Is it me or does this look like a picture of fake food in the window of an asian style restaurant?  Kinda plasticy.  Oh, well, it’s what’s for lunch today.  We sliced, we diced, we chopped til’ we dropped to make this dish.  Lemme tell you it was all worth it!  We didn’t have any meat so it was vegetarian…which we are not, but the delivery boy didn’t bring our groceries because it started raining.  No regrets on the meat front though—it was awesome!  Definitely, a sprinkling of green onions on top would add to the aesthetics.  Next time.  I only know Egg Foo Yung from the Chinese restaurants back home—my mom often ordered it, but I was never that excited about it.  Sweet and sour pork, now that’s another story.  Funny enough, I’ve not seen Egg Foo Yung on the menus here so it was a good treat on this rainy gloomy day. 

I hope you’re all having a nice weekend!  Here’s a link to the recipe.

I needed a little retail therapy today—a project was going south and I needed to take a few steps back and think, so I decided to check out Urban Outfitters.  I hadn’t been on their site in 2 1/2 years when I bought my brown knee high boots.;..which I still love.  While working on my projects, I’ve had a lot of time to think.  Wondering about the future and what life will be like when we move home to the States.  Impossible to know everything, but I do know I love funky retro digs.  So many fun things in storage await that I thrifted—probably a lot I’ve forgotten about!  I immediately fell in love with these bowls that fit the bill, so I snagged them.

They are made from recycled melamine and are very similar to the old ones.  The other thing I’m pretty sure I’ll be doing when I get home is baking so I really did need these…….after all, girl’s been deprived of a real oven for 2 1/2 years.  Where’s the muffin mix already!?!?! 

Design Doma has some really cool journals.  Check out their website-click on a journal to see the different pages each one has like this…

I admit, I haven't written a thing in mine because I'm worried about ruining a page.  Dumb.  Use it already, right?  There will be more journals.  And it's possible I might savor the pages even more if there were thoughts and idea scrawls on them. 

There's a typhoon going on right now…actually started in the middle of the night and still going strong.  I'm working in my little room, listening to the wind howl.  Almost finished with a necklace, so I better get back to it…but I wanted to say hello to you folks!  See you then!

Scary stuff you guys….  We've got to pull together on this. 

Thanks to Brenda Pinnick for making this poster.  You can download it from her blog here. 

I've been hitting the metal hard the past few months making projects for my new book, but I've not shown you kids a thing.  I like to keep them in my (and my editor's) pocket so it's a big surprise when the book comes out.  But, yesterday, I had to take a moment and stop to play.  It all started when I had to cut up this necklace…

I wasn't ready to, but it had to be done.  You know, for the love of the craft.  I cut up a lot of stuff because it's not easy to get on the horn and have some beads sent over here….NOW.  Anywho, I was looking at these beads and one had a pretty big hole—(I think they are from Riverstone Bead company btw).  I stuck a piece of copper tubing in the hole and riveted it.  I love to rivet!  Then I had this ring shank that I'd made awhile back for my felt ball rings (show you those wacky things another time).  Stuck the rock on that thing and riveted in place.  Voila.  Rockin' Ring….and a weapon perhaps. 

Speaking of rockin' rings, check out Carmi's big ring she just made.  Carmi, you should totally send this idea into Photojojo. I think they would like it a lot!  😉

Strands of Beads
Melissa takes at look at Chinese character name stamps from a crafty point of view.

Savvy Crafter
Candie's definitely been inspired by her Asian adventures—see a Fan-tastic necklace and some fabric she plans to make into a kimono shirt.

Naughty Secretary Club
Get all caught up on the latest office gossip with the Naughty Secretary Club Newsletter.

Katie's Beading Blog
Check out Katie's new video clip from the public television show Beads, Baubles & Jewels!

Jennifer Jangles Blog
Want to know where to buy ceramic supplies? Check out Jennifer's Blog.

BeadStyle Magazine
BeadStyle Senior Editor Naomi talks where her great finds from the Bead&Button Show will turn up next.

Barbe Saint John's Blog
Tool Love-How many pairs of wire cutters can one girl own, and whats the difference between them?

Art Bead Scene
Ahoy Mateys! Cap'n Heather Powers sails us to a new ABS Feature – The Trendy Bead! This week's trend is nautical – no swabbin' the deck required!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy hearts jewelry making! Find a load of heart-themed jewelry projects along with a free e-course designed around the theme of love.

Here's a little fetish of mine…. Nut Bugs!  Have you ever seen them?  They are so cute with their wiggly legs.  I got my first one as a kid when my grandma had them in her store.  These are from Suzhou and I was thrilled to snatch them up.

I've found more than a bug or two in my fruits and veg here because the produce is picked and put on the shelves, mud and all.  The other day I was cleaning some celery and there was a little red-worm taking a snooze down in the valley of the stalk.  Then there was the time I got a gnat infested head of broccoli and didn't realize it until I saw around 30 gnats floating on the surface of my beautiful soup.  I can laugh about that one now, but at the time….well, you can imagine. 

Really enjoyed this post over at Claire's blog today—I just pretend I can read French, picking out words that sort of look familiar.  The button and twirly wire brooch is magical.

The other day, my friend made a "something, something pie."  Well, that's the way I understood it—she's from London and sometimes (when I haven't had enough coffee), I cannot understand a word she says.  She said the name of the pie about four times before I thought to look at the recipe.  "Ohhhhhhhhh, Banoffee pie," I said.  "Why, what'd you think I said."  "I have no idea, but I'm looking forward to it."  We've had so many of these moments where I'm in the dark and then realization comes and we bust out laughing.  Apparently this is more of an English dessert and her recipe was from the Nestle UK website.  After tasting it, it all made sense; Banana + Toffee, naturally equals "Banoffee".  And boy, was it was lovely! Especially with those ginormous chocolate twirls she thought to put on top.

Bead Blogger Links….

About.com Jewelry Making
Learn to wire wrap your beads and add an extra little something to your jewelry designs.

Art Bead Scene
Wondering what's "in?" Trek on over to ABS to check out the trends!

BeadStyle Magazine
What did Cathy see and do at the Bead&Button show? Read about it and let us know what you bought there.

Jennifer Jangles Blog
Things are growing around here…

Katie's Beading Blog
Take a peek inside Katie's shopping bag!

Naughty Secretary Club
Brand new website, but no sales? Jen helps out a friend by bestowing a bit of the knowledge she has picked up from running her jewelry website Naughty Secretary Club as her full time job for over 5 years.

Savvy Crafter
You've made all that fabulous jewelry, now where to put it?!?! Candie shows a tree-mendous solution!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beadng to be done!
Jean saw a dragonfly striking a pose and made a necklace in its honor!

Strands of Beads
Melissa visits the New York branch of Japanese bead store Toho Shoji.

I have to say, someday, I may have to make the toffee layer and put it on some vanilla bean ice cream.  I tasted it while it was still hot in the pot—Oh Momma!  Could be the perfect hot summer night treat!