The Chocolate Kingdom

Ahhh, my son and I finally decorated our Christmas tree last night. Since the three of us live in a small condo, tree space is a premium! Last year we got clever and got a 6 footer and placed it atop a 2 foot chest, giving us an 8 foot tree. We did it again this time around. My son starts the decoration with draping 6 strands of lights around the tree, 3 clear and 3 colored while I pick the Christmas music cd. He really gets into the tree so that is illuminated fully from trunk to tip. He IS the light master!

We both wanted to keep the decorations simple but I must have my icicles so we just used those plus purple, blue & silver round balls...that's it, and we really liked it. My one concession was a big, ballerina glass ornament, but she is long and slender...like an icicle...get it? She has a little pink tutu.




So here are daytime and nighttime shots for you although it probably doesn't mean much unless you are here to see it. Fun, though.

As for jewelry, I assembled the last 10 little amazing choco-caramel glass cupcakes I have from Payton Jett into a bracelet with a heart lock clasp with a dangling key. I call it the Key to the Chocolate Cupcake Kingdom bracelet.

I mean, don't they look edible to you? They sure do to me!
Sales have been strange this season with what's happening in our economy so I was very happy that a few people bought cupcake jewelry and some stickers this week. I happily mailed those packages.




I also cleaned up my Etsy jewelry shop a little to remove pieces that didn't fit the cupcake theme as it seems that is what most viewers and buyers want to see. It looks much better. Much of the jewelry has free worldwide shipping, by the way.

I'd love to see some of your holiday decorations if you care to share.

Happy Birthday to me, I feel like A Little Princess!

It's my birthday today and I just had to share something funny with you. Last night my hard working husband was getting ready for bed and he said to me, "oh, Honey, I'm SO sorry. I didn't get you anything for your birthday! No card, no flowers...I'm sorry".

Well, I raised my eyebrows and replied, "Oh yeah? Well, my birthday isn't until tomorrow, there's still time" and we both laughed.

Well, I awoke this morning and immediately checked email at my bedroom computer. My husband had sent a message saying, "Hello Birthday Girl, did you enjoy it? Tell me all about it!". I replied that I had just started my day and there was nothing to tell yet.



So, I finished my emails and was walking downstairs thinking about his greeting and I thought, oh! He must left me a little something this morning before work..THAT's what he meant!

Well..that little something was not only a card, and not only a dozen roses in 4 colors, but also a gigantic cupcake balloon (me LOVE cupcake anything!) and a fresh pot of coffee (his is the BEST). Wow what a huge surprise from someone who had nothing the night before!

This means he went out early this morning to do all this just for me before he went to work...what a wonderful guy! I was about to pour my coffee when I noticed the balloon had a little tag


that said "I sing!" (last photo) so I tapped it and this woman, backed up by a full band began to sing "happy birthday" loud and fast! I just cracked up and danced as I poured my coffee...hiLARious! Singing cards I've heard of, but a singing balloon? Never.

When I brushed past the balloon to grab an apple...it played. When I brushed against it to open the curtains...it played.


This thing is so sensitive it takes very little to activate. I called my husband to thank him and when he answered I tapped the balloon again to make it sing for him. He said that there he was in the car on the way home with all my gifts and every bump in the road set that darned balloon off...it sang to him all the way home....funNEEE!


Betcha that's the last time I get a singing birthday balloon! Next year my birthday is smack dab ON Thanksgiving which is the day we usually travel to see family so I have to say that I'm glad THIS year's birthday is toDAY so I can go see "Four Christmases" with my son before he cooks me dinner for my present.

Oh, my other surprise today was my son leaving a video on my worktable... (yes, videos are apparently still in production) of one of my favorite stories, "A little Princess". I love stories of coming of age and rags to riches and this has all that. Good move, Son.

Plus, my friend who is retiring next year just contacted me to say his new manufactured home is being installed on his property today. He is at work and can't be there...he is just itching with excitement, so this is a day to remember for several reasons.

So you can see I have extras to be thankful for this holiday, two men in my life that sure like to make me feel good. I'm thankful I could entertain you today with my story. Happy Thanksgiving.

Lazy, hazy days of Summer

A touch of Christmas for you even though our weather here in northern California is very much like summer. While my friend in Illinois was cozy in her slippers, I was in my bare feet!

We had such miserable batches of heat this summer and now we are being rewarded with the most perfect weather. I took my walk yesterday at 3:30 in the afternoon and the sun was still warm and the air was still. Just incredible in the middle of November.

A section of the condos we live in have been getting new roofing. When the company quoted they could start in early November I expected months of these condos with plastic sheeting in the midst of
rain. But the project is nearly complete with not a raindrop in sight. Sadly, this all is a reminder of the water situation over here as well. Lakes have been dangerously low for a few years now.

Today I have photos of some fun Christmas items from my MomsArt shop on Etsy: a delicate clear glass ornament filled with the most amazing handcrafted origami "lucky stars". I purchased the stars on Etsy and they are each so perfect. I

cannot imagine my fingers being able to craft such teeny perfections. They are bright and shiny in jewel tones. I also punched some Christmas tree stickers from my favorite and most popular "Paris Chic" paper. The pinks, blacks and whites are so pretty and there are 5 patterns that make the set a whole lot of fun.

Lastly, no more jewelry consignment for me. I don't enjoy the pricing structure, so I have in my hands a necklace that is so pretty in black and white (left). Thanks to Lezlie Belanger, it's got a big handcrafted round focal bead topped by a tube with delicate white swirls, all suspended from a black silk ribbon. Available at RockerJewlz.etsy.com.

My birthday is the day before Thanksgiving this year which is already next week...wow! We will probably go to Kincaid's in Burlingame, a wonderful restaurant across the bay from the SFO airport where we can see jumbo jets arrive and depart but don't hear them. They have the most scrumptious food and elegant atmosphere. Then we are off to be with my in-laws.

My wish for you is that no matter the situation in your lives that you are thankful for whatever good you have.

Hey, Pumpkin!

New pendants are up on www.RockerJewlz.etsy.com. I had a lot of fun with these. They are enameled one inch rounds that I've suspended from a handcrafted lampwork bead captured between shiny silver caps. I have them in robin's egg blue, primary red and chocolate brown and only one full alphabet in each color, so move fast if you need one or a few. Including shipping, they are under $20 which makes them perfect as stocking stuffers and gift exchanges.

There is a gentle rain outside and for the first time this season, I turned the heater on just to take the chill off.


Once our Marinara Meatloaf is in the oven, I can turn off the heater. It's a really yummy recipe my sis turned me onto. Just a nice change, ya know?

So my husband is apparently far more clever than I knew! He entered his company's pumpkin carving contest and won first place! He didn't carve the pumpkin but he painstakingly created stencils of bats and "happy halloween". He placed them on the back and then spray painted the pumpkin blue. When he removed the stencils, he had a finished product in the company's 2 theme colors...very clever.



Since he is part of the facilities department, he wanted a face and hard hat so his boss scoured the site throughout the day and came up with parts that created the facial features...that nose is an emergency ceiling sprinkler! So clever and funny. My husband isn't much of a coffee drinker so he turned over the winning Starbucks gift card to me. Happy Halloween to me.

I'm having a great time coming up with inexpensive but pretty jewelry for the holidays so keep visiting my Etsy shop and stay cozy!