National Wear Red Day ~ February 5th

February is National Heart Awareness Month and this Friday, February 5th is National Wear Red Day! Choose to be a leader. Inspire friends, family and coworkers to wear red and educate themselves and raise awarensess about this disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Even though most people associate heart disease with men, it's also the leading cause of death among women in this country. To raise awareness of this fact, the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign aims to help women take action against heart disease. So wear your heart on your sleeve by wearing something red on Friday, National Wear Red Day!

Check out the following sites for more info:

American Heart Association

Go Red For Women

Love the heart pendant? You can find this and other fabulous enameled jewelry made by fellow Cleveland Handmade team member in the etsy shop Smashing.

♥ Be Heart Smart ♥

Lifestyle Change

I've been trying to eat healthy lately. It's more than just a New Year's resolution. High cholesterol runs in my family. So I'm trying to make a lifestyle change and eat healthier and exercise more. Sounds good, but it sure is difficult, especially trying to stay active when it's so cold outside Any words of advice, wisdom or encouragement are welome:)

I often make a batch of these pita chips. Since they're baked, they're healthier than store-bought snacks. They're pretty addicting, so I usually make a lot to share - they're always a hit at parties.


When I have them on hand, I take a little bag of them to work to munch on. Otherwise the vending machine is too tempting!

The recipe is here: {linky} on the Proud Italian Cook blog. I also make the tuscan white bean dip that is included with these chips - very good! This is a great blog of Italian recipes that I've enjoyed reading for a while now.

Enjoy! ♥ Kathy

Game Day Recipes ~ Cocktail Cucumber Sandwiches

It's the week of the big game, and even though the Cleveland Browns aren't in the Super Bowl (ha ha) we'll be getting together to watch the game. Here's one of my favorite appetizers. Most of the ladies in my extended family have this recipe, so these always show up at family gatherings, especially picnics. These little open-faced sandwiches are tasty and easy to make!


Cocktail Cucumber Sandwiches
1 package cocktail bread, either pumpernickle or rye
8 oz cream cheese (I use light)
2T sour cream (light here too)
1 package Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin (I like to use a seedless cucumber)
Dried dillweed

Combine cream cheese, sour cream and dressing mix. Refrigerate at least an hour or overnight. Spread mixture on each slice of bread and top with 1 or 2 slices of cucumber. Sprinkle with dillweed.

I usually make the cream cheese mixture the day before and then assemble the sandwiches a couple hours before the party. Assembling them too far in advance results in the bread getting a bit soggy.

Enjoy! ♥ Kathy

Wedding Designs ~ Pearls

Pearls and weddings go together! I enjoy creating jewelry with pearls and use both freshwater pearls and Swarovski pearls in my designs. Below is sample of pearl jewelry I have in my Etsy shop. Discounts are available when ordering multiples for bridal parties. Pearls are perfect to wear every day as well, and I like creating jewelry that a bride and bridesmaids can enjoy wearing long after the wedding.

By now you know that I love Etsy. I wish that I knew about Etsy when I was getting married! Pearls aren't just for jewelry. I found several artists using pearls in their designs. Take a look at these items featuring pearls, especially if a wedding is in your furture! I only have space to show a sampling, so I encourage you to visit their shops. Just click on the shop links or any of the photos to be directed to their Etsy shops!

Weddings and Such Boutique: First up is Jessica from Weddings and Such Boutique. I fell in love with the pillow below - how romantic! The pearls and crystals just glow against the ribbon, almost with a vintage touch. Jessica features wedding accessories in her shop, including various styles of brooches and clips, which can be attached to a dress, in your hair, anywhere! I love the soft, glamorous and romantic designs below! Take some time to browse through Weddings and Such Boutique to see all of Jessica's accessories.

Northwest Bridal: Jennifer is the designer behind Northwest Bridal. She makes the prettiest jewelry stems using pearls and crystals, which can dress up a bouquet. In addition to bouquets, think of adding a touch of sparkle to boutonnieres, centerpieces, altar flowers, pew bows, favors, wedding cake... the possibilities are endless! Below are a couple of bouquets with her pearl accents. Visit Northwest Bridal for all designs! Jennifer's photos are beautiful and will give you many ideas of how to use her jewelry stems.

The Treasured Petal Boutique: The first pearl item I came across from The Treasured Petal Boutique were the mason jars below. I can picture these at an outdoor wedding lining the aisle or placed around the venue to add a glow as dusk falls on an outdoor reception. So pretty! I love looking through this shop - Kristin makes such pretty accessories, including the sweet ring bearer's pillow and hair clip below. Perfect touches for an outdoor or garden-themed wedding! Visit Kristin's shop, The Treasured Petal Boutique, to see all of her designs!

Prim and Posies: Prim and Posies is an Etsy shop featuring hair accessories by Anna. These accessories are simply gorgeous and include hair fascinators, headbands and birdcage veils. These designs have a romantic, soft and glamorous feel. I love Anna's photos too. She does a great job showing various ways of wearing her hair accessories. The designs below are accented with pearls, but she offers other variations accented with feathers, crystals and rhinestones. Look at the birdcage veil below - stunning! I think you'll enjoy looking through Prim and Posies as much I have!

Vintage Champagne: If you need an extra something to add the finishing touches to your special day, these pearl studded kissing balls may be just what you're looking for! How pretty are these! These are created by Bobbie, the designer behind Vintage Champagne. These are ideal for a little flower girl to carry or to use as decoration at the ceremony or reception. I love the different colors that Bobbie uses. Her other wedding accessories include ring bearer pillows and flower girl baskets, and all of her items can be color coordinated for a beautiful look! Check out Vintage Champagne today!

Midnight Bloom: Karly is the talented artist behind the Etsy shop Karly's Creations, featuring floral designs of Midnight Bloom for special occasions. Karly designs hair accessories, boutonnieres, corsages and bouquets, all in a variety of classic and chic styles. I love how she adds in various design elements to make her accessories unique. I found these designs using pearls and thought they were so pretty! Be sure to visit Karly's Creations to browse all of Karly's creations!


Many thanks to these wonderful artists for allowing me to feature their designs. It was a pleasure browsing their shops! ♥Kathy

Etsy Favorites ~ Lime Green Rhinestones

Last weekend it was 50 degrees here... a slight glimpse of Spring! Of course, Cleveland weather changes by the hour, and now it's now 10 degrees as I write this post! The Cleveland Home and Garden show is going on this week, so I've had visions of gardens, flowers and green grass! April isn't too far away (that's what we keep telling ourselves!) and pretty soon we'll be putting away our snow shovels and getting out our umbrellas.

I want to introduce you to an Etsy shop owned by fellow Cleveland Handmade member, Lea. Take a peek at Lime Green Rhinestones. Lea hand paints and embellishes umbrellas so you don't have to carry around a plain, boring, basic black umbrella again!


All of these are hand painted, embellished, whimsical and fully functional rain umbrellas! Aren't they cute! You'll definitely be the center of attention when you carry one of these! Click on any of the photos or this link { linky } to check out Lea's shop today!

Beautiful items, Lea ♥

Cleveland Handmade Giveaway ~ Italian Earrings from Erika Originals

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in our members’ shops. This giveaway comes from Erika Originals. Images from a vintage French dictionary and a vintage atlas showing the cities of Rome, Naples, and Milan are placed into vintage brass settings and covered with waterproof resin to make these fabulous Italian Earrings. The posts and earnuts are made of surgical steel.

Visit Cleveland Handmade for contest information and learn how to enter to win! This is a great time to browse the shops of Cleveland artists. You have until Wednesday, February 3 at noon EST to get your entry in. There’s lots to discover!

2010 Wedding Trends

I love weddings and all the details involved! I regular browse wedding-related sites and blogs for the wedding style ideas. I've been reading a lot about 2010 wedding trends, so with Spring weddings right around the corner, I thought I'd compile what I've read.

It's fun to read about the trends, but personally I think couples should plan a wedding that reflects their style -- whether it's a formal occasion, destination beach wedding or a casual backyard barbeque.

So many fabulous wedding items are available on Etsy -- I will be posting follow-ups to this post featuring items that I've found. I'll also be posting some pictures of jewelry that would be perfect for a bride, bridal party or for any special occasion!

Birdcage Veils
I love this look! These vintage-look veils usually combine a jeweled clip or feathered headpiece with netting that only covers the face. Wearing one allows you to have some dramatic glamor and feel like a bride, but is a more fun look and a little less hassle than a long traditional veil. (although I still love the look of a long, sheer, cathedral length veil!)

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses
For several years, brides have been selecting a bridesmaid dress designer and a fabric, then letting their bridesmaids choose the style that works best for their bodies. But the 2010 wedding trend takes idea further.Choose only a color, then let your bridesmaids find an off-the-rack dress of any designer that they like. Not only does this take some pressure off of you, but it also ensures that women are choosing a dress they like and they'll be likely to actually wear again. If you follow this trend, be sure to tell your bridesmaids how formal the dress should be – you don't want one bridesmaid wearing a casual sundress while another has on a beaded evening gown. You can tie the look together by having all the girls carry the same flowers or wear the same jewelry.

Colors
A couple several color trends are predicted. Again, I think brides should choose colors based on what they like and not on trends or season.

Orange: The comeback in 2010 will be bright orange color. Think bright gerbera daisies! So pretty paired with bright pink/fuschia as well as a softer peach or yellow.

Bright Blue: Bright shades of cobalt blue and turquoise are expected to be 'hot' this year.

Bright Yellow and Peach Tones: These are also some of the top color trends for the 2010 wedding season, especially for weddings taking place in the spring and summer.

Touches of Black
A black sash, black flowers, or black detail/beading on a dresses are forecasted for 2010. Don't be scared of adding a few touches of black - even for a spring or summer wedding.

Romantic Dresses
When I think of romance I think of Grace Kelly on her wedding day. Romance is definitely back and 2010 will be no exception. The 2010 trends welcome back the classical, romantic bride. The application of flowers,lace and feathers will be very big in 2010, all of which are reminiscent of our grandmothers and the beautiful decade of the 30s.

Details, Details, Details
Personalizing, taking the time and the effort to pay special attention toall the little details – the ones that make guests feel special, welcome and that stand out from all the other weddings – is a huge trend. I love the idea of adding a monogram the cake, aisle runner, programs, favors, and even water bottles! It's easy to personalize with the items available on Etsy -- including monograms, invitations, decorations, jewelry and caketoppers, just to name a few!

I've seen a lot of orange lately - especially in home interior/decor catalogs. So here's a compilation of wedding-related items in orange.