a yen for style.

the land of the free

2009-11-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

who doesn't like free stuff? from the free floss and toothpaste i get at the dentist every 6 months to the beauty events at neiman marcus, free is good. but usually free comes at a price. for instance, to get my free floss, brush and toothpaste at the dentist i have to go through the annoyance of going to the dentist. no fun. to get my free bag of goodies at the neiman marcus beauty event, i have to spend a minimum of $100, and it is always safe to assume that i go above that minimum. i can go on and on. but, now there is a place where you can simply answer a question and possibly get something for free; and not just any something, but really great somethings. i know, since one of the giveaways was one of my baby geode necklaces. the bright side project was started by the lovely miss b. and miss k., who simply wanted to bring sunshine to the lives of others. daily--yes, 7 days a week--they feature a product that is being given away and a thought-provoking question. to be eligible for the prize, simply answer the question and check back a week later to see if you were selected as the chosen answer. if a winner, you circle back to let them know you want your goods and where you want them sent. it is that simple. no x-rays, drills to the teeth or cringe inducing credit card bills required to get in on the free! check them out at http://www.thebrightsideproject.com/.

greetings from a terrible blogger

2009-11-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

while this blogging thing is so natural for some, it is pure torture for me. i have a hard time thinking of things say. this pretty much sums up why there hasn't been a post in about a year! i figured it was time to put up something, so it would be a good time to post pictures of jewelry designs i have made over the past several months. i, for the most part, have moved away from designs that incorporate intricate coiling and tedious wire wrapping techniques. i was losing interest, as it is starting to seem so overplayed. that is not to say i won't still do some of that work, since i still do like those types of pieces, but it is good to do new things. in the past several months i have been working with more with earthier and more organic looking gem finds, such as turquoise cabochons, ranging in colors from lime greens to ocean blues and baby geodes with tiny crystal formations that resemble poured sugar. i really like mixing them with the more traditional looking faceted stones to create very special and unique looks that can be worn with jeans or even a cocktail dress. speaking of cocktails, i have really gotten into making cocktail rings, too. the bigger the stones, the better!

now on to some pictures of what i am talking about above.

a necklace of a blue baby geode set in fine and sterling silvers, accented by a chain of hand wrapped iolite rondelles and finished off with a sparkling citrine briolette.

a necklace consisting of a labradoriate cabochon set in sterling and fine silvers, with three faceted labradorite briolettes that dangle from the pendant setting. the labradorite is rich with shades of silver, grays, blues and even gold! i oxidized the silver to further bring out the beauty of the labradorite.

these tuquoise rings have been a huge hit. each is individually crafted from sterling silver, since each stone is unique in shape and size. i also have stones in a variety of colors from green, to teal to aqua with many veins of black. although it is pretty safe to say that all the stones are huge! these rings are showstoppers, and i am consistently told by people who own them that they always provoke conversation. as a owner of one, i can confirm this is very true! i have been stopped by strangers who ask where i got my ring--which i always like!

this ring, with a ametrine checkerboard oval stone, is part of my small line that i like to call "the crown collection" since there is a delicate crown of oxidized fine silver that surrounds a fine silver bezel setting. these rings, too, are not for wallflowers, since these are significantly sized stones that are set high for all too see!

more labradorite. and, like the other rings, a huge stone! i am a firm believer in the idea of "go big or go home!" cocktail rings should be noticed and make a statement.

a pair of earrings that mixes the organic look of natural turquoise tear shaped cabochons with bezel set faceted citrine in a rich honey color.

blue baby geodes set in sterling and fine silvers, with a faceted citrine briolette dangle. these earrings have post backs, but i also have some baby geode earrings with french wires, as well. these earrings come in a variety of colors since baby geodes are natural in color, so you have to work with what you can get! they come in a rainbow of colors, although the more common finds seem to be shades of blue or red and aubergine. though, i have scored some in green, pink and white.

it should also be noted that i have opened up a shop at etsy, since i want to open up my line to another audience that might not yet know of yen jewelry. these pieces seen above, and many others--including some of the older designs--may be found at yenjewelry.etsy.com, but you can still visit yenjewelry.com, too, although i am in the process of updating that site (which means it could be a year before it updates since i am slow at those types of things)!

i will try my best to make sure my next post shows up a little sooner than 12 months from the date of this post!

and when you thought that the elections and voting were over...

2008-11-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

...now there is another thing for which everyone needs to vote. yes, it is very important, too! by voting for my friend, annie, of mohop shoes, you may help her win this great contest that could hook her up with $10,000! this will allow her to take her absolutely fabulous product line of sustainably sourced wooden platform shoes and procure the tools she needs to go bigtime!

on a side note, why is a semi-celebrity's product eligible for voting consideration? that just seems wrong. all the more reason to vote for the little guy (well, gal in this case).

if my glowing endorsement isn't enough to push you over the edge, just let the picture of annie's product below do the trick.

you have until november 20 to help annie make her dream come true. get to voting!

fun times with botanical casting

2008-11-02T19:35:00.001-08:00

i am very happy with how these castings turned out. the creepy looking little succulents cast beautifully since they burn out so nicely as they are pretty much just water and wax. i am not quite sure what i will do with all of them yet, but, considering i risked looking like a crazy woman by digging in the bushes of public places to procure some of the specimen used for the final castings, i will definitely figure it out. i do have a pretty good idea as to what i will do with the pistillo-looking plants directly below, but am not sure if my idea will actually work in practice. they are pretty delicate. you might notice how some of the little balled ends are actually missing. i figure some of the metal didn't flow all the way through the hollowed out form in the investment, while others snapped off while work hardening in the magnetic tumbler. i have no idea what those little guys are, but managed to dig them out of some bushes that had ivy looking leaves.

the below is a casting of a snipping from one of the two cedar trees that flank either side of my backyard.

the below is one of the many sedum castings i made from the giant sedum plants that grow like weeds in my backyard.below is one of the creepy looking succulents. i love them. i snagged them from a large bed of succulents that sits in front of the studio where i cast them.
an even creepier looking succulent. i love the little plant inside the plant (look closely).
below is the least creepy of the succulent castings.

i have a few lost wax castings that i need to finish up and will post here. those are taking a little longer since i actually carved the wax and they definitely require a lot more finishing than pieces that are essentially made perfectly by nature.

what can brown do for me? apparently, not much.

2008-10-22T17:01:00.001-07:00

dear ups driver:

being a modern gal, i like my living quarters to be equipped with all the finest in newfangled technologies--a garage door opener, an electric dishwasher, etc. one of the fanciest contraptions i have is this thing called a doorbell. it is quite nice. if someone pushes it, it makes a very audible noise that lets me know that someone is at the other side of the door. what a concept! like the united states postal service, through rain, sleet, snow or gloom of night, the doorbell always delivers on its promise to make a loud noise when someone pushes the button. so why is it, dear ups driver, that you refuse to try out this handy invention? okay, i know advances in modern technology can be scary things, but there is always the backup option if it is too much to handle all at once--knocking the door. from where i have situated myself all day waiting for this delivery that i have to sign for, i could have heard that, too. from where i was in my house i was even able to hear your truck drive away after you slapped a "UPS InfoNotice" on my door telling me that you have made your final attempt and that nobody answered. i would have been more than happy to answer had you made me aware that you were at the other side of my door.

next time, you know what brown can do for me? ring the damned doorbell.

signed,

desperately seeking my delivery

my type of news

2008-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

this news from the onion is worthy of posting here since it is most newsworthy.

i have always found the onion to be my favorite hard-hitting news provider.

happy columbus day.

rediscovering inspiration

2008-09-14T19:08:00.001-07:00

so, i have had a dry spell for the past year with yen jewelry. there are several reasons:

an overall lack of inspiration;
a boredom with the style of work that i have perfected over the last few years;
a dismay in seeing said style--frames meticulously wrapped in fine wire--is becoming more commonplace and widely made;
the cost prohibitive nature of gold and sterling (it is only getting worse);
disappointment that the techniques i have used over the years get more and more tedious to produce in quantity;
my fingers hurt from all that wrapping of fine wire;
the maintenance of the business and production time required for the sale of existing designs (that stinking tight wrapping again) keeps me from having time to create new designs; and,
did i mention and overall lack of inspiration?

since the idea of hanging up the torch does upset me (and the fact that so much has been invested in my studio), i decided i need to do something about it. i am taking classes this quarter in lost wax (i have taken a workshop before, but never a full-course), more advanced stone setting and i just finished an intensive in enamel. i figured if i couldn't find inspiration and new approaches that will allow me to improve my production after this round of courses, i might just have to hang up the torch.

today was the conclusion of my enamel intensive. at first i figured i could check enameling off my list since it just wasn't speaking to me. today that changed. lo and behold, you can watercolor enamel! having a background in drawing and painting, and my past focus was watercolor, i goofed around with the colors that the studio had on hand by painting over some domes i created and enameled with a coat of soft white. i wasn't expecting much when i slapped on some color (i didn't go to great strides on design since i was strapped for time) and put them in the kiln. to my surprise, they turned out great. the picture provided doesn't do them justice, but trust me.i also played around with transparent enamel colors. again, the picture does no justice since the colors are absolutely beautiful. i have big plans for these enameled domes.

now i really want to get a kiln and all the required beginner items. i really want to get the one the instructor has, which is a smaller version of the kilns in the classroom studio. i figure everything will set me back $2500-$3000, which is a bit steep, but i guess it is a small price to pay for a renewed excitement. also, the idea of getting away with using copper, without worrying about tarnishing on the wearer, excites me since i can put more time and artistry into my work, which will compensate for the use of silver and gold. i sometimes feel that the cost of materials i use hold me back design wise, since time coupled with expensive materials can make items cost prohibitive or make it where my profit margin is low in order to price a piece at a point that will motivate people to purchase.

i will make sure to share pictures when the pieces using the above enameled domes are completed.

soon you will be mine.

2008-08-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

after years of admiration, can't wait to meet you and hang out with you more often. we are going to have a lot of fun, kid.

i just hope u.s. postal service will not responsible for your whereabouts. i shudder at the thought.

a plea to my postal carrier.

2008-08-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

dear postal worker:

why must you always give me the mail of others instead of mine? i really don't need to know what the credit card balance is for the lady across the street. i don't need to get the postcard reminding the guy next door that he is due for his semi-annual dental exam. ewwww, i really didn't need to see that one catalog that didn't belong to me. okay, while i didn't mind getting the "bon appetit" that was meant to go into the box 4 spots above, did you really need to tear up my "us weekly" in exchange? i will give you some credit that you managed to deliver it to me in some form that week. did you have to lose a pile of my bills? where is my "instyle?" with all the proper deliveries i make of the mail i am receiving, i feel like i am working, unpaid, for your employer. please, u.s. postal worker, spare me the grief and get some eye glasses. i am sure your government funded insurance plan includes vision, right?

signed,

desperately seeking mail

ode to mom

2008-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

so i made a huge mistake in my previous post. i made mention that i planted the hydrangeas. that was quickly corrected by my lovely mother, who is a very literal lady when it serves her cause or argument. actually, my mother operated the shovel back when those were planted, so she was the one who planted them, not i. since my mom is one peach of a gal, i thought i would not only retract the claim that i, individually, planted those hydrangeas, but put up a post all about her.

my mom is known for many things: her discriminating taste for tchotchkes; being an highly experienced car passenger; maintaining her elite status as a slot machine high-roller at the casinos; having some very strong political opinions that are polar opposite of mine; possessing masterful wallpaper hanging abilities and keen sewing skills; and, most importantly, her love of dressing animals like humans.

i would like to elaborate on the last characteristic. this started with our dear golden retriever, sassy. sassy was just as her name--a sassy ol' broad. if sassy were one of the "golden girls" (rest in peace, estelle getty), i figure she would have been bea arthur's character, dorothy zbornak. sassy was incredibly smart and knew exactly what she wanted. she would always talk smack back to us and didn't let us get away with most things that humans slip by dogs, such as dressing them up in goofy outfits. my mother tried to throw a hat on her here and there, but i don't think, aside from the red bandanna, she ever found success during sassy's 16 years on this earth, since that sassy ol' broad of a dog was having none of that. then came along our second golden retriever, abbie. abbie was a smart dog, but on a different level than sassy. abbie was more of a dog's dog in that she could be easily tricked into things if it meant getting extra pets or a treat. this opened the door for my mother to feed her deep seated impulse of dressing up dogs. over the years, it was as predictable as my father's caterpillar cards that the holiday season wouldn't be complete without a picture of abbie in various holiday gear--santa hat; antler headband; new and improved antler headband with jingle bells; you get the point. i always felt bad for abbie, or any dog who gets dressed up in goofy outfits, but my mom insisted that abbie liked it. sadly, abbie passed after about as many years as sassy had under her belt. the memories will live on since we have many pictures of her, with and without the festive wear.

on to their most recent addition to the family--cricket. cricket came from the local humane society. mom, who came to decide she wanted a smaller dog, as she and my father are getting older, got her when she was a tiny puppy and after the humane society declared she was a terrier and lhasa apso mix and would stay small. it is now better evident that cricket is more likely part giraffe, part border collie. with that said, mom really loves the dog and no phone conversation is complete without many stories about cricket's life. being that cricket is more of the abbie variety of dog--will do about anything you ask her if you offer a pet in return--mom wasted no time to pull out the accessories and the camera. i think i saw it all when my mother sent an email the other day to proudly announce that cricket, in bespectacled glory, made the front page of the local newspaper. it is like my mother has fully come out of the closet and announced to the local community that she likes to dress up dogs. bravo, dear mother, bravo! your unapologetic eccentricity will always be a source of my entertainment.

a small victory for me

2008-07-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

i am so excited to see my hydrangea bushes in full bloom. while most people would take this for granted, i am beyond thrilled since this took me four years to achieve this. the first year i planted them, they already had flowers, but were small. the second year, i decided to be clever and fertilize them. i instead killed them. year three, i didn't realize you don't prune the dead looking branches in the winter, so the third year was spent just growing the plants back. year four, no fertilizer, no pruning. so, basically, i just neglected them entirely and they are huge and full of flowers. each day they change color. i love the gradation of colors in these pictures. i know you can manipulate the colors by changing the acidity of the soil, but i am not even going there. oddly enough, all the bushes, while all in nearby locations, are coming up in different colors. the beauty of these flowers are inspiring me to try some new things with metal and color, so be on the lookout for some future posts on some of the projects that have been based on these plants. hopefully the experiments in metal will not take as long to achieve success as they did with these bushes. i don't have the patience!

a dark knight during the light of day

2008-07-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

so the man of the house wanted to go see the new batman movie on friday. i certainly didn't object since: 1. i enjoyed the last one; and, 2. christian bale is a beautiful, beautiful man. since, in some ways, i am like an 80 year old woman, matinees and early dinners are my friends. being the party animal that i sometimes can be, we went to a 5:00 PM show (yes, this is considered a "late" movie for me). we saw that all the later showings were already sold out--not that it would have impacted when we would see it. there was a little setup in the center of the theater's foyer that was roped to form a queue for each evening showing of the movie (the movie was showing every 30 minutes or so). as we were casually heading towards the theater in which we would be watching the film--no line needed for the 5:00 PM show--i noticed the type of thing that sometimes makes me shake my head at the human race. what i assumed was a father and son go to the front of the roped section and set up lawn chairs. to be clear on this, they actually brought lawn chairs to sit at the front of the line. yes, these guys were sitting at the front of a then non-existent line for a future showing when they could have easily gone, sans the lawn chairs, to the 5:00 PM show that was playing in the theater just to their immediate rights. the man of the house and i brought no lawn chairs, purchased no advanced tickets, showed up at around 4:30 PM and got to sit in good seats to watch the entire movie before these guys. methinks these two probably waited in line for a new iphone, too.

on to the movie. the man of the house can't say enough about the greatness of this movie. i enjoyed it, too, but felt: 1. it was a little too long for my tastes; and, 2. christian bale's beautiful face was covered too often by that mask. heath ledger was brilliantly creepy as the joker. it certainly demonstrated what a real talent he was. one thing that very much confused me was why the mayor of gotham was wearing so much eyeliner. was that part of his character? did the mayor of gotham (who, coincidentally, played "batmanuel" in "the tick") have a circa 1980s simon lebon fettish? it was about as confusing to me as why christian bale's voice turns to one of a 300 pound man who just walked 3 flights of stairs as soon as he puts on the bat suit. anyhow, minor confusions aside, since i have two thumbs to offer, i give it two thumbs up!

the coolest notecards ever.

2008-07-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

i believe i have mentioned here before that i still enjoy writing letters that require postage stamps. this is especially the case for thank you notes. i just find it to be so gauche to thank via email. i thank my mom and dad for instilling this belief. growing up, after every birthday, holiday or significant even that resulted in the receipt of gifts, they would hover over us as we wrote all our thank you notes. 1. they had to be sincere in nature; and, 2. always include a mention of the item given. as a kid, i didn't understand why it was so important that we write these things right away. i get it now, as i certainly notice when i have given gifts for weddings, graduations, etc. and don't get a thank you note in return or just a tacky email thank you. if someone puts the thought and effort into getting you a gift, please find it in your heart, time and budget to buy an envelope, a piece of paper and $.42 (i am sure that will change before we know it) to thank the gift giver.

nowadays i always enjoy receiving letters and thank you notes from my parents--my dad in particular, due to the unintentional comedy they provide. i still have saved all the letters he wrote me in college that warned me about the dangers of accepting drinks from strange guys and having my tire pressure below 30 pounds. those two topics made it in every letter. while most "letters" from my parents come via email nowadays, the handwritten thank you notes still arrive. my dad has been using the same thank you cards--now referred to as "the caterpillar card"--for at least 5 years now. "the caterpillar card" is just that--a card with a painting of a colorful cartoon caterpillar on it with "thanks" written over it. birthday thank you card--the caterpillar card; father's day thank you card--another caterpillar card; Christmas--yes, the catepillar; random gifts or post-visit--that damned caterpillar. i swear he bought a case of these things once and probably has hundreds of them left. i figure they were on sale. my dad now will tell me over the phone, "hey, nicole, we got the (insert gift here) today. i need to get around to sending you a caterpillar card, but just wanted to let you know the gift made it here safely." while it has become a running joke in my household, those cards always make me smile. my mother, on the other hand, never seems to use the same kind of card twice. but she is the type to notice if someone sent out the same Christmas card that they sent 5 years earlier. sometimes she does add a little note to the caterpillar card, though.

while my dad has a penchant for caterpillar thank you cards, he also has a short list of guys (living and dead) that he finds very worthy of his admiration. this list includes: clint eastwood (as dirty harry especially); charles bronson ("death wish"--back when i was in college, my dad even gave me a sock of quarters to use for self defense, but was saddened to learn that i used the quarters for the laundry room); steve mcqueen ("bullitt"--while this has to be one of the slowest car chase scenes ever, it still excites him); herman munster; mickey mantle; walter payton (aka "sweetness"); and, jimi hendrix. i always like to give him things that have some short of tie-in with these men of greatness. given his love of thank you cards, how clever would it be to get to send him a thank you card with one of their images? this is where the lovely tristan brando of the bella bella company comes in. if being a pr genius and the nose behind the successful monyette paris and other perfumes were not enough, she has also taken up stationery by using some of her original art and illustrations. i found the most lovely surprise from tristan in my mailbox the other day. lovely mini note cards that feature some of my dad's manly icons and a couple of my style icons. i can't wait to surprise my dad with notes written on dirty harry and steve mcqueen note cards. i am sure those will be special enough to him that he will write a thank you for the great thank you card...

...using a caterpillar note card, of course.

note cards above by the bella bella co.

summer drinking

2008-07-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

not too long ago i discovered what is starting to replace what has always been my favorite go-to cocktail--the mojito; introducing the caipirinha (pronounced "kai-pur-een-ya"). what is so great about these drinks is that you can pretty much add any fruit you have in the fridge to the base recipe and it always tastes great.

to make a simple caipirinha:

put a few lime wedges and a couple teaspoons of ultra fine sugar in a glass and muddle
add ice and 2 oz. of cachaca
shake, pour and serve

my favorite variation:

2 oz. cachaca
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. coco lopez
¼ lime
glass of ice

be sure to get your free muddler (only $2 for shipping) from LeBlon. happy sipping!

goldfinger

2008-07-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

i always felt i can identify with johan van der smut. not that i participate roller disco or have ever engaged in an evil plot to take over the world, but it is because i love gold. i also love silver. not just the metals, but items that are gold or silver in color. i can't get enough shoes that are gold or silver-sandals, flats, heels, athletic shoes, etc. it doesn't matter. i must have them. it is a sickness. i even recently had a pair of air max 97s custom made in gold, and one pair made in silver. yes, i am fully aware they are tacky, but that is what makes them so fabulous.

i also love chanel cosmetics. although their nail polishes are pretty salty in price, i am willing to pay up since the colors are usually pretty and the stuff seems to resist chipping for a week to two. no other nail polishes i have tried seem to last more than 2 days before chipping. each season i like to buy their limited edition colors and always buy an extra or two as part of my elaborate, but never realized, plan to sell the excess bottles on ebay once they are unavailable in the stores. a year or so ago, it was all about black satin. spring 2008 it was all about the blue satin and azur (which really looks best when you paint the azur over the blue satin). the newest limited release colors came out a few weeks ago--gold fiction (gold), fantastic (a pinky burgundy) and kaleidoscope (a silvery, gunmetal color). yes, gold and silver nail polishes. it was a happy day for me. so i picked up a bottle of each, and one extra of the gold fiction (yes, the always unrealized ebay plan strikes again). i also picked up some of the gold powder highlighter and a tube of glossimers in gold light.

now for the report: the gold polish is lovely on, but, much to my dismay, it chipped within a few days of wear. this is odd for chanel polish. and the fact that this color costs $30--more than the price of your average chanel polish colors--for some reason really doesn't make me too happy about this. the glossimers in gold light is lovely by itself. i am sure it would look great over a base of lipstick, too. the gold highlighter powder is a little too glittery for my liking, but i will probably still use it sometimes. the "fantastic" polish looks great on my toenails. i figure it will look great on the fingers, too. lastly, i have yet to try the silver polish, but that comes next. i will make sure to pair it with some of my best fabulously tacky silver shoes.

sunglasses, heat waves and careless waiters (in no particular order)

2008-07-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

well, the aero 57mm glasses decided to never make another appearance. being the OCD type that i am, it haunted me until i finally caved and purchased another pair. i took a gamble this time and purchased some off ebay since the person had some good feedback for selling authentic pairs. lo and behold, the real thing arrived in my mail only three days later, so i had them in time for my all too short, last-minute trip to california. while i am still beside myself for losing the original pair in the first place, it stings a little less to know i got another pair below retail. i just hope i am not supporting tony soprano or something of the like. i don't see how some of the ebay resellers get the goods they get, but i don't think i want to know! my only beef is that i don't like the case that came with them. i miss my old case. i just hope that someone out there is appreciating their jackpot find and takes good care of them.

now on to the trip. it was on short notice, but i at least got to see some friends and family. it was nothing monumental since i was just going back to the bay area, where i lived before for years, but do want to point out to the world that i will NEVER eat at amarin thai again. yes, folks, my go-to place for years has now been added to my list of grievances. those who know me know that, while the list is pretty short and selective, it is not a list one wants to be on since occupancy is permanent. long story short, after being distracted by two trashy ladies walking by, the waiter spilled chili sauce all over my handbag--one of my investment bags. yes, i like to convince myself that my expensive bag purchases are "investments." granted i probably couldn't use them as equity for a loan, i like to tell myself they are wise purchases that have more value to them than being an attractive holder of my wallet and powder compact. *somewhere in a quaint oakland hills home, suze orman sheds a tear while picking out her blazer for the day.* as i am trying to remove the chili sauce that has soaked into the soft leather of the bag, one of the other employees checks in on me. i show her the damage and politely tell her that there is some value to the bag. she asks if i want to "talk to someone," then proceeds to tell another about it in thai. i wish i knew what she was really saying. the only "someone" she summoned up for me was the doofus, clumsy waiter who said something to the note that "sometimes mistakes happen." that was it; no attempt to make things right; no offering to at least comp our meal; nothing. well, sometimes fender benders happen, but the person causing the accident has to pay for the damage. the guy's logic that mistakes don't hold consequences was severely flawed. not really wanting to create a scene, we went ahead and tried to eat our dinner which was absolutely bland and salty. it really sucked. the quality of the food there has gone down the toilet. the combination of my disgust with their apathy towards the situation and a horribly crappy meal made me lose my appetite pretty quickly. when they had the nerve to present me with the check for dinner, after they ruined my bag, i quickly decided i would never return again and tell the world about how badly they suck, in hopes it will show up when someone is searching for them on the internet. on the other hand, lamponi thai on the eastside of the seattle area is fabulous--consistently good food (better than amarin thai--at one time i thought i would never say such a thing about any thai place), wonderful flavors and fabulous staff. i bet they wouldn't spill chili sauce on someone's bag and act like it is no big deal.

on a high note, i did manage to get a new pair of sunglasses during the trip. hopefully i will not lose these. they are oliver peoples leyla in black and gold. i need to get them tightened since they are a little too big on my head, but, otherwise, they are pretty swanky looking on me. so the short trip wasn't a complete bust.

oh, in case you didn't catch it the first time, i no longer like amarin thai and hope that others don't waste their money there. the food isn't worth the price anymore and now the service is bad. if you must go against my suggestion, please make sure you don't wear anything nice. if you are around downtown mountain view and are seeking asian food, check out totoro instead. it is a korean restaurant with good prices for what they offer. i like the kim chee and tasty chap chae. i have never tried their soon doo boo, since i am a creature of habit and get the chap chae each time. just, please, don't go to amarin thai.

came back to a heat wave here in seattle. summer came out of nowhere here, since, just a few weeks ago, everyone was still wearing fleece and scarves. each year we have been here, we get more of these heat waves per summer and they are longer each time. and to think some feel global warming is a myth... a few of my plants that i have been nursing for a couple years got scorched. that was a bummer. every time there is a heatwave here, i question why the majority of homes here don't have central A/C, especially considering the prices of homes here. it wouldn't be a huge loss to throw in a unit. the need for one is a topic of debate each time the thermometer hits over 85. as a compromise, we put in a hideous window unit in the master bedroom last year and pulled it out again a week ago. at least we can now go in there for an arctic blast.

where are you, sunglasses?

2008-06-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

missing: 57 mm oliver peoples aero glasses in gold and amber.
also missing: my sanity as a result of trying to find said sunglasses.

i am sorry i neglected you for so long, but i didn't need you for nearly a month before this past monday. that is why i only now realized that you have disappeared. yeah, i have a lot of pairs that i could wear in your place, but, in the past year and a half, you have grown to be my favorite--my go-to whether i was dressed like a lady who lunches or a frump in a sweatshirt. i could just go and buy another pair just like you, but you know it is harder to want to spend right now when a tank of gas is costing me around $90. i have called all around town to see if anyone knows of your whereabouts, but no luck. now stop being so stubborn and come out of hiding. next week i am going to a place a where sunny day isn't considered worthy of celebration and news anchors acting like the apocalypse has come. i would like you to check it out with me. don't make me beg; it's not becoming on a woman.

news flash: kathy griffin still my hero

2008-06-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

i am pretty excited. she is coming back to town this fall. i was able to score some pre-sale tickets and good seats. last time she was in town, i wasn't able to get in on the pre-sale and forgot to wear my glasses to the show. all i saw was a blurry bundle of red hair on the stage, but she was still hilarious. i think she may have been wearing extensions since it was bigger than ever. can't wait, can't wait! in the meanwhile, i will just enjoy the newest season of d-list on bravo.

kathy griffin is my hero

2008-06-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

that's all. i felt it needed to be said.

and for some more new earrings

2008-03-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

these are meant to complement the new swiss blue topaz tear necklace and new green amethyst round pendant necklace. of course, they also may be worn alone. these, and all the other new items, will be available for purchase on the website shortly. they are both much smaller than they look. the tears are only about 1" and the green amethyst earrings probably are a little over 1" in length, when you take the dangling stone into account. i am starting to think i need model pictures for all the jewelry, so there is a better sense of scale. that is one disadvantage to having jewelry pictures with white backgrounds--it is hard to tell the sizes of the pieces.

some new earrings

2008-03-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

these earrings are very small in size, so they were a little more complicated to make. they are made of oxidized sterling, citrine and iolite. they are made to complement the sunset necklace--posted one topic prior--but could certainly be worn alone. these will be on my jewelry site shortly. enjoy.

more new designs

2008-03-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

not much new to say, but wanted to share two pictures. these are two more pieces in the new line. it is an extension of my bollywood obsession. i have also been into victorian-looking and antique items lately. i am trying to incorporate those looks into the current designs; hence the use of oxidized sterling silver. as always, i created these beauties using my hands, jewelry tools and a torch from raw materials and did not simply use cheap and boring store bought components that seem to flood the market when looking at jewelry that is available. call me a snob, but what is special about a piece that just anyone can make themselves with little effort? although it takes hours for me to make each piece, and i could probably make more if i just caved and made simpler pieces with manufactured components, it is worth the effort at the end. carefully handcrafted pieces just look nicer and more original. i am still debating if i want to offer the designs in gold.

although these are not on my jewelry site yet, you can check them out, along with the necklace seen a few posts below, at hitchcock in seattle. they are celebrating their 2 year anniversary today by having a party at 5:00 p.m. at their new location in the madrona neighborhood. although this is late notice, check it out if you can, or make it a point to stop by their shop sometime in the near future. they offer really beautiful and unique pieces and are just swell people.

this weekend, i shall be working on complementary earrings for the recent designs. i will keep you posted!

2008-03-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

back to my nerdy roots

i will admit it. i was one of those kids who collected minerals. lots of them. while all the other girls would drool over thew newest barbie in the sears wish book, i was the kid who asked for the rock tumbler set. i had it all--pyrite (more commonly referred to as "fools gold"), tiger's eye, crystal, various types of quartz, etc. i didn't actually do much with these minerals other than look at them, which was enough for me. in the past several months, i have wanted to get back to my mineral loving roots and figure out a way to tastefully add things like druzy, geode slices, stalactite and dendritic agate to my designs. i have been casually sourcing for minerals that inspire me. i am in no rush since i figure my pieces will be one-of-a-kind and not part of any particular line i have going on currently. take a look at some of my recent finds. i have some preliminary ideas, but they require a lot of tweaking and planning before i jump in. these are amethyst from uraguay. aren't they lovely?

2008-03-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

more odes to bollywood.

i love bollywood films. although i have no clue what the people are singing about, i just find everything about them fascinating--from the coy ingenues, to the group dancing, to the poor audio quality and often grainy pictures. my favorite part about the films are the vivid color palettes and the over-the-top clothing and elaborate accessories that the actors, mainly the females, wear. this obsession of mine has inspired many of my handcrafted jewelry designs, including the Maya earrings, which are my all-time most popular earrings to-date. they are also some of my most complicated earrings to make, as i hand form the spade shaped frames one-by-one.

it is now time to add to the collection with some new bollywood inspired beauties, as i have a sketchbook full of "ode to bollywood" waiting to be created. luckily, i am finally getting around to turning the sketches and concepts that have been lying around for months into reality. the below will be available at Yen Jewelry very soon. the hand formed pendant is constructed from sterling silver and various shapes of faceted sky blue topaz. the pendant hangs from 18 inches of combined chains--satellite chain and curb chain. the silver is oxidized and buffed to reveal some of the silver. i think this look helps the topaz stand out and also really highlights the intricate coiling details on the piece.

if all goes as planned, more of my sketches will come to life soon.

2008-02-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

i hoard, therefore i am...

...overloaded with stuff.

so i decided to join the etsy bandwagon, although i am probably a day late and about $3 short. while i am not going to use it as a platform to sell my fabulously handmade gemstone jewelry, because i have put far too much time and effort into www.yenjewelry.com, i am going to use it to sell off gems, beads and findings that i have hoarded for far too long. i will probably sell a few older design that i want to get out of my inventory, too. although i am new to the whole etsy thing and still figuring it out (it is like a little society over there and i feel a little out of place still), i will try to post a few things every day. i have about 100+ things i want to unload, so i am offering bargain basement prices. a lot of the things i will be selling at a huge loss, since it will be a bigger gain to clear up some space in my work studio area!

now get to shopping!

2008-02-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

diamonds on the soles of her shoes

i just read that the woman that created "juno" is having a moment of self-pity since she agreed to wear a pair of $1M shoes to the oscars, but didn't know they were $1M or that she would be attached to an oscar night publicity campaign for wearing them. how dare they subject her to such cruel and unusual punishment? what abuse!

this is where i go, "oh, no she didn't." i can't say much about her movie, "juno," since i simply refuse to go to see a film where the "look at me, i am indie" factor is so contrived that it looks like the wardrobe and set crew robbed an urban outfitters. come on, the lead character talks on a hamburger phone! gag. i can say that she is lame by acting so put out by the fact that she was so shamelessly conned into wearing some shoes that cost $1M, and, oh goodness, she might have to take a picture or two in them. talk about someone who really is taking herself and her importance far too seriously. she has been in the public eye for 5 minutes and is already playing diva? i am not even in the movie business and i know well enough that nothing comes for free in life. designers aren't offering her their wares since they just are feeling philanthropic or because they think she is a nice person; they want the publicity they will get in return every time ryan seacrest asks, "who are you wearing?" if she is having such issues with the idea of being used, she should just wear her own frock to the event and move on. don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk. you can't have your cake and eat it, too (hmmm, how many cliches can i think up in a row on this topic?).

hey, ryan, when i am watching the red carpet tonight, will you at least tell us who she is when she comes by? i know i am certainly not alone in saying i wouldn't be able to pick her out of a lineup. hey, maybe the laugh is on the shoemaker in the end. nobody will even know who she is to bother looking at her feet.

as far as the shoes go, the shoes themselves aren't that special and look pretty lunch lady like, but those kwiat diamond clips on them are gorgeous. i will take a pair! i better get to work on an oscar-worthy movie so i can be shamelessly conned into wearing the $1M shoes next year. i promise, in advance, that i will play nice and not complain!

insomnia sometimes leads to bad shopping choices.

2008-02-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

i like sleeping at night. i like tv. i like shopping. i don't like when i can't sleep at night; but when i can't, i like that i can enjoy tv and shopping. here enter infomercials and shopping networks. i am a fan of them all. from the high quality productions made by guthy-renker and QVC to the cheaply produced favorites that include, but are certainly not limited to, any of kevin trudeau's questionable discoveries and the dual action cleanse program, which is hosted by klee irwin, who eerily resembles john waters.

i can watch ron popeil for hours making chocolate pasta, setting his chicken and forgetting it after he injects it with flavor (he even has qvc alum, steve bryant, forgetting about the chicken with him now), spray painting his bald spot, making turkey jerky and going on an impromptu fishing trip. i so enjoy being hypnotized by the eyebrows on the juiceman, jack kordich, although my loyalty remains with jack lelaine. pulling a semi while rocking a one-piece, belted pantsuit always wins my heart. who can resist cathy mitchell and her GT Express 101? you know, her kids just love it. now why her kids still live at home, since they have to be at least 45, baffles me. throw in some chef tony, erik estrada selling me prime land parcels on beautiful lake shastina, chuck norris completing a solid workout on the total gym while magically keeping his toupee in place, the man with english accent who sounds so smart when selling his red devil grill and a little bit of greer childers; no wonder i can't sleep at night.

i have actually been lured to make purchases--some of which were better choices than others.

best infomercial buys:

proactiv: judith light--or as tony danza would say, "ANN-JUH-LUH!"--convinced me to buy it after watching her pushing it on qvc. i have used proactiv for about 7 years now and am often stopped in public by strangers and asked what i use on my skin. when i tell them of the virtues of proactiv, people often ask incredulously, "that stuff on tv?" i can't express enough how great this product is for me. i have converted many people.
oxyclean: it works! actually, anything i have tried that is endorsed by billy mays is a winner, with exception to kaboom for toilets. maybe my toilet bowl is bigger than industry standard, but that stuff does not foam up like he claims.

decent purchases:

the firm (the one with the bench step): i fell for this one since the infomercial was full of southern girls talking about how the program got their bodies in the best shape ever. being a southern girl, too, i figured, "well, they wouldn't lie to me!" i can say that if it didn't blow out my knees, which were bad from years of running, this would have made the short list of best purchases.
windsor pilates. if it is good enough for daisy fuentes, it is good enough for me. i grew bored of it, but it was good while it lasted.

if it didn't work once, why did i try again purchase:

the firm (the one with the weights): i don't claim the firm as being a bad product, but blame my lack of sense for buying it... again. i have no idea why i thought this would be any better on my knees than the last version. these women obviously like exercises that strain bad knees. to make up for the lack of a bench, now they just squat and lunge constantly. also, their accents that i once found to be cute are just now annoying and grating. i am sure this would be a great program for those without knees like those of an 85 year-old, retired carpenter.

the worst purchase ever:

six second abs: yes. for shame, i fell sucker to this concraption. i paid about $60 for some piece of plastic with rubber bands on it. too embarrassed to try to resell it on craigslist (then someone would have to pick it up and see the idiot who bought it in the first place), i just dropped it off at the goodwill truck and sped off before the guy receiving it could see my face.

the yet to be determined purchase:

zumba fitness: the first time i watched this, i couldn't stop laughing at the weird little dude who invented it. he goes by "beto." i was secretly intrigued and decided to watch it again the next time i flipped on it. finding the idea of holding little cha cha sticks and dancing around like one of jlo's uncoordinated backup dancers intriguing, i ordered it. the verdict is out since i haven't received it yet, but i am feeling good about it. hey, if d-listers like eva la rue, stacey keibler and vivica fox approve, it must be great! i would never believe that they just were hard up for a few bucks and some tv time. never!

so, do you have any favorites that i must know about?

2008-02-12T17:19:00.001-08:00

caucuses: i still hate them

it appears i am not the only one who hates the caucus system.

looks like he isn't liking it too much right now either.

2008-02-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

soapbox time: caucuses

may i honor my right to freedom of speech right now and talk about how i think our current electoral process is a joke? at least how it was handled by the political parties in washington state yesterday was.

i am incredibly annoyed right now with the fact that the parties of the state of washington still use an antiquated caucus process for making party decisions in the current presidential race. although the state also has a primary, and the state spent millions to create a process that is more convenient and accessible for voters (and, likely, more accurate), the parties ignored that and decided to go the way of the ancient and hold caucuses all over the state yesterday. being that this is the first time i have experienced one of these, i can say i and many others who come from states where the parties honor a more progressive primary voting system were very confused when we arrived at the "voting" location (which i had to spend 20 minutes on the internet to find--how in the world did people know where to go before the internet?) and i was told that i would not be able to drop off my absentee ballot, but would rather have stand around in an overcrowded auditorium and literally "caucus" to determine who would win the washington delegate vote for my party of choice. i certainly wasn't the only confused person there.

i am all for upholding my duty as a citizen of the United States by being a registered voter, and subjecting myself to the horror that is jury duty, so i may vote for my elected officials. but, as this great nation (and the world as a whole) progresses by creating new technologies that allow us to do things in a more streamlined and efficient fashion, why doesn't someone step in and say enough to this ridiculous caucus process? i can say that what i entered yesterday was chaos. half of the people, who most likely moved here from other states that got rid of this system long ago (i being included), were wondering and saying, "what the hell?" even the volunteers couldn't seem to answer our questions. it was like they were just told to show up. not preparing myself to spend an entire afternoon in an overcrowded, stuffy elementary school auditorium doing Lord knows what since the volunteer couldn't quite tell me what i needed to do to make my choice of candidate known, i left without voting. now i know that my vote during the state run election won't even count since the decision was already made yesterday. although my main excuse was just not wanting to spend my afternoon in such chaos, what about the many people who had to work yesterday and couldn't attend if they wanted; or those without transportation options (the public transportation system in many areas here is poor or non-existent); or those who needed to stay home and care for their dependents and couldn't find someone to step in for a few hours? do these voices not count? this certainly isn't very a democratic process since it is exclusionary to those who can't set aside the time for caucus, but would like to cast a ballot.

so now i can take my absentee ballot and run it through the shredder, since it is of no use at this point. the decision was made for me and countless others in crowded auditoriums across washington state. why we can't all move to a more unified and progressive election process across all states baffles me. selecting our president is a heavy responsibility, and the process should be set in a way that is convenient and easy for all. this might help increase the number of people who vote.

2008-01-31T20:20:00.000-08:00

2008 resolution

i think i just came up with a new year resolution.

okay, maybe it is a month belated, but it still counts. being one to never make resolutions, i am thinking i going to stick with this one.

my new year's resolution is to become a hero. not just any hero, but a guitar hero. i have always wanted to learn how to be a real guitar hero, but, as like most great of my plans and purely genius ideas, i never got around to it. i do play a mean recorder and can karaoke with the best of them, though.

maybe i am a little behind the curve, but i have recently learned that with just an xbox 360, a stringless guitar, an hour or so of time wasted per night, a little eye strain and a solid case of gamer's finger, i can finally become the guitar hero that i always knew i could be. now i, too, can live the dream. i am now accepting applications a bass player, lead singer and drummer, since i see a rock band in my future.

2007-12-29T19:36:00.001-08:00

let's go shopping for home decor.

yes, you can actually buy these things. although i can't imagine these things anywhere other than, possibly, neverland ranch, i guess someone actually buys this stuff.

1. perfect for a child's room.

2. great next to a child's swing set.
3. for the yard. it feels kind of wrong since this yeti is only 2 feet tall.

4. ouch. this guy isn't going down without a fight.

2007-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

here comes the sun (well, not in seattle)

i love eyeglasses and sunglasses. when i was a kid always wished i had a need to wear glasses. i remember in the "ym" magazines, right next to the ads for camp la jolla* and camp shane, an offer for a pair of faux tortoise framed "fashion glasses" for only $12.95, plus shipping and handling. all it required was a cashier's check. i begged my parents to take me to the bank to get a cashier's check in exchange for my allowance. alas, they never would cave. bah!

so, as a vision impaired adult, with light blue eyes that are sensitive to the slightest bit of sun, i get to indulge in another accessory collecting obsession--sunglasses and eyeglasses. i have quite an impressive collection (or at least i impress myself with it). my favorite brand of frames is definitely oliver peoples. they are timeless in style and comfortable to wear. for the past 6 or so months, i have been wearing out my aero style aviators. it is time for something new. i am thinking something with a light frame. scouting for new glasses, i thought i would point out some recent likes.

chloe myrte. these were all the rage several months ago and were pretty impossible to get my hands on to even try on. they are more readily available now, so i guess the trend has died. regardless, i still like the style. i have never owned a pair of glasses by chloe. i am a little wary since i often wonder about the quality of glasses that are by a brand that isn't solely an eyeglass line. i have found that my prada and other lines known for their clothing and leather goods aren't the best eyeglasses in quality of design. i am hoping i can try on a pair when in san francisco, since they were nowhere to be found last time i was there.
on to my favorite line, oliver peoples. since the price for these limited released harlot glasses is not quoted on their site, it is safe to guess that they aren't priced for me! these 70s-inspired oversized sunglasses are accented by high karat gold and 1.5 carats of rount cut, natural white diamonds. beautifully gauche.

*on a side note, i only learned about 10 years ago that "jolla" isn't pronounced as it appears. ah, the joys of growing up in mississippi.

2007-12-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

while browsing the internet and killing time, i somehow stumbled upon these pantone coffee mugs. i just think they are so clever. i am particularly fond of the 5757, since it is very similar to the logo color for my jewelry line, which is pantone 5767. unfortunately, these mugs are not shipped outside of the EU.

i did run across some sets that are similar in theme that are available at a place called Fishs Eddy. i am not sure if i like these as much, though. i prefer the use of one color, as seen in the mugs. also, the mugs more accurately reflect the look of a pantone color chip--down to the font.

of course, i wouldn't be me if i didn't want the one that i can't easily get. this time is no different. i, naturally, prefer the mugs that aren't easily attainable. bah!

2007-12-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

what's that smell?

i like smelling nice. i love perfumed soaps, body washes, lotions, gels, perfumes, body sprays, etc. i also like variety; therefore, i can't really say i have a signature fragrance. for the past few years, my preference leans towards fragrances by fresh. it all started with a bottle of sugar perfume, which was gifted to me by the man of the house. a very clean scent, it smells a lot like a sugar cookie, with a little bit of lemon.

next addition to my collection was a limited release scent called "memoirs of a geisha." i guess they figured that movie would have been more successful than it was. it is a sweet smell. it is a mix of citrus and florals, but nothing too flowery. i am thinking they don't sell it anymore or just sell it under a different name.

then sake was added to the personal stash. it is another fruity, clean smelling scent with a hint of ginger. it is a little spicier and heavier than the first two scents, but still light enough to wear without feeling like i am killing the room with my perfume. it is very pleasant.

most recent addition (as of yesterday) is mangosteen. mangosteen, the exotic tree fruit, is getting really trendy, kind of like how pomegranate became all the rage. they even sell freeze dried mangosteen at trader joe's now. while i am still debating if i like the freeze dried stuff, i am loving the fragrance. since i have never smelled a fresh mangosteen, i can't say if this perfume scent resembles the real thing, but i can say it smells really nice.

i am assuming fresh uses a similar base for all the fragrances since they all smell like an adaptation of a base scent. if you like light smells that are clean, slightly fruity and faintly floral, check out this brand of fragrances. also, most of the products i have seen are made in the USA, which is always a good thing.

2007-12-12T15:05:00.001-08:00

someone break out the confetti, party hats and noisemakers. i just got my tracking number for my smith oxy/propane little torch kit that i ordered. it will be here next wednesday.

for those who don't know, i am not a huge fan of store bought components and handcraft my jewelry. while this does make the work more time consuming and the pieces are more costly, i think it just really makes the jewelry more special and unique than if i slapped a stone on a commonly used component and called it a day. i think it is one of the things that can set apart a line from the overly saturated bridge jewelry market. here are a couple examples of my of my more time consuming works in which the jewelry components are handmade:

for my "maya earrings," as seen above, i hand form the frames that resemble a spade shape. i then tightly coil wire and gemstones around the frame; working in the dangling stones and chain accents accordingly.

for the above gold filled, ametrine earrings, which have no name, i use a similar technique as with the maya earrings.

some may wonder what a torch has to do with all of this. the reason is that i often solder the handmade frames using karat gold or silver solder (depending on the metal used for the frames). for the past few years, i have been using a small butane torch, much like those used for creme brulee, or an acetylene air torch kit for larger projects, such as rings and other things that require more soldering. i also have been using the acetylene air kit for casting, which isn't the greatest since it takes a long time for the metal to get to temperature.

finally, i broke down and ordered a smith oxy/propane as a holiday gift from yen jewelry to yen jewelry in celebration of the great holiday sales season for the line.

2007-12-08T13:44:00.001-08:00

soup's on!

yes, as sad as it may seem, i am posting about soup. as a vegetarian, i am a big fan of soup. it is warm, filling and just seems to hit the spot on a cold day. the one thing i don't like about soup is that it can be kind of a hassle to make from scratch when you start to get more creative than a bunch of veggies and beans cooked in a vegetable broth. while canned soups are convenient, they are usually just salty and gross. yes, campbell's and progresso, that means you.

a short while back, while at my local costco, i saw a case of soup roasted pepper and tomato soup by pacific naturals, the company that makes my favorite almond milk. i have seen this soup before at whole foods, but never felt motivated to try it. feeling adventurous, and knowing costco's generous return policy, i decided to try it out and purchased a case. it may have been the smartest thing i have done in a while (maybe that isn't saying much). having many times been victim to costco's cruel joke where they get you hooked on something, but never stock it again, i now have 3 cases in reserves in my garage. ha, ha! take that, costco, take that! some people collect vintage wines in their cellars; i collect soup in my garage. cheers.

2007-12-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

a rant regarding horrible commercial music.

granted this has nothing to do with design, jewelry, etc. i feel it needs to be said. is it just all in my mind or are commercials right now playing the most annoying music? i think advertising companies are taking a page from apple's guide to marketing and playing some of the most obnoxious, migraine inducing music that sticks in your head and tends to overstay its welcome. wait, it never was welcomed! while apple still takes the grand prize for obnoxious music for that awful feist song and that song where the woman is squeakily proclaiming that music is her boyfriend and something she wants you to touch, some other current cringe worthy commercial tunes that are playing in high rotation include:

target--some whiny male voices singing about how holidays are times of magic and then something about counting down;
old navy (i think)--"if you are chilly, here take my sweater... i love the way you call me baby;"
old navy (again!)--another annoying song that is very feist-like (oooh, it is "feisty"--i am such the punster.). i can't even manage to figure out what the lyrics even are. something about "a little faith and a lot of heart" and lots of weird sounding yodeling; and,
j.c. penney--another feisty song about ships in the harbor because it is Christmastime.

large corporations, please stop the insanity. stop trying to make annoying sounding songs cool. my bleeding ears will thank you.

2007-11-25T14:36:00.001-08:00

new leaf design.

in previous posts i shared some of my leaf designs that have inspired a very small, limited release collection that is a bit of a departure from my elaborate, wire wrapped gemstone designs. this leaf was found in a box of baby spinach. i am not sure if it was a weed or what, but i loved it and created a smaller piece that i once posted in the past and now this one, which is a large sterling silver pendant that is hand sawed and brushed with a satin finish. the stones are large, round onyx. presently it is at hitchcock in seattle, but i think i am going to also carry one on my website under the limited edition section.

enjoy.

2007-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

gemstone shopping can be brutal.

feeling the post-thanksgiving bloat, i decided to pass on the shopping rush today and come up with some new designs using some of my newly purchased gemstones as inspiration. the gem show was in town last weekend, and while i usually go with a list of basics i need for existing designs that sell well, and with sketches of new ideas and the stone types i think would work well, i also like to look for new cuts and colors that will inspire new designs. this is always riskier since i have been known to walk away with a great set of stones, but then have a hard time figuring out a design that will work well with the stone and work well with the general design direction of my line, since i really don't want a line with designs that are all over the place and not cohesive. needless to say, when going to replenish basics, purchase for new sketch ideas and purchase for new inspiration, i don't make it out cheaply, which can bring upon a whole new set of uneasiness--the question of "will i be able to sell this?!"

shopping for gemstones results in a whole sea of emotions in the course of a few hours. i will outline in order:

1. bewilderment. hundreds of vendors, tens of thousands of stones. where to start? this gets easier over time after you develop a list of favorite vendors. i have about 3 go-to vendors. good vendors are ones who offer fair prices (this doesn't mean cheap) for stones that are of good quality and every stone can be used (i can't stand when i buy a strand and only 3/4 of the strand is usable--the drill holes are too small; the hole is at a fracture point; there is a large gash in a stone, etc.). some vendors are notorious for offering what seems like great pricing, but you learn it isn't that great when you can only use 1/2 of the strand.
2. confusion when you see that the vendors' prices are all over the map for essentially the same products.
3. excitement and inspiration when thinking of all the great things you could do with some of the finds.
4. determination and cunning. never leave paying the marked price. be ready to negotiate. also, be ready to walk when you don't get the price you want; someone else will have the same item and will give you the price you want (as long as you are being reasonable).
5. feelings of exhilaration after getting pricing you want.
6. feelings of anxiety from wondering if anyone will want to buy the designs you make with the stones.
7. fatigue. both physical and mental. it is a long day.
8. regret. this happens the day after when you kick yourself for leaving behind something that you really wanted. regret for spending too much. regret for not getting enough of a certain stone. this usually happens when you enter all the things you did buy into your inventory database.
9. acceptance. accepting how much you spent. accepting the fact that there is a small chance that it won't sell. accepting that you left behind something that you really wanted.
10. creativity. it is time to turn those stones into art.

then you do it all over again in 3 months when the next show is in town. if you have established relationships with some of the vendors, you can order from them via email or phone if you need items sooner. while i do that when needed with some of the vendors i trust, it definitely isn't as fun as going to the shows and seeing everything in person.

here are four of my favorite purchases from last weekend's show.

smooth aquamarine in soft organic shapes.

smooth gold rutilated quartz briolettes.

pink amethyst (i don't even know the name of the cut, but it reminds me of a disco ball).

same cut, but in smokey quartz.
i can't wait to work with them.

2007-11-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

more leaves.

as i mentioned a while back, just for my own amusement, i started creating a small collection of limited and one-of-a-kind pieces based on leaves that i have found recently. here are the latest. the first is of the same larkspur leaf shape as in the first necklace, but the leaf form is significantly smaller in size. the second leaf was found in a box of baby spinach, oddly enough. i am not sure if it really is a spinach leaf or some sort of weedy field green that made it in with the rest of the spinach. either way, i found it quite lovely. both of the pieces are in oxidized sterling silver and prehnite. the leaf forms are sawed by hand using an 8/0 blade. more leaf designs to come once i figure out how to tastefully arrange some of the huge forms i have cut.

2007-11-01T18:55:00.001-07:00

call me a pollyanna if you would like, but i am of the camp that thinks email thank you notes are so gauche. join my campaign in embracing your inner emily post by writing a thank you letter that requires a stamp and a walk to the mailbox. if you want to do so fashionably, be sure to use a parker 51 vista blue pen to write your letter on laurel denise's lovely stationery.

adding to her beautiful and successful jewelry collection, laurel now offers stationery and paper goods that nicely complement her carefully handmade wearable creations. like her jewelry, her stationery offers botanical themes, subtle colors and classic lines. the collection includes note cards, journals and even a 2008 calendar for all the punctual types out there.

my favorites are the library note cards.

2007-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

bridal jewelry? yes, bridal jewelry.

even though the jewelry i make is great for every day wear and for dressier occasions, now the jewelry is getting recognized by stylists in the bridal fashion crowd. i can see why, the handmade, heirloom quality jewelry and fine gemstones do make for nice complements to luxurious bridal gowns.

2007-10-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

*butterfly in the sky. i can fly twice as high. take a look, it's in a book. a reading rainbow.* where is lavar burton when i want to give my book recommendation?

while searching for another title in barnes and noble recently, i was intrigued by a book with a simple white cover with a black and white illustration of a mcdonald's value meal adorned by prada's signature logo that is found on the dust bags that hold many of my favorite shoes and handbags by the line. knowing that the book must be an expose of sorts, i had to buy it. i am glad i did.

"deluxe: how luxury lost its luster" is a must read for anyone who is interested in fashion history, branding, marketing or the effects of globalization. the author, dana thomas, skillfully details the history of couture fashion houses and luxury goods lines that became synonymous with style and craftsmanship, but have more recently become victim to the greed of multi-billion dollar global conglomerates that mass-market and mass-produce collections in order to reach a brand and label obsessed middle market consumer and increase profit share. not to spoil it all, but stick with hermes and chanel. now if only i could find an extra $10K+ for my own birkin bag. i will not look at some of my clothes the same way again.

since i am not much of a book reviewer (as evidenced above), just take my word for it that it is a good read.

but don't forget that not everything out there is mass-produced. for instance, there is some great handmade jewelry (of course). also check out this site of independent artists and designers. my collection of handcrafted gemstone jewelry even has its own home there.

2007-10-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

can i get an Amen? rejoice in the fact that water resistant shells are no longer automatically damned to ugliness.

here in seattle, where it is rainy and windy in the fall and winter, it is a rite of passage to own not only one jacket by the north face, but many. the have a way of keeping one warm and dry, but the problem: the rain jackets are just scary ugly. the choice of styles include bulky bland color blocked fabric or bulky toxic waste color blocked fabric. it is a no-win. since staying dry is a good thing, one eventually decides to come to terms with looking as if dressed in a coleman tent that was on clearance.

thankfully, we must settle no longer because a great looking rain jacket has emerged by a new company called nau. the durable and well-made jacket, which has a detachable hood and is resistant to wind and rain, is cut to define the waist and has a curved, asymmetrical button placket that nicely hides the zipper. not only is the jacket a great find in that it is actually fashionable, but it is also environmentally friendly (as are all nau designs) since it is made of 100% recycled materials and can be put back in the closed-loop system to create new fabrics when the jacket has seen the last of its days.

the company only has a few stores aside from the one in the seattle area, but has an online store. a tip for those with a local storefront: order the clothing you want to purchase for home delivery, since they will take 10% off the retail price and deliver it to your house for free. this is useful to know, since the prices can be a little on the high side. another fact that pleasantly surprised me is that 5% of every sale goes to an environmental charity--they have a list about 10 from which one can choose.

i look forward to getting some more items from this company.

2007-10-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

farewell to summer, the sun and the 20 or so adorable little fingertip sized frogs that lived in my backyard and loved to perch atop my sedum plants.

fall wasted no time here in seattle. cold weather, rain and winds have been the norm over the past few weeks. luckily i have and will continue to have chances to get away from the weather. i just got back from puerto rico recently and will be heading to las vegas, san francisco, kaua'i and the great state of mississippi over the next few months. travel to sunnier areas in the fall and winter is definitely a requirement for me during the rainy season.

although the fall and winter weather can be on the gloomier side, i love getting to break out the boots, cashmere sweaters and coats.

inspired by fall leaves, i have recently started making o ne-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that consist of fall colored gemstones and hand cut leaf pendants that are transfers from actual leaves i have found. here is a picture of the first piece of the collection. the pendant is based on a larkspur leaf. it is currently at hitchcock in seattle. i will post each piece as it is completed.

2007-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

get thee to la ree.

a couple months back, i paid a visit to this relatively new shop off main street in bellevue. i was pleasantly surprised when i saw a beautifully staged shop with many lines that i can pretty much bet on that no other stores in the area carry. no cliche walls of denim found here! this is a store that caters to a crowd that loves a more refined look and higher end fashion. they do carry a few denim lines, but not the played out lines like seven or citizens of humanity. not only do they carry clothes that are to die for, but also have a great assortment of accessories, including oliver peoples (hands down, my favorite brand of glasses--i have about 5 pairs!), gustto handbags, dana kellin jewelry and a lot of other great finds. i found a great anna corinna bag there that i had to have, resulting in an unplanned purchase that never resulted in buyer's remorse. the gorgeous selection, inviting store staging and bottled water branded with the store's logo, down to the beautiful pale blue, logo emblazoned shopping bags with grosgrain handles, show the owner's meticulous attention to details, which results in a very nice shopping experience. i suggest everyone in the area rush to this boutique with credit card in hand and shopping in mind. you won't be disappointed.

also, yen jewelry may now be purchased there.

2007-09-16T13:51:00.001-07:00

mark your calendars for the yen jewelry trunk show at hitchcock.
i plan to bring not only the new fall pieces and popular signature designs, but also some never before seen limited and one-of-a-kind designs.

date: saturday, september 29, 2007
time: 5:00 pm
location: hitchcock, 1123 34th ave. in seattle (madrona neighborhood)

2007-09-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

it's neiman marcus beauty event time!

i am a sucker for gifts with purchases. it is is my vice; my sickness; my addiction. i have made some pretty stupid purchases just to get the impractical gifts with purchase. the sickness goes even deeper when it comes to gifts of sample sizes of makeup, body and skin products that i will save in my box o' samples, but never get around to using. i just hope that this isn't a foreshadowing for a sad future where i save everything from emtpy toilet paper rolls to dust bunnies and old t.v. guides.

since i love getting free cosmetics i will never use, i really look forward to the neiman marcus beauty events that they have a few times a year. not only do i get products that will probably go rancid before they are opened, i get a bag that is actually not too horrendous to use in a public setting. while i won't be seen carrying them like a handbag, i like to use them to carry lunch, transport small jewelry orders from point A to point B, etc. this time around the bag is a pewter colored tote. some of the great samples i won't use include some estee lauder mascara (i prefer shu uemura), prada perfume that i will never buy since my last prada perfume evaporated completely, laura mercier lipstick in a color that i am sure that looks good on 5% of the population and some other goodies. while this event is pretty darned glorious, the only downside is that now i live in a location that doesn't have a neiman marcus locally (moment of silence, please). usually the bags have additional coupons for free gifts that are redeemable when bringing the certificate to one of the counters in the store. it isn't shabby stuff either. once there was an offer for a free jay strongwater purse mirror, complete with the designer's signature enamel and crystal adornments. it is bittersweet, indeed.

so, if you are local to a neiman marcus, get there now with your amex or neiman marcus card, or a crisp $100 bill (bring some extra for sales tax), so you can not only get your bag but redeem any certificates in them before the goods run out (and they will run out fast, if not gone already). if you are like i, get any of your major credit cards ready and go to the neiman marcus website and get to shopping!

2007-09-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

seattle just got a little prettier.

okay, maybe that is a stretch, but after many "where in seattle can i see your jewelry in person" calls, i finally have a place to direct people. i am glad about this since i know for many it is hard to purchase jewelry online; this gets even harder for some as the price points increase. also, the jewelry is so much more impressive in person, since the website pictures don't give the pieces' sparkle any justice.

now on to the details. hitchcock is a great little boutique in the madrona area. the boutique offers many one-of-a-kind pieces, jewelry reconstructed from vintage finds and a few lines from local designers. this shop offers pieces that can't be simply found at nordstrom or other area department stores. a few of the lines that may be found there are iosselliani, thea grant and subversive jewelry; and now yen jewelry.

be sure to check it out. here are just a few pieces that you should be able to find there right now.

2007-07-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

yen jewelry is in Lucky Magazine this month.

enter promotional code LUCKYAUGDEAL at checkout for 20% all regularly priced merchandise. the code works until august 31. it is a great opportunity to save on some of the newly released designs like the ones pictured below.

2007-05-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

i like shoes. a while back i started liking flats after years of avoidance. when hearing the work "flats," i used to automatically think of those horrid sam and libby, circa 1980s version with the obnoxious bow that really didn't look much like a bow. now that i have gotten over it, here are some of my favorites in my closet right now.

1. tory burch reva flat. after wearing them, i think they are a bit overpriced for the quality. the fact that the heels had size stickers on them makes me think they are mass produced somewhere. also, they aren't terribly comfortable or feel like $200 shoes. with that said, they do dress up or down pretty nicely.

2. gucci thong sandal. these shoes are my staple shoes for dressing down when it is warm out. each year they offer new colors, and i always have to get a pair. although the soles are flat as pancakes, they are strangely comfortable.

3. cole haan nike air rhea d'orsay shoes in silver. cute ballet style flats with metallic leather and satin. they are nowhere near as comfortable as some of the cool sporty styled g-series shoes they used to make, but they are certainly wearable.

4. cole haan nike air beau mary jane. these quilted gold metallic shoes are much cuter on the feet than in photos. actually, they are kind of ugly shoes when i think about it. i think that is kind of why i like them so much. they, like the silver shoes, have nike air, so they are pretty comfy. actually, they are more comfortable than the silver rhea d'orsay shoes.

2007-05-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

catching up and random observations.

it has been a while since i updated this blog. the line continues to get good press. check out some of the latest from "seattle magazine," nwsource" and "gen art pulse" by looking at yen jewelry's press page. be sure to keep an eye open for more good print editorial coverage for the line this summer. i will be sure to mention the magazines once they are published and for sale.

i have been working on my next collection for what seems like an eternity. many of the designs are evolutions of sketches and design ideas that are a couple years old. as always, the pieces and designs will evolve to a point where i am satisfied with it, but i am not there yet. coming up with interesting, unique and wearable designs isn't something that happens overnight.

now on to something that is design-related, although it is more of an observation. maybe i am in the minority, but i am so tired of seeing clothing, jewelry or home decor with a scull, a sparrow, a fawn or a cupcake as part of the design element. it is becoming so cliche. i am hoping this trend will finally fade away. good, i got that off my chest. now i can move on.

2007-03-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

yen jewelry made it on daily candy! i have been subscribing to daily candy for years and always thought it would be so cool to have my line featured on it. knowing now influential the site is and how slim the chances are to be discovered and selected for an editorial feature, i never really imagined i would ever see a feature on my line sitting in my inbox one day. i am still tripping out over it. it is amazing how much it brought my site in the way of traffic and sales. i am grateful to daily candy and its seattle editor for giving my line a chance. also, thanks to suzy from frock shop for presenting my line line to her, all those who took a few moments, and continue to take a few moments, to visit, email and place orders before and after the feature.

here is the link on Daily Candy

2007-02-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

apple shmapple. give me PRADA! i would take this LG phone over an iphone any day of the week. this is just far better looking.

with that said, i doubt either this or the iphone will look good after a few weeks of use. i can't even handle fingerprints on my monitor or on my current pocket pc. there is no telling what type of panic attacks i would have owning something that has even more surface area to get mucked up.

still, though, it sure is pretty.

2007-01-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

another january 1 post!

well, i just figured out what messed up the "m" key. something was lodged under it. as i mcguyvered a way to a solution ("m" down, spacebar and enter to go) i learned that Indie Fixx-- another site for cool independent designer finds--profiled my line and sale today. Be sure to check it out!

on to the spacebar, then cleaning up the workroom, then to wash the dogs. the new year is already starting off with a bang. i see a mojito in my near future. okay, i just learned from the last sentence that the mystery of the mucked up "m" key has not been resolved. where is richard dean anderson when you need him?

2007-01-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

yen jewelry featured at indie obsession.

as i sit at my laptop trying to figure out why my "m," "enter" and spacebar keys are suddenly not working, i received a wonderfully unexpected email from the lovely brandy of indie obsession. she is kicking off the new year by profiling my jewelry line. be sure to check out her site, often, since it definitely is a good read if you are looking for cool finds.

also, don't forget to check out the sale at yen jewelry.

2006-12-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

happy new year! check out my sale at www.yenjewelry.com. it is full of great stuff at even greater prices. be sure to buy now before either 1. the inventory runs out; or 2. i realize how crazy i am for selling handmade pieces with awesome gemstones for the prices i posted.

2006-12-24T17:46:00.000-08:00

happy holidays!

just wanted to take a moment on this eve of Christmas to add one of my favorite prints in my house. i got it from supon creative. this has to be my favorite doxie-related product i have ever seen.

fyi--this product comes rolled; i got mine stretched at a frame shop, but can't remember how much it was.

2006-12-22T21:02:00.001-08:00

three cheers for electricity.

i must say that after having no electricity for days due to a windstorm around here has really reminded me how cool having electrically powered light really is. as an ode to good lighting design, here is my shortlist of my long-time lighting favorites.

1. arco floor lamp. this light has always reminded me of something tony montana would have had in his living room situated next to his white grand piano, black lacquer end table and velvet painting of a white tiger; yet i still love it.
2. poulsen artichoke lamp. i will stick with my trusty norm 69 (designed in '69 and arrives flat packed in 69 pieces) until i can part with $9,000 for one of these poulsen gems.
3. cellula chandelier. this is just a great use of crystal, while still keeping the lines clean. i usually find most crystal lighting to be too wayne newton.

so there it is--my ode to some mighty fine lighting design. lastly, three cheers to the electrical linemen and women who restored my power. you rock.

2006-12-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

modern shed gives "pre-fab" a whole new meaning--FABulous! okay, that was just really corny. i am not going to backspace right now since had i said that in a live conversation, i wouldn't be able to undue the stupidity, so this should be no different.

anyhow, isn't this shed just great? granted it is about $15K , well-equipped, i love that it is like an instant office, workroom, etc. it apparently requires little assembly and offers options like a patio deck, french doors, custom color, etc.

they also offer a shed that is just a shed. i can't see the reason to drop several $Ks on a storage shed, but to each his own.

2006-11-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

*blatant self-promotion time*

my limited edition Beach Holiday necklace from my jewelry line, Yen Jewelry, made it into the December 2006 "Seattle Metropolitan" magazine. go check it out! although this piece is a bit of a departure from my more delicate chain pieces, it is a favorite of mine.

while you are at it, check out www.yenjewelry.com, where all the pieces are designed and handcrafted by your truly. i am currently offering free shipping for orders over $75. how is that for some holiday cheer?

2006-11-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

the jones has been fed. i broke down and got the mackage coat in the camel color. success!

next on my list of admired items... the nooka watch. i need a more casual watch like this. i think part of the problem is that i just "need" too much. but, come on... this is not just a watch but a work of design genius!

off to make money so i may one day soon purchase this masterpiece.

2006-11-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

i have a new jones that i can't seem to kick--the newest mackage coats. i must have at least one. not since the initial release of the chloe paddington have i had an obsession so severe. i wildly wave my right fist in anger at you, mackage, for putting me in such an unpleasant state of mind. please, mr. fashion monkey, get off my back already. i am afraid if i don't get one soon, i think my head will be doing the Linda Blair spin. okay, now which one do i need to get first?

2006-11-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

happy fall. deciding to do what all the cool kids are doing, i am starting to write a blog. it will be a little virtual diary of what is going on with yen jewelry, my current obsessions in fashion and design and whatever else i have on my mind.

to start it all off, i want to mention that i just marked down some pricing at www.yenjewelry.com. a few necklace and earring styles that i am going to discontinue after i sell out my inventory check it out.