Seven Random Facts

Okay, okay, I'll play, but you may be sorry you asked. :-) I was tagged quite some time ago by Roni to play the 'Seven Random Facts' game, but I honestly couldn't think of anything random, weird, or interesting to say about myself. Now I've also been tagged by Contrariwise, so I will have to try really hard to come up with seven things worth saying about little old me. Part of the problem is that I've played this game before, plus another similar one, and I'm attempting not to repeat the same things about myself...

First, these are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes -

1. My first car was a 1952 Ford pickup. It was painted in blue primer. No power steering. The gas gauge didn't work (you just had to fill up every 200 miles). I loved it.

2. I started dating my now-husband around my 18th birthday. We were engaged within a year and married at age 20. When I consider these facts now, at age 32, I am somewhat amazed that our marriage has worked, but it has. Lucky us! :-)

3. This one should come as no surprise to anyone who follows my blog at all, but I dream of rescuing more and more animals throughout my lifetime. Right now we have two dogs, three rats, eight chickens, four ducks, and two turkeys, but I want more. Lots more. Someday I hope to be able to have a mini-sanctuary for more chickens, ducks, and turkeys, and when Carlos is older, I want to do foster care for dogs again (we used to do this years ago and I miss it). I look at adoptable dogs online all the time even though I know we can't take any right now.

4. Right now I'm sporting these two stickers on my rear car window:



The marriage equality sticker just recently replaced my 'Kucinich for President' sticker; I had a hard time letting that one go.

5. This one is embarrassing. In high school, I was a big Garth Brooks fan. One day during science class, my friend's mom came and got us both out of school because she found out that tickets were going on sale for a Garth Brooks concert in Sacramento, and you could show up that day to draw a number to determine your place in line to buy the tickets when they went on sale. We each drew a number and I was number one! On the day the tickets went on sale, there was a big long line of people waiting for the store to open so they could get their tickets, and I showed up at the last minute and sauntered up to the front of the line. I think the tickets we ended up with were about 15 rows from the stage. Swoon. Wow, I can't believe I just admitted all of that. (I'm working very hard to resist deleting this paragraph.)

6. Matt's nickname for me is 'Damara' - he said it one day hoping to annoy me but I liked it and it stuck; in fact, he now has it tattooed on his inner arm. Awwww.....

7. I have man-hands and truck feet. It's true. My hands are quite small but awfully manly, with fingers that manage to look sausagey even though they aren't that big/fat; my nails are always cut super short, and my fingertips are often stained with polishing compound and covered with callouses. Dry skin... the whole shebang. It's quite embarrassing actually. I moisturize a couple of times a day, and even bought a paraffin wax dip thingy recently, but they persist in looking and feeling manly. As for my feet, my best friend in junior high dubbed them 'truck feet' one day and the name stuck. Like my hands, they are quite small, but very flat (no arch) and kind of rectangular looking.

Yippee, that's me. Aren't you glad you asked? ;-)

Okay, I know I am supposed to tag seven people now, but I think the majority of the blog world has already played, so I'm just going to tag all of you who want to play but haven't yet. If you play, leave a comment here so I can go read yours too. :-)

Oh wait, I do want to tag one person specifically - my brother, since his blog is new and he hasn't had a chance to play before. I wonder if he'll participate?

Vote for Meeeeeee!

Hey! I got included in an Etsy Storque Contest for 'Best Sparkly Jewelry'! If you want to, you can vote for my Moissanite wedding ring. There are some other really amazing things included in the collection; it's an honor to have one of my pieces included. :-)

Carlos is napping and I should be working...

...but instead I think I'll play this little game that Hannah at bittersweet came up with. :-)

The Vegan's Hundred

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. *
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

* I can't figure out how to cross words out in Bloglines so I'll make notes in blue instead.

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme Brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles (soba noodles are a favorite at our house)
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart (I've had burritos from a street cart, does that count?)
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (I doubt I'll try it; I really don't drink alcohol.)
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream (mmm... that new coconut milk kind is SO yummy.)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar (I have no desire to try this, even if it's vegan. sounds barfy)
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas (meh.)
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly (again with the alcohol... not so much.)
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries (no thanks, although I do like the thicker, non-fast food kind.)
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (not to be repetitive, but no, I don't think so.)
46. Stroopwafle (I'm totally intrigued...)
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi (mmm...sushi.)
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy (Is regular old cotton candy vegan? I had no idea.)
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada (maybe a virgin one?) :-)
58. Birch beer (nope)
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips (not a carob fan)
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake (Are traditional churros vegan? If so, I'm in trouble.)
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe (sounds yucky)
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

Well, I can see I have a lot of work to do! So many foods, so little time. I feel very sheltered and unworldly when I see how many things I haven't tried yet!

On Turkeys and Thanksgiving, Part 1

Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings up a lot of conflicting emotions for me. On one hand, I love the concept of a holiday that is about giving thanks and showing gratitude, but on the other hand, I'm not so sure that aspect of the day gets enough emphasis.

To focus my own thoughts and energy on what should be the true focus of this holiday, I've put together a short list of what I'm thankful for.

• I'm beyond grateful to have Carlos home this Thanksgiving. When I think back to this time last year and how miserable I was waiting to go get him and compare it to my life now, the contrast is unbelievable. He's so funny and sweet, and I can't imagine life without him.
• I consider myself very blessed with my husband and my marriage, which is now in its eleventh year! Wow.
• I have a wonderful family who accepts and loves me for who I am. My mom and step dad are even going to have vegan Thanksgiving with me and Carlos this year (Matt's working), even though they are not vegetarian. That means a lot to me.
• I have encountered a lot of amazing non-human creatures during my life, including my own dogs over the years (Farley, Hazel, Otis, Paco, Rowdy, and numerous foster dogs), plus the animals I met doing volunteer work. I am confident that the rest of my life will continue to be enriched by many more connections with animals, and I am grateful both for the animals in my past and those I look forward to meeting in the future.
• My professional life is going well; I'm actually starting to make a little bit of money doing something I enjoy very much, which has been a goal for about the last seven or eight years that I have struggled to reach for what felt like an eternity.
• Finally, I am thankful for my veganism and the many ways it has exposed me to joys I never would have experienced otherwise, and to the deep, deep sorrow that comes with the awareness of the endless ways animals are exploited for human enjoyment. Sometimes this sadness feels like a heavy burden, but I'm working to channel the sad feelings into direct action to help animals and people, and that's a blessing. So is the fact that I am alive and able to feel sadness.

Care to join me? Post your own list of what you're thankful for in a comment here, or leave a link to your own blog post on the subject.

Monthly Contest, with a twist...

Don't worry, I didn't cut my wrists. I got a new tattoo!!! I thought I'd celebrate by putting a bit of a twist on my usual monthly $25 gift certificate giveaway.

This month, in order to enter, you have to guess what my new tattoo is. You can guess up to three times. Be as specific as possible to help me determine a winner in case more than one of you have similar guesses. If nobody guesses correctly, I'll choose a winner at random like I usually do.

Once my tattoo is healed well enough to show off, I'll unveil it here on the blog and announce a winner. Oh, and in case this little contest is new to anybody, you're competing to win a $25 gift certificate, which you can use in either my bead shop or my jewelry shop.

The fine print: If you are a friend or relative of mine and I have already told you about my tattoo, you don't get to play this month - sorry!

Meme Time

Vegan_Noodle tagged me to play a meme, how fun! Here are the rules of the game:

#1 Players must list one fact, word, or tidbit that is somehow relevant to their life for each letter of your first or middle name.

#2 When you are tagged you need to write your own post containing your first or middle name game facts, word, or tidbit.

#3 At the end of your post choose one person for each letter of your name to tag. Don’t forget to leave a comment telling them, they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

#4 If I’ve tagged YOU (the bloggers that I've tagged are listed at the end), please join in on the fun!

Sooo... here goes -

T is for tenacious. I can be very stubborn, determined, outspoken, and opinionated when it comes to things I feel strongly about, and I don't give up easily. Some people might say that's a good quality; others may disagree. :-)

A is for animals, which play a big role in my life, both my own dogs (Hazel, Otis, and Rowdy), as well as the work I've done in the past with homeless animals and my commitment to veganism, which saves animals from unspeakable suffering and helps keep the environment a nicer place for animals (including humans) to live. Learn more here. (See what I mean about being outspoken about things I care about?)

M is for multitasking. I've always had this tendency, but especially since Carlos came home I find myself trying to do seventeen things at once. I don't know if it ultimately helps my productivity or hurts it, but that's the way I am. I typically have about five internet windows open at a time and am constantly switching between dealing with receiving and filling orders, email, blogging, and surfing, plus playing with Carlos, cleaning up the house, doing laundry, cooking, talking on the phone... you get the idea. I very rarely devote 100% of my attention to one single thing during the day because there is just too much to get done. Sometimes I feel guilty about that but it's the reality of my life right now.

A is for adoption. Matt and I chose to create our family through adoption rather than biology for several reasons. For one, neither of us felt attached to the idea of passing on our own traits to our child; rather, we find it interesting and exciting to see what surprises unfold as Carlos grows up without the weight our preconceived ideas about how he might have my eyes or Matt's laugh. And, since that biological drive was not strong for either of us, we loved the idea of becoming a family with a child who needed one rather than contributing one more person to this already overburdened planet. I don't think there's any way that we could have created a more perfect person than Carlos if we had a biological child, and I'm so happy that this is the path we chose.

R is for responsible. That's probably a boring thing to tell you about myself, but it's oh-so-true. Even as a teenager I was responsible; I never really went through a wild and crazy phase. I married young (20 years old), we bought our first house right away and started paying on a mortgage, worked hard, and well, I guess here we are ten years later, still doing the same things. Different jobs and different mortgages, and another little life to be responsible for, but basically the same thing. I do take risks from time to time, but they are carefully weighed and considered risks. :-)

A is for athletic. Ooh, I surprised you with that one, didn't I? Those who know me in real life probably know that in the past I have been one of the least athletic people around. Organized sports have no appeal to me (either watching or playing), and I have struggled to find a physical activity that I enjoy and excel at. However, about two months ago I started a running program called Couch to 5K which is geared towards getting non-runners (i.e. couch potatoes) up to being able to run a continuous three miles (~5K) over the course of nine weeks. Well, I am just finishing up week seven, and guess what, it works! I am running 2.5 miles at a time now, which is something I never would have thought I could do, and I'm really enjoying it and plan to stick with it.

That's all folks! T-A-M-A-R-A. And here are my tag-ees:

vegan chai
kellybot
Vivacious Vegan
ms veganorama
celine
mamacita

Just for Fun

I'm making up a new meme - it's called 'What's in your jewelry box?' and it's very simple - post pictures of as many or as few of your own jewelry pieces, with or without descriptions. By 'your own jewelry pieces,' I mean ones you have kept for yourself and wear regularly - not just the things you make and sell to other people (if you're a jewelry designer). I'm curious to see what kinds of things other jewelry designers wear themselves - I think it's interesting to get a glimpse of each artist's personal style; I know that I tend to wear things that are generally more understated than a lot of what I design and sell to other people. It's not that I don't love the fancy stuff; it's just that I am usually a jeans-and-a-tshirt kind of girl. So here you go, a look inside my own personal jewelry stash...

This is my simple 'everyday' necklace - a sterling silver photo charm (with Carlos' picture of course) and labradorite pendant on a basic sterling snake chain.

Matt got me these earrings a while back and I love them - they are just basic sterling hoops but I love the way they open and close - the joint is virtually invisible.

Again, very simple (are you sensing a theme here?) and basic, but this one has sentimental value because we got it on our first trip to Guatemala when we met Carlos. It's sterling silver and jade.

This is my most recent purchase. I very rarely buy jewelry from other artists now that I'm making it myself, but I had to have this ring from Down to the Wire Designs. It was a custom order; I saw another like this but with a different stone in his shop and I mailed him this pink tourmaline cab (my birthstone) to use for my ring. It just arrived the other day and I haven't taken it off since except to take this picture.

I have these for sale in my Etsy shop and nobody has bought them. I can't figure out why - I love them! I can do them in lots of different colors, but this one is perfect for me because it stands out against my dark hair. I wore these today, as a matter of fact.

These are also for sale in my shop, and I had to make a set for myself. They go with everything and are small and simple. I've sold quite a few of this design.

Another offering from my shop that I had to have for myself... AAA garnet on a delicate sterling silver chain. This one is called the Ella necklace.

This one has been for sale in my shop for about a month and I finally couldn't resist the pull any longer - it's mine now. I'm hoping to get more of these rectangular labradorite cabochons though, so I can make more. I've gotten several inquiries lately from people wanting me to recreate it for them in a different size, but I'm out of cabs! Grr.

Another of my own designs, this one is my wire wrapped Swarovski vegan pearl ring in Misty Grey. I love the way the pearl picks up the colors of what you're wearing and seems to blend with almost anything.

This is my one exception to my otherwise 'nothing too fancy' personal style. It's an Eni Oken inspired wire wrapped bracelet with green garnet, citrine, Bali silver, Swarovski simulated pearls, lemon jade, serpentine, and ocean jasper. I love the way all the stones work together. I don't wear it often but when I do, I really enjoy it.

And last but certainly not least, my wedding ring. It's not looking its best here - it could use a cleaning, but I love it. The center band is carved in an antique-inspired orange blossom pattern. Simple and delicate, perfect!

And now I get to pick five people to tag...

Magdalena

Rae's Creations

Starry Designs

Christina

Eni Oken

Tag, I'm It.

Misti from MDK Jewelry Designs has tagged me. I've never been tagged before, at least not on my blog! Here are the rules:

• List 7 random facts/habits about yourself.
• Choose another 7 bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog.
• Leave your 7 bloggers comments to notify them of their tagging and to direct them to your blog for tagging instructions.

Here are my random facts/habits:

1. I dream of someday having a pet turkey. Matt is not enthused.
2. I traveled to Guatemala four times in 2006. I can't wait to go back (probably not for a couple of years).
3. Sometimes when I get dressed, I put my shoes on before I pull my pants up. I don't know why.
4. I am very excited about my newest wall decor for my kitchen - a very large yellow road sign, diamond shaped, with a big black cow silhouette on it.
5. I am surprisingly drawn to bright shiny things, even though in real life I only wear blingy stuff on special occasions. Most days I am in jeans and a t-shirt.
6. I think I might possibly have the worst singing voice of anyone in the whole world. Really.
7. My favorite body part is my feet.

And here are my tag-ees:

• Sarah of Loops Designs
• Abby of White Paint & Ribbons
• Andrew Daniel, artist extraordinaire
• Dana at Purly Sue
• Brooke of Love Gemma
• Michelle of Cards and Jewelry by Michele

Okay, I'm lame... I don't know hardly anyone who blogs! I will work on finding one more and maybe add it later - for now, I have to try to get something constructive done while Carlos is napping.

Fluff

I noticed this thing is getting a little text-heavy, so here's a picture of a duck with an afro.

Quack.