9-12 sellers who are having sales that weekend. Many additional sellers wait for the article to be published and then post their own promotions for the weekend in the comments section of the article. Keep scrolling down to see all the comments and additional deals. Look for it in Etsy's blog each weekend.

xoxo