Being Norwegian

This is Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, skier extraordinaire with an amazing back story. He crashed, BIG time, only 2 years ago and now holds Olympic gold. I'm sure you can see why I blogged about him...



He's an inspiration. Lucky me that I am part Norwegian. ;)

cheers!
xo diane

Completely off topic...Dexter

I've been hearing everyone I know talk about the show Dexter, but since I don't have Showtime I haven't made my way to see it yet. Until now....



I signed up for Netflix the other day and have streamed not only the first but second season already! This show is riveting! Great writing, amazing cast, wonderful characters the whole shebang. Now I know that might seem like a LOT of television...but since I sit here working all day I need something to listen to. (I'm accustomed to working long hours anyway so this just keeps me company.) I have written before about several ways on how I pass my "aural" time through listening to podcasts, last.fm & hulu but now I've got streaming Netflix? What a genius idea.

Almost as genius as Dexter.

cheers!
Diane

Olympics!

Anyone who really knows me knows how much I LOVE the Olympics. I don't care if it's the Winter or Summer games I get the fever and am relatively glued to watching as many events as I possibly can. How awesome is it that Vancouver is this year's host for the Winter Games? It seems like such a beautiful place and Canadians are some of the nicest people that I've ever met!

I am always filled with inspiration from the athletes who compete. I love hearing their stories & feeling that anything is possible. What a great way to unite the globe for a few weeks every two years.

Congratulations to all the athletes & GO TEAM USA!



cheers!
xo diane

Feeling a little empty....

Here is a before & after picture of one of my drawers that I've been working on...

Before:


After:



I think it's pretty clear how I feel about it...

cheers!
xo diane

Getting personal....

Lately I have been rifling through what I would call my "life's work" of a bead collection. I wouldn't say that this has been a simple task seeing as I have amassed beads & findings over the past 20+ years. When I say I've been making jewelry my whole entire life, I mean it. I started when I was about 6 years old (maybe even sooner) and I haven't stopped since. Until now.

I realized that as much as I love what I do and that it helps define me as a person, I also have other facets of my life that still have yet to be "polished". So as I figure out my next step I am sorting through thousands of beads and am getting quite emotional about it.

If you have ever collected anything in your life and have continued it past a simple "phase" you know that it can become much more than just "stuff", it can become a real part of your life. Or at least who you think you are at the time of collecting. I have decided that along with my choice of moving to New York City that I will have to pare down about 80% of my belongings and I'm really okay with that. I think the thing that has become difficult for me is that I'll also be changing careers, so I will need to relinquish my collection of beads.

I feel that I need to pass this collection on to other designers. When I originally saw these items I was inspired and saw the potential in them for creating beautiful jewelry. I think they still hold that potential but now it's up to someone else to take that and run with it. I would rather think of it as passing positive & creative energy along than see it as a "loss" for me.

So soon I will be having a huge sale of my "life's work" so to speak. Amazing beads with amazing potential...and all because I've decided to move on and create something new for myself. Not a bad deal at all.

cheers!
xo diane

More Marie Antoinette inspired jewelry....

Here are a few more pics of some lovely jewelry that I've made lately. These are all "limited edition" pieces that I will not have listed on my website. If you are interested in any of these pieces you may contact me through the website. :)
tastyjewelry.com

yellow enameled flower necklace, 18" long, $48


blue enameled flower necklace with Swarovski® crystal accents, 18" long, $48


love birds necklace with metal leaf detail & red jade accent, 18" long, $44


roses necklace with metal leaf detail & rose quartz accent, 18" long, $44


orange bird necklace with metal leaf detail & coral accent, 18" long, $44


olive green birdcage necklace with metal leaf detail & Swarovski® crystal accent, 18" long, $44


I have only these three earrings to match the necklaces: $32 each



I hope you enjoy this new collection as inspired by Marie Antoinette. I will be posting a few more pairs of earrings soon....

cheers!
xo diane

First Thursday canceled

Sorry to say, but tonight's set up for First Thursday has been canceled due to the crazy rain we've been having for the past few days...

I'll be back next month with lots of great stuff, so come by and see me then. Thursday March 4th from 5:30pm - 10 pm.

cheers!
xo Diane

Le Garage Sale This Weekend

Come & join Tasty Jewelry in addition to many other boutiques & designers during Le Garage Sale this weekend at the Palmer Events Center. I will be showcasing new designs as well as featuring sale jewelry too!



Hope to see you there!!!

cheers!
xo diane

My night out...

I just returned from seeing The Cribs play at The Parish here in Austin. I had seen them last year in November at the Bowery Ballroom in New York and they were amazing there. I had no idea that they could put on an even better show.

Now, I must start by saying that the crowd in NY was WAY better than they were here. As soon as the music started a thumping, pulsing crowd started to move & couldn't be stopped for the entire show! I should say that there were some people here who were getting into it & dancing so to them I applaud you for having a good time. No offense, but seeing people text and just stand there the whole time doesn't seem like a good crowd to me. I really feel sorry for you if you spend $22 for a ticket to see a band, then just stand there motionless with an "ok, impress me" attitude. Just stay home...
Rant over.

Here are some pics that I took. I don't have a fancy camera so I am just going to call them "artistic" & we'll leave it at that.





No good, I know...but I wasn't there to take photos...I was there to enjoy the music. They played pretty much everything I wanted to hear; Hey Scenesters!, Our Bovine Public, Men's Needs, We Were Aborted, I'm a Realist, Be Safe etc. It seemed like the band was enjoying the crowd & they were working hard to get them involved. It paid off in the end, the show really rocked!

cheers!
xo diane

Versailles collection

During my recent visit to Versailles we also explored the grounds of the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon which were both separate residences located in the northwestern portion of the grounds.

I was fascinated by the opulent fabrics, vivid colors & overall feminine beauty that was encompassed within these buildings. Spending the day amongst all of this lavishness was bound to have some effect on my designs at some point and it has.

There are two different ways that I see these designs breaking down. One being the over-the-top elaborateness of the furniture, the accessories & the scale of whole place. Its got my head in a tizzy about bold & faceted "grand" pieces that would be one-of-a-kind and quite luxurious. The other takes its cue from the more feminine side of the experience. The fabrics with all of their rich & subtle hues, floral motifs, damask prints & overall softness.

Here are a few pieces that I've already made with the latter in mind. I've used softer colors, antiqued brass & vintage inspired findings but wanted to introduce the idea of faceted crystals into the mix. I found these great metal "tulip" shaped forms which really lent themselves to the overall look I was going for.

seafoam green - bronze pearl - Swarovski® crystal


white - chain - Swarovski® crystal


red - freshwater pearl - chain


These earrings are part of a VERY limited edition group that I have created. If you are interested in ordering any of these please contact me via an email through the website: www.tastyjewelry.com

cheers!
xo diane

A Day at Versailles

The day before I left Paris my sister took me out to the chateau of Versailles. It was only about 15 minutes from her house. (Nice!) We got there nice & early so we could enjoy it before too many other people came. Here is what we saw once we arrived:



The sun was just rising and the glow cast such a beautiful light on the chateau it was incredible!



We proceeded indoors where we opted for the audio tour. I would highly recommend this as you can take your time to see everything with some detailed explanation. Here I am in "Le Salon de Diane"...my own personalized room at Versailles. Nice huh? :)



Ok, so its really about Diana the Goddess of the Hunt as depicted in this ceiling painting:



Here is the infamous "Hall of Mirrors":



my self-portrait there...(no easy task since there are usually about 150 people or more in this room at any given time - it paid to go early!)



and some gilded tushies:



Everything was so completely opulent. The fabrics, the wall treatments, the furniture, the artwork. Its something that simply must be seen with your own eyes to appreciate.

I'm considering this look for my new bed...think the Queen would mind?



Beautiful crystal chandeliers were everywhere! I must have taken about 20 pictures of them alone. Here's just one example:



and another...



Marie Antoinette herself:



Here is one view of the gardens in the Winter...notice how long & far they reach! Amazing!



and the fountain:



We head out to the Grand Trianon & the Petit Trianon which is where the Queen had her own quarters. Here is one of the rooms, they had the doors closed to block out some of the sunshine so the fabrics wouldn't be ruined.



Here's a close up of a beautiful chair. I was amazed at the unbelievable tapestries & fabrics that were used. The colors were amazing and very inspiring!



Here's the shot my sister took of the whole room:




It won't be soon that I will forget my trip to Versailles. We spent the entire day there...I could have stayed the whole week! I will definitely come back in the Spring/Summer to spend more time in the gardens. What an amazing place.

cheers!
xo diane

A Trip to Paris....part 1

This year I spent Christmas & New Year's in Paris. Yes, I said Paris, as in France, as in the "City of Lights". What an amazing way to end 2009 huh? I can see why people fall in love here...or would want to share this with someone they care about. It's just simply beautiful.

The day I arrived it was my niece, Kaitlyn's, 16th birthday. We went to see PSG (Paris-St. Germaine) play a Ligue 1 match against Grenoble. It was amazing to be in the Parc des Princes with all of the fans. Here we are (Kaitlyn, my sister Mary & I) as captured by the PSG official photographer. This photo ended up on their website after the match! My nephew Thomas found it...


After the match my beau-frére, Thierry, drove us up the edge of the Seine to see the Eiffel Tower, then down the Champs Elyseés. It was all lit up with beautiful lights down both sides of the street and through the Christmas season they had these little white houses all lined up with vendors selling things. It was breath taking.

We came home & had a bite to eat, celebrated Kaitlyn's birthday & then I called it a night....

I highly recommend anyone who likes great food to visit France during this time of year, since most events center around the meal. Its like a religion to these people, and I completely understand it now. I've never eaten so much foie gras in my life!

Our Christmas day meal was fantastic. We started with Champagne (of course) and some delicious salmon blinis. Next we had foie gras on toast with a small mache salad.


That was followed by our main dish of oven roasted chapon (or capon in this country) accompanied by mashed potatoes (with boursin cheese & herbs), bacon wrapped green beans & the stuffing from the chapon.


We followed that with the cheese course and then a dessert of Christmas cookies & Bouche de Noel.

Along with all of the great meals, we did get out and do some walking around. My nieces & I went into Paris the day after Christmas. We started at Centre Georges Pompidou


then rented these cool bikes called Vélib' and rode all around Paris.

Here's Kaitlyn & I:


and a view from my bike...yes, that's the Opera:


and Café de la Paix where we would enjoy New Year's Day brunch:


We stopped at this beautiful little shop where they had these fancy bon bons (you can see my other niece Ashley in the reflection):


then Kaitlyn got this beautiful mango gelato cone shaped like a rose!


We had such a great day. It was nice to get out & about in the city. I've got lots more to share so I'll post again real soon!

cheers!
xo diane

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