Another Win for My Team!

One day I was reading my Twitter and I saw that one of my contacts, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura was having a giveaway on her blog, Girl Can Create. I went to check it out. I had never seen her work and was just blown away by the talent that this girl has. She is a mixed media artist that uses vintage photos and different papers and color to create art collages that are simply magnificent. I hurried and entered her giveaway for the Starling Limited Edition Fine Art Print (which is available). After all, I have the perfect room to hang it in. A few days later I received an email stating that I had won her giveaway. I rushed over to her blog and there was my name. Sure enough, I had won. I can’t believe my luck lately. But believe me, I appreciate it, I really, really do!!! So Thank You Lisa. Please visit her blog and go to her Etsy store and see all of her work available. Support her. She deserves it.

I Wouldn' t Call Myself Lucky, But...

Melissa Contreras of Axelhoney is one of my all time favorite indie designers. If any of you remember the adorable sculpted Berrs from a few years ago, that's what drew me straight to her. She is an accomplished painter, illustrator, sculptor, ceramicist, and now silver smith. And guess what, I won a double headed snake necklace of hers! Yup, that's right! It was a giveaway on the OC Weekly Column of Steph Calvert's Gettin' Made that she did on Melissa's fine work a couple weeks ago.
But you should see her paintings these days. They are magical. Head on over to her shop and see for yourself. Melissa of Axelhoney, don't forget this girl! She'll be around.

Found A Way

I love when an original idea finally makes it out of my puny brain. It's been so long and let me tell you, it feels so good. I always wanted to hang art of jewelry, but I couldn't paint or draw, my current photo editing program is the pits, and I don't know Photo Shop. So it wasn't until I started doing research for another blog article on photography techniques for The Succulent Wife Blog, when I came across many websites that did photo enhancement in easier ways than Photo Shop ever could. I was half way there. I finally figured out how the woman who loves jewelry, but doesn't like to wear it, can still have it as art, in her home, hanging on her walls.
I've taken my favorite pieces of original jewelry that I've designed and used the photos of them to come up with what I call mixed media jewelry photo art. I apply the enhanced photos to hand painted canvases and then embellish them with paints and sometimes with other things to result in a one of a kind art piece. Aren't they fun. There are only 5 introductory pieces currently available in my shop now.

Twitter and the Blog Connection

Twitter is a place that I get away to. It completely annoys my husband and my kids although my husband always sneaks onto Twitter to see what the pro cyclists are up to. I've caught him. Back to what I do on Twitter. I chat with friends on twitter. I network. I eat up time, but most of all, I meet new people; local people. Interesting people. And some of those people I have met in person. Some I have yet to meet. Last week, for example, @TwentyFour had a giveaway on her blog, Twenty Four at Heart. So I signed up. So did other people from around the world, she said. But a randomly I won. See above. Anne Taintor coasters and cocktail umbrellas which arrived today. Thanks Suzanne! She's a local OC person I've been wanting to meet. I could have met her recently but she was taking her son off to college. So this is karma that we must meet and share cocktails on me, apparently~

Arroz con Pollo in the Cazuela

Finally buying a covered cazuela (a terra cotta casserole pot) has been my dream come true. Well not really but I've been wanting one for a long, long time. My mother in law had a huge cazuela that I one day hoped to own, until it cracked when she was cooking with it. We were all devastated. She had to resort to a Mexican, some kind of metal one. Last night I made Arroz con Pollo modified from this recipe in it. I always modify. I don't love peppers, or green peppers, thought I had bacon and didn't, wanted to use my new bittersweet paprika I got at La Espanola, so did and added some El Pato for spice. Plus my husband can't eat cumin, so eliminated that. It was a hit. I told my hubby not to compare it to his moms or any one elses for that matter, just tell me if he liked it or didn't. He absolutely did. Phew!

Back to the Cazuela that I got. It was purchased at my new favorite store La Espanola Meats in Harbor City where they make their own Spanish chorizo, jamon serrano, and much more as well as import many Spanish products. It's a gem!

Here's the market area where they sell wine, sweets, crackers, olives, olive oil, nuts, spices and so much more
The meat counter with their products packaged.
The dairy case with imported Spanish cheeses filled to the brim. The Jamon Serrano is hanging. I saw one that was $100. So that's pretty inexpensive I'm told. Jamon in Spain can be $1000 for a whole one or more.

I'm so excited with my cazuela. There are a few things that are important about them. Before you use one, you must immerse it in water for 6 hours so that when you use it for the first time, it doesn't crack. If you live in a dry area, soak it periodically. Also, you can use it on the stovetop, in the microwave and in the oven but don't use it on the stovetop any higher than med-high or it will crack and elevate your temp slowly.

OC Blogger Awards

Many of you wondered what I meant when I posted on my facebook that I was going to step way out of my comfort zone last night. Well this is what I meant. In my whole adult life, I don't recall being nominated for an award, much less showing up at an event to see if I won. But that really wasn't the intention. I was nominated for an OC Blog award and thanks for many of you for voting for me. I really didn't think I would win. And I didn't. But more about that later. I really wanted to go to this event to meet other bloggers in Orange County and "network". I thought it would be a great opportunity to get away from the tv for an evening and see what lurks outside my driveway. I'm really glad I went. So with the support of my friend Kristin (we carpooled and she knew a lot of these people) we showed up at Wowzville.
It was an awards ceremony for the 2010 generation put on by Just-Spotted.com's Kelly and Colleen. Above is Kelly. The evening was simply set up to meet other bloggers, enjoy some Dippin'Dots and other sweet treats and the winners were Twittered so people just checked their phones at a certain time. I loved that. Low key, not a sit down ceremony. No nerves. Not embarrassing.
This is Dana. She won in the Most "Creative" Blog Category (the one I was nominated in) She is a super talented sewer and has quite a following. Check out her blog, Dana-Made-It.
Had to throw in a little Orange Crush for the OC! There were lots of interesting sodas to drink also.
They had a photo booth. I had to try it~

My friend Kristin Ausk of Meringue Bake Shop and Suz Broughton who I've been looking forward to meeting. She's an amazing photographer and I hope to be like her one day. ;-)

I met so many really great people. I look forward to more meetups in the future. It was great to get beyond the recliner and out of the driveway, even though I did miss the premiere of Top Chef. Thank goodness for my dvr.