Wonderful cocktails...

The other night I was introduced to a place called Péché. Its an Absinthe bar with a staff that is super knowledgeable about all sorts of cocktails & libations. They only use the finest ingredients to bring you flavors that will make your mouth sing.

While I was there I was lucky enough to meet Russell Davis who besides being completely charming, was recently named one of the country's top 10 bartenders!

Here he is featured with an image from the Austinist:


I am a Manhattan fanatic so when he asked if he could make one for me I just couldn't refuse. It was by FAR the best cocktail I had ever had. Not only was it made with a traditional rye whiskey, Russell used his own hand crafted bitters & topped the whole thing off with a fig foam. It was do die for!

So if you are interested in having an amazing & creative cocktail, I highly suggest a trip to Péché to see Russell & his amazingly talented staff.

Holiday Market at Guero's

This is just a reminder that I will be participating in the Holiday Artist's Market at Guero's Taco Bar this weekend & next weekend from 11am - 7pm.

Come out and support local Austin artists who work hard to bring you the finest in unique gift items.



So come out and say hello. The weekend weather is supposed to be pretty nice!

cheers!
xo Diane

Brilliant Idea!

Anyone who knows me knows that I can't have caffeine. It's not that I don't enjoy beverages that contain it, its that I have an actual allergy to it. Resulting in heart palpitations, muscle tremors, and ending with a full blown panic attack. I wouldn't wish that reaction on anyone...

So when I go out to a restaurant or even coffee house, I have to be very careful. You see, I've worked in the restaurant industry and know as a FACT that most servers don't really pay much attention to whether or not they are serving you caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. But if you are careless and serve someone like me, you could be in serious trouble.

So I came across these caffeine test strips today which would make my life a little easier. Available at spoonsisters.com.



You use them like a litmus test strip to see the caffeine content of any beverage. Brilliant!

cheers!
xo diane

p.s. I've just added them to my Amazon wish list.

Aspire Magazine mention...

I just got this tear sheet from my friend Cheryl over at Aspire Magazine. She contacted me a few months ago about featuring my vinyl stripe bob pins in her Winter Issue. Of course I was very happy to help her out!



These make GREAT stocking stuffers! (hint, hint)

cheers!
xo diane

Holiday Sale

Holiday Sale going on from December 7th - 12th only. Receive 25% off of anything you purchase online. Use the code: cyber in the discount coupon box, then hit recalculate to receive your savings.

Hurry, this sale only goes for a few days!

Happy Holidays from Tasty Jewelry!!!

cheers!
xo diane

3 down, 4 to go!

Well, I've successfully completed the first three of seven shows as of this minute. I have only four more to go until the "official" Tasty Jewelry holiday market season is finished.

If you live in the Austin, TX area please come out and see me at my next four shows. I am organizing some local talent to show off their wares at Guero's for the next few weekends.



Hope to see you there!

cheers!
xo diane

Thinking things through...

I've got so much on my plate with the holiday season now in full swing! I have 7 different shows coming up in the next 3 weeks and with the economy being so uncertain, I am having a hard time figuring out where to put my energies.

To try to clear my head a bit I went for a very long walk & run today. I was on the hike & bike trail around Lady Bird Lake. (a.k.a. the Colorado River) I don't know how far I went, but I do know that I ran for 45 minutes of it, and walked for another hour. The weather was beautiful and all I could think about was trying to get a different perspective on things.



I think it did me good, it was either that, or the bubble bath that I took after. Now I'm just sitting in my big white spa robe and writing this...

I just keep reminding myself to take it one show at a time, that everything will work out and that at the end of it all I have a really fabulous Christmas & New Year's planned.

More on that later....

cheers!
xo diane

limited edition item #2!

Here is another limited edition item from www.tastyjewelry.com.

A silver-plated little bird pendant is accented with a sparkly Swarovski® crystal rhinestone detail. Available in blue zircon or silver shadow. The pendant hangs on 16" of delicately twisted sterling silver chain. A perfect gift for the holidays! Only 8 are available. So hurry before they are all snapped up....





cheers!
xo diane

Tasty Jewelry Trunk show at Adelante Boutique

Mark you calendars! I will be having a trunk show at Adelante Boutique on Decemember 4th & 5th. Here are the details:



If you are in the Austin area this is a fantastic time to come see some one-of-a-kind pieces that I won't have anywhere else. It's a great time to pick up unique and wonderful gifts for the holidays. I hope to see you there!

cheers!
xo diane

This is one of the MANY reasons why I love NYC....

I just stumbled upon this video and was totally amazed. I love that people like this exist in the world...their minds are so "dialed in" to their imagination and ability to create what they see, its awe-inspiring! I love it!!!!!



cheers!
xo diane

hammering again.....

These hoop earrings are so popular that I give my right arm a good work out almost every week! I will do 24 pairs today to start with and that doesn't include the regular jewelry that I will be making later. You know to just put down the hammer and step away when your hand starts going numb....

Here they are in their holding bowl:



And then hammered with much love. Its truly a great way to get out my frustrations too...



You can find these little beauties finished in 4 different sizes on my website here.

cheers!
xo diane

Tasty Treat: Nov. 22nd - Nov. 28th

Here is the Tasty Treat item for the week of November 22nd - 28th:



A mod graphic print pendant is set under a glass square. The cord is made of waxed cotton and measures 16" long. Available in 60 different graphic prints all made from original artwork.

Originally $32 now $24 for a limited time only! And you receive a free gift with each purchase too!

cheers!
xo diane

NYC - Ragtime opening night

So while I was in NYC I was given the rare opportunity to see my brother open Ragtime on Broadway. He plays Tateh the immigrant father who comes to this country to provide a better life for he & his young daughter.

I can't begin to put into words what this meant to me. It was amazing to see someone that you grew up with be up on a stage with hundreds of people watching! (including Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Susan Stroman, Jason Alexander, Rosie Perez & Steven Pasquale)

Here is my brother Robert & I outside the theater after the show.



I was amongst a group of Robert & his wife Susan's closest friends for the night and we took a limo to the party held at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.



Here we are celebrating in the limo with champagne & high kicks!



I was in charge of taking pictures all night with Robert's fancy camera, and just hoped that I got some good ones. It was so much fun. Here is Robert with fellow cast mate Bobby Steggert & playwright Terrence McNally.



Here I am with Susan's twin sister Cynthia...she was my picture taking partner in crime for the night.



Here's Robert again with Sarah Rosenthal the young lady who plays his daughter in the show. She was incredible and really sweet. Congratulations to her on her first Broadway performance.



Here Robert & I are in the middle of the party. What an amazing experience to be able to share with him. I am so proud and inspired by his talent.



So if you are in NYC anytime soon you must go see Ragtime at the Neil Simon theater. It is a show that is not to be missed!!

cheers!
xo diane

just a side note....

So does it look like this little cat missed me at all? As soon as I emptied the suitcase he was in it.



And here he is about an hour ago...snuggled up on my lap as I was working. He rarely sits on me, let alone sleep & snuggle for hours!



So I guess he missed me. :)

cheers!
xo diane

My latest trip to NYC...

I was back in NYC this past weekend for a number of reasons. To see a concert by The Cribs, to check out the city (again), to see my brother open Ragtime on Broadway & to meet up with my former boss.

Friday night I went with my friend Tim to go and see The Cribs. I can't believe it but I realized that I had never seen a show in NYC before. They played at the Bowery Ballroom which was a great place to see a band since it was a very small venue. We met up with some of Tim's friends before hand for drinks then off to the show. It was rockin'! As soon as they started the crowd went crazy...jumping up & down, dancing, thrashing about...a very lively bunch.

They played everything that I wanted to hear, including "Be Safe" which was accompanied by a large projected image of Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth fame) doing his spoken word piece. Here's my feeble attempt at taking a photo of that moment on my iPhone.... (The person on the left is none other than Johnny Marr of The Smiths who now plays guitar for the band.)




Well, I've got much more to add to this weekend so I'll have to make another post later. Until then....

cheers!
xo diane

a great way to live

i chose to put this into action many years ago and haven't looked back. it is one of the best things i could recommend to anyone...



cheers!
xo diane

Tasty Treat: Nov. 8th - 17th

Here is the Tasty Treat for the week of November 8th - 17th.





The long and luscious earrings feature mod metal rings with beautiful wood beads. They come in either silver tone with ebony originally $24 now $18, or gold tone with walnut originally $36 now $27. With hand made ear wires made from sterling silver or 14k gold-filled wire.

Don't forget you receive a free gift with your purchase too!

cheers!
xo diane

copper wrapped rings

I have been making these copper rings with semi-precious stones and pearls and they've been quite popular. I just thought I'd share some of the newer designs with you. I love the small ones with the five stones...they are great for stacking!



Don't forget that I'll be at the Shop 787 event tomorrow from 12 - 6pm so if you are in the Austin area stop by and see these little beauties for yourself!

cheers!
xo diane

Shop 787

I am going to be participating in this wonderful event partnering with Adelante Boutique to showcase my jewelry in front of her amazing Curb Service Airstream trailer.



Here's what the website has to say about the event:

Shop787 is almost here! This Sunday, November 8, Shop787 is the ultimate event to help you kick-start the shopping season. Over 50 local boutiques, designers, and more will have the best they have to offer all in one place!

Mosaic at Mueller will be bustling with holiday shoppers looking for gifts for all ages. Don’t forget the food court and complimentary beverages from Tito’s, Sweet Leaf Tea, Brown Distributing and more. A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit the Dell Children’s Hospital and all attendees are encouraged to bring a children’s book to donate to the Child Life Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center.

Don’t spend another day worrying about satisfying your gift list. Head out this weekend to Shop787 for one stop and dozens of possibilities. Discounted, advance tickets (just $5 and includes all your drinks!) are on sale now.

I'll be showcasing lots of new designs with everything under $60. So I hope to see you there, it should be a wonderful event!

cheers!
xo diane

off topic: iTunes library nonsense....

This has probably been thrown around the internet by several people & I'd like to propagate it even further by submitting my own information to the pool about my iTunes library. So here it goes:

How many total songs?
5003 items, 14.7 days, 21.03 GB


Sort by song title – first and last…
First: “About You” – Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough
Last: “!@*$%#” – Fischerspooner - #1


Sort by time – shortest and longest…
Shortest: 0:06, “One Last "Whoo-hoo!" For The Pullman” – Sufjan Stevens - Come on Feel the Illinoise
Longest: 21:29, “Where the Planets Revolve, I Wish I Was There" - Sianspheric - Somnium


Sort by Album – first and last…
First: ABBA Gold by ABBA
Last: Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie


Sort by Artist – first and last…
First: ABBA
Last: Zwan


Top five played songs**
35 - 1901 - Phoenix
34- Magic - Ladyhawke
27 - The Great Escape - The Rifles
24 - Fire - Kasabian
19 - Games For Days - Julian Plenti


Find the following words. How many songs show up?
Sex: 27 items
Death: 108 items
Love: 254 items
You: 553 items
Home: 54 items
Boy: 237 items
Girl: 55 items


First five songs that come up on Party Shuffle…
The Price of Love - White Lies
Manta Ray - The Pixies
Atlantic - Keane
Slow And Low - Beastie Boys
(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me - Depeche Mode


So there it is...I'd love to see yours! Share it with me...

cheers!
xo diane

Tasty Treat: Nov. 1st - 7th

Here is the Tasty Treat of the week for November 1st - 7th, 2009:



Double-tiered earrings made from copper and then hand-hammered. They are contemporary & chic and come in your choice of carnelian, amazonite (shown) or smoky quartz.

Original price is $32, Tasty Treat price this week only $24! Plus don't forget you also receive a free gift with each purchase.


cheers!
xo diane

completely off topic....wolfmother

Last night I treated myself to a ticket to go see Wolfmother at Stubb's BBQ and it was better than the first time I saw them there back in 2007.



Talk about full on rock assault from beginning to end! With the exception of a few slower songs and even a cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights", this show was not for the faint of heart. They managed to mix new tracks from "Cosmic Egg" (their newest endeavor that just came out this past Tuesday) with crowd favorites from their first album "Wolfmother". The band seemed to be really enjoying the crowd...singer Andrew Stockdale defined the term "front man" last night, leading the crowd in chants, arm waving & clapping.

I was really in the mood for this type of show too. After enjoying so much music from this year's ACL festival I just wanted to keep the rock coming. I don't have the set list, but will keep on the lookout for it and post it when I can find it.

Thank you to all the people who were around me last night rocking out just as hard as I was...it was a sea of arms flailing, fists pumping, head banging and overall joy. What a treat! If you get the chance to see them, I highly recommend it.

Here is a list of their upcoming shows:


October 31 2009 – Voodoo Fest 2009 – New Orleans, LA
November 2 2009 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
November 3 2009 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
November 4 2009 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
November 6 2009 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
November 7 2009 – The House of Blues – Boston, MA
November 8 2009 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
November 11 2009 – Kool Haus – Toronto, ONT
November 12 2009 – Clutch Cargo – Pontiac, MI
November 13 2009 – Riviera Theater – Chicago, IL
November 14 2009 – State Theater – Minneapolis, MN
November 15 2009 – Ogden Theater – Denver, CO
November 16 2009 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
November 17 2009 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
November 19 2009 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
November 20 2009 – Paramount Theater – Seattle, WA
November 21 2009 – Queen Elizabeth Theater – Vancouver, BC
November 22 2009 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
November 23 2009 – The Wiltern Theater – Los Angeles, CA

cheers!
xo diane

limited edition item!

Another new feature to tastyjewelry.com is my limited edition offerings. These will come randomly & sporadically so keep an eye on the front page of the website & the blog!

The first one is this super cute silver cube necklace. Made from silver plated cube beads & strung onto 16" of delicate sterling silver chain, at only $38 its a steal. Super mod, super cute & super limited. Only 5 available!!!!






cheers!
xo diane

Tasty Treat: a new feature at tastyjewelry.com!

I'd like to introduce a new feature to my website and that is the "Tasty Treat" of the week. Each week (from now until Christmas) I will be selecting an item and showing it a little extra love.

What does that mean for you? Well, 25% off of said item PLUS a free gift with every purchase! It's a great way to start collecting pieces for yourself or grabbing fabulous gifts for others. Now does that sound delicious or what?

So onto the "Tasty Treat" for this week ••• October 25th - October 31st:



They are hoop ring earrings that feature a mod printed acrylic disc in the center. Originally $18, the "tasty treat" price is only $13.50. With 60 different graphics to choose from you shouldn't have too much trouble finding at least a few pairs that you can't live without!

So keep checking back each week to see if your favorite item has become the next "Tasty Treat".

cheers!
xo diane

Sorting through my past....

It's been quite a week for me. I've been in this sort of reflective mood due to the fact that I've been going through my life's possessions trying to sort through what I want to keep & what I need to keep. Two very different things!



I keep finding these things that I have collected and now need to decide if they "make the cut" so to speak. Most of it is really just junk, I know that, but these are the things that make your house your home. Little touches with a certain "flair" that seem to say something about you or your personality. Those are the things that I really want to keep.



Take these crazy women, my friend Victor gave them to me years ago for my birthday and I just love them. They came as a set of seven. I don't know where he got them or what they are supposed to be, other than mod, cool & fashionable, which I hope is why he got them for me.

So tomorrow I am having a garage sale that will feature glimpses into my past life. It's always a little weird seeing your "worldly possessions" leaving in the hands of a stranger for a few dollars, but sometimes the feeling of letting go is truly priceless.

cheers!
xo diane

something fun

I Told You I Was Freaky is the second studio album by New Zealand folk parody duo Flight of the Conchords. It will feature 13 songs. The CD will feature 1 sticker and 4 badges. It will also feature a lyric book with not only the lyrics, but the chords to each song as well. One of the songs (as of yet unannounced) from this album will be released as part of a downloadable track pack for the video game, Rock Band.

I love these guys...so smart, witty, and put a smile on my face every time I listen to them.

cheers!
xo diane

AMOA La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival

Last night was the 20th annual La Dolce Vita Food & Wine festival put on by the Austin Museum of Art. You may remember that I was recently contacted by my friend Justin to create commemorative wine charm sets for this event, and in return I received complimentary entrance into the event.

I should start by saying that the weather was phenomenal. It was hot earlier in the day, but around 5 pm a cool front moved in and made the night so beautiful! I had invited my friend Marlayna to come with me since she is starting a business that caters to women traveling to Italy plus she shares the same passion for cooking, food & wine as I do.

The event was set up so beautifully, the driveway of Laguna Gloria was lined with about 70 booths of both food & wine so to say that the offerings were plentiful would be an understatement. It seemed like almost every type of cuisine was represented, with Italian being the main focus.


From Primizie Osteria: A bite of rigatoni with a meatball and marinara garnished with a cherry tomato & fresh basil leaf. So succulent and super tasty.



They also had the most beautiful array of local roasted vegetables too.



From Moonshine Grill: A "corn dog" shrimp - which might sound crazy, but it was more like crazy good! A tender shrimp wrapped in corn dog batter & fried, then garnished with a sweet honey mustard.



From Bess Bistro: We had a lovely lamb lollipop with a rosemary glaze over truffle scented polenta. I was too busy eating that one to take a photo...sorry.

Onward to Canolli Joe's where they had grilled filet mignon over gorgonzola mashed potatoes. The meat was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were absolute heaven!



At this point the sun was going down a bit and the people were getting a little tight, so taking photos became a little more difficult. But for certain items I just had to get a snap.

From NoRTH Modern Italian: Braised beef short ribs over creamy white corn polenta.

From Taj Palace: Curried chick peas with a potato cake. Super flavorful!



From The Carillon: Hamachi crudo with roast hazelnuts, celery & currants. This was hands down my favorite bite of the evening. Clear, clean & fresh flavors met with a perfect balance of textures. Simply amazing. I met Chef Josh Knotts Watkins and am now a huge fan.



Wine kept flowing and the crowds got much bigger...it seemed as if everyone was in some sort of food-induced euphoria. Or it could have been the wine. Thanks to Twin Liquors for that!

My favorite dessert of the evening were the profiteroles from Andiamo Ristorante. A beautiful puff pastry filled with custard then enveloped in luscious chocolate. It was truly a melt-in-your-mouth experience. It was the only place that I went back for seconds. :) Sorry my pic is a bit blurry since it was so dark outside.



After walking around devouring all of these goodies we went to take a look at the wine glasses that were up for auction along with my wine charms. Marlayna had noticed that my name was on the poster listing the artists. Nice...



Here is one of the sets up for auction by artist Jane Schweppe:



and what was left of my wine charms... :)



DJ Manny was spinning for the rest of the evening as people were in search of the last bites. Texas Coffee Traders were busy serving hot chocolate, espresso & capuccinos while they offered rock candy stir sticks & glow bracelets. It was a lovely end to a most wonderful evening. My only regret is to not to have attended in previous years.

cheers!
xo diane

what i'm working on today....

I just thought I'd share some pictures of what I'm working on right now. I often forget to just take a few snaps as I'm working, so here I am in my studio today coming up with new shapes.



I'm listening to 80's music via the "Duran Duran" station on last.fm today. I really love 80's music; the good electronic stuff like ABC, The Human League, Berlin, Alphaville etc. certainly never the hair bands (like Poison etc...blech!) I mean, I sit here anywhere between 9 - 13 hours so I need something to keep me going. These songs are completely taking me back to high school & college. When times were certainly easier & I had hopes & dreams for my future.



I'll try to remember to post more pics of my daily goings-on. I do so much that I should just start snapping all the different facets of what I do in a week. I think most people would be surprised at just how many hats a small business owner wears. Crazy.

Well, gotta get back to my music, uh, I mean work....

cheers!
xo diane

The 80's unearthed....

So as I'm going through my stuff today deciding what to keep, sell, get rid of etc. I ran across my badge collection from the 80's. I know I had WAY more than this, but somehow these are the only ones that seemed to make it all these years...



I remember wearing these on this really cool white coat that I had...then on my men's blazers. And now all that same fashion is back again.

cheers!
xo diane

p.s. Hey T, I knew I still had that England one. Jealous? ;)