Leeya Engel: Thoughts and Creations

Going abroad again

2012-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will wake up in Amsterdam. I am flying for a meeting in Delft about a European Union funded project I am working on. It feels like I just got back from my trip this past fall. Because I had a final yesterday and all sorts of other things going on, this trip just crept up on me. In honor of Tu B'Shvat (Israeli Valentines Day), I leave you with this beauty by Jason Wade:

Appreciation makes it worth it

2012-01-25T03:19:00.000-08:00

I routinely check my etsy feedback. Not as often as I check my email, but I definitely make a habit of it.

Today I had this gem waiting for me, left by the kind woman who purchased this headband a few weeks ago:

"This is beautiful. Thank you for wrapping it so pretty and for the handwritten note. It made me feel like it was my birthday."

I believe that when you invest and take pride in your work you then don't mind adding in the extra few minutes to write a note and add a ribbon. It is these little touches that make a transaction personal. I have often wondered why it is that I get such satisfaction out of my etsy shop when the time that I invest is absurd relative to the financial return.

I think that now I know.

It's personal appreciation.

Have a happy morning

2012-01-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

Today is going to be so much better than yesterday. I can already feel it.

Wishing you a happy morning!

Bad morning turned bad day

2012-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Today being a functioning human being and getting things done is just a little bit harder than usual.

5 Signs You Have the Winter Blues

2012-01-04T02:56:00.000-08:00

If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, then you may have the winter blues:

1) An hour after you get to the office you realize you are still wearing your coat. You show no sign of taking it off.

2) You think that you are having a nightmare, but really it's just the morning and and you have to get out of bed. The thought of pulling your legs out from under the covers is enough to make you to pretend you are in a coma and did not hear your alarm.

3) You hold in your pee for two hours out of sheer laziness. (According to Beruria: If it's because you are under the blankets, I would agree. But since you're already at work, I think that it's all-seasonal laziness)

4) You are afraid of the cold and don't want to leave your house. Until the Summer. You begin to wish you were a bear so you could hibernate.

5) You would make a salad, but it entails opening the fridge. You opt for warm chocolate cake instead.

Note: This list may or may not be based on my own winter experiences.

The Winter Blues

2012-01-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

So, what's your trick for getting rid of them?

I don't know if it's just me, but the week after new years is feeling pretty anti-climactic and...cold.

I don't feel like doing anything.

New in the Shop: Layered chain necklaces

2012-01-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Shell Feathers Statement Necklace

Fly me to the moon necklace:

A personal favorite, the heart locket necklace.

It is a statement piece if I have ever seen one.

Last month was a good etsy month.

So good that I ran out of boxes!

Wishing you all a fruitful and creative new year!

Leeya

Life Update

2011-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Things certainly seem to be moving along and I feel like I haven't updated you on my life in a while, so here goes...

I began a doctorate. I am feeling so grateful for being accepted to the program and for the fact that not a day passes where I don't learn at least one new thing. I like knowing where I am going to be for the next four years. I love my advisors and the people who I spend my day-to-day with. Now the question is how to perform research that is significant and meaningful.
Giora's company got an investment (link to article)! This is wonderful for so many reasons. The first is that he will be able to follow his dream of starting a company. The second is that financially I was able to...
Quit my Friday job! I am a GMAT teacher no longer. I am so happy to have my Fridays back (Fridays are the local Sunday in case you are not familiar with Israeli customs).

Well, that is all the news that is fit to print. There are a few other little things that I have been meaning to update you on like the fact that I bleached the ends of my hair to get an ombre look and started a food blog and a fashion blog (no content yet!), but they will have to wait for special future posts.

To dreams coming true!

Leeya

New in the Shop: Estate Style Jewelry

2011-12-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Old Hollywood Glamour Necklace in Scarlet Red

So I finally found out that this style of jewelry is called "Estate".

I'm guessing that if you live on an estate, then you have the same thing in real.

Pink Estate Style Earrings:

Here is the matching necklace to the above earrings:

Romantic Necklace in Pink

You could also call it the "check out my cleavage" necklace.

Yeah, that was about all the cleavage I could muster...

Hope you like my new designs!

New in the Shop: A necklace and a brooch

2011-11-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

I would like to celebrate my latest etsy listings with you. The first in a very long time...

I take it as a sign that I am getting back into a routine.

Long Silver Necklace - Seeing Stars Holiday Item

This shiny little number was made using vintage components that I reworked.

I love a good pair of pliers :)

Floral Brooch - Bright Handmade Flower Pin in Flamingo Pink

This flower was made using the singed organza flower technique.

The only difference is that I cut triangular petals instead of round ones.

Giora such took great photos,

I didn't know which one to choose!

What do you think?

A Flower for Tamar

2011-11-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Tamar is getting married this May.

Last night she came over for a craft date.

The goal was to come up with a flower design for her hair.

Tamar is handy with a thread and needle so she did all of the singeing and sewing while I took care of the chatting.

This is what she came up with:

Isn't it just lovely??

I love the bed of tulle netting and the way the freshwater pearls give it such a bridal feel.

Here is a second design that Tamar is working on:

She is going for pure white.

The chiffon petals are actually made from leftover fabric from my own wedding dress!

(The center has yet to be decided upon)

I will be very honoured if this ends up accompanying Tamar down the aisle!

Glasses Nail Polish Makeover!

2011-11-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

Today I painted my glasses. With nail polish.

Impulsive? More than a little. But when I feel the muse, I like to act.

I have been wishing for a new pair of glasses that is not quite so dark for the longest time.

I think that the orange and red combo is fresh and fun. I love my new look!

Happy crafting!

Leeya

P.S. If you are planning on doing something similar, be sure to have a spare pair of glasses to wear while your project is drying. I had to type this wearing prescription sunglasses because the fumes from the drying nailpolish were bothering my eyes!

Anthroparodie

2011-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

This site made me laugh today:

http://www.anthroparodie.com/

In fact, I'm still giggling a little :)

Enjoy!

Living a more healthy lifestyle

2011-10-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned that Giora and I have been enjoying biking around town. Well, we have also begun working out at the gym every other day AND we just had lentil soup for dinner. Here's to healthy living!

I hope that we can keep this up long term...

p.s. I am in love with my new dark pink high waisted shorts. I got them in NY on sale for only $10 at UO!

A week of biking and breakfasts

2011-10-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like coming home to friends and sunny weather.

Giora and I have spent the past week biking around town and going out to eat with friends. It feels like a second honeymoon. The other day we biked to the port in Tel Aviv to meet friends for breakfast at an outdoor cafe after which we spent some time at the beach (note my matching red dress, red bicycle, and red helmet).

We also bought our first set of cotton satin sheets, cooked fresh foods, and are getting the house in order after my being away for nearly a month.

I am, loving Giora, the end of Summer vacation, and finally being home!

NYC

2011-10-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time I come back here I have less and less to visit.

The time alone has opened up the opportunity to interact with strangers which is its own brand of fun. For example:

I am in the Starbucks on 94th and Broadway (right across from the one on 93rd and Broadway).

A tall, lanky redhead is preparing my cappuccino. I tell him that I like extra foam on top. He tells me that he is from Texas and studying film in NYC. I find a place to sit and open my laptop. It is the best coffee I have tasted since leaving Israel.

I overhear him chatting with a customer saying, "They don't let me say things like 'Ma'am or Ya'll here. Sir's okay." The lady replies in a New York accent, "Isn't that prejudice against Texans?"
I smile to myself.

I ask for a cup of water to compensate for the dehydrating effect of the coffee and begin my work. I look up surprised when when the redhead comes over to hand me a second cup of ice water with a straw in it. "Here you go Miss," he says with a smile, "I thought you might enjoy a free refill." What a sweetheart! On my way out I thank him for being so thoughtful. I know that he is looking for more, but I don't feel like explaining that I am already married to the most adorable redhead on the planet.

Tomorrow I fly to Brussels. I am looking forward to being in a fresh place.

Oh, and to eating lots of Belgian waffles :)

Wishing you a sweet week!

Phyllis in the Forties

2011-10-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today I went through old family photos with my grandmother.

(above is Grandma Phyllis in the 40s).

I am staying with her in her NYC apartment for a few weeks

as I do every year.

Isn't she just lovely?Grandma has always had a remarkable sense of style.

Even at 84.

Every year when I visit, I find her changed.

This visit I discovered that her eyesight has deteriorated to the point that she can't really read and is afraid to go out in the dark.

She tires quickly and is limited to one small activity a day.

She accepts these changes with grace.

To this day she sparkles with the same elegance as she always has.

It is something inborn that no amount of surgery or designer wear can get you.

I don't know how much longer she will be able to manage on her own.

For now, I treasure each laugh, the small talk in the hall, and each moment that makes us closer.

Timeless Love

2011-10-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Every time I see an elderly couple that still walks around holding hands, I believe a little more in everlasting love.

And I think of Giora...

I spotted this adorable coupel at the zoo in Berlin.

Inspirational Berlin

2011-09-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

Whenever I walk around old European cities, I like to pay special attention to the pretty details on the facades of buildings

and to the intricate railings that surround them.The patterns are just so pretty!

I took these photos on my recent trip to Berlin.

Later, when painting or creating jewelry,

I will revisit them for inspiration.

I love antique, romantic decor.

I would choose it over modern, sleek design any day.

Would you?

Splitting headache hangover

2011-09-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to pack for my flight tomorrow morning from Berlin to NY despite feeling just awful. Last night I went out with a group of really nice research students I met at the conference. Our goal was to experience the famous Berlin nightlife. You could say I left me mark on Berlin because now bits of my dinner can be found on the street near a club, on the U-Bahn train platform, the train itself, and of course beside the toilet in my hotel room. Maybe it was the combination of the red wine and the beer or the the red wine and the train or not drinking enough water, but I have never experienced retching or a hangover this bad.

It doesn't matter how sexy you feel when you get dressed, it will all end when you lose control of your throwing up. It was rather humiliating. Remarkably, I got home with my wallet, passports, and iphone all intact. Thank god for the kindness of strangers.

Here is the coolest video I have ever seen. It really speaks to me. Especially because I am feeling kind of lonely this trip. I miss Giora and feeling cared for, special, and loved.

Back to bangs

2011-09-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

I am finally back to my favorite hairstyle, thick, eyebrow grazing bangs with long layered hair.

When I first had them cut a few weeks ago, my bangs were right above the eyebrow which gave them a bettie-bangs look.

I channeled the retro by wearing orange-red lipstick and a vintage gold chain.

I actually really like the way that they look.

Kind of fresh.

You get to have bangs without losing your eyebrows.

For my next haircut I've decided to get bettie-bangs on purpose (pic link)!

With bangs, I feel like I am the best version of myself.

What hairstyles make you feel your best? Do you like to go for sexy of professional when getting your hair cut?

Upcycle: shabby chic floral embellished tee

2011-09-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon my husband asked me what in the world I was doing sewing instead of packing for my big trip (I am writing this post while waiting for boarding in the airport from my laptop).
Well, when inspiration hits, I like to act and I had this great idea for an embellished tee that I couldn't ignore. It began with a pale green tee shirt that I bought for 10 shekel the other day in town. I knew it would be the perfect base for a sewing project. Next, I looked through my box of unfinished flower projects and found four organza flowers in yellow, silver, and maroon. I stitched them on to the tee by hand, adding small beads to their centers.

I wore my fab new shirt on Friday night with my maroon skinny jeans that always end up matching everything even though you would think they'd match nothing.

Project completed, easy as pie and adorable to boot :)

Black and White Leaves: Digital Art

2011-09-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

I would love to start spend more time creating digital art. While I do touch up most of the photos that I post to my etsy shop, I don't consider that art. Typically, I increase the exposure, to make them brighter or increase the contrast to make them pop. I need to keep the picture looking realistic because after all, I am trying to give the buyer an accurate idea of the item that is for sale.

To create the picture above I went all out with the editing tools. It began with a regular photo that really wasn't very special (see below). I played around with it in lightroom until I got to what I would consider a dramatic piece of art.

Which do you use, Photoshop or lightroom? I used to be a photoshop fan, but now I am a lover of lightroom.

A pretty walk home

2011-09-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Today I brought my camera to the lab to photograph some experiments. I was lucky to still have my camera with me for the picturesque walk home.
I love how green Tel-Aviv is.

Here is a picture from my porch. I has a serious stock of those glass stones you can buy at the dollar store. They are so pretty and cost so little that I couldn't resist amassing a small collection. Recently, I added them to my plants so now they add a little sparkle to our garden and they don't take up precious space in my craft shelves.

Have I mentioned that I have quite the trip planned? I am flying to conference on Berlin on Sunday. Next Sunday I will fly from Berlin to NY where I will stay with my grandma for two weeks and meet up with family and old friends. After that I will head to Brussels, Belgium for a meeting having to do with a project I am participating in and then it will be back to home sweet home Tel Aviv.

This will be a busy, but exciting month :)

New in the shop: vintage chain necklaces

2011-09-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

A while back I purchased a HUGE lot of vintage chains on etsy. I have started going through them and reworking them into more modern pieces. Here is the first one listed in my shop.

You will be seeing

many more of these from me in the next few weeks because I love vintage components.

They have a softer shine than modern jewelry does.

They also have a lovely weight to them.

I wore this one to university today.

and yesterday.

I think that it adds a hint of vintage class.

I got quite a few compliments and

also a few "did you make that?"s

from friends who know about

my crafty habits :)

Hope you are having a great day!

Eco bride tank top

2011-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Do you hate waste, but love lace? (I have a future in infomercials)

A few recent weddings reminded me of this tank top that I made out of leftover lace from my own wedding dress.

I simply cut out a few pieces of the lace that I liked (many laces can be cut without fraying), arranged them on a tank applique style, and then hand stitched them in place.

I wore it the other day to go kitchen shopping with my friend paired with a vintage patterned white skirt for a nostalgic look.

I love finding uses for pretty odds and ends.

New in the shop: yellow and gray organza accessories

2011-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Remember this order? Well I used some of the leftover petals to make these flowers which are all available in my etsy shop:

Custard Yellow Hair Flower

Silver Gray Organza Flowers for hair
A similar pair with more petals:

A sweeter, smaller version of the first flower. It is a set of two.
There is something adorable about the brightness and tinyness of this pair.
These Buttercup Flowers feature a more delicate organza and bright white centers.
I think that this last set of Three Canary Yellow Flowers is very romantic.

I just love the way that the freshwater pearls look against the delicate organza and chiffon fabrics. I also enjoyed using yellow for a change. I don't wear much yellow because of my olive toned skin, but it can add such a pretty pop of color when used correctly.

Wishing you a happy and bright day!

Dinner in Neve Tzeddek

2011-08-28T16:03:00.001-07:00

At about 6pm today we decided to indulge ourselves and go out for dinner using coupons that we bought a few weeks ago throught Big Deal (a groupon-like site). We drove to central Tel Aviv, paid too much for parking, and walked to the restaurant only to find that it had been closed down!!

We were disappointed, but we decided that if we had already gotten dressed and paid for parking, then we might as well go out for dinner. We decided to walk to an old favorite restaurant, Dallal, in picturesque Neve Tzeddek. It was really special to just sit across from each other in the warm Summer night air and talk.

We ended up having a wonderful spontaneous date.

Do you like to have spontaneous dates or do you always plan ahead of time?

Today

2011-08-25T04:33:00.001-07:00

I shipped a pair of earrings to Finland for the first time ever this morning. I get a real kick out of the fact that someone will be walking around Finland wearing something that I made.

In other amusing news, I got whistled at on my way to work. It has been such a long time since that happened that at first I thought that they were asking for directions.

Last night I hosted our second craft night at my house and it was a smashing success. More on that later today.

Happy almost-weekend!

Cause for celebration

2011-08-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Giora is home!

After developing quite the nocturnal streak, I slept like a baby for the first time in two weeks.

This morning I put in my contacts, put on a little makeup, and a shirt that is too low cut to wear to university. When I asked Giora, "Is my shirt too low cut for university?" and he said "Wow! no." When I put on a necklace that's a little too loud for university and asked, "Is this too crazy" and he said, "No it's beautiful" I smiled to myself and headed out the door.

It is wonderful to have him back.

* By the way that is the craft night yoyo necklace I was finally bold enough to wear out

It got lots of compliments :)

Pretty scenes from my porch

2011-08-14T10:18:00.001-07:00

Our plants seem to be recovering from the move. I have been trying to water them every day. This cluster of flowers was so darling that I had to break out the camera and the macro lense.

I have always loved the yellow glow of the late afternoon sun, but watching it from my new porch is truly magical.

Wishing you a day filled with beauty,

Leeya

My first jewelry fan: Mom

2011-08-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

My fashionable mother can often be found sporting a Leeya Engel original.

This is her latest piece. I created it using detailed polymer clay work (incorporating Swarovski crystals) and by wire wrapping red glass and purple freshwater pearls to form a chain. Mom loves purple. Every so often my mother will see a new piece in my workshop that she asks to "borrow". She then incorporates the necklace into her wardrobe and it is hers for keeps.

I guess it's a sort of payback for all those trips to the bead store when I was a little girl. The truth is that I get a good deal of satisfaction out of seeing my creations so proudly and stylishly worn. I may even prefer it to selling.

Do you also get the most satisfaction when your creations are not only beautiful, but useful? Like it justifies their having been created?

Craft Night #1: yoyo necklaces

2011-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have just started a craft group with someone from my neighborhood and it was completely by chance. Her husband works on my floor in the university in a lab across the hall. One day he stopped me and said, "I heard that you are into crafts." I said, "into is an understatement" and proceeded to send him links to my shop and blog.

Convinced of my craftiness (and shocked at my online presence), he passed on my info to his wife, Rinat. Rinat was a crafter on the hunt for crafting counterparts. She also happens to live a block and a half away from me.

With that, our ladies craft night was born.

For our first craft night activity, we made yoyo necklaces (click for a good tutorial and another). I brought the materials and led the session. Rinat hosted and took care of refreshments (included tasty granola cookies). We chatted, drank coffee, and of course made fabulous necklaces. I wish I had pictures of everyone's and not just my own. They all came out so different and lovely!

When we ended the meeting, it was with excitement for future gatherings and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating something beautiful with your own two hands.

Do you host or attend a craft night? I would love to hear about it!

Custom Romantic Bridal Flowers for Bridesmaids

2011-08-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked by an etsy customer to design some custom flowers for her bridesmaids. The color pallette: gold, biege, ivory with maybe a touch of red/burgundy

The theme: classic romantic: birdcages, flowers, candles, etc.

Here are the designs that I came up with for her to choose from.

I had said I would design one all gold version and one version that incorporates some red hues.

Of course I got completely carried away. I even came up with variations for the centers of each flower design.

My friends and I liked the above flower best because it is just so classic and bridal.

Here is a warmer toned version with a vintage button center
Here is a black freshwater pearl nestled in antique brass filigree leaves.
For something completely different I designed the flower below. Turns out that opaque satin can be singed as well, but it is a little more difficult.
I like how clean the flower looks with all of its neat little circles.
Here is a version with a white freshwater pearl center. I think that this is my second favorite flower. If the bride was thinking more along the lines of beige for her bridesmaids then she might like it. Here is a sweet, colorful flower that happened to come about between all the petals flying around. I think that it would be cute for flower girls on a thin headband.
Here is a classic organza flower much like flowers you have seen me make in the past, only I added some tulle on the bottom to give it a birdcage veil feel.
Here is that same vintage button again- I think it adds alot.
Here is a simple, romantic version. I layered the gold petals with cream colored organza to add texture.

I was thinking that some of these would even be great bridal flowers for brides going for ivory or cream colored dresses. I will have to add another listing to the shop.

Which do you like best?

Salsa update

2011-08-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Just got back from salsa lessons and I am getting so much better!

Recent improvements:

1) Stoppingtto look at my feet

2) Learning to be led (still a work in progress but I learned a useful rule of thumb: body follows hands).

Things I still need to work on:

1) Not colliding with other dancers

2) Taking smaller steps so that I can keep up with faster beats

If you have ever thought about learning salsa, I highly recommend it :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Leeya

Upcycle: Summer shirt for the office

2011-08-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

You know that long sleeve button down shirt that you never wear, but can't quite justify getting rid of? Well this striped number was pretty, but a tad too small in the shoulders. It had been sitting in my closet for a few years when I decided to take a pair of scissors to it and transform it into a cute, wearable warm-weather work shirt.I meant to take a "before" photo befor removing the sleeves. This is as close as a "before" picture as I am going to get:

Chopping off my sleeves and going sleeveless in the Summertime is so liberating!

These pics were taken on the porch of our new apartment in heaven, Tel Aviv (not a real place). Check out all that green! I love it here!!

I wore my new button down shirt to T.A. at the university the other day. Paired with jeans, it is serious, but in a relaxed sort of way.

Summer upcycles have a way of always involving scissors, don't they (see cutoffs)?

Life Update

2011-07-19T01:28:00.000-07:00

We moved to Tel Aviv!

As of Wednesday, we are residents of Ramat Aviv, a gorgeous, green neighbourhood in Northern Tel Aviv. It happened so fast. We saw an apartment, fell in love with it, and moved two weeks later. Amazing (besides for paying rent on two places at once for the last two weeks of July).

Pictures to come!

Leeya

New in the shop: Organza accessories

2011-07-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Spanish Beauty Organza Flower Bobby with a freshwater pearl center:It's little and I love it. Especially the way the pearl looks nestled inside all of those singed petals.
Gorgeous Gray and Black Lace Stretchy Elastic Headband
The first of its kind. stretchy lace is brilliant. It's pretty and sooo comfortable.I finally finished all of the sewing for my recent custom flower girl accessories order - what do you think?
This is how the headband came out:
I think it's ravishing.

I am also pretty sure that I underpriced my work because this order took forever to complete, but it was very fulfilling. Yes, the living room table is still an organza covered mess.

In other news, we found an apartment in Tel Aviv that we are absolutely in love with. Moving day is in just 10 days which means that this period of lots of time for etsying is coming to a close and we are entering packing frenzy mode. Wish us luck!

In my workshop: Been busy

2011-07-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Being at home (due to spraining my ankle) has its benefits. It has been crafting madness over here! This is what our living room table looks like right now: Lots of flowers in progress... Part of the reason for the flower frenzy is that I am using up all of the extra the petals that didn't go into my recent custom flower girl accessories order.I am also working on some new rhinestone designs. The length of three octagonal rhinestones is going to be a bracelet with two possibilities for matching earrings. I will hopefully take photos tomorrow and list them by the end of next week.

Wishing you a lovely and creative weekend,

Leeya

Inspirational Music: Alanis Morissette

2011-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Remember: no matter how angry you are, Alanis will always be angrier.

I love this woman!

Remembering

2011-06-28T04:14:00.001-07:00

Today I am remembering how much I love to wear heels and wondering how long it will be before I can again (picture is from a year ago)...

On the bright side, yesterday I took my first steps since the sprain. I have been hobbling around proudly ever since. This is really exciting because I was beginning to feel like I would never walk again. I know, that's silly, it's just a sprain. But being immobile, at home, and alone for most of the day gets me thinking like a crazy person. How do housewives do it??? It makes me thankful for my studies and work and for all of the wonderful people that usually fill my day.

I am also feeling very blessed at my body's ability to heal itself. Keep heeling, little cells, and I promise to keep you well supplied with protien.

Hope that you are spending your day doing something more interesting than pushing off writing an essay for a grant proposal and talking about your foot.

Leeya

Cripple Chic

2011-06-26T02:16:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you sprain your ankle two days before your husbands birthday? Answer: don't let it change a thing!

Here we are after watching the sunset on the beach as planned:

Later, we went to a bar where our friends were waiting to surprise him. My foot started hurting towards the end, but it was worth putting a smile on this adorable face

As for my new look, I call it cripple chic:

Custom Yellow and Gray Flower Girl Accessories

2011-06-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

A bride-to-be recently contacted me with a request for custom flower accessories for her flower girls. The colors for her wedding: gray and yellow. I love custom orders! Material costs are paid upfront and you get to make something that someone is going to enjoy.

I wanted to share with you the steps that are involved in creating these flowers:

1) Purchase materials. It is best to buy a few different shades because it looks pretty when you layer them. Pictured here are yellow, light gray, and dark gray organza.

2) Cut circles of all sizes from the fabrics. I like to fold the fabric over a few times and then cut many circles at once.3) Singeing. Here you take each petal and hold it above the flame so that it shrinks along the edges. Don't worry if you are doing a messy job of it. The petals will look great once they are together anyway. DO make sure to not let the material catch on fire and be aware that the endges of the petals remain hot for a few seconds after being over the flame.4) Here is what the petals looks like when they are done:5) Once you have a nice amount of petals you want to start thinking about the composition of your flower. I nestle the petals one inside fo the other and then pin them in place.
These are yellow chiffon:These are different shades of gray organza:

Larger flowers generally need more petals to get that lush, full look:

You can play around by mixing different colors and sizes. I really liked the way that this came out:

6) Now you want to decide what to put in the center of the flowers. For this order I used freshwater pearl beads, because they are for a wedding.

Sometimes simple is prettiest. Here I added a single freshwater pearl to the center of each flower:

Sometimes I like to add three beads: Here I used larger, flat freshwater pearls:

For these I added in some white tulle for contrast:
Aren't they darling?

Some of these flowers will become bobby pins, some will be attached to headbands. The rest will be for me to play with :) I am thinking pins or necklaces.

Hope you enjoyed this anecdote/tutorial! Feel free to check out my original singed organza flower tutorial here.

Worst day ever

2011-06-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The worst day ever ended with me sitting on a toilet at Terem (Israel's emergency care), trying not to let the bare toes of my freshly sprained ankle touch the floor, while noticing that my period arrived just in time to pay a visit to my white pants.

Beat that.

Hoping that your day is going infinitely better...

Leeya

Inspirational Music: Ottis Redding

2011-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

How vacation inspiring...

Now back to studying polymer morphology...

Salsa update

2011-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I dress really cute on salsa nights, then my various dance partners won't notice what an awful dancer I am? On the other hand maybe they mistake my look of deep concentraion as I watch my feet and count 1-2-3 out loud for style? I like to think that I am getting better all the time.

In other news, I have a final coming up next week so will not be investing in my shop or crafting until then. Things are really coming along in the university. On Monday, my partner and I won a prize for a poster we presented at an international conference. Yay!

I seem to be alot better at Science than at dancing...

Life Update: The perfect Summer job

2011-05-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

I will be working as a teaching assistant in a Physics I course this Summer in the university. Hoorray! It will be a great opportunity to go over the basic laws of mechanics and I see it as a real step forward professionally. It will be alot of work and I am a little nervous to do frontal teaching in the university in a topic that is not at all trivial, but I am also really excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Although I might not remember everything from year one of undergrad mechanics (as if I ever knew everything!?), I do have a knack for being able to transmit things that I do know. I am pretty sure that it has to do with being able to see things from other people's perspectives.

I am really hoping for my sake and for my future students' sake that it goes well.

New in the shop: More raw brass

2011-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love this stuff. I am going to have to start trying to add patinas.

Vintage Inspired Large Oak Leaf Hoop Earrings

How pretty is this stamping?

I am not sure if it looks more like an oak leaf or a bat.

Maybe they will have some kind of gothic appeal?

Art Deco Earrings

These are a little more gentle and remind me of angel wings.

They are rather photogenic:

You like?

New in the shop: vintage rhinestones in brass settings II

2011-05-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have made quite a few more pairs of rhinestone earrings since my last shop update. I am happy to say that they are selling fairly well. Here is the next generation:

Secret Fan Earrings with nickel-free earwires

I tried incorporating smaller stones with filigree. It came out looking kind of Spanish.

The Moon at Midnight Earrings

Here I added in freshwater pearls.

Enchanted Golden Green Faceted Glass Earrings

Femme Fatale Old Hollywood Rhinestone Earrings

In the Queens Garden Pastel Earrings

Lucky Red Lipstick Dangle Earrings

Teardrops and Pearls Tiny Glamour Earrings

Hope you like 'em!

Life Plans

2011-05-23T04:02:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking for quite some time about transferring to the straight doctorate program at Tel Aviv University (I an currently doing a masters there). On good days, I am sure that it is what I want to do. On hard days, days when I find creating my own schedule to be a challenge, I wonder if it isn't better to just finish my masters and take it from there.

The thing with the straight doctorate is that if you don't finish it for some reason, then you have no degree. If you finish your masters and then begin doctorate, at least you have a masters in hand. Reasons for potentially not completing a doctorate include children, job offers, or my worst nightmare, research that doesn't go anywhere. I don't know what the statistics are for what percent of doctoral students don't end up finishing and I don't really want to know.

Today I was going over a small article that I am trying to write with one of my advisors when he asks, "So after the article, you really want to start the doctoral program?" Both advisors have already agreed to the move. I had to hold myself back from offering a pathetic, "Do you really think that I am good enough?". I played it confident said yes.

I have to publish this article before being accepted, but I'm pretty sure that I have it worked out and know where I will be spending the next four years. I like my field of research and finding your professional life interesting is not something to be taken for granted.

Here's to beginning a new chapter...

Teaching

2011-05-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this quote today and had to share.

There is so much truth in that. Sorry the text is so small. Maybe somebody wants to teach me how to insert a picture while maintaining its size?

Thanks Mate!

2011-05-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

I love globalization! Tomorrow I will be shipping a pair of these earrings off to Australia.

COOL!

Now I am busy spending too much time packaging them as usual, coordinating ribbon and tissue paper. I showed off the final product to Giora and he said, "Honey, you have strange hobbies." In any case, shipping to exotic locations is such a motivation for keeping my shipping prices low.

Hope you are having a great Sunday,

Leeya

20 shekel vest and a sad story that ended well

2011-05-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

I picked up this awesome black vest for only 20 shekels ($6) at the weekly campus fair. It was on sale and fit perfectly, lucky me! I wore it to work the other day with a white shirt and jeans to keep it simple.

I paired it with these black ballet flats that I never wear, figuring that they couldn't possibly be as uncomfortable as I remembered. Four blisters later, I was in agony. Giora called to tell me that he wasn't going to be able to pick me up from the train which meant that I would need to walk home. By this point I was taking tiny Giesha-steps because the pain was too great.

The only solution was to go to Azrieli Center, the huge mall right near where I work, and buy a pair of new shoes:

I LOVE THEM.

It's a happy ending because if I hadn't needed to buy shoes I never would have spent the 300 shekel on them (they are from Zara by the way). I am thrilled to have new sandals for Spring and a reason to paint my toenails bright pink!

In my workshop: more rhinestone earrings

2011-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

A sneak peak at some new designs I am working on...

New in the shop: vintage rhinestones in brass settings

2011-05-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

It is about time I shared with you my latest collection of earrings made from vintage glass rhinestones set in raw brass settings. Some things were just meant to be.

Vintage West German Frosted Periwinkle Cabachon Earrings

You already know about my love for raw brass, but now I am on a one-man-quest to purchase vintage rhinestones in every shape and color.

Old Hollywood Glamour Rhinestone Earrings in Mint Green

Olive Hollywood Glamour Earrings

The amazing colors, shapes, and the way that they gently catch the light is just so ridiculously pretty.

Pretty Pink Gumdrop Earrings

Emerald Hollywood Glamour Earrings

This new hobby has pretty much cleaned out my paypal account, but I have already sold two pairs of these guys so I am feeling optimistic.This is probably because I priced them pretty reasonably (they don't take thaaat long to make).

Frosted Lemon Drop Dangle Earrings

In any case, new materials fuel my artistic spirit and that's what's most important, right?

20 shekel shorts and other news

2011-05-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

I bought these cute linen shorts at the weekly TAU campus fair on Wednesday for only 20 shekels ($6).! I love their neutral tone and relaxed, comfy vibe. They are light and loose enough that they feel like a skirt, but I don't need to worry about sudden winds if you catch my drift...

Summery, but safe.

You may wonder what I was doing outside of the lab during daylight and why the cat in the above picture looks like it is scared I am going to jump on it. Well, I can help you with the first question. On Thursday we began apartment hunting in Tel Aviv! We will hopefully be moving to Ramat Aviv by the end of July. I can't wait to live in a real city again and I am feeling really excited about the upcoming chapter of my life. Good days are coming.

New in the shop: detailed fimo earrings

2011-05-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

Peachy Keen Summer Blossom Earrings

Ships Ahoy Golden Anchor Earrings

Summer Rain Earrings

Bionic Green Handmade Chandelier Earrings

100% handmade and one-of-a-kind just the way I like 'em :)

Weekend loveliness

2011-04-30T12:12:00.001-07:00

On Friday night we went to Giora's parents' house for dinner. We came away with full bellies and four lemons from their garden.

We went out for coffee.

The parking lot was filled with wildflowers. I picked a few of these beauties and arranged them in a vase with some geraniums from our porch.

Can you tell that I read too many Martha Stewart Living magazines as a child?

Trading dirty jokes with the Russian doctor

2011-04-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Dr, Yevgeni opens the door to his office just as I am on my way to get a tissue from the bathroom. Not willing to give up my spot on line ( I am becoming so Israeli), I changed directions and followed him in to the office. He is a middle aged man with a thick Russian accent. Who could find a less awkward person to discuss my UTI with?

Before sitting down, I ask for a tissue.

Dr. Yev looks around his office, moves some papers and points to a box, "Here are some tissues, but they are in a box from Viagra."

I grab a tissue and say, "As long as it doesn't grow my nose, I don't mind."

Dr. Yev can't speak because he is choking from laughter. I must not have looked like the dirty joke type.

"You know", I continue, "we just couldn't have that in a Jewish state."

Dr. Yev recovers. But before filling out my prescription, he makes sure to tell me a racist joke about jews and noses and money.

I am feeling better already.

New in the shop: Summer earrings!

2011-04-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is the only time of year I like wearing big dangly earrings.

Summer Party Earrings

They go perfectly with sunny weather, adding a dash of color to dresses and tanks.

Queen Anne's Lace Earrings

This collection reminds me of flowers and fields and hiking and nature.

And sunny good times.

I dream in purple paisley dangle earrings

Here the name is a stretch, but I couldn't resist the pun:

Then leaf me dangle earrings

I think that they look anthropologie-esque.

Yesterday I shipped this pair of earrings to a wonderful customer. It makes me feel good knowing that they are going to a place where they will be worn appreciated. I love that the buyer is a repeat customer.

Truly gratifying.

Inspirational Music: An old favorite

2011-04-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

I think that if I could pick one song in the whole wide world it would be this. It speaks to me.

Healthy Cake Batter Milkshake-Smoothie Recipe

2011-04-26T04:28:00.001-07:00

For a smoothie that tastes like dessert but has some nutritional value to redeam it, I present to you my cake batter smoothy. It was born of pure trial and error and quite a bit of taste-testing. You will be scraping out the last licks.

Ingredients:

1 plain yogurt

1 ripe banana

2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter

1 tbs brown sugar

2 scoops of chocolate ice cream

cashews/pecans/peanuts

Instructions: place ingredients in blender and blend to perfection. Add in ice cubes if desired

*Recipe makes about one and a half servings

*photos from myhomecooking.net and tipdeck.com

New in the shop: more earrings!

2011-04-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Pink Polka Dot Post Earrings Forest Fairy Dangle Earrings

I haven't done one of these in a while, but now that I am on vacation, I have finally had a little time to edit photos and upload things to the shop. These two pairs have been waiting to be listed for ages. It feels great to be etsying again. More to come!

Wadi something-or-other

2011-04-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have a ridiculously talented husband. Talent must not be distributed evenly or it would be impossible for him to be so good at so many things.

I am honored to be the frequent subject of his photography.The other day he took me on a hike to wadi something-or-other. I never really know where I am. I did know that it was hot and I was cranky. Giora thinks I'm good at hiking because I move quickly so as to spend as little time as possible in the sun. Sort of like when you throw a mouse into the water and it has no choice other than to swim to the bank to get out. Maybe a little less cruel, but I digress. Here are a few pictures from our outing. I am sorry that they are all of me, but really I'm not because it's fun when someone wants to photograph you all the time and you get to pick out the ones that came out best and put them on your blog :)

I wouldn't lie to you.

Salsa update

2011-04-17T14:31:00.001-07:00

* danceforfun.me.uk

Thursday's date night went incredibly well. With time I find myself discovering the benefits of alcohol. It took just one glass of red wine and a little sangria to turn us into dancing with the stars. During salsa class we switch partners every round so I don't always get to dance with Giora and I do always have to take a turn with stinky-breath guy. But regardless of who I was dancing with, every time I got confused lost my footing I could hear Giora laughing in the background and it made me laugh. I was finally able to remember the names of the moves and I didn't feel quite so ridiculous anymore. Later, during the freestyle part of evening that follows the class, it was clear that Giora had gotten the hang of spinning and twirling me around and we had great fun. I imagined to myself that we looked like the couple above as we made the most of the very basic steps that are all we know at this point.

I am beginning to think that it's not too late for conservative me after all.

Weekend Salsa: not quite spicy

2011-04-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that we have started going to Salsa lessons on Thurs nights? No? Maybe that's because of my embarrassing lack of coordination. I swear, getting the steps right takes all of the focus and concentration I can muster.

It also turns out that I am a total control freak and have trouble allowing myself to be led. When I am not busy blaming Giora for not knowing how to lead (marriage has this magical way of supplying someone to blame for everything and anything), I wonder what it will take to acquire this skill. A glass of wine? Two? There should be a sort of salsa therapy where you work out your control issues and learn to let loose through dance. But then again, hasn't that already developed into a film genre (Dirty Dancing, Save the Last Dance, Shall We Dance,...Billy Elliot)? Where is Patrick Swayze when you need him?

We are keeping at it.

Anniversary flowers part II

2011-04-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

After several days, my anniversary flowers began to fade,

The outer petals began to loosen and fall,

They cascaded onto the coffee table, forming gentle piles,

Creating a new kind of beautiful.

The great thing about photography is that now every time Giora buys me flowers I can in a sense have them forever. The great thing about Giora is that he bought me a macro lense because he knew I would want to.

Three years later - a sappy post

2011-04-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

In addition to supplying me with unconditional love for all the past three beautiful years of our marriage, Giora bought me these beautiful anniversary flowers:

They are the same kind of flower as were in my bridal bouquet.Hope this adds some beauty to your day!

Leeya

Always turn off the toaster before showering

2011-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

A lesson learned the hard way...this morning...when I got out the shower and stepped into a blinding haze of smoke.

It took me a moment to orient myself before I ran to unplug the toaster and open every window in the house (while holding up a red towel). The toaster should have stopped by itself , but the bread must have gotten stuck. Who knew that two pieces of bread could fill the entire house with smoke? It was really somewhat surreal. The smoke was swirling around the ceiling so that it was hard to see, but there was a clear space for about a foot above the floor.

I didn't have time to shower again, but the smoke cleared and miraculously I made it to my driving lesson on time. I recently gave up my stick shift lessons in favor of automatic. The automatic car was being borrowed from a friend of my driving instructors and it had one of those automatic scent things that went off every two minutes, making the car smell like a public restroom.

After the lesson I headed to my office at the university. There are worse things than smelling like an adolescent who smoked one too many cigarrettes in the high school bathroom. I had a wonderful day.

New Music: Daniela Spector

2011-03-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Giora and I heard this song on the radio and think that it is cool. We sing it in the car.
Enjoy!

The singer, Daniela Spector, is Israeli to boot.

Bunny and the chef

2011-03-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you are on the fourth floor wondering who is hogging the elevator, know that it was for a good cause... The mirror and lighting inside make it the perfect photo spot: I used the oldest girl-costume trick in the book for my Purim costume this year: a headband with furry ears. It came with a bowtie and a furry little tail, but those were outside of my comfort one.Everything is in bloom and my allergies were in full blast all weekend. Having a naturally pink bunny nose definitely added to the look. Sometimes the stars just align in that way.

Stupid things that I have done in the past week

2011-03-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

My blog has become a confession spot. I will try to turn it back into a craft blog. It's just that I haven't been doing much crafting lately. Here are a few things that I have done recently:

1) Accidentally washed my hands with pure bleach.
2) Took the train to the wrong city on my way home

The first event came about on Monday night when we went to surprise my grandmother on the eve of her 91st birthday. I am washing my hands at the sink using liquid from a palmolive bottle when I realize that it isn't sudsing up in the usual way. Ever the research student, I sniff my hands. "Not apple fresh," I think and then worriedly ask my grandmother's Filippino helper,"Is this bleach?" I am relieved when she answers no. Then I think to ask her what the strange liquid in the palmolive bottle is. "Economica" she explains with a smile. Of course, the Hebrew word for bleach.

On Sunday night, I look out of the window of the train about forty minutes after leaving the university station only to notice that everything looks a bit different from usual. I ask the person sitting across from me what the next stop is and when he answers, I find a secluded spot on the train from which to make an embarrassing phone call.

"Honey," I say, "I'm on the train to Rehovot."
Giora laughs and starts to plan where he is going to pick me up from. A different husband might be annoyed that he has to drive out and pick up his wife from the middle of nowhere, but not Giora. He enjoys this rare opportunity to come to my rescue and makes sure to point out how much I am in need of his manly driving abilities. I can live with that.
*A cool pic I took of Giora on Sat night after our sunset walk

An old A-line skirt gains a high waist

2011-03-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

I rediscovered this pleated A-line skirt the other day while looking for something to wear to birthday dinner at my parents'. I tried it on, but wasn't pleased with the way it sat just below my waist (it's from a time when low-slung was in). My solution was to pair it with a thick elastic belt to create the profile I wanted. I tucked in a simple cream colored cardigan to keep the look clean. I would describe the resulting outfit as feminine, but crisp.

*Special thanks to photoshop for giving me the tools to crop out the overflowing laundry basket that was to the right of me in the original photo

Warm winds

2011-03-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

Spring is in the air and I have a new macro lense. What could be a more perfect combination?
Today was unexpectedly warm. Every time I went outside it felt like a dream.
I had a wonderful day-after-birthday.

Worst birthday ever

2011-03-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today I am 25 years old. There is something about the expectation that a birthday is going to be a special day that tends to make it such a disappointment. I know that it is my fault that today turned out awful - probably something having to do with internal happiness and being too much of a control freak to appreciate anything that anyone else can do for me, but that doesn't really make me feel any better.

By tomorrow it will be over and I will go back to my usual schedule of research, work, and daily life without anything having changed. I should have planned myself a party like I did last year, but I just didn't have the energy.

I apologize for the self-pitying post, but it is my birthday and I'll cry if I want to (in fact, I have already cried a good deal).

My best friend finds the best songs

2011-03-03T02:41:00.000-08:00

Be good to yourself

2011-03-03T00:38:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday morning I could have made a mad thirteen minute dash to catch the 9:00 train, made phone calls from the train to delay the meeting/experiment that I was already running late for, run across the campus to conduct that experiment and then run across the campus again with barely enough time to prepare for and complete a different experiment.

But then I thought about the kind of mood a morning like that would put me in. Instead, I decided to take the 9:40 train, cancel my first experiment and focus on the second. Best of all, I decided that I wasn’t going to feel guilty about it.

During my now calm walk to the train station I stopped by the local bagel shop and bought myself a cinnamon raisin bagel for breakfast. I enjoyed the sunshine.

Having a slow morning every now and again is one of the perks of being a research student. While it is important that I progress with my research, I don’t have to do everything in one day. I am learning to give myself a break. And you know what? That second experiment went really well because I was relaxed enough to be present and give it my all.

Wishing you peace and productivity J

Leeya

Your friendly new neighbors

2011-02-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

I spent all of last week in a hormonal haze wishing that I was back on the ski slopes. Today as I got out of the car in the parking lot beneath our building, I remarked to Giora that I was finally feeling productive and successful again. He said, "Its because of your pony (that's how you say bangs in Hebrew and he really likes my new haircut)." I sang out in agreement "I have a magic pony!" in a silly accent. Giggling, I slung my arm around him and we started to walking goofily towards the entrance to our building. That's when we noticed that we weren't alone. A neighbor had parked nearby and was getting things out of his car. We walked past him trying our hardest to act normal and not to laugh. We opened the door to the building, thinking that we'd have enough time to quietly slip into the elevator and up to our apartment, but the neighbor was too quick. He caught the door and gracefully entered the elevator holding 10 perfectly ironed button down shirts on hangers. He politely introduced himself and invited us for coffee. It turns out that he just purchased the penthouse and is moving in tomorrow. He must have really liked Giora's pajamas and slippers (because that's what Giora was wearing when he picked me up today).
Once safely inside our home, I turned on the radio and started to boil water for ravioli. While waiting for the water to boil I made up moves to songs that were never meant to be danced to.
Giora looked around at the ski clothes still scattered around the living room and the mess on the table and wondered aloud about how we were going to prepare for the guests we invited for Tuesday night dinner.
"You've got a messy house and a dancing woman," I said between moves.
Since our performance in a local karaoke bar in Italy, I have been embracing my skills as a performer.
I am happy to say that home is starting to feel like home again and I am getting my groove back.

Passo Tonale, Italy

2011-02-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

What better way to end the semester than a week long ski vacation in Passe Tonale, Italy? Views like the above have a way of clearing my mind.

Giora is a great partner for a number of reason but the fact that he shares my taste in clothing, music, and idea of what makes an ideal vacation doesnt hurt one bit. Here we are on the busride to the ski site: I always get to be DJ.
Here is the small city where we are staying: Snow is just marvelous. The only thing that could possibly be better is snow with ducks on it:

For some reason they wouldnt accept me as one of their own...wouldnt you agree that that is me at my sexiest? My ski instructor asked me today if I was planning on robbing a bank (I was wearing a face mask). Clearly.

After a day of looking like a snowmobile, it is fun to dress up and relax at an apres ski.

I cut bangs again in anticipation for our trip. Changes and new experiences keep me going.

The calm after the storm

2011-02-06T04:34:00.000-08:00

My big test is over, but it did not go nearly as well as planned. This is mainly due to the fact that I let the stress get to me and impair my ability to think straight. I have to remind myself that the most important thing is that I studied the course well and not the grade that I am going to get. It is hard to really believe in that though.

Over the weekend I tried to relax, but I kept thinking of reasons why I messed up the test (drank coffee too late the night before, didn't ask questions durng the test etc.). I did have a little time to complete a few new earring designs that have been sitting on my desk for months which was therepuetic. I'd really like to get creative and start investing in my shop again.

Now it is back to the thesis. It is sometimes hard to decide how best to proceed and how to structure my day so that it will be productive. I have to get back into a "shvoong" as they call it here.

There were patches of sunlight that I should mention to counter the negative tone of this post. My best frend is in Israel for two weeks and it is lovely having her in the same time zone as me. Giora nd I took a nice walk, hand in hand, in our neighborhood on Saturday. I snapped the photo above. Doesn't it just scream "Winter"? Who else is ready for warm colorful Summer to return?

Left my lunch on the train

2011-01-31T01:51:00.001-08:00

Again. This makes me feel like a fool for so many reasons. Here are a few:

1) I spent time packing that lunch last night.
2) I hate wasting food and that would have made a great lunch. It would make it better if I knew that someone else was going to enjoy it but what kind of wierdo would feel comfortable eating lunch that a stranger left on the train?
3) Not being able to remember to take more than one bag off of the train makes me feel like I don't have my shit together and I try really hard to keep it together. It does not at all come naturally to me. This feels like regression.

Today I came to university to study for the final that I have on Friday. It should have been a good day. I didn't get caught in the rain, I am wearing a cheery red sweater, and I had breakfast at home with Giora this morning (which is a real treat), but losing my lunch just makes me want to cry.

What are methods that you use to keep from being forgetful?

The big sister effect for effective teaching

2011-01-25T00:43:00.000-08:00

This morning I parted ways with a happy new GMAT student outside of the center where I teach. It made me think about how one of the most important things that we can do as teachers is to impart a sense of security to our students. Only when a student is not feeling stressed can he or she absorb new information, think creatively , and learn.

When I teach my Friday GMAT class I try to arrive relaxed because I know that my mood will set the tone in the classroom for the next four hours. My Friday morning usually goes like this:

7:15 alarm goes off and I dream of quitting my job

7:30 alarm goes off again and I jump out of bed

7:40 run out the door

7:50 train departs, I take out my makeup bag and travel mirror for some primping

8:23 train arrives at Azrieli center, I find the nearest Aroma coffee shop and place my regular Fri morning order of a small capuccino, a small mozzarella sandwich, and a granola cookie

8:30 coffee arrives, I begin organizing my thoughts for the lesson I am about to deliver

8:45 make my way to the teaching center

8:55 find a marker that works

9:00 greet students with a smile.

In part, I have my two little brothers to thank for this ability to impart a sense of security. When you are a big sister even if your little sib is the most annoying person on earth you have this feeling of wanting to protect them. It includes comforting them when your parents are fighting, protecting them from the bullies on the bus, and being the one in charge at home when the parents are out. Teaching is a way for me to channel my inner big sis. An added bonus is that being a know-it-all just makes you a more knowledgable teacher.

13:00 on Fridays, class is over and I am usually on a high from helping my super motivated students get a little closer to reaching their goals.

Mission accomplished

2011-01-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

This morning I dressed up as superwoman (note colors above) and I tackled that driving (theory) test! It is amazing how pants so unflattering can be so empowering...

Little brother #1's reaction: Mazal tov! Cross country road trip here you come!

He must mean the USA because this country is the size of New Jersey.

Here is the story behind why I accomplished today what I have been pushing off for years.

It was a tired morning. A very very cranky morning. I got annoyed at Giora for waking me up and stealing the covers and trying to wake me up some more. I crankily told him to go on without me and that I would walk to the train. About an hour later I got up, much later than I had planned, quickly got dressed and left the house. I knew that I was a bit behind schedule, but didn't have it in me to start running. I ended up missing the train by 30 seconds. I sat down and didnt know what to do. I decided to redeem the day by making it the day I pass my driving theory test. I went to a cafe with my driving theory book, ordered coffee and sat there reading for a few hours until I felt confident enough to go to the test. I walked to the test site (got lost a few times along the way) and did it!

Here's to setting goals and reaching them! Thanks to all of my friends and family who have been nagging me about taking care of this for months! I would never have actually gotten around to doing it without you.

Confession time + two new necklaces

2010-12-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I didn't take the driving test on Sunday. And now for a few lame excuses:

I remembered that I had a meeting Sunday morning at University, I also had to ship a sold item, and have a presentation to give on Thursday. It was all a little too much for one week. Hopefully, I will take the test this Sunday. I know, I deserve a medal for my ability to push this thing off...

Phew, now that that is off my chest, I can share two newly listed necklaces with you:

The Coffee Date Necklace:

I could live in a cafe and spend my days having discussions over warm cups of coffee. The smell of it makes me happy. It's true that the kettle and cup can also represent tea, but isn't coffee just so much more inspiring. I don't know how I would get through the morning without it!

I like the way that the lighting gave these photos a storybook effect.

Next up is the Vacation by the Sea Necklace

It is inspired by the fact that I would love to be vacationing by the sea right now instead of beginning to feel that end-of-semester stress beginning to set in.

I like the composition of the greens and blues and the way that it falls.

The amount of satisfaction that I get from my etsy shop relative to the amount of money it generates sometimes astounds me. But, I really do get such joy from creating, listing, and then shipping my creations to different cities all over the world. I will keep the shop alive and running for as long as I can.

One colorful morning

2010-12-22T22:50:00.001-08:00

Below is a sample of my outfit today. Red pants, green zip up, and my magical plaid button down shirt. I guess I am feeling the Christmas in the air all the over here in Israel. The following took place in the car this morning:

Me: Honey, tell me the truth, do I look like a medical clown?

Giora: Is that even a real profession? I bet in the states it is.

Me: Of course it is!

Giora: Why don't they have medical models? That would be alot more successful.

This meaningful conversation took place while I was on my way to take the driving theory test, something that I have been putting off for about six years now. Not having my license is the only thing that keeps me from feeling fully adult. Needless to say, it has been pretty high on my list of priorities since we moved to the suburbs. Last time I went to take the test, it it turned out that an important form had been expired for over a year so they wouldn't let me in. Today I discovered that they don't offer the test on Thursdays.

When I began this blog, I wanted it to be a place where I could share my thoughts, but also track my progress. I am looking forward to telling you on Sunday that the driving theory test is behind me :). Wish me luck!

New in the shop: the brass collection

2010-12-21T11:51:00.001-08:00

Meet the brass collection, a few pairs of entirely brass earrings that are (slowly) making their way into my shop. I have fallen in love with the soft gold glow of matt brass. It feels like such higher quality than all of the gold and silver plating that is so common in jewelry supply stores.

Brass stampings come in beautiful shapes and textures. All of the components used here are from a destash collection I bought on etsy. They were just begging to be made into earrings.

I handmade the above earwires from brass wire. I think it adds to the quality of the piece. On the topic of quality, be aware that brass stampings come in a range of qualities. The thicker, raw brass ones are my favorites. I also like that they develope a patina with time.

In the pic above I used different colored metals and added an accent bead to the handmade earwire.

For this pair, I wire-wrapped three tiny pearls to the bottom and added leverback earwires.

I am really happy with the way these pictures came out even though Giora took has a tendency of photographing me and forgetting about the earrings :)

It definitely beats my attempts at self-photography that typically result in fuzzy pictures of the wall behind my head. Thanks honey!

Stripes and Lazy Summer Sewing

2010-12-11T02:40:00.001-08:00

This post belongs in another season, but I only rediscovered this picture last night while flipping through photos in my husband's iphone. I concieved of this shirt during the summer after picking up on a trend of capped-sleeve shirts that from a sewing perspective, don't really have sleeves at all. They are made of only two pieces of fabric sewn together. I thought to myself, "How easy! I bet I can do that!"

I had a fabulous striped synthetic fabric that I'd been meaning to use for months. I folded the fabric, right sides facing in and pinned to make sure that the lines matched up front and back. Next, I traced a tank top onto the material using a marker and improvised for the sleeves. I sewed up the sides and shoulders, cut out a neckline, and tried it on. It wasn't quite right yet...too stripey. I sewed a long strip of material into the neckline as a tie. This broke up the lines and added a unique, retro feel. I paired it with simple dark jeans (so as no to steal its glory) and orange-red lipstick to work the retro (and because light pink completely washes me out).

Giora claims that this is the most beautiful shirt that he has ever seen and calls it "ingenious". His usual response to my sewing projects is a justified, "That looks crooked", so this is a welcome change :)

Same husband, new bag

2010-11-21T04:43:00.000-08:00

Giora returned from his trip to England/Germany bearing gifts. Here is the bag he bought me. Dark brown leather and big enough to hold anything I can think of. It's perfect.

I took the morning off and we went to a cafe in the mall for lunch. I ordered pasta just to remind myself of why I never order pasta. He ordered this awful cheesy dish and managed to eat about half before nausia hit. It was like life had color again.

New in the shop: nature inspired

2010-11-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

This has got to be my favorite time of year. It's cooled down, but is not yet really cold. The other day I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and had a photography session on my porch. I really enjoyed incorporating my plants into the photos. It gives them a relaxing feeling.

Above are my In the Vineyard Dangle Earrings in possibly the best photo I've ever taken.

I am not usually a fan of plastic, but I love those purple lucite beads. I made the earwires out of brass. I think that it gives the earrings a more organic feel.In the next item I got creative. I called these Ivy League Bobbies and wrote a cutsey description (feel free to check it out). I was thinking that they would make a sweet little gift for someone starting school at an Ivy League college. For that reason I chose "geekery" as the main category instead of my usual "accessories" In the above photo, I used construction paper for the background. The solid, contrasting background gives the photo a professional look and makes the object stand out.

Here we are back on the porch with my Golden Girl Art Deco Vintage Button Ring:
I've noticed that my items sell better when they are modeled. This is not always possible when the model and the photographer are the same person, but rings are usually not too big of a problem: model ring with the left hand, photograph with the right.

In other etsy news, I recently spent a pretty penny on new supplies that I am very excited about. There are some really great supply shopson etsy that have relatively reasonable shipping to Israel. I already have a few new pieces that I can't wait to photograph and upload.

Be sure to stay tuned and have a great weekend :)
Would love your feedback, as always.

Leeya

My favorite kind of order: Birthday presents!

2010-11-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

My favorite kind of order has got to be birthday presents. The other week I had two! One woman bought this necklace as a gift for her daughter saying that it was beautiful and unusual like her daughter. How sweet is that?? Another woman from the US ordered a necklace and earring set for her mother who lives in Israel. She requested that I include a birthday note which I did gladly. I spent alot of time on the packaging, making sure that it looked bright and festive.
I imagined the mother recieving the package, reading the notecard and feeling excited as she unwrapped yellow tissue paper to reveal two jewelry boxes tied with turquoise ribbon. I hope that it made her feel loved and cared about.

I wish that I could show you a picture of my packaged products, but I always do my packaging at night so that I can drop off orders at the post office on my way to university in the morning. My husband sometimes makes fun of me that I spend more time on wrapping than creating my jewelry pieces. Usually this is because he is waiting for me to go to bed, but it is true that I can get obsessive when it comes to composition and presentation With two colors of boxes, three colors of tags, and ten colors of tissue paper there are alot of decisions to be made. I also truly believe that in terms of the experience of the buyer, those first few moments when you open a package play a large role in the experience of deriving satisfaction from the purchase.

Would you agree?

Happy birthdays and happy packaging to all :)

New in the shop: Five new necklaces

2010-10-19T04:29:00.001-07:00

I have a new goal. It is to have 100 items listed in my shop at all times. Because I hardly ever relist purchased items (my specialty is one-of-a-kind pieces) this is quite the endeavor. I am making pretty good progress. Today I am at 78 items. Here are a few of the latest:

Grecian Turquoise and Gold Necklace and Earring Set: one of my favorite color combos. Focal piece is embossed fimo highlighted with a metallic gloss.
matching earrings:

Autumn Leaves Necklace: Carnelian, freshwater pearls, and vintage components. Penny for Your Thoughts Necklace: a simple strand of brown freshwater coin pearls with a fimo central component. Black Pearl Filigree Romance Necklace: This one is an upcycle made from vintage sterling silver components and balck freshwater pearls. Last but not least. the Something Blue Eclectic Assemblage Necklace:It feels good to finally have these pieces up in the shop. I have so many other items and new projects that I would like to share with you in the coming weeks. I will try to list at least 1 new thing a day.

Feel free to comment. I would love your feedback!

Leeya

This ring is staying on

2010-10-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

Today I went to university to finish up my cleanroom orientation. A cleanroom is where you perform all sorts of sensitive processes that have to do with micro and nano technology. It is cleaner from particles than surgery room and you have to wear this strange astronaut like suit to go in. The security is so high that you need a code and have this device identify your hand before the first of three doors will even open (that is probably the only kind of palm reading that I believe in).

Today as part of setting up my code, I had to have the device read my hand for the first time and record it. The head of the cleanroom looks at my right hand that is inserted into the device. The ring finger of that hand is where I wear my engagement ring and he asks, "Are you always going to be wearing that ring?"
Of course he needed to know because now the device will only recognise my hand if it has the ring on exactly that same finger. But to me, that very technical visit to the cleanroom had turned into a moment of marital introspection. I think for a minute, look at my wedding ring that sits on my other hand, back at my engagement ring and say, "yes".

The unwanted house guest

2010-10-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

This big guy belongs to my husband's parents. Unfortunately they are in Bulgaria, so he has been staying with us. I am really not a dog person but somehow I end up walking him half the time anyway.
Sometimes while we are walking together, I think up a dialogue between us. It usually starts with the dog introducing himself:

Dog: Hi, I'm Sargis. My hobbies include barking and smelling other dogs feces.

Me: Indeed.

Dog: I also like licking your elbow from time to time and pretending it was an accident.

Me: I knew you did that on purpose!

Dog: I am intelligent enough to eat and bark and breathe on your food but I need to go on walks to take care of my business.

Me: I know, that's why I will never have a dog of my own. Also because you are so smelly.

Dog: Can you clean that up please? I have no hands.Strangely, the dog has taken quite a liking to me. He shows his affection by licking me. Needless to say, I have been spending a good part of my time at home in front of the sink washing my hands.

Thanks to my honey for photo-documenting this very special relationship.

New in the shop: Beginnings of Autumn

2010-10-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

It is finally beginning to cool down around here. It will be a while before it gets cold, but at least we don't have to sleep with the air-conditioning on at night. On that note, I have two new fall inspired listings to share with you:

Changing Leaves One of a kind Necklace

The way that the browns, reds and golds are interspersed reminds me of the changing leaves. Those six pretty components we handmade by me. Fimo, baking, paint, gloss, the works.

Definitley one of those pieces where if I add up the time it took to make it comes out ot way more than the price I chose, but I want it to sell so I priced it at under $40 anyway.I will never understand why activities that are so not financially worthwhile feel so fulfilling which brings me to my latest hair accessory:

Warm Autumn Pumpkin Floral Bobby Pins
I looove the warm colors here. Yum.

I still haven't decided whether to sell them in ones, twos or threes. Time will tell. I do know that I like to photograph them together and the photo is always of the actual flower that is for sale.

If you would like to know how I make these lovely little flowers, see my tutorial.

I have a new goal for November which is to have at least 100 items in my shop. Oh yeah, and to work on my thesis...

How to make singed organza flowers: a tutorial

2010-10-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my shop, lately I have been having quite the organza bonanza. In other words, I really like making these singed-petaled flowers. I thought to document the process and share. So here goes...1. Begin with a synthetic fabric. There are many kinds of fabrics that will work. My favorite tends to be organza (the orange one). 2. Cut circles out of the fabrics. The circles do not have to be perfect, but they should be slightly bigger than you want your final flower to be. It will save you time to fold the material and cut out a bunch of circles at once.

3. Light the candle (fine, maybe this step doesn't deserve it's own number...). I like to use a tea light.

4. Take one of your cut out circles and hold it above the heat of the candle so that it begins to curl into itself. Getting the distance right will take a little practice.

If your petal catches on fire, just put it out, cut off the burnt part and try again.You should always test your fabric over the flame before cutting out lots and lots of circles.
Your petals should come out cup shaped just like this.
If you want less of a cup shape, hold them farther from the flame. For more of a cup shape you can go around the circumference of the petal a second time.
When you have a nice pile of petals and feel like you are getting high off of the smell of burnt synthetic fabrics, you are done!
Now stack the petals one inside the other to make the shape of a flower.
I like to pin my flower in place before hand stitching it together. You can stitch them to bobby pins, pin-backs, or a length of elastic to make a headband.
Get creative! For these flowers I added tulle and beads: I love how pretty they look when photographed together.

Here are a fewmore variations that I have come up with:

A heavily beaded center to invoke a rose:Layering different colors and kinds of fabric for a textured look: A bouquet with taffeta leaves:

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial. Feel free to leave questions should you have any.

Leeya

New in the shop

2010-09-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Wood and Sea Necklace and Earring Set It is my first necklace and earring set and is one of the pieces that I am most proud of to date.

I am very happy with the composition. I also like that I handmade the fimo focal piece because that is what makes the necklace truly unique. Long ago I decided that I wasn't going to be a factory, turning out the same pieces over and over. This is the kind of necklace that makes me feel like I am progressing as a designer.

For the earrings I used two pieces of leftover chain, and blue-grey freshwater pearls.

Blue Blossoms Necklace

It is true that the blossoms are actually pink on a blue background but if I'd admitted to that in the title I would have lost the alliteration.

A "Y necklace" shape is an ususual choice for me but somehow this came together that way.I still can't decide if I like the two different kinds of chain together, but I have decided to leave it as is.

More to come and a big thanks to Giora for the photos!

Earrings for Bru

2010-09-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some earrings you won't see in my shop. That's because I made them special for my virgin-eared best friend. They are all clip-ons. Creating just to create is fun and selling my creations can be great too, but seeing my designs looking so pretty on my best friend tops the cake :)

Just us.

2010-09-24T15:11:00.001-07:00

Together is a very cozy place to be.

(Pic was taken by my friend Tamar the other night at her birthday party. More on that in my next post...)

Story of a Sweater

2010-09-21T00:10:00.001-07:00

This sparkly gold sweater is my most expensive article of clothing. It originally had these fancy pearl buttons. Although it is not the point of the story, now you know that buttons can fall off of overpriced sweaters just as well as they can off of regular ones.

So what did I do when a few of the buttons fell off? I put it into my big pile of things that need fixing for a few months, maybe a year. During that time I lost whatever matching buttons I still had that were waiting to be sewn back on.

The sweater had this way of turning up in every corner of my workroom as if to remind me of how much it had cost and make me feel guilty about neglecting it. That is, until I took out a bag of different vintage style buttons that I got in a trade on etsy and started to play with them. The black and gold worked best so I adjusted the composotion to my liking and sewed them on. I love the result! The sweater itself is classy and the mismatched buttons add a touch of quirk. Fabulous upcycle!

Below you can see the sweater in action right before a dinner date.

May all the articles of clothing in our piles of clothes to fix meet similar fates.

New in the shop: princess bobbbies

2010-09-17T03:18:00.000-07:00

Little Pink Princess Floral Hairpiece Set

I am finally home and unpacked. Had a little time yesterday so I put on my photo editing hat and added a new listing to the shop. These are a more interesting version of my other organza flowers because they are made of a mix of materials: organza, tulle, and metal filigree.

What do you think?