i'm on island time . . .

The big day is here. We are leaving for vacation. We are heading to the Keys for mini-lobster season and some much-needed family time. I am not sure if I will have e-mail access at our accommodations. If I do, I will continue to check in. If not, I look forward to checking in with all of you when I return and will definitely be excited to see all that has happened here while I have been gone! May your week be lovely! Thank you for stopping by. I truly value and cherish the support and love you all offer. Please take a moment to sign my guestbook at the bottom of my blog. I would simply love to know you came by, my friends. Thank you. Island time, here I come! Wish you were here!

our next Fab Friday Giveaway . . . August 7th . . .

So excited that Trinity won our recent giveaway! My faithful 'assistants' and I decided it was time to have an earring giveaway. These delicate little earrings are lovingly made to go with many different looks. Naodelite, a smooth and cool semi-precious gemstone, Bali Silver accent beads and my favorite delicately curved petite silver earring hooks. I have wanted to grab these out of my craft fair offerings many times -- I think I need to make a pair for me! Charcoal, swirls of light grayish green and silver, ahh, a favorite. Our next winner will be announced on August 7th.

To enter:

-- You will need to be a follower of my blog.

-- Please comment a "count me in" on this post.

For additional entries:

-- Sign in on my new "guestbook" at the bottom of my blog.

-- Blog about the giveaway on your blog and let me know at this post that you have done so.

Have fun, thanks for stopping by, I love giveaways and I hope to make people happy. Happy winning!

our Fab Friday Giveaway -- We have a winner!

Congratulations to Trinity Powell on being the winner of Oh So Pretty! Jewelry Studio's Second Fab Friday Giveaway of the green and amber-colored Swarovski Crystal bracelet! Morgan, my oldest 'assistant', did a great job with choosing Trinity out of the pile of papers, Madison, my second-oldest 'assistant' made ;). There is nothing like adding the help of three wiggly bunnies to the 'winner-picking' mix! Congratulations, Trinity, on your win! I hope you enjoy the bracelet very much. Please send me an e-mail to ohsoprettyjewelrystudio@yahoo.com with your mailing address. Thank you to all of the mommies that entered! Hmm, oh what, oh what shall we give away next!? Too much fun! xoxoxo ;)

ahh, it is giveaway day tomorrow ;)! Fab Friday Giveaways -- Morgan's turn to choose . . .

Hmm, just who will it be? ;) Check back Friday morning for the winner!

my first award! thank you, Cailin Marie!

I was absolutely delighted to receive a "One Lovely Blog Award" from a sweet fellow blogger named Cailin Marie. I have so enjoyed visiting her blog, completely charmed by her blog name, 5 kids, 2 dogs, 1 lizard and a Hermit Crab, as well as her sweet spirit. I was thrilled to stop by to pick up this lovely award! Thank you.

The rules to receiving this award are to:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I know you will appreciate these lovely spots in the world as much as I do! Thank you, Cailin Marie, for this delightful honor! I appreciate it very much!

My List of "oh so lovely!" blogs . . .

5 kids, 2 dogs, 1 lizard and a Hermit Crab

Oh My Gluestick!

One Day at a Time

Wonder Mom Envy

A Day in the Life of a Housewife

Kelly Ann Studio

Pocket Full of Pink

Thoughts on Everything and Nothing

The Poor College Students' Guide to Raising a Baby

Just Me . . . The Picture-Taker

The Hollywood Memoirs: The Life and Times of a Domesticated Rockstar

Memento

The Giveaway Diva

DSL Kids

Haus of Girls

Chapman Crazy House

The Polkadot Fieldmouse

Great spirits and wonderful artists -- I hope you will enjoy visiting these sites very much! Honoring all things 'lovely', thank you again, Cailin Marie.

i love hopping . . . mmmm, all these yummy recipes! my offering has five ingredients . . . i need to find more five ingredient recipes ;) . . .

Mmmmmm. I made a completely simple and delicious dish this weekend with only five ingredients. Using the freshest, yummiest, ingredients I could find, I made a delightful Bacon Salad. You'll need:
-One package of Romaine lettuce hearts
-One small handful of fresh spinach
-6-8 eggs
-1 lb of bacon
-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Wash and tear Romaine and spinach into bite-size pieces. Boil eggs. Cool eggs. Peel eggs. Quarter eggs. Cook bacon in microwave to 'gently crisp'. Tear bacon into small pieces. Toss all ingredients together, with the exception of the dressing. Cover tightly. Chill. Moments before serving, toss with balsamic dressing to lightly coat. Yummy. Looks fresh and inviting with only five ingredients. This was a big hit with everyone at my father-in-law's birthday party and was still crisp and fresh the next day for lunch. Enjoy!

the sweet scent of a perfume giveaway . . .

Please peek into Kelly Ann Studio's beautiful spot in the world to find out more about her latest giveaway. How does she keep finding all of these fabulous treasures? ;) Peek in today -- it will be over soon. www.kellyannstudio.blogspot.com

beginning bloggers unite :) . . .

It has been a delight to visit many sweet blogs and visit my new button made especially for me by She Designs, She Inspires, She Creates. I thank each of you for sharing your support with me. I struggled for the past six weeks of my blogging experience to figure out a way to create my very own grab button. I could not figure it out to save myself. In a single weekend, 'She Inspires' turned around a beautiful button that completely reflected my blogging home. Fellow bloggers, especially for my fellow beginners, please peek into her little nest. She has freebies (see my precious new blinkie above my girls?) and links to her Etsy store. Her "she inspires" button on the left of my site will take you straight there . . .

a name bracelet . . .

After years of admiring 'mother's bracelets', I was delighted to have the opportunity to design one for a special person. I chose her son's birthstone, periodot, and Swarovski crystals, of course. I selected Sterling Silver elements, including a Sterling Silver heart clasp. I love working with materials when cost is not any kind of limiting factor. The bracelet is so sparkly, satisfyingly-heavy and such a sweet and beautiful reminder of her precious son. After factoring in my cost and time, I arrived upon a price for my Etsy shop. I'd love to make a custom piece for another special person. Please check out my shop . . . :)

the party.

Ah. It is nice to be back on the computer. We have had family in from all over this week. Texas, New Jersey, Kentucky, Miami. It was my father-in-law's 70th birthday party. We hosted it here, poolside, and it was a wonderful night. I made him an album from Shutterfly. I began with photos from my husband's childhood and continued right up until today. It came out beautifully. I highly recommend this kind of gift for a birthday of significance. I spent Saturday morning making many side salads to accompany the barbeque beef I had in the crockpot. For those who may be a bit "beef"-challenged like myself, I used two large chuck under blade roasts. It was "buy one, get one" at Winn Dixie (yea!). I placed them in the crockpot after rinsing them. Seasoned them with basil, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. I poured an amber beer over them and a half bottle of prepared barbeque sauce. They cooked all day. They pulled apart beautifully at the end of the day. I removed all of the fatty pieces and had a giant platterful of shredded beef. I served this with a bacon, egg and romaine salad, a tortellini and broccoli salad, a crunchy coleslaw salad and an ambrosia salad. My mother brought over a warm bean salad dish and her famous potato salad. I served everything with rolls, following a cheese, cracker and veggie tray. It was wonderful because I made all of the salads in the morning. I used really fresh ingredients from Publix. The recipes were simple but very flavorful. The dinner was extremely well-received. I normally tend to spend a good deal of my guest-time cooking complicated dishes and was delighted to have every single thing prepared in advance. The yield was so great that we were able to enjoy each one of the sides for a second dinner last night of grilled tilapia prepared with paprika, lemon slices and basil. It is so nice to have had the event come off so smoothly! :)

i just found the cutest completely inexpensive craft idea at oh my gluestick!

I am now kicking myself for all of the times I have thrown one of these away. I want them all back. Head on over to Oh My Gluestick to see what she did with a tall wipes container. I can't even post a picture because I don't want to claim her "oh my gluestick!" moment -- she's earned it! :) Follow the sweet card to my left and enjoy! I love creative people!

a busy week . . . (and a fun blog hop . . .)

I really enjoyed this week's blog hop! Always fun to make new friends and check out lots of sites. I am teaching Kindergarten at a summer camp this week so my time blogging is a bit limited. Relatives from out of town are visiting. A lot to do . . . whew . . .

it is here! my next "Fab Friday" giveaway . . .

I found it so funny that I had so much fun hosting my last giveaway! As you know, my Madison chose "The Mommy" as a winner from a little pile of papers. Morgan, my oldest, made me promise to let her pull the next winner! I am sticking with my promise to have two giveaways a month. My next giveaway will be on Friday, July 24th, the day before our vacation. I have been waffling between bracelet or earrings, bracelet or earrings, and I have decided to choose another bracelet. I am so excited for my followers! Their odds are suber-fabulous at being chosen! :)

Here is what you can do to win:

1. Follow my blog. (If you already do, you are already in the running! :)

2. Leave me a happy comment anywhere on my site.

3. Encourage others to visit me, follow and enter! So love making new friends and visiting the blogs of others! :)

The bracelet I have chosen to giveaway is Swarovski crystal, Bali beads and silverplate clasp. Simple lines, soft muted amber and moss colors. A really sweet bracelet. Why not try to win? Remember, (;) wink, wink), the odds of winning are fantastic! Happy winning!

sweet decadence :) . . .

Ahhhh, my friends. I am tickled! I have made something sweetly luxurious. I spent more, chose deliciously decadent pieces and am thrilled at the final product. Funny, I am sure all of you crafty bloggers can relate. I actually found myself a bit misty when I was just sharing this post with you. I . love . my . hobby! It is a gift to have finally found something so special, that I enjoy so very much! :) I can't wait to see what lies ahead . . .

lauren nicole hosts another Vera Bradley giveaway . . .

Come join in on the fun! Check out her site for chances to win this beautiful bag! Ah, the colors! Her button, Lauren Nicole Gifts, is found on the side of my blog.

my tiny studio in reflection . . .

After a month or so of beginning a blog and developing a little jewelry studio, I find myself even more excited about what lies ahead. It has been lovely to visit so many spots in the world. I am making progress forward in something that, while separate from my family, can accommodate the many demands of being a mom. The laundry hasn't stopped, the running to dance classes continues, food shopping keeps getting done and I am still coordinating my mothers' group. But, I have found something that is unique to me. An opportunity to use my brain muscles in new ways while still treasuring the gift that it is to be with my sweet little girls at home. This week has been full of surprises. I have made new friends and am so grateful for the lovely women that have chosen to follow and support me. I am grateful to their example, their advice and their guidance. I have honed my blog a bit. Added favorite music through Playlist. Participated in my first Blog Hop through MckLinky. Joined several Mommy Blogging Communities and hope to meet more friends there. I have opened up a PayPal account and ordered my very own "Grab My Button" from Oh My Gluestick. (So excited!) I held my first giveaway and look forward to hearing from "the mommy" with her mailing address. I photographed and crafted more jewelry. I am crafting two speciality orders that will be completed by next Friday. Finally, I began my Etsy shop. This is a great feeling. It is exciting to be part of a giant community. I continue to look forward to continuing to honor all that is pretty and to making connections with other moms. May your weekend be blessed! Thank you for being you!

this precious shop . . .

Look at how sweet these bobby pins are! "Our fanciful creations" shop has such sweet goodies listed on Etsy with equally sweet prices. Please visit them at www.ourfancifulcreations.etsy.com. Her blog is beautiful and fun too! Please check out her blog at www.ahousewifesthoughts.blogspot.com. Sweet, sweet art!

new ideas for 'back-to-school" hair . . .

Tired of the same old ponytails and braids? Please peek into www.hair4myprincess.blogspot.com for some wonderful ideas . . . so pretty!

for my next baby gift . . .

Oh, my. So sweet. And, silly me, just a few weeks ago, spent too much money at The Gap on a little bath hoodie when I could have bought this for my friend. Oh, I am such a convert to Etsy. Friends, buy handmade! I can't wait until this Christmas . . . Please visit www.sweetcuddlecakes.etsy.com. Even her name is darling!

precious monkey in a tu-tu . . .

Prepare to be charmed, my friends! Visit this sweet monkey and her friends at www.ohmygluestick.etsy.com . . .

playlists . . .

It feels like Christmas everyday with all of the new things to discover in the blogging world! I put together a playlist for the first time. A little "so you think you can dance", a little "Rutgers University" and a lot "MOPS Convention" . . . so easy to do! Just click on mine to go make your own! :)

our Fab Friday Giveaway -- we have a winner! Cheers for "The Mommy"! :)

Drumroll, please! I am tickled to announce the winner of the beautiful turquoise bracelet! "The Mommy" is the winner! We folded up papers and Madison, my redhead :), chose. She announced it with great gusto! Please e-mail me at ohsoprettyjewelrystudios@yahoo.com with your mailing address. I also have a special surprise for you -- I am sending matching earrings! The bracelet clasp in the photo made me nervous -- I am not quite yet sure if I am a fan of s-clasps -- all that bending of metal with the potential of snapping. So I placed a traditional silverplate clasp on the bracelet and have included the matching earrings as a gesture of my desire to make my customers happy! I look forward to hearing from you. Now what to give away next? :)

it is time . . .

I feel officially ready. It is time. Yes, it is time for my own grab button. ;) After a few weeks of getting my feet wet, I am tickled at the thought of having my own button to share. It is with great anticipation and excitement that I am going to go peek into "Oh My Gluestick's" sister site, She Inspires, http://sheinspires.blogspot.com, to place a button order. And, while I am there, I simply must take a minute to visit everything else in her Etsy shop. :) Just lovely, lovely treasures. And, my new goal? An Etsy shop by this time next year . . . ;) Tiny steps forward, sweet friends, tiny steps forward. Now off to "She Inspires" . . . oh, please come follow me! Her absolutely picture-perfect button is to my left . . . have you SEEN all of her pretty buttons?

a blog book . . .

I was visiting Kelly Ann's Studio this afternoon and came across a wonderful idea in one of her posts. Perhaps you all know about this, but it is exciting news to me! The Cutest Blog on the Block has 'blog books' for sale for under $25. If you log onto TCBOTB, and then click on "blog to book", you can have TCBOTB whip up a book from your blog in about a minute and a half, for free to peek at. Definitely fun, definitely worth a visit! Perhaps I will treat myself to a book when I reach 200 posts or for my birthday? ;) So sweet. Thanks, Kelly Ann, for sharing this great idea. Boy, have I been living under a rock or what? Please check out Kelly Ann's Studio by following her sweet card on the left of my site.

my current umbrella is . . .

My current umbrella is none. :) I believe I can rustle up a Strawberry Shortcake, a Disney Princess and a strange purple one in short order but have no official "umbrella" for myself. It is funny -- my mother was of the hat, umbrella and apron generation and for some odd reason, I resisted that path for a long, long time. But, I have been filled recently with feelings of nostalgia, enthusiasm and admiration for that which is 'home' and 'elegance'. From exquisite apron websites, to blogs celebrating decorating with great panache, I am enjoying the rich tapestry that is the blogging world. As it is raining today and the Strawberry Shortcake option simply won't cover all four of us on our errands, I thought I could at least find something that would go with the Tiffany's necklace and designer tote that I have be-decked myself with in my imagination . . . :) Ah, how stylish I look, in my mind :), at least until I get soaked. Now, off to purchase 20 gift certificates for my mom's group Scavenger Hunt this Saturday. 56 women. One hunt. What fun! Let's hope I don't overwhelm the Target cashier :) . . . Oh, and for some fun, check out www.raindropsto.com for some super-fab umbrellas!