Thursday, March 31, 2011

A Wondrous Week of Halloween Earrings

I don't know about you, but throughout the month of October, I like to wear a different pair of Halloween earrings each day.  And yes, this is easier for me, since I like to MAKE Halloween earrings.  So I'm going to take you to the Magical Land where Halloween earrings live when they're not with you, where they belong.

I found them on their break (as usual).  Good thing they don't have a sign that says HALLOWEEN EARRINGS AT WORK" or people would drive by and point and mock them.


Though they were on a break, they were more than willing to chat... as long as I plied them with wine and headpins.






The ghouls, as it turns out, were using their down time to practice their karaoke.  In case you didn't know, ghouls LOVE karaoke and can often be found elbowing their way into karaoke competitions, especially when there are prizes involved.  I left them working on the bridge to "Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun."


Even more communicative were the skull and bones crew ~ skulls carved from, well, bones.  They sounded a bit like Huey, Dewey, and Louie... if Huey, Dewey, and Louie were Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Huey, Dewey, and Louie.  Everything they commented on was repeated, and repeated, and repeated.


The candy corns were posing.  They're apparently working on a campaign to have them included as a food group on the food pyramid.


The goblins were writing the charter for the Goblin Anti-Defamation League.  They insisted that goblins do not eat rancid flesh.  Well, it's flesh, but it's not really rancid.  I believe "well-aged" was the term they preferred.  And that stuff about hiding in chimneys and woodpiles?  Largely exaggerated.



The Día de los Muertos  skulls were counting the days until the Día de los Muertos, looking forward to the feasting and feting they so richly deserved.  But they were unsure how to calculate how many days there still were.  I gave them a complex formula (take Halloween and add 2) and left them working on the math.


The crystal skulls were reminiscing about their days with Indiana Jones, and didn't have time to talk to me.


By the time I reached the bats, they said they were done hanging out.  They turned themselves upright and life returned to normal in the Land of Halloween Charms.

You can purchase the whole set of Halloween earrings for $100.  But they'll probably deny having the conversations we had today.

Shipping and Handling is free within the US and Canada. Contact me for rates shipping elsewhere in the world.



100 More Weight Loss Tips

1 Exhale every iota of oxygen from your lungs before stepping onto scales.
2. Instead of skim milk, drink skimmer milk.
3. When you go to a restaurant, try to refrain from telling your waiter "I'll have everything on this side of the menu."
4. Download an app that emits a shrill, piercing whistle whenever you eat anything.
5. Use low-fat deodorant.
6. Whenever you shake hands with someone, do it violently and for over a minute. Besides showing the person that you're damn glad to meet them, it'll burn up to five calories.
7. Never eat anything bigger than your head.
8. Write down everything you eat as well as everything you don't eat.
9. Instead of skimmer milk, drink skimmest milk.
10. The more colorful your breakfast cereal, the worse it is for you.
11. Have your dentist yank your heaviest teeth.
12. It's okay to have an "off" day every so often, but please remember to have a few "on" days as well
13. Have someone hide your lunch; you'll burn calories trying to find it or save a lot of calories if you don't.
14. Eat several small meals a day or a microscopic meal every 15 minutes.
15. Keep a hula hoop in the car so that you can hop out and get some exercise when you're stopped at red lights.
16. Don't think negative thoughts about yourself, stupid.
17. Besides being low fat and low calorie, watermelon provides exceptional seed-spitting opportunities.
18. A dietician can custom design a healthy diet plan that you'll never follow.
19. Bowling can burn more calories if you throw the ball overhand.
20. Remember this simple rhyme: "Don't eat so fast or you're a dumbass."
21. Horizontal stripes will make you look more fat, so don't get horizontal stripes tattooed all over your body.
22. Just forget that cheesecake ever existed.
23. Using a giant marshmallow as a pillow sounds like a good idea, but trust me when I tell you that it's not.
24. Drink diet whiskey.
25. Don't have unrealistic expectations for your weight loss or how entertaining my blog's going to be on any certain day.
26. Digging is a great way to burn a lot of calories as well as to make a hole.
27. Daily affirmations can help make you believe things you may not currently believe; here's an example: "I believe daily affirmations can make me believe things I may not currently believe."
28. When you order pizza, have the grease served on the side.
29. At the beginning of your session, refer to your personal trainer as "Sissypants".
30. Movie theater popcorn can be incorporated into a healthy diet as long as you limit your intake to a single kernel.
31. Buy organic organs.
32. Keep bowls of snacks that you can eat as much as want of, such as celery, apples and sand.
33. Nonstop sex can burn up to 8,400 calories per day.
34. Carry a kettlebell keychain.
35. Keep in mind that Jesus rarely, if ever, ate cheese melted on Triscuits.
36. Ice skating burns a lot of calories, so always wear ice skates just in case you run into an ice skating rink.
37. Never give up... unless your favorite show is coming on.
38. Just because blueberries are a "superfruit" don't expect to gain superpowers after eating a single cup. It'll take three or more...
39. Still got that unnecessary appendix? Man, how lazy are you?
40. FYI: a "cheat" day doesn't involve cheating on your taxes.
41. To look skinnier, dress in dark colors, wear vertical stripes and lose weight.
42. If you're committing suicide, jumping off a bridge is your most aerobic option.
43. Eat with tweezers.
44. To keep yourself from getting tempted at the grocery store, make sure you wear a blindfold.
45. Don't swallow every fourth bite.
46. Don't play games that might make you hungry, such as "Hungry, Hungry Hippos" or "Hungry, Hungry Monopoly".
47. Juice is surprising high-calorie, so be sure to dilute it with low-fat vodka.
48. You can trick kids into eating more veggies by telling them you'll quit loving them unless they eat them.
49. You can drink more water by putting more of it into your mouth and then swallowing.
50. Stop not-doing and start not-not-doing.
51. Think about becoming a scientist who invents some sort of super weight-loss pill.
52. Only allow yourself to eat certain kinds of chips (computer, cow, mesquite or poker).
53. Trick yourself into eating less by preparing foods that somehow - maybe using optical illusions - appear larger and more filling.
54. Put away your cash and credit cards and pay for everything from giant bag of pennies you lug around everywhere.
55. Before every meal, drink a large glass of lemon juice.
56. Worms are surprisingly high in protein, and I'll eat a half-dozen of them if you give me a dollar.
57.  The best time for you to get serious about this weight-loss business is today. The second-best time is tomorrow. The third best time is the day after that. The fourth best time? How should I know that?
58. Every day, give yourself a pat on the back, credit for everything you've accomplished up to this point and an enema.
59. Start blogging while jogging.
60. Quit eating tater tots while reading this post.
61. Remember what Dr. Oz said: "Click your heels together three times and say 'There's no place like home.'"
62. Chocolate-covered salad isn't quite as healthy as it sounds.
63. When you're running, don't forget not to have a heart attack while you're out.
64. Cactus is low-fat but extremely high-prickle.
65. If you don't believe in yourself, yourself will never believe in you (sorry, but I'm doing 100 tips, they're not all gonna be winners).
66. You can make any recipe more low-calorie by replacing good-tasting ingredients with yucky ones.
67. Run one mile for every obscenity you utter.
68. When you make spaghetti, replace the meatballs with Nerf balls.
69. Nobody really likes salt substitutes, but you can trick your family by secretly replacing it with real salt.
70. You can run your car without gas or water but don't run it without oil. Yes, I know that's not a weight-loss tip, but my father Horace says it to me all the time...
71. A good low-calorie snack is a bottle of lemon-flavored water and a few slices of water-flavored lemon.
72. Get a seeing-diet dog that is specially trained to bite you when you binge.
73. When grilling out, avoid fatty meats like panda.
74. One way to keep from overeating is to have teenaged kids who eat you out of house and home.
75. There are a myriad of benefits to becoming more flexible, including fewer injuries and better performance in limbo competitions.
76. Get on Facebook instead of Fatfacebook.
77. Use extra-virgin olive oil, but please... I beg of you... be gentle.
78. When you wake up every morning, tell yourself that THIS is the day you're finally going to start getting it right.
79. Try eating dinner outside, while running a marathon.
80. Replace the meat in your tacos with warm cedar shavings.
81. Oxygen bars are very trendy; if there aren't any in your area, send me $20 and I'll ship you a six-pack of hand-picked oxygen.
82. Cutting down your weekly fish stick intake by 50 fish sticks will save hundreds of calories.
83. Doing everything twice will double your caloric burn.
84. Doing everything twice will double your caloric burn.
85. French fries really aren't a very healthy choice, so avoid French restaurants.
86. Don't eat anything you microwave at a convenience store (with the possible exception of a banana).
87. If you are serious about losing weight, let me ask you one serious question: how the hell did you make it this far down this list?
88. Cookbooks are expensive, so think about preparing your dishes at the bookstore.
89. Hire a dude to follow you around and every time you stray from your diet, he just gives you a look and says "Duuuuuuuude..."
90. Ride your bike on a treadmill.
91. Eat vicariously through than guy on "Man Vs Food" show.
92. If you eat eggs, switch to egg substitute. If you eat egg substitute, switch to egg substitute-substitute. If you eat egg substitute-substitute, oh why do I gotta do all the thinkin' around here?
93. Don't drink too much alcohol or you might wind up having a really good time and... Um, I forgot the point I was trying to make.
94. Instead of a big helping of mashed potatoes, how about a smaller helping of mashed nothing?
95. Write down your goals in permanent ink.
96. Jog in place during the playing of the National Anthem at sporting events.
97.  Pledge to send $5 to your worst enemy every time you show a gain on the scale (email me for my address).
98. Instead of apples dipped in caramel, simply eat apples stuffed with caramel.
99. When you go out of town, park in the farthest parking lot instead of just leaving your car in the drop-off loading zone with your flashers blinking.
100. One sure-fire way to lose weight is... whoa... whoa... you almost tricked me into telling you one of my best-kept secrets.





Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Earth Day is Every Day

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children." 
~Native American Proverb


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
~Margaret Mead


"Those things are better which are perfected by nature than those which are finished by art." 
~Cicero 


"There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew." ~Marshall McLuhan


"I'm not an environmentalist. I'm an Earth warrior."
~Darryl Cherney


"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man
if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature
and more time tasting her sweetness
and respecting her seniority."
~Elwyn Brooks White


"There are no boundaries when it comes to protecting the earth that we all live on."
~ Catherine Pulsifer

   Earrings and bracelet of recycled glass here.
  

Christie's to Auction Elizabeth Taylor's $150 Million Jewelry Collection

Jewelry hounds? This is one of those times when I wish I had a few $mil burning a hole in my pocket. OK. That's not an 'uncommon' thought, but the news that Christie's is auctioning Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection is sending my blingy consumption habit into orbit!

Yes, it's true. People.com reports the famed auction house will be putting Dame Liz's baubles on the block - and yes, the stash includes all of her 'big hits' - including Taylor's rumored favorite, The Krupp Diamond(!!!)

Christie's declined to comment on the story, and there is no word yet if the proceeds will benefit Elizabeth Taylor's charity, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation - but you can be sure jewelry lovers the world over will be pushing the paddle hard to get their paws on a little piece of jewelry perfection.

In the meantime, I'm loving all of the jewelry-related tidbits that keep trickling out as the world mourns the loss of an icon. Lorraine Schwartz (famed red carpet jeweler and friend of Taylor's) told People that magnificent gems were a natural part of Taylor’s day-to-day life.

“People always gave her gifts … it was something that she learned to love.” And she took great care of them, too. “She [had] collections and collections, and rooms. She [knew] where every single piece was. [It was] amazing.”

In fact, Schwartz remembers receiving a phone call one morning in 2003 after Taylor had taken a fall. “She was like, ‘I don’t feel good, my hair is dirty but I’m wearing my bracelet,’” she recalls. “I mean, fabulous."

Christie's to Auction Elizabeth Taylor's $150 Million Jewelry Collection

Jewelry hounds? This is one of those times when I wish I had a few $mil burning a hole in my pocket. OK. That's not an 'uncommon' thought, but the news that Christie's is auctioning Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection is sending my blingy consumption habit into orbit!

Yes, it's true. People.com reports the famed auction house will be putting Dame Liz's baubles on the block - and yes, the stash includes all of her 'big hits' - including Taylor's rumored favorite, The Krupp Diamond(!!!)

Christie's declined to comment on the story, and there is no word yet if the proceeds will benefit Elizabeth Taylor's charity, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation - but you can be sure jewelry lovers the world over will be pushing the paddle hard to get their paws on a little piece of jewelry perfection.

In the meantime, I'm loving all of the jewelry-related tidbits that keep trickling out as the world mourns the loss of an icon. Lorraine Schwartz (famed red carpet jeweler and friend of Taylor's) told People that magnificent gems were a natural part of Taylor’s day-to-day life.

“People always gave her gifts … it was something that she learned to love.” And she took great care of them, too. “She [had] collections and collections, and rooms. She [knew] where every single piece was. [It was] amazing.”

In fact, Schwartz remembers receiving a phone call one morning in 2003 after Taylor had taken a fall. “She was like, ‘I don’t feel good, my hair is dirty but I’m wearing my bracelet,’” she recalls. “I mean, fabulous."

Back on the Wagon


If you stop by this place even halfway regularly (and if you do, I probably should take this opportunity to tell you how awesome you are), you may have noticed that I've lost a number of pawns (and maybe a knight and possibly one of those pointy-headed guys) on my healthy-living chessboard.

And it hasn't always been that I've fallen completely off the wagon, but most days I do seem to be dragging my feet off the side, kicking up a lot of dust and grime and basically grinding my progress to a frustrating halt.

I can see with perfect clarity that I've been on the dreaded gain-it-back track, and if I don't make some course corrections... well, I don't like to think about it.

And that's the rub, isn't it? That we get to a point where we don't really think about what we're doing. We lose focus and start losing our way. A few bad choices that quickly become bad habits.

I'd still rather act a fool in this space than address the real-life, real-world issues that we all face, but it's crystal-clear to me that it's time to get a little serious about this stuff. I'm ready to get on a roll again, and I don't mean a jelly roll, deli roll or belly roll.

So I'm back on the wagon, but strapping in a little more towards the center, away from the whoops-there-I-go-again edges. The view isn't quite as spectacular, but there's less of a chance of going over the side.

Buckle up, my friends, and let's ride!





Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Wiz Khalifa Rolling Papers

I am keeping one I really want to recommend on the last night for you. Here is the first version, key third studio album "Rolling papers" from Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa. Compared with the regular version 14 - the path, and the issuance of iTunes by the United States and one of the most rewarding and a handbook for the digital spectrum. This album is really good. You do not want to miss it.

Gluten Free Diet



Have you noticed an abundance of gluten-free foods available in grocery stores or on menus these days? Perhaps the proliferation of gluten-free products, as well as marketing them, lead you to believe that they are a new medicine to better health or weight loss.
So, what is the real story? Will go on a diet free of gluten improve your health or help you lose weight? The answer is that it depends. Reduce the intake of gluten means you agree to dispense with a lot of starches and refined carbohydrates, and this in itself can help in your weight and health. Eating gluten-free, however, is a must for those with celiac disease, who face a real risk of eating gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye products. Containing gluten, most types of grain and bread. Examples of grain-free gluten include wild or brown rice and quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth.
What is not known widely on the gluten-free products is that they still contain the same number of carbohydrates that contain gluten counterparts. In this regard, and there is no health benefit for the selection of gluten-free versions.
For example, a typical slice of bread free of gluten contains 15 grams of total carbohydrates - the same amount of ordinary slice of bread. A snack of biscuits free from gluten containing 30 grams of carbohydrates per meal, the same as the regular crackers.

More Healthy Travel Tips

• Mini-bar keys are generally very small, so just go ahead and swallow it so you're not tempted.

• It's important to stay hydrated, so plan to drink plenty of hydration.

• Encourage everyone at your departure gate at the airport to participate in a spontaneous Zumba session.

• Get a peddle-power rent-a-car.

• You can turn the desk in your hotel room into a treadmill by finding someone who's interested in trading a treadmill for a hotel desk.

• Be incredibly late for your flight.

• If you're a passenger on a long car trip, stand up through the sunroof. No, there's nothing particularly healthy about it, but it feels like you're running really, really fast.

• Ask concierge how many lobby laps equals 5K.

• Pack healthy snacks like rice cakes, apple slices, baby carrots and... oh who am I kidding? You're not going to do that...

• Some people use out-of-town travel as an excuse to get drunk and act a fool, but I'm telling that doesn't have to be the case. You can get drunk and act a fool at home, too.

• Do a few reps of suitcase curls.

• There's no place better for a relaxing stretching session than the floor of a truck stop restroom.



Monday, March 28, 2011

Don't You Want Some Bunny to Love?


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When the lettuce is super-size
And the carrots all up-rise

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Don't you want some bunny to love?
Don't you need some bunny to love?
Wouldn't you love some bunny to love?
You better find some bunny to love.

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When there are garden flowers to be fed
And the snow pea blooms are shed


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Don't you want some bunny to love?
Don't you need some bunny to love?
Wouldn't you love some bunny to love?
You better find some bunny to love.

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That nose, that bunny nose will twitch and twitch
Telling you to soil-enrich...

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Don't you want some bunny to love?
Don't you need some bunny to love?
Wouldn't you love some bunny to love?
You better find some bunny to love.

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Chomped greens filling flower beds
As Bunny eats all your cabbage heads.

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Don't you want some bunny to love?
Don't you need some bunny to love?
Wouldn't you love some bunny to love?
You better find some bunny to love.

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Bunnies who will not eat your garden can be found here.

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A CHARMing Contest

Want to win a charm?  "Oh, that will happen when pigs fly," you say.

Good news.

They're flying.

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To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me how you use my charms, or how you would use one of my charms.  A charm bracelet?  A zipper pull?  A tiny petting zoo?  A shrine?

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Leave your comment below.  And a way to contact you.

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(For those of you who read me on networked blogs or on the Hive, please come over to the "real blog" (http://cornerstoregoddessjewelry.blogspot.com/) and leave your comment.

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On April 4th, at 6 PM PST, Uncle Buck will pull a winner from the list of comment-ees.

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(No, that's not Uncle Buck.  That's a dog charm.)

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(And that's an angel.)

The lucky winner wins a lucky charm.  (One of mine.  Not the cereal.)

You can see more charms, for inspiration, right here.

So get CHARMed!

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(Yes, that's Uncle Buck... looking for leprechauns.)

Maneki Nekos to Watch Over Japan Part III

The continuing events in Japan remind us that help is still urgently needed, so here are my maneki neko earrings to benefit Japan.

The Maneki Neko, or Good Fortune Cat, is a traditional symbol in Japan.  It is said that a Maneki Neko with the right paw raised brings fortune, one with the left paw raised brings business, and one with both paws raised brings both.

The Maneki Neko has long been a symbol of protection in Japan, as well.  There are many stories of the maneki neko (some of which you can find right here in the blog), in which a cat saves a monastery, a lady of the evening, sailors, Santa's Elves, an emperor, and more.

Some back-story:  When the earthquake a tsunami hit two weeks ago, I began to ponder a way to help Japan, and created Maneki Nekos for Japan ~ good fortune kitty earrings whose proceeds would benefit various agencies aiding Japan.  The traditional Japanese Lucky Cats did their job.  So far, together, we raised $1030 for various relief organizations: Red Cross, Save the Children, The International Medical Corp., the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund, the Salvation Army, MercyCorps,  Peace Winds Japan, Doctors Without Borders, Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support, and World Vets


There are many maneki neko earrings available here on the blog.  The entire $30 purchase price goes to your chosen charity.  I only ask for a $3.50 shipping/handling fee to cover the cost of shipping and the inevitable PayPal fees.  For those who do not wear earrings, I can make charms, zipper pulls, and cell phone charms, too.  There are also some bracelets and necklaces available on this blog.

If you see a pair of earrings you like, leave a comment here, or message me on FaceBook.  (Messages are not seen by the public without me approving them, so your contact info is secure.)  I will send you an invoice and ask you to choose your charity from the list above.  When you pay, I will ship your earrings, send the money to your chosen charity, and send you confirmation of the donation. 


The need in Japan in great, and I am very proud that so many of you have done so much to help.


Left Paw Seashell Maneki Neko

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Black Keep-Away-Evil Two Paw Roly Poly Neko

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All-Knowing Yellow Left Paw Maneki Neko

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Lefty Righty Keep-Away-Evil Maneki Neko (asymmetrical)

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Lounging Pink Nekos

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Yellow Dangling Right Paw Maneki Nekos

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Smiling Two-Paw Keep-Away-Evil Maneki Nekos

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Banish the Blues Dangling Two Paw Maneki Nekos

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Dapper Tuxedo Dangling Nekos

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Happy Coat Right Paw Maneki Nekos

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Happy Guy White Crystal Keep-Away-Evil Two Paw Maneki Nekos

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Red Flower Right Paw Maneki Nekos

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Dainty Green Dangling Two Paw Maneki Nekos

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Pretty in Pink Right Paw Maneki Nekos

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Lucky Flower Topaz Two Paw Maneki Nekos

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Dangling Right Paw Black Keep-Away Evil Maneki Nekos

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Dangling Green Left Paw Maneki Nekos

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Dangling Peruvian Right Paw Maneki Nekos

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Red Fortune Two Paw Maneki Nekos






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And, last but not least, Lampwork Glass Left Paw Maneki Neko