Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - March Topic - a photo / image that inspires you..(or favourite image) and to what?

The March topic for the blog-o-sphere think tank is: a photo / image that inspires you..(or favourite image) and to what?

This was going to be really easy for me b/c recently I was very inspired by an image of a light echo from a star (photo taken by hubble - the site is awesome)

Source: Hubblesite.org

I am so inspired by a lot of photos of stars, nebulae, galaxies, molecular clouds, and distant planets and moons. I'm completely fascinated by the images and the fact that they are captured the way they are! Sometimes the photos evoke more of a feeling, though this one was quite literal in it's translation... and color.

This was the ring I create from the photo inspiration -





Make sure to check out other inspiring images from this month's participants:

Andes cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com

Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com/

pencilfox: www.astorynontheless.blogspot.com

Kathleen Krucoff: http://mysticalmythicalmetalwork.wordpress.com/

Renée Dolling: www.floatinglightsphotography.com/blog

Shannon Koochin: http://thebassplayersdaughter.blogspot.com

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - January topic - if you could live anywhere... where would it be, and why?

Doesn't this yoga retreat look awesome?

If you could live anywhere... where would it be, and why?

Such an interesting topic! I love watching that show, House Hunters International. The other day I asked my husband if he could live anywhere for a year, where would it be.

My own personal answer... I think somewhere like Bali. Lush, vegetarian friendly, yoga destination, interesting decorative arts... I don't know about long term, but thinking of a place to live for a year, that sounds really lovely!

Long term... I actually really like where I live and I don't know any place I'd rather live right now. It is vegetarian and arts friendly, not too cold in the winter, but we do get snow every once in awhile. It does get hot in the summer.... but that means it doesn't get too cold in the winter! I have an amazing yoga community here that I don't think I could easily find anywhere else. I'm kind of centrally located in the middle of a most of my friends that have moved away. Not close enough to anyone for a short day trip unfortunately, but close enough to be able to make a long weekend trip. And... the cost of living here is pretty low - makes for a great location to make a living selling online!

So, yeah, I'm really happy where I am, but wouldn't mind going to Bali for a year :)

make sure to check out the other participants this month!!

Andes Cruz http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com

Mary Spencer (WATTO) http://www.wattoonline.com/news

Natsuko Hanks http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com

Stephanie Clark: http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - Favorite season

The month's blog-o-sphere think tank theme is our favorite season.



This is so easy - Spring! I'm not crazy about the cold, course, I'm not super crazy about the extreme heat either. But the feeling of spring coming alive after it's been cold and dead all winter is intoxicating. I love all the beautiful spring flowers and the days getting longer. The spirea is one of the very first flowers that comes out in my yard in the spring time. It says "Spring is coming, spring is coming!" And it makes me happy. Winter makes me want to hibernate, though because of our society, that isn't generally accepted, when you know, things like work have to happen.

Fall/autumn is a close runner up - the change in season after a long hot summer is so welcome and exciting. But it also means that winter is coming, so it isn't an occasion for joy the way spring time is.

make sure to check out the other participants this month to find out which seasons are their favorites!

Andes Cruz: www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Kathryn Cole: www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com
Natsuko Hanks: www.jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com
Barbara Donovan: www.barbaradonovan.blogspot.com
Diana Fazio www.metooiguana.blogspot.com
Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com
WATTO: http://www.wattoonline.com/news

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - #4 - May Edition - Favorite Quote

It is that time again for the Blog-o-sphere Think Tank! This month's topic is a fun one. And though I thought it would be easy... apparently it isn't! I'm one of those people who loves quotes. In college, I had different quotes pasted all around my room. It's hard to not love anything by Einstein. I mean, he was a genius after all!

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" just might be my favorite. I had this tshirt when I was in high school. Though I quit wearing it, I kept it b/c I loved it so much - it's in my studio for inspiration.

I also remember loving this one the first time I heard it:

"Your mind is like a parachute. It only works if it is open." - Anthony D'Angelo

And really they both relate to each other. Having an excellent imagination and an open mind go hand in hand!

Must post one from my dear Swami Satchidananda: "People often ask me, "What religion are you? You talk about the Bible, Koran, Torah. Are you a Hindu?" I say, I am not a Catholic, a Buddhist, or a Hindu, but an Undo. My religion is Undoism. We have done enough damage (with religious dogma). We have to stop doing any more and simply undo the damage we have already done."

Love. It.

And my favorite made up quote.... "Everyone has issues, some people just have more than others." catchy right?


Make sure to check out everyone else's favorite (or favourite) quotes!

Andes Cruz
Brad Severtson
Kathleen Krucoff
Wendy Kelly
Mary Spencer
Stephanie Clark
Barbara Donovan
Laura Flavin
Thomasin Durgin
Shaun Young
Kathryn Cole
Natsuko Hanks
Andrea Bell

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - #3 - April Edition - Favorite Book or Movie

oooh such a fun topic, but oh so hard! There is NO way I can pick just one.

I tend to be the sort of person that doesn't rewatch movies and rarely rereads books. I think it is because I like the surprise or the suspense of not knowing what is going to happen. Once I've read it or seen it, I know already and it just isn't as fun the 2nd time around. I would say I've read far more books than I've seen movies over my life time - though recently most of the books I've been reading are 'fluff' type books - highly entertaining and easy to read - but uh, most aren't something I would even mention...

So I guess the qualification comes then in what some of my favorites are by ones I am willing to read or watch again and again.

I'm going to start with books b/c that will make you giggle. Yes. I read the Twilight series. and yes, I read all of them more than once. more than twice. But that is all you get from me on that topic. oh, and no the movies are no where close to the top of my list. I haven't even seen all the ones that are out.


As for movies - I can't pick just one - just can't do it. All of my top movies are equal in some way - they're all different and fit in to a different favorite category... but the image is a bit of a give away. The Fifth Element is one of my all time favorites. It is one of those movies that if it is on tv, I'll start watching it from where ever it is. MULTI-PASS! And honestly, I don't know why I love it so much. I think the visuals are so fun and quirky, there is always something new to notice.

Next on my list is the first Lord of the Rings. I have seen that movie maybe more than any other movie. When I was in college I would just put it on when I was working on some random project. I couldn't quite figure out what I liked to much about it. The costumes were great - the jewelry fantastic and utterly inspiring - lots of trees and forests. What it comes down to though, is the complete and utter devotion of having friends there to protect you and help you along the way. And seriously... there were some hot friends, just sayin'.

Then there is the Grindhouse duo - Planet Terror and Death Proof. I think Death Proof slightly wins over those two, but they each have their charm. I love a strong badass female character, or group of them.

Changing genres now... Best In Show. Hilarious. If you haven't seen it - you are missing out. One of those movies I laugh so hard I cry. Parker Posey is incredible.

And then... last but not least in any shape or form are my beloved kids movies. I love animated movies. I have seen Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc more times than I can count. And my newest favorite is Despicable Me. The little girl in Monsters Inc - who is very much like one of the little girls in Despicable Me - that was me as a child. "It's SO FLUFFY!!!" again - a must see.

So that is it - all my favorites - sorry I couldn't pick just one over all winner.

make sure to check out everyone else's favorites!
Andes Cruz
Kathleen Krucoff
Brad Severtson
Stephanie Clark
Wendy Kelly
Andrea Bell
Barbara Donovan
Shaun Young

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - #2 - March Edition - best childhood/ younger years memory

This month's topic is

best childhood/ younger years memory

I'm not sure that I have one particular memory, more like a collection of memories I guess. Growing up from ages 3 - 14, I lived in a fabulous house in Alabama - it wasn't so much the house as the property that was really memorable. We shared a large "pond" (I think it was about an acre or so) with our neighbor. Our half included the dam and the runoff - which created a wonderful eco-system for a child to play in. We also had quite a bit woods behind the house and around the pond. My fondest memories are playing outside in a variety of ways. I remember loving climbing trees, particularly the little pines that had small broken branches that served as ladder rungs. Something that as a small child - it seemed like I could climb up so high in the tree. I use to make all kinds of things with twigs and leaves and bark and sweet gum balls. My brothers and I built forts, tried our hand at a catapult or two, made little bark boats with leaf sails.... so many fun creative things. I remember making little fairy "dwellings" - and even in college, recreated a giant village based on my childhood creations for an art project in a sculpture class!

It is curious to wonder if I would love nature so much if I had grown up in a neighborhood filled with concrete....

my memory is something like this irene suchocki photo - minus the bench... we had a wonderful island that had a giant willow on it - and there was so much green...


make sure to check out everyone else's posts for this month's topic - sure to be some fun reads!

Andes Cruz
Kathleen Krucoff
Laura Flavin
Wendy Kelly
Stephanie Nocito Clark
Brad Severtson
Andrea Bell
Natsuko Hanks
Shaun Young
Pal Gooz

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the blog-o-sphere think tank is the creation of andes cruz - it is a fun way to blog together as a group on NON jewelry, metal, or art business related topics. yay for variety!

Blog-o-sphere Think Tank - #1 - Feb. Edition - What is your favorite winter meal/recipe?

(since I don't have a photo - you can listen to this song! haha!)

My dear friend Andes has started a new blogging group "Blog-o-sphere think tank" - for a fun blogging monthly topic - non-jewelry related!

This month's topic is:
What is your favorite winter meal/recipe?

I wish I had a photograph, but well, I'm not used to photographing my food. And.. well... I don't actually use recipes much either. But, I can kind of make one up!

Being vegan, I've learned to adapt all kinds of "normal" food to being delicious in a vegan way. This winter a favorite of mine was 'chicken' and rice soup.

so for my made up recipe:
olive oil
onion
celery
carrots
maybe mushrooms if you have them
brown rice
tvp - Textured Vegetable Protein (you could also use tofu or some sort of fake chicken substitute... or er.. real chicken if you're a meat eater)
seasoning (HA! how vague) I'll give more details in a bit...
broth

As far as measurements - it depends on how much you want to make - and I season everything to taste, and never really know how much I add...

so, to start out - you need to cook the brown rice. this recipe is great if you already have left over rice in the fridge, but of course, you can make some fresh too.

Next - prepare the tvp - if you don't know what tvp is, you can read a bit here:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/TVP.htm
There are different kinds - we get one that has no real flavor, so it means it needs to be flavored on it's own, as well as reconstituted since it's dry.

For this recipe I like using a fake chicken flavored bullion cube, mixing boiling water w/ it, as well as poultry season which is usually something like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (you know, like the song) - sage is my favorite, so I usually add a bit extra and some garlic. The bullion generally is prettttty salty, so if you use that you probably won't need extra salt, but if you are mixing up your own broth or just using boiling water w/ the seasoning, you will definitely need salt.
So mix all that up and let the tvp sit and soak up all the flavor and water - you may need to add a bit more water after a bit if it has soaked it all up.

So while the rice is cooking and the tvp soaking - time to start the veg!

Chop up the carrot, celery and onion (and mushroom if you like) - saute in the olive oil until they're cooked down. I go ahead and add some seasoning to the veg -
poultry seasoning
extra sage
garlic

Sometimes de-glazing w/ white wine is fun if you have some, or you can use just a little broth maybe, I don't know, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup or so? Not too much.

Then I add the rice - maybe about 1/2 cup of cooked rice if you're making a big batch for 2 people.

From here, I kind of treat it like risotto for a few minutes - let it start to simmer, soak up the liquid and stir it, letting the rice start to break down. I like making risotto, so this is fun for me, but you can totally skip this step and just toss the rice in.

Add broth - you can either make up more w/ bullion, or whatever veggie broth you use. Probably in the 2 - 3 cup range? again, it would depend on how much you're wanting to make. It's good to have extra as the rice will expand even more.

Tasting the tvp before you add it is good, just to make sure that it has some flavor - it will also soak in flavor from the broth and veggies, but better not to put it in too bland to begin with.

*if you want to use tofu, but don't cook tofu often - you can treat it similarly to the tvp - marinating it in the seasons and you can even saute the tofu separately to give it a better texture that will stand up in the soup.

Once everything is added - I taste it again and add more seasoning if needed. It usually does b/c I tend to be one of those people that adds a little bit several times.

Then you just let it cook for awhile. The longer the better - the rice will break down more and add a wonderful thickness to the soup, making something a bit more like porridge - yummy stick to your ribs goodness.

So that's it! My vegan chicken and rice soup - so yummy.

Make sure to check out other fabulous posts for this month's Blog-o-sphere Think Tank:

Andes Cruz

Stephanie Nocito Clark

Kirsten Skiles

Natsuko Hanks

Shaun Young

Brad Severtson

Wendy Kelly

Kathleen Krucoff

Kathryn Cole