9-11

Every year, for 10 years, this date still makes me catch my breath.  I worked about 20 blocks from the Twin Towers, and lived close enough to where I worked that I could walk there in 5 minutes.  That morning I stood in the middle of Varick Street staring South taking pictures of the first burning tower, as the 2nd plane hit.  Our boss told us to come inside where it was safe, we had no idea what it all meant, or what it would come to mean.  The panic, the bewilderment, the terror, the heartache all unfolded as the whole world watched those beautiful icons and the almost 3,000 people trapped inside crumble before our eyes.  My city, my country, the whole world had changed in the blink of one sunny September morning.  The heartache is still palpable, the people are still gone, the war is still going.

I've never written down what happened that day, it's not necessary, I'm alive and that is more than enough.  I still cringe whenever I hear a low flying plane, but was a horrific day for everyone, whether you were here in the city or not.  Everyone remembers where they were, wherever they were, when the towers were hit.  My heart goes out to people who lost loved ones in the attack, almost 3,000 brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, grandmothers died that day.  That grief will never ease.

We all lost something that day, and I, for one remain shaken.  I can't forget that day, and I can't forget the sacrifices of all the people who fought that day and are fighting still to this day.  I am forever thankful to everyone who has given their life, and continues to put their life on the line for me, for my country, for my children's future.  And amid the devastation I have learned that resilience is the single best thing about being human.

Writer's Block

If I could make my blog in metal, I would.  It's not that I don't like to write.  Or that I don't have anything to say.  But writing isn't my best medium of expression.  I will sit and stare at the blank screen and it's as blank as my mind.  But put me in front of a bench and I'll make you an entire encyclopedia in metal.

Photography also makes my blog more interesting.  But then I have to photograph stuff and upload it and edit it and then upload it to my blog... are you bored yet?  Yeah, that makes two of us (hi mom!).  If you really want to see what I'm up to more regularly make sure you 'like' Metalicious on Facebook by clicking HERE.

I think it's been a little harder because I've been out of my studio for almost 2 weeks.  That's like putting a muzzle on me.  I was able to do some work today, but it was sllllloooooowwwww because I wasn't able to bring all my tools with me.  My flex shaft in particular, it's like my right arm.

So I have 3 more weeks of working without my flex.  Oh and having my boys around all. the. time. kinda gets in the way of any work time, too.  But honestly I'm treasuring having them around, it's summer, we're chillaxin' and swimmin' and travelin' and it's a blast.  I'm so happy to have this time with them and my mom (who has been kind enough to allow me to take over her dining room and turn it into my temporary studio).  I feel like the luckiest gal, sans flex shaft.

Talk to me in 3 weeks.  We'll see how hunky-dory I'm feeling after 24-7-nonstop-mommy-all-the-time-barely-makin-jooray.  I'm sure my own mother will hate me by then.


Well, that's all my

What rhymes with bathroom?

I am a terrible person.  As I write this I'm eating only the red and purple Spree candies out of the tube. I pity the person who eats yellow after orange after green after orange in the hopes of finding just one red or purple one.  I don't play that way.  I pick the ones I want and I eat them, the rest go in the garbage if I can't pawn them off on my husband or son.

The topic for today is: bathroom renovation.  We live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment in New York City.  That's right, I said ONE BATHROOM.  And guess what?  It doesn't have a tub.  Surprise!  The guy who lived here before us was in a wheelchair and had the tub removed, the sink lowered (with no storage underneath) and a neat wooden seat installed into a gigantic, 2-headed, roll-in shower.  Now I could think of about a hundred swingers who would love that kind of shower.  But I live with a 6 yr old and a 1 1/2 year old and the only swinging they do is from the monkey bars at the playground.  Did I just use dirty euphemisms regarding my children?  As I already said in my opening paragraph, I'm a terrible person.  But that's not the point.  My point is WE DON'T HAVE A TUB and what kind of parent deprives their child of that fairytale childhood event:  bath time!?  *pops purple Spree into mouth*  You betcha.

Up until now we've had the largest of the small kiddie tubs to bathe our older child in.  The first 3 years that was perfect, but now my 6 yr old's legs and head hang over the sides if he tries to 'float,' god bless him.  And we're using one of those tiny baby tubs for Chubbles (have I mentioned the size of his haunches) and the situation is at maximum capacity.

So it's time to renovate and put in a tub.  I have had to find alternate places to live for me and the little boys for the entire month of July.  I could bore you with the details of life at my mother's house in New Jersey, or I could lie and tell you we're spending the entire month in a beachfront hut in Tahiti.  You decide what you want to hear and go with it.

I'm heading out tomorrow after Asher's last day of Kindergarten (which I'm completely sublimating else I start welling up with mommy tears and apron string nonsense).  *sigh*  And I'm going to try to make it work, running my shop from an alternate location (and hopefully poolside).  Hope you like Hawaiian Punch with your Modern Rock studs, baby.

I'll be back in the Big Apple in August, hopefully with a lovely 6ft soaking tub to come home to.  Happy Summer, people!

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!

Casey Kaufman rocks Metalicious Jewelry

Sweet, sweet Casey Kaufman creator of the cool fashion blog Strawberry Freckleface is wearing Metalicious jewelry!  And she totally rocks it. 

Here are the 3 pieces she's wearing:

Brass shark tooth necklace

Metropolis Duo Skyscraper ring

Bold knuckle ring

Thanks Casey, you make my jewelry shine!

New Jewelry Ideas!

Some of you may recognize this ring from my Etsy shop.  It's a modern sterling silver band that I inlaid with rough yellow diamonds.  Teeny, tiny diamonds.  The most gorgeous colors of gold and brown, they are nearly edible.  But enough about my eating disorder.

I got a request from a customer to make this ring with black diamonds which required some time and research.  I finally found a stone cutter who sells conflict free diamonds from India.  And look at what I found!!

White ones that range from creamy white to dark silver...

Black cubes that are the size of ground pepper, if pepper were extremely rare and expensive...

and of course more yellow rough diamonds...

Stay tuned for the new pieces, I'm going to take the next few weeks to focus on carving models that will fit these tiny stones.  Let me know what you think, do you like them?

SALE! SALE! SALE!

It's Mother's Day!  In honor of all the wonderful moms out there, I'm having a HUGE sale!!  Everything in my Etsy shop has been marked down 20%.

While supplies last, all items will be shipped with FREE gift packaging!  

Nothing is more perfect than giving Mom jewelry for Mother's Day.  Metalicious jewelry will make your Mom feel loved!

Get there quick, the sale ends May 11th!