Monday's Fashion: A Little Dose of Color!

A great Casual Friday or Weekend Look is easier than you think!

Hello again everyone, I hope you're doing well after our Daylight Savings change yesterday. Today I have a great, easy way to update your Casual Friday or Weekend Look with a few of this spring's fashion trends.

A few weeks ago I showed you a great outfit of patterned browns: http://lowallergykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/fashionable-browns-and-whats-new-this.html but today is all about COLOR!

Bright colors are very in (and SO refreshing after a winter of white, grey and brown!), and really easy to do if you know how. I know brightly colored, pencil-thin jeans are really in style, but I'm going to be honest - I have normal curves, these kinds of jeans don't really look all that great on my curves. If I were a super-skinny size 00, and looked like the models in all the adverts, it might be a different story, but that is life, and I'm working with what I have :)

So, to get us a nice pop of those super-stylish colors everyone is talking about, why not go with a poppy red jacket? It'll brighten up your grey, rainy mornings, that's for sure! Red is a nice warm, happy color, and this great cropped pea coat from Gap.com is fantastic. It is bright, but still stylish and is a great shape for almost any body type. For a casual Friday, put on a nice white button down shirt underneath and you're ready to roll. For weekends, try a white or black t-shirt. Good to go!

For a casual Friday look, it is usually advisable to go with a dark jean, which is infinitely more flattering to our rear regions, so I found a fantastic pair of "Kimmie" 7 For All Mankind Jeans from Bloomingdales.com that are great for those of us with curves. They are a mid-waist, with a dark wash and nicely positioned pockets to flatter our bottoms. A slight flare helps to elongate our legs, which is always nice!

For your feet, why not try a sexy black flat? These "Lula" black patent flats from JCrew.com are a bit of a splurge, but they'll last for years, and keep your feet feeling great. For a little extra oomph, try a black court heel. It'll lengthen your legs and give your bum a little lift, which is always nice too :)

For accessories, stacked bracelets are very in style, so how about this great set of 5 adjustable bracelets? This "Summer Seduction Set of 5 Bracelets" in my shop on Etsy, found here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93557147/summer-seduction-set-of-5-multicolored is great no matter what your wrist size, and because there are 5 different bracelets, you can wear all of them, or just a few, depending on your mood. This necklace is also great - the "Boudicca Coins Celtic Spiral Necklace" is right on trend with mixes metals and wire work. Find it here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/14703105/boudicca-coins-celtic-spiral-necklace It is a great mid-length so that it can easily be worn over a collared shirt, but isn't too big and  busy so it still looks great for work.

What do you think? Would you wear this? What would you change?

Coming up this week: A new bracelet, Arwen's staying healthy, a great feature on a children's clothing artist and your weekend dose of Squee. Keep checking back for more great posts!

Happy Family Day and President's Day!

My second attempt at polymer clay: a cat and wooly sheep :)

Well, happy Family Day to those of us in Canada who celebrate it, and Happy President's Day to all of my American friends :)
This week I've got some new bracelets to show you on Tuesday, Arwen is finally going to show you her napping spots (technical difficulties last week, sorry) on Wednesday, I've got a few treasuries that I've been featured in to share with you on Thursday, and this Friday's Feature post is fantastic woodworking duo Element Arts and Crafts. Trust me, you won't want to miss that one! Saturday is the world of Squee again as I scour the internet for the cutest, funniest things to make you smile during your weekend.

The kitty from the side. One front paw slightly raised, as if to say hello,  and the tail curling up :)

Yesterday I played with polymer clay again. It wasn't quite so scary, and I managed to make 2 more cute (at least I think they're cute!) sculptures. I made a kitty, seen above, with a quizzical air to its head, and one paw just starting to raise off the ground, as if it sees something interesting and might possibly want to bless it with its attentions. I think I'll give this one to my mom, and then make another one for me :)

A curly black sheep. I seriously need to make another one!

 I also made a sheep. I love sheep! Seriously, I think they are the cutest darned things. A friend of mine up the road has a farm, and they raise sheep and poultry and honestly, the sheep are so funny, it's hard not to laugh at them (I try not to, as people tend to think I'm nuts when laughing at sheep placidly eating grass). This black sheep took a while, as I made the body first, and then made lots of little polymer clay swirls to represent his wool, which I then stuck on. It turned out pretty well (if I do say so myself), and I think I'll give it to my aforementioned friend. Then I'll make another one for myself :-D
I've also started painting some of the wooden jewelry boxes I purchased for displaying jewelry at shows and the farmers' market this year...oh, I didn't mention that earlier?? Well, you'll just have to keep stopping by to see them when they're done... ;-)
Until next time,

Monday Mix: Random Acts of Kindness Week

My First Polymer Clay Sculptures - Not Perfect, but I'm Happy :)

 Good Monday morning on this, the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week! I've got a great week in store for you all, so I hope you've buckled your seat belts. With this week being Random Acts of Kindness Week, I will aim to do one random nice thing each day. Today: Maybe we can send our special someone a couple of nice, short emails along the lines of:

You are awesome! 

I love waking up next to you :) 

You look great today!

Keeping them short and sweet makes sure they aren't bogged down reading lengthy emails when they should be working, but allows them to take 2 minutes to stop and smile :)

Before I get to this week's events, I'd like to share a milestone: yesterday, the Facebook page for Little Studio Jewellery by Meghann Lynch, reached 100 followers! The followers on that page have been given a little treat, so, if you want in on a pretty sweet deal, visit & LIKE the Facebook page and start saving. It's a limited time offer, so hurry on over and get yours today. The link is down and to the right on this blog --->

Tuesdays I like to unveil new pieces of jewelry, or show you pieces that I've rephotographed or redesigned. Tomorrow will be a grand unveiling of a totally new necklace inspired by Cleopatra's later life. Make sure you check back tomorrow for that! It is rich and luxurious, perfect for work or a night out.

Because, Really, Everyone Loves Seeing a Wiener Dog From the Side

This Wednesday, Arwen the Wonder Dog wants to show you her napping spots. She's been getting me to take her photo in her most favorite places, so get ready for some cuteness there :)

Thursdays are Treasury days, and though I haven't made that one yet, be prepared for a collection of beautiful handmade items from my fellow Etsy sellers. Any ideas on a theme? Let me know in the comments below and I'll do what I can...

This Friday will feature another great artist, Badgereels. You must stop by on Friday to see her work, it is really pretty (or manly, depending on the item) and functional, guaranteed to add a little whimsy to your workday :)

Finally, regarding the photos on the blog today: I've finally started playing with the polymer clay I bought almost 5 years ago. Amazingly, it's still very soft, so that was a relief (at $5 a small brick, I would have been seriously miffed to find it all dried)! While I'm sure I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head, I really loved making little sculptures throughout my childhood (though, thankfully, none have survived), and thought that this would be a bit of fun on my Sunday afternoons, when I try very hard not to do any business or work of any sort. The last few weeks I've white knuckled it. While normally reading or video games would help, it has been really hard to get away from the laptop, and so I knew I needed a stronger, totally absorbing distraction. Enter polymer clay, or "smooshing" as the experts call it (I am NOT an expert, but I like the sound of that word, so I might have to purloin it).

Inspired by My Own Playful Puppy, This Was My Second Ever Polymer Clay Sculpture

I have to say, I had an absolute blast! No pressure to make things to sell, no pressure to be perfect the first time (well, okay, I did have a bit of self imposed pressure, to be honest), and no pressure to be on a deadline. I spent a marvelous 2 hours conditioning, playing, pinching, sculpting and baking my first 3 little sculptures. I learned quite a bit; 1. blue clay under your nails is very hard to get out if it dries even the tiniest bit, and looks like you have cyanide poisoning; 2. I need armature to make the dogs' legs sturdier; 3. my cheapo, $20 toaster oven bought especially for baking clay is bang-on temperature wise (thank you, Black-&-Decker!), 4. I don't need to worry that polymer clay will spontaneously self-combust (I watched the oven like a hawk, biting my nails and occasionally throwing looks at the fire extinguisher "just in case"); 5. I LOVE POLYMER CLAY! I've already started adding polymer clay how-to books to my Amazon wish list (now 661 items strong - gotta love Amazon!), and woke up at 3AM this morning thinking of other things to make next week. I strongly recommend trying polymer clay "smooshing" if you haven't already. It is tons of fun!

Keep checking the blog this week to discover everything that's going on, and check back next Monday to see what else I was able to make with my new polymer clay hobby :)

Monday: Easy Vegetarian Chili!

My apologies for the bad photo - it was dark and I was hungry!

Today I thought I would diverge from the normal Monday posts of progress reports and share with you a great recipe that is so delicious and easy (and fast! It takes about 15 minutes of prep, and an hour of cooking that only needs stirring every 10 minutes) that everyone should really do it. Meat eaters can add ground beef or chicken, but I like it vegan style, with 3 different beans, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and lots of goodness. Did you know that the original chili was actually vegetarian? With the combination of brown rice and beans, this chili packs a protein punch that is pretty easy to digest.

This is my take on my family's version, and I sort of add as I go, a dash of this, a dash of that, but I've tried to be as accurate as possible. I probably added quite a bit more of the spices, as I like my chili incredibly flavorful and make-your-nose-run spicy. Given that everyone has their own tastes, I've put recommended amounts of items, so please take the recipe and run with it! Add more or less of the ingredients I listed here, add your own ingredients to your own tastes, and Enjoy!

Meghann's 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Corn Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Main Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 med-large sweet onion, chopped
1-4 cloves garlic, minced (add more or less, depending on your tastes)
1 10oz can organic sliced mushrooms, well drained and rinsed (or fresh if you prefer)
1-2 cups brown rice (add as much or as little as you like, just change the liquids to suit)
chili powder to taste (2-5 tbsp, depending on how spicy)
ground cumin to taste (3-6 tbsp, depending on your love of it - I LOVE cumin, so I add lots!)
1-2 tbsp dry oregano
4 tbsp dry parsley
2 tsp paprika (or to taste)
1-2 tsp dried chili flakes (to taste)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
2-3 cups broth
2-5 tbsp tamari sauce, to taste
1/4 cup organic ketchup (yes, it sounds weird, but it makes the chili thicker and more delicious)
1 15oz can navy beans, well drained and rinsed
1 15oz can black beans, well drained and rinsed
1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), well drained and rinsed
1 small can chopped chilies

Toppings:
freshly sliced avocado
sour cream (vegan or not)
salsa
cheese (I use Daiya Mozzarella and it is DELICIOUS!)
tortilla chips on the side
OR soft tortillas for wrapping
OR chopped romaine lettuce for a healthier version

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes.

Add brown rice, herbs and spices, stir until onions, mushrooms and rice are coated with seasoning mix and toast until the rice is starting to get fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth, tamari sauce, ketchup and stir, making sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot (That is where the flavor is!). Add the beans and as much of the chopped chilis as you dare! I added the whole small can (it's about 1/4 cup), as the huge amount of beans, rice and vegetables take up the chili flavor and mellow it quite a bit. Stir and make sure everything is combined.

Bring to a slight boil, turn heat to lowest setting (1 or Low), cover and let lightly simmer for about an hour. Stir every 10-15 minutes to keep things from settling too much on the bottom. Make sure you scrape the bottom so that nothing burns on the bottom.

Add more liquids if necessary, to achieve your desired chili consistency. I added a bit more broth towards the end as it was getting too thick for the rice to cook properly.

When the rice is cooked, turn off heat and serve!

This is great with tortilla chips with your desired toppings, is also amazing wrapped in a soft tortilla. For a lighter dinner, I put mine on a bed of lettuce, topped with avocado, salsa and Daiya cheese.

This is incredible the first day, but it keeps getting better each day (don't let it sit in the fridge for more than 3 or 4 days though, or you risk food poisoning. Obvious, I know, but you can never be too careful).

This also freezes well! Make a large batch, put individual servings in your freezer-safe containers of choice, and you'll have a quick lunch or dinner that is healthy whenever you don't feel like cooking :)

Mystery Mondays - er - Thursdays Part 2

Ok, ok, I've been bad, I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy. Here is the next installment of my book, Hidden. Please remember all work is copyright 2011 Meghann Gervais! For the first page, see here: http://meglittlestudio.blogspot.com/2011/03/mystery-mondays-part-1.html

“Michaela, you’ve got every i-Gadget known to the human race, why don’t you join the twenty-first century and get e-books?” I strike a horrified pose, eyes wide, mouth making an O-shape.
“Because I, unlike you, like to live in the Stone Age; I like the feel of the paper in my hands, you know that. And besides,” I tell him, hands-on-hips, in a mock battle stance, “not all books are published electronically, and there might be a good one that I haven’t read yet.” I walk away before he can make fun of me further and say that I already own almost every book ever published. It is a definite over-exaggeration, though I had managed to fill yet another tall bookcase... So I was addicted to reading, there were worse habits, right? At least I was always learning something new.
With these thoughts I am carried to the book rack at the airport canteen. I have read most of the books. Damn, my habit foils me again. I had just turned to the next rack when I feel as though I am being watched. Looking up, I can see a tall man with dark hair under a dark cap glaring at me. Kind of creepy, but it takes all kinds, I think and turn back to the books.
“Rachel? Rachel! Oh my God, how did you get here so fast? I was, like, turned around for two seconds and you’re all the way over here? Shit!” I noticed the glaring man turn around and leave the canteen from the corner of my eye, and when I turn and look at the girl speaking, I can sort of understand why.
She is a very tall, bleached blonde, skinny young woman wearing clothing more fit for a jeans fashion shoot than an airport. Sky high heels, low-slung, tight black jeans and a bubblegum pink shirt is really just the beginning. She has on enough makeup and jewellery to drown a drag queen, and a handbag in black-lacquered nailed hands that costs almost as much as some people’s cars. She is also now staring at me with her jaw dropped, and eyes comically wide.
“I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” Sounds odd, but this really does happen all the time. Toronto is a big city, and when you’re five foot eight, blonde, slim and blue-eyed, you get mistaken for other people, or at least I do. Maybe I just have one of those faces.
“Oh my God, HA!” This last was shrieked in an almost sonic note. “Holy shit, you look just like my best friend! Hold on one second, ‘kay? I gotta bring her here to show her. HA!” With that, she totters away, hand bag swinging wildly, to find the best friend, apparently named Rachel. Shrugging, I return to the books, almost immediately finding one that I have not read, and find interesting. I am paying for the book when the clattering of heels turns me around. I drop my change in astonishment.

That's all for this week's page, tune in soon to see the next page!

Mystery Mondays Part 1

I posted last week that I was writing a little story and that I would share a bit of it with you. I'm going out on a limb here, as I've never written anything before, and I'm a little nervous sharing my possible ineptitudes (okay, probable ineptitudes) with my virtual friends and an entire world full of strangers, but here goes! I am going to publish a few paragraphs each week of my new story. It is a survivor story, tentatively titled, "Hidden". I'm in the early stages: I've written a bit (about 35 pages or so), know all the plot and where the characters are going to go and what they'll do, but I am still editing and re-editing the little bit that I've got done, and adding more here and there. There is MUCH more to do, I know, before I can call it even remotely done. Probably weeks and months to go. Still, I'd love to know what you think so far! Here are the first few paragraphs from chapter 1. I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and the foggy maple photo above is one I took last year, I just didn't know what to put at the top of this post and thought it looked suitably mysterious :)
Please note that all of this writing is copyright Meghann Gervais 2011.

HIDDEN

They say God only tests those he loves, and that you can’t truly know how strong you are until you’ve faces the fires of trials.
God, I wish you didn’t love me so much. I wish you’d never even looked in my general direction.


1
It all started, as the clichés go, so innocently. After years of saving, then more years of having hectic jobs that swallowed all of our spare time, my boyfriend and I were finally going on a vacation together. Not just any vacation, a luxury, five diamond, two-thousand dollars-per-day bliss fest. Ten days and nine nights of work-free time for us to unwind and spend some serious happy hours together in the British Virgin Islands.

“Stop worrying, the dog will be fine.” Grey sees me squinting out the car window and knows my thoughts without asking. He always does. He attributes this to the fact that his parents are poets. He says his upbringing made him hyper-aware and sensitive of everything. I tell him my face has always been an open book and all anyone has to do is look at me to know all of my brain’s inner workings.

“It’s a new kennel. She’s never been there before and she pines when I’m not around. What if she doesn’t eat? Ten days is a long time not to eat.” I know I baby my dog. I work from home as a web designer, how could I not baby my dog? Grey thinks I’m nuts.

“She will be fine; we’re paying almost as much for her as we would for a person in a hotel.” Grey takes his eyes off the road to stare at me in a mock-severe glare, “The vacation begins now. No more stress. Just you, me, and a few of those scraps of fabric I saw in your suitcase.” The glare turns into one of his devilish smiles, his grey eyes crinkling just a bit. For poets, I thought, his parents weren’t exactly original with the whole baby-naming thing. His eyes had been grey almost from birth, so his name was Grey. Genius.

“If all we’re wearing are my bikinis, you’re going to get some pretty odd looks – and I don’t think they’re your size, anyway.” I can’t help but grin, though I am disappointed - the bitty bikinis were supposed to be a secret. I’d worked out like a slave getting into shape for this trip, and when I’d gone vacation-clothing shopping and seen these bikinis in the store I’d blushed to my toes. I hadn’t worn a bathing suit in public for a long time. I’d had to pre-tan for weeks just to not glow in the dark. These weren’t just bikinis – wear them anywhere by the beach and I would probably get arrested, but this was a long time in coming. I wanted Grey’s eyes to bug out of his head when he saw me in them.

“Oh, I always get funny looks, but I think I’ll be going naked most of the time anyway,” another of his devilish smiles flashes. “Our house is supposed to be private after all. I can’t be getting tan lines on this perfect skin.”

“Perfectly pasty, you’re almost as white as I was!”

“Almost, but not quite; you still take the cake for that one. Don’t roll your eyes at me; be mad at your Irish-Canadian ancestors. They’re the ones you have to blame for your glow-worm effect, babe!” The easy banter relaxes me, as he knows it will. We arrive at the airport with time to kill, and after checking our luggage I say I’m going to look at some books at the nearby airport store.

Okay, so I gave you a page, but I didn't want to skimp on you, it will get VERY interesting soon, I promise :)
Hope this brightens up your Monday a bit, be sure to check back next Monday for a new paragraph or two (or three)!
Arwen is snoring, but I know she wants to say hi, so I am going to say Hi for her.
and Arwen, the Snoring Wonder Dog

Melodious Monday: Meghann's Belgian Waffle Recipe

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. It is the summer, Brennan is on vacation (which, as I tell everyone, makes me guilty of vacation by association), and sometimes I need to be bad. Not really, really bad, but a little bad. Gluten free is getting more and more popular, and these waffles fit the bill, not to mention the fact that they are absolutely, incredibly delicious, and pretty healthy as waffles go. Top with maple syrup and fruit, or agave nectar and ice cream. You'll love them!

Meghann’s Belgian Waffles

Dry Ingredients

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour

1/2 Cup Garfava Flour

½ Cup Arrowroot Starch

½ tsp salt

5 tsp Baking Powder

1 tbsp Sugar

Wet Ingredients

3 tbsp Ground Flax seed

9 tbsp Hot Water

¼ Cup Good Olive Oil

1 ½ Cups Rice Drink

2 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat Waffle maker

Mix flax seed and water, whisk and let sit until thick, about 3 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, rice drink and vanilla, and then add the flax seed/water mixture. Evenly sprinkle dry ingredients and whisk until blended.

Cook on waffle iron, according to its instructions, and top with fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Monday Madness - I'm on Entrecard!

So I am not entirely sure what I'm doing, but I now have Entrecard on all my blogs :)
Apparently when people click on the ads, they can see new and exciting blogs that I myself have approved for viewing on my blog. Pretty cool, huh? Then, when people click, I get credits which I can then use to advertise on other people's blogs to gain exposure for myself. Isn't that neat? I encourage you, therefore to click on the 'drop' button and see some new blogs - you never know, you just might make new friends!
Meghann