Valentine Weekend Special

So yeah, it's a Bloody Mary, and I know there's nothing bloody about Valentine's day, hmmm well except for the Valentine Day Massacre... anyHOW I wanted to make something red and I love Bloody Marys. Maries? No-It's Marys.

You can't see them, but instead of ice cubes I have 3 BIG frozen shrimp in there. They won't melt like ice cubes and make it all watery and limp tasting...
Genius I tell ya'!

This is a complete meal.
What?
Don't you see the salad on top?

Mulligatawny and....

Mulligatawny Stew and.....

Beeeeeeeer, bitter, smokey nectar of the GODS!

Gotta' get a tough one to stand up to that spicey stew-
To the rescue (once again) Kalamazoo Stout!!!

One for the road

We are getting to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to St John Island in the USVI. I actually won the grand prize drawing that St Joe Today had last winter, it was a gift certificate through Signal Travel and we could choose any place we wanted...back in July last year we thought "Boy it might be nice to go some place warm in the winter" And have we gotten a winter this year....piles and piles of winter. So fast forward to this Saturday we will be winging our way from K-zoo to Chicago to San Juan to St Thomas, then we will take a ferry to St John where we will stay at Maho Bay Camps. Prepare yourself for images of tourquoise water, white sand, snorkeling and rum punch!

On my last day in the studio before we head out I wanted to finish up one more Beach Stone Necklace. This one is long, 30 inches, it slips easily over my head and hangs just right, giving little peaks of the cut-away back as I walk.

I found this beach stone a couple years ago, it's one with a tiny hole only part-way through it, it's not a semetrical hole so it wasn't made from a swirling little drilling stone stuck in it like so many I find. It's black like a chunk of charcoal with a nice stippled-like texture, the curves are very smooth...it's been tumbled a long, long time.

Check back around Valentines Day I logged a special V-Day Happy Hour post.

Have a great 2 weeks!

What? Wine...Me?

I'm new to wine...I got some left overs from a "wines from around the world wine tasting" (that I'm now kicking myself that I didn't go to.) So there was about a 1/16 of a bottle left and a friend (another dry lover-Thanks Angi!) held others back, stuck this tiny bit in her purse and said try this...well, blow me down. I. Now. Like. Wine.
No. I mean: I REALLY like wine.
So much that I went out and bought my own bottle.

From the vineyards of Conde de Valdemar, a Crianza 2004 vintage, from tempranillo grapes in Spain. As always dry, dry, dry. We had this with pasta alfredo and Mmmmm. Near perfect, a little overpowering for the alfredo.... Then I tried it with an almond biscotti and WOW! Definitely perfect! It would go good with BOLD meals....Hmmmmm... something spicey with tomatoes.

Is it wrong to fix meals to go with a wine...?

No. I think not. I think it is just like making a necklace and then needing to find clothes to go with it. And that is just fine in my book.

OH! Check out the fabulous wine glass I bought from Water Street Glassworks in the Arts District of Benton Harbor... Just look at that stem it is HOLLOW! Blown by the fabulous Becky Wehmer.

Now all is complete.

Beach Stone Necklaces, etc

I finished up a second necklace with beach stones. I made it to move and turn and twist, I wanted it to look interesting from every which way. So I took it for a test drive last night and it was wonderful, it flipped, spun and moved without getting hung up or looking odd.

I had no less than 5 people stop me and need to try it on. That is a good sign.

I'm doing these sets without clasps, easy-on-easy-off.

Here it is with it's companion necklace and 2 pairs of beach stone earrings.

I'll be doing more of these for sure!

Filigree Leaves and Rubies Necklace

I made this a while back for a show at Kalamazoo Institute of Art. I fabricated all the little leaves and added rubies between each. I added a touch of 18kt gold to this clasp.

Happy Hour with Mad Hatter

Ooof. No patience for a glass.

Must drink in the bitterness right now!

From New Holland Brewery, right here in Michigan.


PS Happy Birthday Lewis Carroll