This Week's Blog Post

Jewelry Business Success News

One of my multi gemstone lanyards is in the most current issue of Jewelry Business Success News! I have been following this site Home Jewelry Business Success Tips by Rena Klingenberg since I started my business back in 2007!

It is an amazing source for doing jewelry parties, craft fairs, online sales, jewelry making parties, consignment, etc. If you work in jewelry and have not stopped by this site I would recommend checking it out! I have a feeling that a lot of the business information would translate perfectly with any crafty business.

Everyday Inspired

Valerie of Additions Style is doing a series on her Everyday Inspired blog and asked me if I would like to be part of a it! It is called Join the Conversation.  She is posing a question each week that everyone can respond to and ultimately inspire each other!

I always enjoy stopping by this blog at least a couple of times a week for tidbits of inspiration which I think we all need at times! Valerie always finds amazing photos, quote and creations to include here as well as posing questions to make her readers think. Thank you Valerie for including me!

2013 Grammys

I would have done a post on the Grammys Red Carpet but it was pretty bad. Doing a worst dressed post is not my style. I really only like one dress. So strange. That was Carrie Underwood wearing Roberto Cavalli. This was more like an Oscar gown but it was gorgeous!

Carrie Underwood in Roberto Cavalli

Interestingly I kind of like this unique dress that New Zealand singer, Kimya is wearing. I could not find any information on the designer. Yes she was on the worst dressed lists I came across.

I have to show this one. Florence Welch in a Dinosaur dress by Givenchy! It is difficult to see the dinosaur details in the photo. 

Florence Welch in Givenchy

I love her. She is like Helen Bonham Carter. It does not matter what they wear since they are unconventional and let their originality shine. I love that!!! Those more mainstream artists with a styling team have no excuse!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful week. The 3 feet of snow that was dumped on us last weekend looks like it has melted down to about 1 foot! Woohoo! ~Val

This Week's Blog Post

Smoky Quartz Necklace
I love these assembled magnesite beads that are red, brown and grey in color.

I paired them with large 14mm smoky quartz beads to make them pop! This is available at Miss Val’s Creations.

Making Love in the Kitchen
Our favorite Saturday night consists of making love in the kitchen….not literally, but figuratively. Get your mind out of the gutter! Jim came up with this term since we really enjoy cooking together, sharing ideas and accommodating each other’s food likes and dislikes. Of course we do this with the red wine flowing for added fun. It also gives us plenty of time to chat and laugh with each other.

We experimented with Quinoa last weekend by making stuffed peppers and tomato. Mmmm! We sautéed finely diced mushrooms in olive oil and tomato sauce along with grated parmesan. We added some heat to this with curry and chili powder until will were both satisfied with the flavor. The quinoa was cooking while this was going on. Once that was ready we mixed it all together to create a delicious stuffing.

We sliced a red bell pepper lengthwise and hollowed out a massive tomato I scored at the grocery store to accommodate the stuffing. Then we baked this around 350 or so. It took a while to cook. Towards the end we added fresh mozzarella.

Neither of us had experience with quinoa. What a great food! This South American grain is very high in protein, amino acids, fiber, magnesium, iron and more. It can take place of rice for a much healthier alternative. It can be added to soups, salads, stir fries and can even be eaten as a cereal. So we will continue to experiment with this goody in the kitchen.

Grammys Fashion
Here are a few of my favorite gowns from the Grammys. Taylor Swift looks gorgeous in Zuhair Murad. I would have appreciated it more without the train which is distracting, but the gown is stunning regardless.

Rihanna totally rocked Giorgio Armani!

This Alberta Ferretti gown on Kelly Rowland is perfection....my favorite from the evening! I love how it is accented with the bold ring and large earrings.


Stress
It has been a very long time since I have had a cold or any other health ailment and I just read this interesting article that stress can help ward off colds and the flu! I thought it had something to do with drinking a little antioxidant rich red wine each night but maybe it has to do with stress. The wine routine is here to stay though!!!

I basically work 2 jobs so I guess this positive stress and adrenaline is doing me some good!!! Stress also helps prevent tumors (sounds good to me), enhances memory and more! Of course the article does mention that if the stress is prolonged it is not a good thing so maybe the stress needs to be monitored!

Owl Love

I came across these sweet owls on Pinterest. A belated Valentine’s Day photo! .

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week! ~Val