Tales of a Magpie

Nature's Fireworks

Red:
White:
Blue:
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday to.......Me!

Hello Everyone!

Yes, indeed, today is my birthday.  So far it is a great day.  Went to yoga this morning, walked into town and had breakfast and now I plan to sit here and read:
This is our little backyard.  No it isn't the beach but I really do love it here so reading a book in our backyard is a fine way to spend a birthday.  I had big plans to bake my favorite chocolate cake but that would cut too much into my relaxing.  Surely, there is a chocolate cake with chocolate icing somewhere around here. 

What a beautiful summer day and a great day for a birthday!

Tea and other important things

Hello All!

Well, there's been a lot of good feedback about the article.  Thank you all very much!  It's very exciting and I'm so pleased with how the article came out. 

You might wonder where I've been.  I've basically stayed around here but have been busy.  Last week I got together with friends and that was very nice.  Sometimes I think I stay around here a little too much so it's good to get out.  And what did I do?
I had tea!  I met a friend in Old Orange and had tea at Paris in a Cup.  When you first walk in, there is a shop:
They have all sorts of tea things, books and as you can see, a frilly apron if you should desire one (I think I should make one for myself).
Then there is the tea room:
It really is a beautiful tea room.  And our tea was really nice.  I enjoyed it very much.  Here is a photo of the fussy little sandwiches I love so much:
I especially liked the egg salad sandwich on bread cut in the shape of an egg.  And the baked potato soup was really good and I'm not a big fan of potatoes.  We plan to go back here.  I did notice another tea shop in the area so we may have to check that out. 

After tea we walked around Orange.  There are a lot of shops and restaurants here so there's a lot to do.
One shop I really like is called Heavenly Hostess:
Here is another photo:
They have handmade aprons, table runners, napkins and fancy rubber gloves.  Among other things.  There's also jewelry, candles and fun gift type items.

So after this shop we went to Dragonfly.  This shop has plants and garden items.  Indoors, it has home decor, clothing, jewelry and they also offer classes.
Here is a view of the outside:
  Here is their flowerbed:
And here is just a small sampling of what they have to offer:
I really like that little shoe.

So that happened last week, and yes, I am finally posting about it.  That rabbit hole, I tell you, just can't seem to avoid it.

And now on to some updates!

You may be wondering just how my garden grows.  Quite well, I can tell you.
The catnip is taking over!  Isabel is one happy cat!  We can't snip anything without her being very vocal about wanting some catnip.  The plants have grown quite a bit and we are really enjoying our little herb garden.

And now for the cookbook update.  I really enjoyed From Tapas to Meze.  Funny thing about my copy, which was used, is that someone pilfered a few recipes from it.  Anyway, everything I tried was good.  There was a lot of variety and of course, there were several recipes that I didn't get to.  But I will go back to this cookbook and make more.  This is a great cookbook if you want to serve a meal with a few different bites and some different flavors.  The recipes were easy to follow and they turned out well.  
And what is this month's cookbook you might be asking?  Well, it technically isn't a cookbook.  I refer to it as an uncook book.  That's right, this month's book is a raw book.  I have chosen The Raw 50 by Carol Alt.  I have experimented off and on with the raw diet.  I have to say I really like it.  But I like to cook too.  And the raw diet takes some time to figure out I think.  Some things require quite a bit of planning and time.  But I will keep you updated on this.  It's a very interesting diet and I feel really good when I eat raw.  So I was thinking of choosing raw books over the summer.

I have been working on several samples for classes as well as some upcoming kits for fall.  But there's been some fun time too.  I am thinking of taking a week off this summer and just stick around here, reading and lazing around.  Sounds great doesn't it?

Well, a happy Monday to all!

Exciting news and magpie tales

Well, Hello to All!

I sometimes feel, like Alice, that I have fallen into a rabbit hole.  No hookah smoking caterpillars or playing croquet with a flamingo, just digging down into a big pile of beads.  Bliss, I tell you. 

But like the title says, I have some exciting news!  The newest issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry is out!  And have you guessed?  Yes, I'm in it!  They have done a really nice article with absolutely incredible photography.   Here is the cover:
San Gabriel Bead Company had them and I think they are getting more.  A friend of mine checked and they were not at Barnes and Noble yet, they still had the last issue.  I'll have to keep checking and let you know when they are available at the book shops.  I'm really excited about this article.  I think this magazine is such great quality and I feel honored to be a part of it.

And now on to some magpie tales.  Bead shopping.  I do believe bead shopping is my favorite thing (besides beading of course).  Fabric shopping is a close second but bead shopping just can't be beat.  I went bead shopping with a friend last week.  One of the nice things about bead shopping with a friend is that you can split strands of beads that are a little more costly and if you don't want the whole strand but just a few of the beads (the costly strands usually don't have an enormous amount of beads to begin with) you can get just the amount you want.

Here are a few of the beads we bought.  Some were strands that we split and some were on strands that only had 3 or 4 beads on them.
Here is a closer view:
Now this just makes my magpie heart flutter with excitement.  Look at that pink chalcedony!  Can't wait to use some of these!  I am thinking of using them for the Fragments pendants.  I did a few pendants using antique photos and finished the pieces with a mixed media approach.  I like hanging a large drop from the bottom.  Looks like I will have to make plenty of pendants!

But aren't they beautiful?

You might have been wondering what I'm working on now.  I have some new designs that I am getting ready to teach this summer.  I have been very excited about the one I call Bohemian Lace.

This piece is a lot of fun to make.  I will be teaching it at Brea Bead Works in Brea, California and  Bead Gallery in San Diego.  I will also be teaching it at  Beads by Blanche in Bergenfield, New Jersey.  I will be teaching it in the fall at Naturally Jennifer's.  There may be a few more places, but right now that's the plan. 

When I come up with a new design, there's usually a flurry of beading around here trying to get as many samples made as I can.  Then, if I have time, and I have to say I usually don't, I like to work on a few variations.  I barely have time to get all the regular samples made so unfortunately, most of those variations just stay in my head.  But I have made a point to take time to work on some variations for this design.  Since I normally work on 3 to 5 pieces, working on each for a couple of hours before going to the next one, I've included a few variations of Bohemian Lace.  

Here's my bits and pieces:
  I'm having a lot of fun experimenting with color as you can see.  And the all black one will be nice I think.  I am also experimenting with using different size stones as you can see from the marquis shaped piece.  I'm not sure of the exact shape of these necklaces but I think most will be a shorter length.  I haven't decided whether the clasp will be in the front or back.  I will probably vary that with each piece.  See?  I don't plan out every little detail.  Sometimes the piece just tells me what it wants to be as I do it.  I just have to listen.

As for a sewing update, I have been sewing quite a bit lately and have a few new dresses.  I will try to post photos in the next few days.  They came out really nice.

Today is a very gloomy day.  It seems we got our June gloom in May.  But it's a fine day for beading, sewing or reading or all three!

Have a great weekend!

Yesterday's Farmer's Market

Hello!
Yes indeed, we went to the San Dimas farmer's market last night.  And yes, we had dinner at:
There's nothing quite like corn on the cob.  But I do wish they used butter instead of margarine.  If I'm going to have corn on the cob, then I like to have the real deal, butter and plenty of salt.  Still, I enjoyed it.

The colors of the fruits and vegetables are like jewels:

and then there's the strawberries:
A strange thing about bringing strawberries into this house.  Isabel, our cat, goes nuts over strawberries.  I give her one of the green tops and it's just like giving her catnip;  she rolls around, holds onto the floor like the room is spinning and then stares at nothing in particular for an hour or two (oh, I forgot, cats always do that). 

Tonight is the LaVerne Farmer's Market.  Not sure if we will go, but I'll tell you one thing about it, they have a petting zoo!!!  With little goats!  Do you think Isabel would like a friend?

Hope everyone has a great Thursday.

A pleasant evening and a nice dinner

Hello to All!

Well, Magpies have to eat don't we?  The weather is really beautiful, warm during the day and very pleasant in the evenings.  So we are back outside to have our evening meal.  I made some tablecloths for our little table a few weeks ago.  Last night, I fixed a dish out of this month's cookbook, Shrimp and green onion pancakes.  Here is a view of our warm weather dinner spot:
  And our dinner!  Those pancakes were really good!  I would make these again.  And they went well with the two buck Chuck!  I have a lot of recipes marked to try for the remainder of the month so I don't know when I will fix them again.
Tonight is the San Dimas Farmer's Market so I do believe dinner will be from Margie's Shuck Wagon!

A Happy Wednesday to all!

A New Dress!

Hello All!

Yes, it's true!  I made a new dress!  I just finished it yesterday.  I think the fabric is really beautiful with the Chinese dragons, the purples and orange.  Of course, I have a hat to match!
I'm very pleased with this dress.  I haven't worn it yet but I think it's the perfect dress to wear to a Chinese restaurant.  With the hat.  I plan to make a few more of these and have the fabric ready and waiting.  After I get them sewn, I will probably switch to a different pattern.  But I tell you, I really love making this dress.  It's a real pleasure to sew up.

And since we are in a new month it is time for a new cookbook.  But first I want to tell you about my experience with and how I liked the first book, Simple French Food.  I didn't make as many recipes as I would have liked and there's a few I may go back and make. 
What I did make:

Cod, Potatoes, and Eggs (I made this twice it was so good.  If you want to make a Norwegian happy, then make this dish!)
Saute of green beans
Mushrooms Provencal
Spinach Stuffed Crepes (the crepe recipe did NOT work at all.  I had to pour it out and use a recipe that I knew worked, but they were really delicious once I did that)
Zucchini Pie

What I wanted to try but didn't:
Red Wine Soup
Sorrell Soup (my sorrell has to grow a bit more)
Garlic Chicken
Eggs scrambled with cheese and white wine.

Of course there are a lot more I would like to try, like all of the spinach recipes and more of the egg recipes.  And then there are some you couldn't pay me to cook or eat:

Gratin of Calves' Brains with sorrell (no way am I using my sorrell for that)
anything in the section titled Ears, Rinds, and Tails
Veal Sweetbread Loaf
And especially Frivolity Fritters (Lamb testicles)

Seriously, I have to say I liked this book.  What I fixed was really good, the recipes were easy to follow and the ingredients were simple.  There's a lot in this book and I felt I just barely got into it.  This book is also good if you want to learn more about cooking.

And now I guess you are wondering about this month's cookbook.  I have picked From Tapas to Meze.  Yesterday I went through the book and made a list of the recipes I would like to try.  Maybe I will get to more of them this way.

And now back to something I mentioned a while back that I said I would look up and keep you posted on.  That's right.  Is there a National Hat Day?  I am most happy to report that YES, there is!!! Here is a little blurb about National Hat Day which is always January 15th.  So mark your calendar!  Since it passed this year without my knowing it is quite possible that alas, I was not wearing a hat. 

While I was looking up this information, I found a site for The Headwear Association.  I especially liked  these photos taken at the Kentucky Derby.  And all those years I lived in Kentucky and never went to the derby!  Shameful, I know.

There will probably be more hat posts in the future, so be forewarned.

I guess that just about does it for a catch up post. 

So Happy Monday everyone!

 

Big Onion

Remember the big onion I bought at the Farmer's Market?  Here it is:
I tried to pick out the largest onion they had.  This is technically the second largest since the largest one had split and I didn't think it looked too appetizing.  I ended up making Pissaladiere.  I wanted the dish to be all about the onion and I thought it would be the perfect thing.  Also, I was wearing my Eiffel Tower dress so fixing a French meal seemed appropriate!  Should you care to try this dish, here is a recipe.  I didn't put garlic in mine and I used ready made dough since I just didn't have the time to make it myself.  The recipe I used is from My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris.  This is one of my favorite cook books.   It was tasty.  That onion was so sweet.  Definitely one of my favorite meals.  And yes, I like anchovies!

Happy Friday and a great weekend to you all!

The Farmer's Market

Hello!

Last night Asbjorn and I went to the San Dimas Farmer's Market, which started at the first of this month.  Both of us really enjoy it when we get a chance to go.  The Cal Poly guy wasn't there and I always look forward to seeing what he will bring.  There's always something a little odd or that I may not have heard of.  But the fruit and veggies are always fresh and always good!  I should have taken a photo of the onion I bought.  It is enormous and I plan to eat it tonight.
Here is a photo at the beginning of the market:
Just before this entrance to the market, there is a man selling plants.  Sadly, the gnome did not do his job and we have to replace the ficus.  We bought a plant here but you can't see it in the photo because it's near the back.  I don't know what sort of plant it is.  Asbjorn picked it out and it was fine with me.  We'll see what happens and I'm not letting the gnome near it.
It was hard to decide.  Of course I wanted something with huge flowers.  But we opted for a bush of sorts with small flowers instead.  I'll take a photo later when we get it situated.

Today is a very cloudy, gloomy day.  After the Farmer's Market last night, we did a quick trip to Trader Joes.  They had a little bunch of my very favorite flowers.  They looked so cheerful on the table this dreary morning that I also had tea out of my most cheerful cup and saucer.
The flowers are Ranunuclus.  Not only are they pretty but it's fun to say!  They actually look a little leggy, like they haven't had enough sun.  They look kind of alien.  Still, at the moment they are my favorite flowers!

Back from Dallas

Hello to All!

I got back from Dallas yesterday and I have to say I had a really nice time.  The Dallas Bead Society is a wonderful group of ladies and it certainly was a pleasure and an honor to teach classes there.  I didn't get to take many photos since I really didn't get out to see much (this is usually the case).  But here is a photo I took during one of my classes:
There were thunderstorms on Friday which I truly enjoyed!  We rarely get thunderstorms here so that was quite a treat. 

It was a successful trip I think.  I want to thank all the ladies that took my classes!  And I would also like to thank the Dallas Bead Society for taking such good care of me!  Sweet tea was served up with genuine Southern hospitality! 

It's a short post today since there's a bit to catch up on and at some point, I'll need to unpack my suitcases.