Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to one and all!
May you have happiness and prosperity now and in the New Year!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

BAO - Items of the Week for 12/22

See these items "up close" at the Bead Art Originals Blog and see all the gorgeous Bead Art Original pieces by entering "BAO Team" in the Etsy search!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #9 - COOKIES!

13 Favorite Cookies for Christmas...so, cookies are among my many diet downfalls! Give me warm, homemade cookies and a big glass of milk and I'm one happy camper!

1. Kissmas Cookies: This is an almond flavored dough with maraschino cherry pieces and rolled in nuts and then just before they are done baking, a chocolate kiss is placed in the middle! It's like an cherry almond cordial!

2. "Terminator" Cookies: This is a peanut butter cookie dough that is wrapped around a miniature Dove chocolate piece and then baked. When you bite into it, there is a chocolate center!

3. Almond Press Cookies: These are a family tradition. An almond flavored dough that is used in my grandmother's cookie press and squeezed out into Christmas tree or wreath shapes and decorated with sprinkles.

4. Snickerdoodles: A sugar cookie dough with cinnamon and sugar coating. Perfect with coffee or hot chocolate!

5. Peanut Blossoms: The normal peanut butter dough with a chocolate kiss placed in the middle just before they're done baking!

6. Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies: These cookies can also be frosted for an added jolt of sugar!

7. Nestle Toll House Pan Cookie: This is the traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the Nestle bag, but you press all the dough into a jelly-roll pan, bake for 20-25 minutes then cut into 2" squares.

8. Bonbon Cookies: A sugar cookie dough that is formed into a ball that is wrapped around nuts, dates, dried cranberries or other fruit.

9. Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip Cookies: Yes, I have a thing for chocolate and peanut butter and cookies work for me! You can also just put a Reese's Peanut butter cup in the middle of the Bonbon cookies and get a similar result!

10. Lemon-frosted Sugar Cookies: These work well for summer, too. Lemon is just a great flavor, even in the winter!

11. Spiced Vanilla Cookies: This isn't one I've tried yet, but it's in my Cooking Light cookbook and it looks really good with it's cinnamon and nutmeg spices!

12. Pecan Blondies: Technically not a cookie, but always a good Christmas treat!

13. Buckeyes: Also not a cookie, but since we make these peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate when we make our Christmas cookies, I thought I would add it in!

If anyone's interested in any of these recipes, just leave a comment and I'll email the recipe to you!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

New Piece!

This one is called "Decadence" because it has the beautiful shimmering gold and the rich chocolate brown. I thought it also looked like s'mores, which despite it's fireside and camping reputation is a really rich dessert!

And the Winner Is...

Queen of the Frozen Tundra necklace by Karin of Gypsy Eyes Jewelry! Congratulations to Karin and all the entries!

Monday, December 15, 2008

I've Been Featured!

Lydia of Being Particular has featured me on her blog! She picked a couple of her favorites and asked me several questions about my art and jewelry! Check it out! She was also gracious enough to mention the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge and voting! Thanks so much Lydia!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #8

I had these great plans of getting my T13 done last night and did I do it? No...so here's my 'quick' Thursday Thirteen:

Thirteen favorite verbal exchanges (or lines) from "The Princess Bride" courtesy of IMDB.com

1. Inigo Montoya: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

2. Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE."
Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

3. Inigo Montoya: "I donna suppose you could speed things up?"
Man in Black: "If you're in such a hurry, you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do."
Inigo Montoya: "I could do that. I have some rope up here, but I do not think you would accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you."
Man in Black: "That does put a damper on our relationship."

4. Inigo Montoya: "You are ready then?"
Man in Black: "Whether I am or not, you've been more than fair."
Inigo Montoya: [drawing his sword] "You seem a decent fellow... I hate to kill you."
Man in Black: "You seem a decent fellow... I hate to die."

5. [fencing] Inigo Montoya: "You are wonderful."
Man in Black: "Thank you; I've worked hard to become so."
Inigo Montoya: "I admit it, you are better than I am."
Man in Black: "Then why are you smiling?"
Inigo Montoya: "Because I know something you don't know."
Man in Black: "And what is that?"
Inigo Montoya: "I... am not left-handed."
[Moves his sword to his right hand and gains an advantage]
Man in Black: "You are amazing."
Inigo Montoya: "I ought to be, after 20 years."
Man in Black: "Oh, there's something I ought to tell you."
Inigo Montoya: "Tell me."
Man in Black: "I'm not left-handed either."
[Moves his sword to his right hand and regains his advantage]

6. Inigo Montoya: "Are you the Miracle Max who worked for the king all those years?"
Miracle Max: "The King's stinking son fired me, and thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it? We're closed."

7. Count Rugen: "Ah. Are you coming down into the pit? Westley's got his strength back. I'm starting him on the machine tonight."
Prince Humperdinck: [sincerely] "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped."
Count Rugen: "Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything."

8. Westley: "You warthog-faced buffoon."

9. [after defeating Fezzik, who lays on the ground unconscious] Westley: "I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But for now, rest well and dream of large women."

10. Fezzik: "You just shook your head... doesn't that make you happy?"
Westley: "My brains, his steel, and your strength against sixty men, and you think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy?"

11. Miracle Max: "Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe [smacks his lips]...they're so perky, I love that."

12. The Impressive Clergyman: "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam..."

13. Prince Humperdink: "I think you're bluffing."
Westley: "It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all." [slowly rises and points sword directly at the prince] "DROP... YOUR... SWORD!"

As you can see, my favorite exchanges occur between Inigo Montoya and Man in Black. That sword-fight scene is my all-time favorite!


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Etsy Beadweavers December Challenge

It's almost time to vote!

Saturday, December 06, 2008

A "House" Case Study

I was looking up information on the series "House, M.D." because I wanted to put together a series of trivia questions and I found these fascinating tidbits. Nicole of Inspire Emotion thought I should write a post about it, so here it is...

The character of Gregory House is loosely based on the fictional character Sherlock Holmes (who was loosely based on a doctor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle knew named Dr. Joseph Bell, who was a diagnostician!). Here are their similarities:
1. Both are loners whose fascination/lifework is solving the unsolvable.
2. Both have the ability to deduce clues and information about a person by simply looking at them.
3. Both have addictions. House to Vicadin and Holmes to opium (cocaine).
4. Both only refer to others by their last names, including their best friends.
5. Both are musicians. House plays piano and guitar while Holmes played the violin.
6. Both have one true friend. House has James Wilson, while Holmes had John Watson.
7. Both are considered arrogant and condescending.
8. House lives in apartment 221B while Holmes lived at 221B Baker Street.
9. The first case in the House TV series involved a woman named Rebecca Adler, while Holmes' first case involved Irene Adler.
10. In the last episode of season two, House was shot by a man named Moriarty, while Holmes' archenemy was named Moriarty.

For more trivia and fun facts see Internet Movie Database and House: Guide to the TV Show.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #7

This week's Thursday Thirteen (#7) is about TV shows. These are ones that I enjoy both past and present (in no particular order). I think I'll be expanding on this topic in future T13s.

1. Project Runway - It's the wackiness of some of these designers that brings me back every season!
2. The Tudors - I was able to watch the first two seasons of this when they did a promo weekend or something, but I loved it!
3. CSI:NY - I really like the CSI premise and I love Gary Sinise, not to mention the utterly steriotypical NY cast characters.
4. CSI - The original is always the best. (IMHO - CSI Miami is completely ridiculous due totally to the Horatio Caine character.)
5. Top Chef - How do they do what they do with simple foods?
6. ER - I'll admit I was an avid watcher early on, then lost track of it, but have been catching up on TNT.
7. MadMen - Hooked! The times, the era, the social norms of the time...wonderful!
8. Six Feet Under - We had HBO for a while and we really liked the strangeness of this series.
9. So You Think You Can Dance? - These kids are extremely talented. I love this series much more than any of the other "reality contests" because these kids are the whole package...talent, personality, the works.
10. Carnivale - Another odd series from HBO that we enjoyed a lot.
11. Highlander - Got hooked on this series because of a former co-worker...she was crazy for it and her enthusiasm was contagious.
12. House - He is and does what we wish we could, but he gets away with it!
13. NCIS - Just started watching this series on USA, but I like the cast dynamic and the odd characters.


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!