It's Already March?

Ok I admit I’m a slacker with regards to blogging. I just can’t pull my thoughts together lately to make it worth anyone’s while to read them. So today I’m going to give it a whirl. I’m currently consumed with kid stuff; keeping on them for assignments, getting their college funds pushed a bit, getting them to and from activities and school, and oh yeah, someone backed into my moving car in a parking lot 2 days ago, so my entire driver’s side of my less than 1 year old car must be repaired. Not like I have nothing else to do lately. Don’t you love those added bonuses?

I’m also taking time for myself. I’ve been trying to take aerobics and yoga at least 3-4 times a week. I need to fit into my pants, which all currently are tight. I refuse to buy bigger clothes since I should just get off my butt and move, but I hate how tight the crotch is when I sit down. SO uncomfortable. So what do I do? Wear sweats and the one pair of jeans that I do have that fit. Skirts too but I hate that my thighs rub together. Ok, TMI. But there it is, out there for the world to read. Thank God for body shapewear. I just bought the Barely There brand of shorts that are a bit high in the waist and are bike short length. They suck it all in. I highly recommend them, but not for everyday. You gotta breathe once in a while.

So you ask how my Etsy shop has been going. Thanks for asking. It’s going. Etsy is tough for jewelry because there are so many jewelers. I have some lower priced and more fun items listed. The Couple earrings are doing great and so are the Flower Hair Pins. I’m on my second batch of totally one-of-a-kind Couple earrings. Please help me promote these $15/pair cuties.

Crafty and My Daughter

Jenny Ryan of Craftzine.com Blog featured my 15 year old daughter's super crafty Science fair project, on the Craft blog today. It's a crocheted periodic table of the elements. It's so unique and she created it as she went along. It's the length of a bed and I'd have to say it's more of a wall piece than an afghan type piece. It took her 5 months to finish. Yay Emily!!! A+++ or bust.

The Best Damn Cake

About that chocolate cake I was writing about yesterday. It was the first time I made it and realized that the only thing chocolate about the cake itself is 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and the fact it looks like a chocolate cake. So I can't really qualify it as a chocolate cake by the taste. It's still the best damn cake I've had. The recipe is a Seventh Day Adventist recipe. The SDA's are typically vegetarian, so the key in this recipe is that they substitute prunes for butter.  This cake is only sold in one store in Loma Linda, CA, which has a large population of SDA's. I was introduced to this cake by some co-workers at a hospital I used to work with by Loma Linda. They were SDA. Here's the recipe: Loma Linda Chocolate Prune Cake.
I'll tell ya how it turned out when I taste it tonight.

Hope your Valentine's is Special

The red knitted heart is my latest mini-project. I beaded it as well and gave it to my friend Jennifer of Textile Fetish .

Valentine's is pretty special around here because (hold on to your laughter at this cliche') my husband proposed to me on Valentine's Day 17 years ago.....in our car.....in the garage. All of it, so predictable. But really he is a pretty good guy. My plans for tonight's dinner include cornish hens and I don't know what else. For dessert though, I've been meaning to make this particular chocolate cake for many years. I hate chocolate cake. I hate chocolate ice cream. I only like chocolate in the pure form of candy, however, this chocolate cake is like none other. I'll explain why in the next blog post. Stay tuned. And Happy Valentine's Day.

Can you Relate?

Many years ago (uhhum, in the 80's) I made myself some earrings like this and just loved them. Recently I was thinking about them and decided to make a variety of them to share with you all just in time for Valentine's Day.

Are you the Flirty Couple? The Look Alike Couple? The Spank Me Couple? Couples Earrings available now at my Etsy site http://www.shopbonnin.etsy.com/
Now go have some fun.

The Look of an Author

Do I look like an author? I'm sitting in a leather chair with books behind me. Even if it is only 6 words, they are more than 6 words I ever would have expected to be published in a book. Any of my words actually as I'm not a writer, I don't strive to write, and no one has ever said that should be my life's ambition. What are the 6 words? They are on page 47. You'll have to buy the book, which I just received from the publisher yesterday. The book is Six-Word Memoirs and on the Amazon link there is a cute video which goes with the book. I'm pretty happily smug with myself.

So the book tally is this: I have a jewelry project in a book that was published 2 years ago, I almost had 4 projects in another book then I didn't, I have 6 words in a book, and I will have one of my jewelry pieces featured in a book coming out this summer--for that I will keep you posted.

What else is new? I usually don't bake, but my father in law loves bread pudding and it's all he talks about these days. He orders it at every restaurant we go to whether they have it or not. So, Superbowl Sunday I made it because I knew he was coming over. I got the recipe from Epicurious.com and it was written by Maya Angelou. He is not a sweets person really so now I know why he likes a basic bread pudding--because it's not really sweet. To tell you the truth, I think it smelled better than it tasted because it has a whopping 2 Tablespoons of vanilla.

Yesterday I got my March issue of Bon Appetit magazine and there is a recipe for Dulce de leche and chocolate chunk bread pudding. Now that is more my speed, but my father in law wouldn't touch it. I may have to try that ooey gooey and chocolatey goodness sometime.