February Fun Facts!

February is already coming to an end. Who else feels this year is really going fast? I swear I just watched the ball drop on New Years! Time goes by so fast doesn't it?  It's always important to cherish the moments you have each day. They go by so quickly!

FUN FACT:
Did you know Feb. 27th is 'No Brainer Day'. It's a day to do things that are simple, easy and require no analysis!  I just love it! There needs to be more fun days like this!  Take it easy today and go with the flow! :)

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
If you have a birthday today: Happy Birthday!  You also share your day with the following (just to name a few)
John Steinbeck (author "Grapes of Wrath")
Elizabeth Taylor
Josh Groban
Chelsea Clinton

Recipe: My Take On A BLT

I'm a mother of two, so sometimes a quick meal idea comes in very handy! Even though it's quick, it still has to be good! I really love making BLT's, BUT I really dislike tomatoes, so I just go with Bacon, Lettuce and Bacon (sometimes add cheese if I have it in the house).  Below is a quick guide to making a really good Bacon, Lettuce sandwich. Add tomatoes if you so choose! :)

First, start off by choosing your favorite mayo OR making your own! Here is a great recipe to follow, very easy!



 

 

Mayo Recipe:

 

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/4 tsp of salt

2 eggs

2 tbs of white vinegar

2 cups of vegetable oil

 

In your food processor or belnder, combine the mustard power, salt, eggs and vinegar. Put the processeor on med. speed. Slowly drizzle in the oil while it runs. Transfer to a container or jar and store in your refrigerator for up to two weeks!

 

 

 

Putting The Sandwich Together

 

First make sure you have a nice bread. I use a sub roll cause it holds everything better in my opinion. Be sure to put mayo (as much as you'd like) on each side of the bread.

Add your lettuce

 

  

 

Add your bacon! For this sandwich I really like my bacon to be crispy! Add as much as will fit in your bread.

 

 

I don't feel there is a need to add salt cause of the bacon, but a little pepper if you like is always good! Just cut it in half and serve with some chips is how I like it! Enjoy! :)

 

Do you have a favorite way to making a BLT?  If so, share it! :)

Lock & Key

I guess I'm the kind of person who just thinks about very random things and then has to research to find the answers out. Today my featured item in my shop is the 'Key To My Heart Necklace', now as I was looking at it earlier, I though to myself, just where were locks and keys invented and by whom?  This is how my brain works most times! :)   I did a little research and this is what I found out:
--The oldest lock was found near Nineveh and is said to be 4,000 years old! It was made out of carved wood.
--Romans are believed to have created the first metal locks.
--In 1778 a British locksmith named Robert Barron made a huge leap in lock technology since the Romans. He improved the security of the lock immensely!

Below are pictures of some ancient locks and keys!

Below is the jewelry design that inspired this post, which is still available for purchase! :)

Gem Exploration-Amethyst In The Rough

 

 

 

Amethyst is one of the prettiest gems in my opinion. It is mined in many parts of the world. You will find it in Africa, Brazil, South Korea, Russia, some parts of Canada and even in the United States. The largest amethyst mine is in Austria! Even though this stone can be found in many parts of the world, not all of it is good enough to be made into jewelry. The ones in the United States for example are hardly ever good enough quality to be made into jewelry. It's a very common stone to find and more likely there will be even more places popping up to mine this stone. As of right now, the 3 most popular places to mine the amethyst is Brazil, Austria and Namibia.
Amethyst are usually embedded in granite and are dug out by hand by the miners.

Some people like to wear this stone in it's rough form. I have seen jewelry designs in this fashion as you can see in the one below:

 

I came across this necklace on Etsy

 

I think even in the rough form, it's still quite beautiful! What are your thoughts? 

Fashion: Spring 2013 Color Trends

Fashion week in NYC has come to an end and we are seeing some very different looks for spring! This year is all about COLOR!! The more the better! It's not about picking a great shade, it's about pairing different shades together! You'll be seeing a lot of plums, and soft pastels. A lot of designers were putting together black and white. Normally you don't think about wearing black in spring, but it seems to be quite the pairing this year.
I guess I am ahead of the fashion trends, below is a picture of a bracelet I made a few months ago! :)

 

I'm really excited to see all the colors that will be showcased this spring. Just remember fashion lasts for just a short time, but style lasts forever! Be different, think outside the box and be true to what you like. Create your own trends and be comfortable with what you're wearing, but at the same time, don't be scared to take some risks! You never know what you may or may not like until you try it!

Below are some photos of some color trends you will be seeing this spring! All pictures are from Getty Images!

What color do you love wearing the most?

Guest Blogger: Interview With Author Julia Hawkes-Moore

Today I bring to you a special interview from author Julia Hawkes-Moore! I had the chance to interview her and I hope you will find her just as amazing as I did! :)

 

1) Have you always wanted to be a writer?
No, I always wanted to be an Architect, since I was 7 and was told that there was a job for people who wanted to build lovely buildings! I have been lucky enough to have a dozen of my designs actually built. Sadly, I never got a house of my own from the process, but I live in hope. The writing was just something extra…

2) When did you first start writing?
I started writing stories as soon as I learned my letters; at school I filled entire exercise books with illustrated stories, instead of doing Maths, which I found a struggle – and still do! Writing has been something at which I have kept practicing ever since.

3) How many books have you written?
I have written many books but most are unfinished. I got bored with them, so I thought readers would lose interest too! But then I had the joyous opportunity of spending quality time with Fay Weldon, Terry Pratchett, Manda Scott, and later Phil Rickman, who became not only my favourite writers but also my friends. I finally felt that I too had something worthwhile to say and write about. All I needed to do was finish those unfinished books…

4) Your first published book was called "Dancing In Circles"; can you tell us a little about the book and your inspiration in writing it?
I got into a conversation with a rather unpleasant man in a pub, who was a Director of a Nuclear Power Station. He told me that sites all over Britain have been bought up as future possibilities for dumping nuclear waste, including secluded valleys in Herefordshire… And so the plot and the baddy was born! Interesting to see that the 'let's dump nuclear waste in our lovely valley' argument is still puttering on 20 years after I wrote about it in 'Dancing in Circles'...
The rest grew from that. I wanted it to be light and funny, fast-paced and optimistic, so I set it in a Folk Festival, over a week in which the characters all grow and change, and enjoy life.
Once I finished it, I sent it off to several publishers. Then an acceptance letter arrived – the same morning I found I was pregnant with my first baby! After that, it was hard to find the time to write with two little ones needing their full-time mother, but that excuse has run out now that they are teenagers…

5) The Chocolate Ghost and Other Tales is a children's book. Do you prefer writing children's books or adult genre?
I wrote the ‘Chocolate Ghost’ in a lesson when I was a Teacher, to encourage the children (10 year olds) to concentrate and write a ghost story of their own. We all wrote good stories, but mine was published again and again, and even translated into Czech! I like writing for young people, but I would like to achieve that rare thing of writing books which people of all ages can read, as with Tolkien and Harry Potter.

6) Are you working on any thing new at the moment? If so, can you tell us a little something about your next book?
I am working on a new novel about a 50 year old woman who is housebound, and suddenly finds herself widowed… Autobiographical yes, but many people have found my story shocking yet encouraging. I feel I need to tell it! I do want to write books which are heartwarming and happy; there is too much misery and murder about!

7) What are some of your other hobbies you like to do besides writing?
I became very ill with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomleitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) when I was 25. Whatever I do, I become exhausted in 2 hours and have to lie down, Before that I was a bundle of energy, dressmaking, decorating, drawing, writing, woodworking; but I have never recovered. I still love to do all those things but I get too tired to finish them. About 7 years ago I discovered ‘Secondlife.com’ on the internet; I loved that, making beautiful furnishings and buildings, and became a respected designer. It gave me a space where I could recreate the things I loved for other people to enjoy, without having to leave the house.

A little background:
Julia Hawkes-Moore was born near the ruins of Walsingham Abbey in Norfolk, and grew up with a happy childhood in Herefordshire. Both places inspired in her a deep fascination with folk history and myth.

After training as an Architect in Liverpool, she innocently married a young man who announced that he was Gay on their Wedding Night. She went on to run a London restaurant, winning an entry in ‘The Good Food Guide’, before divorcing for non-consummation.
Julia ran away, and did several silly jobs including writing poetry for 8 hours a day and getting paid for it. She retrained as a Teacher, and taught metalwork and woodwork in Suffolk, but kept getting poached to teach English and History.
Julia contracted a serious long-term illness (M.E./CFS) before trustingly marrying again, editing a local newspaper, writing novels and running seven years of folk festivals in Saffron Walden. Surprisingly, she managed all this whilst having two miraculous babies.
Then her cosy world unexpectedly fell apart, when she discovered just what her absent husband had been doing whilst working away from home throughout their 15 year marriage. Julia moved back to her parents in Herefordshire with her two young sons.
She divorced yet again, did a little Property Development, and survived the Internet Dating experience, meeting an Architect with Parkinson’s Disease and building an amazing house with him, which they never got to live in. Engagement, financial disaster, 24/7 caring for a man turning into a monster over 6 years followed. She ran away when he became violent, and was tragically widowed the next day. Serious illness followed. Each low point seemed worse than the last over many years. But Julia always strove to be pleasant and cheerful towards everyone she met.
'Dancing in Circles' was Julia's first novel. Other works include 'The Chocolate Ghost And Other Tales, enriched with Selected Poems', ISBN 978 90 819271 4 7, only available from the publishing on demand printers www.lulu.com/spotlight/JuliaHM
Julia is now putting her life back together in a most satisfactory way... More novels are in process, telling her stories of how she remained cheerful as her life plunged into deeper abyss…

Books:
Dancing In Circles

Connect with Julia on Facebook

Gem Exploration: Colors of Amethyst

There are many different shades of Amethyst, below I have listed some of the different names of amethyst along with pictures so you can see the range in color!


African Amethyst: This is usually a very dark purple colored amethyst (one of my personal favorites!)




Brazilian Amethyst:  This stone is a lighter shade of amethyst




Bolivian Amethyst: This stone is a medium shade of amethyst.

Siberian Amethyst: Deep shaded stone that is almost magenta in color.





Green Amethyst: Green amethyst is artificially treated. It's heated up, which changes it's color. This stone is also know as "prasiolite"




**Which is your favorite color of amethyst?

Dreams Come True

"Dreams come true"  I believe they do indeed. Everything in life takes a bit of hard work. It seems all the easy stuff really isn't worth much in the end. I was talking last night with my husband about certain things I want to strive for. Dreaming is just the start, there is a long road ahead in order to make those dreams happen. It can be done!
You need to be honest with yourself. Know your limitations and what reality is and what it isn't. You don't want to be led into disappointment. You can do just about anything, but it's always good to know what you can and can not do and try not to put time limits on things. It's best to just go with the flow and let life happen. If you plan on becoming President one day, go for it! Just don't expect it to happen in 4 years because there is a bit more work that needs to go into it...get my point? :)   Start slow and build your way into it.
My dream was to open up my own boutique. It took some planning out, a lot of work, & confidence. Confidence is the key to just about everything. If you KNOW you can do something, you WILL do it! Sort of like just closing your eyes and jumping into what you want! No regrets, no looking back. That's how I am running my life these days. I'm going all in for the things I want. Life is too short to be timid and let these dreams just pass you by. When you see the chance, take it! You may never get it again. :)

 Pictured above is one of my favorite items I offer in my boutique. I keep one in my home all the time as a reminder to always dream!
To Order: Dream Wooden Word

 

What are some of your dreams? Share them! :)

Guest Blogger: LaShanta Magnusson with Discovery Toys

        

 

 

 

Today we have LaShanta Magnusson. She will be talking about the company she works for! If you have children, this article is for you!

 

One of my favorite toys is Marble Works. This toy is sold by Discovery Toys and although parents have purchased similar toys made by other companies, they are often disappointed and report that other similar toys are less sturdy and well-designed. The right toy matters but the way you play the game is even more important.

 

1. Piece-by-piece. Any toy that allows the adult play partner to hand out the parts, one part at a time, provides many opportunities to communicate--so long as the child really wants the parts. I often explain to my young play partner that I am the Parts Person and that the he or she is the Builder and so the Builder has to get parts from the Parts Person. If a child is not able to understand the explanation, I still use the strategy. This explanation works very well, though, for many children and it is one that I learned from Dr. Gutstein. It is ok to exchange roles if a child wants to but if you do, then the child hands out parts and the adult builds--the child does not get to have both roles. Dr. Gutstein did not encourage this role reversal in that workshop, by-the-way but for teaching communication skills, exchanging roles is very helpful. In this case, almost every child is going to want to be the Builder. The most important point, is that if you ever just hand over all the parts to the child to play with, no significant language learning or communication will occur.

 

2. Establish a game vocabulary. This game lends itself to creating and using cool words both as names and as a description of what is going on as the marble races down and around and through all the parts of the toy. All games seem to be more fun if there is a specific vocabulary and a vocabulary is needed if you are going to talk about what is going on. I name the parts of Marble Works with words like zigzag, wheel, whirly-bird, wiggle wiggle wiggle, jump, bump bump bump, funnel, connector, and foot--often teaching the words by showing the part and showing the child the physical properties of the part that inspired the name. With specific parts named, the child can request the part he or she wants and I can provide a choice. E.g. Did you want connector or funnel? We can also talk about how far marbles jumped or which marble won the race, or how upsetting it is when marbles get stuck. This kind of language becomes rather like Marble Works Sports Talk and I use that manner of talking because it is exciting to talk about games in this dramatic way. You are also teaching a manner of using the words rather than just the words and this makes the vocabulary so much more fun to learn.

 

3. Many possible communication goals. This toy allows for many different and increasingly complex communication goals. In the beginning, we might use the toy to teach the child how to share control of a toy with an adult. We might be helping the parent of the child learn how to retain control of the materials while remaining fun and playful (rather than

directive and authoritarian). We might be teaching this Sports Talk manner of speaking about games. We might be learning to request or tell another person what to do or express disappointment. Years later, we might be working on creating a written plan for the project prior to starting it or, by taking pictures of several different projects after completed, the goal might be to learn to evaluate the relative subjective value of different ways of putting Marble Works together. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most cool of all, rate each of your last three Marble Works projects for how cool the project was. There are seemingly endless learning objectives with a toy like this.

 

4. Flexibility and creativity. Any toy, like this one, that allows a great deal of flexibility and creativity is a good toy for a child with autism because there is a tendency for children with autism to want to find one way to do a thing and then repeat this one way over and over until the child gets bored and doesn't want to play with it anymore at all. By insisting on playing in a variety of different ways with the same materials, the adult can show a child that there are many different possible ways to do things and that finding new ways is fun. This one goal is worthy of many hours of play because when a child with ASD becomes more flexible and creative, life becomes far less anxious for that child. Toys with a single right way to play are not good toys for any child but they are really bad for a child with ASD who already tends to think like this and does not need to practice inflexibility in play.

 

5. Sensory Reinforcement. This toy provides a great sensory reward because for people of any age, watching marbles fall, twirl, roll and jump is a visual treat. For most children with autism, it is beyond exciting! The trick is for the adult play partner to realize that dropping marbles down is the primary motivation that keeps a child willing to take turns, learn new vocabulary, share control of materials, verbally make a building plan--and so on. Just like any other thing that you use as a reward, the adult needs to be smart about how the reward is used. Let the child drop the marble after he or she does something that you want the child to do again and not, for example, after the child whines or demands or breaks something. This might seems obvious, but there is a tendency for parents to want to avoid a meltdown and so give the child what he or she wants at the first sign of emotional dis-regulation in order to avoid a full blown melt-down. Instead, a parent needs to model for the child the socially appropriate skill that the child should use but does not know how to use in that moment. For example, the child wants to drop a marble and is starting to throw pieces because he or she is not getting the marble fast enough. At this point, show the child what to say. E.g. Mom, can I have a marble? or It is hard to wait for marbles! or I wish it was my turn, my brother takes too long! or even showing a child how to hold out a hand to request a marble. If you identify the fact that dropping marbles is the primary reward in this activity, you can be careful to teach what you want to teach with this reward.

 

6. Remember that rewards don't work forever --although, honestly, dropping marbles is interesting for longer than most things. Knowing that rewards don't continue to be rewarding forever, make sure you stretch out how often you provide this reward by just giving out a Test Marble from time to time at the beginning. Gradually, suggest that perhaps it would be good to try two or three marbles if you sense that your child is losing interest. You can also increase your child's

interest in other ways--like showing him or her how to build the set in a new way. At the very end, in the July 4th Fireworks strategy, give your child lots of marbles to send down in a short Grand Finale! Then quit while your child is still enjoying the game and pull it out at another time to play together. Meanwhile, try to teach your child to be rewarded by other aspects of Marble Works play. Help your child learn to enjoy sharing control (if this is what you are working on) by teaching the skill very gradually and without lecturing--the killer of all joy in play is a parent lecture. Mention aloud (for a child who would understand what you are saying) that it is so much fun to play together. Later, talk about how much you want to play Marble Works again because it makes you happy to play together. Do not hand over the toys at the end and let your child play alone because your child may actually like playing alone better than playing together! Sell your child on the idea that cooperation is fun. E.g. Come help Mommy set the table. I will be the Parts Person and you will be the Table Setter. We are good at doing things together! or Help Daddy drop dirty clothes down the Laundry Chute--I will be the Part Man and you be the Clothes Dropper. We are a team! Eventually, you want your child to cooperate because cooperation feels good not because it is fun to watch marbles fall down. From the beginning you need to plan that the initial reward will not work forever.

                                                    

Contact LaShonda::
Facebook Page

Discovery Toys Site

 

Recipe-Egg Salad

There are many sides to me. When I'm not working on my boutique and crafting I love to cook and bake! Today I'll be sharing with you one of my husband's favorite things to eat. Egg Salad. I swear he could eat this every single day for the rest of his life! There are many ways to make it, but here is my version!

What you'll need:

• 7 eggs
• 1/2 cup of mayo (any kind you like)
• Dash* of Paprika
• Dash* salt & pepper

*Dash --I just shake the bottle 3 times (probably equals out to 1/4 teaspoon)  

Really when it comes to cooking, I like to experiment and I don't often measure things out. I start slowly and add more if need be as I go! Everything is flavored based on how I like it and you should do the same! :)

Step 1:
Boil your eggs. I put them in the water and when the water starts boiling, I give them 5 minutes and they come out perfect every time!

Step 2:
Use a fork to break the eggs up into pieces.

 

 

 

 

Step 3:

Add all your ingredient and stir it all up

 

 

Step 4:

Add it to your favorite bread! You can put lettuce on it as well, but my hubby just likes it on bread! Enjoy!

 

 

***Feel free to share your egg salad recipe! :)

Purple & Butterflies!

Since this month is all about Amethyst, which is purple, I've decided to add some purple things into my boutique this month! Purple is my favorite color and I've been getting a lot of requests for this color, but honestly, items with purple in it are a bit more expensive and harder to find, from what I have come across. My goal for my shop is to keep things at affordable prices, so if I can't get it at a good price, I have to pass on it!  My latest addition to the shop is a very pretty lavender butterfly trinket box!

Purple and butterflies are my two favorite things and I decided to combine them together in this particular piece! I think it came out quite good if you ask me! haha :)  

What can you use a trinket box for?
I love using trinket boxes for odds and ends around the house. I keep one in my kitchen near my sink, so when I wash dishes, or cook, I put my rings in there so I don't get them messy or wet. It's also great to put in the bathroom by your sink, so when you need to wash your hands just put your  jewelry in the box! It's so much safer than putting it on the sink, cause so  many times jewelry falls down the drain! Not good!!
Think outside the box too (no pun intended haha)---use them for office supplies--paper clips, tacks. OR even other bathroom items like cotton balls! Perfect for anyone! Let me know what you think!

 

Gem Exploration: Amethyst

                                            

All month long as part of my gem exploration, I will be talking about the beautiful gemstone, Amethyst! It just happens to be my favorite of all gemstones! I love the color purple!

Facts::
-Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February

-Amethyst is a Greek word that comes from the Greek word "amethystos", which means 'remedy against drunkenness.'  

 

Many people believe certain stones have different powers attached to them. The amethyst is said to help with depression, bring calmness and peace to your life and make you less stressed when you wear this stone. Royalty for thousands of years have sought after this stone.

It's been told that Moses had described this jewel as a symbol to the Spirit of God. Royalty have sought after this stone for centuries. Russian Empress Catherine The Great was said to have sent thousands of miners out to find this stone for her. Even the Catholic clergy uses this stone in their jewelry due to the fact that it also have come to symbolize trust.

I will be posting more information about this gem through-out the month! I hope you will journey along with me!