I am love

Lately I have been SO into hearts.  Sterling hearts, pink gold hearts, tiny yellow gold hearts.  I think it has to do with the fact that my baby is already a year and a half old.  Not a baby anymore but a toddler.  I love my kids so much and my husband and I realize how lucky I am that they are in my life.

A few years ago I lost 2 babies at the end of my first trimester.  And it put me into such a depresson.  I carved this necklace as a way to heal from the miscarriages and I now smile whenever I wear it.

So now that I have 2 kids, and having gone through so much to have them I am thankful.  Just plain thankful.  And full of love for them.  So I went to work at my bench carving some hearts.  The first one started out like this just really simple and modern and soft:

It's also available with a customized hand stamped message like this one:

But then I wanted something smaller so I started carving again, here are some of the pictures of the process:

It's hard to keep it even, and can you see how tiny it is?  It kept flying out of my fingers as I carved it, but I finally finished it up and made this sweet 10k pink gold bracelet with it:

But then I wanted something in the middle.  I had one large and one small.  I needed a medium.  I know, I know, I'm never satisfied!!!  But it was all worth it because I made this personalized hand stamped necklace for all the moms out there.  I'll list it in my shop soon, I promise!

Until the next time, remember to love one another!

Metalicious: The Love edition

Well it's a special day today, I'm sharing my blog with a few others who are writing about Valentine's Day.  Please take a peek at their blogs here:

Andrea Davis: Pure Food Nutrition: Valentine’s Day Chocolate: Good & Good for You?

Ann Mehl: A Man and His Word on Valentine’s Day

Artists & Fleas: Gift Guide: From Brooklyn-Tough Love, Show Your Love, and Lovely Little Licks, Bites & Nibbles

The Bitchy Waiter:  Fuck Cupid

Brooklyn Flea:  You Gotta Have Heart

The Experimental Gourmand:  Valentine’s Day Special Dinner

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market:  A Blog Affair to Remember
Kumquat Cupcakery:  My Messy Pink Kitchen

Markets of New York City:  Love is in the Air: Three Great Valentine’s Dates at the Markets

The NewNew: What Makes Valentine’s Day Sweet to Me

And now a little something I 'cooked' up:

Well, I've come to realize something about myself lately.  I'm a terrible cook, but a fantastic baker.  Cooking is for people who can experiment and taste soup and know exactly what spice to add that will make it better.  Baking is for people who like to follow directions.  And eat yummy sweets.  I say yes to both of these things, hence I am a fantastic baker.  My apple pies are tender yet crisp.  My breads are chewy with a crunchy crust.  My cookies are buttery-licious.  And I don't say this because I'm a baking egomaniac, I say it because my husband rates my baking as 'restaurant quality' good.  This from a man who has eaten at places like Per Se, Bouloud, Babbo, etc. 

With Valentine's Day coming up, I've also come to realize that I like to bake to show my love.  It's also a great DISTRACTION for my 6-year-old and I while my 1-year-old sits at my feet alternately yelling up at me and pulling out all my tupperware bowls from the lower cabinets.  Stinker.  Not only does it keep us all from pulling out each other's hair during the winter months, but we end up having something delicious to share with my husband when he gets home after dinner.

Here is Asher and our concoction from last year's baking event.  Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla frosting.  Not restaurant quality but totally fun to make!  And yes, I used a box mix for these.

This year, however, we are going for the gold:  red velvet chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese frosting.  From scratch.  I have to admit, I've already made them once and my husband deemed them the 'most amazing restaurant quality cookie sandwiches and you need to sell these people will want them' good.  So we're going to make them again.

What are you making/baking/cooking/buying/giving/getting for Valentine's Day this year?

The machine

Some days I feel like I have so many ideas I'll just pop and that I don't have enough time to make everything I've 'invented' in my imagination.  Other days I'm happy to do my repetitive work, filling orders for things I've been making for years or organizing my workbench or ordering supplies.  I can't make the donuts every day, (no matter how much I love them).  Today was one of those days that I'm happy for the repetition.  I have been at the computer all. day. long.  

What am I doing all day on the computer (my lovely husband likes to ask me, too)?  Well the part of selling online I find most challenging is actually listing items for people to purchase in my shop.   Listing consists of editing photos and writing the descriptions.  Oh, and figuring out pricing.  I hate math.  Anyone who has visited me at craft fairs knows that I always have my best friend helping me out.  Not only is she fabulous, kind and generous.  But she makes a damn fine cash register.  Literally.

So here I am editing, writing, calculating.  And it's really tough for me.  But I listed some items that are part of my Muse Collection but have never been online and feel really good about them.  They are simple but very powerful and I really love making them.  There's something satisfying to me when I can use a hammer and bang on sterling silver and end up with something wearable and chic.  It's just something I love to do.  (I'm also singing along to the Glee soundtrack, it helps balance out the pain of doing math).

Anyway, it's all part of building my business.  One brick at a time.  

I just wish I didn't have to do the math.