After a site implosion last month, I’ve been busy rebuilding the old sites and building a new one. or two O.o (I did manage to salvage this site, thankfully.)

Then life interruptions that seemed to keep popping up rendered my stores orphans, so I’ve been trying to get caught up with that, too.

Right now I have about 20 minutes for a breather; thought I’d post something, anything, just to get back into the motion. So humor me while I think out loud here for a bit ;-)

Since my artistic side joyfully (thankfully!) returned to it’s position of dominance, it’s been really hard to concentrate on anything else. But… that hasn’t been helping any with getting rid of all the piles and boxes of vintage and newer collectibles and books and stuff.

We won’t even talk about the boxes and bags of books that well-meaning friends have sent my way… Oh, not complaining! Love books! Would love them even more if my obsessive side didn’t insist on reading them all before offering them up to customers :/

Anyway, it’s really beyond time to clean up this mess and get it outta my way. So have been trying to work my way through the piles and widen the paths that wind through the house. It’s a slow process: Research, clean, photo/scan, measure, weigh, calculate shipping, write description, list. Not too bad once a rhythm is established, but still time-consuming. Also a bit disturbing when I yearn to be at the workbench or sewing machine instead…

So Incredible Clutter inventory has been getting the majority of attention – some stuff listed, about 100 books ready to go, a kitchen table full of great junque waiting for photos.

Also been getting quilting magazines and books and some craft kits ready to go, with some quilting stuff listed now at CraftCottage.

Etsy shops have unfortunately been put into neglect mode until I get caught up a bit.

A new site almost ready to launch: Lizurdz-N-Lace.com & LizurdzNLace.com (Ya, I know that’s two, but they’re going to be all hooked up together.)

Lizurdz-N-Lace is my photography line. With about a bazillion photos (some that are actually good… heh), I figured it was time to do something with ‘em.

So Lizurdz-N-Lace is the main site with galleries and stuff, perhaps a shopping section though I do have an Etsy shop for that, too. LizurdzNLace is tips & tricks for photos and Photoshop, and images I’m releasing to the public domain (yeah! lots of em!). It’s going to be tons o’ fun!

dancingspirit.us has been put on the back burner for a bit. It’s more of a personal site, and must get business going again before rebuilding this site.

incredibleclutter.com has never been a real site, but is in the works. If I could quit arguing with myself about how I want it to look, it’d be up and running last year…

Working on dancethemoon.us and dancethemoon eCrater store for spiritual and metaphysical books, tools and accessories. The store is ready to launch, hopefully that happens this weekend. Site will take a bit longer.

Then our local water co-op, of which I’m an active member, has approved a token pay for running the site I had up for them. It was one of the imploded, have been getting that rebuilt and ready to launch.

*WHEW* No rest for the wicked!

I’m flattered some people like my photos enough to put them on their blogs. I don’t mind that a bit. What I do mind is when people not only use my photos, but they also use my bandwidth in the process.

I know there are people who aren’t aware that they’re doing anything wrong by doing this, so here it is:

Directly linking to images on another site is known as “hotlinking”, which is considered by many as stealing. You are using someone else’s bandwidth that they’re paying for. (This of course doesn’t apply to photo hosting sites…)

In case you’ve come here trying to figure out what happened to the photo you had hotlinked, I’ve enabled hotlink protection.

Want to use a photo? You can ask, I don’t bite. Matter of fact, if I know the photo’s out there, I most likely will link to your site or blog or at least give it mention, unless it’s a spammer site or something like that, in which case I don’t want the association but thanks anyway.

All I ask is, just give me credit: photo by CRSpeed (or something to that effect), or visibly link back to my blog or the post it came from.

Thanks.

Ummm… with all due respect, sir, I resent it.

Now, I’m only speaking for myself here, but you can be sure there are a lot of people like me out here in the real world outside the Oval Office.

I don’t visit doctors’ offices. I take care of myself. Therefore, I don’t do prescriptions. The strongest drug I take is aspirin. I think I can afford that without having to fall back on insurance.

My “preventive medicine” is good ol’ common sense, along with a healthy lifestyle. I’m quite capable of taking care of the occasional sniffle without running to ER.

I don’t visit dentists. I got rid of that problem several years ago. My $5,000 teeth are holding up splendidly, thank you.

So you see, I don’t need your insurance. I certainly don’t need you and the rest of the Government Gang to tell me what I need for my health when, in reality, you don’t know.

I have a few years on you (8 1/2 to be almost exact) and for you to say you know what’s good for me in this respect is really hard to swallow – especially when it will cost me money that would be better spent on things that will actually help me stay healthy, like healthy food, vitamins, supplements, and seeds for my garden.

You are in effect telling me that I have to instead spend that money on insurance. So I won’t have it for healthy food, vitamins, supplements, and seeds. So I will end up going to the doctor and getting pumped full of drugs that, if they don’t kill me, will cause other health issues and/or dull my mind. I’ve experienced all three of these effects on friends and acquaintances throughout the years. It’s ugly.

The medical profession, big pharma, and the insurance racket have been allowed to run amok. They have become money-grubbing industries who really don’t care about keeping America healthy. Their concerns are bleeding people’s bank accounts and doping America’s brain cells.

Now I have to pay because the whole medical-pharma-insurance scam has grown out of control??? Now I am being ordered to have insurance coverage???

Yes sir, I resent it. I resent you telling me that My Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is Null and Void. Because that’s what you have said by signing this Health Care Fiasco.

My last post was about the wonderful Treasury curated by MontanaSnowVintage. Love that name! Love the great Vintage Fashion to be found there!

If you’re looking for clothing, jewelry, or accessories from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, hop on over and see what this lady has to offer. If I could make myself get out of my jeans or sweat pants, I would buy her out of her dresses – they’re great!

Looking for Vintage Housewares or Kitchen Decor? Then check out her other shop, MontanaSnowVintageII.

Now go have some fun in Montana Snow Vintage’s shops, while I get back to my Great Jewelry Purge…

Talk to ya later :-)

I should have taken a photo of the gorgeous packaging before opening the box, but hey… There were mouth-watering munchables in there and my palate was screaming at me to let them out!

Have you ever had Biscotti Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies for breakfast? Hah! You don’t know what you’re missing! This is seriously the best Biscotti I’ve ever had. There’s been Biscotti with great flavor but gnaw-able like dog biscuits, Biscotti with just-right crunchiness but not quite there with the flavor, and then all the in-between Biscotti. Well, this Biscotti is perfect crunchiness with chocolatey-almondy goodness that doesn’t lack anything. It. Is. To. Die. For.

The Biscotti was immediately followed by Chocolate Hazelnut Heart Cookies. Oh. Oh. OH! The perfect blend of the richness of chocolate and hazelnut. I could eat these non-stop (okay, I did…). Hazelnut Heaven!

Coffee Vanilla Cookies are not just for coffee. I just had to brew up some tea to see how the cookies’ subtle flavor would compliment. What an amazing combination – just Yum! I don’t keep ice cream around, but they’re a perfect match with some creamy yogurt. I bet these cookies would be delicious with anything.

I take back what I said in my other post about maybe making lemon bars again. After indulging in melt-in-your-mouth Lemon Heart Cookies, there’s no way my lemon bars will ever pass. These cookies are fairly bursting with fresh, tangy, lemony goodness. Oh my.

Last – but in no way least – were the Pecan Nuts, Honey, Lemon Cookies Baklava. An indescribably scrumptious blend of pecans, honey and lemon layered with light, flaky phyllo pastry. Moist, Flavorful, Heavenly!

It’s been a week since this decadent indulgence, but writing about these treats brings back the distinct flavor and texture of each bite. Truly Unforgettable Goodness.

Yummy Affair “An Affair You Will Never Regret”.

Go there. Now. Treat yourself to a Truly First-rate Experience. They’ve added more variety since my first post, so there’s sure to be something that trips your drool trigger :-)

Order for yourself as a treat, or for others as a gift. The packaging is beautiful and gift-ready.

Lemon Heart Cookies
“Buttery shortbread crust and delicate filling, bursting with lemon scent and flavor, and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.”

Oh, I can taste them! I want! These remind me of lemon bars I used to make. Might have to pick up that habit again, though these cookies sound (and look!) much better…

Biscotti Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies
“Toasted to perfection almonds and rich European chocolate are just a few of the reasons why our Chocolate Almond Biscotti Cookies are so irresistibly good. Twice-baked to reach that unmistakable crunchiness, they are a perfect compliment to your favorite hot beverage or just by themselves.”

Yes! I don’t often have the chance to enjoy Biscotti (never tried to make it myself), and tend to pig on it when it’s set within reach… I’ll take a couple pounds of this, please :-)

Chocolate Hazelnut Heart Cookies
“An unforgettable treat consisting of rich dark chocolate and delicately roasted hazelnuts will leave your taste buds begging for more.”

Hazelnut anything is to die for! Oh my. I would have to hoard these cookies, not tell anyone.

Pecan Nuts, Honey, Lemon Cookies Baklava
“Thin layers of phyllo pastry, lots of pecans that add a toasty flavor, and honey based syrup with citrusy twist.”

Oh. My. God. I want. Now. The drool is out of control.

I’ve got to go find something to eat… And you, dear reader, click on over to Yummy Affair and get your order in!

Thank you, Yummy Affair, for a great birthday present :-) I will be sharing your mouth-watering shop tomorrow. Folks, be prepared to drool!

I posted about this fur clip recently: 1950 Coro Fur Clip

Here’s the treasury, Spins and Spirals:

And here’s the link to it (good til 3:05 AM, Friday, Feb. 5): Spins and Spirals

UPDATE: It made it to the treasury :-) The beautiful table topper sold :-)

You can find that clip here: Coro Fur Clip

Why oh why oh why did jewelry makers not sign every dang piece they made????? Of course, that would take the fun out of research, but criminy.

Okay, so why do I say Hollycraft?

A few years ago, a friend had this same set except hers was signed. My research has shown that Hollycraft didn’t always sign their pieces. In fact, there’s probably quite a bit of Hollycraft floating around unsigned and unattributed.

So this demi will be listed in my JewelryObsessed shop, probably around the end of the week.

I’ve really gotta step up the pace, or I’ll still be purging three years from now…

That’s why this Coro fur clip was one of the first pieces in the “purge” box. If I don’t do it now, it will be that much harder later, when I’m tempted to keep “oh, just this one… and maybe that one…”

This piece will is now available at JewelryObsessed on Etsy, in this listing: Coro Fur Clip. It’s missing some stones, but is well worth the repair.

I thought I had the proper baguettes for replacement. Imagine my surprise when I discovered they didn’t fit, because the missing stones are keystones. I wasn’t aware of Coro using keystones. Then again, it seems many makers used them at one time or another.

This fur clip is unsigned, but can be seen on JewelryPatents.com. It’s on the page in the link, in the 9th row down on the far right – Patent #159909

The stones appear to be baguettes in the drawing, but I’ve noticed that pieces often have subtle changes between the patent drawings and the finished product, since the patents were to secure the overall designs.

I had once thought about going into vintage jewelry repair and restoration. To me it’s fascinating, and somewhat goddess-like (heh) – resurrecting these old beauties to their former glory.

Some of the first repair pieces I acquired were a bit too challenging for my novice status, so they were passed on to others. I ended up with many more, which have either been repaired or will be sold as repair pieces.