Thursday, December 31, 2009

Resolutions & Resolve : Ngan | eNVe Designs

Hi fellow Lillyella readers! It’s Ngan from eNVe Designs filling in for our favorite busy bee, Nicole. As the year winds down and 2010 is peeking around the corner, I can’t help but reflect on new resolutions and what this year has meant to me personally. It’s definitely been a year of big changes. My husband and I had a beautiful baby girl, we moved half way across the country, and our son just entered his terrible-two’s. This year has also been a tough one for our family including several lay offs and the loss of my uncle to cancer. Through this year’s undulations, continuously present at the top of the climbs and at the bottom of the falls, were the valuable connections that were forged and deepened. It is these connections…to our family, friends, neighbors…to our spirituality…to our creativity, our art…and to our true selves…that I am eternally grateful for and hope to build upon in the new year.

One of the many blessings I’m counting this year is the wonderful Etsy Project Embrace team, whose members are some of the most warm and supportive people I’ve had the pleasure of “meeting” through Etsy. So I’d like to take a minute to highlight some new years resolutions from a few members of the Etsy Project Embrace Team.

Cheers to all, to a bright year ahead!


Laura of lauraslocumpainted
Since I spent HOURS going thru my etsy shops and "re-tooling" today, I'm thinking that I'd like to make a resolution to list items on Etsy in half the time! ...to continue to keep cheetos on any diet I may have to be on. ....to get thru chemo with "flying colors" in 2010, then say goodbye to it FOREVER.



Kerrin of Sigmosaics
Creating a positive and healthy environment for my children in our new home of New Zealand. After all the settling in bits are finished I will be concentrating on Sigmosaics and building up my shop… catching up on all those much neglected extras (blogs!!) that go with having an online presence and enhancing any and all skills related to my shop, in stock and also in customer service!




Karon of WildWomanJewelry
One of my resolutions is to get a little more exercise (shocking, I know!) but I spend way too much time sitting, at my workbench and on the computer! I also intend to get my paperwork in order for 2010 — a better, more detailed filing system and record keeping for sales and expenses. And lastly, I intend to have a little more 'sacred inactivity' built into my week, a little regular time to be a bit of a 'turnip'- slow down and and let the creative juices flow!



Brenda of Phydeaux
Continue my quest to decrease major stress in my life (it's been an annual one for several years - 2010 might be the first successful year!). Start writing fiction again! Get a contract for a book for knitting patterns. Eat a salad every day (I'm already planning the blog with recipes!). Last, but by no means least, after several years of extreme stress, learn to find and embrace joy in everything I do. :)



Jenn of jennreese7
I resolve to shed a chin this year. My kid is almost 7 months old — No excuses for me!



Jill of moonlightbeadworks
Besides the usual, spend more time with family and friends, help others more, get more exercise, pay off debt. I really need to work on the following: Find, charge and use my cell phone since I am paying for it. Pick up the house phone when it rings, instead of letting the answering machine come on. Listen to the voice mails left by those who could not reach me. Return calls promptly.



Jill of GlazedOver
There are so many ways in which I aspire to improve my character, to be a better mother, wife, artist, global citizen, etc. but I'd say my resolutions all boil down to one main one: to be a better listener. If I can accomplish that, all the other little duckies will line up quite nicely.



Rose of Waterrose
My resolution is to make better use of time. I plan to start a new line of creations, revamp my blog, and learn a new embroidery technique ... that takes care of the first six months!



Susan of Simplysuzula
Think before I speak… my mouth needs reining in. Work harder to support Etsy Project Embrace by adding more TEAMEPE items. Put more emphasis on others and less on myself. Start eating healthier and excercising more. Treat others the way I want to be treated and be more tolerant of others.



Charity of SewCharitable
Embroider more each weekend. It makes me happy because it is creative and I can generate items and patterns for my shop! Focus on my wedding in October by buying independently and locally from Etsy vendors. Take time each day to snuggle with my fiance and kitties.



Teresa of tmpenrose
Stay more on top of the financial (i.e., tax info) end of the business. Go to boutiques in my area and see if they will do consignment.



Kelly of sweetnessjewelry
Just making it through the next year, Read more, and make more jewelry and put it on etsy!!!



Jen of NimiJewelry
On the personal side, my resolution is to relax. I want to let go of my automatic impulse to feel guilty and assume responsibility for anything that goes wrong in the lives of my loved ones –and especially people I don't know. It will take a bit (ok a lot!) of work, but I'm going to try to become what my friend calls "Zen Jen." I will take a deep breath, step back and relaaax. Professionally, I want to get my jewelry business up and off the ground. I want to start getting some serious sales on Etsy and I want to get my pieces into boutiques in the area.



Kristin of loveartworks
To take my life on a daily basis and remember that I have no control over 99% of what goes on around me. The 1% I do have a say in, I want to be mindful, positive and I want to do the action steps needed on my part to create my day and then let go and see what happens. To live each day in the present, not dwell in past good or bad things, not spend time in the future. Where are my feet? They are right here, right now!

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ABOUT NGAN
Ngan is addicted to the creative process and jewelry design is her labor of love. Her philosophy is to create quality pieces that are unique, captivating and truly versatile. She spends a great deal of time and effort donating her talents to charitable causes with her most recent endeavor being her Warm Hearts project. She created a necklace that is currently traveling around the globe with money being donated to St Judes Childrens Hospital for every stop it makes. Click here to learn more about the project and get involved and visit eNVe Designs to see the rest of Ngan's stunning creations.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Men's Wear for the New Year : Tara | Scoutie Girl

In the wonderfully reciprocal nature of blog contributions, the fabulous Tara of Scoutie Girl is stepping in today with a peek at a fashion trend that'll keep you looking stylish and feeling cozy in the new year.


If the holidays are all about sparkle and bling, then, after the ball drops, it's all about staying warm and getting through the winter. Two words: men's wear. Leave it to the dudes to have figured out fabrics – tweed, wool, suiting – that look great and keep you warm. But they can't keep it all to themselves.

Men's wear for women seems to go in and out of fashion trends but it's timeless elegance isn't ever completely gone. I found these beautiful men's wear inspired pieces to keep you warm from January 2 on!

The hat above, from Terry Graziano, is a perfect example. Clean lines, muted colors, warm, and versatile. What a great change up from your more feminine knitted accessories.




So this piece won't keep you warm, but it will keep you hopelessly cute! I am obsessed with this little tie brooch. Using a vintage tie - and a vintage rooster button - Tweek creates a piece that says "I'm clever!" with any outfit you put it on. Tweek's whole line is created from vintage ties - headbands, jewelry, and more! - making these clever pieces eco-friendly too.




If you prefer your clothing a bit more feminine, why not try adding a handbag that uses men's wear style to ground your look? This wristlet from Tago Design is both practical and stylish. Great addition to either a casual or more formal look!




And finally, why limit men's wear to your personal fashion? These tweed pillows, by Emma Dear, would add a "manly" touch to a feminine sofa or chair. Think of it as the anti-granny chic ;)

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ABOUT TARA
Tara Gentile is the editor of Scoutie Girl * the blog with a penchant for the passionately handmade. She's also the mommy of one little miss Lola Rose and wife to Michael. She just completed her first ebook, 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion, a guide to help you boost traffic, beat blogger's block, and communicate your creativity.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Crafting on Scoutie Girl today!



I'm so excited to be a guest on one of my favorite blogs this week, Scoutie Girl!

Click here to check out my tutorial for crafting a keepsake ornament out of all the pretty holiday cards you received this season.

Happy crafting!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Buy One Get One Free Sale This Week!


The holiday madness is over and now it's time to treat yourself for making it through a long weekend of dealing with out of town relatives! Or maybe you're a late shopper or just have some holiday cash to spend. Whatever the reason, I'm having a big BOGO sale this week in my shop!

Buy one item, get a second FREE on all items!*

Buy two, get two free and so on and so on…


TO REDEEM THE DISCOUNT:
If purchasing one item and choosing one free, please checkout only for the one higher priced item. Enter 'BOGO' in the 'message to seller' box during the Etsy checkout process along with a note telling me what second item you would like for free. Please do not checkout for both items - Etsy does not have any way of recognizing sales so you will be charged for both items.

If purchasing two items and choosing two free, please checkout for the two highest priced items and leave a message telling me what two additional items you would like for free, etc.

Please see details and restrictions below and feel free to contact me with any questions.


*Offer valid through Sunday 1/3 at midnight (est). Lowest priced item(s) will be discounted, cannot be combined with any coupons or applied toward custom orders. One of a kind items and Gift certificates excluded from sale. Thanks!

All I got for Christmas was a Cold

Ok, well that's not all I got, but it sounded like a snappy title. I am a big hot mess though, which is no fun at all, but I'm bound and determined to make it a good, productive week! I'll be scaling back on posts just a bit, as this is the closest thing to a vacation I may get all year, but I still have goodies lined up for you daily so I hope you'll check in throughout the week.

Shortly I'll be posting details of an awesome SALE in my shop this week, tomorrow I have a fun craft project using all those holiday cards you received this season and then I have a couple guest contributors lined up to round out the week.

I hope you all had a fabulous, long holiday weekend!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Waiting for Santa by Raceytay

Merry Christmas, everyone! And a happy, merry, jolly everything else to those who celebrate otherwise. I'm taking a couple days off to enjoy some holiday festivities but I'll be back on Monday on our way to ringing in the New Year.

I want to thank all of you for your support and friendship throughout this year, I wouldn't be here without you. Wishing you and your loved ones health, wealth and happiness - Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Slow Food in a Modern Kitchen

Hi everyone and happy holidays! Shawna of Pinkkiss Pottery here and this month I wanted to share with you a new kitchen gadget that I received for Christmas (we celebrated with my in-laws over Thanksgiving), a pasta maker!


Atlas Original Pasta Machine and the Norpro Drying Rack

Since going into my full time artist gig I have been making a lot of things from scratch in an attempt to lower our grocery bills. Now I know that pasta isn’t really a high-ticket item, you can pick up a box for what, $2.00? Less? But if you have never tasted fresh homemade pasta you’re really missing out. It’s super silky and melts in your mouth. Plus you can flavor it to make some really gourmet tastes. When we were in Seattle this summer I picked up a bag of homemade chocolate pasta from the famous Pikes Place Market as well as spicy red pepper pasta that made plain old spaghetti and meatballs really sing! I can’t wait to try making some unique pasta, which may just show up as Holiday gifts for next year.



Pasta is super easy to make and would be a really fun activity to make with your kids, I don’t have any little ones yet but my husband wandered into the kitchen while I was testing my first batch and was immediately drawn in to the process, wanting to turn the handle while I caught the thin strands of dough being squeezed through the rollers. We both had a blast and it was fun to work together in the kitchen. The pasta I made went through the machine but there are plenty of hand formed pasta noodles you can make without a machine. Rolling out some Orecchiette would be a great family activity while watching some Holiday movies!



Basic egg pasta is a great first dough to try out. The recipe I used called for 3 eggs to 2 cups of flour. (To make chocolate dough replace _ cup of flour with high quality cocoa powder) All you need to do to make the dough is form a well in the center of the flour, drop the eggs into the well and using a fork slowly mix the eggs while incorporating a little of the four until it forms a smooth dough. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to get the right consistency. Kneed the dough with your hands until it is smooth and silky. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then you can take the dough by small sections and run it through the pasta maker, following the directions that come with your model. You can either make the pasta right away or dry the pasta overnight and package in a zip top bag to use later on.



The great thing about homemade pasta is that you can use a really simple sauce and the flavor of the pasta will carry the dish. Plus, your family will love to eat something they helped create!


Clockwise from top left
Tri-color Bowtie Pasta by Snugly Felt Food
I hope I inspired you to dust off that old pasta maker that’s been sitting in your cabinet or to try your hand at shaping fresh pasta during your time off this week. It’s a great family activity even if it’s just big kids in your house!

Happy Holidays and I can’t wait to share some light and healthy kitchen tips in the New Year!


~ Shawna of Pinkkiss Pottery

Couture du Jour



Nightingale Black Dress itsokmydear $220
Sterling Silver Ring mcfarlanddesigns $548
Mia Touch Bag emmapardos $52
Silk Shoe Clips bpoetic $25

Todays ensemble was created by Evelyn of Sumiko Shop ~


Click here to submit an outfit of your own for Couture de Jour!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

In the Kitchen: Holiday Beverages


Today we shall delve into the often understated, yet ever-so-important part of any holiday festivity, delicious beverages! Here is a collection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic punches, cocktails, ciders and more.

Buttered Rum Spiced Cider
6 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cinnamon sticks
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rum

Heat cider, cloves, nutmeg, ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks to boiling in a 3-quart suacepan over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain cider mixture to remove cloves and cinnamon sticks if desired. For each serving, place 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 tablespoons rum in a mug. Fill with hot cider.

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Holiday Mimosa
6 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 (750-ml) bottle chilled champagne
1 cup fresh orange juice

Pour the Grand Marnier in a bowl. Put the sugar in a saucer. Dip the rims of champagne glasses first in the Grand Marnier, then in the sugar to form a crust. Fill each champagne glass with 3 parts champagne and 1 part orange juice.

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White Christmas Dream
1 ounce amaretto
1 ounce heavy cream
1 ounce vodka

Mix all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with nutmeg if desired.

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Warm Cranberry Punch
1.2 cup sugar
64 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
12 ounces frozen lemonade cocktail
4 cups water
3 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove all whole spices before serving. Garnish with orange slices. Can also be served cold!

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Flaming Christmas Punch
Yes, you set it on fire!
3 cups strong tea
2 (750-ml) bottles dry red wine
1 (750-ml) bottle dark rum
1 lb. superfine sugar
Juice of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat wine, tea and fruit juices, but do not boil. Transfer the punch to a heat-proof punch bowl. Put sugar into a large ladle and saturate with rum. If ladle is not large enough for all the sugar, put remainder in punch bowl. Ignite run in ladle and pour blazing into punch. Stir well, extinguish flames, and then pour remainder of rum into punch. Stir again and serve.

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Original Eggnog
12 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 quarts superfine sugar
1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
1 quart whole milk
3 cups bourbon
1/2 cup dark rum
2 cups Cognac
fresh ground nutmeg

Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Gradually add and combine sugar. Beat in 1 quart cream and milk. Stir in bourbon, rum and Cognac. Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into mixture. Whip remaining 2 cups heavy cream until stiff and fold into mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

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Cranberry Pear Sparkle
6 tablespoons pear concentrate
1 quart sparkling water
1 quart cranberry juice
1 medium paer, cut into 1/2" pieces
Sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the pear concentrate, sparkling water, cranberry juice and chill well. Just before serving add the sliced pear and garnish with mint.

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Mocha Cinnamon Cafe au Lait
2 cups low fat milk
3 cinnamon sticks
20 whole cloves
5 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
3 cups fresh brewed strong coffee
3 tablespoons golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
pinch of nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Simmer and then remove from heat. Add all the chocolate and whisk until melted. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Then, bring milk mixture back to a simmer and add coffee, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir over medium-low heat for five minutes. Do not boil. Meanwhiole, beat cream, pinch of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl until soft peaks form. Pour coffee mixture into mugs and top with cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

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Merry Christmas Cocktail
1 ounce cranberry juice
1 ounce gin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
club soda
creamberries - dried or fresh
lemon wedges

Stir the gin, cranberry and lemon juice in a highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda. Sprinkle with dried or fresh cranberries and a lemon wedge. You can also offer it without the gin for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.


Eat, drink and be merry!

Couture du Jour



Hand Knitted Capelet ovejanegra $120
Faux Suede Flower Klasp KarmaKreationzInc $10
Chloe Locket Necklace SeaUnicorn $27
Multibubble Scarf Clariceonline $38

Todays ensemble was created by Sabine of La Marquise de Anges ~


Click here to submit an outfit of your own for Couture de Jour!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Holiday Wishlist Giveaway Winner!

Well my goodness, hasn't this been fun?! I've had such a ball seeing what's on everyones wishlist this year and have found many more items to add to mine along the way. I've said before how hard it is for me to pick just one winner for my contests, and this time is no exception. My cup just overfloweth with holiday spirit this year!

But alas, I'm not that tight with Santa (yet :), so I can only grant one wish this year and here we go…


Congratulations to ELIZABETH H! On the top of her Etsy wishlist (and now on their way to her) is the awesome set of vintage lotus bowls above, which I must say, I'm quite jealous to not be sending to myself!


I did, however, treat myself this morning to the cute little fawn pin by decoylab that I had been eyeing up :) – I can't wait to receive it!

It's a short week for me on the blog as I'll be taking Thursday and Friday off for the holiday, but there are still two more days of fun ahead. Stop back tomorrow for a collection of my favorite holiday beverage recipes (alcoholic and non) and on Wednesday, Shawna of Pinkkiss will take us deep into the world of homemade pasta – yum!

I leave you now with some items from all of your wishlist entries…