hmmmm, what to name him...

Meet our newest foster. We just brought him home today, he doesn't even have a name yet. Tom took the day off work and I had a wild hair to go down to the shelter and pick out a new foster pup. I love going down there, Tom hates it. I try to focus on the fact that we get to liberate some precious dog from "jail". Tom has a hard time not thinking about all the ones we can't take. For instance, there was an old lab in the office hanging out with the staff. She was scheduled to be euthanized that day and they were just trying to give her some love before the end. It was horrible. I wanted to take her. It's so hard because if we take one long term dog that's a lot of dogs we can't help while we search for that needle-in-a-haystack home. Not too many people want the big lab on its last leg. If people would just spay and neuter their pets!!! But I digress.

So we "interviewed" a few dogs. This little guy seemed fairly calm, he was already neutered, vaccinated. I'm thinking "quick adoption". We also picked two young wire-haired dachshunds whose elderly owner was sick so her "loving son" took her dogs to the pound. But I digress.

We first took this little guy out and decided he was a taker. Then we took out the dachshunds and decided they were takers. Tom wanted to take one of the litter of catahoula puppies but I am so puppied out after the last two. But it's so hard to say no to puppies. And it is major puppysville at the shelter. I think there were at least 50 puppies. Several litters - cute stocky little yellow labs, a couple of yorkie-poos - and then lots of single pups - a cute pure bred boxer pup, a purebred german shepherd pup, two pit bull puppies I could have died over! But I digress.

We were only able to bring this little one home today. We'll pick up the other two on Sunday. So we hop in the car with Kid Dyn-O-mite (as we are calling him at the moment) and he's a little more active than he appeared to be. Then he starts running around the car. He hops in Tom's lap as he drove down the highway and was doing laps up his chest and around his head and back again. It was hilarious and fairly dangerous I am sure! But he's very cute and resting comfortably in Tom's lap as I type. I am sure it is much better than the concrete floor he slept on last night.

Now, what do we name a five month old, white, spastic chihuahua???

My two cute cats that no one knows I have.

Everyone always seems shocked to find out that we have cats. "You have 12 dogs AND two cats?!?!?" they say in shock. Yes, we have two cats. In fact, one of the cats came before any of the dogs.

Meet Daisy. Daisy is about 16 years old. I got her when she was a kitten from someone giving away kitties in the paper. Now, I know cats are strange, but Daisy has got to be up there among the strangest. She lives in our closet. Before I sound like a hideous pet parent, let me say, the door is open at all times. She can come out of the closet when ever she likes. Which she does do once night falls. Like I said, odd. I know what else you are thinking, "With all of those dogs of course she stays in the closet." But no, she sleeps on our bed with the dogs, right next to the dogs. She also won't drink out of anything but a drinking glass. odd. Oh, and she will not tolerate being held or picked up. But she's oddly affectionate.

Meet Berklie. Berklie is about 12 years old. I found him in a parking lot, under a car, covered in oil. He was about as big as a minute and his ear hair was bigger than he was. Good God he was cute. I took him home and tried to convince Tom that we needed a second cat to go with our current cat and our one dog (those were the days). He balked at first, but then Berklie snuggled up to Seven (our dog) and that was it. Berklie's actual name is Berkatu, as in Lybia. At the time I was working at a physical therapy clinic as a pt tech. I had this patient that I adored, Roger Smith. He was an older man who had been in World War II. Every day he would come in, hop on the stationary bike and I would say "Where are we biking to today?" and he would proceed to tell me about some place he had been during the war. He would tell me about the people there, the landscape, what he did there. He had so many amazing memories and they were all pretty positive, especially considering he was there because of a war. On his last day of therapy he came in and handed me an envelope and said "Today we are going to have a test". I opened the envelope and there was a stack of photos. They were all taken during the war, his personal photos. He said I had to look at the photo and tell him where it was - based on the landscape or various stories he had told. It was incredible. Needless to say I cried like baby when he left. I found Berklie that day and I INSISTED that he be named after Roger Smith in some way. So, Berkatu Lybia it was.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

I was telling Tom as we drove home from yesterday's trunk show - "I love our life". We spent the day at one of our favorite places with several of our favorite people and it was for work! Who gets to do that? I am so freakin' lucky. The trunk show was a great success. I sold some jewelry, hung out with friends, and had some beers - I'd say that is a successful day. So, thank you Corina for having me, thank you Anders for the Bad Ass chalk board, and thank you everyone who came and hung out with us. Another glorious Saturday in Austin at the Ginger Man.

Saturday in Austin!

Last minute, but this should be lots of fun. Great beer, right in the middle of Art City. Head by the Art City Art Fair (formerly the Austin Fine Arts Festival) at Colorado and 1st (Cesar Chavez). Then head back up Lavaca to the Ginger Man to quench your thirst for tasty beers and fine, funky Metalsgirl goodies. See you there. I'll be the one with the Hefeweizen in hand!

Saturday April 25th from 3-7pm.

Experiments in Enamel

So I am still playing around with fire torching enamels. I have to say, it's pretty cool. I've never worked with enamels before at all so I wouldn't know how to compare it to the traditional form of kiln fired enamels. But I sure do love watching the enamel start to melt to the metal. And having control over whether it melts a lot or a little, watching the texture change, under-heating and over-heating. This ring is one of my latest experiments. I've layered I don't know how many different enamels - I couldn't recreate it in a million years. But I pretty much love that.

And the Winner is...

Today was the last day of the blog contest!! Thanks so much for participating and for all of your kind comments. I wrote all of your names down on little papers...

...and the winner is HEATHER!! Yay!

WHAT am I gonna get my Mom!?!?!?

I need some help. I want to get my mom something cool for Mother's Day. As you can probably imagine I have given her jewelry, lots of jewelry. And while I don't think jewelry ever gets old, I kinda wanna get something else too. Any ideas? What are you getting for your momma?

Here are a few ideas for you. This is a great bangle for any mom. And it's good for a special aunt or godmother, just change up the charm to say whatever you like!

Great for grandmothers!

I made this necklace for my mom a few years back. Me and my little brother!!

Dog moms need gifts too!!!!

Perfect for the new mom!

For more ideas you and check out my Mom's mini trunk show on my website.

Friday Blog Contest

You all are getting a serious sneak peek at this new design. Seriously, I just finished it yesterday and photographed it last night. Since it's brand new I thought I would see how well received it would be by having a little contest. All you have to do is comment on this blog - I will draw from the commenter's and one person will receive THIS very necklace. So if you like it - comment. I will draw a winner on April 21st. Oh, and don't forget to leave your e-mail so I can notify the winner!!
It's made of sterling silver and slivers of mother-of-pearl. The chain is 16in. long but there is an added length of about an 1 1/2 inches with the bar of MOP. The necklace, when i do get it posted to my website and etsy and 1000 Markets and will retail for $32. Lemme know what you think. Oh, and happy Friday!

Oooey gooey Cinnamon Rolls for Easter and Mother's Day

Why do I only make these cinnamon rolls twice a year? They aren't THAT much trouble and they are soooooooooo good! I was up late one night, couldn't sleep, and was watching the Food Network. Emeril was making recipes submitted by viewers. He made these cinnamon rolls. I thought they sounded good and fairly easy so I tried them and my whole family is addicted! The recipe calls for frozen bread dough. Not to bash on anyone who uses pre-made stuff - but I am not really a mix or frozen food kinda girl. So buying frozen bread dough was a little painful for me. But this year I made my great-grandmother's bread dough and used it for the cinnamon rolls. All I can say is NO more frozen bread dough EVER!

So the above photo is of the freshly rolled up rolls that have been placed in the pan of goo - aka brown sugar, butter, karo, whiskey, and pecans.

Here they are after they have risen for about 45 minutes.

And here they are after they've been baked. Now I did not get a photo after I flipped them over onto the plate. Sorry. But it was Easter brunch and everyone was clamoring to eat. Oh, I wish I had one right now.

Happy Easter...yesterday.

My family has a mountain of holiday traditions and Easter is no exception. Egg decorating, brunch and lottery tickets!

Friday night is the egg decorating party. It's in it's 17th year and it's a little out of control. What began as a couple of friends dipping eggs in and out of vinegar-y dye has turned into power tools, hot glue guns, and sometimes even fireworks.

For the past couple of years my hubby and mother-in-law bake cupcakes to take over. It's sort of become it's own little tradition. I must say we have gotten better and better at it. They were just beautiful this year and even tastier than they were pretty.

My black and white and red all over wall.

This is one wall in my living room. If you've read my blog for long you know I dream of having an old house. My 1970's track house was not my "dream" but IS a perfect starter house...11 years later not-so-much. But we have made it very happy and cozy and not-at-all track house feeling...okay, I'm getting off track. Anyway, I love houses with loooooong hallways to hang all of your family photos. My friend Melissa has said hallway and it makes me drool. So, my solution in my 1970's track house is this. This wall of photos. All black and white. And I actually love it. I've been adding to it for years. It has everything from old photos of newly wed grandparents to our friends precious children. It's a bit of a combined history. Add to it the fabulous Willy Wonka quote and I think it fits us beautifully.

Be Free Indeed

When we were in New York a few weeks ago I saw this scrawled across some scaffolding. Be Free Indeed. I looked at it several days in a row as we walked to the train from our apartment. I loved it and I knew I would use it on something. So, here it is in bangle form along side a white resin charm with a couple sprigs of thyme in it. Thyme for cleansing and clearing. I've just listed it in my etsy shop .

More new New York inspired designs coming soon...