Fo-Shizzle Design Studios

Yup...You Guessed It... It's GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!

2011-12-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

As a way of saying "Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year", The Soap Opera is giving away a 4-pack of Fizzing Shower Soothers to three lucky participants!

Entry into this giveaway is easy - and you can earn between 10 and 225 entries - making your chances of winning MUCH greater!

The entry page is here - but don't forget to browse the store while you're there!

Win Three Delectable Bars of Our Handcrafted Shea Butter Soap!

2011-06-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's time for another giveaway - and we're giving away three full-sized bars of our luxurious handcrafted Shea butter soap! These soaps are made with our signature blend of skin-nourishing oils and butters, weigh between 5 and 5.5 oz. and are shrink-wrapped for freshness. You can view our entire line of handcrafted soaps HERE.

The winner of this giveaway will be selected from all entries received, via random.org. They may choose three bars of soap from all soaps listed, including those that are currently "out of stock". Bars that are listed as "out of stock" are currently made and curing - however may take additional time prior to shipping to the winner.

To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is:

1) "Follow" this blog, then Go to our website

2) Look around

3) Come back here and leave a comment telling us what item (jewelry, soap, laundry soap, hair accessories, etc.) is your favorite and why.

4) Gain an extra entry for sharing this giveaway on your social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc. - please provide link).

5) Gain FIVE (5) extra entries for blogging about this giveaway (please provide link)

Giveaway ends Friday, July 8th at 4:00pm PT

Good luck, and have a bubbly day!

Have YOU heard about Art Fire?

2011-05-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

In early 2008, after scanning the internet looking for the *best* place to sell my jewelry, I came across an advertisement for a new handmade shopping venue which would be opening within the year. At that time, they were taking a few "registrants" to try out the site - as it was in the first stages of development and they needed people to test out the site and it's (then) basic features. To this day, almost 3 years later, I'm still just as happy to be part of the "Art Fire family" as I was back then.

Here's just a couple of reasons why I love Art Fire so much:

1) The AF staff listens. They listen hard. It doesn't matter whether it's 1000 people saying the same thing - or just one person. They take the time to listen to whatever it is you need to talk with them about, whether it's a question, concern, problem or even a joke of the day.

2) They explain in detail upcoming changes and events - and although sometimes I don't completely understand some of Tony's lingo...well... I know he hasn't forgotten to mention anything.

3) Listing an item could not be easier. One page and you're done. :)

4) I know and I feel that the staff is doing whatever is in their power to help MY business grow.

5) The Art Fire community is a very special group of people. Unlike most other selling venues, the artisans of this community help each other, promote each other and encourage each other to be and do the best they can.

If you sell handcrafted items and you haven't signed up to be a part of the Art Fire family, don't hesitate. Do it now. CLICK HERE to get started selling your handcrafted items on Art Fire!

Sure, it's different than all those other venues.

It's better.

It's Our Anniversary! Win a Bar of Our Handcrafted Soap! (Giveaway)

2011-04-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

In honor of our 2nd Anniversary since opening the doors of our B&M store, the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios would like to celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!

We're giving away a bar of our scrumptious handcrafted Shea butter soap (your choice of available scents)! Each bar weighs approximately 5.5 oz and is made using our signature blend of skin-nourishing oils and butters, which create a wonderful, bubbly and rich lather that will leave your skin feeling soft, silky and fabulously moisturized!

The rules to this giveaway are simple*:

1) If you haven't already done so, "LIKE" our Face Book Business Page

2) Tweet, Plurk, Stumble, Facebook, etc. This blog page with the contest info

3) Come back here and leave a comment with links to your posts and your e-mail address - so I can notify you if you've won! ;)

THAT'S IT!

Winner will be drawn via Random.org's list generator on April 30th, 2001.

Comments which do not contain valid e-mail addresses or posting links will be removed or disregarded. Limited to one entry per person.

Good Luck!

Check out our store on Art Fire for handcrafted jewelry, soaps, and hair accessories!

* giveaway open to residents of the USA and Canada only.

Beautiful Lampwork Beads and other "Goodies" by Deronda Designs

2010-10-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

As a jewelry designer, it is my duty (and desire) to search out the most beautiful beads and the perfect supplies - not only to create what is appealing to me, but also to create what I think my customers would be more inclined to wear and buy. About a year ago, I came across a very talented lampwork bead artist - who creates some of the most beautiful glass beads I have ever seen. Her name is Deronda O'Neill. Her Art Fire and Etsy shop name, "DerondaDesigns", is an understatement to say the least - because not only does Deronda make incredibly gorgeous beads, but she hand draws (or as she calls it..."doodles") intricate and detailed designs that she then etches onto copper and brass.

Here is just a very small sampling of Deronda's work:

So if you are like me, and you're looking for the best and the most beautiful, check out more of Deronda's lovely glass lampwork beads, her copper and brass etchings and more at
www.DerondaDesigns.artfire.com

Fabulous Friday Finds #1

2010-08-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Every Friday, I head over to the local thrift store in hopes of finding an interesting piece of jewelry that can be incorporated into a new design. Most of the time it's "slim pickin's", however once in a while I come across fabulous pieces that are just screaming to be purchased. When I go thrift store shopping, I mostly look for vintage brooches -- however several times I've come across necklaces or bracelets created with rare stones, or a pair of sterling silver or 14k gold earrings -- and to my luck, the thrift store literally has no idea of their real value.

Last Friday, I arrived at the store at the same time as a gentleman dropping off a box of belongings from his elderly mother. The store clerk gave me the "OK" to look through it before they took the box of items into the back to sort through. It contained mostly dishes, glassware and a few little trinkets, however at the bottom of the box were two beautiful brooches!

One was a vintage Cloisonne piece, surrounded with rhinestones and gold filigree and the other was a sterling silver filigree tiger lily flower brooch. I purchased them both, then immediately came back to do some "Googling", hoping to find out more information on them.

Here's what I found out:
The sterling silver filigree tiger lily brooch was made in the 1930's - 40's. It measures 2-3/4" in diameter and has the .925 hallmark on the back with a "C" clasp closure. It is in absolute mint condition, and obviously the previous owner took immaculate care of it. This piece is considered "RARE" and is valued at a minimum of $49.00.

The second piece is a vintage Cloisonne broach. It was made in the early 1950's (possibly a Sarah Coventry piece). It does not have a hallmark, yet still utilizes the "C" style clasp, as used on jewelry from that era. Again, this piece is in mint condition with all rhinestones firmly intact and no chips, scratches or flaws. Based on similar brooches of this year and style, this pieces is valued at $42.00.

At this point I don't have any solid plans for either brooch and if you are interested in purchasing either of these, contact me and I'll give you a great deal!

Stay tuned for the next edition of "Fabulous Friday Finds!

~ Mischelle

Essensu...I think I LOVE you!

2010-06-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's plain and simple: I want to be 29 and holding.....forever.

I know in my heart I will always remain young, however in my family, all of the women seem (at an early age) to develop deep wrinkles around our lips and eyes, with bags so large and puffy, I swear they would need to be checked at any airport terminal prior to boarding a plane. I had already spent hundreds of dollars and tried many brands of creams and lotions that claim to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Well guess what? They don't.

Each time I tried a new product, I took a "before" picture so I could really see if there were any results and by the time I was through the first bottle, tube or jar of stuff I was inventing new swear words. After several years of trial and frustration, I had literally given up on trying to have the "29 and holding" look, to match my young at heart personality.

Then I was introduced to Tami, owner of Essensu Holistic Skincare. Tami makes a Vanilla Lavender Dry Oil Spray that sounded wonderful! You see, I simply LOVE the smell of lavender together with the sweetness of vanilla. It reminds me of a warm summer day and, well...lavender is purple...which happens to be my favorite color.

So late last February, I placed an order for a bottle. When the shipment arrived, Tami had included a few samples of some of her other products too. One of the samples was a jar of her Lavender Vanilla Silky Body Cream.

The sample of silky body cream was rich, creamy and smelled absolutely heavenly...and I decided that not only would it be good to try on my dry elbows, but just for sh*ts and giggles I was also going to try it under my eyes and around my lips. As usual, I started out by taking a beforepicture of my worst wrinkles...under my eyes.

February, 2010

When I put the cream on, I could immediately feel my skin absorbing the nutrients in it. It didn't just sit on top of my skin or feel waxy like many other commercial creams. It was light and extremely moisturizing. I used it twice a day: in the morning and before bed. After the first week I already had noticed a huge improvement and softening of my wrinkles. I was so excited with the results that I ordered more Lavender Vanilla Silky Body Cream from Essensu.

Now, almost four months later, here's the dramatic results:

June 2010

My puffiness and the extra baggage has almost vanished, my wrinkles are greatly diminished and I feel (and look) like a much younger person! My husband has just started using this cream too -- and for a 55 year old with very deep line wrinkles down his face, I can (and he can too) already see a major difference after just one week.

So, if you're like me, and want to remain "29 and holding" way into your 40's, 50's and beyond (and actually look it too!), I strongly recommend using products from Essensu!

Results are not guaranteed, but hey! Look what it's done for me! :)

~ Mischelle "Mzz Thang" Martell

Spring Is Here!

2010-04-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Spring is my favorite time of year, and with the onset of the season, I thought I would share a few of my favorite spring season pieces from the very talented artisans at Art Fire:

From Spoiled Bratzwear - Spring Button Flowers Handknit Neck Cuffie for Dogs

From Into The Dawn - Pink Spring Bud Polymer Clay Earrings

From Tiarras Boutique - Spring Butterflies - Sugar - Sewn Infant or Toddler Tutu and Headband

From Glasstastic Treasures - A Little Frit of My Heart Mini Lampwork Bead

From Gravel Road Jewelry - "Innocence" pendant - handmade sterling silver pink crystal pearl necklace

From Butterfly-Crafts - Thinking of You Card - Green Butterflies - Handmade

From Firebird Jewellery - Photosynthesis Necklace

From Kathryn Bloom - Tulip Bag in Violet

From Island Girl Pottery - Brown and Cream Butterfly Trinket Dish

From Blushie - Butterfly Garden Vegan Soap

Springtime brings loads of color! If you haven't visited these fine artisans before, the links are clickable to the items listed. Check them out and support handmade!

Chicken and Ham Gemelli

2010-02-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

For those of you who want a quick but tasty dinnertime meal, here's a "copy cat" recipe I created based on Pasta Pomodoro's "Gemelli", an Italian dish rich in smoky meats and creamy sauce. This was my husbands and my favorite dish -- but unfortunately was discontinued by the restaurant several years ago. After many months of testing and tasting, this is without a doubt as close to the original recipe (taste wise) as is possible. It is, to this day, a family favorite and has been passed on to several friends as well. Enjoy!

Chicken and Ham Gemelli

Creamy pasta with smoked ham, chicken, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.

Prep Time	10 minutes
Cooking Time	20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pkg of Gemelli pasta (or Rotini) Two whole chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes 2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil 1/2 c. diced smoked ham 4 medium white mushrooms, sliced 1 small jar sun dried tomatoes, drained 3 c. heavy whipping cream 2 pkg. Good Seasons ZESTY Italian salad dressing mix 2 tsp. Corn Starch 1/8 c. water
Method
Boil pasta per package directions (don't overcook - remember, al dente is best!) Cook chicken pieces in oil over medium heat until lightly browned and almost thoroughly cooked through. Add diced smoked ham, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and chicken is fully cooked. Stir in salad dressing mix and cream until well incorporated. Meanwhile, add water to cornstarch and mix well. Add cornstarch mixture to meat/cream sauce and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Drain pasta and add to chicken/ham/sun dried tomato cream sauce. Mix well and serve.

Growing old gracefully

2010-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

Why is it that as we get older the years seem to get shorter? Seems it was just yesterday that my youngest daughter was born -- but in reality, she'll be 24 in a couple of days. When I first joined the band that I spent 30+ years with, I was 14 years old and the youngest band member they had ever had. When I started playing darts at age 22, I was one of the youngest darters to go "pro". Now I look around me and realize that I'm no longer the youngest at anything that I do. And I don't like it one bit. At heart I'm still young, but God has not been kind to my body. I feel like a young woman in an old person's body. At least that's what I tell people anyway.

Gone are the days of "partying", drinking till I can no longer stand on my own and staying up until 5 or 6am -- knowing that if I can just manage to find where I'd parked my house -- I'd still have enough time to take a quick shower and be to work by 8am. These days my eyes start to cross and I'm yearning for sleep by 9pm. The thought of going to a party or concert -- or even to a movie means that I have to "hit the hay" at 7:30pm for at least a week prior, in preparation for staying up a bit longer on that special night.

They say with age comes character.

I want to know who this "they" person is, because the only thing that I've found is that with age comes aches, pains, arthritis, gray hair (and lets not forget the hair that begins to grow in strange places) and wrinkles. Whomever coined the saying "Growing old gracefully" must have only lived to the ripe old age of 30 something....because in actuality...it's all downhill from there.

January is already half over. Where did it go? Am I just in such a rush throughout life that I've missed it? Who knows. The way the years fly by throughout my old age, I'll probably wake up tomorrow, only to find out that it's already 2011.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-10-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

And we haven't even gotten to Halloween yet!

Oh well, even though it's just now turning mid-October, it is -- in fact -- time to start thinking about the holidays. Most crafters are feverishly working on their wares for holiday sales and preparing for upcoming boutiques and fairs.

Art Fire has created a category specifically for purchasing stocking stuffers (items under $10.00) and a sea of fall colors and reds and greens seems to be flooding the front page lately.

Fo-Shizzle Design Studios store at Art Fire has e-gift certificates available for purchase - in case you run out of time to shop or just don't know which jewelry gift to choose. Our e-gift certificates are available in increments of $20, $30, $40 & $50, or we can customize a listing just for you in any denomination you'd like. Our e-gift certificates can be used towards any item in our Art Fire shop or for a custom designed piece.

MzzThang

Holiday Gifts

Septembers' Monthly Giveaway Winner!

2009-10-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Robert W. from Tennessee! Robert won a pair of Peach and gold earrings from our "Hannah Collection" during our September Monthly Giveaway!

Sign up now for our October Giveaway! This month we're giving away a beautiful bracelet from our NEW "Sasha Collection"! It's our sparkling Pink Ice bangle bracelet featuring faceted pink crystal rondelles and clear bicones, set among .925 silver plated "noodle" tubes and finished with a silver plated lobster claw clasp. This bracelet is assembled upon 20 gauge silver-filled wire for strength and durability.

It's easy to enter! Simply visit the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios and click on the "WIN FREE JEWELRY" link on the left side of any page! Fill out the entry form and keep your fingers crossed! YOU may be the next lucky Monthly Giveaway winner!*

SASHA - Pink Ice

*by submitting an entry you are agreeing to receive the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios monthly e-news letter.

The most beautiful roses!

2009-09-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

My mother used to be a member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, a group of women who met on a weekly basis to plan fund raisers for charity, hosted the wackiest theme parties and led the ever-so-social life. And just as each of our US states has its own representative flower, each of these sorority groups did as well. The Beta Sigma Phi sorority flower was the yellow rose.

One of the ladies in this group lives around the corner from my parents house (where I grew up) and although neither her nor my mother are still active in the sorority, the symbol of the yellow rose has remained an important part of each of their lives. As the upcoming birthday of this neighbor approached, my mother contacted me regarding possibly making a piece of jewelry and incorporating the yellow rose. I had just started a huge project and quite frankly, did not have enough time to make anything, so I began my internet search for something I could purchase for my mother to give as a gift.

There it was. The most perfect and beautiful rose I had ever seen. It looked amazingly real, yet according to the website was hand crafted out of a special formula synthetic clay, produced exclusively for the artist. Items created out of it have the delicate look of unglazed china but are very light, yet strong. I purchased it and when it arrived I was even more amazed at the intricate details of this rose. The petals weren't thick like most polymer clay roses and were finely detailed including having "veins" in the petals, like a real rose. The leaves were multi-dimensional and the color was the softest yellow with hints of an even paler yellow in each petal. It was perfect. So perfect in fact, that I almost didn't want to let my mother take it.

The artists' name is Maria Gower. She owns and operates Rose Paradise in the UK. Her work is brilliant and unique and -- well -- here...

...just look at the pictures. And I must say, the pictures really do not do these pieces justice at all.

And here's the one I purchased. With shipping it was only around $18.00 and came with the silver snake chain:

Check out Maria's other unique pieces on her website at:

www.RoseParadise.co.uk

2009-09-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Pink Clouds and Angels and BEBs Treasures

It's my turn to share ten facts about me and to tag 10 others to do the same. This is a great way to get to know about each other and further develop our friendships, even though most of them are long-distance.

So... without further a-do, here's 10 facts about me:

1) I'm married (for the third time) to a wonderful man who believes that I am the most important part of his life. It's a great quality in a man, I must admit. This is his third marriage as well. We both thought we would keep trying until we got it right. I'm pretty confident that we did this time. Larry and I met while playing darts in the local league, 14 years ago.

2) Together we have four adults (they hate being called children)- 3 women and 1 man, and three beautiful grandchildren ages 15, 2 and 6 months.

3) We were not wealthy growing up and made most of our own toys -- from cereal box guitars to cardboard canoes. We were forced to use our imaginations to keep us occupied (Imagination: something that has become lost with the invention of video games). I can't thank my parents enough for helping us embellish our creative minds.

4) I was as tall as my kindergarten teacher and reached my full height of 6 feet by the 7th grade. I am the second shortest in my family.

5) I've always been involved in the arts of some sort. I began playing the upright bass at the age of 7 and was playing professionally in a pub with a jazz group by the age of 14. My parents had to drive me to my gigs until I was old enough to drive myself. Even then, they had to chaperone me because I was too young to be in the pub. I was with that same jazz group for the next 30 years.

6) I have performed with many great musicians, including David Baker, Todd Coolman, Jon Faddis, Buddy Montgomery, Willard Dyson, John Patitucci, Rodney Franklin, Will Kennedy, Sarah Vaughan, Peter Horvath, Jeff Hamilton, Sheila E. and songwriter Paul Williams, just to name a few.

7) In 1996 I became a professional darts player, traveling the US and Canada for competition and representing Northern California -- and was inducted into the National Darts Hall of Fame in 2001. I was nationally ranked in the top 15 and world ranked in the top 30 at the height of my career.

8) Due to a severe shoulder injury, surgery and then re-injury, I had to retire from playing darts in 2007. Currently in my spare time, I bowl in two leagues and compete in local bowling tournaments.

9) I am a 18 year ovarian cancer survivor; however with the cure of cancer came the onset of Lupus. To date, there is no cure for Lupus.

10) I began my current hobby/career of making jewelry after searching online for magnetic bracelets for therapeutic purposes. After noticing that all that was offered looked dull, drab and virtually the same, I decided to make my own using colorfully painted magnetic beads. Several people in the building I work in noticed my bracelets and asked if I could make some for them. My business today has evolved from these requests.

OK, There's my 10 fun-filled facts! Now... what are yours?

1. Butterfly Crafts
2. Almondtree Designs
3. Bei Creations
4. Bijoux Designs For You
5. Blue Betty
6. Haffina Creations
7. Risky Beads
8. Silver River Jewelry
9. Jewelry By Fyfe
10. Huckleberry Arts

Those Amazing Sugar Scrubs!

2009-09-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was watching a T.V. show last Wednesday (while babysitting my grandson) called "She's Crafty". While we don't have cable television, I'm not sure whether this is a nationally broadcast show or just something local; but nonetheless, it was quite entertaining.

The host of the show made several simple crafty things, such as an accordion-style photo album using 8-1/2x11 sheets of paper, a tea tray using a wooden-framed picture frame, some fabric and drawer pulls -- and she closed the show by making some wonderful sugar scrubs.

Now I've heard of sugar scrub before, but have never used any myself. But listening to her talk on and on about the wonderful effects these sugar scrubs had on her face and skin, and how people were telling her how much younger she looked after a few weeks of using it, I decided that yes...I wanted to look younger too.

I raced into the kitchen to get a piece of paper and pencil to write down exactly how to make this sugar scrub, and as I began writing down the ingredients, I realized that not only was it a very simple item to make, but I had all of the ingredients to make it too! :)

So off to the kitchen I went -- to make my first batch of sugar scrub.

The recipe called for 2 cups of sugar, 2TBSP. of extra virgin olive oil and enough Green Tea Tree oil to make the scrub not too flaky, but not too liquidy. This was the only part that didn't have an exact measurement.

After putting the sugar in a bowl and mixing the two oils in, I added 1TBSP. of pure vanilla extract and 4 TBSP. of sweetened cocoa powder. This gave the sugar scrub a wonderful chocolate/vanilla aroma, plus the cocoa added coloration.

I scooped the scrub into a small glass jar with lid, and voila! It was done!

It smelled wonderful! I tried it this morning just on my face. The granulation of the sugar is an excellent exfoliator, and the oils made my skin feel as soft and smooth as a baby's behind.

I'm going to be trying some other scents real soon! Can't wait!

"Hannah" Collection - Swarovski Crystal and Gold-Filled Earrings

2009-08-27T20:44:00.001-07:00

As summer ends and fall peeks it's head around the corner - we've decided to try something new. Our jewelry products will be formed into groups or "Collections", rather than just a mish-mosh and scattering of pieces. This idea came about after creating jewelry for one particular wedding party this past summer. The bride and groom both wore white, as did the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Because the bride did not have a particularly favorite color, she chose an array of colors for the bridal party: blue, green, purple, peach and light green. The bridesmaids each had earrings, bracelets and necklaces made for them and each one wore a different color. The groomsmen each wore a cummerbund and tie that matched the color of one of the bridesmaids and all in all it was quite colorful. Each of the bridesmaids pieces were made slightly different from each other, so that they all tied in, but were still unique.

The bride (Hannah) thought that we should make more of these as she was so impressed with how they turned out she thought others would like them.

So they were born. The "Hannah" collection of earrings. They each have an 8mm Swarovski crystal and are set on our handmade 22 gauge 12K gold-filled ear wires. They have been made just as the originals. Following are pictures of the entire five-piece series, available for purchase on our website or at our store:

For more information on the Hannah Series, or to purchase these earrings, visit Fo-Shizzle Design Studios

Easiest-ever Chocolate Truffles

2009-08-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

With the holidays creeping up upon us, it's time to start thinking about those holiday gatherings and get togethers. If you're like me, no matter who's having the gathering you'll ask if you can bring something (food, drink, etc.). Even if the host or hostess expressly denies the need for anything additional, I will always bring a little something anyway, and leave it up to them to put it out for the gathering or keep it for themselves.

One of the easiest and most raved about foods I've made I found in a Better Homes and Garden magazine and altered it slightly to suit my taste. The original recipe was for chocolate truffles, made from Oreo cookies and dipped in white chocolate. Personally I prefer my chocolate to actually have a CHOCOLATE taste -- so for me, the white chocolate was out.

I've now made every flavor that Nabisco Oreos have to offer, and everyone I've give these truffles to has begged for more. Here's the general (altered) recipe:

1 package (16 oz.) Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I use a food processor to get them ultra-fine and powdery.

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

2 packages (8 oz. each) Bakers' semi-sweet baking chocolate, or 4 cups of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Place cream cheese in mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until softened. Add crushed cookies and mix well. Cover bowl and put in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or until firm.

Roll mixture into approximately 40 - 45 small balls (diameter of a quarter). Place on waxed paper and put in freezer for 1 hour.

Melt chocolate or chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip balls in melted chocolate and place back on waxed paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Variations: Peanut Butter Oreos, Double Fudge Oreos, Mint Chocolate Oreos (my favorite).

Our July Free Jewelry Winner ANNOUNCED!

2009-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Peter P. from Rochester New York!

Peter won the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios' MONTHLY GIVEAWAY for June, 2009! His free jewelry was "Lilies", a pair of Lucite and crystal earrings.

I know they will look great on you Peter! (giggle)

If you would like to register for your chance to win free jewelry, click here and sign up for our monthly newsletter!

SATURDAY SALE! 8/8/09 Everything in AF store 50% off!

2009-08-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Fo-Shizzle Design Studios' Art Fire Store

Why am I having a 50% off sale?

Each year, I donate to the Lupus Foundation of America. Last year a little over $3,000.00 was raised from sales, dart tournaments and other fun events and given to the LFA during October, which for those of you who may be unaware, is Lupus Awareness Month.

This year, however, one of our events was canceled so I am relying more on sales and a "Walk For Lupus Now" event at the end of this month to be able to fulfill my goal of matching last years' donations. We raised over $300.00 during our the previous store sales, but still have a long way to go -- and let's face it -- October is going to be here quicker than we think.

Tomorrow only, all items in our AF store will be reduced 50%. Hopefully for those of you who've been eyeballing our items in the past, this will be enough incentive to make that purchase.

100% of the proceeds from all sales tomorrow will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America.

If you do not care to make a purchase, but would like to become a team member of, or make a donation for the "Walk For Lupus Now" event, click on the link and read more about this wonderful charity event. I'm going to be walking it (fingers crossed) for the first time this year, with the aid of my daughters.

Thank you all in advance for your support!

~ Mischelle (aka "Mzz Thang")

Antonia - Sterling silver and Aquamarine Briolette Earrings

2009-08-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

This is one of my newest listings on Art Fire.

"Antonia": Hand-formed sterling silver 14 gauge bead wire surrounding 22 gauge sterling round wire, sporting brilliant genuine aquamarine faceted 6x8mm briolettes. 2" length from the bottom of the sterling silver ear wires.

Check them out here and take a look at our other new listings by visiting our Art Fire store.

Hope For a New Lupus Treatment...

2009-07-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

HOPE FOR A NEW LUPUS TREATMENT REVEALED

Earlier this month, the promising results of a potential new treatment for lupus -- BENLYSTA™ -- were announced. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), BENLYSTA would be the first new lupus treatment in more than 50 years and the first drug ever developed specifically for lupus.

Now more than ever we need your support. It is critical that we continue to fund our research program to find additional therapies needed to manage this disease, and find ways to fully restore the quality of life that people with lupus once knew.

While more research is required for FDA approval, the results are encouraging. The study provides new hope for people with lupus … the type of hope that the LFA continues to advance thanks to supporters like you.

Physicians need a complete arsenal of therapies to provide the individualized treatment that lupus requires. With your help, we can ensure that they will.
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A GIANT LEAP FOR LUPUS

astronaut It is likely that we will all remember July 20, 2009, not only as the anniversary of the first moon landing, but also when a historic breakthrough in lupus occurred. The Lupus Foundation of America is celebrating the positive results of BENLYSTA™ announced by Human Genome Sciences. Only top-line results of the first of two studies have been released thus far. Additional details of the results will be presented later this year at a major scientific meeting. In addition, we eagerly await the results of the longer-term Phase III clinical trial to be released in November when the study is completed.

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Join One of the LFA's August Walk for Lupus Now Events

The Walk for Lupus Now season continues, with monies raised from these events going to support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

If you are in the San Francisco/East Bay Area, join my team in the Walk For Lupus Now event on August 30, 2009.

If you are unable to join me for this event, please visit my sponsor page and help find a treatment or a cure for this chronic and debilitating disease.

For more information on what Lupus is, or how you can help, visit www.Lupus.org

2009-07-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Family & Friends:

I will be participating in this year's Walk for Lupus Now® to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America. Walk for Lupus Now is the signature event of the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. In more than 75 cities across America, thousands of people walk to make a difference in the lives of those affected by lupus and to raise essential funds for research, education, and support services. I am writing to ask you for your support and help me reach my fundraising goal.

It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus. Lupus is an acute and chronic (lifelong) autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system in the body. November 2008 marked 50 years since a drug has been approved for the treatment of lupus. There is hope on the horizon, and with your help we can find better treatments and a cure for lupus.

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. The LFA and its nationwide network of nearly 300 chapters, branches, and support groups conduct programs of research, education, and advocacy.

You can help me reach my goal by making a secure online donation. Just click on the link below and you will be taken to my personal donation page.

Making a difference starts with one step. Thank you for taking this step!

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://donate.lupus.org/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1694782&pg=personal&fr_id=1160&et=2_t9dHqN1YvL6knD5o-uHw..&s_tafId=1487

Click here to view the team page for Just a Little Loopy
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://donate.lupus.org/site/TR/Walk/General?team_id=6420&pg=team&fr_id=1160&et=PaMWwJ6jqUEAhc_6ITaovQ..&s_tafId=1487

The Lupus Foundation of America is the nation’s leading nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support and services to all people affected by lupus.

Grandpa would be very proud...

2009-07-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

I got to babysit my grandson today. Not that that's really anything new, exactly, as I take care of him every Wednesday while his mom and dad are both at work. Damian is now three months old, but I swear - it seems like he was just born yesterday.

Each week, I see such drastic advances and changes in him. He's just growing up so fast, and each time that I see him there's something new. It's not like he learned to coo and then that's all that he does for a few months.

No. He's already rolling over, sitting up almost entirely on his own and standing on his two feet with nothing more than the support of me holding his hands. I swear, this kid is going to be driving a car even before he learns how to crawl.

Anyway, I though I would post today's video short, featuring none other than my 3 month old grandson, Damian.

Today (July 7th) is CHOCOLATE DAY!

2009-07-06T18:42:00.001-07:00

I've been waiting all year for this day to finally arrive, like a wide-eyed little girl who's just been handed a really big present.

Chocolate Day is the perfect opportunity to eat you favorite chocolates in ample portions. Do you really need another excuse to over indulge with your favorite food treat?

Chocolate is America's favorite flavor. It's the flavor of choice in candies, ice cream, cakes, breakfast cereal, toppings, and a whole host of desserts. Unequaled in popularity, it certainly deserves a day in it's honor.

Did you know? Chocolate is a vegetable. It comes from the Cacao tree found in rain forests.

Now that I've bored you all with chocolate facts that I'm sure you already knew, here are some of my favorite chocolate pieces by extremely talented artists at Art Fire. You can click on the photos to take you directly to their Art Fire Stores.

How about these delicious looking Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Laura Lees Tasty Treats? OMG! I'm drooling already!

And how cute is this? Miniature Triple Layer Chocolate Cake from Kawaii Doll House Miniatures Shop:

If only my daughters were still little (my youngest is now 23)!
Hootibee's has the absolute cutest bows, hats, and everything to make your your youngsters look dashing! I love this Chocolate Polka Dot Curly Q Bow!

Wouldn't it be nice to have a chocolate in every room?
Well now you can, and you won't even gain a ounce! These Chocolate Chip Cookie Round Light Switches are for the serious chocolate lover! Decorate your whole house in chocolate!

Mmmmm...how delectable! Chocolate Cake with Pink Frosting bracelet from Risky Beads. This bracelet is to die for! Love the vintage pink "frosting" beads!

Ya know, Veterinarians will tell you that you should never give chocolate to a dog. I'm no vet, but I certainly have to disagree with that statement! I think every dog should be given chocolate. Specially when it's a Chocolate & Blue Floral Dog Harness from Spoiled Bratzwear Canine Couture!

Hey! No fair keeping all the chocolate to yourself! C'mon! Share it with a friend! It's easy to do with this "ChocoCult" Set of 5 Yummy Envelopes and Cards!

I don't need to tell you what to do to celebrate this day, do I?

Eat (and buy) Chocolate! And don't forget to share it with your very best friend!

Uh... I was talking about me.

Today is Compliment Your Mirror Day! (July 3rd)

2009-07-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Compliment Your Mirror Day (really!).

Now, here is what you need to do.........

Stand in front of your mirror with your eyes closed. Put a big smile on your face.... a BIG smile. Now, open your eyes. Isn't the picture of the person in your mirror absolutely stunning!? The person in your mirror is beautiful (or handsome).

So, compliment your mirror for displaying this beautiful person.

If you don't have a mirror, then let me introduce you to some wonderful artists at Art Fire, who can assist you with seeing the beautiful person that you are (Pictures of these items are below).

1.) BIG HELMET HEAD has several pocket mirrors to choose from! This one is my personal favorite (the mirror part is on the back side)

2.) How about a nice table top mirror? This lovely piece of mosaic art is from Crystal Diamond Designs

3.) There's beautiful handheld mirrors from Bark Up A Tree Woodworks (love the Zebra wood!)

4.) Maybe something in a "beachy decor" is more your style? Beautiful seashell mirrors by Beach Grass Cottage

5.) Speaking of hand mirrors, check out this one from jimt2099

6.) And on the softer side, this hand painted mirror by A Stroke of Jeanne-ius is gorgeous!

7.) And if you have no place for a mirror, there's always this wonderful artwork by NEW Prints

Whatever you do, realize that you are unique, one of a kind and a truly beautiful person.

Click on any of the pictures below to view these wonderful pieces.

Coming Up Next: Chocolate Day (July 7th)

Monthly Giveaway Winner for June, 2009

2009-07-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome response to our newsletter sign-up in June, as one lucky winner of our Monthly Giveaway was set to receive a "Summer Cha-Cha" bracelet, filled with pastel colored glass pearls on a silver plated chain. 871 (yes..that's eight hundred and seventy one!) people signed up to receive our monthly newsletter, registering for their chance at winning the bracelet.

The lucky winner this month is Janie L. from Arkansas!

To enter our monthly giveaway, simply visit www.Fo-Shizzle.com and click on the "Win FREE Jewelry" link on the left side of any page.

If you have previously entered one of our giveaways and are a current subscriber to our newsletter, you are AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED into the drawing, however you may increase your chances of obtaining free jewelry from the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios by having your friends and family sign up for our newsletter! Simply ask them to place your first and last name and your e-mail address in the "referred by" area of the form. The person who refers the MOST people during the month of June will receive a custom one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry from the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios!

So, sign-up for our newsletter, tell all your friends and family to do the same...and good luck!

~ Mzz Thang

Damian - 3 months old

2009-07-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

He's chatting up a storm these days!
The two clips are from my daughters camera phone, so they're kinda digitized.

I like to be on top!

2009-06-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

No, that's not what I meant! Get your mind out of the gutter already! LOL!

There's a new website, which ranks an individuals Art Fire store into the "top 100" simply by the amount of traffic received by clicking on it's link.

There's no "prize" and no real "winner" (except just the fun of being at the top of the list), but for those of you reading this blog post -- and I know that's less than a hand full -- if you don't mind, could you please click on this link, find my Fo-Shizzle Design Studios banner and click on it? I would be most appreciative if you did.

If you are signed up for this, I will most gladly do the same in return, just let me know.

Thanks, and don't forget to click, enter, and click on my banner!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Bread

2009-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

My husband is a fan of all things chocolate (gotta love him!). He despises anything green that resembles a fruit or vegetable, unless of course it's hidden among other foods (that have a chocolate taste, of course!).

I recently made a banana bread with chocolate chunks that he absolutely loves, and thought I'd share the recipe with you.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHUNK BREAD

2 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into small pieces
--------------
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a non-stick bread loaf pan lightly with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In mixer at medium-high speed, cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy.
Add mashed ripe bananas and mix on low until well blended.
Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Add chocolate chunks and stir until well blended.

Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Slice and serve warm, or let cool completely.

Enjoy!

HUGE bead giveaway!

2009-06-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Silver Parrot Designs is having an awesome bead giveaway that ends TONIGHT! I would love to win this! There's some fantastic stuff there!

Anyway, get on over there and post your "linky love" before midnight tonight!

Finger crossed!

Damian, 2 months old

2009-06-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

I adore my grandson! He's 2 months old now. He's starting to make the cutest sounds and gurgles, becoming more aware of his own voice.

Here's a quick video my daughter took. She did it on her cell phone (which is why it's so "digitized"), but in between my daughters noises, you can hear Damian.

Awwww!

June Giveaway!

2009-06-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last month, we gave away 31 pairs of freshwater pearl and sterling silver earrings (one pair each day throughout the month of May) during our "May Madness" event!

This month's giveaway is a "Summer Cha-Cha" bracelet, filled with pastel colored glass pearls and set on a sturdy silver plated bracelet chain.

To enter our monthly giveaway, simply visit www.Fo-Shizzle.com and click on the "Win FREE Jewelry" link on the left side of any page.

If you have previously entered one of our giveaways and are a current subscriber to our newsletter, you are AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED into the drawing, however you may increase your chances of obtaining free jewelry from the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios by having your friends and family sign up for our newsletter! Simply ask them to place your first and last name and your e-mail address in the "referred by" area of the form. The person who refers the MOST people during the month of June will receive a custom one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry from the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios!

So, sign-up for our newsletter, tell all your friends and family to do the same...and good luck!

~ Mzz Thang

Drum Roll...please!

2009-05-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

As the entries continue to pour in, this blog post will be continually updated with the daily winners of the Fo-Shizzle Design Studios "May Madness" - a chance to win a pair of genuine pearl and silver earrings - which is going on each day throughout the month of May.

Below is a list of the "May Madness" daily winners:

May 1st - Joanna S., NY
May 2nd - Doris K., WI
May 3rd - Ismaela P., India
May 4th - Deborah A., TN
May 5th - Beth Ann B., TX
May 6th - Mary R., CA
May 7th - Mary H., MS
May 8th - Paul M., CO
May 9th - Terra H., TX
May 10th - Richard T., HI
May 11th - Jill W., TN
May 12th - Timothy H., CT
May 13th - Christine F., DE
May 14th - Cindee B., NM
May 15th - Steve T., IN
May 16th - Jillian C., UK
May 17th - Tammy J., TX
May 18th - Pat K., IL
May 19th - Donna S., AR
May 20th - Cynthia L., TX
May 21st - Polly G., NH
May 22nd - Peter S., WI
May 23rd - Gary H., TX
May 24th - Jenny G., WI
May 25th - Maxine H., FL
May 26th - Sandra H., CA
May 27th - Kim T., CT
May 28th - William P., IN
May 29th - Joan S., MA
May 30th - Alicia A., FL
May 31st -

If you haven't registered for our "May Madness" daily giveaway, you can enter any time up until 11:59pm on May 31st, at www.Fo-Shizzle.com If you have already registered, then thanks again for playing, and get ready for our NEXT big giveaway!

Get ready for MAY MADNESS!

2009-04-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Every day throughout the month of May we're giving away a FREE pair of Genuine Pearl and Sterling Silver dangle earrings!

One winner will be selected at random for each day beginning May 1st and ending May 31st from a list of the total number of completed online submissions and in-store submissions, using the True Random Number Generator at www.random.org.

All winners will be posted on our blog following "giveaway" notifications.

Earring Details: Genuine Pearl Dangle Earrings
Size: 6.5mm Natural White Color.
Shape: Round (off), Hand-picked to match.
Solid Sterling Silver ear wires.
Retail Value of up to: $50.00

To register for your chance to win, simply visit www.Fo-Shizzle.com and click on the "WIN FREE JEWELRY" tab on the left side of the page!

Good luck!

SPRING!

2009-04-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

From new budding on the trees and warming temperatures, to the animals peeking out of their winter hideaways, there seems to be a promise of new birth and color in the springtime air. This month's theme is SPRING, and below are just a few selections of my favorite Spring artwork created by Art Fire artisans. Click on the links to go directly to their online stores for more fine artwork!

These fantastic butterfly wing earrings are from Suantova, hand made by Tommy Venable. The butterfly wing is coated clear resin to give a glass like finish. Each wing is approximately 1 1/4" x 3/4" Total length of earrings is approximately 2 inches.
Gorgeous!

These are just TOO CUTE! From barretzz come these Adorable booties -- 100% Cotton fabric outside, with warm white wool felt inside and a satin bow -- specially for your little princess!

This lovely oval dried flower wreath from NHWoodscreations just screams SPRING! Gorgeous actual dried flowers are handwired into this wreath (no silk or artificial stuff used here!).

"Savannah's Spring" Giclee by Embellaments. Limited to a number of 250 and hand signed by artist.

Gorgeous Art Tile Pendant by ArtfullPendants. Each pendant is hand created from an original painted work or photograph

WallPaperWigWam created these sweet little bags out of wallpaper! These sweet little bags are suitable for just about any spring and/or summertime occasion: And they're reusable! The bags don't lie as flat as the ones you purchase in the store because the paper is thicker and the bottoms have been reinforced with poster board.

My next door neighbor has the most beautiful flowers and plants that she meticulously cares for each day... So I, Mzz Thang of Fo-Shizzle Design Studios, created this springtime bracelet using purples, fuchsias, blues, whites and greens. Gorgeous lentil lampwork beads by the very talented Kari Persson, aurora borealis glass beads, vintage Lucite, Swarovski crystals, Amethyst drops, purple jade and three adorable silver butterflies.

Pay It Forward!!

2009-04-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am currently following several blogs, and one of them, http://djstoreroom.blogspot.com recently had a fabulous giveaway. It was such a great idea that I decided to join in and do the same.

So...

Here are the Rules:
1. Be one of the first three bloggers to "follow" my blog and leave a comment at the end of this post, which entitles you to a handmade gift.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who "follow" you and leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift you send can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love
5. If you are not one of the Top Three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Please start your own 'Pay It Forward chain', and encourage your blogging friends to do the same.

And, I would be most pleased if you could just join in the fun!!

Click the "follow me" button first, then leave your comments below. And remember to include your email address so that I may be able to contact you!!

~ Mzz Thang
Fo-Shizzle Design Studios

Why the Hell did you name your store Fo-Shizzle?

2009-04-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky in many ways. Lately, it's been with the opening of my brick and mortar jewelry store. It's located inside of a bowling alley and although many may not find that the ideal place for a jewelry store, it hasn't necessarily been such a bad thing. In fact, it's like being at a craft fair five days a week. With the steady flow of people in the bowling alley (whether they just be "looky-loos" or people actually making a purchase), sales have been extremely good during the first month of being open.

On Friday and Saturday nights, the bowling alley hosts what is known to the locals as "Celestial Thunder" -- a place for teens and adults to hang out and bowl as much as they want between 10:00pm and 1:00am - complete with loud music, black lights, dancing light shows and a live DJ.

My husband and I are "bouncers" during Celestial Thunder, and I've overheard several of the patrons laugh as they read my jewelry store sign, look at each other and exclaim "FO-SHIZZLE!"; and on occasion I've heard them still talking about it as they walked away.

Last night, as this same scenario repeated itself, I walked up to the five girls that were mocking my store name, and asked if they would like to go inside and look at the jewelry. One of them (in a somewhat "valley-girl" accent asked me "Why the Hell did you name your store Fo-Shizzle?"

"Two reasons", I told her. "The first is because about 34 years ago I was given the stage name (nickname) "Mzz Thang" by my band members (I was the only female in the band and the members were predominantly African-American) and Fo-Shizzle just seemed to fit along with my nickname." "The other", I continued, "Is because of young people like you, who have heard that word before. In fact, how many times in the past five minutes have you all said Fo-Shizzle?"

They had to think about it for a moment. "Nine that I counted", I said. "And you know what? Each time you see or hear that word somewhere else, I guarantee that you are going to think about my jewelry store!"

Most of them looked at me with a blank stare, but I saw the light bulb going off over one young girls head as she figured it out. "Wow", she said. "You're probably right."

"That's tight!" another one said.

Although they decided at that moment that drawing all over each other in yellow highlighters (it shows well under the black lights) was more important than looking at my jewelry, I'll bet any amount of money that they will never forget my little jewelry store in the bowling alley...each and every time they hear that word.

Fo-Shizzle.

Dragonflies and Damselflies

2009-03-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Although I thought it was still pretty early (and too cold outside), I saw my first dragonfly of the season in my backyard today. So this months artisan collage is all about dragonflies and damselflies.

This is but a small sampling of some of my favorite handcrafted dragonfly pieces. Support these fine artisans and enjoy!

LAUGHING DRAGONFLY GIFT TAGS / CARDS - by Rustic Diva Designs

Retro paper with a bit of whimsy. Each hand-cut and hand-stamped hanging card or tag is also enhanced with a bit of color in the dragonflies. Great for gifts, floral bouquets or whatever you'd like.
Check out the rest of Rustic Diva Designs creative crafts here.

DRAGONFLY PENDANT - by Kabi Designs

Karina at Kabi Designs is one of my personal favorite polymer clay artists on Art Fire. She has an artistic gift which allows her to create far beyond one's wildest imagination. This dragonfly pendant is completely made of polymer clay, Pearl Ex, and liquid clear medium Kato clay. The dragonfly wings were made with a cane handcrafted by Karina. To view more Kabi Designs artwork, click here.

PEACH DRAGONFLY GOAT MILK SOAP - by Maple Street Creations

A bright and cheery welcome spring soap. Dragonfly shaped and colored in peach and yellow and made of goats milk. Goats milk is good for sensitive skin, or dry skin. This is a 3.5 ounce bar. Just peachy smells just like it sounds. Yummy! For more scrumptious soaps and lotions, visit Maple Street Creations here.

"FEELIN' GOOD" HANDMADE EMBOSSED PAPER-DRAGONFLIES & BUTTERLFIES - by Jupiter Sinclair

6 sheets of handmade recycled paper embossed with dragonflies and butterflies. Each sheets measures 5 x 7 (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm) and is a yellow-green hue and also has wildflower seeds embedded in it. These sheets could be used for many different projects,such as card making,scrapbooking,book binding (I think they'd make lovely endpapers!),art journals,photo backgrounds,handmade soap wrappers and more. For more of Jupiter Sinclairs creative work and embellishments, visit here.

BUTTON, CERAMIC WITH DRAGONFLY - by PS Pottery

The button is made from a gray clay with a dragonfly design. The design is created by putting a paper dragonfly cut out on the wet clay. The clay is then covered with seagreen, lavender and a touch of yellow slip (colored clay), fired, and then covered with a clear glaze. To see more art by PS Pottery, click here.

ACEO GICLEE PRINT-DRAGONFLY DREAMING - by KD' Art Studios

This is a limited edition ACEO Giclee Print, Digitally created by KDuff in 2008.
Although KD' Art Studios is a relatively new shop, I hope they will continue to add more items and enjoy the Art Fire experience! KD's Art Studios can be found here.

DRILL BIT DRAGONFLY - by Dwayne Bulla

Made from a discarded auger bit, this whimsical dragonfly never strays very far. Actually, he never goes anywhere! He's permanently perched atop a 14" stake and will accent your favorite garden flower. Check out more of Dwayne's "junk metal art" here!

DAMSELFLY DREAMS - by Fo-Shizzle Design Studios (me)

Gorgeous polished white turquoise with deep brown matrix suspended from antiqued brass chain. Two small brass damselflies dangle below the 25mm round focal. Wire clasp closure. To see more of my latest creations, visit our Art Fire store here or our webstore at www.Fo-Shizzle.com

The (almost) Finished Store!

2009-03-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

There's still a few finishing touches left to do... like hanging the spool racks in the work area, installing the rest of the storage bins on the back walls and installing the actual sign on the front (no more paper banner). The last two pics are of my small (but definitely manageable) workspace. However early this morning (before the rest of the building was even opened) I took a few pics of the "new store" (I just love saying that..."New store" LOL!) to show you how things have progressed. If you don't know what it looked like before, here's the link: the old pro shop

The Store - BEFORE

2009-03-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Not sure why it looks like it rained on my camera lens, but if you look in-between the "sprinkles" You'll see what a mess this place was before.

Wow... seems like it's taken an eternity!

2009-03-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

In one of my last blog posts (a month ago already?) I wrote about how I was moving my jewelry store to a new location, and out of my home. It's been an extremely long process preparing the new building location for move-in, but it's almost finished. You see, I received the keys to the building on January 20th, but we were not allowed to enter the store until the previous tenant had completely cleared his belongings. At that time, the landlord had told my husband and I that he would not allow any alterations, or any painting done to the building. The whole place had very dark wood slatted walls inside, and the previous tenant had left carpeting that probably had some of every type of alcohol available at the bowling alley bar spilled on it. It wreaked heavily of beer and the smell was overpowering. Definitely not the best atmosphere for a jewelry store.

January 28th we were allowed access to the store. I spent much of that day steam cleaning the carpet. The next day, I had to clean it all over again and even after I had it cleaned twice, the stains remained and it still wreaked. We decided to tear out the carpet and replace it with a large chiseled area rug that we had purchased several years ago. My husband pleaded with the landlord to let us paint the interior walls and he finally said "ok". This is when most of the headaches began.

February 2nd I went to our local Home Depot to get a gallon of primer. Knowing that these wood slat walls were 70+ years old, I didn't think slapping some paint alone one them was going to do the trick. The paint department manager decided that I needed a special kind of "bonding" primer, and proceeded to sell me a gallon of it at the cost of $43.00. Although this was a bit more than I had hoped to pay, he assured me that this was the best stuff to use for the surface I needed to prime. As I returned to the new store, I called my husband and broke the news to him that instead of our "usual date night dinner out", I had spent a great portion of my pocket change on primer, so he'd have to settle for my own cooking and possibly a rented movie.

Later that night, we decided to go to the store and start priming. We were hoping to get it done in one night, painted the next and I could have started moving things in on or around February 4th. I was just hoping to be all set up by Valentines day -- HOWEVER -- we ran into just a few snags. You see, during the "old days" (or as my husband says "when I was just a young boy") people used to be able to smoke in the bowling alley. In fact, it was until just a few years ago that people were allowed to smoke in there and because of the years of prior cigarette smoke, my dark wood slat walls were filled with nicotine. My husband and I spent two days priming the whole building inside, only to have all of that nicotine come pouring back out of the walls! On Feb 4th, I went back to Home Depot for another gallon. This time, there was a new "manager" on duty. He told me that the previous "manager" had sold us the wrong primer, and that we should have been using a Kilz123 to cover the nicotine. Another gallon of primer, another $40.00, another couple of days set-back. After using the entire gallon of the Kilz123, we realized that it was no better than the first stuff. The nicotine still came out of the walls. So -- after a third gallon of primer and yet more lost days before I could move in, we decided that three coats was going to be IT. If the nicotine still showed through. TOUGH BEANS!

On February 10th we headed back to Home Depot for some paint. I decided on a nice pale violet color for the walls (after all, it is my "signature" color ) and after completely putting the first coat of paint on, and going through the entire gallon, we knew that the walls were going to need a second coat. February 12th - Back again to Home Depot. I handed the guy behind the paint counter (possibly the only employee at Home Depot that didn't have "manager" on his name tag) the paint chip selection that I had saved from the previous gallon. He swiftly mixed up a second gallon of paint and I headed beck to the store to finally finish painting. I was so excited at the thought of being able to start moving display cases in and maybe even opening on Valentines day!

But as we were putting the second coat of paint on, I noticed that it didn't quite look the same. My husband assured me that it was, and that it probably looked different because I was now painting over a lighter color, rather than the dark wood walls -- but when it dried it would be the same.

NOT!

Early morning on February 14th, I loaded a couple of display cabinets in the van, and drove to the store. When I opened the door and turned on the lights I was horrified! The room was a bright pink! I immediately called Home Depot and told them that the two gallons of paint they had mixed weren't the same color. I brought both cans back where the mistake was finally discovered: Our original paint color was called "Misty Violet". The second can was labeled "Violet Mist". Two different colors!

Now Home Depot realized they had made a mistake, so they gave us a third gallon of the correct color, free. But once again, we had to take the time to paint the whole room again, and this (again) set us back yet another couple of days.

February 17th --I was completely bummed that I wasn't able to open for Valentines day. We finished painting and went home to crash. I felt so sorry for my husband. He works very hard all day long, and had still spent the the past 19 evenings working with me until sometimes 2:00am, trying to get my store ready. And it wasn't over yet! We still had lots to do, like move supply cabinets in and hang them on the walls, build a work bench and do some other finishing touches here and there.

Today, as I write this blog post, it's March 9th. I've been opened for one week now. It took from January 28th until March 2nd to prepare the store. There's still a few minor things that we are going to do, but for the most part. It's done. You'd think that for a small place (9 X 13), it wouldn't be so difficult. NOT.

Even though I've overheard several passers-by make fun of my store name (hey, at least they'll REMEMBER it), sales were pretty good for the first 7 days of being in business in a new location. In-store sales alone totaled approximately $660.00 and I've already received four requests for custom work.

If things stay moving at this pace, I'll be real happy. If not, You may just see me behind the paint counter, working at Home Depot.

I'll be the one with "manager" written on my name tag.

~ Mzz Thang

Win a $50.00 Gift Certificate! Participate in the "Treasure Hunt" at Art Fire! (Feb. 10-16)

2009-02-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

Sign up to participate in the "TREASURE HUNT" at Art Fire! You may win a $50.00 Gift Voucher redeemable for fantastic handcrafted goods at participating Art Fire artisan shops!

The "Treasure Hunt" is going on from February 10th through February 16th. Participating in the "hunt" costs only $1.00 per entry, and you may enter as often as you wish!

Simply click on the "Treasure Hunt Registration" link below to sign up. After registering to enter, you will be directed to your treasure hunt HINTS/QUESTIONS. You are welcome to begin the treasure hunt at any time, but remember - to be eligible for the gift certificate you must not submit your answers until February 10th

TREASURE HUNT REGISTRATION

CHOCOLATE!

2009-01-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hello,

My name is Mzz Thang and I'm a chocoholic (giggle).

Ahhh...Chocolate. It's my favorite food. I have a passion for chocolate that far exceeds a simple love of sweetness. In fact, I personally believe that chocolate should be in it's own food group. It's the everyday "feel good" food (although you may not feel too good if you eat too much of it), and has been linked to maintaining a healthy heart. Who knew?

Anyway, this months artisan collage is all about chocolate: its color, taste, aroma, etc. This is but a small sampling of some of my favorite handcrafted chocolate pieces. Support these fine artisans and enjoy!

CHOCOLATE GIFT TAGS - by Pie Safe Paper Goods
Wouldn't this be adorable attached to a box of chocolates or a great tag for that chocolate lover? Chocolate is always a good gift and this tag could be used at any time really. Check out the rest of Pie Safe Paper Goods creative crafts here.

CHOCOLATE DOUBLE DOT RIBBON - from Timeless Paper Arts

The printed dots on BOTH sides of the grosgrain ribbon allow crafters to tie bows or knots and not lose the dotted look. Yummy! Visit Timeless paper Arts for more crafting supplies here.

CHOCOLATE CAKE LIP BALM - by Adamsboro Sundries
Get your chocolate "fix" and moisurize your lips at the same time! MMmmm!
For more wonderful soaps, lip balms and fragrance oils, visit Adamsboro Sundries here.

SISTERS AND CHOCOLATE - by Lisa Ashby Designs
Show your sister how much you love her by sending her this unique handmade card. The sentiment reads "Sisters and chocolate make life bearable."
For more cute handmade cards, visit Lisa Ashby Designs here.

MY BIG FAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - by Laura Lee's Tasty Treats

Who can resist these? Perfect for a simple "thank you" gift or just to say "Hi", these big chocolate chip cookies are available in quantities of two, each measuring approximately 4-4 1/2".
To taste Laura Lees Tasty treats, visit here.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE GOATS MILK SOAP - by Crazy K Bath & Body

This soap looks so real! It smells like the real thing too. This soap is made with Goat's milk which is very gentle and great for your skin.
For lots of fun ways to get clean, visit Crazy K Bath & Body here.

CHOCOLATE CAKE SLICE CHARM - by Fancy Guppy
This little slice of chocolate cake with strawberry slices is made from polymer clay, and is a perfect charm for a necklace or anything else that needs a little sweetness!
For more polymer clay fancy food charms, visit Fancy Guppy here.

CHOCOLATE DROP EARRINGS - by Bijoux Designs For You

These fun hoops are accented with striped glass chocolate ovals and topped with a sparkly dark chocolate seed bead.
To see more of Bijoux Designs For You fantastic jewelry creations, visit here.

MINI OREOS CHANGE POUCH - by MoJo
Just the thing to keep your lunch money handy! The outside of this adorable little change pouch is made from a recycled mini oreo cookies package and clear vinyl. Fabric lined and zipper closure.
Check out more of MoJo's recycled craft items here.

CHOCOLATE ROSE ROMANCE BLACK TEA BLEND - by LiberTeas

Imagine decadent, sinful chocolate flavor without the calories!The rich flavor of the chocolate in this tea is very prominent, as well as very subtle hints of vanilla. For more delectable delight from LiberTeas, visit here.

CHOCOLATE MOCHA FLORAL TOTE - by Bags By April

Made from high quality cotton quilting fabric and reinforced with cotton interfacing to give the bag shape and structure.
For more cute tote Bags By April, visit here.

BUN IN THE OVEN MATERNITY TOP - by Jellybean Apparel

I almost wish I were pregnant again just to be able to wear this! Polyester/Spandex/Rayon blend. The material is soft and stretchy, so it will grow with you! For more moms (& dads!) maternity clothing from Jellybean Apparel, visit here.

And, the last one for today is:

LE CHOCOLAT - By Mzz Thang (me)
Lustrous chocolate and creamy white pearls along with "drizzled" coco jasper make up this triple-strand bracelet. For every chocolate goddess, this piece is delicious, fresh and refined.

To visit my Art Fire store, please click here.

2009-01-30T11:02:00.001-08:00

FREE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!

2009-01-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ahhh.... love is in the air!

So in honor of Valentine's Day, Fo-Shizzle Design Studios is giving away free jewelry!

Your free jewelry can be anything you'd like from our Art Fire store or Fo-Shizzle website (www.Fo-Shizzle.com) valued at up to $50.00 -- or -- you can choose to have a piece custom made specially for you!

To enter this free jewelry giveaway, simply fill out the form here by noon pacific time, February 14th, telling us what your favorite piece of jewelry is and why -- and -- don't forget to follow us on our blog to stay informed of our next giveaway!

Good luck and lots of love!

~ Mzz Thang

The Perfect Gift, Anytime of Year!

2009-01-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last October, as I was just finishing up the "basics" to my web store (www.Fo-Shizzle.com), I decided to think ahead as to what special item or items I could offer for the Holiday Season to help promote my new online store. The idea that I came up is an "Earring of the Month Club" -- which is certainly nothing new to the typical online shopper -- however it was a huge success over the holidays, so I decided to keep it as a year-round product.

Our Earring of the Month Club is a great way to give the gift that keeps on giving, with a 6-month subscription at the low price of only $90.00, with free shipping! The customer chooses what color metal they prefer (gold, silver or both), as well as bright or neutral colors. Each pair of earrings are one of a kind, so no two customers will ever be sent the same pair or style.

If you would like to become a member of the Earring of the Month Club, or know someone who's celebrating a birthday, anniversay, or any special occassion, visit us at www.Fo-Shizzle.com today, and click on the link "Join the Earring of the Month Club".

Potato Chowder

2009-01-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm making an old family favorite, Potato Chowder. It's one of those soups that are the perfect "comfort food" during the cold, rainy season.

INGREDIENTS:
4 strips bacon
1/3 cup chopped white or yellow onion
2 cups diced raw potatoes
1/2 cup sliced fresh carrots
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons diced green onions or chives (optional)

PREPARATION:
Fry bacon until crisp in a saucepan large enough for making soup. Remove bacon and crumble. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add potatoes, carrots, chicken stock and salt. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add seasonings. Blend flour with milk and add to the vegetable mixture, stirring constantly. Heat until slightly thickened. Serve in bowls, sprinkling crumbled bacon over the soup (optional: sprinkle cheddar cheese and green onions over soup before serving).

This is where the Magic Happens!

2009-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

My father was a sign painter for over 50 years before retiring. He did everything from hand letting and hand painted pinstriping on vehicles, gold leaf on windows and sandblasted redwood signs, among hundreds of other styles. I worked for him throughout college and he taught me much about the business. My favorite of all time though, was doing the sandblasted signs.

I stumbled upon a seller at Art Fire yesterday, who does the most incredible sandblasted signs (almost as good as my dads - lol!) and I was taken back to the days fondly remembering when I worked for him.

The seller is lorienmalacek, also known as Words in Wood. Fantastic custom sandblasted signs, for any occasion. Weddings, home address, special events, new businesses, whatever the need, they can customize one just for you. Their prices are far more than reasonable too! So visit them at Art Fire and let them create a custom sign for you!

3 Weeks - 9 Pounds

2009-01-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

It's day 21 of my "diet".

Yup, I made that once a year resolution to start eating better and hopefully to lose a few pounds. No more late night bowls of ice cream with my hubby, no more trips to grab fast food when I don't really feel like cooking, no more baking a cake or a pie, and having it totally devoured by the next day.

So far so good though. I've renewed my love for cooking and at the same time, lost 9 pounds. It's really not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I have a few friends who have undergone the bariatric surgery, only to regain much of their weight back because they wouldn't stick to the new method of eating. One of them was under the impression that once she had lost all the weight she wanted, she could go back to eating a whole large Roundtable pizza, or enter a pie-eating contest at the local school carnival. She gained back more weight than she had lost, after spending over $15,000 for the surgery (including having fat liposuctioned out of her uper arms)!

I decided to try something different. I am not a candidate for bariatric surgery due to having SLE, but decided that if the total results from the surgery depends on making a life-choice of eating better, with smaller amounts, then why couldn't I just do that without having the surgery?

I started a method of eating more food, yet still lost weight. I eat every two hours. That's it. Every two hours I have a small portion (no larger than the size of my fist) of food -- good food, like carrot or celery sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, etc. Then for dinner I have a small portion of whatever I've made for dinner that night (again, no larger than the size of my fist). Feeding small amounts of food to my stomach every two hours keeps me from ever feeling hungry, and I don't totally gorge myself around mealtime. I also make sure to drink the full 8 glasses of water each day.

I've found that not only have I lost some weight, but I'm sleeping better, have more energy and am generally happier with myself. Only 40 more pounds to go.....

Pastitsio

2009-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm making my hubby's favorite dish for dinner. Pastitsio is a greek layered baked dish which consists mainly of a tubular type pasta, cheese, egg, ground meat, tomato sauce, and Bechamel.

The greek word Pastitsio takes its name from the Italian pasticcio, otherwise referred to as "lasagna al forno" in some regions of Italy.

For this dish I'm going to use Bucatini, which are long hollow tubes of pasta, slightly thicker than spaghetti. This dish freezes well and can be easily reheated in the microwave.

Makes 8 servings

# Filling:

# 1 pound uncooked bucatini pasta or spaghetti

# 1 pound ground sirloin or lean ground beef

# 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

# 3 garlic cloves, minced

# 1/2 cup dry white wine

# 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

# 1/2 teaspoon salt

# 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

# 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

# White sauce:

# 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

# 1/2 teaspoon salt

# 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

# 2 large eggs

# 2 large egg whites (additional)

# 5 tablespoons shredded kasseri or aged white cheddar cheese, divided

# Cooking spray

# 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Rinse with cold water; set aside.

Cook beef, onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Add wine, tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until thick.

To prepare white sauce, place flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; set aside. Combine eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk until well blended. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in 1 tablespoon kasseri cheese until blended.

Spread 1 cup beef mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of pasta over beef mixture. Top with 1 1/2 cups beef mixture. Repeat layers with remaining pasta and beef mixture. Top with white sauce. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons kasseri and Romano cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Two More Glass Displays

2009-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

I Just found two more of the large glass Ikea Detolf displays on Craigslist. The seller used them to "stage" his home when trying to sell it. They have only been opened/closed twice, to place/remove a few small knicknacks. He bought them new 4 months ago, and now that the home has been sold, he has no use for them. I was able to purchase the pair of them for $80.00. A savings of approx. $119.00 (including tax).

Glass Displays

2009-01-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

I found these great glass displays on Craigslist. Although I had to drive for an hour to pick them up, the seller did throw in a couple of "bonus" display units too. The two large displays are from IKEA (Detolf model), and retail for $95.00 each with the overhead lighting.

The two small displays are also from IKEA and are a discontinued item. The seller stated that he paid $60.00 each for the small ones new and had the locks installed at an additional $12.00 a piece.

There's not a scratch on any of them. This person took extremely good care of these display units. By doing my shopping on Craigslist, I managed to get all four display cases for $100.00 total, saving approximately $261.50 off of the retail price (including tax). These displays will be a great addition to the new store front!

Preparing to open a store front

2009-01-19T12:27:00.001-08:00

I'm preparing to open a store front for my jewelry design business. Until now, I've been using two rooms in our home -- one filled with Gorilla racks -- you know, those heavy duty metal shelving units - filled with shipping and postage supplies, most of the office equipment, fax machine, scanner, etc., plus other assorted items too large to place in the "main" room. The "main room" has a wall-to-wall desk, with two computers (PC and Mac), two printers (color and laser), a large paper bin to hold assorted types of papers and envelopes, and on the opposite side of the room is my main design area. A 5' x 4' table is my workspace. On the wall behind it are several small parts bins filled with beads, gemstones and findings. There's an additional gorilla rack next to the table which holds additional boxes of beads and supplies. The side wall near the entry door is covered in peg board and filled with strands of assorted beads and pearls.

The move into the new storefront will definitely be a challenge. You see, the new store is only the size of a walk-in closet. It's 9' x 13' in size and is finished in rustic dark wood. The landlord will not allow any painting or major modifications to the room, so I am having to figure other ways to make the room work. It definitely will be a work in progress, and I'll keep you updated on how things go along the way.

2009-01-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

You see an over-sized loaf of bread, stuffed to the hilt with meat and cheese, lettuce and tomatoes on the television commercial. Just then, you notice a tiny drip of juice falling from the amazon sized sandwich, and you're off -- jumping in the car to go buy one. You order the fabulous creation which is also displayed on the plexiglass sign outdoors and await anxiously to ravish the delectable feast. Your mouth begins to water as you feverishly unwrap your sandwich only to find...

...it doesn't look even half as good (or half as big) as the one on TV.

We all want our products to look their best. Afterall, most of the reason a piece sells is because of the way it is displayed or advertisied. However, if you do art shows or have a storefront, purchasing display props can also take up a huge chunk of money that can be better spent on other materials.

While roaming around our local dollar store yesterday (one of my favorite places to shop), I came across these 10" plate stands. There was an assortment of shapes and styles and they are well constructed with tight and secure welding and sturdy back bracing. I bought all that they had (19 total). They are ideal for displaying my jewelry, and the price just couldn't be beat! I also bought some ceramic vases to add extra color to my displays and each item I purchased was only .99 cents! Overall I spent a total of $26.79 and have props that can be used in multitude of ways. Since the average retail price of a "cheap" jewelry display is around $8.00 (plus shipping), I figured I saved a MINIMUM (roughly) of $175 to $200 dollars.So if you have a dollar store or discount store near you, stop in and take a look around every once in awhile. You just never know what your going to find that can enhance your art work and save you a lot of $$$!

~ Mzz Thang

First bar of soap.

2009-01-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

I experimented outside of my "safety zone" today and made a bar of soap.

No, not the real difficult kind which uses lye and assorted oils -- I only used the 'melt and pour' kind -- and although I would like to make the difficult kind of homemade soap some day, my experience with this so called "simple" method proves that I should in no way be anywhere close to dangerous chemicals such as Lye.

The melt and pour method is supposed to be so incredibly simple: melt the soap base in the microwave, stir in the fragrance, coloring and any other additives, pour it into a mold and let it sit for about an hour.

Is it really possible to screw something that simple up?

The answer to that is...yes. I followed the instructions on the soap base packaging to a "t", but ran into some difficulties when putting in coloring and additives. You see, I decided to make the soap a slight pinkish-red color, and was going to add some fresh diced cranberries to it as well. The fragrance oil smelled spicy like cloves and allspice, so I figured the cranberries would be a perfect match for the oil. I melted just enough soap base to make one bar of soap, but when I went to add the red coloring, I mistakenly picked up a bottle of blue instead. Placing a drop into the soap, I cringed; and now racing into the next room to grab the bottle of red dye, decided to add a few drops of it anyway, which turned the soap a slight grayish-purple. I added the diced cranberries and thought all was going to be ok...until I remembered reading somewhere that if you add a couple of drops of coloring on top of the soap and use a toothpick, you can achieve a marbled effect.

Yeah, RIGHT. Here's my first attempt at soap making:

Now if I can just remember not to light a cigarette anywhere near a gas filling station...I might just survive long enough to make a bar of soap turn out right.

~ Mzz Thang

New Store Front

2009-01-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sooooo excited!

This year I will be opening a new storefront (which actually means I will get two of the bedrooms in my home back! LOL!)

Although it's not the "ideal" location, it's amongst a plethora of people, and I can't beat the cost of the rent!

My new store (which will be opening mid February) is a 300 (+) square foot quaint little place inside our local bowling alley, where there's an average flow of 800 to 1200 people every day. When the bowling alley was built (1942) this room was originally built as a dress shop so that the owners' wife could have her own business, as she loved fine clothing. With her dress shop being inside the bowling alley, the owner and his wife could both be at work at their separate jobs yet still be "together". The front double doors of this room open right out into the main floor of the bowling alley and is not easily missed.

Over the years, this "walk-in-closet" of a room has been a number of different types of businesses: Dress shop, Craft shop (x2), Breakfast shop (serving only coffee and pastries for the early morning bowlers), Dart store, Bowling Pro shop and now...it will be the new home of Fo-Shizzle Design Studios. It's going to take a little bit to set it up though. The previous business in that room was the pro shop, in which the owner and all of his friends would meet and get drunk, spilling their drinks all over the white carpeting. And all of the dust from drilling bowling balls has seeped into the crevices in the dark wood-slatted walls, so it's definitely "clean-up" time!

When the pro-shop gets completely moved out of there, I'll have to post some pics of it. YEAH!

"High" speed internet connection

2009-01-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

After dealing for 8 months with AT&T, I now, more than ever, make sure I provide my customers with the highest form of customer service I can. If I have to kiss their toes, I will, simply to not put them through the kind of torture I've had to deal with.

I've been fighting with AT&T (as I states) for over 8 months. It all started when my modem started "taking a dump" on me. I called their customer service department and was whizzed through a series of questions and online tests, and assured everything would be alright. And it was...until the next day. The same thing started happening. My modem would keep "rebooting" itself, and web pages would take forever to load. By forever, I mean 3 to 4 minutes per page.

Again I called AT&T's customer service, in hopes of explaining what the symptoms of the modem were. But before I could get a word out, I was again taken through the question and test mode by the customer service rep. I began getting frustrates, because when I would try to explain the situation, my words were drowned out by the CSR speaking louder. He would not listen. I hung up pissed off, and figured I would wait and try again some other day.

I believe that part of AT&T's CSR training is to make sure the customer feels belittled, that they are not given time to speak, and make sure that the customer gives up and deals with the crap they've been given. Because over those 8 months, I dealt with exactly those type of people.

It wasn't until a week ago that I finally....FINALLY...got to speak to a person who, after the same stupid questions and testing, decided to take a breath....whereas I could actually peep out the words "MY MODEM IS BROKEN!". The CSR said, "broken?" "You mean like cracked or something?"

OMG, I thought. I finally get to explain to someone what's been happening! So I did. The CSR tells me that he'll send me out another modem -- no charge (there'd better not be a charge for it! I haven't been able to use my 'high speed internet" for several months, I've been paying the bill regularly, and had to deal with their crap... no...they'd better not charge me).

The new modem shows up a week later on my doorstep. It's all shiny and new, and comes with a yellow installation CD so I can get back up and working at full speed again. Now, you have to intall the CD in order to use the modem. And the installation program jumps right up on the screen of a PC, eagerly awaiting its "next" button to be clicked.

But I have a Mac.

I remember explaining that to the CSR as well, because I wanted to make sure they sent the correct materials to me. But they didn't. So in order for me to get the modem working, I had to set up a PC, insert the AT&T CD, download the modem software and switch everything over to my Mac.

I'm pretty sure that the few hairs left that I haven't already pulled out are completely gray by now.