Studio Update

The work to turn out garage into a working studio is crawling along so slowly that to say it's moving at a snail's pace would make it sound as though it's going faster than it really is. In May I was excited because we had electricity and plumbing.



We've managed to weatherstrip one side of the large garage door. It was necessary to keep out some of the summer heat (and insects!). It's been too hot to spend any time working out there, so we've added an air conditioner. I've never seen one like this, and it works surprisingly well considering it's movable. You can see that we haven't yet put up insulation or drywall, but now that it's a bit more comfortable to work out there we may be able to catch up with that snail.

It's Giveaway Time!

Like most things I can't do, pottery of any sort fascinates me, and the unique items that Pearl of Fehu Stoneware creates are no exception. A Colorado-based artist, Pearl has been working with ceramics for most of her life. She made the move to pottery about 20 years ago, and her experience definitely shows in her work.

Pearl makes some functional pieces but really enjoys creating art pottery. The new pieces she's been designing with the crystals are her personal favorites: combining clay and stone feels very special to her. I think that comes through loud and clear--her pieces are beautiful!

Pearl is generously donating one of her buttons as a prize to a lucky reader. I've picked a few of my favorites here to show you. Now it's your turn: go visit Fehu Stoneware, pick out your favorite item, and post a comment here with the URL the item. Comments will be accepted until midnight (Eastern U.S. time), Thursday, July 10, 2008. On Friday I'll use that handy randomizer.org thingie to generate a winning number, and the comment that corresponds to the number will win their choice of one of Pearl's awesome buttons. Make sure to leave a link to your blog or an email address in your comment so that we can contact you if you win. Sorry, but comments without contact info will be disqualified.

An Anniversary Cheesecake

A few days ago I posted a plea for gift suggestions--I had forgotten about our anniversary and had only a couple of days to come up with a suitable gift. Thanks to everyone who tried to bail me out! After totally stressing, I realized that often the simple pleasures are the best.


He loves peanut butter and jelly cheesecake, and this one hit the mark. I've posted the recipe on The Peanut Butter Blog in case you need a last-minute gift of your own (or just need some cheesecake!).

New Singapore Twist Chains

Thanks to everyone who posted suggestions for an anniversary gift for Mr. LuckyGirl. Today's the big day, so I'll let you know how it turned out tomorrow.

This week I've added new sterling silver Singapore twist chains to my inventory. They are light and airy, and the twists in them accentuate their sparkle while being extremely tasteful. They're attractive enough to wear alone or layered with other chains, and also work great with small and medium sized pendants.

I've got them in 16-inch, 18-inch, 20-inch, 24-inch, and 30-inch lengths, and they're all in my Etsy shop. I haven't managed to get them in my eBay store yet, so if you're a die-hard eBay shopper and want one just let me know (but they're less expensive on Etsy!).