Glamorosi

Cuba Libre Restaurant - Pop-Up Paladar Dinner - Philadelphia, PA - January 11-13, 2012

2012-01-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

L to R - Owner Larry Cohen, Chef Guillermo Pernot, Chef Luis Alberto Alfonso Perez aka Chef Lucio , Owner Barry Gutin

For the first time since the US embargo, a chef from Cuba is cooking in America. Chef Luis Alberto Alfonso Perez (aka Chef Lucio) of El Gijonés in Havana, Cuba, traveled to the United States this week to collaborate with Chef Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre Restaurant in Philadelphia, PA for their new “Pop-up Paladar” events (paladar is the Cuban term for a small, family-run restaurant). My husband A.D. and I were among the lucky dinner guests on January 11, and we were astounded by the unique flavor combinations presented throughout the four course menu.

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PRIMERO - Crudo de Langosta
Lobster salad
Pineapple sorbet
Truffle oil infused black sesame seeds

This opening dish was a savory-sweet-tart symphony of flavors. The lobster was tender and warm; the pineapple sorbet provided a cold counterpoint, the truffled sesame seeds were flavorful but not overpowering. It was outstanding! I want to eat this every day. I want to eat it right now.

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SEGUNDO – Ravioles
Eggplant wrapped ravioli
Lamb ropa vieja filling
Infusion de hierba Buena

As a person who loves and reviews tea, I was absolutely delighted when the eggplant-wrapped lamb ravioli was served in a bath of fresh mint tea. This is definitely an idea I’ll be incorporating in my home-cooked dishes, and I’ll be making Chef Pernot’s recipe for Ropa Vieja too - it's in the "About" section of the Cuba Libre website.

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TERCERO – Jabali
Baby wild boar rib chop
Sour orange-canela compot
Yuca tamal

Many years ago I worked at a Nigerian restaurant that served Suya, a shish kebob (chicken or beef) with a secret combination of spices that I've never tasted anywhere else. I’ve been searching for that flavor all this time since then, and finally found it again in the seasoning of these delicious wild boar chops. The lean, fork tender boar was a crowd favorite; it may be added to Cuba Libre’s permanent menu.

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QUARTO – Flan de Queso
Pategras cheese flan
Guayaba coulis
Ajo confitado

The meal ended as it began, with a savory-sweet-tart sensation. The cheese flan with guava coulis and sugared garlic confit (!) was as decadent as dessert gets. A.D. rarely eats sweets, but he ate every bite of his flan, and I am positive if I had turned my head he would have stolen mine.

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When we go to Cuba Libre I always have their Mango Mojito – it’s my favorite cocktail in Philly. However, for this dinner they offered a red and white wine pairing: Indomita Cabernet from Chile, and Montes Sauvignon Blanc, Chile. I normally prefer red wine, but the peach and citrus notes of the Sauvignon Blanc won me over. I enjoyed the white with the salad and dessert courses and the red with the two meat dishes

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In addition to bringing authentic Cuban flavors to diners in Philly, Chef Guillermo Pernot and his wife Lucia will be bringing travelers to Havana, Cuba for a culinary and cultural tour that will take place April 20-24, 2012. The itinerary includes dining at paladares hand selected by Chef Pernot, a visit to Ernest Hemingway’s home and boat, a tour of the markets and more. For more info contact CubaTrip@CubaLibreRestaurant.com

Cuba Libre Philadelphia
10 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215.627.0666
http://CubaLibreRestaurant.com

All photos by Glamorosi

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glamorosi Entry for the Philly Photo Day Exhibition: Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar

2011-11-22T12:10:00.007-05:00

The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center recently celebrated the second annual Philly Photo Day, an event that invited everyone to take a picture of anything they liked within city limits on October 28, and submit it to be included in an exhibition.

I was excited about participating, but then on October 27 it was raining and I saw an earthworm sliding down a storm drain, and when I reached in to save him, broken glass cut across the top of my right hand down to the bone.

By the 28th - Philly Photo Day - my hand was swollen and immobile, so instead of heading out with my camera I stayed home and attempted some one-handed gardening.

At one point I decided to move a stack of flower pots. I lifted the top pot, and under it on top of the next pot I saw what I thought was a dried echinacea flower head full of seeds. I figured a mouse had moved it there as part of his winter stash. Imagine my surprise when I went to pick it up and it moved. It turns out that the “flower head” was actually a Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar; they roll into a ball when you disturb them.

I ran in the house, grabbed my camera, steadied it by smooshing it against my face (I don’t have a tripod yet), and took a photo of the fuzzy insect using just my left hand. I love bugs and this picture makes me smile - it is now hanging in the Crane Arts Building as part of the Philly Photo Day exhibition. The show started on November 10 and runs through November 26.

Crane Arts Building
1400 N. American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-232-5678

Photo by Glamorosi

To see my photos of an Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly emerging from his chrysalis click here.

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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La Panarda - 35 Course Dinner at Le Virtu - Philadelphia PA

2011-10-30T21:01:00.006-04:00

Last Sunday, October 23, 2011, my husband A.D. and I attended La Panarda, a thirty-five course dinner to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Le Virtu, a wonderful restaurant in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in cuisine and spirits from the Abruzzo region of Italy. La Panarda is a traditional Italian feast that is often associated with religious occasions or events of social significance.

The dinner was prepared by Chef Joe Cicala, and hosted by Freddie Cratil. There were fourteen guests, and we were seated at a family-style table where we instantly began talking and joking as if we were old friends. Every dish we had is one that I would order again; here are a few of the stand-outs:

Pappardelle con porcini e tartufo nero: black truffle bruschetta
Whole roasted turbot with fingerling potatoes and green olives: turbot is a fish that I don't eat often, but it's one of my favorites. Le Virtu's is the best I've had.
Pecorino canestrato with chestnut honey and pears
Salsiccia e polenta: the sausage for this is made in-house; it is beyond compare.

Each course was paired with wines from Cantina Frentana, a "cooperativo" located in Chieti, Abruzzo's southernmost province at the base of the Maiella mountains. According to the literature, "...vines have been grown here and wines produced since pre-Roman times, when the Frentani, an Italic tribe, dominated the area". Two of the glasses that I especially enjoyed were:

Cococciola Terre Valse IGT: white wine made from a very rare grape
Rubesto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC: a red made from a grape so exclusive to Cantini Frentana that this dinner was the first time this wine was served here in the United States.

The entire dinner, from the first bite of artichoke to the final spoonful of panna cotta, lasted eight hours. Here is the is the full menu:

Le Virtù
La Panarda
23 ottobre 2011
with special guests and wines from CANTINA FRENTANA

i piatti...

Aperitivo
Frittelle di verdure, bruschetta con tartufo nero e guanciale, pizza fritta

Primo servizio di apertura
Stewed cuttlefish with spring peas
Scampi with chickpeas
Brodetto of assorted shelfish
Whole roasted turbot with fingerling potatoes and green olives
Baccala in umido with tomatoes, olives, and capers

Secondo servizio di apertura
Brodo con pallotte di carne e cacio e uova
Zuppa di salsiccia e lenticchie
Farrotto N'ndocca n'docca
Pasta e fagioli

Terzo servizio di apertura
Radicchio, heirloom apples, muffata pecorino, walnut vinaigrette
Pecorino canestrato with chestnut honey and pears
Grilled zucchini and mint

Primo servizio dei piatti forti
Crostino of ventricina Teramana
Culatello with eggplant oreganata
Capocollo with sweet and sour onions
Testina with frisee and mustard sauce

Secondo servizio dei piatti forti
Timballo
Sagne con ragù d'agnello (lamb ragu)
Pappardelle con porcini e tartufo nero (black truffle)
Maccheroni alla chitarra con pallottine
Gnocchi di castagne (chestnut) con ragù di cinghiale (boar)

Intermezzo
Granita di limone

Terzo servizio dei piatti forti
Pollo alla casalinga
Coniglio (rabbit) “in porchetta”
Salsiccia e polenta
Tagliata di manzo (beef)
House dry-aged pork rib roast

Primo servizio di credenza
(Artisanal sheep's-milk cheeses from Anversa degli Abruzzi)
Pecorino scorza nera
Brigantaccio
Gregoriano pecorino
Muffato pecorino

Secondo servizio di credenza e confetteria
Panna cotta allo zafferano aquilano
Cicerchiate
Ricotta fritta
Ravioli al cioccolato e peperoncino (hot pepper)
Biscotti misti

The wines...

APERITIVO: Pinot Grigio Terre Valse IGT
PRIMO Serv. APERTURA: Pecorino Terre Valse IGT
SECONDO Serv. APERTURA: Cococciola Terre Valse IGT
TERZO Serv. APERTURA: Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Terre Valse DOC
PRIMO Serv. PIATTI FORTI: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Terre Valse DOC
SECONDO Serv. PIATTI FORTI: Rubesto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
TERZO Serv. PIATTI FORTI: Panarda Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC

Additional wines will be served to accompany the final "servizi di credenza"

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To read my previous post about Le Virtu click here.

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

Photo of Chef Joe Cicala by A.D. Amorosi
Photos of food by Glamorosi

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Mystery Plant Revealed - White Heart-leaf Aster

2011-10-20T15:50:00.006-04:00

Last July in this post that showed an Eastern Black Swallowtail emerging from its chrysalis in my garden, I asked if any of you could identify the plant on which the butterfly was perched. Back then I wrote,

“...I purchased it last year for a quarter; at the time it was just a stick with dried leaves on it (I always buy dead plants – I feel bad for them). I thought it might be a butterfly bush or clematis, but now I suspect it is just a weed. No matter – it's thriving and I like it and the butterfly does too. I'm just curious as to what it is...”

A few weeks ago the plant surprised me with a burst of blooms and a delicious fragrance – sort of a cross between honeysuckle and jasmine, but lighter. I did some research and discovered that the plant in question is a White Heart-leaf Aster, a common fall-blooming wildflower on the East Coast. As you can see from the photo it is just gorgeous. Mystery solved!

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

Photo by Glamorosi

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Welcome to Blogmania - October 2011

2011-10-04T22:53:00.007-04:00

Hello and welcome to Blogmania. I am thrilled to be one of the sponsors for this internet event and giveaway! I made the earrings shown above; they are part of a prize package offered by the blog Every Day Ramblings of My Life that includes jewelry, eco-friendly household products, wind chimes (I just LOVE wind chimes) and more.

These Purple and Silver Chainmaille Earrings by Glamorosi are handmade with a center of violet anodized aluminum rings edged in sterling silver rings. They are finished on the bottom with three sterling silver round beads that give the earrings movement. This design measures 1.75 inches from the top of the sterling ball post finding to the very bottom of the earring. All Jewelry by Glamorosi is shipped in gift boxes for a beautiful presentation. ARV $40.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on THIS POST. Comments left on the wrong post will not be published or included in the giveaway.

Giveaway entries accepted from Noon (EST) on Thursday, October 6, 2011 until Midnight (EST) on Monday, October 10, 2011. Comments on this blog are moderated, so it may take several hours for your entry to show. I will be out of town on October 6, 2011, so entries may not show until October 7, 2011.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please DO NOT put any links (URLs) in your comment. Comments with links or URLs will not be published or included in the giveaway.

For a full list of rules and more info about the prizes go to the host blog:
Every Day Ramblings of My Life

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

To see more Jewelry by Glamorosi:
Glamorosi.com

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Moon Tree Ceremony - Philadelphia PA

2011-09-25T06:40:00.008-04:00

In February of 1971, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa carried several thousand seeds into space on Apollo 14 as part of a joint project between the U.S. Forest Service and NASA. On May 6, 1975, a sycamore “Moon Tree” grown from one of those seeds was planted in Philadelphia’s Washington Square Park.

Several years ago the National Park Service – the agency that manages the park and routinely monitors for dangerous, damaged or dying flora - realized that the Moon Tree was ailing. They enlisted the help of The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, who cloned the sycamore by taking cuttings.

On September 24, 2011, a ceremony was held in Washington Square to plant the new Moon Tree clone. Park Superintendent Cynthia MacLeod and Colonel Christopher Roosa (son of Stuart Roosa) gave speeches, and then a worker with a chainsaw took down the original Moon Tree. The crowd yelled “timber” in unison when it fell.

Next, Anthony S. Aiello, Director of Horticulture and Curator from theMorris Arboretum, took the podium and explained tree cloning. Then each of the speakers took turns placing soil at the base of the sapling.

The Moon Tree in Washington Square was “my” tree, in the sense that it was one of my favorites in Philadelphia, I visited it on a regular basis over the years, and I mourned its passing. You cannot even imagine how thrilled I was when the director of the park invited members of the audience to help plant the new Moon Tree.

Unfortunately, my camera acted up at that moment, so the nice lady who offered to take my picture didn’t get a photo of me participating in the ceremony. I am normally squirrelly about having my picture taken by strangers, but this is one case when I’m hoping someone got a photo of me holding a shovel, and that it will surface online (I was wearing a beige dress with tree branches printed on it and a beige silk cardigan, just in case any of you have a photo, or perhaps see one).

Here is a fascinating Science Daily article about the Moon Trees:

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (2011, February 10).
Race against time to find Apollo 14's lost voyagers: 'Moon trees'.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209171139.htm

Photos by Glamorosi:

Top: (L to R) Park Superintendent Cynthia MacLeod, Colonel Christopher Roosa and Anthony S. Aiello from the Morris Arboretum stand with the clone; the original Moon Tree, cut down, is in the foreground.

Middle: The original Moon Tree, falling after a worker makes a few strategic cuts.

Bottom: Marker for the original Moon Tree, planted as part of the USA's Bicentennial celebration. You can click on the photo to read the inscription.

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glen Campbell and A.D. Amorosi

2011-09-20T12:34:00.003-04:00

This is the legendary Glen Campbell with my husband, journalist A.D. Amorosi. My husband interviews celebrities for a living and is normally completely unfazed by it, but every now and then someone takes his breath away. This photo melted my heart because you can see how much A.D. adores and admires Mr. Campbell: the look on his face, his hand on his chest... it's just so genuine and sweet.

A.D. and I both love Glen Campbell's music. Later on the same day as the interview (9-15-11), we sat mesmerized in Philadelphia's Irvine Auditorium and watched Mr. Campbell in concert, his crystal clear vocals and astounding guitar work as inspiring as when we first heard it as kids.

A.D.'s main interview with Mr. Campbell will be published in a month or so; I'll post a link when it comes out.

Meanwhile, click here for a short piece A.D. wrote for Philadelphia City Paper where he talks about meeting Glen Campbell:

Photo ©Scott Weiner 2011

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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World Tea East Makes its Debut in Philadelphia

2011-09-14T06:00:00.009-04:00

Last weekend I worked as a photographer with my journalist husband at World Tea East, a trade show for tea industry pros and media that took place September 9th and 10th in Philadelphia PA. This was the first time for the event which is an off-shoot of the World Tea Expo that meets annually in Las Vegas.

The event was impressive, from the diverse line-up of vendors, guest speakers and seminars, to the knowledge that was freely shared, to the clean lines and open layout of the show floor. There was a blend of established tea companies and new brands, but there was no sense of ego or competition; at World Tea East everyone was equal in their passion for tea. It was exciting.

I sampled so many teas and tisanes I was giddy. I also amassed two huge bags of tea to review, some from companies I was familiar with like Adagio Tea and Rishi Tea, and some that were new to me, such as wholesalers Dethelefsen & Balk and Florapharm Tea. I'll be talking about all of them on this blog over the next few months. For now, I want to share some of my photos and observations:

I met John Harney. Those four words are enough on their own, but I am compelled to expand. Mr. Harney was approachable and funny, and when I told him how much of a fan I was (I have enough Harney & Sons Fine Teas to open my own store), he reached into his pocket and handed me an HT Tagalong with five sachets of Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea. It was such a nice surprise! On the first day of the conference, World Tea East presented Mr. Harney with the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award.

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I was also thrilled to meet James Norwood Pratt, world-renowned tea authority and author of many tea “bibles” including James Norwood Pratt’s Tea Dictionary, which was named Best New Publication by the World Tea Expo in 2010. I didn’t know he’d be at the show, but I have read his books so I recognized him right away. I ran into Mr. Pratt just as he was preparing to leave, but he was extremely charming and willing to pose for a photo with one stipulation: “Don’t make me look too serious”. So, here he is with a wonderful smile.

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This is Fumi Sugita from Aiya America whisking a bowl of matcha. Aiya has been the leading supplier of the powdered green tea since 1880, but only for wholesale clients. Now they are moving into retail, and Mr. Sugita was at World Tea East showing this new product. I am a huge matcha fan – I have a bowl every day – and I will tell you that after tasting Aiya, I am definitely going to buy it. It was vegetal and mildly earthy with an interesting sweet/savory quality, and it had a lightness that sets it apart from other brands I've had.

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For Ajiri Tea, a Kenyan company launched in 2009, tea leads to empowerment. Ajiri means “to employ” in Swahili. The name was chosen because the company’s goal is to support farmers, employ women and pay school fees for orphans (many children in Kenya have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS). There was a digital frame in their booth that showed the women making labels from banana tree bark, and one that showed the gentleman in my photo, Nick Miyogo, shopping for school supplies with the students. The tea is full-bodied and aromatic, and can be served hot or iced. In 2011 Ajiri won the World Tea Expo's Buyers Choice Award for black tea.

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This is Cindy Sebrell from a new company called The Foreign Office. Their teas are named after major cities like Cairo and Curacao and come in round bags stacked in a can “like Pringles”. The packaging is geared toward making it easy for people who work in offices to enjoy upscale tea. I had the Vienna, and it was very good – smooth and naturally sweet. For those of you who purchase it, it was brewed at 185 for 4.5 minutes in a Breville One-Touch Tea Maker. I've been obsessed with these tea makers since they came out, and seeing it at this show just confirmed what I already knew - I must have one.

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World Tea East was my first tea convention, and I had an amazing time. I will post dates for next year's event when they are released.

World Tea Expo 2012 will be held June 1-3 in Las Vegas

Read (my husband) A.D. Amorosi's report on World Tea East in Philadelphia City Paper.

All photos by Glamorosi except photo of Glamorosi and John Harney by A.D. Amorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glamorosi Named as Winner of the Verdant “Tea as Art” Contest

2011-09-12T18:00:00.013-04:00

For Verdant Tea’s Tea as Art contest the company sent entrants samples of their Hand Picked Spring 2011 Tieguanyin Oolong, a sweet, creamy, buttery tea from China. The instructions were to brew the tea, then create a piece inspired by it.

My entry was the handmade bronze chainmaille and green aventurine “Oolong Bracelet” shown at the bottom of this post. I decided to weave chainmaille because just like growing and preparing tea, it is an ancient art. To represent part of the process used to make oolong tea I chose bronze, a metal that becomes even more beautiful as it oxidizes. To indicate the Tieguanyin Oolong's distinct color I used green aventurine stone beads from China. To read more about the how the piece developed, click here.

I didn’t review the tea online or mention how much I loved it in my entry because I didn’t want it to seem like I was fishing for votes. Now that the judging is over I will tell you: the third steeping of Verdant Tea’s Tieguanyin was the best cup of tea I had in 2011, and it was the best oolong I have *ever* tasted. It smells like honeysuckle and tastes like happiness.

And happiness it is! On September 4th I got an email from Verdant Tea. When I saw, “Dear Participants in the Tea as Art Contest” I said to my husband, “I didn’t win or it would say 'Congratulations' in the subject line". I got a huge surprise when I opened the email and read, "The winner of the Verdant Tea as Art Contest and recipient of the $100 shopping spree on verdanttea.com is: Glamorosi for her Chainmaille Bronze and Aventurine Bracelet”. I won first prize! To see the full announcement and all of the entries click here.

I’m not going to pretend I was laid back about it – I was cheering and running around the room. Woooooo!

I knew exactly what I would choose as my prize. All through the judging period I kept visiting the Calligraphic Hongni Yixing pot (shown above) on Verdant Tea’s website. Yixing (pronounced “ee shing”) pots are sought after by oolong devotees, and I have wanted one for ages. The small vessels are made from clay that is not glazed or sealed in any way, so the pots evolve over time, changing color and gaining a sheen from absorbing tea oil. They also absorb the flavor of the tea, so it is customary to only brew one kind of tea in a Yixing pot.

My pot is made from Hongni (say "hohng nee", with a long "o") clay with a water scene carved into one side, and a poem written in Chinese on the other. David Duckler, who was a scholar in China before he founded Verdant Tea, was kind enough to translate for me. The poem has several interpretations, the main one being: "A person closed in like a dark forest can never know the moon." I think it is lovely.
Thank you to Verdant Tea for a wonderful experience.
Here are some fun links:

You can view all of the Yixing pots offered by Verdant Tea here.

An article about David Duckler and how Verdant Tea was born here.

My win mentioned in (my husband) A.D. Amorosi's column in Philadelphia City Paper here. I'm on page two.

Stop back for these new posts coming soon:

A report and photos from the World Tea East convention

My new favorite restaurant

New earring designs (Spring 2012 preview)

One more thing: I've had inquiries about purchasing the bracelet; I will have a similar design available at Glamorosi.com around the end of October.

Yixing pot and tea photos courtesy of Verdant Tea
Oolong Bracelet photo by Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glamorosi Entry for the "Tea as Art" Contest Sponsored by Verdant Tea

2011-08-25T21:09:00.009-04:00

For the Tea as Art contest sponsored by Verdant Tea participants were asked to create a piece inspired by their Hand Picked Spring 2011 Tieguanyin Oolong (Iron Goddess of Mercy).

As I sipped the highly fragrant tea (it's heavenly, it smells like honeysuckle) a few of the words that came to mind were "refined" and "lovely". I was impressed by how delectable it was even after multiple infusions, which made me think of the words "strength" and "longevity".

To commemorate this hand picked tea I designed a chainmaille bracelet that is both elegant and durable. Just like growing and preparing tea, chainmaille is an ancient art. To represent part of the process used to make oolong tea I chose bronze, a metal that becomes even more beautiful as it oxidizes. To indicate the Tieguanyin Oolong's distinct color I used green aventurine stone beads from China. I hand wove a total of 645 rings - opening and closing them one by one - to make the bracelet. It is finished with a lobster claw clasp and a green aventurine leaf, and it is 7.75 inches long.

It took me about a week to design and construct my Oolong Bracelet. Even though the idea for the piece came to me quickly, I spent a great deal of time doing research to make sure my concept made sense. I read about China and the goddess Guan Yin and looked at pictures of statues of her to make sure bronze was appropriate. It turns out many Chinese artists used bronze to depict Guan Yin (the term "Iron Goddess" refers to the weight of the tea leaves, not her composition).

Verdant Tea will announce two winners on or around Sunday, September 4, 2011. One winner will be chosen by the staff to receive a $100 shopping spree on the site. A second winner will be chosen by popular vote and will receive five ounces of tea.

This is my first bona fide art competition, unless you count that in 4th and 5th grade I won a few awards for my drawings and paintings. I'd be honored to win a prize for this bracelet, but please don't vote for me out of friendship or loyalty, only vote for me if you truly like my entry the best.

To see all of the entries and vote for your favorite click here.
I'll post an update after the winners are chosen.

P.S. If you click on the photo it gets bigger so you can see all of the detail. It's much larger on the Verdant Tea website too.

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Call for Entries - Style Me Hired 2011

2011-08-24T13:00:00.009-04:00

On September 26, 2011, Style Me Hired, an organization that provides makeovers for unemployed women, will be teaming with The Career Wardrobe and the Omni Hotel at Independence Park to perform transformations for 100 women seeking to re-enter the workforce.

Style Me Hired was founded by Marc Voci (Marc Voci Salon and Colorbar) in 2010 and began with five makeovers in his Delaware County, PA salon. The event was so well received he decided to do it on a larger scale.

This year twenty-five salons from across the region will be performing one hundred makeovers, The Career Wardrobe (a non-profit organization that has been assisting women since 1995) will provide each woman with a professional ensemble perfect for going on interviews, and various sponsors will be donating accessories and services for the event. One woman will be selected by random drawing to win a pair of Sterling Silver Marcasite and Pearl Earrings by Glamorosi.

Women who are 18+ years of age, currently unemployed and actively seeking employment, and who are willing to change their look can apply to win a Style Me Hired Makeover at Stylemehired.com. Applicants are required to upload a current photo and tell a story about their life – both are considered during the selection process.

As an alternate means of entry women can also send their picture along with contact information and their story to Marc Voci Salon and Colorbar, at 448 MacDade Blvd., Folsom, Pa., 19033 (photos will not be returned, so make sure you have a copy).

The deadline for applications: August 31, 2011

Style Me Hired - September 26, 2011
The Omni Hotel at Independence Park
401 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

To read more posts about food, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly Emerges from Chrysalis

2011-07-09T20:05:00.006-04:00

Remember a few weeks ago I told you an Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar had formed a chrysalis in my garden? I checked on it several times a day since then, and frankly, I was worried. As of Thursday, July 7, there was still no change and I was afraid it had died. Then on Friday, July 8 – nineteen days after the chrysalis formed – it looked completely different; I could clearly see the folded wings of the butterfly inside.

Within minutes of this discovery, I saw an antenna pop out. I quickly called my husband to come to the garden and we watched, riveted, as a brand new butterfly emerged from the chrysalis. It was an emotional experience like watching a baby being born – I was in tears. It took around five minutes for the creature to free himself. Once he was out and completely unfurled we could see it was a male – they have more prominent yellow markings on their wings. You can click on the photo collage above to enlarge it and get a much better look at the process from caterpillar to chrysalis (pupa) to butterfly.

The swallowtail climbed up the stem to the top of the plant he emerged on and stayed there overnight. Today he was still in the garden, flitting back and forth from the "milkshake" coneflowers (echinacea) to the butterfly weed, and then back to his "home base" plant. He is also spending time on the curly parsley, where lo and behold, there are more swallowtail caterpillars. Most of them are very young – still black with the white band across their belly (first instar stage) – but a few have matured to where you can see their stripes (fourth instar stage).

So far the caterpillars are feeding on the curly parsley and ignoring the flat Italian parsley (which is fine by me, I use the latter a lot more in my recipes). They like to eat dill too, so now that I am aware of their presence I left some for them in the area with all of the flowers, and moved some to opposite side of the garden for me. I’m sure they’ll find it eventually, but for now it’s my personal stash.

By the way, can any of you identify the plant the butterfly is on in all of the photos – not the flowers, the taller leafy one. I purchased it last year for a quarter; at the time it was just a stick with dried leaves on it (I always buy dead plants – I feel bad for them). I thought it might be a butterfly bush or clematis, but now I suspect it is just a weed. No matter – it's thriving and I like it and the butterfly does too. I'm just curious as to what it is.

I am thrilled that my husband and I got to observe the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly's metamorphosis; we agree it was one of the coolest things we've ever witnessed.

All photos by Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glamorosi's Garden - June 2011: Swallowtail Caterpillars, Mystery Lilies and Missing Maples

2011-06-24T09:00:00.007-04:00

Last year I decided to attract more pollinators to our vegetable and herb garden by adding flowering perennials including roses, which I have a passion for, as well as a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). I immediately saw increase in winged creatures buzzing and flitting around the blooms. The new additions made it through the winter and they are thriving.

Then last week I got a nice surprise; my butterfly weed, dill and parsley plants were loaded with Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars (at first I thought they were Monarchs). A few days later, I saw one going into the chrysalis stage. I was lucky to catch him in the act or I might not have recognized it – it looks just like an unfurled leaf. I know some people create butterfly environments and bring the chrysalis indoors so they can monitor the process, but I'm leaning toward leaving it alone and letting Mother Nature do her thing. I'm open to advice if any of you have experienced this.

Meanwhile, my Mother has a friend whose flower beds are overrun with lilies. He dug up some bulbs and sent them to me, but he didn't remember what type or color they were. I planted them immediately and they grew tall and leafy, then finally flower buds formed. They are going to open any day now, and I cannot wait to see what they look like.

And then there is the sad tale of the maple tree. We’ve lived in this house for eleven years, and over time we've watched as our neighbor’s tree grew up and over our three-story house, ripping out our electrical wires and smashing against our house during storms, its leaves clogging everyone’s drains, its roots tearing up the sidewalk… Despite it all, we loved that tree. It was old and beautiful and shielded our brick house from extreme heat and cold.

Years ago we asked the city to *prune* the tree, but nothing happened. Then, two days ago, while sleeping au natural with the windows open (the tree completely blocked the view in and out), we were awakened by the sound of buzz saws. I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaming into the room and a man on a cherry picker about ten feet away from me.

Apparently the city determined it was a dangerous tree and sent contractors cut it down. Without notice or warning, fifty years of growth was felled in less than hour. A second truck with a giant claw came by and took the trunk away, and it was like the tree never existed. I cried buckets.

One of the contractors told me the city will be replacing the sidewalk, and then they’ll plant a sapling. For this I am thankful – the pavement is a mess – and I am extremely happy a new tree will be planted. I'm crossing my fingers for a Hawthorne or a cherry tree; they are abundant in this area and they are lovely. I just really wish something could have been done to save the maple. We miss her.

Photos by Glamorosi except tree removal truck by A.D. Amorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Mémé Restaurant - Guest Chefs and Foodie Events in a Comfortable Setting

2011-06-22T09:45:00.006-04:00

Chef David Katz named his restaurant Mémé after a Moroccan word that means “grandmother”. Last week’s Mémé at Mémé Dinner held on Wednesday, June 15th, was named because his Mother (his son's Mémé), Suzanne Katz, was there to oversee a special menu that featured dishes from her birthplace, Morocco (she moved to the States at age 13). Mother and son cooked together before, back when she and a then teen-aged David worked at Ment's Seafood in Cape May, NJ.

Guests assembled at communal tables for a meal that included several vegetable salads, potato pastels with a ground beef center, pea and potato stew, lamb and turnip tagine with prunes and almonds, grilled merguez with cous cous and baked cod with heirloom tomato and lemon. Dishes were seasoned with fresh herbs and spices including parsley, cumin, and turmeric. The finale was a decadent almond-apricot cigar with orange blossom honey served with fragrant cups of hot, sweet mint tea.

This wasn't our first time at Mémé – we’ve been there on several occasions including a particularly memorable meal… Back in 2008 while on our way to set up my booth at a jewelry show, A.D. and I were in a car accident. We were very banged up and still a bit traumatized a week later when we went on our first post-crash outing to celebrate my birthday at Mémé. We were giddy because the food was so delicious (roasted beets, duck breast), and giggling because we were so happy to be alive and doing something normal again.

Chef Katz came over and sat with us before our dessert (yummy brown butter cake). As we recounted the details of our accident, it dawned on me that the relaxed (but elegant) atmosphere of the 40-seat restaurant combined with Katz' personality had the feel of dining with family. That’s my impression of Mémé - it’s comfortable, like home. Shortly after that night, I stopped by the Mémé website and discovered that was exactly the vibe Chef Katz was going for when he opened his restaurant.

They are currently taking reservations for Monday, July 18th, when Chef Katz presents Mémé’s 3rd Annual Pig Dinner. The five-course meal will feature dishes by an impressive roster of Philly's star chefs: Matt Levin (Adsum), Michael Solomonov (Zahav), Peter Woolsey (Bistrot La Minette), Terence Feury (Fork), Monica Glass (10 Arts Bistro), John Taus (The Corner), Jennifer Carroll (10 Arts Bistro), and also sommelier Michael Madrigale (Bar Boulud NYC).

For information and reservations:

Mémé Restaurant
2201 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.735.4900

Photo of Glamorosi with Chef David Katz by A.D. Amorosi

To read A.D.'s Philadelphia City Paper piece with Suzanne Katz click here:
http://www.citypaper.net/agenda/2011-06-09-icepack.html
To read my previous post about the One Night in Morocco Dinner at Zahav Restaurant with with Chefs David Katz (Mémé) and Michael Solomonov (Zahav) click here:
http://glamorosi.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-night-in-morocco-at-zahav.html

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Great Chefs Event Benefitting Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation - Philadelphia, PA

2011-06-17T11:00:00.017-04:00

On Tuesday, June 14, forty chefs from around the world moved into the Urban Outfitters Headquarters at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, PA for The Great Chefs Event to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). The foundation was born in 2000 when cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004), age 4 at the time, opened a lemonade stand to raise money to help children with cancer.

The Great Chefs Event is run by The Vetri Foundation for Children. Philadelphia-based Chef Marc Vetri, shown above, launched the event six years ago as a result of his affiliation with ALSF.

This was my first time attending The Great Chefs Event; I was there working as a photographer for my journalist husband A.D. who was covering the show. We got to meet, hang out with and sample food from award-winning chefs whose knowledge and skills I have long admired on television, in magazines and in cookbooks. We ate everything from swordfish tacos from Colicchio & Sons to green tea cake from Chef Daniel Stern. The photos below show some of the highlights.

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I'll try almost anything twice, but there are some things that truly make me squeamish. Oysters are one of those things. However, this year I am on a mission to expand my seafood repertoire by eating and cooking a wider variety of it (hence, the fish cooking class I took and told you about a few posts ago).

So, when I saw the table full of lovely oysters I knew I had to go for it. It was wonderful! The gentlemen who made the oysters - Chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier - are pioneers in the farm-to-table movement. They co-own several restaurants including Arrows in Maine where they grow more than 300 varieties of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables, make their own cheese and cure their own meats and fish.

To commemorate the experience, Chef Frasier gave me a little lobster-shaped pin. So nice! I would love to dine at Arrows (or move in, it sounds heavenly) but for now I want to read their books, The Arrows Cookbook and their new one, Maine Classics.

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Chef Katsuya Fukushima had one of my favorite dishes of the evening - it was a spiced key lime crowned with a scallop and a fluff of cotton candy. Chef Fukushima instructed us to eat the scallop and cotton candy in one bite, and then suck on the lime as if we were doing shots of tequila. It was sweet and salty and spicy and scrumptious.

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Hello, Beautiful! That's Chef Anne Burrell on the left. We watch her Emmy-nominated show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on the Food Network, and we learn something new with every epidode. Not only does Chef Burrell have excellent punk hair, but she rocks a pair of super-cool faux giraffe clogs.

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That's Chef Robert Aikens on the left with his crew from The Dandelion, a British-style pub and one of our favorite restaurants by Stephen Starr (go on a Sunday or Banker's Holiday and have the traditional roast dinner. Have an elderflower soda too). The hors d'oeuvres on the table in front of them are salmon paté. It was outstanding.

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That's my handsome husband A.D. in the photo with Chef Jennifer Carroll of Bravo's Top Chef and 10 Arts, Eric Ripert's restaurant in Philly. I normally don't fall into that mode of feeling like I know someone just because I see them on TV, but I found myself calling her "Jen" over and over like we were old friends. She is a serious competitor on TV of course, but very laid back and friendly in person. I had the best time taking her picture, and I made her laugh when I asked to photograph her rooster feather-festooned ponytail.

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That's me, Glamorosi, with 2010 Top Chef Winner Kevin Sbraga - he was at the show helping at Chef Michael Schwartz' station (see below). I've never eaten Chef Sbraga's food, but I may get a chance to try it soon when he opens his restaurant in Philly - read A.D.'s post in Philadelphia City Paper's Meal Ticket column for the scoop

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This dish is from Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine Food and Drink in Miami, Florida. It is scrapple, a quail egg and greens on top of the most flavorful apple sauce I have ever tasted. Chef Schwartz told A.D. he is currently scoping out locations in Philly (rumor has it it may be the 600 N. Broad space shared by Marc Vetri and Stephen Starr, among others).

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When there is amazing food involved, chances are that our Italian Market neighbors - DiBruno Bros. House of Cheese - will be there. Their famously well-stocked shop sells gourmet goodies and ingredients from around the globe. Ask anyone, DiBruno's rules. That's Emilio Mignucci and Ian Peacock standing with the wine and cheese.

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The Great Chefs Event was one of the most memorable nights of my foodie life; I cannot wait for next year's show!

All Photos by Glamorosi and A.D. Amorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glendi Fashion Show at Opa Restaurant - Philadelphia PA

2011-06-11T14:00:00.008-04:00

On Thursday, June 9, A.D. (my husband) and I headed out to Opa, a new-ish Greek restaurant in the Midtown Village section of Philadelphia. We were there to attend an outdoor fashion show that served as the premiere of Glendi Thursdays, a series of events at Opa that will showcase fashion, art, music and photography. Glendi means "party" or "celebration" in Greek.

Before the show we enjoyed a fantastic dinner. A.D. had the grilled octopus with chick peas (shown at right) and wine braised rabbit with olives, capers and pasta; I had Saganaki (seared cheese) and chicken with couscous and sun dried tomatoes. For dessert we shared baklava with homemade fig ice cream. A.D. had a delicious cocktail called Antho made of cucumber vodka, lemon and fresh dill, and I had a sparkling rosé.

Our waiter was friendly and knew the menu inside and out. He told us about the decor too - Opa was made to resemble what you would see in downtown Athens. It reminded me of 60's cool (the pendant lamps and geometric wallpaper) and 70's rustic (the wonderful tree branch canopy over the bar). We had the best table in the house - right next to the window - where we could see the whole restaurant (before it got packed).

We also had full view of the downpour and lightning storm that started just as the runway was being set up on Sansom Street. But, as Cinefest's Thom Cardwell - who co-hosted with NBC10 correspondent G-N Kang - told the crowd, the Greek gods weren't going to allow a cancellation on Opa's big night. The storm passed and the oppressive heat and famous Philly humidity went with it.

We took our seats at the end of the catwalk and took in the scene which included familiar faces from Philly's fashion and entertainment scene such as Good Day Philadelphia (Fox 29) host Mike Jerrick, Philadelphia Inquirer style maven Elizabeth Wellington and Where Magazine editor Kristina Jenkins.

The show was produced by Noel Zayas Events along with Antoine Johnson, whose House of Talent PA agency provided the gorgeous models, some with cool braided mohawks by Francesca at Follicle Salon. My favorite clothing designs were the bold, feminine pieces by Carmelita Couture including two fabulous frocks I am absolutely *in love* with: a flowing leopard gown and a colorful chevron stripe gown.

For their last walk of the night the models rocked the runway in Opa t-shirts, and then the final model strutted her stuff in a shiny orange sequin bikini by Aci Nae.

Opa
1311 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.545.0170

Photos by Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Roberto Capucci - Philadelphia Museum of Art

2011-06-03T01:07:00.008-04:00

On June 2, 2011 my husband and I had the opportunity to meet legendary designer Roberto Capucci at a reception at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where city officials proclaimed Roberto Capucci Day. I was astounded by his Art Into Fashion installation at the museum - the beauty of Capucci's sculptural clothing designs brought tears to my eyes and made my hair stand on end. It was awe-inspiring.

The photo above shows Roberto Capucci, me and my husband A.D., and was taken by Mr. Capucci's interpreter. The photo at left was taken by A.D. and shows me standing with one of my favorite pieces, a gold and white gown titled Angelo d' Oro (gold angel).

There are only a few days left to see Mr. Capucci's designs in person; the exhibit runs through June 5, 2011. Tickets are required.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130
215.684.7822

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Cooking Class at La Cucina at the Market - Reading Terminal - Philadelphia PA

2011-06-01T09:50:00.005-04:00

Growing up in an Italian family, I started cooking as a child, but I never felt comfortable with seafood. So, over the weekend I took a class called "Fish Without Fear" at La Cucina at the Market in the Reading Terminal here in Philadelphia, PA. The hands-on class was taught by Betty Kaplan, an engaging instructor who led us through four styles: sautéing, poaching, roasting and cooking in papillote (in paper). We also learned how to shop for and handle fish, how to locate and remove the bones, and a wealth of cooking tips and advice Ms. Kaplan gathered from her years working with gourmet chefs.

The three-hour lesson was fast-paced but easy to follow and retain, and the food we prepared was aesthetically pleasing and delicious. Going into the class I was especially excited to learn how to steam fish in parchment, and that dish – halibut with fresh vegetables and pesto – turned out to be my favorite of the day. I cannot wait to dazzle my friends and family with my new skills.

This was my first time taking a class at La Cucina at the Market. It is an airy kitchen outfitted with high-end appliances and a wishlist-worthy collection of All-Clad cookware and Wusthof knives. For more info about the space and upcoming classes visit their website at LaCucinaattheMarket.com

La Cucina at the Market
Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch
Philadelphia, PA
215.922.1170

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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The Launch Party for Campo at Le Virtu - Philadelphia PA

2011-05-06T14:29:00.007-04:00

For last night's outing A.D. (my husband) and I dined alfresco at the launch party for Le Virtu restaurant's new outdoor space, Campo. The evening was headed by Executive Chef Joe Cicala and featured Abruzzese cuisine including roast suckling pig and butlered hors d'oeuvres. My favorites were the olive balls, the homemade sausage with pollenta and the grilled bread with spreadable salami and caramelized onions.

The event also showcased artisanal wine and local craft beers including selections from Weyerbacher who introduced me to my new favorite brew, Merry Monks' Ale. It was sweet and smooth with a fruity palate and spicy finish that made for an excellent pairing with the food.

The Campo staff was friendly and the space was attractive (loved the mural) and comfortable. Attire ranged from designer jeans and boots to fancy frocks and stilettos. Campo will be hosting a series of culinary events from now through mid-October.

Le Virtu / Campo
1927 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19148
215.271.5626

Photo by Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Grand Opening - Arts Ballroom - Philadelphia PA

2011-05-05T13:10:00.006-04:00

Last night A.D. (my husband) and I attended the opening of Arts Ballroom, Stephen Starr's new venue for catered parties and events. The Art Deco inspired space features graceful arches, gorgeous chandeliers and a grey-blue color scheme.

If I were a less polite woman (humor me) I would have cornered the server who had the Kobe Beef Tartare tray and devoured them all. I passed on my usual champagne and opted for one of the (okay, two of the) pretty magenta-colored cocktails called "The Arts", and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and brie with artisanal breads and jams. I also took a twirl around the dessert table, shown above. It was all delicious, and the olive oil Madeleines were divine.

Arts Ballroom
1324 Locust St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-554-6808

Photo by Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Canada Geese - Philadelphia, PA

2011-02-05T12:00:00.008-05:00

Last week my husband and I were walking near 10th and Reed in South Philly when we heard Canada geese honking loudly overhead. It turned out to be the largest gaggle of geese I have ever seen. There are forty-seven birds visible in my photo, but it only represents about one quarter of the huge "V" formation.

It was pretty special - everyone in the area was stopped in their tracks and looking up.

XO,
Glamorosi

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: http://Glamorosi.blogspot.com

♥ ♥ ♥

Red-Tailed Hawk in Philadelphia, PA

2011-02-02T12:00:00.005-05:00

Hello and welcome to my first blog post of 2011. I'll get back to talking about fashion, food and entertainment soon, but for the next few posts I want to show you something different...

We live in the middle of a bustling commercial zone in Philly, so people are often surprised when I tell them we share our neighborhood with a several species of hawks.

In this photo a red-tailed hawk surveys our garden from the roof of a neighboring business. I believe it is a female because of her size (females are larger than males); she appears to be around 26-27 inches from head to tail.

This particular hawk is one of several that stop by our deck on a daily basis. She has a loud, clear voice - hearing her call and watching her through the window while I make jewelry is thrilling.

XO,
Glamorosi

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Glamorosi - Carmex Moisture Plus Tints Giveaway - Winner Announced

2010-12-20T09:00:00.002-05:00

I am a member of the Carmex Blog Squad so I have the opportunity to sample their new products. Recently the company sent me two sets of Moisture Plus Tints ultra hydrating lip balm: one for me to review, and one to use for a giveaway.

I posted a call for entries that ran from Thursday, December 9, 2010 through Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. A winner was chosen by random draw and that lucky person is… Kristen!

Congratulations Kristen, your prize is two Carmex Moisture Plus Tints, one pink and one peach (ARV $5.98). The Moisture Plus Tints have all of the moisturizing and healing properties that made the original Carmex lip balm popular along with the added bonus of sheer color and SPF 15. Moisture Plus Tints look fabulous worn alone, and can also be used to add subtle shine and protection when paired with lipstick or lip pencil.

Thank you to the Carmex company and to everyone who participated. Congratulations again to Kristen – enjoy!

Carmex Moisture Plus Tints are available at Walgreens stores and at Walgreens.com.

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Glamorosi: Carmex Moisture Plus Tints Review and Giveaway

2010-12-09T08:49:00.007-05:00

I am on the Carmex Blog Squad, and as a member I have the opportunity to test new products. To help introduce their new Moisture Plus Tint ultra hydrating lip balms, Carmex sent me free products: one of each color to review, and another pair to give away to one lucky reader.

Before I was a jewelry designer I was a makeup artist, and back then Carmex was a staple in my kit; I’ve always been a fan of its moisturizing and healing properties. The new Moisture Plus keeps your lips soft like the original Carmex, but it’s tinted - it comes in Sheer Pink and Sheer Peach. It is formulated with vitamin E, aloe, shea butter and SPF 15, a big plus because a lot of people forget to protect their lips from sun damage.

Carmex Moisture Plus Tints come in a sleek matte silver tube that has a thin band of color indicating if it’s pink or peach. I like the way it clicks shut so I know it’s not going to come open in my purse or coat pocket. The lip balm has a slanted tip for ease of application.

The Moisture Plus Tints look super-bright in the tube, but when you apply them it's just a hint of sheer color and subtle shine. These pale tinted lip balms are perfect for achieving a natural, healthy looking pout; my husband didn’t know I was testing a new product, but he noticed right away that my lips looked “pretty”.

I like these light tints a lot, but I am hoping in the future the line will expand to include darker colors like burgundy, red and brown. In the meanwhile, in addition to wearing the Moisture Plus Tints alone, I am also using them the way I used the original Carmex back in my makeup artist days - by applying them over lip pencil. Versatile!

Carmex Moisture Plus Tints are available at Walgreens stores and at Walgreens.com, but if you’d like a chance to score a free pair, enter my giveaway:

TO ENTER: Click on “Comments” at the bottom of THIS POST and provide the following information:

1. Post a comment
2. Post your email address

I'll be moderating the comments so it may take some time for them to appear on the blog.

No purchase necessary, one entry per person, 18+, USA only. Entries for the Glamorosi - Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Tint Giveaway will be accepted from Thursday December 9, 2010 through Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Comments that do not have an email address posted will not be included in the drawing. One winner will be chosen by random drawing to receive two Moisture Plus Tints: one Sheer Pink and one Sheer Peach (ARV $5.98, $2.99 each). The winner will be notified and their name (or screen name) will be published on this blog on or around Friday, December 17, 2010. Please click here to read the complete official rules and privacy policy before you post a comment.

Good Luck!

To read more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #20 - Winner Announced

2010-11-12T12:00:00.007-05:00

For GlamorInky Friday #20 your task was to read my post about heirloom tomato salad and to guess how many cherry tomatoes were in a photo. The correct answer is: 167. You can count for yourself by viewing the photos at the bottom of this post.

There were a lot of entries but only 17 of the comments were published; the ones that were not published were missing required info (email address).

When all was said and done, the person who made the closest guess without going over was… SUSAN, with a guess of 155.

Congratulations SUSAN! Your prize is one pair of Chainmaille Flower Earrings in Metallic Red by Glamorosi. The earrings were handmade using the Japanese weave with anodized aluminum and sterling silver fish hook earwires. The earrings measure 1.25 inches long and retail for $24. For more info stop by Glamorosi.com.

Someone asked me why I do jewelry giveaways. I do it for fun - I’ve been entering contests and sweepstakes since I was a kid - AND I do it to advertise my work.

For this giveaway the prize earrings are part of a new aluminum chainmaille line I made for my customers who requested inexpensive pieces that they could give as gifts this holiday season.

While you’ll find a lot of the jewelry I have in my shops is pricey (labor intensive pieces made with expensive materials), my goal with this new collection was to keep the earrings under $50. All of the earrings will feature colorful anodized aluminum designs topped with sterling silver earwires.

I’ll be rolling out more pieces in this collection over the next few weeks (as soon as I get better photos – oy – it’s hard to capture metallic aluminum in pictures), and I’ll be doing a new giveaway to introduce them very soon.

XO,
Glamorosi

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #20 - Tomato Salad

2010-10-29T20:00:00.018-04:00

I have a small garden, but growing heirloom tomatoes is a big part of my life. For me the season begins every year in January when I start my seeds indoors, and runs until the end of October when I take down the plants and winterize the garden. This year I grew twelve varieties of heirloom tomatoes; the photo above shows Yellow Pear, Green Zebra, Black Krim and Roma.

The main reason I’m tomato-centric is tomato salad (aka bread salad). In my family (and in a lot of Italian families) tomato salad is a staple. It’s a huge deal – we eat it every day so we make gallons of it every week, and we always have tomatoes on hand to make more. It's an all-purpose food: it can be a main dish, a side dish, a snack, a topping or a garnish.

It’s a pretty simple recipe – ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut, good olive oil, regular or red wine vinegar (some people use lemon juice), fresh garlic, fresh basil, salt and pepper, some people also include onion – and no measurements are needed, it’s your feel for the ratios of the ingredients that make a superior salad.

Once the mix has marinated for at least a few hours we serve it with hard Italian bread, oven or pan toasted, secret seasoning optional (in my family everyone has their own bread method and no-one tells). I also enjoy it with sour dough bread, and sometimes I have it with mozzarella, or with arugula, or over pasta...

When I'm not making and eating tomato salad, I'm into fried tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes, homemade tomato soup and yummy tomato sandwiches. I also take a lot of pictures of the tomatoes I grow. This summer when I took the photo below of my cherry tomatoes, it reminded me of the fun games we used to play here on this blog, sooooo...

For GlamorInky Friday #20 your task is to guess how tomatoes are on the orange and silver tray in the photo at the bottom of this post. To enter click on the comment link below the photo and post your numerical guess along with a contact email address. If your email address is accessible through your Blogger profile you can simply write "address in profile" or "email in profile". Comments that do not have the requested email information will not be included or published.

Please do not post any additional text in your comment. I'll be moderating the comments so it may take some time for them to appear on the blog. Comments with URLs or any type of link are considered to be spam and will be automatically rejected and the guess will not be included.

In the event more than one person guesses correctly, the person who answers first wins. If no-one guesses correctly, then the first person with the closest guess without going over wins. The winner will receive a pair of shiny red earrings designed by me, Glamorosi (ARV approx. $24).

No purchase necessary, one entry per person, 18+, USA only. Entries for GlamorInky Friday #20 are accepted from Friday, October 29, 2010 at 8:00 PM EST, and are accepted through Friday, November 5, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be notified and their name (or screen name) will be published on this blog on Friday, November 12, 2010. Please click here to read the complete official rules and privacy policy before you post a comment.

Some hints:
1. Because you cannot see all of the tomatoes on the tray, there is no way to really count them all - this is just a guessing game.
2. In some places the tomatoes are two and three rows high.
3. Make sure you are looking at the right tomato photo – only guess how many are on the orange and silver tray shown below this text.

Have Fun!

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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The Renaissance Faire on Bonanza.com

2010-10-01T12:00:00.016-04:00

Last week on September 22 one of my venues, 1000Markets.com (aka 1KM), announced that it had been acquired by the online shopping site Bonanza (formerly Bonanzle). In the days that followed 1KM migrated shops to Bonanza.com, and at 5:00 PM PST on September 30, 1KM ceased to exist.

I am thrilled to report that my transition to Bonanza has been smooth, I am comfortable there, and I find the established merchants are helpful and welcoming.

In fact, I am so impressed with Bonanza that I'm doing something I have never done in almost nine years in business... If you've been following my work you know I don't do sales - sometimes I offer free shipping, but I never-never-ever-ever give a percentage off (I prefer to donate the jewelry or dissemble it and sell off the materials).

However, I discovered that I arrived at Bonanza just in time for their 2nd Annual Renaissance Faire (Oct 1 - Oct 17), and since I am blessed with a lovely Ren Faire clientele year-round, I was inspired to participate. It's a fun way to show all of you my new shop, and a good way to introduce Bonanza customers to my jewelry.

I won't be having sales on a regular basis (perhaps I'll participate in the Ren Faire again next year?) and I won't be re-stocking some of the items, so if you've had your eye on a certain piece, now is a good time to get it.

We're not supposed to publish the amount of our discount, so to see the deal go to my Bonanza booth and you can't miss it. When you view individual items you'll see a "Coupon is Available" link to click - do that and the sale price is automatically applied as you go through checkout. My full address is http://Bonanza.com/booths/Glamorosi - be sure to bookmark it.

One more thing: although my jewelry is handmade by me, unlike my other venues Bonanza isn't just for artisans, it's home to all kinds of small business owners and entrepreneurs (it's very cool, it reminds me of Amazon.com). For a full list of the Ren Faire merchants and types of items they carry visit this link that will connect you with the promotion thread, or check out Bonanza's coupon page.

Huzzah!

XO,
Glamorosi

P.S. For new readers: comments on this blog are welcome but they are moderated, so sometimes it takes a few hours before they show up. Comments with links in them do not get posted.

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

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Glamorosi Photo Chosen for 12th Edition Philadelphia Schmap

2010-07-19T13:00:00.005-04:00

I have finally done something that put me on the map! One of my photos was selected to represent the Chef's Tour of the Italian Market in the 12th Edition of the Schmap Philadelphia Guide. In case you're not familiar with it, Schmap publishes digital map travel guides for cities all over the world.

I was really happy to be chosen because I LOVE the Italian Market - as most of you know I am an avid cook and I'm at the Market picking up ingredients almost every day - and also because the pepper picture was taken with a 2.0 megapixel camera, a relic by today's standards. I'm saving for a Nikon D5000 (a 12.3 MP DSLR), but it's heartening to know you don't have to have fancy equipment to get noticed.

You can see my photo in the Schmap guide here, and more of my Italian Market photos in my Flickr.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

Fig Leaves, Food and Fun at The Italian Market Festival

2010-05-17T11:57:00.010-04:00

My husband A.D. and I spent a glorious afternoon soaking up the sun, listening to live music, and eating our way through the Italian Market Festival that took place in Philadelphia over May 15 and 16.

We enjoyed food from a few of our local favorites – marinated mozzarella from DiBruno’s and cannoli from Anthony’s – and also some out-of-town goodies like sweet kettle corn and funnel cake.

There was a picture board set up so of course I had to have a photo of A.D. as Michelangelo’s David. The proceeds from the photos went to the Italian Market Association.

The festival also showcased a diverse section of artists: we ogled wooden boxes from Natural Renaissance and leather bracelets by Fisticuffs. We purchased a cilantro scented bar from Volta Soap and organic treats from Veronica's Doggie Delights.

Dog treats? Yes! Stop back soon to meet our new family member.

EDITING: July 7, 2010: We've been having computer issues here at Chez Glamorosi and things are just now getting back to normal - I'll be back with a new post as soon as possible .

♥ ♥ ♥

One Night in Morocco at Zahav Restaurant - Philadelphia, PA

2010-05-13T11:51:00.009-04:00

On May 12 Philadelphia foodies experienced One Night in Morocco with a dinner at Zahav Restaurant. The feast was prepared by Chef David Katz (Mémé) and Chef Michael Solomonov (Zahav) and included authentic Moroccan cuisine including a trio of salads and hummus served with taboon, a flatbread, and a delicious bowl of couscous with fava beans and morels (shown above). My favorite was the dafina, a traditional Sabbath stew with fork-tender beef short rib, chick peas, barley, yams and potatoes in a flavorful broth; A.D.’s favorite was the chicken with lemon and green olives. The predominant spices in the five-course dinner were cardamom, cumin, saffron and cinnamon. Dessert was a lovely almond semifreddo with chocolate feuilletine and candied orange peel.

This was a wonderful meal and I knew it would be – I’ve eaten at both Zahav and Mémé on numerous occasions, and I recommend both of them:

Zahav Restaurant
236 Saint James Place, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.625.8800 | zahavrestaurant.com

Mémé Restaurant
2201 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.735.4900 | memerestaurant.com

Photo by A.D. Amorosi

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Build Me Up Buttercup Earrings

2010-05-10T10:03:00.007-04:00

I feel like singing today - everyone join in and sing loud so I can hear you:

Why do you build me up (Build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (Let me down) and mess me around
And then worst of all (Worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (Say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (Build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart

Lyrics by The Foundations

Buttercup Earrings with Vintage Glass by Glamorosi

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Review: Kati Loose Tea System by Tea Forté

2010-04-29T09:00:00.004-04:00

Whether you are a connoisseur of loose leaf tea, or a novice just beginning to explore different blends, you will appreciate the Kati Loose Tea System by Tea Forté ($15) as an easy way to brew one cup at a time. Kati is a streamlined, 12 ounce, double-walled ceramic tumbler that keeps the tea inside hot while the outside temperature remains comfortable to hold. It is available in three colors – white, green, and grass – and comes with a lid and stainless steel infuser. The infuser has a small handle and after the tea steeps I simply remove it and place it on the lid. There is no fuss, mess or dripping, and this is very convenient since I drink a lot of tea while I work. I’ve used my Kati cup every day since it arrived and I love it.

When using the Kati you can measure your leaves (I generally use 1½ teaspoons for a 12 ounce cup) or use Tea Forté’s Single Steeps Sampler ($12), a gift box with 15 pre-measured packets of organic, loose leaf tea. To use them pour the whole packet into the infuser, add hot water, and steep for several minutes. The sampler includes five blends (three of each): Earl Grey, Forté Breakfast, Ginger Lemongrass, and my favorites, Green Tango and Chamomile Citron.

Green Tango is organic green tea with mango. It features Chinese Jade Wing green tea with South African green honeybush and mango. The leaves smell like fresh fruit with a hint of the earthy scent of green tea. Once it’s brewed the pale orange potion evolves into a heady bouquet of mango perfume. The flavor is mellow in a pleasing way with a faint vegetal aftertaste of green tea that anchors the blend. Although it was definitely enjoyable on its own, I added a teaspoon of honey to enhance the sweetness, and that brought out the taste of the honeybush.

The big surprise for me was how much I enjoyed the Chamomile Citron. I am usually not a fan of chamomile, but Tea Forté’s blend of Egyptian flowers mixed with hibiscus, rose hips, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon verbena and licorice root yielded a pretty pink liquor that was calming, delicious and addictive. I knew after my first sip of the aromatic infusion that I had to have more, and that it would become a staple in my tea chest. This sweet and tart brew was wonderful unadorned, but I added a bit of rock sugar and it was outstanding.

Along with the items mentioned here, a visit to the Tea Forté website reveals a variety of gourmet teas, a selection of elegant but completely functional teaware (the Sontu Teapot for loose tea and the matching cups are gorgeous), and a section of gifts for all occasions; the wedding favors and tea infused truffles are just a few of the many that caught my eye. There are links for special offers, a Forté Rewards Program, and even a Tea Forté App. For more info stop by TeaForte.com.

**********

Tea Forté was founded in 2003. Its luxury teas and accessories are sold through fine retailers, restaurants, hotels and spas around the world, as well as being available on their website at TeaForte.com. To facilitate this review Tea Forté provided me with a Kati Loose Tea System and samples of their teas. All photos in this post are ©Tea Forté .

For more posts about food, tea, fashion, gardening and events: Glamorosi.blogspot.com

♥ ♥ ♥

Brownie Amorosi (c. April 1998 - March 2010)

2010-04-02T11:00:00.016-04:00

On March 10, 2010, Brownie Amorosi passed away after dealing with symptoms and conditions related to old age. My husband and I had our arms around her when she died. Her Grandmom and Uncle D were there too, along with her favorite doctor. We loved Brownie beyond all measure.

I first saw Brownie when I was looking at houses.She was in the yard that eventually became ours, and at the time I thought she was the neighbor’s dog. For the next two years Brownie was a regular visitor – she showed up every night at 11 PM for the food I left out for her – but she was terrified of me and would run away if I approached her. Then one afternoon I was baking and the house was hot so I opened the back door. To my surprise, Brownie strolled in, jumped on the sofa and fell asleep. Later that day I repaired the broken section of fence she was using to come and go, and that put a huge smile on her face - the photo at right was taken minutes after. From that day forward we were a family, and Brownie was our baby.

Early in March of 2005 Brownie was diagnosed with malignant oral melanoma, and on April 2, 2005, Brownie had a partial mandibulectomy to remove the cancer. On that day Brownie not only had her immediate family and the top-notch medical staff at the University of Pennsylvania pulling for her, she also had a huge internet family who said prayers, sent positive vibes and cheered her on with, “Good Girl Brownie!”. It worked. The surgery was a success, the small hole in her bottom jaw didn't impede her ability to enjoy bones (her doctor snapped the photo at right), and Brownie's tumor was used to make vaccines for other dogs with cancer. She had several months of chemotherapy, and on August 5, 2005, we were overjoyed to learn that Brownie was in remission. We were told she might live another year, *maybe* a year and half. Brownie had other plans; she lived almost another *five* years, and the disease never came back. Brownie beat cancer.

Brownie loved going for walks, but it wasn’t always that way. When she first moved in with us she was terrified to go back outside; merely seeing the leash would send her running and howling. We never forced the issue until she was diagnosed with cancer, and then she *had* to leave the house for treatments. It was a turning point in her life because she got used to going out and became a social butterfly: she learned to trust new people (but remained afraid of children), she began to enjoy playing with other dogs, she got comfortable riding in cars and cabs, she went to parties and even ate in restaurants (True! She had the grilled cheese). She stole a softball from one of the teams that plays down the block, and she was so comical trying to hide behind me with it that they let her keep it. People from all over the country sent Brownie cards and toys. Everybody loved Brownie.

Brownie loved flowers and perfume. In our neighborhood a lot of people have container gardens in front of their houses, and when Brownie and I were on walks she would make people laugh because she would stop and smell their flowers. She was especially fond of petunias, orange blossoms and roses. In the photo at right she was so persistent in her desire to smell the Walking Iris bloom I couldn’t get a shot of it without her nose in the frame. It’s one of my favorite Brownie photos.

Brownie had many names including: Brownie Girl, Sweet Georgia Brownie, Bad Leroy Brownie, My Brownie Valentine, Clownie Brownie, Brownie Walnuts (she would shake my husband down for walnuts), Gor (a word she used to say), Puppycat, and a very special name I’ll tell you all sometime in the future.

Some of you – especially my forum friends – may wonder why it took me three weeks tell everyone. Brownie was the canine love of my life and I'm heartbroken so I needed a little time before I could talk about it. I do want you all to know your good wishes over the years meant the world to our family – thank you for helping us celebrate her life.

Good Girl Brownie!

Much Love,
Glamorosi

Religion is the smile on a dog.
~Edie Brickell

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Things I Love: Red Lacy Leaf Capelet by Eline

2010-02-03T18:30:00.005-05:00

I love ponchos and capes, and The Red Lacy Leaf Capelet shown above is one of my favorites. It is handmade by Eline, an artist who not only makes beautiful knitted creations, but also works in international politics in Oslo, Norway. The capelet is made of deep red mohair yarn and finished with a black velvet bow. It is a versatile length that falls above the elbow.

The finished piece is available in several colors, but if you’d like to make one yourself, Eline also sells the pattern in PDF format in her Etsy shop at http://Elineof.etsy.com

I also love Eline’s Icelandic Wool Stag Sweater shown at right. It is listed as an item for men, but if my husband had one he wouldn’t get to wear it because I would never take it off.

XO,
Glamorosi

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Glamorosi - Valentine’s Day Collection at 1000 Markets - Artisan Jewelry - Photos

2010-01-27T13:15:00.006-05:00

A few days ago I wrote about Valentine’s Day and posted a picture of my new sterling silver chainmaille and red topaz necklace. Since then I’ve been getting feedback on the photo: some of you really loved it, but some of you thought the main image I use in my shop listing (shown above) was much better.

I am currently using a borrowed camera. I need to upgrade from my beloved 2.0 MP relic - I take it everywhere - to something that captures my jewelry better. To that end I’m testing different models to see what works for me (anyone have an extra Nikon D5000 laying around? Swoon!).

The loaner is only 5.0 MP, but it’s a huge improvement in terms of detail. I haven’t quite mastered the white balance - in the picture I used in my Valentine post the chain looks fantastic (but yes, I know, the angle is so-so); the photo above is okaaaay, but the chain looks blue. The stone color is accurate in both shots, depending on your vantage point.

I use both photos in the all of the online shops where I sell the necklace, and now you can see them both on this blog too. Thanks everyone for your feedback, and also for giving me the opportunity to write about my current promotion again, this time with a more straightforward post title.

For details about the necklace see my Valentine’s Day Collection at 1000Markets.com.

XO,
Glamorosi

Pearls of Wisdom
A good photograph is knowing where to stand.
Ansel Adams

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My Funny Valentine

2010-01-23T15:30:00.006-05:00

In Glamorosi-land there is no bigger holiday than Valentine’s Day. Some people gripe that it’s a depressing day, or just a hollow marketing ploy manufactured by the retail industry (gah, cynics!), but in my world it is more magical than Christmas, more hopeful than New Year’s Eve, more festive than the Fourth of July.

When I was little my Mom and I would celebrate Valentine’s Day with dainty finger sandwiches at the John Wanamaker department store in downtown Philly, or we’d decorate the house with hearts and flowers in girly shades of pink, red and purple. Rhinestones and feather boas were standard attire, rose petal tea and petits fours were standard fare.

As I got older it remained my favorite day of the year. My girlfriends will remember that long before my husband A.D. even knew who I was, I shrugged off my dateless Valentine’s Days by saying, “No biggie, some day I’m going to marry A.D.”. Apparently true love and visualization techniques work; he proposed on our first date!

I launched my company on Valentine’s Day in 2002 – this year February 14 will mark my eighth anniversary in business. As a designer I get to experience the holiday on a whole different level – for many couples my jewelry is part of the romance.

This season I am especially smitten with the Celosia Necklace shown above (the red topaz is the exact color the Celosia cristata flowers I grow in my garden). Making this piece is a time-consuming labor of love; I weave hundreds of tiny sterling silver rings one-by-one for the chainmaille necklace, then embellish it with a single red topaz briolette. It is available as part of my Valentine’s Day Collection in my 1000 Markets shop.

I opened this post by writing that Valentine’s Day isn't a commercial endeavor, and then told you about jewelry I have for sale. That might seem contradictory, but it's who I am: a riddle dipped in chocolate and wrapped in a bow, just in time for the holiday.

XO,
Glamorosi

Pearls of Wisdom
If you work really hard and you are kind, amazing things will happen.
~ Conan O'Brien

♥ ♥ ♥

Avast, It Be Talk Like a Pirate Day

2009-09-19T12:13:00.014-04:00

Once again I say ahoy mateys! To celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day take a gander at me maiden voyage on the sea o' blogdom. ‘Tis true, this blog launched in August 2006 wi' a tribute to Captain Jack Sparrow.

In case ye didn't know, I live the pirate life year-round and I make beauteous jewelry fer lovely swashbuckler women; eyeball me chainmaille earrings wi' skull an' crossbones.

There be always seafarin' hearties among us, even in places ye wouldna expect - the crew at 1000markets.com honored me skull earrings shown above as a Staff Pick on September 16.

Oh, an' here's a bit o' Glamorosi trivia: back in me starvin' artist days I had a job as a Captain Morgan Rum wench.

Arrrrrrrr,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

I Met André Leon Talley

2009-08-27T11:42:00.008-04:00

Last night, courtesy of the blog Phashionista, I attended a screening of The September Issue at the Ritz Five Theater in Philadelphia. In case you haven't heard, it's a documentary about the making of Vogue magazine, the bible of the fashion industry. After a lifetime of worshiping at the altar of Vogue, it was a revelation to witness the relationship between editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington. The film, directed by R.J. Cutler, is like the magazine: gorgeously shot and riveting from start to finish. I plan on seeing it again and again, and I recommend it to all of you.

Immediately following the movie there was a Q&A session with the director and - holy smokes! - Vogue's editor-at-large André Leon Talley. I have adored him for years; his column is the first thing I turn to when Vogue arrives. In the film he is fabulous in a full complement of Louis Vuitton, in person he was resplendent in a textured black cape and red shirt. I was absolutely enthralled as he talked about his early days in New York working for Andy Warhol and Interview Magazine, the history of fashion, dining in Paris, lunching with Ms. Wintour, why he plays tennis, how he mentors new designers and photographers...

As were leaving the theater I waited... and then... he was right there in front of me. I looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Mr. Talley, would you please take my card?", and he looked right back at me and in the kindest tone answered, "Of course". It was brief but epic. I know it was a cliché thing to do, but my cards have photos of my jewelry on them and there was no way in Hades I was going to let the moment pass without introducing myself. And it's funny, I know and meet a lot of celebrities and it never fazes me, but as the words were leaving my mouth I realized I was completely breathless. I'm not sure if I sounded super-sexy or like I was having an asthma attack.

Rock stars, movie stars, whatever. I met André Leon Talley.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

Jewelry by Glamorosi - Spring 2010 Preview

2009-08-18T17:56:00.023-04:00

Ahoy Mateys, I hope your summer's been smooth sailing. As I mentioned in my last post I’ve been hard at work filling bridal orders and finalizing my jewelry line for Spring 2010. The designs are the easy part (I'm doing four distinct collections: bridal, chainmaille, and two vintage-inspired with beads) but the rest of it – photography, descriptions, line sheets, press kits, etc. – is time consuming. I steal a few hours here and there to tend to my garden (check out my oranges this year - no scurvy for this wench), but other than that I've been immersed in details.

A few items from my Spring 2010 Marquise Collection are previewing in my 1000 Markets shop, including the Sterling Silver Chainmaille Earrings shown with this post. They are diamond-shaped and come topped with the skull and crossbones as shown, or with a pretty flower instead. They also come in a two-tone version with sterling silver edges and rose gold-filled or yellow gold-filled centers, and there are matching necklaces I haven’t listed yet.

At the moment I'm running a free shipping special in all three of my shops: 1000 Markets, Artfire, and Etsy – so stop by soon and save a few pieces of eight.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

Glamorosi Selected as Featured Artist

2009-05-14T12:00:00.004-04:00

I didn’t expect to be away from here for so long, but a few opportunities came up that have kept me busy with paperwork and details for my Spring 2010 jewelry line (yep, 2010). Sooo, this is just a pop-in to say “hello” and tell you some exciting news: this week I was selected as the featured artist by Fashionable Finds, a blog that showcases clothing and accessories by members of Trunkt (a juried site that connects designers with wholesale buyers). The write-up focused on my Woven Turquoise Collar Necklace, shown above and available now in my 1000 Markets shop. To see me as featured artist click here.

Before I go, my Mother asked me to thank all of you who sent her birthday wishes on this blog. It made her big day even more special and she genuinely appreciated it.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

Give the Lady a Hand

2009-04-04T15:00:00.013-04:00

Today, April 4th, is a momentous occasion: please put your hands together and join me in wishing the very fabulous Mama Glamorosi a happy and healthy 75th birthday. We're going to have a lovely celebration in a special location, but shhh! - I can't say anything more about it now. I'll relay the details in a future post.

Mr. Glamorosi took the photo of us holding hands. It’s hard to tell from the picture but my Mother and I have identical extremities and it makes us giggle to look at each other. What we love even more though is taking ugly pictures - we play this game where we put ghastly photos of ourselves in pretty frames and then show them to company as if we think we look beautiful. It's always hilarious watching people struggle for the right words. Meanwhile, those of you who own my jewelry have seen one of my Mom's many gorgeous photos; I use one of her modeling shots on my company literature.

Happy Birthday Mom, I love you to the stars and back!

Gems and Findings

Handmade Philly is a member-run collective for emerging and established artists, crafters and designers from the city and its suburbs. Some members are currently involved in a group project called Philly Makes in which the participants choose themes then create and post new items each week. I’ll be joining the challenge beginning next week.
Handmade in PA (HiP) is a blog dedicated to “supporting arts and crafts in the keystone state”. Stop by every Saturday in April for articles about improving your blog with topics including branding, search engine optimization and microblogging.
Byhand.me is a new social networking site where artists share photos and ideas, curate showcases, read interviews with leaders in the art and craft worlds and more. It’s free to join and easy to set up a page in the artisan directory. Mine’s not completely done (it needs more pics) but you can see my entry here.

Pearls of Wisdom

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.
~Anonymous

In art the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

♥ ♥ ♥

Rufus and Chifa Con

2009-02-18T15:45:00.005-05:00

Valentine’s Day has always been my favorite holiday, and this year we had such an amazing time I'm still glowing four days later.

Usually my husband A.D. (aka Mr. Glamorosi) and I plan our Valentine’s Day celebration together, but this year he made the reservations and decided to keep me in the dark. The day began with flowers, sweets and gifts, but instead of giving A.D. everything at once I decided to surprise him during dinner with the jewelry I made for him - a sterling silver chainmaille tie chain with topaz.

At 5:30 PM a cab whisked us off to the first secret location which turned out to be the newly-opened Chifa, the fourth Philly restaurant from renowned Chef Jose Garces (his others are Amada, Tinto, and Distrito). After a champagne toast we feasted on Peruvian-Cantonese cuisine, then right before dessert I gave A.D. his tie chain. Suddenly he produced a tiny box, opened it to reveal a stunning white topaz ring, and he proposed! We’ve been married for going on nine years but every now and then he asks me again and of course I always say “Yes” (P.S. How neat that we both chose topaz!).

After dinner there was another surprise. This time A.D. asked the cabbie to bring us to The Kimmel Center and then laughed and said to me, “I can’t believe you don’t know about this”. I really had no clue what we were going to see – even as we entered the theater I looked for but couldn't find a marquee. Once we left will call A.D. handed me the tickets and Oh. My. Gawd! We were at a Rufus Wainwright concert!

Rufus has been the soundtrack to our entire relationship; through the years we’ve seen him in venues ranging from the small but legendary Philly club J.C. Dobbs all the way to his big Judy Garland show at Carnegie Hall. We love Rufus. Watching him perform makes me want to do better at everything: I want to be a better artist and make better jewelry, I want to see more, feel more, do more… Rufus’ immense talent gives me a sense of all that is possible.

As if the whole day wasn't over-the-top enough, the opening act was Rufus’ sister Martha Wainwright. We love her too – her voice is gorgeous - and to hear them sing together is proof of angels on earth.

This was truly the most romantic Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had. I am astounded by how much effort went into surprising me, including hiding the fact that a week prior to the show A.D. interviewed Rufus Wainwright for Philadelphia City Paper. To read the piece click here.

Gems and Findings

My aforementioned husband A.D. Amorosi starts his radio gig on WXPN 88.5 FM this Thursday (February 19) with Dan Reed during the 4 PM hour.
There's a new blog called 37 Questions About One Thing - the current topic is Seattle. I'm not telling you about it because the author is my friend (she is), or because I want an extra entry in her Vivace Coffee giveaway that runs through March 16, 2009 (but I'll take it), I'm telling you because she's cool and it's a fun read. Check it out!
Finally, the winner of GlamorInky Friday #19 has been selected; the person who scored the Sterling Silver Chainmaille Earrings from my new collection is… Lilyk! Congratulations to Lilyk and thank you to everyone who participated.

Pearls of Wisdom

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
~Charles M. Schulz

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #19

2009-02-06T09:00:00.011-05:00

Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday and this year is extra special because February 14th marks my seventh anniversary as a jewelry designer. I'm also excited because I was recently accepted to two juried sites: 1000Markets.com, a site for upscale shops, and Trunkt.org, a portfolio site where merchandising professionals go to find designers.

I know how lucky I am to reach this milestone, and I know I couldn't have done it without you, so GlamorInky Friday #19 is about celebrating together. For this GlamorInky I want you to visit my 1000 Markets shop then come back here and leave a comment that tells me three things:

1. Tell me your favorite item in my 1000 Markets shop.
2. Tell me what you're celebrating this Valentine's Day.
3. Tell me your email address.

You must list all three things for your entry to be counted. If your email address is in your Blogger profile you can write "address in profile".

No purchase necessary, one entry per person, 18+, USA only. Entries accepted from Friday, February 6, 2009 at 9:00 AM EST through Friday, February 13, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. You must be registered with Blogger to comment. The comments are moderated so they will not show up immediately. Click here for the complete official rules and privacy policy.

When the entry period is over I will use a Randomizer to select one winner to receive a pair of my Sterling Silver Chainmaille Earrings just like the ones shown with this post (ARV $65). The earrings are hand-woven by me and feature freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystal.

Before I go, my new readers may be wondering why this promotion is called GlamorInky Friday, so here's the deal: "Glamor" is half of my name, and "Inky" means winner in sweepstakes lingo. GlamorInky Friday is a game for glamorous winners.

Happy Valentine's Day!

XO,
Glamorosi

Edited to add: the winner will be announced on 2-17 or 2-18.

♥ ♥ ♥

Bird is the Word

2008-11-28T11:00:00.003-05:00

In my last post I told you I had some exciting news... I have a little ad in BUST Magazine! It's in the Product Showcase on page 109 of the Dec/Jan '09 issue with Jenny Lewis on the cover. It's a paid spot - not a feature or review - but it's my first and I'm proud of it.

For the ad I used the Raven Earrings shown above. Many people think ravens are unlucky, but in some cultures having one land on your roof is a sign of impending fortune. That's how I see them, and they're a recurring theme in my work; right now there are three raven items in my Etsy shop.

Speaking of my store, the holiday season is upon us and I've been listing new pieces. All of my jewelry is beautifully gift-boxed year-round, and I'm offering free shipping from Black Friday (11/28) through New Year's Day. Stop by early for the best selection.

Gems and Findings

Congratulations to my etsyBEAD teammate Studio Marcy; one of her lampwork beads was featured in the "Etsy Finds: Top Ten Turkeys" feature on 11/26 in the The Storque.
Take a look at the colorful artwork by my Philly Etsy teammate Pigeons in the Attic.
Check out the fab feather hair accessories by Bethany Lorelle, and feel free to buy me the wide peacock headband that goes from ear to ear (I'm talking to you Mr. Glamorosi).

Pearls of Wisdom
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.
~ Chinese proverb

♥ ♥ ♥

The Gothic Wedding Challenge - November 2008

2008-11-21T19:40:00.013-05:00

It's been a wild ride since I last wrote, and I mean that literally. Mr. Glamorosi and I were in an awful car accident on our way to a jewelry show a few weeks ago. We were injured but we're okay, and we have an extra-long list of things to be grateful for as we gather at the Thanksgiving table this year.

The upside for those of you who wear my jewelry is that because I didn't make it to the show, I have a lot of items made specifically for that event that will now be sold in my online shop. Over the next week I'll be listing one-of-a-kind pieces made with gorgeous artisan glass mixed with Swarovski crystal.

In other news, I put together a new Etsy Street Team for designers who make luxury goods for upscale weddings. We're called The Bridal Dream Team and this week we launched of our first design challenge - Gothic Weddings. You can see all of the entries on our team blog and vote until 8 PM on November 23.

The piece I entered is the Gothic Wedding Collar shown above; it's made of faceted hematite and Swarovski crystal. I wasn't able to capture it in the photo, but it's very glittery in person. The open lace-like weave is an original pattern inspired by my love of Victorian fashion, Arthurian tales and Gothic horror.

While I was pondering vampire movies, Mr. Glamorosi was talking about Danish film with actor Seann William Scott (American Pie, Dude Where's My Car?, Role Models) for Blurt-Online.com; you can read the interview here.

I'll be back on Black Friday - I have some cool news to tell you.

XO,
Glamorosi

11/28: Editing to add my piece came in 3rd Place - thank you everyone!

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #18 – Winner Announced

2008-09-08T17:37:00.009-04:00

For GlamorInky Friday #18 I was inspired by one of my favorite modern sculptures, LOVE by Robert Indiana. I asked readers to tell me what they love, and I promised to pick one person at random and turn their answer into a piece of jewelry. One name was chosen from the 101 entries, and the winner of the 18th GlamorInky game is… PRINCESS GOLDEN HAIR!

The list of things for which Princess Golden Hair professed her love included “…waterfalls, oceans, and lakes...”, so for her prize I made earrings with lentil-shaped Aqua Terra Jasper, a natural stone with shades of teal and beige that recall the surf and sand. For sparkle I added aqua apatite in faceted rondelles and ovals, for shine I used sterling silver faceted rounds and ribbed spacers, and then the pieces were hung from sterling fishhook earwires. The earring length is almost 2.5", the ARV is $48.

Congratulations Princess Golden Hair! To claim your prize email me at this address.

~~I'll be making more of this style, so for anyone else who would like a pair, the earrings and the coordinating necklace and bracelet will be listed in my Etsy shop by the first week of October.~~ Editing to add: I sold out of these items before I had a chance to list them in my shop - I may have more in November - stay tuned.

Meanwhile, this is a short post because I'm busy making a piece for an upcoming design challenge and also preparing for several shows and my annual Day of the Dead rush, but I am still available for consultations and custom orders so don’t be shy about contacting me.

Thanks everyone for playing!

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #18

2008-08-08T20:00:00.011-04:00

I love all kinds of artwork – everything from the Old Masters to Pop Art – it makes me happy. The sculpture above is of one of my favorites, LOVE by Robert Indiana. I took the photo last week on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, and it gave me an idea for GlamorInky Friday #18.

During our last game I explained the meaning of GlamorInky: “…the first half of the word is part of my name and is about glamour, the second part, “Inky”, means “winner” in sweepstakes lingo. GlamorInky Friday is a trivia game for glamorous winners. It is generally about gemstones and jewelry, but not always…”. This is one of those games that falls into the “not always” category.

For Glamorinky Friday #18 I want you to tell me what you love. It can be anything – flowers, rain, the color pink – just name what makes your heart sing (but please, keep your answers “G-rated”; my Mother reads my blog).

One winner will be chosen at random and I will turn what they love into a piece of jewelry. Keep in mind that the prize will be an interpretation. For example, if the winner loves diamonds, I may make something with diamond-shaped stones, or faux diamonds, or something else that reminds me of diamonds.

To submit your entry click on “comments” at the bottom of this post.
You must be registered with Blogger to leave a comment on this blog.
Comments are moderated to keep spam at bay.

One entry per person/household, one answer per person, 18+, USA only, entry deadline 11:59 PM August 31, 2008. The winner will be announced on this blog on or around September 8, 2008. You must come back to this blog to see if you won. Estimated ARV: definitely more than $20., probably less than $100. For the complete official rules click here.

Gems and Findings

I love George Michael - I've been a fan since the 80's. I finally saw him in person on July 26 when Mr. Glamorosi and I attended his 25Live concert here in Philly, and he was phenomenal. His voice was so completely flawless that several times during the show it brought tears to my eyes, and afterwards I considered following the tour around like a Deadhead. If I was reviewing the concert I would dot all my "i's" with hearts; Mr. Glamorosi used a normal font in his review for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
I love weddings with all my heart, and I love designing custom jewelry for bridal parties. I've been doing it for ages but only recently added it to my shop announcement - I thought I'd mention it here in case you missed it.
I love beads, especially the pretty florals by lampwork artist Carla Beyerlein. She is a member of the Etsy Team called LEST (Lampwork Etc. Street Team), and for their August promotion each member has selected a charity to receive all or part of their proceeds. Carla has chosen to donate 100% of the profits from all heart beads sold this month to California Heart Connection, an organization that helps families with children who have congenital heart defects. You can see her lovely lampwork by visiting her shop, Heart Of Glass Beads, and find out what the rest of the team is offering by clicking here.

Pearls of Wisdom

All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
~Lennon/McCartney

♥ ♥ ♥

Rainbows and Unicorns (and Ambrosia)

2008-07-18T18:00:00.032-04:00

Great Zeus! I didn’t think I would be gone so long, but no worries, I can bring this blog up to date in one post...

At the end of March I was busy tending to Brownie (our chocolate lab) while she recovered from unexpected surgery . She did very well , but then I was under the weather for a spell; for all of April I was reduced to eating teensy little bland meals with tiny sips of herbal tea.

Thankfully all that passed, and during the first week of May I celebrated my return to the land of the living by attending a few shows - Eddie Izzard and Cirque du Soleil - and a five-course feast at Lacroix, a renowned French restaurant on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square. It was an exquisite morel and wine pairing prepared by Executive Chef Matthew Levine and hosted by Sommelier Eric Simonis. Highlights for me were the white morel stock with smoked salmon, tempura and mint, and the wild turbot with tomatillo, licorice and lavender. The dessert was vanilla star anise panna cotta with honey poached morels, sweet pea sorbet, and lime gelee. The setting was exclusive - a small gathering of foodies in a private room - but the conversation was inclusive so it was like dining with a group of old friends.
It was truly an enchanted evening.

Morel season came and went, but spring took its time. The weather finally warmed up a few weeks later after a huge storm that ended with two rainbows over my neighborhood; you can see the second one in the photo at right that I shot from my deck. They inspired me to design the colorful freshwater pearl and oxidized sterling silver necklace and earring set at the top of this post. The pieces in the photo have already sold, but I can make more if any of you would like your own personal rainbow.

Where there are rainbows, unicorns are bound to follow, and this post is no exception. Those of you who have purchased, won, or received my jewelry as a gift over the past few years are familiar with my purple packaging and boxes that are always embellished with gorgeous butterflies. Until lately that is. At the end of May I ran out of butterflies, so now I am topping my boxes with faeries, flowers, and for a limited time, vintage unicorn stickers by Otters and Others.

In June we attended a dinner with Sopranos actress Lorraine Bracco who was in town to launch her line of wines at Chima, a Brazilian steakhouse with table-side service. We were seated with reporter Len Lear and his lovely wife who recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. Mr. Lear wrote several pieces about me years ago when I was a child performer – it was nice to be able to thank him again and catch up after all this time. Magically, neither of us have aged a bit.

Also in June, my jewelry shop celebrated its first birthday. I joined Etsy.com - your place to buy and sell all things handmade - on April 15 in 2007, and opened my store there two months later on June 21. I am enjoying this odyssey immensely - thank you all for a memorable year.

Last Sunday we were back on Rittenhouse Square as Stephen Starr's guests at his new French bistro called Parc. It's an elegant space with a splendid view and a sumptuous menu created by Chef Dominique Filoni. I've written before about how much I love Starr's restaurants - Buddakan, Pod, Morimoto and Barclay Prime to name a few - and Parc is equally exceptional. The meal started with bread that was baked in-house and appetizers of beet salad and a delectable steak tartare, and that was followed by main dishes of organic salmon and coq au vin. We finished with three decadent desserts: a warm peach tart with blackberry ice cream, creme brulee, and pot de creme. Through it all our wine glasses were never empty. The staff was fabulous, the setting was glamorous, and the food was fit for the gods.

I am definitely having an epic summer.

Gems and Findings

A few months back I posted with heavy heart that Harp Magazine had folded. Now I'm happy to announce that the Harp staff including Mr. Glamorosi (aka journalist A.D. Amorosi) have launched BLURT , an online mag with the same impeccable taste and great writing that made its predecessor a favorite of musicians and fans alike. Stop by and read Mr. Glamorosi's interviews with John Lurie, Zooey Deschanel, and Shane West. He also had an interesting conversation with Top Chef's Tom Colicchio for Philadelphia City Paper; you can read it here.
Two of the designer contestants on this season of Project Runway have shops on Etsy: you can see Leanne's fabulous frocks at Leanimal.etsy.com, and check out Kelli's edgy ensembles at AntiLabel.etsy.com
My next post will be a GlamorInky - stay tuned!

Pearls of Wisdom

A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.
~Elsa Schiaparelli

♥ ♥ ♥

Run for the Roses

2008-05-03T12:00:00.004-04:00

Just a pop in to let you know about a free shipping offer I'm running today in my shop:

To celebrate The Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2008, there is free shipping on Lucite items from my Climbing Rose Collection; look for jewelry marked "Run for the Roses". Like the Derby this offer comes and goes fast - this promotion ends tonight, May 3, 2008, at 11:59 PM EST. Cheerio!

♥ ♥ ♥

Creative Minds for Charity Challenge Giveaway

2008-04-23T08:30:00.001-04:00

On Etsy.com, the site where I have my jewelry shop, some members have opted to join Street Teams, groups of like-minded artists who have banded together network, share ideas, and promote their shops. Over the past month three of the teams have joined forces for the Creative Minds for Charity Challenge Giveaway, a jewelry design challenge and charity event. The Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) provided the handmade beads, etsyBEAD members designed and made the finished jewelry, and all of the the collaborations were donated to the Etsy shop run by HOST – the Helping Others Street Team – to help raise money for Etsians in need.

Today, April 23rd, is the big day. It’s time for Etsians to choose which design wins the challenge. The pieces are listed on the Creative Minds for Charity blog, there is one choice per Etsy member, and the poll runs today only from 12:00 noon to 11:59 PM EST. Random names will be drawn from the poll-takers to receive prizes. Click here to get started.

The piece shown with this post is entered in the Challenge; it is called “Something Blue”. It was designed by me, Glamorosi, with a gorgeous hand blown Italian Murano glass vessel by Studio Marcy. I was fortunate to have Marcy as my partner – she is a lampwork artist and teacher who is well known for her whimsical beads, and also elegant beads including seashells, etched sea glass, and the occasional vessel bead. I am in love with her work, and I know once you stop by the Studio Marcy shop you will be too.

In case you haven’t seen a vessel like this before, they are widely used for aromatherapy – you can put your favorite fragrance inside – others use them for tiny treasures. The vessel is hung from a handcrafted beaded chain composed of vintage milk glass beads with light blue sapphire and dyed blue quartz accents. Each bead is hand-wrapped with sterling silver wire, and the chain closes with a sterling “S” clasp that mimics the swirl designs on the vessel.

All of the pieces in the challenge are fantastic – have fun choosing just one.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

GLAMarquee Artist - Grandma Was a Floozy

2008-04-09T12:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the debut of my new feature, GLAMarquee Artists, in which I interview creative people whose work I admire. Some will be emerging artists, some will be established, all will be excellent. For my very first interview I chose Evie, the multi-talented force behind the shop Grandma Was a Floozy. Her gorgeous hand-crocheted lace accessories can be dressed up or down, and are a favorite with folks who live and love steampunk, a style that often carries a Goth/Neo-Victorian aesthetic.

*****

The "Grandma" in the name of your shop – does it refer to your Grandma and if yes, how did she inspire you?

My poor grandmother! She would have been quite shocked to find her legacy abused in this way. There was nothing of the floozy about my grandmother, believe me. She spent most of her time in a housecoat, cooking and cleaning in her tiny house in South Philadelphia, watering the tomato plants in the concrete tub out back, and poking her head out the screen door any time she heard a siren.

But she was very handy with a needle, crochet or otherwise. My mother told me that she used to work in a garment factory, doing smocking. I remember her watching soap operas and crocheting baby blankets and little hats for the neighbor's grandkids. I didn't learn to crochet from her, though - I taught myself a few years ago, from a tutorial I found on the web.

How did the word "floozy" come into play?

I was hoping that a funny or clever shop name would help bring people into the store. "Floozy" is such a funny word to begin with, and the concept of a floozy is so quaint and outdated. I started playing around with some phrases, and this one made me giggle, so I went with it.

How and why did lace become your primary medium?

Complexity, intricacy - I'm drawn to them, in lots of different forms. Soon after I learned to knit I started knitting lace, and loved it. (I love making fancy cabled sweaters, too!) One day when I was shopping for yarn, I found a pattern book for the most impossibly fussy and intricate doilies. I knew then that I had to learn how to crochet.

How is your lace made?

I crochet it all using size 20 mercerized cotton, and a 1.5 mm crochet hook. And that's it. That's what I love about it. Something as beautiful and complex as lace comes from nothing but a ball of thread and a little metal hook. It's magical.

Do you have a favorite piece and why?

I love the slip-on lace cuffs, "A Pair of Floozies". I love wearing them. I feel so pretty and feminine and sexy and interesting when I have them on. I also think they put me on the map, so to speak, so I have a particular affection for them.

Your Etsy shop is relatively new – what has been the biggest surprise to you so far?

I think I've been surprised at how supportive the community is as a whole, despite the fact that in theory we're all competing for the same customers. It's so heartwarming. When I was just getting started and sales were very few and far between, a few kind words and a spot in a Treasury went a long way towards convincing me to stick with it. And I'm so glad I did.

What attracted you to the Steampunk movement?

The answer to that would take a lot more room than I have here, and probably a few choice words from my therapist. There's something about clockwork that just draws me in. Again, something magical - a few bits of metal and wood, a spring or a pendulum, no electricity, no computer chips... There's so much power, so much independence in that.

Like a lot of people, I think, I was a steampunk gal long before I knew there was a word for it. I found out about it when I saw the term in the Etsy shop of someone who had hearted my shop. (I wish I could give them a plug, but I can't figure out who it was now.) One Wikipedia entry later, and my life had changed forever. There was a name for it!! There were other people who were into it, too!! Wow.

As an aesthetic movement, I love that Steampunk honors ingenuity and craftsmanship. I love the tactile nature of the materials. But honestly, it's something that hits me on such a deep level that it's really hard to describe.

Do you or your surroundings look like your work?

Not in an over-the-top kind of way. Our furniture is mostly dark wood, some antique and vintage, some not. I would describe it mainly as arts-and-crafts. Like steampunk, our style borrows freely from different periods. My favorite things are our vintage wooden teacher's desk, a heavy oak chair with a pentagonal seat that my aunt salvaged from a church, a Victorian music cabinet with a hand-painted scene of a boat house on the front, and the original 1928 ash kitchen cabinets that my husband restored back to the original wood.

I wear all of my own pieces, but mostly with jeans and very casual, slouchy clothes. I dress like the world's oldest college student, frankly. I'm always afraid that one of my friends will rat me out to a tv makeover show.

If I had known about your work back when I got married I would have begged you to do my wedding – do you have any plans to do garments?

I've been thinking a lot about some small pieces for weddings (a garter, certainly - maybe a hankie, even a veil) But a dress?? Gosh. The problem for me is that the kinds of things I make are incredibly labor intensive. Generally, the larger a piece gets, the harder it becomes for me to make a profit from it. But I love a challenge, and I'm sure the right one will come along.

You're currently shopping a fantasy novel The Mongrel - what is it about?

I think it's best described as epic fantasy, but not so much long walks through the woods, elves, wizards, or armies of warty goblins.

The story is set in a desert city called the Shadar, at the onset of an insurrection by the enslaved Shadari people. The Mongrel is a mercenary hired by the rebels to lead their attack. But when she arrives in the city, her past connections to both the rebels and the ruling faction begin to come to light, and what plays out is ultimately a family drama of abandonment, betrayal - and ultimately, redemption.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the setting is far more topical than I ever intended, or wished. The concept and the plot came long before the Iraq war. But I'm content to leave it up to the reader to make their own connections, or not. Let's hope they get the chance!

Is there a connection between your work as a designer and your work as a writer?

Once again, I think it's the magic of creating something out of nothing. And the love of intricacy is there, too. Weaving all of the threads together, looking for patterns. How it's all connected. Only in my writing, the threads are people's lives.

If you had to choose, lace or lit?

I love the lace, but I don't think I could live without the lit. I know that sounds pretentious, but it's nearly true. I can't sleep when I'm not writing, and I generally just feel awful until I start again. For whatever reason, it seems like something I have to do.

What other skills or talents do you have?

I love to sing Renaissance music with New York's Renaissance Street Singers. I knit and embroider, and I play the Celtic folk harp, when I have time.

Whose work do you admire?

Oh, so many of my fellow Etsians!! I hate to mention some without the others, but at the top of the list are MmeFortuna, BoringSidney, Vaivanat, StaroftheEast, CDChilds, and my new favorite IrregularExpressions. But there's so many more!!!

Most of my favorite authors are from the past. I love Dickens, Thackery, the Brontes, Jane Austen, Dorothy L. Sayers, Thomas Hardy. Somerset Maugham is one of my favorite authors, and Of Human Bondage is probably my favorite book. On the sci fi/fantasy side, I love Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series (please don't be put off by the movie, the books are WONDERFUL!), Tad Williams, Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, Madeleine L'Engle, what I've read so far of Philip Pulman.

I'm still very attached to the books I read as a child, and re-read them often. That includes the whole Narnia series, and everything by Roald Dahl and Frances Hodgson Burnett.

And for my money, the Farscape, Firefly and new Battlestar Galactica TV series represent some of the best sci fi and fantasy work in any medium.

What is your dream gig as a designer?

I'm already there. I'm making the things I want to make, and people are responding. It's a beautiful thing.

*****

To purchase these pieces visit GrandmaWasAFloozy.etsy.com
As a special bonus, Glamorosi readers receive free shipping from now until June 30, 2008. To take advantage of this offer use the code "FloozyQ" in the "Notes to Seller" section as you go through the Etsy checkout, and your shipping fee will be refunded. Also, many of the items can be customized with your monogram or favorite word - stop by the shop for more details. Cheerio!

♥ ♥ ♥

Working Blue

2008-04-04T14:00:00.007-04:00

It takes a conscious effort on my part to keep from working blue. Not in the traditional sense of the phrase – telling off-color or profane jokes – but in that I'm so taken with my stash of topaz, sapphire, and tanzanite, I really could be happy making nothing but blue jewelry from morning ‘til night.

I’m also a fan of the semi-precious stone kyanite. The sterling silver earrings shown here are composed of cornflower blue kyanite drops and sage green sapphire rondelles topped with blue and green vintage givre glass. “Givre” is a French word meaning frost; in jewelry it refers to glass with a base color infused with a band of a second color (or sometimes several colors).

I have a limited amount of the vintage beads - I made two pairs of earrings and I'm keeping one; the other is currently available in my shop.

Gems and Findings

Happy Birthday to my best friend and muse, the monumentally ferosche Mama Glamorosi! I love you Mom!
My skull earrings are back in stock – I’m keeping them out of the store until next week to make sure everyone on the waiting list is covered, but I should have a few extra – drop me a line if you'd like to reserve a pair before they sell out again.
Back in February I showed you the beautiful pair of handmade lace cuffs I gave Mr. Glamorosi for Valentine’s Day. Later this month I’m debuting a new interview feature on this blog - first up will be the gifted artist behind the cuffs and her lovely Etsy shop called Grandma Was A Floozy - stay tuned.

Pearls of Wisdom

…a strong piece of jewelry can make a simple outfit look elegant.
~ Giorgio Armani

♥ ♥ ♥

The Green Fairy

2008-03-17T00:00:00.022-04:00

Sometimes I sit down to design one thing, then wind up making another. In the case of these chandelier earrings, I was working on a series of baubles to illustrate the “Seven Deadly Sins” (actually I was going to do “Six Deadly Sins” – my statement for sloth was going to be to not make anything – ha!), but the minute I saw the clear and cloudy greens together, and how the marcasite frames gave them a Victorian vibe, they didn’t resemble “Envy” at all, they reminded me of the liquor Absinthe. For the uninitiated, Absinthe (aka The Green Fairy) was popular with the Bohemian set in late 19th and early 20th century France, then it was banned for close to 100 years, now it’s legal again and available in the United States.

I have no idea why I’m suddenly fixated on spirits and sins, but my Absinthe Earrings are lovely if I do shay sho myshelf. They are composed of chrome diopside, chrysoprase, and sterling silver marcasite; for more information visit my shop.

Gems and Findings

Mr. Glamorosi and I saw Chris Rock at Philly’s Academy of Music earlier this month, and in addition to the smart and funny show it was an excellent night for people watching. We were a few rows over from living legend Kenneth Gamble who recently did an interview with Mr. Glamorosi for Issue #21 of Big Shot Magazine (on newsstands now), Jazzy Jeff was in the audience after his opening set, and I was thrilled to meet producer James Poyser. Mr. Glam also hung out with Oscar® winner Sir Ben Kingsley last week at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute's 3rd Anniversary Gala – you can read about it in Philadelphia City Paper – and he covered Nick Cave at the PLUG Awards for Harp Magazine. This is unfortunately the last time I will link to a Harp article; the magazine has folded.
BUST Magazine is bringing the block party back to Brooklyn NY with its first ever Spring Fling Craftacular on Sunday April 27, 2008. The event will feature over 50 vendors, DJs, a 90s themed dance and drinks. All types of crafts will be considered, and the deadline to apply is March 30, 2008. The application is here, and a list of frequently asked questions is here.
I read on TMZ.com that Colin Farrell likes to Google himself, and since their items are often true, I'm inserting his name into this post for no particular reason other than he is one of my favorite actors ever, and it would be really cool to have him stop by. Hello Colin! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pearls of Wisdom

Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you. ~ Irish blessing

♥ ♥ ♥

Full Circle

2008-02-14T11:00:00.008-05:00

In previous posts I hinted at some news I wanted to tell you...

Stylish women in the Philadelphia area can now find their favorite jewelry and accessories by Glamorosi at Evangeline, a plus-size boutique that's been a hit since its grand opening last summer. Evangeline is a full-service fashion salon with clothing and accessories by well-known designers, indie favorites, and local artisans, and they host trunk shows and events on a regular basis. The store is currently moving from Germantown to its new home on South Street (520 S. 4th Street, Mon-Sat 11-8, Sun 12-6), and will re-open on Saturday, February 16.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a bricks-and-mortar gig. I started out by selling to boutiques only, but later my focus shifted to shows and jewelry parties and doing my own thing… Last year when I started mapping out my goals for 2008, one of them was to get back into stores, so the unexpected opportunity from Evangeline in mid-December was a most amazing gift.

It was also kind of funny because you know that saying “Change your hair, change your life”? I got the Evangeline order about an hour after I cut off all of my hair! It’s true! After spending most of my life with super-long hair (except for the 80’s when I had super-huge hair), I got a short, angled bob from Nick at the HeaD AreA Salon at Matthew Izzo on Walnut Street, and I love it.

Last week in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Michael Klein reported that Pileggi Boutique has been sold to Andrea Chila, a Drexel grad with a background with Diane von Furstenberg and BCBG Max Azria. Pileggi carried my jewelry early on – thank you Mark – and when owner Joan Pileggi wore one of my Rock Crystal Wilma Necklaces to accept the City of Hope Award in the summer of 2003, it made my small, new company stand out.

This week I've come full circle; my very first order went out to Plage Tahiti six years ago on February 9 – thank you Robin – and my jewelry was in their window five days later on Valentine’s Day of 2002. I never mention Glamorosi anniversaries because it’s like seeing a deer in the woods – you want to tell your friends to look, but you know if you do it might run away… I’m still wary of making noise around the numbers, but I’m so thrilled I'm going to chance a whisper – I’m six now! Thanks everyone! Shhhhh!

I'm celebrating by adding a few lampwork heart beads to my personal collection including the beauty below by artist Liza Jayne of Bead A Little Dream. I’ll show you the rest in a future post. I also found some fabulous Valentine’s Day gifts for Mr. Glamorosi: the gorgeous handmade lace A Rouge and A Villain cuffs are from Grandma Was A Floozy, and the cool, perfectly slouchy Metroplex tam is from Electric Bluebird. The photos below are on loan from the respective artists. The Cagework Circle Pendant in Pearl at the top of the page is by me, Glamorosi

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Gems and Findings

Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) is in town filming The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke. Mr. Glamorosi hung out on set during the filming and interviewed both the director and actor. You can read his on-scene report in Philadelphia City Paper The scenes were shot at The New Alhambra, an arena in South Philly that also hosts concerts - The New York Dolls are playing there tonight (Feb. 14) at 6:00 pm.
Hipsterville, the Philadelphia-based ebay shop known for its vintage rock star fashions, is changing its name to 28 Crash to match its sister-shop on Etsy and the new online boutique opening later this month at 28Crash.com The site will feature in-house designs as well as vintage pieces.
The Hunt for One's Desire, last week's scavenger hunt for hearts and prizes hosted by the etsyBEAD Street Team, was a huge success and a lot of fun for the players and participating shops. You can check out the winners list and see what the group is up to on the etsyBEAD Team Blog

Pearls of Wisdom

I do, I do, I do. ~ Me, to Mr. Glamorosi, August 31, 2000

♥ ♥ ♥

The Hunt for One's Desire - Feb 3-5, 2008

2008-02-02T19:48:00.001-05:00

Just a pop-in to tell you about an event one of my street teams is hosting over the next few days...

Beginning on February 3rd etsyBEAD presents The Hunt for One's Desire, a quest to win prizes from the team's artists and designers. The search takes place February 3, 4, and 5 from 10am to 11pm EST. Winners will be announced the next day. Visit the etsyBEAD Team Blog now for more information.

As part of the event I am offering free shipping on everything in my shop for all three days of the hunt. I love Valentine's Day and I have a nice selection of pink and red baubles listed, including the Peacock Pendant shown here in tourmaline and sapphire. This necklace is 26.5" long, and it can also be ordered in traditional peacock blues and greens, all black, or all white.

Items that are marked "EBTW" are part of etsyBEAD's Theme Week, Lady in Red, and will continue to be listed with free shipping through Saturday, February 9. To see what all of the shops are offering for this theme click here.

I'm still bursting to tell you that news I mentioned in my last post, but I have to finish a few orders first. I'll be back soon.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #17 - Winner Announced

2008-01-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

For GlamorInky Friday #17 your game was to guess the name of the purple stones featured with my post on December 7, 2007. The main clue was, “This stone is relatively new to the jewelry industry; it is only found in Russia and was discovered there in the 1940’s. It was introduced to the Western world in the 1970’s”.

Some of you guessed Sugilite, and that is incorrect but it's a good guess because it does look like the mystery stone, it was discovered in the 40’s, and it did hit the Western market in the 70’s. However, Sugilite is found in several countries including Japan and South Africa, and the GlamorInky #17 stone is “only found in Russia”.

A few of you guessed Opalite, and although that is incorrect, it is also a good guess. Upon hearing the name "opalite", many people will think of the popular man-made iridescent glass, but there is also a semiprecious stone called “Opalite” aka “Tiffany Stone” aka Bertrandite, and it does look similar to the mystery stone. Tiffany Stone is only found in Utah in the USA.

Many of you guessed Charoite, and that is the correct answer. Charoite was discovered in Russia in the mid 1940’s in the rugged terrain near the Chara River. It was recognized as a gemstone and exported to the West in the late 1970’s. Charoite is not treated or dyed; the gorgeous swirled purple in shades from royal to lavender is entirely natural.

All of the correct entries were included in a randomized drawing, and the winner of Glamorinky Friday #17 is... Karyn P.!

Congratulations Karyn! Your prize is the bracelet shown above! The piece is composed of charoite and lapis lazuli rondelles accented with sterling Bali spacers and sparkling faceted garnets. The box clasp has a lapis inlay and star charm, and the bracelet is finished with wire guards and crimp covers. All components are sterling silver. Length:approx: 7.75", ARV $150.

Thank you everyone for playing!
Stay tuned for GlamorInky #18!

Before I go… I have exciting news to tell you all, but not today;
come back soon for my next post - party attire suggested.

XO,
Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky Friday #17

2007-12-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you familiar with my GlamorInky games, welcome back! The rest of you are also very welcome, but you're probably wondering, “What exactly is a GlamorInky?” Here’s the deal: the first half of the word is part of my name and is about glamour, the second part, “Inky”, means “winner” in sweepstakes lingo. GlamorInky Friday is a trivia game for glamorous winners. It is generally about gemstones and jewelry, but not always. Since this will be the first time playing for many of you I've made this edition easy with a straightforward presentation, but my games usually have a bit of a twist and turn to the language and clues.

For Glamorinky Friday #17 your goal is to correctly guess the name of the semiprecious stone beads shown with this post. This distinct stone is prized for its natural shades of purple, violet, and lavender with streaks and swirls that may include grey, black and white. The photo shown with this post has been enlarged to show details; the actual size of the rondelles pictured ranges from 9-10mm in diameter.

Email your name and answer to this address. Please use “GlamorInky Friday #17” as your subject. Please do not post any of the GlamorInky answers anywhere on the internet, it takes the fun out of it.

Correct entries will be included in a drawing and one name will be selected to receive an item made with one or more of the beads shown above. The winner will be contacted during the first week of January 2008, and their name along with a photo of the prize and its ARV will be published on this blog.

No purchase necessary; a purchase of any kind will not increase your chances of winning. GlamorInky Friday #17 starts at 4:00 PM EST on 12-07-07 and ends at 11:59 PM EST on 12-31-07. One entry per person/household, age 18+, USA only. Before you enter please read the OFFICIAL RULES and PRIVACY POLICY

Now here’s your main clue:

This stone is relatively new to the jewelry industry; it is only found in Russia and was discovered there in the 1940’s. It was introduced to the Western world in the 1970’s.

Good Luck!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gems and Findings

On December 2nd my jewelry was reviewed by EtsyBloggers.com! I would love it if you would all click here and do the happy dance with me.
Jennifer Love Hewitt RULES!

Pearls of Wisdom

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
~ Michael Jordan

♥ ♥ ♥

Meet the Press!

2007-11-30T17:24:00.001-05:00

Today I woke up in an alternate universe where I get a lot of press.

The first email I opened this morning was to let me know there is a review of my Freshwater Pearl Cascade Earrings on SporkFashion.com, a very cool style blog. I posted my standard stark photo of the featured earrings above, but you really should click here to see the beautiful picture Spork took of the teal and violet shoulder dusters; it totally made me want to buy them.

The second note I read said “Congratulations” and informed me I am being featured on the main page of the Fashion channel at TalentDatabase.com, a site where I have an online portfolio. This was a complete surprise! If you click here you can see my skull earrings on the main page - click on them to see my portfolio.

As many of you know this is my first holiday season having my own store, so I am very excited to be featured in the Indie Love Holiday Gift Guide for 2007. I'm in the "Gotta Have a Sparklie" section. And just in case you missed it, I'm still jazzed about my interview with ThisRocksMySocks.com Both are popular arts blogs featuring indie designers.

This is fun too - remember I told you Mr. Glamorosi flew out to Topanga Canyon to interview Devendra Banhart for Harp Magazine? They don't mention me by name, but you'll recognize me in the article. Click here for a link to the piece, and while your there also check out Mr. Glamorosi's recent interviews with Anton Corbijn, David Lynch, and Bjork.

You know what else is news?
December 7 is GlamorInky Friday #17.

We still have catching up to do too.
See you soon.
XO, Glamorosi

♥ ♥ ♥

Monkey Business

2007-11-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hello! I am hard at work making and photographing jewelry in anticipation of the holiday rush, but I wanted to pop in to say "hi" and show you all a new piece.

The Three Wise Monkeys Bracelet shown is one of my favorites; it’s made of vintage Lucite roses and a charm depicting the famous trio of monkeys - "See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil". It also has Swarovski crystal with 14k gold vermeil and gold filled beads. It's a cool piece at a great price, and it’s in my Etsy shop now.

I have a lot to tell you - I’ll be back with a full post in a week or so! Cheerio!

♥ ♥ ♥

Buzz Factor

2007-10-02T07:52:00.000-04:00

Last week in my garden I was stung by a bee. Once I got the feeling back in my arm I was inspired to the make the black and yellow Crystal Bee Earrings shown here. It's odd though, since that day it seems I'm being swarmed by “B’s” – blogs and buzz and beads and bugs:

It’s etsyBEAD Week at ThisRocksMySocks.com, a blog dedicated to interviewing creative types in the online art community. From September 30th through October 6th it's all about etsyBEAD members including me in my very first interview! Look for me on Thursday, October 4th! Also, I just discovered my bee earrings are shown in the October 2nd post for the etsyBEAD Street Team blog - it's my first time for that too!

Meanwhile, you may have noticed the new badges at page right. I recently joined Stylehive, a site where shoppers, stores and designers share their best finds. Besides being a fun way to promote my work, it’s excellent window-shopping because the members have fantastic taste; if you like fashion and design you should check it out.

I also joined Indiepublic, an online community for artists, designers, retailers, bloggers, and people who love browsing and buying indie. It’s a cool site with a positive buzz, it's easy to set up your page, and the members are friendly and welcoming. The Indie Network also includes Indiecontests, a site with daily contests and deals.

Gems and Findings

On September 27th my honey Mr. Glamorosi stopped by Philly's Constitution Center to see Bono and his buzz cut get the Liberty Award. Then on October 1st Mr. Glamorosi hosted the Red Carpet Pre-Show at the 13th Annual Barrymore Awards for excellence in theater, and this week his interview with Siouxie Sioux was published at Blender.com. He's the bee's knees.
On September 28th we went to a special presentation of Bee Movie attended by Jerry Seinfeld and directors Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner. After a reception at the Ritz 5 Theaters there was a Q&A with Jerry who plays the lead bee, then we watched clips. The plot is clever, the animation is awesome, and the parts I saw were truly funny. The movie is voiced by a large cast of A-listers and has cameos by Sting and Ray Liotta. Look for it November 2nd.
I'm sweet on Striking Glass, a shop with beautiful glass work inspired by the owner’s life as the daughter of a beekeeper. Read her profile then check out pretty plates including several with bee images, and also the selection of colorful glass jewelry.

Pearls of Wisdom

Every time you perform you learn a little bit more.
~ Bea Arthur

Mars is there, waiting to be reached.
~ Buzz Aldrin

♥ ♥ ♥

Air Kisses

2007-09-06T14:25:00.000-04:00

In my last post I told you there was an exciting reason (besides the obvious cool-factor) that I have an ad on my friend Fidget’s site. If you haven’t already heard, to celebrate the new home of her widely-read blog Finding Yourself Despite Yourself, Fidget is holding Blogstravganza, a sweepstakes featuring handcrafted prizes sponsored by a variety of artists and designers. There are four prize packages including my Pearl Cascade Earrings shown above (ARV. $90.). You can enter daily through Saturday, September 22 2007 at 11:59 pm EST by filling out the form here.
Be sure to read the sweepstakes rules first! Good luck!

I recently joined etsyBEAD, a street team for Etsy sellers who make or use beads in their work. I'm having a blast participating in the etsyBEAD Theme Week (EBTW) sale! From September 9-15 the theme is Dressed Up Denim. You can find the sale items every week by searching for the tag EBTW at Etsy.com. I received a warm welcome into the group too; I was surprised to be featured in several treasuries by Cassowary Jewelry, and I’m currently in one by Paolo Designs Limited. Treasuries are collections curated by Etsy members and they only last 2-3 days, ~~so look here now!~~ [expired]

My Vintage Lucite Rose Earrings were featured in the EtsyBloggers Carnival of Colors in an online collage by El, a Saipan-based artist who runs Tantalizing Stitches. She's also a dedicated animal activist - a portion of her crochet sales go to rescue projects, and she manages the new Etsy for Animals shop, with 100% of the proceeds going to the animals.

Thank you to all of you mentioned above for introducing me to your friends.
Mwah! Mwah!

Gems and Findings

BUST Magazine recently announced its call for artists for the 2007 Holiday Craftacular. Now in its third year, the event will host over 200 vendors, DJs, dancing, and drinks. The shopping party will run from 10 am to 8 pm on Saturday, December 8 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in the heart of New York City. The BUST Craftacular vendor application and list of FAQs can be found here. Applications are online only, and must be submitted by October 15, 2007.
On September 4 the House of Valentino confirmed the retirement of Valentino and his longtime business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. They will do one more ready-to-wear show and one more Haute Couture season ending in January 2008.
Scientists believe they have found the world's oldest diamonds in the Australian outback.

Pearls of Wisdom

If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.
~ Dr. Seuss

Credits:
Pearl Cascade earring photo by me, Glamorosi, all other photos in this post are the property of and are published here by written permission of the respective artists.

♥ ♥ ♥

True Blue

2007-08-15T13:13:00.001-04:00

To be completely honest, I’ve been holding out on you. Sometimes I buy exquisite stones with every intention of making jewelry to sell, but then rational thought gives way to “Oooooh, shiny”, and they wind up in my personal stash.

I tried to keep several strands of topaz secreted away, but that saying “the beads know what they want to be” is true; I was so consumed with visions of blue jewelry I had no choice but to make it and send it out into the world.

For the sterling and gemstone earrings shown I mixed mesmerizing London blue topaz briolettes with pale blue sapphire rondelles and periwinkle-toned tanzanite. You can find out more about these beauties here, or by clicking on the “Etsy-mini” in the upper-right corner of this blog.

Now that I'm sharing, here are a few more of my true blue favorites:

This blue batik number from the 1970's is my new favorite sundress. It's from 28 Crash, a shop selling reconstructed vintage clothing and accessories with a rock and roll aesthetic. The designer behind 28 Crash has a true sense of style - she publishes a magazine at Fashion Follower.com, and will have a line in Urban Outfitters this fall under the Urban Renewal label of remade clothing and items from new-old stock fabrics.

This rosary is crocheted! This unique piece by Annette 1533 comes in a rainbow of colors including royal blue as shown. It is expertly and artfully done, and makes a great gift for true believers and collectors alike. The shop also carries a variety of items including hats, scarves, blankets and rugs, polymer clay objects, and painted rocks done by the artist's Mother. By the way, I love the halo around the cross in the photo.

Penhaligon’s Bluebell fragrance is a true English classic known to be a favorite of the late Princess Diana. It is a natural, clean scent reminiscent of cut bluebell stems and moss with a touch of powder, cinnamon and clove. It's feminine without being girly, floral without being flowery. Penhaligon's full line of fragrances is available through LONDONS Bathecary, a site with over 2700 products from hard-to-find European boutique brands including Roger & Gallet - love their soaps - and Bomb Cosmetics, a scrumptious bath line. Cheerio!

It's hard to make jewelry for a living and keep a nice manicure, but this summer I found the China Glaze brand and their limited-edition Tiffany box-inspired nail crème. Named “For Audrey” after Ms. Hepburn’s iconic role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this is hands down my favorite lacquer of the season. The China Glaze formula wears like iron and the color stays true without turning dark or fading. China Glaze is a professional brand with a full spectrum of colors available in nail salons and online at Head2ToeBeauty.com

Drawing inspiration from the 19th and early 20th centuries, Marmee Craft's dreamy paintings and prints reflect a delightful world where animals and humans truly exist as equals, and happily share tea, wings and antlers. I’m not an impulse buyer, but within mere seconds of laying eyes on the lovely blue Fawn Mask print at right, it was mine. There are dozens of charming characters to fall in love with, but if you can’t decide there's a hand-sewn pouch of eight buttons with mini versions of the paintings.

Gems and Findings

The artist/author known as Fidget rocks her babies with one hand and rawks the computer keyboard with the other as she writes the wickedly funny Finding Yourself, Despite Yourself , a blog about life, marriage and motherhood in a world ruled by Our Lady of Perpetual Chaos. Click the link and you'll see Fidget's new site, and you'll also see my first-ever ad. I'm thrilled to be on the site, and there's even more exciting news coming behind why I'm there - stay tuned!
Last week Mr. Glamorosi flew out to LA for Harp Magazine and spent a day in Topanga Canyon with musician Devendra Banhart to talk about his upcoming psychedelic blues-folk CD Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. Banhart is also an artist and is working on a jewelry line. I’ll post the link when the piece is published, until then you can check out Mr. Glamorosi’s recent interviews with Queens of the Stone Age, Ian Hunter, Roky Erickson and more here.
As a kid I loved talk shows - I ran home from school to catch Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore on television, and I stayed up late to watch Johnny Carson and Tom Snyder. Each showcased interesting guests and unscripted conversation in a time when talent triumphed over marketing. With the recent passing of both Mr. Snyder and Mr. Griffin, it's the end of an era I feel fortunate to have witnessed. Rest in peace.

Pearls of Wisdom

The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary.
~ Vidal Sassoon

Credits:
Blue topaz earring photo by me, Glamorosi, all other photos in this post are the property of and are published here by written permission of the respective businesses, shop owners, artists, etc.

♥ ♥ ♥

My Red Hot Summer

2007-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Actually it's my red and orange hot summer, but that's a clunky title. We are in the midst of a steamy-stormy heat wave, I am going through an odd (for this time of year) but awesome rush of orders, and as I mentioned in my brief update, I recently opened an Etsy shop. My own store! I feel like such a grown-up! I feel like a kid too because I’m having such a blast. Right now the shop features jewelry from my new Climbing Rose Collection (shown above: orange-coral colored vintage Lucite roses, glass, crystal and sterling) and my skull earrings, and I’ll be adding new items weekly. You can get there by clicking here, or by checking out the “Etsy-mini” in the upper-right hand corner of this blog.

For those of you just now hearing of Etsy.com, it's a "place to buy and sell all things handmade", and artists and crafters from around the world have shops there. Before I opened my store I studied the Etsy forums and FAQs for months, and as part of my…ahem…research, I felt it was important to buy things to see how the checkout process worked.

Here are my "test results":

I am a huge fan of paper jewelry, and was immediately drawn to the work of Madison Craft Studio, a mother and daughter team with the most wonderful decoupage pendants. My first Etsy purchase was their Little Bird on Red pendant shown at right. It's lightweight and feels just like a puzzle piece. I fully intend to make it the focal point of a beaded necklace, but for now I have it on a satin cord. Madison Craft Studio supports the work of other Etsians by using their artwork on some of the items - when you stop by the shop look for those pieces, plus more pretty birds, trees, and colorful marbled papers.

My second fabulous find was the Cherub-n-Cheetah Tote by Janine King Designs. It’s a soft cherry color with a Victorian cherub pattern in ivory, beige, tan and taupe, and has a perfectly matched cheetah print lining. I bought it to use on my near-daily cheese, olive, bread and produce runs, but it works dressed up too; I recently wore it to brunch with a taupe linen Free People dress and macramé wedges and it got a lot of compliments. I can't stop at one of course - I’m now coveting Janine King bags in the Covington Tile, Shalimar, and Asian Cherry Blossom prints. After you take a look at these bags you'll have a big wish-list too.

My third must-have item was a floral print by Yellena, an artist, graphic designer, and self-described marker addict. Yellena's work is unique, and once you see it you'll remember it. The print I purchased is called Petals, and my particular copy is #10 in a limited edition of 100. It is colorful and other-worldly, and makes me want to move to wherever it is those flowers grow. Yellena’s work sells quickly, but I’m hoping to score Garden and Bliss prints next – look for them when you visit her shop.

My most recent purchase was the Magical Pegasus Cuff from the leather-smith known as RADCOW.
Her designs are classic rock chic - if I didn’t know the pieces were new I would swear they were vintage 70’s. After I placed my order RADCOW requested my wrist measurement, and shortly after my custom cuff arrived in packaging I would have paid a separate price to buy. Everything in the shop is cool, but definitely check out the Holy Cow cuff in black, the Red Horizon cuff, the Wrap-Around Buckle cuff in olive, and all of the belts.

So as you can tell the Etsy checkout process worked really well for me, but you should all see for yourselves; to sign up as a buyer all you need is a username and email address. Go have some red (and orange) hot fun!

Gems and Findings

Daisy Rock Guitars aka The Girl Guitar Company has a new spokeserson! A songwriting contest was held in collaboration with indie-music site Broadjam.com, the winner was handpicked by Lisa Loeb and announced on July 10. The musician who earned the prize is pop-rock artist Casey Desmond. Click here to listen to her winning entry.
Jane Magazine folded!
Prince launched his new fragrance line 3121 on the lucky date of 07-07-07. For a look at how the perfume was created and what it's like to work with a virtuoso/enigma, see Mr. Glamorosi's Philadelphia Inquirer piece on Revelations, the company that developed the scent with Prince. You can read it here. Meanwhile, as Mr. Glamorosi and I continue to share an office, now more than ever the jewelry I make has a musical/literary reference point; I designed the Climbing Rose Collection while he interviewed Iggy Pop. To read it go to Magnet Magazine and click "Interviews" - it's currently the 4th Q&A down.

Pearls of Wisdom
Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. ~ Coco Chanel

Credits:Climbing Rose necklace photo by me, Glamorosi, all other photos in this post are the property of and published with the permission of the respective shop owners.

♥ ♥ ♥

Update!

2007-06-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

Just dropping in to say “hello”! I am super-busy filling orders and also photographing and editing new stuff – my Etsy store is open now too!

I’ll be back with a real post after July 10. I am around though, so if you need something email me! Also, I accidentally had the comments turned off. I turned them back on so you can talk here if you want! Cheerio!

♥ ♥ ♥

Model Mom

2007-06-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

On May 1^st I showed you a photo from Mama Glamorosi’s modeling days and told you that when she gave it to me she pointed something out that made me go "awww". For GlamorInky #16 your game was to take a long look at her picture and figure out what she showed me. Your clue was "M is for the many things she gave me", and if you read that post’s credits there was another clue because I listed a lyricist, Howard Johnson. The fact that I ran a contest featuring my Mom during Mother's Day month was a hint too.

Some of you guessed that she said she was giving me the dress and necklace in the photo. She did give them to me, but years ago - that fringe twist dress is one of my most treasured vintage pieces. It is still in perfect condition but only by grace of the fashion gods because I wore it a lot, first with fishnets and a variety of sequin boleros to live Rocky Horror shows in the 70’s (“A toast!”), then as "casual wear" with pirate boots and opera-length gloves in the 80’s (On the bus! In broad daylight!). Anyway, that was a good guess, but it's not the correct answer.

Others guessed that she told me people said she resembled Jackie O. She used to get that a lot, and did consider it flattering, but that is not the correct answer either.

Many of you guessed that Mama Glamorosi pointed out that the little "bump" on her belly was me, and to that she says, “What bump? How rude! Don’t your friends know you’re not supposed to suggest a woman looks pregnant in case she's not?”, but then she laughed because she was kidding – that IS the correct answer; the lyric I used for the clue is from the song "M-O-T-H-E-R". Other shots from that session were taken from a different angle that didn't reveal she was three months pregnant with me.

The correct answers were randomized and the winner of GlamorInky #16 is… MICKEYFAN! Congratulations! Your prize is one pair of the sterling, horn, and blown glass cherry earrings shown at right (ARV $48) - they were inspired by my Mom’s fruit jewelry from the 40’s and 50’s. Email me from the same address you used to play the game and I’ll send your prize asap! Congratulations again Mickeyfan!

Gems & Findings

I'm getting a lot of email about the last few pieces I posted and some of you asked for prices and availability... on June 21 I'm opening a shop on Etsy, a website that features handcrafted items from designers around the world. The Secret Garden bracelet will be there, plus I'll be taking PayPal. Meanwhile, my blog shop/gallery is almost sold out - Mwah! Mwah! - I'll be removing the link on Friday.
Mr. Glamorosi and I are still sharing an office while our second floor is under construction. Recently I made jewelry while he interviewed my absolute favorite actress, Juliette Lewis. I love her work, I love her face, I love her fearlessness. You can see what Ms. Lewis is up to and also check out Mr. Glamorosi's interview with Joss Stone (I want that gorgeous ring she's wearing!) and his take on Amy Winehouse here.
If you're in Philly this weekend check out Art for the Cash Poor (AFTCP), a two day event at The Crane Arts Building (1400 N. American Street) on June 9 and 10 from 1 to 6 PM. At AFTCP you'll meet local artists and find a broad selection of artwork including photographs, paintings, jewelry, clothing and more, and it's all under $199. There will also be food available and live music. For more info visit InLiquid.com

Pearls of Wisdom

How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone. ~ Coco Chanel

♥ ♥ ♥

The Secret Garden

2007-05-09T17:30:00.000-04:00

Today I was going to tell you about my recent bead shopping spree but I’m postponing that story because I have a new bracelet to show you.

My garden is completely hidden from public view because it’s surrounded by tall buildings and trees. In the winter it's very grey but in the spring the sunlight finds it and it’s magically transformed, especially in the morning when the first rays illuminate the foliage and make everything glimmer and glow. You can see it in the fig tree photo at right; I took it in my garden last spring.

You can also see it in the bracelet above. I made it yesterday after witnessing the morning glow for the first time this year. I used genuine prehnite briolettes and rondelles, marbled glass rounds with swirls of pale green, pink, lavender, yellow and white, and light amethyst AB finish crystal (it's paler in person, and the finish isn't visible in the photo). There are teensy sterling rounds and tiny filigree flower bead caps, sterling heart and star charms, and I added a sterling fairy because she made me.

I want to expand on this idea with matching earrings and necklaces… in my mind it all fits right in with the other sparkley-gemmy things I'm doing this season and I love the color so I'm excited this piece revealed itself. Plus I've been hoarding prehnite because quite often temporary strands are so pretty it's hard to cut them. Now that I've been inspired to open them up I'm looking forward to sharing them.

I'm also looking forward to more entries in my GlamorInky #16 guessing game! If you came here looking for the contest scroll down to the May 1st post right below this one.

See you next week!

♥ ♥ ♥

GlamorInky #16

2007-05-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve been collecting vintage photos for years - I buy them and inherit them and people give them to me as gifts… at first the people in the photos are strangers, but after a while they acquire names and become so familiar to me that the line is blurred between my real relatives and my photo family. There’s no mistaking the lovely woman pictured above though because it's Mama Glamorosi!

My Mother has spent most of her life as a professional singer and musician, but in the 50’s and early 60’s she also worked as a model; shown above is an extra shot from her portfolio (that will definitely be showing up in future Glamorosi ads). When she gave me this photo she pointed something out that made me go "awww".

For Glamorinky #16 your game is to take a long look at this picture and figure out what my Mom showed me. Email your name and answer to
this address. Please do not post any GlamorInky answers anywhere on the internet, it takes the fun out of it. Correct entries will be included in a drawing for one pair of sterling, glass, and horn cherry earrings (style#800E, ARV $48.) inspired by my Mom's cool fruit jewelry from the 40's and 50's. They will be just like the pair currently featured in the upper-right hand corner of this page.

The winner's name will be posted on this blog on or around June 4, 2007. If you are the winner please contact me using the same email address you used to enter the contest.

No purchase necessary; a purchase of any kind will not increase your chances of winning. GlamorInky #16 starts 5-01-07 and ends at noon EST on 5-31-07. One entry per person/household, age 18+, USA only.
Read the OFFICIAL RULES and PRIVACY POLICY

Now here’s your clue: "M" is for the many things she gave me...

Good Luck!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

S. P. (shameless plug) After you're done emailing your GlamorInky entry stop by the Harp Magazine site and check out Mr. Glamorosi's interviews with Nick Cave, Bright Eyes, Porter Wagoner and more. The Nick Cave piece is the cover story of the May 2007 issue.

Next week: When will I have enough beads? Never. Come back and check out my newest baubles from my latest shopping spree. See you then!

Credits:
Photo published with permission from Mama Glamorosi
Lyric (from clue): Howard Johnson, 1915

♥ ♥ ♥

Picture Perfect?

2007-04-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

Like last week's dramatic "Wisteria" earrings, today's "Caterpillar" earrings use the same technique of arranging the stones in a cascade. Each pair features a cubic zirconia briolette with assorted faceted rondelles (l to r): aquamarine and sapphire; tourmaline and garnet; amethyst and tanzanite; grey sapphire and tangerine garnet.

I like the earrings but the photo bugs me because the angles are off. It's okay though because today's post isn't about a perfect photo, it's about the clue I promised for our game. Here goes: #16...May Day... get the picture?

♥ ♥ ♥

Waiting for the Sun

2007-04-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Many jewelry designers do different shapes and styles of the "cascade" earring, it’s a modern classic. I modeled mine after the wisteria blooms in my yard; my first pair was made of pale purple and green amethyst. Now I do it in a variety of colors: in pearl they are stunning bridal earrings, in coral they have Southwestern flair, in labradorite with blue sapphire (shown above) they are subtle and slinky.

I love labradorite's iridescent blue-grey shimmer with warm weather's beachy palette, although today instead of typical spring weather we are in the middle of a Nor’easter. It has inspired me to do this earring in white topaz for Holiday '07 (they will look like fabulous icicles!), but I want this winter to end! I am normally not impatient but I've got my sandals out and summer baubles on and now I'm just waiting for the sun!

I think a few of you are waiting for something too, perhaps a certain game we used to play? Look for a clue in my next post. For those of you interested in the cascade earrings, they will be in my blog shop later in the season. Stay tuned!

♥ ♥ ♥

Queen of the Stone Age

2007-04-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

For my second spring as a designer I worked for months on jewelry that I barely remember now, because at the last minute I made a series of chunky quartz nugget pieces, and that’s what wound up selling that season. I did multi-strand chokers, single-strand collars, opera-length pendants, and several styles of bracelets and earrings. The clear genuine quartz versions were the “Ice Cube Collection” (doy) and the blue “quartz” glass pieces were sold under “Hot Rocks” (oy), but in the end it was all nicknamed “The Wilma Collection” in tribute to the queen of a certain "modern Stone Age family" (I never speak her full name of course, and even in my head I replace the "o" with an underscore).

Shown above is a five-strand choker made of genuine quartz nuggets and Thai silver heishe beads. It was made to be worn tight and high on the neck; it measured 14.5” long and 5” across at its widest point. Unlike most of my work it was mega-expensive and not comfortable for round-the-clock wear; it was designed for red carpet and photo ops. The woman who owns the piece above wore it to accept an award (and if I can get permission from the mag that ran the photo I’ll add it here later).

The single strand versions however are highly wearable, and I’m bringing them back this season. They are substantial but not heavy, and are comfy for real-life work and play. I've worn my pieces every summer since I first made them, and they always look current and garner lots of compliments.

The photo at right shows the single-strand Wilma necklace and earrings in clear, the striking blue version was featured last August in this post.

For more information about the Wilma Collection go to the upper-right-hand corner of this page and click on "Glamorosi's Blog Shop".

♥ ♥ ♥

Spring Break

2007-03-23T15:25:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe how much time has passed - I thought I’d only be gone for a few weeks! At first it was crashed computers and the crush of holiday orders keeping me away, but then I found myself immersed in repairing and renovating my house. We live in a small row home so it’s not like we’re digging a moat, but it has been time consuming (and cold and dusty and exhausting) with lots of stops and starts. Just finding the right contractor took over a month! At some point next week our third floor deck will be demolished so we can replace the roof under it. It was supposed to happen this week but we all have the flu. It feels like a vacation.

When things calm down I’ll be restarting the Glamorinky games and introducing new features including articles and interviews relating to jewelry and fashion. It won't happen overnight but that's the plan. For now since it’s spring I thought you might like a break from the smiling dog/scary eye photo.

The triple-strand “Jelly Bean” necklace above is from my personal collection and was made with beads left over from the end of a run. It’s choker-length with crackled “quartz” nuggets and rondelles, Thai silver bead caps and clasp, and sterling silver beads and components. The word “quartz” in quotation marks indicates the item is glass that has been cut and polished to resemble natural quartz. Thai silver has a pure silver content of 95 to 99% compared to sterling’s 92.5%, and it has a softer sheen and earthier vibe. It costs a bit more too. I’ll never have a house with a moat if I don’t stop spending.

The next time you're out spending you should pick up the March/April 2007 issue of Harp Magazine and check out Mr. Glamorosi's interview with Yoko Ono. You can also read it online here. When you click the link for the article the first thing that pops up is a picture of the Flaming Lips dude covered in what appears to be fake blood - the interview is below it. On page 34 of the print edition there's a photo of Ms. Ono wearing a lovely skull and crossbones necklace. I didn't make it but it's fabulous.

I am still selling my funky-elegant skull earrings, and I'm working on new things to show you too. I'll be back when the dust settles.

♥ ♥ ♥

Religion is the Smile on a Dog

2006-12-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I am still without my own computer and steady internet access, but I wanted to let you all know I miss you and I’m thinking of you, and I appreciate the emails and Christmas cards. Thank you all for the holiday orders too! I get to do this job I love because you are willing to trade your hard-earned pay for my jewelry. Thank you.

The photo above is me and my girl Brownie. She was a stray I fed for months but she always ran from me, then one day she just walked in, jumped on the sofa, and went to sleep. We’ve been inseparable ever since. This photo was taken her second day living with us, and always reminds me of lyrics from “What I Am” by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. It’s just a simple sentiment from a simple song, but I totally believe every word of it:

Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box
Religion is the smile on a dog

The other day my husband and I were walking Brownie and in the distance could see a mother and her four barely-school-aged kids walking toward us; as they got closer then passed we realized they were singing the theme from The Sound of Music in pitch-perfect ethereal harmony. It stopped us in our tracks because religion can be a song on a street corner too. No matter what you believe, or how and where you find it, I hope this season inspires you and leaves an undeniable smile on your face.

Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwaanza! Merry Christmas Y’all!
Festivus for the rest of us!

Long Live James Brown.

XO, Glamorosi

My Foray into Four-Ray Stones

2006-11-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

For Glamorinky Friday #15 your game was to find the name of a black stone with a naturally occurring 4-rayed star on its surface. The star is only visible at a certain angle and my photo didn’t capture it, so I gave a lot of hints about a three-word search for a three-word name. My final clue was that the stone wasn’t sapphire. Many of you figured it out and put “black”, “star”, and “4-rayed” into a search engine and found the answer on the first try; black star diopside.

There are two types of diopside used in
jewelry: black star diopside aka black star of India, shown above, and chrome diopside, seen in the photo at right. Black star diopside is chatoyant, which means it exhibits a star or cat’s eye. It looks similar to black star sapphire, but that has a six-rayed star while the diopside's is four-rayed. Chrome diopside is a deep green stone I use quite a lot because it has the rich emerald color without the richer emerald price. Diopside in cabochon form is readily available, but beads can be hard to find in stores. My current stash is from a foray at a recent trade show. Bead shows are competitive so scoring several strands was a real coup.

One name was drawn from the pool of correct entries, and the winner of Glamorinky Friday #15 is MARE! Your prize is one pair of the black star diopside earrings with grey pearls set in sterling ear wires.
They measure 1.5" long and sell for $40.

Congrats again MARE! Email me your address and I’ll send your prize!

Now before I go...I've been dealing with gremlins lately. You may have noticed that after the November 13th post my photos weren't so great - that's because my main computer bit the dust on November 14th, and with everything boxed and moved for the construction on our house I have no idea where my program disks are. Sooo, I've been using my back-up laptop but now that died last night. I'm on my husband's computer now, but I can't tie it up because he's a journalist and he uses it for work 24/7. I will be checking in several times daily to take jewelry orders and do other Glamorosi business, but I won't be able to work with photos for blog posts and Glamorinky games until I have a computer of my own. If you subscribe to this blog you'll get an email when I'm up and running. If you don't subscribe then be sure to check back often - it won't be too long.

XO, Glamorosi

Glamorinky Friday #15

2006-11-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

In celebration of Black Friday your task for the 15th Glamorinky game is to find out what the black stone beads above are called. I have been working with different equipment lately and the photo is lacking - what you can't see is that each bead has a naturally occurring 4-rayed star glowing on its surface. Since my picture stinks I made it so this week's game isn't photo-dependent. Here's the deal: the answer has three words, and I mention two of them in this paragraph. The third word you need to Google your way to the answer is also in this paragraph.

Players have from Friday November 24, 2006 until midnight Eastern Standard Time on Sunday November 26, 2006 to participate by clicking on the word "comment" at the bottom of this post. Just like last week, I am going to keep all of the answers hidden over the weekend, then publish them once the game is over. To confirm your answer has been accepted look at the top of the page after you click "submit" - if you have successfully posted it will read, "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval".

On Monday November 27th I will draw a name to receive a prize made with one or more of the beads shown above. I do not notify winners, you must come back to this blog to see if you won.

READ THE RULES BEFORE YOU ANSWER!
READ THE RULES BEFORE YOU ANSWER!
READ THE RULES BEFORE YOU ANSWER!

OFFICIAL RULES
1. No purchase necessary. A purchase of any kind will not increase your chances of winning.
2. You must be 18 or older to participate in Glamorinky Friday. This contest is open to residents of the USA and Canada. Prize values vary. One guess per person/household per week. This contest is open to individuals only, NO ENTERING SERVICES PERMITTED.
3. Please do not post the answers anywhere but on the Glamorosi blog.
4. Please DO NOT say, "I think it's this OR this", because that is two guesses.
5. NO DELETING. If you have a glitch and accidentally double or triple post, please don't delete it, leave it there so everyone can see what happened and no-one will think you changed your answer.
6. If you are commenting as "Anonymous", be sure and leave your name with your guess so I can include you in the drawing if you guess correctly. If you have a popular name be sure to include your last name or an identifier such as "Mary from Manchester", etc. Please don't put your home address, phone number, etc. in the post - the whole internet can see this blog.
7. Glamorosi the company and/or Glamorosi the person are NOT responsible for and will not be held accountable for computer glitches or lost or misdirected posts/entries. Please enter early and make sure you get in.
8. One winner per week will be selected by randomizer from the pool of correct entries. Winner will be awarded prize offered - no cash or prize substitutions. I DO NOT notify Glamorinky winners - you MUST come back to this blog to see if you won.
THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE AMOUNT OF TIMES YOU CAN WIN.
9. Well look at you reading the rules! I'm impressed! Carry on!
10. PRIVACY POLICY: for now I am not collecting anyone's info unless they win. I will only use your address to ship your prize, and then I can delete it or add it to my database - your choice. I do not share, trade, or sell my mailing list.
11. I reserve the right to add to, alter, or change the rules of this contest. I reserve the right to award a prize of equal value if the advertised prize becomes unavailable.
12. Please send correspondence regarding this contest and all other Glamorosi business through the email link on this blog.

Now here's your clue:
It's not sapphire.

Have fun shopping! Buy me a present! See you Monday!

Brangelina, TomKat, Ametrine

2006-11-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes two distinct entities are joined together in a pairing so unique they require a singular name. Such is the case with ametrine, an eye-catching variety of quartz that has both purple amethyst and yellow citrine in the same crystal. Ametrine is naturally occurring; I'm not sure about Brangelina or TomKat.

The photo above shows the Glamorosi Signature necklace featuring an ametrine nugget “flower” and a cascade of ametrine briolette “petals” on 14k gold-filled chain. This is my top-selling item that I bring back season after season, and the piece by which most people know me. It is also one of the pieces I am most proud of, so it’s the picture I use on my business card. The photo at right shows the matching earrings.

In addition to the ametrine versions, I make both the necklace and earings in pearl, moonstone, and clear quartz crystal as part of my bridal collections. All are also available in sterling silver.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
See you on Black Friday for Glamorinky #15!