Capo D'Anno: Buon Cibo

Capo D’Anno (New Year’s Day): A Special Italian New Year’s Day Recipe

I have recently become friends with a mother of one of my son’s friend Elizabeth. Her mother, also Elizabeth, and Pia, Francisco, and Pasquale (her other children or should I stay adult children) come from Rome. I love listening to her stories about her parents, and growing up in Rome. She moved here when her daughter Elizabeth was 14. Not only do I love her stories, but love when she invites me for lunch, which is always something delicious.
A few weeks ago she asking me if I knew where she could get some sausage called, Cotechino, which I admit I had never heard of before. She explained it is only made for New Year’s. It is a large pork sausage which can be cooked in a sauce or mainly in Lentil soup. So I figured it I would find it anywhere it would be Arthur Ave, a small, very Italian neighborhood in the Bronx, where most people still speak their Italian dialect. When I took Elizabeth there for the first time, she was elated to be able to speak Italian to all the shopkeepers. They have the best markets, where everything is made fresh; from their Italian pastries to the Olive Loaf Bread. Even better are there restaurants, and small cafes which serve the best Cappuccino!
Anyway, I did find the “Cotechino” sausage, and last night made Italian New Year’s Lentil Soup with this very large sausage.
Here is a great recipe to try and very easy to make!
Boil one bag of Lentils in 8 cups of water, (half of which use Chicken Stock). Continue boiling for 45 min.
While that is boiling; sauté in olive oil, celery, carrots, 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic.
Drain then add this to the boiling lentils, and chop up 2 tomatoes, and 1 bay leaf then add to the soup.
While this is cooking, heat the Cotechino sausage then cut into slices and sauté in a pan until golden brown.
When cooked through, add to the soup and let simmer for another hour.
When serving, add a bit of fresh grated parmesan cheese on the top.
And of course, you must have nice fresh homemade Italian bread, and a glass of Chianti to finish off the meal! Eating this on New Year’s, is a sign of good luck for the rest of the year. Buon Cibo (good eating!)
Ciao!

The Christmas Pageant 2008

Although I love all the designing and crafts I do, nothing is more rewarding to me than our annual Christmas Pageant. I have been involved in working with the Children's Masses for 18 years. The culmination of our work leads to the Christmas Eve Pageant. I started when my children were very small, and attended our Parish School, Sacred Heart in Hartsdale, NY. Now several years later, although I am still involved, it is rewarding to see my daughter as the Director of the Pageant for the past few years (she somehow has a special gift with children!)
We usually begin the planning in early October. Of course, every parent wants their child to be the star of the show! So that is our main obstacle to overcome. Once all the main characters are chosen (Mary, Joseph, Wisemen, angels, etc.), without any hurt feelings or comments from some parents; the practices begin. Besides helping my daughter with the staging of the children and doing costumes, she begins her directing. The children range in age from 3 (which are the little angels) to age 12. The older children get the main parts, which gives the other children an incentive to work up to each year. Oh sorry, I should mention, our youngest participant is only 3 months old, playing the "Infant Jesus." We have a wonderful Children's Choir who do all the singing throughout the play. As with any play, once the children put on their various costumes, their whole demeanor changes. They suddenly assume the role they are portraying. A lot of credit goes not just to the Director, but to the small group of parents who dedicated themselves each year working on the Pageant. They each automatically assume the positions they have had each year. One assembling the little angels, another for the shepherds, and still another for the Wisemen, and drummer boy and girl. It is team work that makes this so successful. The success is well noted as the Narrators (children grades 5-7) begin to tell the story of the Nativity, and you look at the smiles on the faces of each parent. Although our little angels, who I said are mostly 3-4 year old's, completely steal the show; the other children are so professional, and kneel so reverently as they portray, Mary and Jesus from the time they are approached by the Angel Gabriel, to the birth of Jesus, and the arrival of the Wisemen. The final scene is the little Drummer Girl (this year we had 2 Drummer girls, not to hurt anyone’s feelings, and the Drummer Boy who walk so very slowly down the center aisle playing their drums while the choir sings 'The Little Drummer Boy,". The most adorable thing is not only watching them, but watching the little angels singing their hearts out - pa rum pum pum pum, I could continue talking about the beauty of the children in the Pageant, but the pictures tell it all.

Thanksgiving Day Parade!

The annual Thanksgiving tradition in New York is the Macy’s Parade. This is the 82nd year of the Parade; and my daughter, Kelly with her husband celebrated her 29th birthday standing for hours in the freezing cold to wait for the Parade to begin. They arrived at 6am, and of course, had to call me to tell me they had a great spot to view the balloons, floats, clowns, etc.
Each year a new balloon is introduced. For those who are really adventurous, you can head to Central Park in the City to watch them inflating the balloons for the next morning. I started watching the Parade on TV in the days of black & white, sitting with my sister in great anticipation for the opening of the Parade which begins with the huge Turkey marching down Fifth Avenue. So it is only natural that my children followed the tradition of watching the Parade, but no black & white for them, a 42” color screen showcased the many balloons and floats that followed the Turkey down Fifth Avenue. Of course, the Parade is not complete until the finale - the arrival of Santa on his sleigh! Once Santa stands and waves to all the children, even those of us sitting in front of the TV, you know that the Christmas season has officially arrived.
Thanks to my daughter here are a few pictures from this year’s Parade.

Black Friday

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Black Friday, which refers to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which officially is the start of the Christmas shopping season. Thanks to the Macy’s Day Parade, which originated in NY City in 1924, once Santa Claus appeared at the end of the Parade, stores would begin to decorate, and people would start their shopping for Christmas. Tradition seems to move on though, as it seems each year stores start decorating earlier and earlier, and each one tries to outdo the other offering tremendous sales to draw the people to their particular store. The term “Black Friday” started sometime during the 1960’s, as many people tend to take the day after Thanksgiving off, and the sales begin. Not only are stores competing for business with their sales, but some start opening as early as 4 and 5 am.
Yes, I admit I was one of those nuts who ventured out at 5am with my son to join thousands of others rushing to take advantage of those early sales. After a quick cup of coffee, we barely had time to comb our hair and dress, before we headed to Best Buy, one of the biggest electronic stores in the US. My son bought a 42” HDTV (high definition TV), which now takes up half of his bedroom. We met some friends who were also out at that ungodly hour shopping, taking advantage of the “Black Friday” sales! By 7am, after standing on line after line, we finally were done. It is a strange feeling to leave the store to great the sun just waking up. After all that energy, we all took off to the diner for a big breakfast.
The Bloggers, one of my favorite teams on Etsy, not to be outdone by all those competing stores, are holding our own version of "Black Friday". Each shop is offering sales from today, Friday 11/28 to Monday 12/1. Hopefully we will have as much success as some of those stores today!
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H a p p y H o l i d a y s ! !The EtsyBloggers HOLIDAY S*A*L*E* is going on from Black Friday thru Cyber Monday!!That's Friday 11/28 thru Monday 12/1!!See a list of the 50+ shops having a SALE: http://etsybloggers.etsy.comH a p p y S h o p p i n g ! !☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆☆ ; ;:* ¨¨*:★:

Triumph and Tragedy Quilting Project Resumes!

Last January, what started off as a basic conversation on the Forums, turned into an idea about doing something special to commemorate the many historical Triumph’s and Tragedy’s that have affected a lot of us during this past decade. From there came the idea of assembling a quilt, which would involve many here on Etsy, by having each person who signed up, submit a quilt square that they felt either inspired or affected them personally. When I first opened up this idea to those on Etsy, I had a great many positive responses. I received quilt squares from Scotland, the UK, Alaska, and many states located right here in America; square’s ranging from Women’s Suffrage, The Oklahoma Bombing, Breast Cancer, Sept 11, 2001, Global Awareness, Adoption, Campus Shootings, and Pope John, just to name a few. As each person submitted their square which would become part of the quilt, I posted a picture of the block, as well as a write up of why that particular idea was chosen by the specific quilter. To view all of those submitted, or are unaware of the project, you can reference back through my many blogs which started last January 2008.
About two weeks ago, I received a convo from Gayle Williams, whatshername.etsy.com, whose beautiful contribution was called “American Has Heart”, asking what happened to the project. Sadly to say, that more than half of those who originally had signed up, had other commitments, and a few health problems. This left the dilemma of having too few quilt blocks to complete the Project. When I relayed this to Gayle, she immediately contacted her friend, Adriana, whose shop is, FabricCrazy.etsy.com, and asked her if she was interested in helping finalize our Project. Adriana immediately responded to me and asked if she could do a square on Katrina.
The picture above is of her finished square, which came out beautifully. The devastation of Katrina has a special meaning to Adriana, as both of her parents lived in Gulfport, MS, and survived the tragedy that befell many others. Coincidentally, Adriana was speaking to her parents on her cell phone when the storm hit their home. After that brief call, all lines were lost do to the storm and she could not get in touch with her family; not knowing whether or not they survived. After a week, when she finally heard from her parents who lived just blocks from the beach, they stated that what they saw in the aftermath was worse than anything they had seen during World War II while living in Holland at that time. Adriana and her family came to this country when she was just 5 years of age. So not only is this square by Adriana a beautiful tribute to those whose lives were lost due to Katrina, but also a tribute to her parents who managed to survive this great Tragedy.
Thanks to Adriana, I am now able to complete the project. With the help of Marion Lake, mademarion.etsy.com, we have already assembled the squares for the Triumph Quilt; and now can finish sewing together the many memorable squares received for the Tragedy Quilt. Once that is completed, Marion and I will begin the batting, backing, then quilting for each Project. What was once just a thought will now be the completed Triumph and Tragedy Quilting Project. Again, thank you to Adriana for that final bit of help, and to all those (not forgotten) women on Etsy for their beautiful contributions.

DIY Magazine Interview - Nov 2008

DIY City Magazine Blog

MagdaleneJewels

Today I want to introduce you to Pam of MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com
Sara: Please tell me a bit about you and your background.

Pam: I am the person behind “MagdaleneJewels”, Pamela Baker; although my kids and all their friends call me Pammy; on Etsy, I am know as Mags, MJ or Magdalene. Now about me personally, I have been single for many years, raising 3 children, Kelly, Keith and Ryan who now, as adults, have grown into their own person. My daughter Kelly has been married for 2 years, of which I have a few pictures from her wedding on Flickr. I have lived in Scarsdale, New York for my whole life (moving exactly one mile when I was married). I was raised by my grandparents, who were the nicest people, and were always accepting of anyone they met. I think that is where I get my easy going personality from, never judging anyone, accepting them for who they are.
S: How did you get into arts and crafts?

P: For as long as I can remember, I have always had a creative nature within. My first memory is of my little 6” high sewing machine, which I would create my own doll clothes. No pattern for me, I would just lay my doll whatever fabric I had (sometimes my Grandmother’s beautiful silk and lace blouses) and just cut away. To this day, I still do not know how to use a pattern. As I got older, I started embroidering, crocheting, knitting, and quilting; all of which I taught myself and still love to do. Actually, I didn’t start designing jewelry until about two years ago. Truthfully I didn’t even know what a crimping bead was; but somewhere in my mind it was something I wanted to attempt. The first time I walked into a bead shop and saw all the beautiful colors of crystals, I was hooked. My favorite shop, located in Nyack, NY, which is a 15 minute drive going across the Hudson River, not only has the most beautiful colors of crystals (ones I can’t find any where else), but Judy and Grace who run the shop, have both been my mentors. I use Swarovski Crystals for most of my pieces; I love the various reflections the crystals give off when gleaming in the sun.

S: Do you sell your work? What inspires you when making your jewelry?

P: Although I have a shop on Etsy: MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com, I primarily do a lot of custom orders, and craft shows. Recently, I started showing my work on YouTube; creating my own videos, which has also increased my custom orders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uM69mwGjq8 (don’t forget to turn the volume on!)
It is hard to explain where my inspiration’s come when designing one of my pieces. There are many days when I look at the beads sitting there, and just can’t decide what I should create. Then somewhere in my head I get a vision of something; colors and design all worked out for me. I immediately set to work creating the vision I have. As my children will tell you, it is not uncommon to find me at 4am sitting in bed beading away. At times I will also see a beautiful pendant on Etsy made by one of my friends there, and immediately know what I would create with that piece. Of course, I have to purchase the pendant first, and anxiously await to receive it so I can start working on what I have envisioned with that piece.
S: I know that you are a very passionate crafter, often highlighting other causes through your craft blog…why is this work so important to you?
P: For those of you who read my blog, MagdaleneJewelspjk.blogspot.com you will find my main passion, which is writing. Thanks to Sara, from Sara’s Crafts of Texture, I have had many articles published. I usually have to be totally passionate about what I am writing about. About 10 months ago, I started a quilting project called, “Tragedy and Triumph”. My main objective, which I have written about often, is to bring to light the Tragedy’s and Triumph’s which historically have affected so many of us in this generation. The quilt is made up of many quilted blocks contributed by Etsy quilter’s. They have designed a quilt square either commemorating something which may have touched them from their own personal experience, or something that may have affected all of us, whether “Tragic” or “Triumph”. I hope to have this project finished within a few weeks. I have also been quite involved along with another Estian, Diane Clancy, in bringing to everyone’s attention “The Orphan Act”. This is a Bill which Congress tried to pass this past April, which would affect almost every artist: painter, quilter, jewelry designer, photographer, etc. whose work they may put on the internet. If this Bill was passed into a Law, it would negate any of these artists to own their own work. Unless we buy “copyrights” to our own work, it becomes the property of anyone who chooses to copy or use it for their own purpose. After many petitions being circulated and many articles making people aware of this Bill, as of August 2008, “The Orphan Act” has been shelved.
S: Do you have any other interests?P: In between all of this, I am also member of a local theater group as their costume designer, as well as having had a few small parts in some of their plays. One could say it is a family tradition. My mother joined this same theater group in the 1950’s. When my daughter joined about 8 years ago, as an actress and stage manager for many of their shows, it was only natural that I would follow their footsteps into the theater. One can kind of say that I have joined forces in my work, while designing the costumes, I have also designed jewelry pieces for some of the actresses to wear on stage.

by: Sara Millis of Sara’s Texture Crafts.
Post Metadata
Date
November 8th, 2008
Author
diycity
Category
DIY with Sara
Tags
accessories, designer, diy, DIY with Sara, etsy, jewelry
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1 Comments
The Filigree Garden
1
What a pleasant surprise to see my Etsy team mate and her lovely jewelry featured here! Nice to learn more about Pamela.November 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Happy Halloween: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

“From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW. . . ” Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

One of Icabod Crane’s sources of fearful pleasure was to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, and listen to their marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him. All the while trying to win the affections of the Lady Abigail Van Tassel. The old Dutch Church was one of the favorite haunts of the Headless Horseman, and the place where he was most frequently encountered. Not far from the church, along the Hudson River was a wooden bridge; the road that led to it, and the bridge itself, were thickly shaded by overhanging trees, which cast a gloom about it, even in the daytime; but occasioned a fearful darkness at night. As one strolls past the Old Dutch Church on a dark Halloween night, it is easy to imagine the shadow of the horseman rising up from behind the gravestones, armed with a jack-o-lantern as he gallops along in search of his head; wherein lies the history of the Headless Horseman of Sleep Hollow which began over 200 years ago, and his spirit has lived here ever since.

Autumn in NY

There are very few days that exist that one could say I wish it would never end. Friday was one of those days. Although a little cloudy, 2 friends (Wency who is from India, and Muna, who is from Iraq), and myself, ventured out to enjoy the beauty of Autumn in NY. We headed up to Bear Mountain, which is only about ½ hr drive from here to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. It would be hard for any artist to really capture the beauty in nature of God’s creation, as you will see in the pictures I had attached. Driving up the mountain, you come upon many lakes, with the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. What stuck me most was the mirror image of those colors reflected in the waters of the lakes. Although the day was a little cloudy, one would have never known, as each tree brought forth it’s own palette of beauty with the various colors of Autumn; oranges, golds, maroons, reds, yellows, amidst the remaining colors of green still on some of the trees.
Towards the bottom of Bear Mountain, lies one of my favorite and most peaceful places, Graymore, in Garrison, NY. Rich in history, Graymore has a few chapels which date back about 100 years with the most beautiful artifacts within each one. My favorite chapel, St. Theresa, is very tiny within, but with its peacefulness and beauty, I can sit there and just meditate while feeling its warmth within. You cannot walkout without experiencing an inner peace within yourself. My other favorite spot that I love to just sit is at the top of a mountain which overlooks much of the Hudson Valley. Abounding in artistic colors, in the distance one can also see the glimmer of the Hudson River.
Since I cannot take all of you with me to visit the beauty of Autumn in NY around these mountains, I will share a few of my pictures with you, and hope you get the warm and peaceful feeling that the colors of Autumn bring within.

Meet the Bakers!

Juelz waiting for Santa












Juelz inside the top of the Christmas Tree!






Roses (Baby Kitty) taking life easy












Roses Sexy pose







Piper as a puppy

Piper as Janis Joplin

a few days before she passed

Through my many blogs and Forum chats, I am sure most of your know the rest of the Baker clan: Kelly, Keith and Ryan. Thank goodness they are all grown, my daughter married, and the boys still living at home. Although, I admit there are some days when I would like to leave the door opened :) . It doesn't seem that long ago that I suffered many sleepness nights with them; but now my sleepless nights are the cause of the other half of the Baker Family - our cats. The oldest, 2 1/2 is kitty (Juelz Santana)-it's easier to say kitty, and "Baby Kitty" (Roses - her brother was Guns - Guns n Roses), but my boys refuse to call her Roses, so although she is about 1 1/2 yr old, she is still Baby Kitty. The older cat, her whole day is occupied with chasing the little one, so I ave to carry her back and forth to the kitchen for her food. For some reason though her play time is from 3 -6am, she will sit on my chest and tap me in the face until I start to scratch her - this little game of hers continues most of the night. While the other cat loves to jump up on the highest bookshelf she can find, then meow for someone to come get her. We did have a dog which was left to us by an elderly neighbor, who passed away when Piper was a puppy. Although she was only 10, she died last year, during that time when pets were dying from certain dog foods. In the morning she was fine, by 11 am she wasn't moving. She had the most mellow personality of any animal, and is still very much missed. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Catholics of Today

by Pamela Baker









When one thinks of India, what first comes to mind is the beauty of their culture, and the peacefulness that one achieves through their many forms of meditation. What I am about to write about one would hardly call peace or beauty. It is the persecution of Catholics that is currently going on right now in India. India has long been known as a Hindu country, primarily in the Northeast part of India near Tibet, which is largely Hindu. For centuries, Catholic Missionaries have gone to the region to try to convert some of those interested in the Catholic religion. Many wars have been fought to prevent this, but as time passes, the people have become more tolerant towards other religions.

Two weeks ago, Hindu terrorists began a campaign to destroy all traces of the Catholic religion in that region of India. Catholic Churches and homes of many Catholics are being burned to the ground (see photos). Many priests are being killed, as well as many Catholics who continue to practice their religion.

Fr. Thomas Chellen, director of the pastoral center that was destroyed with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu mob nearly set him on fire. Fr. Chellen had this horrifying experience to share with Catholic News Service: “A gang of about 50 armed Hindus beat us up and led us like culprits along the road in what they referred to as the ‘Crucifixion Parade’ and led us to the burned pastoral center. “They then poured kerosene on my head, and one held a matchbox in his hands to light the fire. But thanks to divine providence, in the end, they did not do that. Otherwise, I would not have been there to tell this horror,' the 55-year-old priest, director of the pastoral center at Konjamendi in the Indian state of Orissa, told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from his hospital bed Aug. 28.When the Hindu mob of 50 people broke into the pastoral center around noon that day. Father Chellen said he fled through the backyard with another priest and a nun. The terrorists then grabbed the 20 yr old noviate (one training to become a nun) who was teaching, and proceeded to drag from her school, to the center of the town, then stripped and raped her in front of everyone, and set her ablaze while alive (see the photo). Young children are being burnt while still living in their homes.

As of this week, the burning of Catholic Churches has spread to the South of India. Although India is only about 2% Catholic; most of them have made their homes in the Southern States, where I also have many friends who live there. I worry and pray for their safety, as these terrorists continue their journey of destruction. I asked my friend who is from South India, and is presently living here why the Government of India is allowing this. His response was “they turn their heads, as the Government is primarily made up of Hindu’s”.

Etsy has gone YouTube!

ETSY HAS GONE "YOUTUBE"
by Guest Writer Pamela Baker

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were just learning the mechanisms of a mouse and keyboard while still trying to figure out what do to do next! Then along came the internet, which opened up a whole new world to those of us who had just mastered the art of just turning on our computers. “Surfing the net” was a foreign term 10 years ago. Now we have absolutely everything imaginable at our fingertips. A whole new world of learning, research, chatting, shopping and marketing has opened up.

Next came YouTube, where one can put any sort of video online for their friends to see. An adventure in which my boys are well in tune with. When I first saw some of the crazy videos people posted, I admit I was in awe of the whole idea, never thinking that one day I would be the one posting video’s on YouTube. As I mentioned before how the internet has opened a whole new world to us, it seems marketing by way of YouTube is the latest undertaking for some of us here at Etsy.

With what began as a mere thought only a few weeks ago, has now become a whole new trend. My group on Etsy, “The Boomer’s” started using "print screen" to save some of Treasury’s we had done; and then turned them into a videos, posting them on "YouTube". I though an even better idea would be to market some of the items from my shop onto YouTube. So after deciding which pieces of my jewelry I wanted to show, I uploaded the photos’, added some music, “U2” (one of my favorite bands), and the computer does the rest! Since I have posted the video only 1 week ago (Aug 6th ), I have already gotten some custom orders; just today I received two more requests for necklaces from my shop. I am posting the link to my "YouTube" Video to give you an idea of the prospects that this may lead to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uM69mwGjq8

Ok, I will admit it cannot be summed up in two sentences. There is a little more involvement to the whole process. If you are interested, make sure you have Windows XP or Vista. Go to your Programs and click on Accessories. You will have either Movie Maker or PhotoStory3 already listed. Some may prefer another program called Photo Gallery, which can be found in your Programs/Windows Live/Photo Gallery. Personally, I find PhotoStory3 the easiest to work with for myself. If you don’t have any of these, just Google which program you would like and then upload it to your computer. Once you have mastered that you are on your way. The rest is simple – just follow the instructions – upload photos- each Program will let you edit your picture once it is uploaded. Next, you can add titles onto each photo (if you wish); thirdly, you can add any song you may have already uploaded onto your Computer. A good program for this is Limelight. If any of you have teenagers, you can bet there are plenty of songs already on your computer. Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important thing, signing up with YouTube (doesn’t cost anything!) – http://www.youtube.com/ Now you are almost ready to start showcasing your work. When your photos are ready to be uploaded to YouTube, make sure you save them in a movie format (on mine, after the title I just have to type .wmv). Now that I have given you a sample of our new marketing techniques on Etsy, along with a little tutorial, the rest is up to you. Good luck and see you on "YouTube."!

****Since submitting this article I have put another video (as of yesterday) of my work onto YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GhFcGZ1tQk

Written by Pamela Baker of http://MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com
Posted by Sara's Texture Crafts
Labels: Craft Business, Craft Tip of the Day, Guest Writer Articles

I Love Your Blog!!!!

What a nice surprise to open my email from Sara of "Sara's Texture Crafts" , whose website is: http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/ and find this adorable little sign "I Love Your Blog". Although Sara and I have never met, being that we are on opposite sides of the Atlantic, through my admiring her daily blogs of her crafts, and she in turn admiring many of my articles, which she has published, we have become friends. I look daily for what I will learn today regarding her expertise in felting, along with her other crafts of making yarn, jewelry, etc. So it really brought a smile to my face to find that she has put me on her list of seven favorite "I Love Your Blog" list!

So now, I in turn, must "spread the love" and send this little "I Love Your Blog" sign to 7 crafter's whose blogs I enjoy reading.

1. http://sassylynne-at-etsy.blogspot.com/

2. http://vanfleetstreetdesign.blogspot.com/

3. http://fusedglass.blogspot.com/

4. http://joonbeam.blogspot.com/

5. http://fehustoneware.blogspot.com/

6. http://roseworksjewelry.wordpress.com/

7. http://storybeader.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Sara, and I hope this brings a smile to my 7 friends that I listed!

In Remembrance - September 11, 2001

I can't believe seven years have passed since the tragedy of 9/11. I went to Church this morning and at the exact time the first plane hit the Tower 1, the bells started chiming for 5 minutes. It brought back so many memories. Living in a suburb right outside NY City, I can't tell you how much it affected us. Many of those whose lives were lost when the Towers collasped lived in this area. So every year it is a feeling that sits within you, almost like the day Kennedy was shot. You just never can forget that exact moment when you first heard those words - The World Trade Towers have been struck by a plane. I had just gotten to work, and as we all stood mesmerized by the TV, and minutes later when the second plane hit Tower 2 the shock and realization that this was a terrorist attack brought us all back to reality.

That afternoon I went with my friend Paul to sit quietly by the water, where we watched the smoke rising higher and higher in the sky from all the destruction. Neither one of us could even speak, we just sat in silence with our own thoughts gazing across the waters.

It was a few days before anyone could get into the city, as it was in lockdown; especially near Ground Zero. The moment when my friends and I did get down to see where the Twin Towers had once stood, it was a moment forever etched within me.

The quilt square above is my dedication to September 11, 2001.

Treasury: Nice Day for a White Wedding

Strummer, the "Ring Bearer."





A perfect match! The little "Flower Girl" from my Treasury
by SDEMKE @etsy.com






With my nephew, Christian, who is also my godchild, getting married in September, I had Wedding fever on my mind. As I looked through the various categories on Etsy of "Wedding" themed items, I saw so many beautiful pieces of various arrangements. Out of that came the thought of doing a "Wedding" themed Treasury, called appropriately, "A Nice Day for a White Wedding". A few pieces were done by my friends on Boomer's, and other friends I have made here at Etsy; and now from the Treasury, I can add a few more friends I have made along the way.
My nephew's wedding is going to be in a famous winery in New Jersey: Renault Winery, located in So. Jersey in Atlantic City (which means 4 hours of driving for dear Auntie!). He and his girlfriend have a son, Strummer, who will be 20 mos. old at that time, and will have the part of "ring bearer"; while the flower girl, who is the same age, will attempt to walk down the aisle with my nephew. Of course, if they make it, they will totally steal the spotlight from the Bride and Groom. When I saw the picture on Etsy of the little flower girl, who is probably about their age, I just couldn't resist adding that to my Treasury. As you enjoy the Treasury, I will be deciding busy shopping for something special to wear!
I know the pictures are a little hard to get a good focus on, so I also did a YouTube video, of the "White Wedding" Treasury: this is the link, and don't forget to turn up the volume!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfjlRK4RZL0

The Plight of the Miniature Artist

As soon as one says "dollhouse" the first thought that comes to mind is toys, or a dollhouse for the little girl. Dollhouse Miniatures are not considered toys, nor are they appropriate for children; which you will note in some of the miniature shops. This is a hobby which many are involved in, and then again, something that many know nothing about. Although I have had a miniature shelf (originally a printer’s case for their letters) for many years, and was collecting miniature items; I came to learn about the world of miniatures through one of my oldest friends, who as an artist started out as a textile designer, then started making Persian designed carpets for dollhouses. The exact dimensions of each piece of work are so real like, that I became interested in this field, even doing shows with my friend in LasVegas and Atlantic City (yes, we did have time to gamble a little!). I then started working for quite a few years in a Dollhouse Miniature shop, where dollhouses and their accessories were geared for adults, and quite costly. Often I would find myself telling children, "please don't touch"! Of course we did have furniture for children, which were towards the back of the store, and would quickly guide the little children back there. The craftsmanship in making something 1/12" scale is quite a difficult and comprising task. When one views the items made, they are so real like, it is impossible to believe that they are only 1/12" in size.

Recently I discovered that there are quite a few shops on Etsy selling “miniature items. A few of the many shops listed are: www.Lilwitchy.etsy.com, www.bluekittyminatures.etsy.com, www.ladyartisandolls.etsy.com, www.bassombear,etsy.com. (the cutest little bearsin this shop!)www.goldenunicornminis.etsy.com, www.polkadottoadstool.etsy.com, www.bluecrawdad..etsy.com, one of my favorite shops, www.TheHauntedHollowTree.etsy.com, of which I own a few of her beautiful pictures. For those of you who have not experienced the world of miniatures, I do recommend that you take a moment to look at the real-like items in their shops. Within the Forums you will find one group of miniature artists' "MiniMakers". Another group,"DAM" , which stands for Dolls and Miniatures, are currently attempting to start their own Etsy team. Lisa of “LilWitchy” (the artist of the miniature “Quija Board” which is pictured) specializes in mostly 1:12 scale Miniatures for Witch's Haunted Dollhouses"; and “BlueKitty Miniatures” (who designed the beautiful wedding caked pictured), and "Ladyartisandolls", are a few of the members of who make up “DAM” . While like other teams here on Etsy who chat away about life, families and their craft, they are also trying to get people to understand exactly what miniatures are. As they describe themselves, they are miniature artists creating collectible objects in 1:8, or 1:12" scale for dollhouse/room box settings or even curio cabinets. Miniatures are an old and distinguished hobby, from private collections to museums including the Smithsonian, whose owners value the skill necessary to create tiny objects. They are not children's toys as much as tiny works of art.

Both groups, the "MiniMakers", and "DAM", have tried without little success to get Etsy to provide them with their own specific tag, which would make shopping for miniatures much easier for those looking for that "little" extra something. Taken from a thread posted on June 24, 2008 by “Ladyartisandolls”, "for at least two years, possibly longer, art doll artists, miniaturists, and non-toy dollmakers have been trying to get categories set up for their particular art here on Etsy. We’re consistently frustrated by the difficulty buyers and collectors encounter while trying to find our work. We regularly have customers tell us they would never find us on Etsy if we didn’t send them a direct link. Other doll artists and miniaturists who haven’t yet signed up on Etsy hesitate to do so because there is no clear category on Etsy for them to list their items." According to Lisa, of “LilWitchy”, there is a legislation in the UK which prohibits listing any dollhouse item as a toy. I invite you all to take a look at some of the shops, and view just a few of the very unique items I have listed; and I also ask that perhaps you can convo them in support of their mission in getting Etsy to provide them with their own specific tag, or sign their petition in support of the “MiniMakers.” Here’s a link to their petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/add-a-dolls-category-on-Etsy .

I hope you can all take a "mini" moment of your time to sign this petition to help these very creative miniature artists towards their goal of gaining their own tag on Etsy.