Trend: Motorcycle Jackets

Last year I gave away my black leather jacket. I was tired of it and it just didn't do anything for me. This fall, Motorcycle jackets are one of the popular trends, key pieces, or must haves according to magazines and retailers. I'm debating whether or not I "must have" another leather jacket.

DKNY jacket is Editor pick at INSTYLE .

Motorcycle jackets are not just for a biker chic look, they can be juxtaposed with dresses and skirts.

With the help of Polyvore, I put together a look with a leather jacket, a red(another trend) bag, and Frye boots. The belt has some studs, for the hardware trend and a blue scarf to soften the look. From my online search, the jacket doesn't have to be black and there are some feminine styles. I think I'll be looking for just the right jacket. Considering the temperatures in Michigan this past weekend...I'll be wearing it soon and for a LONG time.

Find me on Polyvore

What To Do With All Those Beans?

I showed some photos earlier in this blog of my garden. Months later, I am harvesting green beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuces and herbs. I am a bit overwhelmed by beans! I love green bean salads in many forms but a favorite hot bean prep is this corn and bean duo.

Prepare the beans by rinsing and snapping into 2 inch lengths. Slice corn off the cob. Have equal amounts of each vegetable. Heat a large pot of water to boil and toss the veggies into the water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and blanch by plunging them into water with lots of ice cubes. When cool, drain well.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot and saute fresh thyme stripped from several sprigs.

Heat the corn and beans by tossing them in the pot with the herb butter. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Have a delicious weekend.

Pink Pump Photo

Conde Nast : Pink Capezio Pump, artist Richard Rutledge

On the Conde Nast website you can shop for fabulous art from their magazines.

I just love this photo of a shoe balancing capriciously on a glass of rose and a pencil.

Have a lovely day.

Tights, Not Leggings For Me

One of the trends for fall is leggings. I've tried them, and on me, it just doesn't work. While the bare leg is now appropriate year-round, it just isn't practical in Michigan. Just too COLD in winter. A practical solution and a fashionable one is tights.

Fendi dress, Neiman Marcus online

How perfect is this look? Black opaque tights with a lovely dress.

Studio m + o

Are you feeling bold? You could wear tights that map your veins and arteries.

Be bold with patterns and colors.

Or be sexy in fishnets. Find your own style. Click here for lots of choices.

Caffeine Love

It can be tough to get going in the morning, particularly on Monday.

I look forward to a kickboxing class and caffeine. I've had a Nespresso espresso machine for several years and I love it for the ease, consistency and speed.

This is the Nespresso Essenza. To the left are a selection of pods. Using pods insures a measured and fresh cup of espresso with virtually no cleanup.

A selection of favorite cups

The Nespresso Aeroccino froths milk for lattes, cappuccinos, etc.

I'm a visual person so I like this cup chart that visually describes the "recipe" for favorite coffee drinks.

Wake up and smell the coffee!!

Ho-Hum

my photo

Ho-Hum, the name says it all!

Hope your weekend is better than ho-hum.

See you Monday

Morning Visitors

my photo

This morning I pulled up the shade and right off my deck were six Great Egrets.

I often have one egret patrolling the pond on it's long black legs but I have never seen more than one at a time. I couldn't get close enough to include all six in a photo. They flew away as I approached them.

Internet photo www.jrcompton.com/photos

I am fascinated by these graceful birds. Did you know that the egret is the symbol of the Audubon Society?

New Circles Pendant

I've been thinking of a circle in a circle design for a pendant and last night I sat down and put some together. This sterling silver pendant has a 7/8" diameter outer circle of square wire and the inner circle is a 1/2 " diameter of round wire. The bead is ruby. I also have the pendant with a pearl or turquoise bead. The pendant is on a 16 inch cable chain. Leave a comment underneath this post and let me know what you think. Thanks!

I'm getting busy for the holiday season and contemplating making ornaments again. There goes the manicure!

Firebrick Gallery

Yesterday I stopped by the Firebrick Gallery in Rochester, MI. Firebrick is a great combination of full-functioning pottery studio and gallery shop. The owner, Juliann, had contacted me earlier this summer after seeing my jewelry on Etsy. Lucky for me, she was looking to add some jewelry to her gallery shop. I'm real excited to be a represented artist at Firebrick Gallery.

The gallery has a fantastic selection of original work in every medium; ceramics, painting, sculpture, glass, jewelry, photography, prints, cards, accessories and apparel with a focus on Michigan artists.

Delish Peach Dessert

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh peaches. I can't let summer go by without a fantastic peach dessert. This is a great way to bake peaches with minimal sugar and fat calories and the prep is quick. You could forgo the whipped cream for ice cream or just eat the peaches plain, not exactly a hardship. Click here for the Gourmet Magazine recipe for Roasted-Peach Streusel.

Streusel prepared in food processor

Roasted peach half

Just For Fun Monday

It's Monday already! Enjoy your day.

August

I love summer!

This is my favorite time of the year.

Sunny Hot Peaches Tomatoes Corn Swimming Flip Flops Grilling Flowers

I can't belive that Halloween decorations are in stores and that school will be starting soon.

Makes me sad. Enjoy every last day and minute of summer. For us in Michigan the snow will come too soon.

Alpine Flowers

Flowers seen while hiking in Big Sky, Montana

Take A Hike

We took a scenic hike in Montana...

listening to a babbling stream...

amid a spectacle of wildflowers...

awarded by a rushing waterfall

and topped off by a spectacular roasted chicken dinner with a western motif.

Yellowstone River

Could it get better than this? Floating down the Yellowstone River and fishing on a perfect day.

Gorgeous scenery along the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley.

The Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.

Sweet Pea Festival

How lucky that my visit to Bozeman, MT coincided with the Sweet Pea Festival.

The festival really is about the sweet pea flowers (not the edible peas) and they have a tent filled with flowers for judging.

Of course you can't have a festival without organizations fundraising with food concessions. The Bozeman Chordrustlers is a Barber Shop style chorus that sells a very unusual fair food item.

The Tater Pig is a baked potato with a sausage through the center and then smothered in sour cream and butter. YUM! Here you can see that I am being serenaded by some of the chorus members. Very Special!!

More Sweet Pea Festival Highlights

Miss Montana graciously agreed to have her photo taken with me.
Behind us on stage was a production by The Missoula Children's Theatre of an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz performed by local children.

The festival featured arts, eats and events for the whole family. Not even a thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon could dampen (pun intended) the fun.

Market Offerings

It would be almost worth the airfare to purchase these stunningly beautiful flowers at the Pike Place Market. Amazingly, the price of a bouquet is between $5 and $15.

Fun way to display delicious looking fruit!

Splendid Day in Seattle

I had a wonderful day in Seattle. After a morning jog to the banks of the Puget Sound we took the newly functioning light rail to Downtown Seattle. The plan was to visit the Pike Place Market and have lunch then pick up some food for dinner. It was a typical Seattle day, cool and hazy, not like the unusual weather of this summer which has been abnormally hot and dry.

After a sumptuous bowl of oyster stew we strolled through the market searching for dinner ingredients.

TA - DA

Crab cakes and a "chopped" caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes, hand spun fresh mozzarella and garden basil.

OH, and a homemade, family recipe, chocolate cake for dessert!

New Designs

chandelier earrings

The event at Starring "the Gallery" went well on Friday night. I met new people that have been buying my jewelry from the gallery and saw some old friends too. The best thing to come from the event was that I had to design some new jewelry. I choose to use lots of color for the summer. My work is largely silver and it is nice to work with color in the form of beads.

hammered silver bangles with bead charm

close-up of the bangle charm

Tomorrow I head for Seattle and then on to Montana. I'll have my camera

and plan to blog all about it.

Wishing you a happy Monday.