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.

My name is Colleen. I am a vintage jewelry addict. Okay, make that just plain ol’ jewelry addict. Vintage is best, but – I love it all!

When I was on eBay, I went nuts. Sell a few pieces, buy a hundred more. Lord, those “huge lots” would get me going! And I won’t even go into my shopping frenzies at the antique malls and thrift stores. Oh my.

I had a jewelry store on eCrater for a while, but moved it to Etsy (see the mini in the side bar). It’s called JewelryObsessed, of course. Haven’t done too well with either location. The problem is, I pick out pieces to list but, when it comes down to it, I. just. can’t.

Well… I’ve been snowed in the last couple of days – always a good time to get out the jools and play. This time reality hit.

Here I sit with thousands of jewelry pieces – none of which I wear. Ever. Whaaaat??!

Time to purge. Seriously. It’s all going, and no looking back.

Soooo… a random selection of 43 pieces plus two demi parures are sitting here ready for a photo shoot. Among them are Trifari, Coro, Vendome, Sarah Coventry, Goldette, Roman, along with some lovely old unsigned and some newer. eek. This is really happening.

Stay tuned. I’ll post photos along with my thoughts, babblings, and possible rantings as the purge progresses.

This is going to be an ordeal.

“Complaining about anything, holds you in the place of refusing to receive the things you’ve been asking for. Justifying about anything holds you in the place of refusing to let in the very things that you’ve been asking for. Blaming someone, holds you in the place of refusing to let in the things that you’ve been asking for. Feeling guilty, feeling angry, it doesn’t matter what you call it, it is a refusal, not a conscious one. You’re asking; you can’t help but ask. The Universe is yielding; it must yield. It’s a big question, folks: why aren’t you letting it in?

— Abraham”

Now I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but I do set goals each year. One of my goals this year is to banish negativity from my life. Pretty hefty goal, but I’m of the belief that it’s better to aim high.

This quote couldn’t have come at a better time :-) I’ve printed it and it’s now by my bed (where I’ll see it before I go to sleep and first thing when I wake up), front and center on the hutch on this computer desk, and on the fridge.

It’ll serve as a reminder to quit wasting precious time and energy on non-productive attitude and instead rev up the positive.

Today was a day of celebration at Etsy! Oh yes! Sooo… what happened? Rob Kalin is what happened.

Yesterday Rob started posting in the forums, answering questions, erasing fears and generally calming people down. It continued into today, complete with a party in the Virtual Labs. (unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stick around for much of the party, but I will be posting the how-to for TrashCan Chicken-or-Turkey after Christmas.)

Not only are they not going kamikaze corporate on us, they’re actually going to implement some much-needed, long-begged-for improvements, and are eliminating some of the less-than-desirable “enhancements” that have been implemented over the last year or so.

Rob states they’ll be adding more (desparately needed) seller tools, redoing the category structures, working on marketing (an affiliate program – yes!), completely eliminating the “Weekend Deals” crappola, and moving into social marketing as opposed to the sterile retail “experience” that’s been going on.

That’s just to name a few things. Wow. I have to say, I haven’t been this excited over a marketplace – ever. Matter of fact, I’m just not real excited about marketplaces in general. But Etsy is a different sort of environment. I saw this years ago when I first stumbled on the site, and it’s with heartfelt gratitude that I’m there now to see it take wing and fly again, and be a part of it.

Yes, I’ll still be developing my sites, but Etsy will play a prominant role in my online presence.

I’m sitting here with a glass of wine, continuing the celebration. I offer a toast to you, Rob Kalin, with deepest thanks for stepping in and saving what is the most incredible site online today.

Merry Christmas, Etsy :-)

This is very sudden – no major announcement, no fanfare, like you would expect for a change like this, just a quiet post. Also, Maria seems to be leaving with very short notice.

Overall, Maria has done a good job getting Etsy organized and steering it off the chaotic path. So why is she leaving, especially after less than 2 years on the job? Something’s screwy here…

Etsy’s been running in the red since Rob first “opened the doors”. I’m sure Maria’s been under tremendous pressure from the VCs to “show us some black.” This would partially explain some of the questionable actions taken by Admin (pushing Etsians to spam social networking sites comes to mind here…).

Have the VCs gone too far in their demands? Have they asked Maria to do something stupid that she knows would start a major uproar with sellers, and she refused? Is this why they’ve brought Rob back in?

Rob left Etsy because he didn’t like what was being done to the site, the direction it was taking. He could hardly argue with his backers, since their money was keeping the show running, so his only alternative was to leave. Now his only alternative is to cave to their demands, whereas Maria is able to take her marbles and go home.

It will be interesting (to say the least) to see what develops with Etsy in 2010. In the meantime, I’m stepping up the work on my own sites, and will be reworking the business plan… once again.

Oh, Etsy will still play a part, but not as dominant as was planned, and certainly in a way where I can hit the door running, if necessary.

Call me paranoid, but I learned a hard lesson with eBay.