Tucson Gem Show Time

  This year, I get to cross off one of my bucket list items and am going to the Tucson Gem Show!

The plan is descend upon the desert that is waaay warmer than it is here in Portland and just stand in the sun-only for a few minutes though, with my freckly skin...I probably have about 5 minutes before I burn.  

Then, I have a few days of shopping the motherlode. I am primarily looking for a solid source for turquoise. If you have a hankering for a certain gem for a custom piece, please let me know before February 11th. I'm happy to oblige. After that date, I am working on several wholesale orders for Mother's Day so it may be a while before I am able to work on custom pieces.

In the meantime, I am working on some rings! Lots and lots of rings. I am loving the bench, sore fingertips and all. I feel incredibly lucky that this is my job. Thank you for your support!

Beads for Days

Guess who just purchased a ton of new beads? This gal. 

I'll be updating the shop accordingly over the next couple of weeks as pieces become available. You should follow me on Instagram for behind the scenes photos, timely shop updates and heads up on sales!

Crafty Wonderland!

Ahhhhhhhhhh Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh! It's that time again! Mother's Day is around the corner and I just so happen to be part of Crafty Wonderland's super dooper spring sale! With friends graduating and all of those spring birthdays, you are sure to look like the world's best gift giver by getting those gifts at this show. 

Come on down and check out the kitties and the plant sale too! I'll be in booth #44, towards the plant sale side of the room. I look forward to seeing you there! I have oodles of new jewels to debut. 

P.S. Mention this blog post and you'll get 20% off of your Kenton Beadworks purchase at the sale.

Chasing Sun

Sorry for my absence lately. I'm happy to say it was for a good reason. My husband and I have been traveling a lot for fun. We both recently changed employers (I'm making jewelry for a local jeweler) and had a couple of weeks off in between. Rather than the usual staycation agenda, we decided to choose a couple of cities that have warm weather, were close enough and had nice folks who make good beer.

We visited sunny San Diego, CA and Austin, TX and had a great time. We're glad to be back in Portland though, our water and crisp, fresh air cannot be beat. I literally miss those things when I travel, but there is something to be said about the way the air smells when you get off of the plane in a sunny local. It seems so sweet and inviting.

As far as the beer goes, I have to say that Stone Brewing is like the Disneyland of beer. Their facility was amazing- well landscaped and they didn't spare any expense on making a solid brewery. In fact, it didn't feel like a brewery-more like a nice restaurant. Try the brussels sprouts if you go!

The ABGB in Austin won my heart for sure. I loved everything about their whole set up. Every beer that I had (we both had a flight of tasters) was well balanced and deelish! They also had a GREAT crew of people working there. We chatted with the owner/brewer there and he was just so nice!

Additionally, we went to Wright Bros. Brew & Brew in Austin, where they have both espresso and beer! Heaven!! They have a great selection of beers, knowledgeable staff who truly seem passionate about what they serve. We tried this Jester King Saison that blew my socks off.

I could totally see myself living in Austin, but Texas itself kind of scares me. I'll stick to the greenery of Portland...for now.

Time to refresh!

It's almost spring here in the NW. For me, that means it is time to refresh the ol' wardrobe. I've got the Spring Fashion Fever! After purchasing about what seems like 27 "Spring Fashion" magazines in the last week or so, I feel that it safe to put a label on it.

Since I have been working from home in the past year or so, I have been living out of jeans and comfy cardigans paired with hiking socks. I mean it when I say it is time for a little refresh.  It's been almost 6 months since I have purchased a pair of shoes and those shoes were for a halloween costume.

I like to dress pretty simple but really put my focus on bags, shoes and other accessories.

Enter "The Bag". Here are a handful of wonderful totes and bags that I think would be perfect!

Appetite

ByMART

Emmieshop

I am so torn on which one to pick. Which one is your favorite?

Nordic Love

I am seriously in love with all things Scandinavian these days. I have always been inspired by primary colors as a whole. Pair that with my obsession for minimal, geometric vintage things and we have a marriage made in heaven as far as working some of these gorgeous prints into the existing decor in our house:

Did I mention that I just happen to be decorating our guest/craft room at the moment? I'll be sharing some of my pics for decor as I move along the project. I have already painted the room...but neglected to take a 'before' photo. I took it from a color we've dubbed "grandma panty beige" to Martha Stewart's Nimbus Cloud. A nice calm pale gray that doesn't make you grab for the Prozac in winter. Which, for those of us in the NW is only 7 months out of the year!

Valentines or BUST!

A little something that I put together on Etsy to make your Valentines Day gift perusing a little easier.

This recipe will blow your mind!

                                        photo courtesy of  Squidoo/GoodVeg.com

I promise you will love this meatloaf. I have been on a quest to find a meatless meatloaf recipe for some time that isn't full of weird ingredients and I hit the jackpot with this one. Without exaggeration, this is the best meatloaf recipe that I have ever had. It's almost unbelievable that it doesn't contain meat.

Last night, I followed the recipe to a T, except for the onion soup mix; the store that I went to didn't carry the organic version, so I used the good old fashion Lipton version. Best of all, this is a piece of cake to whip up! It only took me about 10 minutes and the loaf-to-be was in the oven!

I also took the loaf out at 45 minutes and put some ketchup on top of 2/3 of the loaf and broiled it for about 7 minutes.  Next time I make this meatloaf, I am most definitely going to try it using a muffin tin. I think that would make for more crispy sides, which were freaking awesome on the loaf.

As of lunch today, the entire loaf is GONE! It was that tasty. Enjoy!

Have plans on Sunday?

I think you do now! Bring your cold self on down to the Left Bank Annex and say hello to some of the best artisans in town. If you are one of the first 100 people in the door, you get a free bag of goodies!

Mention you saw this post on my blog for a 20% discount off of your purchase. I'll have a bunch of goodies on sale as well as some bracelets and earrings that have yet to be listed online. See you there!

Back in full effect

Short-Timer's Syndrome

Man, it has been hard to concentrate this last week. We are having an Indian Summer of sorts here in Portland and although I have the best intentions to prep for holiday shows, it is just not happening. I mean-it's sunny out there! In Mid-October!

I also have a tinge of short-timer's syndrome due to a vacation that is coming up soon. In a few weeks, I will be in a sunny locale drinking tropical drinks and living in full denial that the holiday rush will be waiting my return.

In the meantime, I will be dreaming of snorkeling and puffy clouds...outside in the NW sun.

Apples and Cinnamon and Other Random Facts

I love the smell of apples and cinnamon. It is by far the quintessential smell of fall. Those cinnamon scented pine cones that are out  this time of year are lovely to me, but just about everyone I know can't stand the smell of them.

The real scoop is I am a neat freak and that smell makes me feel like my house is just a smidge cleaner than it is. Call it good old fashioned marketing, 'cause I am drinking the kool-aid, friends!

I'm not ashamed to proclaim my love for scents and/or a clean house. Do you want to hear about my wild love affair with our central vacuum system? I didn't think so. (I do love it, I really, really do.)

There. I said it. I feel better now. I've shouted my love of cleanliness from the rooftops.

Pickled Goodness

Guess what? I finally learned how to pickle cucumbers this summer! Late is better than never, as they say! This week I hope to try cauliflower for bloody marys this winter and maybe some strawberries for fun.

A friend gave me their recipe for a refrigerator method to pickling and I plan on giving that a whirl.
Do you have a favorite go-to recipe for pickling?

All apologies

So...sorry for not posting on here for awhile. I have been doing all things summer. This year, I really owned summer and embraced all of the opportunities that were presented to me. I even got in the water this year.

When I have been home, I have found myself outside in the yard rather than in the studio. Gardening is my new hobby. There were plenty of fun things to blog about from my summer and I hope to share those with you over the next few weeks as I get my groove back here indoors. In summary: Camping, hiking and some traveling around Oregon/Washington.

Actually, if you already follow me on Instagram, you probably saw most of the photos already! So get over there and check them out and see what other random stuff has inspired me.

                                          Fun Fact: nine years ago... the mister & I tied the knot

The Teaches of Peaches.

                                                              photo courtesy of Fitness Magazine

This is not a cooking blog, but it is quickly turning into one! Since peaches are in season right now, I wanted to share this scrumptious recipe with you.

Last week, I made this Peach Pesto Chicken Wrap recipe for my husband, who is a die-hard peach lover. It's so incredibly easy to make and you don't have to turn on the oven. It takes about 20 minutes tops, if you purchase chicken that is already cooked- Trader Joe's has a few different options.

We happened to have some basil growing like crazy, so clipping it from my own garden made this salad even more magical. I know I just said salad, even though the photo and recipe clearly states that it is a wrap. We ditch the tortilla and eat it on top of butter leaf lettuce.

Want to get all fancy? Pair it with some sauvignon blanc. I really like Kim Crawford or Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Enjoy!
-S

10 days and counting...

Fremont Fest is only 10 days away and I am getting pumped! Lots and lots of earrings are being made this week and next week I will be focusing on some new pieces that will debut at the street fair.

I'm very excited (as always) to meet my local clients in person. It's actually one of my favorite things-chatting it up with my fellow Portlanders while getting to know a new part of town.

Here are the deets:

Come by and say hello! Mention that you saw this blog post and save 10% on your purchase during the street fair. See you there!

Lemon Love- Continued

As I mentioned before, lemon is one of my favorite scents of summer. It's refreshing, energizing and so clean smelling. My initial love of lemon came by the way of soap. Yep, soap.

                                                                               photo courtesy of Bloom Decorative Soaps


A couple of years ago, I sat next to the Owner and Mastermind behind Bloom Decorative Soaps at a trunk show and purchased one of everything she had! Guess what everyone received for Christmas!

This little lemon soap blew my mind...it looked like a real lemon. Better yet, it smelled better than the real thing. I still have it next to the sink a year and a half later and it is still going strong. The best part (aside from the lemon smell) is that it leaves my hands soft after washing. 

Julie's work is amazing. Look at extreme detail that she puts into these soaps! They are mini masterpieces! Check this one out:

Lovely, no? The soaps are so pretty that you almost don't want to wash with them! I still have one of her jolly Buddhas on display in my washroom. I think I will save it as a guest soap...

Diet Friendly Brownies!

Yes! There is such a thing.

I found this recipe that we tried out a couple of weeks ago...and I have to say that I was not expecting this recipe to turn out, but low and behold, it yielded a tasty batch of brownies!

Even my husband ate some with no complaints (even though he knew it was a sugar free batch). Enough said.

1 can of black beans
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar substitute (I used 3/4 cup of Truvia)
3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
36 pecan halves

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a 8x8 inch baking pan- I used good ol' cooking spray.

In a blender or food processor, combine everything together except for the nuts.

Scrape the batter into your pan and place the nuts on top in even rows-6 across and 6 down. I know...I know. The nut placement is helpful for distinguishing the serving size when they are all done.
If you plan on taking down the whole pan (I won't judge!), just toss them on top however you'd like.
Also, the batter is going to be runny as heck. It's okay!

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cut into 36 squares and prepare to rejoice! You can still have your chocolate fix in brownie form without funky flour and a lot of 

PRO TIP: I purchased the little mini packet of pecan halves that they have in the baking aisle and I still had enough to snack on while waiting for the brownies to bake. 

Sorry for not taking a photo. They weren't around long enough...

Enjoy!

 

Lemon Love

With a camping trip under my belt, a few BBQs with friends and temps in the 90's, summer is here in full effect! Things are literally heating up in the studio too...I was finally able to torch some things last week and I also fell back into my candle addiction.

                                                                           photo courtesy of: Bridge Nine Candle Co.

Hi. My name is Stacy, and I am a candle addict. For real. I used to have them everywhere, but now I only have them in the studio to get rid of that oh-so lovely pickle smell. Enter Bridge Nine Candle Co.! Bridge Nine is a locally ran company that makes DELICIOUS smelling candles made with soy and essential oils. Local and natural-check!

The candles come in all shapes and sizes...I picked up the mega size just to make sure I have enough of that lemon smelling goodness floating about all summer long.

I cannot wait to see what the come up with for a fall scent. You can bet your sweet patooty that it is going to smell amazing!