Everyday Beauty

Sweethearts on the Homefront

Hello Friends!

I am really excited to share some news with you today! In October, I'll be teaching a jewelry workshop at a Creative Retreat called Sweethearts on the Homefront. My dear friends, Rosalyn-Sue Smith (you may know her as The Patriot Girl) and Jennifer Hayslip are hosting the event, and it's going to be a wonderful time! It takes place in Atlanta and the theme is the 1940's Homefront. (what a perfect theme!)

There are so many details and you will want to go to the event website to check it all out. I'll be in good company, as the other workshop instructors are Jenny & Aaron and Heidi Meyer. All of the projects we'll be creating have a 1940's feel and style. Personally, this is one of my favorite eras. Love the fashion, the style, the resourcefulness and of course the patriotism American women on the Homefront showed while so many men were away at war.

The BEST part?? All of the proceeds will go to Operation Stars and Stripes, a non profit organization that supports our troops both home and abroad. For more information, to see all of the exciting details, and to register, CLICK HERE.

We will be spending Friday together in Atlanta at the Country Living Fair. (perfect timing!) I know I've always wanted to go and never had the opportunity, so this is the icing on the cake! We will begin our Country Living morning by attending an exclusive coffee and breakfast hosted by Jen O’Connor and Earth Angels Studios. We'll meet the talented artists of Earth Angels and shop their delightful handmade arts and one of a kind treasures. Jen will have goodie bags and discount coupons for every attendee.

On Saturday, grab your pearls, pin curl your hair and wear your loved apron. You will board the Patriot Girl Airlines to be transported to the charming Peachstate Aerodrome Airport hangar for a day of blissful creating. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time while being surrounded by vintage planes and old swing music tunes fromthe 40’s.

A little peek at the workshops projects and instructors:

A Wise Woman Knows Her Baking

Using an array of mediums and skill sets each class member will create their very own recipe scrapbook from scratch. Inspired by old fashioned cookbooks and kitchens, fabulous Golden Age advertising, and the soft pastel tones of vintage wallpapers and fabrics…this recipe book is a visual treat that may even be sweeter than the favorite recipes kept inside. Combining your love for paper craft, art journaling, scrapbooking, and baking, all together to make an artful album that’s sure to fill up with recipes that hold all the ingredients to a warm, loving home.

An American Beauty

From blooms growing beside victory gardens to Sunday hats brimming with millinery, American sweethearts adorned many things in their homes and clothing with beautiful flowers.  Using new and vintage materials, we will be making a vintage inspired millinery bloom with delicate lace, netting, and lustrous pearls.  This American Beauty can be pinned to an evening clutch or clipped to a special spot in the home to bring some of nature’s beauty indoors.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Inspired by the romantic soldiers, sailors and airmen of the 1940’s, Let Me Call You Sweetheart is a fresh twist on the popular  “Sweetheart Jewelry” that thoughtful servicemen would send back home to their wives and girlfriends during their WWII deployments.

In this workshop, we will use basic jewelry-making techniques as well as wire-wrapping, to create a nostalgic necklace in beautiful shades of blush pink, antique gold and pearl. We will combine faceted Czech glass beads with shimmering glass pearls, vintage brass findings and gorgeous vintage rhinestones for some good old fashioned sparkle. The classic heart-shaped brass locket which dangles from a vintage “Sweetheart” stamping is the perfect place to keep a cherished photo of your love.

Workshop kits will include everything needed to make this necklace just as pictured. Feel free to bring along any special beads and baubles you’d like to incorporate from your personal collection. Please bring jewelry pliers (chain nose and round nose) and wire snips. And of course don’t forget the most important part…. a picture or two of your sweetheart to nestle into the brass locket, so he’s always close to your heart!

It is going to be a wonderful event, and I'm so honored to be a part of it! I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones! CLICK HERE to read all of the details and register.

Have a great day!

xo Andrea

 

Chicken Pot Pie on a Cold Winter's Day

So I have another recipe for you. It's a great winter meal....hearty and delicious. All from scratch (the best kind of cooking!). I hope you try it, and I think you will enjoy it!

Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 stick of butter
2 cups chopped bite size potatoes (you can use less and add more carrots or peas to compensate, if desired)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cups frozen peas
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley

1 recipe Easy Homemade Pie Crust (recipe below)
1 egg, beaten

First, bake a few boneless skinless chicken breasts (enough to yield 2 cups when chopped),  in the oven with a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan so they don't dry out. A half hour should be enough time. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

While the chicken is cooking, make the pie crust. If you have never made pie crust from scratch, it is so simple, buttery and flaky. You will never return to frozen crusts again, I promise!

Easy Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into little cubes
4-5 Tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with a fork just until flour is moistened. Form the dough into a ball with your hands and set aside or refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 425.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 12 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are just tender. Add flour; cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Slowly add chicken broth and cream. Stir to combine. Return to a simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove the pan from heat and add chicken, frozen peas and herbs. Stir and pour mixture into a casserole dish, sized so the mixture comes just about to the top of the casserole dish, maybe an inch or so below the rim.

Using a floured pastry cloth,  roll out pie crust roughly in the shape of your casserole dish (round, oval, square, etc.), adding a couple inches all around to fold it under and crimp the edges. Place the rolled crust on top of your chicken-filled casserole dish. Fold the edges under and pinch the crust like a pie crust. Make it pretty, your family is worth it! Brush the crust with beaten egg. Using a knife, make a few cuts in the top of your crust for air to escape. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly.

Serve and Enjoy!

New Jewelry in the Shop

Hello! I wanted to let you know there are some new pieces in the shop today. I spent many hours during many days creating these pieces. It's always so much work, but so much fun at the same time.

I pour the love into my jewelry designs, and I always hope each piece brings joy and a blessing to the one who wears it.

Thank you, as always for your support and encouragement! xoxox

Click to shop!

Candied Pecans

If you're looking for a quick and easy little homemade gift to give, I don't think you can go wrong with these Candied Pecans. But be careful....you might find yourself eating them up before you can package them and tie the bow.

You will need:

4 cups (1 lb.) pecan halves
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a large metal baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Place pecans in a large mixing bowl. Beat egg whites and vanilla in a small bowl, and pour the mixture over pecans. Mix well until all the pecans are coated. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt, and pour over pecan mixture. Toss and mix well to evenly coat.

Spread the pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, turning and tossing every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before packaging them in small tins, bags or paper-lines boxes.

Now that there are only 4 days until Christmas (YIKES!) I am off to bake some more. And wrap. And bake. Oh, and I'm thinking of finishing the stockings I started making years ago......I'll let you know how that goes!

xo Andrea

Chewy Sea Salt Caramels

This week I made some Chewy Sea Salt Caramels that I wanted to share with you. Since I can't give you each a piece, I thought I'd give you the recipe so you an whip up a tasty batch for yourself.

You will need a candy thermometer and a bit of patience, but it's worth it. They are chewy and delicious, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't enjoy them. I'll be including a tin of these with the gifts I put together for my children's teachers. The babysitters in the nursery at church will also be getting some, as well as famiy and friends.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 pound light brown sugar

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light corn syrup

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 to 2 Tablespoons coarse sea salt

 

DIRECTIONS

Generously butter the bottom and sides of a glass 9x13" baking pan.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients EXCEPT for the vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat until the temperature on your candy thermometer reaches between 235 and 24o degrees F. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes at this temperature. You have to stir constantly, scraping the bottom so the mixture will not burn. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Carefully pour the VERY HOT liquid caramel into your buttered glass pan. Wait about 1 minute and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of the caramel, using your preference of how much salt you want to add. The contrast of the sweet caramel and the salt makes for a wonderful combination of flavors.

Allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Then remove the caramel slab from the pan and cut into squares using a large sharp knife or strong kitchen scissors.

Wrap each piece in waxed paper and twist the ends.

Enjoy!

Visions of Sugarplums

In the midst of the wonderful hustle and festive bustle of the season, I decided to make one last collection of jewelry in time for Christmas delivery. There are new Ear Drops and necklaces and lots of winter sparkle.

As long as orders are placed by Sunday, Dec 16th, I will ship in plenty of time for Christmas gift giving!

I hope you're loving this wonderful season and enjoying the company of family and friends as we prepare for December 25......only 14 more days!

Holiday Picture?

Considering using this one to include in our Christmas cards this year. It is quite comical and quite typical. Sofia is 2 going on 16. Heaven help me. As you may know, trying to get a great photo of multiple children is like trying to herd cats. But I have to say, I laugh out loud everytime I see this picture.

Just thought I'd share my laughing moment with you!

New Holiday Ear Drops

I have been a busy girl making this collection of fancy new Ear Drops just in time for the holidays. I'm so happy with the way these pieces turned out, with that little extra sparkle, wire wraps and soft pastel palette. I happened to have extra quantities of a few of the components and was able to make 2 sets of some of these designs.

If you want to have a look, click here to visit The Shopette.

Thank you to all of you gals who have placed custom orders. It's been such fun creating special pieces for you!

Made-To-Order

For a few years I have been asking myself if I should consider taking custom orders for jewelry designs. Truth be told, there was always that little bit of fear that it would become a "job". I worried that I'd lose the passion I have for designing and creating as my form of artistic expression.

Well, I have quietly been accepting custom jewelry requests from customers for the last few months, and to my great surprise.....what a JOY to be able to design a piece that is exactly what these customers are seeking. I am loving it.

Now that 2 of my children are in school, at least part time, and Sofia still takes a nice long nap, I am so enjoying sitting down at my jewelry table and feeling inspired and excited about what I am doing.

So, it's a big step for me, but one I am really excited about taking!

If there is a piece you have seen in my Shopette that you liked and would like something similar, I can do that. If you want a necklace with specific colors, charms, medals....I can do that also. As long as it's something that is true to my design style, I would love to create a piece for you!

The Made-to-Order Menu includes: Necklaces, Bracelets, Ear Drops, Bookmark Baubles, and Rosaries as well.

Simply contact me through the "Say Hello" link on my home page. My business has been quite an evolution, and I am so grateful that it has led me here. Thank you friends, for your support and encouragement all these years!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our home to yours!