I am an optimist...sometimes to the point that it annoys my family...but this year has really tested my ability to see the glass as half full.
Facets of Myself
Because every piece of jewelry tells a story.
Monday, December 28, 2020
12.28.20 2020 Hindsight
I am an optimist...sometimes to the point that it annoys my family...but this year has really tested my ability to see the glass as half full.
Monday, December 14, 2020
12.14.20 Home for the Holidays - Part 2
Just before Thanksgiving, I wrote about going to Ballet Austin to record the descriptive audio narration for the feature length film of the Nutcracker that is now available for home viewing. On Saturday, the Home for the Holidays package was released, and I felt a not so small swell of pride when I opened the page and saw this:
Monday, November 30, 2020
11.30.20 Retail Therapy
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At the Ladysmiths of ATX gallery at Canopy Austin |
Last year, I had a great holiday selling season, with pop up markets at Pottery Barn and Creative Side, and my work shown in the Ladysmiths of ATX gallery at Canopy Austin.
This year will be very different, I imagine the only sales I will make will be through online events and my Etsy shop - but my jewelry doesn't represent my livelihood - for many other artists I know (and plenty I don't), holiday shopping makes or breaks their annual income.
It would be hard to overstate the negative impact that Covid-19 has had on artists and businesses...including, or maybe especially, makers.
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My work in the Canopy Austin gallery |
Never has the concept of "Shop Small" been more important. Buying work directly from a maker, or through a local gallery does more than just give you warm fuzzies as a shopper, it can have both an emotional and financial impact on the person who crafted the items you buy.
Buying from a maker results in a more personal and thoughtful gift. It will be one of a few or one of a kind, hand crafted rather than made through production (and maybe even out of the country).
Buying from a maker supports them as an artist. It demonstrates your commitment to craftsmanship and creativity. The creation of the item is personal, which makes it a more meaningful gift.
Buying from a maker has a positive financial impact, not just for the artist, but for the local economy.
The Local Multiplier Effect (LME) - and economic concept that looks at money spent small and local, versus in a large national retailer or online - means that dollars spent with a local artist or vendor stay in the local community. Those dollars continue to circulate locally, supporting other businesses, rather than leaving the community. The impact of a dollar spent locally can be several times greater than a dollar spent in a big box store or online.
While there is no physical retail space this year, the Ladysmiths of ATX are working hard to create a virtual space for women jewelry makers.Starting this week, November 28, through December 6, they will be hosting an online holiday market on their Instagram feed and stories. They will be highlighting nearly two dozen jewelry artists using the hashtags:
#makermagic2020 and #LSATXMM20.
These are just a few of the faces behind the social media posts and accounts you will see over the next couple of weeks at the Ladysmiths of ATX Maker Magic Holiday Show...
not only are these talented women crafting beautiful jewelry, they all need to buy groceries and pay bills - and I guarantee that they will be more excited about and grateful for your purchase than a big box store or major online retailer.
Some of the Ladysmiths of ATX on Zoom |
I understand that handcrafted, artisan gifts may be harder to find this year because there are almost no in person markets, and these items can be more expensive - so not everyone can afford to purchase them - but I encourage you to look online for virtual markets, or seek out small shops in your area. These folks are your neighbors, they make up your community, and they deserve your support.
Until next time.
Monday, November 23, 2020
11.23.20 Home for the Holidays
Under ordinary circumstances, I would say that when it's still 100+ outside, it's too early to be talking about Nutcracker...but a few weeks ago, that's exactly what I did...and it was great.
For the last decade or so, I have been giving Nutcracker Docent presentations on behalf of Ballet Austin at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and more recently, I have been providing descriptive audio narration for students and other visually impaired patrons at performances.
Like everything else about 2020, Nutcracker presentations are going to be different this year...but I was thrilled when I got a request to go to the Ballet Austin studios and record both a video piece for the docent presentation that will go out to third graders across central Texas, and make an audio recording of my descriptive narration.
When I got there, I was so glad to see the staff from the Community Education and Production departments...but I couldn't hug them, in fact, we all stayed six feet apart as they set up the camera and microphone for me to record my video segment.
I was a little nervous - it's one thing to make a presentation in front of a group of third graders, they love having "guests" in the classroom, but doing it on camera is a little more daunting.
For many students, Nutcracker is their introduction to live performing arts, especially dance, and I wanted to appear as enthusiastic on camera as I try to be in person.
The good news is - it went quite well - in no small part due to the work done for me by the Ballet Austin staff. They had the script on a teleprompter, and adjusted the scroll rate to a speed that worked well for me.
After the video taping was finished, I was ready to do my descriptive narration audio recording...but rather than being in the sound booth at the Long Center, with a live performance on stage, I was in an office watching video on a small screen.
Still, I was glad to be asked, and happy to be doing it.
I'll miss being able to see the students - and the performances - in person this year, but I'm glad to be able to help the folks at Ballet Austin, who are working so hard to make sure that Central Texans - including thousands of school children - can still experience the Nutcracker this year.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
09.14.20 It's Been Six Months...
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Brunch with the family |
Source: Austin Public Health |


Monday, August 31, 2020
08.31.20 The Older, the Better
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My Mom (L), Dad (R) and my Grandmother - 1957 My parents would have been married 62 this month |

My grandmother learned to cook, both from her own mother, and from the woman who cooked and kept house for her family when she was growing up in Alabama.
She made wonderful chicken soup and matzo balls, but she also made incredible fried chicken.
She used her cast iron every day - she cooked my grandfather's breakfast, toast, coffee and - three eggs, sunny side up in one of her skillets...but my favorite use for them was baking cornbread.
I loved staying with my grandparents, and I especially enjoyed cooking with my grandmother. I always asked if we could make cornbread to have with breakfast. She always said yes.
We would measure and sift the dry ingredients the night before, then add the egg, buttermilk and melted butter in the morning. I have the recipe written on a card in her handwriting, and I still bake it in her skillet.

I'm using the skillets for a lot of other meals, too...
One of our favorite local restaurants, Dai Due, makes the only fried chicken I've ever had that's as good as my grandmother's. They only serve it on Sunday, and we get an order of it every week. They've also started selling their hamburger patties and wonderful sausages to cook at home.

Another great recipe - for lamb chops (which I am buying at the farmers market) - came from one of my jeweler friends. You sear the marinated chops on top of the stove, then finish them in the oven.
Not only are these well worn, deeply seasoned pans fabulous for cooking...they bring back wonderful memories of my Grandmother everytime I use them.
The world is a pretty dark place right now, and I'm working to find hope and light where I can...pulling out these skillets, that fed my family for generations before me, and cooking with them regularly brings me joy. That probably wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been forced to change what and where we eat - among other things.
Until next time.
Jacques Pepin's Instant Tenderloin Beef Stew
From “Fast Food My Way”
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced (1/2-inch) potato, rinsed under cold running water
1 cup baby carrots (about 4 ounces)
1 cup small white button mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup baby peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided use
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed of all fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and lightly browned.
Add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Add the garlic, peas, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook for 1 minute. Set aside, covered, while you cook the steak.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in another skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper on the filet pieces and add the meat to the skillet in one layer. Saute, turning, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat is browned on all sides. Transfer to a platter.
Add the wine and stock to the skillet and boil for about 10 seconds. Pour over the meat and vegetables, and serve.
Gertrude's White Meal Cornbread
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven while it heats. Remove when the butter is melted.
Sift together dry ingredients:
1.5 cups white corn meal
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add to the dry mixture and whisk until there are no lumps
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
Remove the skillet from the oven, pour the melted butter into the batter and whisk in.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet, return to the oven and bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool briefly - 5 or 10 minutes - before cutting.
Monday, August 17, 2020
08.17.20 The Right Stuff
I've written about this before in the context of jewelry - and the same is true in the kitchen...where I am spending a whole lotta time right now!
I've had a well equipped kitchen for most of my adult life, but until a few months ago I had pretty much stopped cooking on a regular basis. Since I've started up again, I've added a few things that have made me really happy.
I always start my day with coffee, and last fall we bought an espresso machine (to replace the tiny, manual one we got as a wedding gift going on 30 years ago)...and boy, are we glad to have it.
Part of the thinking, when we bought it (well in advance of the pandemic) is that it would pay for itself over time as I stopped getting my coffee on the go everyday. At one cup a day for me, it was going to take a while...my husband's office had big, fancy machines, so he was making his espressos there (several times a day) during the week, and at home on the weekends...but now that we're both home 24/7 we feel like geniuses!
Since he has been working from home (for going on 5 months)...and we are going through a pound of beans a week! Fortunately, our favorite local coffee roaster started shipping at the start of the lockdown. Now we get a big box once a month so we can stay caffeinated.
While I love my cup of hot coffee in the morning, during the summer I want cold brew in the afternoon. Like so many grocery items, my favorite cold brew was hard to get curbside in the beginning, so I decided to investigate options to make it at home.
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Photo credit: County Line Kitchen |
I settled on a mason jar filter system from County Line Kitchen - and it works like a champ! I had been drinking a pecan flavored cold brew, and discovered that HEB (the world's best grocery store - don't believe me, just ask Business Insider or Food and Wine) has a Texas Pecan coffee! I buy it ground, follow the instructions and it makes a delicious cold brew.
Unlike the espresso machine, the mason jar and filter were only $25, so the return on investment was big and fast!
Next up was a new toaster oven. Seems like a small thing...but the previous one was clearly at the end of its life. Sometimes it would come on when you pushed the start button, other times you had to toggle the start and stop ones - and maybe it would stay on until the bagel was toasted, maybe not.

We are now happily toasting bagels, reheating pizza, and prepping pecans for baking once again.
Even older than the toaster, was the muffin tin I had...it dated back to college. Over the years it made a lot of muffins and birthday cupcakes to take to school and scout events...but when I pulled it out a recently I noticed it was in really bad shape; a little dented and rusted on the underside...so I decided to look for a new one of those, too.
In my search, I landed on the Williams-Sonoma page and discovered (ON SALE) the most wonderful measuring cups and spoons - they are odd sized! This may not seem like a big deal to you - but I was smitten and had to have them!
The cups come in 2/3, 3/4 and 1.5 cup sizes; the spoons are 2 teaspoons, 1.5 Tablespoons and 2 Tablespoons...and I use them every time I make blueberry muffins (pretty much every other week).
...and finally (just a few days before this post - so I've added it) a new hand mixer. The one I've had since college stopped turning halfway through mixing a pound cake (baked it anyway...it was a little, uh, dense).
As with the pound cake, it seems wrong to write about the muffins, and not share the recipe...as you can see, the measurements for the first 3 ingredients all utilize my new odd sized cups and spoons.
Until next time.

(adapted from Allrecipes.com)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk, or more as needed
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and add enough milk to reach the 1-cup mark.
Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries and pecans.
Fill muffin cups add top each muffin with a sprinkle of Turbinado sugar (about a teaspoon per muffin)
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.