November 2010
1 post
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September 2010
1 post
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californiablue has a new look!
I am thrilled to unveil my new earring cards! I’ve been contemplating tweaking my branding for a while and decided that my earring cards were the first item that needed a little makeover.
I wanted a more simple earring card with less color so it wouldn’t compete with the color and design of my earrings. Fortunately I have a talented friend who does wonderful letterpress work! ...
August 2010
2 posts
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Etsy Fundraiser in support of animals!
It is my distinct pleasure to be part of an Etsy fundraiser where a portion of our sales goes to Saving Shelter Pets.
This is an organization run by a fellow Etsian who shares my strong convictions concerning animal welfare. Her organization facilitates rescues from high-kill animal shelters and promotes spay & neuter, in an effort to give all pets the chance at life they truly...
5 tags
Splash of orange
Our rose bushes are not only a beautiful unique color combination of red, orange and yellow, but extremely prolific! They typically give us flowers from April through October, and we are currently on the 3rd cycle of blossoms.
The other day I noticed an orange lady bug hanging out on a rose petal and wondered if he/she was attracted by the vibrant color? I sure was :)
July 2010
4 posts
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Olallieberry Heaven
My love affair with the olallieberry started last June when I discovered these amazing little jewels at our local farmer’s market. At the time, I was engaged in a quest for the perfect crumble, and despite a very close second by my traditional favorite (rhubarb and strawberry), the olallieberry crumble skyrocketed to first place!
This year we had the pleasure of actually picking these...
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California blue
It constantly amazes me how truly beautiful this great state of ours is!
Recently we experienced another example of California’s infinite beauty when we traveled up to Tomales Bay. It is a narrow inlet in Marin County, about 15 miles long and one mile wide (see below) map.
It was a gorgeous sunny day and we were completely surrounded by blue sky and blue water. We had a...
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Inspiration for californiablue jewelry
If you have a creative outlet, a common question you will receive from people is, “what is your inspiration?”
For me, when I create californiablue jewelry I am inspired by light, color, plants and water. All of these factors come down to one thing - where I live.
Recently our house was included in the home tour section of the wonderful blog, Re-nest.com. As we were being...
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Happy 4th of July!
We spent a wonderful weekend visiting friends up north (I’ll dedicate a separate post to this) and participating in our neighborhood’s Rose, White and Blue parade and festival.
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I manned a booth were we invited area animal rescue organizations to help spread the word on all of the amazing work they do. We were promoting pet adoptions of rescue animals, volunteering and...
June 2010
6 posts
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The perfect summer necklace
Here’s my take on the perfect summer necklace.
It needs to be incredibly light weight. Nothing is more uncomfortable than heavy jewelry when it is hot out! It also needs to be able to be worn with a dress, a t shirt and maybe even a bathing suit if you are feeling super fashionable!
These necklaces are so fun to make, and the color options are endless (pictured are three different...
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My DIY Succulent Garden
I love Sunset Magazine. I really don’t say this about any other magazine, but I find so many great articles ranging from recipes to travel to indispensable gardening tips. In one of their recent issues, Sunset did an article on container succulent gardens planted in frames. I was intrigued.
My first task was to find a big frame that would work for this project. ...
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Happy summer!
Finally summer has arrived!
The skies are clear, the sun is out and my outdoor table clothes are officially in use. With summer solstice a couple of days away, I wanted to savor the vibrant colors and tastes of early summer.
Our lavender is out in full force, as well as the incredible blue of our morning glory vine. The encroaching vines of the passionflower have produced some...
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French cats
As a cat lover, I’m always on the look out for cats when I travel. Since France (Paris specifically) have a reputation for being cat-friendly I was looking forward to seeing some French cats.
At the beginning of our trip, we were in the French countryside and we came across a sweet tortoiseshell kitty. She was enjoying the expansive green grass, and a setting that would generally be...
5 tags
Visit from a large bird
by Flickr user Steve Byland, used with permission
The other day a very large bird came for a visit and perched in our magnolia tree. I was able to get a picture (not the above picture) and share it with my neighbors to get some help identifying the big bird. Thanks to the many comments from my neighbors, I now know that we were visited by a Cooper’s Hawk. These birds are quite...
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Paris
After a lovely few days in the French countryside, we arrived in Paris to some very chilly and rainy weather. Despite this unexpected cold front, we soaked in the ambiance of one of my favorite cities. There is something to be said about a city which has bread and pastry shops on every block, an infinite number of cafes, and cheerful flower stores everywhere. Good crusty bread, rich coffee (un...
May 2010
2 posts
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French countryside
My recent trip to France was broken up into two parts. The first part was experiencing the French countryside for a few days followed by a week in Paris. Since all of my previous trips to France had been to Paris, I was excited to spend a few days in the French countryside.
We stayed in a little town called Amilly which is about 1 hour 15 minutes outside Paris. My sister and her family had...
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Newbie on Martha Stewart!
I’ve been MIA for a couple of weeks having an amazing time in France. Once I finish organizing my pictures, I will definitely be adding some France/Paris related posts.
In the meantime, I thought I would share a pretty hilarious Twitter-related occurrence. After over two weeks of being off Twitter, today I decided to take a look. I noticed a tweet from Twitter A Critter...
April 2010
8 posts
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Blue garden chairs
The other day I visited the lovely Allied Arts Guild and strolled through their colorful gardens. I’ve been spending a lot of time in our garden and wanted to look for inspiration. The Allied Gardens were displaying spectacular spring flowers to include vibrant iris, cascading roses and gorgeous wisteria.
Despite all of the plant distractions, I was struck by the vibrant blue of...
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Industrial yet natural
Zen Lotus stamped necklace with aquamarine
Valerie Tyler’s Etsy shop is composed of a unique collection representing the dichotomy of industrial and natural elements. Like many artists who are inspired by where they live, Valerie is inspired by the industrial and rust-belt areas of Cleveland, along with old architecture and bridges. She also
lives just steps away from a national park,...
6 tags
Two peas in a pod
I couldn’t resist posting this picture of Newbie and Henry sharing Newbie’s favorite window in our living room. You can see the glorious jasmine in the background combined with the early afternoon sun making this the perfect napping spot.
I’m happy to report that Henry has been fully integrated with Newbie and even Pinky. Pinky isn’t thrilled, but she likes that...
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Jasmine in the air
We have this huge bunch of jasmine outside our living room window. Every day there are more blossoms, and the scent is amazing - nature’s air freshener.
I decided we needed this amazing scent in other rooms, so I created my own little air freshener. Take a little sprig of jasmine, or other sweet smelling spring blossom and put it in a little glass vase. In my case I used an...
5 tags
Cured lemons
I finally got around to making the cured lemons in Thomas Keller’s gorgeous Ad Hoc cookbook. You can access the recipe here. It’s a really simple process, and I thought the lemon slices looked so pretty with the sugar/salt mixture. The instructions say to wrap up the dish and keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
We have used our newly cured lemons in a marinade for...
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Spring giveaway at californiablue!
My spring giveaway is a pair of my recycled green glass earrings. Since I’ve been doing a lot of planting and setting up our compost pile, I thought these little “green” earrings would be the perfect giveaway to get us all to think a little more “green”.
Here are the rules:
* Leave a comment here about what you most enjoy about spring (qualifies for...
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Seedlings
This year I decided I would start some of my favorite summer plants by seed. I’ve never done this before, so I thought it would be fun to see how long it takes and I figured the sense of accomplishment would be even greater (assuming these little seedlings survive:). I purchased my seeds from Renee’s Garden, a wonderful California based seed company which has a wide variety of...
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A healthy chocolate cake?
This cake is absolutely scrumptious! It is not only super easy to make (all in one bowl), but it really is quite healthy given traditional chocolate cake recipes. It also fits my criteria of eating whole grains as much as possible.
Give it a try, you’ll be hooked!
Recipe & photo from Eating Well:
Ingredients
* 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
*...
March 2010
9 posts
4 tags
Easter already?
Doesn’t it feel like Easter is earlier this year? Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t believe Easter Sunday is this Sunday! Where did March go?
This photo was taken during our trip to the breathtaking Filoli Gardens in Woodside, California. I loved the Easter colors of the tulips and other spring flowers, and of course the rabbit! As a result of searching for rabbits on Etsy,...
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And then there were three
For quite some time we felt that our Newbie needed a buddy. Despite his 2.5 years, Newbie still has a lot of kitten energy. Unfortunately when he has tried to play with our 17 year old Pinky, she makes it clear she is not interested. We knew it would be tricky to bring in another kitty but we were hopeful that if we found the right kitty, it would work.
Thanks to a local cat rescue group,...
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Spring inspiration
It is always fun to discover new shops on Etsy! I immediately was in love with urbandesign’s shop when I stumbled upon it. Her photographs evoke happiness and an undeniable natural beauty. The two photographs featured here are Maleah’s top picks for spring. Where ever you may be, these photos will bring the celebration of spring to you.
Based in Eugene, Oregon, Maleah is...
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More than just soap
When I came across Castle Company Soap’s Etsy shop I immediately was stuck by the purity and simplicity of her products. Maybe it’s my mood lately of “simple is better”, but I find her soaps so appealing and soothing.
I asked Beth to tell us a little about her shop, her craft and her process. Lavender Rose Goat Milk Soap
From the artist….
It’s in my nature to...
5 tags
Surrounded by yellow
It started with our daffodils coming into bloom a few weeks ago, followed by a visit to the Filoli Estate where over 250,000 daffodils were on display. Their vibrant yellow inspired a pair of earrings and my own version of an Etsy treasury with the daffodil as inspiration.
The next dose of glorious yellow came in the blankets of mustard plants in wine country seen on a recent day trip. ...
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Fields of gold
Recently we headed up to Napa Valley for a low key wine tasting day with friends. We had not been to wine country in early spring before, and were met with vast fields of mustard interspersed amongst the vines. The electric yellow and vibrant green of the plant’s stems and leaves presented a wonderful contrast against the darkened hills.
Spring colors at their most...
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Newbie's photo shoot
I’ve been playing around with a SLR camera we have on loan from a friend, and my cat Newbie didn’t seem to mind being the subject of my photo shoot. He’s definitely not shy when it comes to getting his picture taken!
I’m slowly reading through the manual and trying different settings. I’m hoping that this camera will improve my jewelry photography.
...
6 tags
Daffodil paradise
It was another rainy Saturday this weekend, but I was really excited to attend the Filoli - Sunset daffodil event. The Filoli estate is spectacular, and the grounds and gardens are always breathtaking!
When I heard that they had planted an additional 50,000 daffodil bulbs, I knew I had to see it. I was equally thrilled that Sunset was part of this celebration as it continues to be one...
February 2010
11 posts
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More evidence of spring
This little flower just popped up in our backyard. I love the purple against the green background. More rain in the forecast, maybe even thunderstorms!
Have a great weekend!
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Duck sighting!
We had an exciting moment the other day when we saw this sweet duck couple hanging out in our pool!
They seemed to enjoy their little pit stop.
Newbie, our kitty, was entranced by the duck activity as you can see.
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Vintage flair by californiablue
Recently my work has taken a turn backward in time. Like everyone, I enjoy looking at thrift stores with the hope of finding something truly unique. I also like the feeling of purchasing something and reusing it, whether that be in its original form or in an updated re-purposed form.
Older jewelry at antique stores and thrift shops truly fascinates me. I find myself focusing on the...
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Simplicity and texture
Element Clay Studio is one of those Etsy shops that literally blows you away when you discover it. There is a perceived simplicity to Heather Knight’s work, and despite the wide range of items, there is an overall calculated consistency in presentation. The photography is not only crisp, but absolutely alluring.
What struck me in looking at her gorgeous pieces was the variety and...
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The battle of the banners
I’ve decided that each season I want to change my Etsy shop banner just to keep things fresh. The seasons in Northern California are very subtle by most people’s standards, but they do exist. As a non-native Californian, I particularly enjoy noticing how each season reveals itself.
Since it’s been feeling like spring here lately, I wanted some options for a new...
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Cherry blossoms?
I am so glad I brought along my camera today on my walk. I spotted a lone tree on the side of the road that has exploded with the most beautiful pink blossoms.
It seems a little early in the season for this display, but I’m certainly not complaining. Also I am not entirely sure that these are cherry blossoms, but whatever they are, they are stunning.
I can’t believe that I...
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Perfect gift for a beader
I am in love with these little gloves my sister gave me for my birthday! It was a thoughtful gift because she knows that I do my beading in our small basement which gets pretty chilly. For those of you who bead, you know that it is not easy when your fingers are frozen!
I just wanted to share this wonderful object, as it is a great gift for the beader in your life. Of course, these...
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This morning, in Yosemite....
My husband and I had a brief getaway to Yosemite this week. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be less than 4 hours from such an amazing place.
Even though I’ve had spring on my mind lately, I thoroughly enjoyed the winter wonderland we found in Yosemite: beautiful snow capped cliffs, lounging deer, ice cold waterfalls and the unparalleled warmth and comfort of The...
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Feathered friends
We have an amazing magnolia tree in our back yard, and it is a popular hangout for the neighborhood birds. It may have something to do with the bird feeder I just put up, but these two mourning doves are often seen sharing a branch together. Did you know that these birds are often monogamous? How romantic! As we approach Valentine’s Day, I thought it would only be fitting to give this...
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Inspiration - Music & Life
My husband introduced me to this video, Music & Life, narrated by Alan Watts. I thought it was perfect for my inspiration series as it always makes me think about how I find myself focusing on the future instead of enjoying the present.
The animation in the video (done by the South Park guys) is surprisingly charming, too. It makes a deep message very accessible. Enjoy, and happy...
January 2010
11 posts
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New Etsy Shop Discovered!
It is always such a pleasure to discover new shops on Etsy. There are so many to see, and so little time…..
With all of the rain we’ve had lately, I’ve been thinking about spring and so it was just perfect to stumble upon Monkeys Always Look’s Etsy shop. Allison, a fellow Californian, has a wonderful collection of vintage items, gardening markers, plants and...
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Inspiration - Turquoise
I was thrilled to find out that Pantone selected turquoise as 2010’s color of the year! I have to say, I have always been drawn to turquoise, the color, and turquoise, the stone. As indicated by Pantone, “Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the...
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Brief break in the rain.....
We have had heavy rain storms all over California this week, and all this rain has made things incredibly green. This in itself is such a refreshing change since California has been in a drought for several years. As I mentioned in my previous post, I attribute my first daffodil bud to all of this lovely rain.
Just a short time ago, it stopped raining and blue sky is now peaking through the...
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Great cookbook!
I think that borrowing a cookbook from the library is the perfect way to test whether you really need to own it. My latest discovery is the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook. Typically I ignore branded cookbooks, but I am really liking this one. Given that I’m committed to eating whole grains wherever possible, I am totally intrigued by it’s extensive range of recipes.
...
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Inspiration - Daffodils
We are having TONS of much needed rain here in Northern California. All the surrounding green has intensified several shades just in the past 48 hours! The other day I noticed that our patch of daffodils already had blossoms. I thought I would get inspired by my fellow Etsians’ interpretation of this bright, cheerful flower. Here’s what I came up with….. Happy Tuesday!
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