thoughts, rants and art!

sorry for the lack of blogging

2012-02-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted since March 2011...

Almost a year later, I went through and deleted some old entries in this blog.
I went through a lot in 2011 and I'm ready to close that chapter of my life.

I am well and very busy with my thesis.
I'll try to post more often, I'm unsure if anyone really still follows this blog but if you do, Thank you!

I hope you're all having an amazing year so far!

**Image is from my sketchbook for the Art House Co-op Limited Edition Sketchbook Project with which I am currently involved.

I gave in...

2011-03-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

I gave in and finally started a tumblr,

you can follow me here:

http://gemsandbeer.tumblr.com/

ATCs

2011-02-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I make ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) when I have the time.
Here are some recent ones that I made for some swaps on Atcsforall.com
My username is MyNameisJenn there, if you ever want to trade ;)

January giveaway winner!

2011-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

After 105 entries,

The winner of my January Giveaway with the help of random.org is...

Auqakuh!!

Congrats! I'll be emailing you shortly to find out which color owls you would like :)

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Barenaked Ladies - One Week (Video)

2011-01-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

Just love singing along to this song!

January Giveaway: Win some owls! :)

2011-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

It's been a little while since I've done a giveaway and so for this one,
One winner will win a pair of owl stud earrings in their choice of color :)

These owl earring are handmade by me out of polymer clay and silver plated post earrings!

How to enter (please leave your email with each entry)...

Mandatory entry: Tell me one of your new years Resolutions for 2011!

Extra entries (you can do as many as you wish):
-Follow this Blog via Google Friend Connect (leave your username) -1 extra entry
-Favorite my etsy shop JennTRC-1 extra entry
-Follow me on Twitter here! and Tweet the giveaway (please include @jennrach and the link to the giveaway in your tweet) Only one tweet per day please! -1 extra entry per tweet!
-Blog about giveaway and receive 2 extra entries! Post your link and leave two separate comments!
-Make a purchase from my etsy shop JennTRC and receive 5 extra entries!

Giveaway ends on Monday, January 31st.

"I Have A Dream" Martin Luther King

2011-01-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

How to make Banana Oatmeal Facial Mask!

2011-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Browsing through my Cabinets and Refrigerator, I came up with this for an at home Facial Mask for my dry skin.

You will need:
2 Tablespoons of Oatmeal
1/4 of a Banana
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1 Tsp of Fresh Lemon Juice

1. Mix Oatmeal and the Banana, mush the banana with a fork or use a food processor if you like.
2. Add the honey and Lemon juice.
3. Mix, Mix, Mix :)
--Note: If the mask is too runny for your liking, feel free to leave in your refrigerator for a little while to thicken if up.
4. Apply to your face. I leave my mask on for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

Now the skin on your face should feel refreshed ;)

Home - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover (Jorge & Alex...

2011-01-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

How cute is this!? I just love it.

Etsy picks: Rings!

2011-01-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

This morning, walking down the steps of my apartment and out onto the sidewalk, my clumsy self slipped and fell in the snow and I felt one of my rings fly off! I've searched the area of snow several times and to the point where I confused the postman (as he thought I was waiting for him). So long little silver ring, hopefully I still can find you when the snow melts.

If anyone in Lawrence, finds a silver ring in the snow that's a size 7...it's mine ;)

On account of my story above and the fact that many people I know are getting engaged...

My etsy picks for today are rings that I found and love!

Without further ado, some etsy rings:

Citrine 925 Sterling Silver Ring via yeganeart

Pink Drusy Ring via LvoffStudio

Lapis Lazuli Ring via KatrinasJewel

Large Turquoise and solid .925 Sterling Silver Ring via curiouswing

Pink Tourmaline Ring Sterling Silver and 18k Gold via Forkwhisperer

Hard Candy Ring- Gold Garnet via hperl

Hulali - Designer Druzy Quartz and Oxidized Sterling Silver Ring via blacksanddesigns

Such beautiful rings on etsy :)

My skin is so dry (home remedies)

2011-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

My skin is so so dry, I can literally feel my skin peeling off my face when the cold Kansas wind hits it!

So I've looked up some home remedies for Dry Skin and thought I'd share...

Egg Yolk, Orange Juice, Olive Oil, Lime Juice:
Prepare a fine mixture by adding 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of orange juice,1 teaspoon of olive oil, few drops of rose water and some drops of lime juice. Apply this well prepared mixture on the face in the morning 15 minutes before taking bath. This is very useful home remedy for dry skin.

Banana:
Mash a ripe banana and apply it on the face and neck. Leave it for sometime and then wash the face with lukewarm water. This is a best dry skin cure.

Cream, Rose Water, Lime (for Lips):
For dry and chapped lips the best home remedy for dry skin is to massage lips with a little cream of milk by adding few drops each of rose water and lime juice every night before going to bed.

Grapeseed Oil:
Massaging the skin with grapeseed oil is the best and effective method for dry skin.

Castor Oil or Avocado Oil:
Dry skin remedy - In severe cases of dry skin castor oil or avocado oil is highly beneficial.

Green Clay Powder, Raw Honey:
Blend together 1 teaspoon green clay powder and 1 teaspoon raw honey and apply this well prepared mixture to your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for fifteen to twenty minutes, then wash well with lukewarm water. This dry skin remedy is very simple and one of the effective home remedies for dry skin.

Recipes via Natural Home Remedies

Have you tried any of these? Know any other home remedies for dry skin, feel free to share :)

Etsy Shop Update!

2011-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

I updated my etsy shop, here are two new pairs of earrings:

You can check out the rest of my new listings here: my shop

GLEE - "Teenage Dream" Full Performance!

2011-01-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

This makes me want to watch Glee. Do any of you watch it?

Better than ice cream..

2011-01-07T14:06:00.001-08:00

Dannon Light & Fit yogurt is currently one of my favorite things. I buy the packs where each yogurt cup is only 60 calories each and it's heavenly to eat!
My favorite flavors are vanilla, strawberry banana and blackberry.

I used to eat Dannon vanilla all the time with a dab of pure honey and some granola. Maybe I will have to start doing that again ;)

Do you like yogurt? What's your favorite kind/flavors?

Etsy picks: Teeth!

2011-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

In honor of going to the dentist today, here are some etsy items based around teeth! Enjoy!

Silver Wisdom Tooth .925 cast necklace via billyblue22

Smile Hand Painted Tooth Fairy Box via omgurl

Brass teeth Ring via AMictlan

Tiny Tooth via Sweetlittlefelt

Sugar Skull Wood Brooch via rapscalliondesign

Find any cool "Teeth" or "Tooth" themed items...feel free to share ;)

Watercolor table...

2011-01-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Found this off of a link from buzzfeed this morning,

Isn't it beautiful? I just love seeing people mix colors and their color palettes.

It's from this tumblr post by canadaaustin

Get free Zoya nail polish!!

2011-01-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Get free Zoya Nail Polish...That's right! Zoya is having a promotion that if you like their facebook fan page and then head over to their website with the code "FB2011" you can pick any 3 bottles of nail polish and only pay for shipping! Super cool! :)

But hurry, this promotion ends January 7th at 11:59 EST.

My picks were Yasmeen, Suvi, And Pru :)

You can check out all the madness on Zoya's facebook page
here

Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs - Like a G6 Official Music Video

2011-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

This song is really stuck in my head, but what a terrible music video. So lame.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
It's officially 1/11/11 today, how cool is that?!

I hope everyone has a wonderful year filled with many great things! :)

Now that's some amazing makeup...

2010-12-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

I love when I see true makeup artistry,

here are some pictures for you to enjoy:

Images via Buzzfeed's Creative Cosmetic Uses

Happy Snow Day!

2010-12-26T09:20:00.001-08:00

There is lots of snow coming down (and soon to be coming down) in various parts of the US, so enjoy your snow day!

Annie sure is...

I hope those of you who celebrated Christmas, had a wonderful time with your family and friends! :)

Annie is spoiled...

2010-12-23T12:16:00.001-08:00

Our pug is spoiled...but how could you not love this face??

So of course, I had to buy her a holiday gift...meet Annie's new octopus:

I'm sure she'll have fun chewing it apart. ;)

Do you buy holiday gifts for your pet(s)??

Tacky and Bright...

2010-12-22T10:11:00.001-08:00

Growing up Jewish and there being very little Hanukkah decorations, I always loved seeing bright, tacky Christmas displays like these:

(images via Buzzfeed)

When I was young, My mom would make us hot chocolate and we would drive around the neighborhoods that went all out to see all the lights!

In high school it was our mission to find to the tackiest house, we found one once that had lights covering their grass/windows/siding of the house with all kinds of inflatables on the lawn...just like one of those houses above. We took a few polaroids but I've since lost them.

Do you like Christmas decorations? Do you appreciate the effort in cases like those above?

I love tacky displays!!

A wishlist...

2010-12-21T12:11:00.001-08:00

I thought I would make a wish list of thinking I'm lusting for the fun of it.
Enjoy!

These sweet feather earrings via upcycledearrings

Drilled sea glass beads via thedeepblue

Easy Ear Wire Maker via TDSONLINESTORE

Watch via Pixelmoda

Big Daddy Cane Nail polish via Ginger & Liz

This "Happy" necklace via harem6

This mood ring via Proteales

I also, as always have art supplies on this list ;)
What's on your wish list? Feel free to share.

Wonderwall

2010-12-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite song in the entire world, every time I hear it it's like I've never heard it before even though I know all the words.

Do you have a favorite song of all time?

Lady Gaga - LoveGame

2010-12-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga can totally rock so many rhinestones.
I wish I knew what that silver nail polish she's wearing is.

Holiday Ornaments...

2010-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Trying to work on some more of my polymer clay skills I made two ornaments for my boyfriend.

One is a portrait of Annie his pug and one is of him.

Do you make your own ornaments? Feel free to show me :)

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get

2010-12-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

This song just makes me want to sing and dance every time I hear it.
Enjoy!

New in my shop...

2010-12-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Another pair of Little Buddha Earrings!
You can get them here: etsy listing

My lastest Addiction

2010-12-07T08:04:00.001-08:00

It's December, which means it's the time of year where my body screams and yearns for warm drinks!

It's currently 24 degrees in Kansas, it'll be 17 tonight. I'll be walking up to my studio with my coffee in hand.

Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, Chai Tea, Herbal Tea and Coffee is what I crave ;)

What's your favorite hot drink??

Black Friday shopping: etsy style!

2010-11-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I'm not the biggest fan of Black Friday shopping. I prefer to stay away from the stores but I did do a little bit of online shopping and of course, I hit up etsy!

I got this fabulous necklace from...
Lillyella!!
Yes, her shop is back open for the holidays :)

Also, I got some awesome soap from the wonderful...
Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen!!
Rebecca is also having a 20% sale on everything in her shop through the weekend!
So go buy some of the best soap on etsy ;)

Hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends! :)

Relisted, get them before they're gone!

2010-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

I just re-listed a few items in my etsy shop JennTRC!

Get them before they're gone. Also, free gift with every purchase...so get a jump on your holiday shopping ;)

Jellyfish I want in my home: Awkward, the etsy seller

2010-11-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

I really would love some of these beautiful handmade moon jellyfish in my home.
They are made by etsy seller Awkward

I could see them near a window with lots of sunlight and some summer wind.
What do you think about these Jellies? Would you like them in your home?

My halloween face...

2010-11-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies and gents,

you may remember a few posts back that I talked about wanting to be Ke$ha for Halloween.
Well I did just that, Here is me in my blonde wig and face full of glitter:

I wore a long black sweater (hey, maybe Ke$ha does wear clothes when it's cold out), a pair of zebra print leggings with some black boots. I wore numerous chains and feather earrings. I also was equipped with bangles, glitter bracelets, beads and more glitter in general!

People actually guessed my costume without me having to tell them who I was. I ran into one of my students on the street who didn't even recognize it was me!

A few of my friends said that I'm too pretty to pull off Ke$ha's strung out look which I thought was pretty funny.

And now everyone is telling me I need to go platinum blonde...

What were you for Halloween? Any great stories about your Halloween holiday this year?

Urban Decay on Hautelook today!

2010-11-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Urban Decay is on sale at Hautelook today!
Need an invite??

Here you go: Hautelook invite!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you have a fun and safe night :)

Here is a fabulous photo I stumbled on a few days ago...Enjoy!

Just got these feather earrings: Sarahthornhill

2010-10-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just in time for my Halloween Costume...
I bought these really great feather earrings from etsy seller Sarah Thornhill!

You can check out all her fun earrings here: Sarah Thornhill :)

Etsy seller: Doodlebirdie

2010-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Look at all these beautiful terrariums by etsy seller Doodlebirdie.

I am in total lust!

Check out their etsy shop here: Doodlebirdie

Bumblesea jewelry...

2010-10-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite jewelry lines is having a giveaway!

You can check it out here:

Enter the jewelry giveaway sponsored by Bumblesea indie jewelry / indie fashion blog.

If I won, I totally would want this necklace...

so what are you wanting for??? GO enter ;)

Review: Lip Smacker 100% Natural Lip Balm in "Honeydew melon"

2010-08-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

I recently purchased Lip Smacker 100% Natural Lip Balm in "Honeydew Melon".

This was a total impulse buy when I saw that the lip smacker company (specifically Bonne Bell) is now making all natural products. I've always been a fan of their lip balms...my favorites being kiwi, dr.pepper and watermelon. However, I really prefer to buy more natural products when I can.

I can honestly say the Bonne Bell company did not disappoint once again, this lip smacker is fantastic!!

The "Honeydew Melon" has a fantastic smell and goes on smooth and doesn't dry out of my lips. It's not highly flavored by any means, but I prefer my lip balms that way.

The packaging is also great. The imagery is a watercolor of a honeydew melon. The text is simple to the point and clear to read.

Another thing that's fantastic about this product is the ingredients: pure fruit essence, olive oil, beeswax, vitamin e and aloe! It's also Paraben free, Gluten free and Dye free so many of you with allergies and sensitives will be able to use this product too!

If "Honeydew melon" isn't your favorite scent and/or flavor, there is also:
-"Pink Guava"
-"Acai Berry"
-"Vanilla Bean"

I can honestly say that I would highly recommend this product! It's only a couple of dollars so it's be a great product to grab a few of at a time ;)

You can find more Lip Smackers and Bonne Bell products at their official websites here:
BonneBell
Lip Smacker

*Please Note: I was not compensated for this review, this is my honest review of a product I purchased myself.

I figured out my Halloween costume...

2010-08-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

I just figured out who I'm dressing up for Halloween as...

She's pretty much a hot mess in Glitter. Guess who yet???

***

That's right, Ke$ha.

I can honestly say my style isn't anything like hers, I probably haven't even worn glitter since elementary school..and she admits to basically bathing in it.

Are you thinking about your Halloween costume already too? Or am I just overly excited about Halloween? Maybe.

What a deal!

2010-08-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Because I believe in amazing customer service even when the customers aren't the most understanding and/or reasonable,

here is this tweet I just made:

And yes its true, not one but TWO free gifts (two pairs of earrings of my choosing) with any purchase in my shop this week!
Just make your purchase and put the code "DOUBLE" in the message to seller box at checkout. When you receive your order, there will be surprise earrings ;)

So head over to my etsy (link in the side bar of blog), and get some fun jewelry.

MGMT - Electric Feel

2010-08-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

MGMT is what is playing in my studio today, absolutely love this song.

Today is the officially first day of the semester, which means I am trying to stay motivated to keep on creating and drawing in my studio ;)

Radiohead - Karma Police

2010-08-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

stuck in my head today.

what a conversation piece...

2010-08-17T17:12:00.001-07:00

Found this ring while browsing etsy,
what a total conversation piece or "eye opener" ;)

Slate Blue Glass Eye Silver Wire Wrap Ring ANY size, $26
Via Kim's Jewels

Thrift store score + some of my jewelry collection

2010-08-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

This morning, I found this wonderful vintage jewelry box at goodwill for only $1.99!

I am in love with it, it also winds up in the back and when you open the drawers you can hear an old wind up tune :)
There are two small drawers up top and two larger drawers (which are perfect for my heavy beaded necklaces).

I spent about an hour rearranging all my jewelry (I actually have two other wooden vintage jewelry boxes) and rehanging all my earrings on one of the holders I used to display my wears at a craft store over the summer.

But I thought I would share with you the contents inside my new box...
and share with you (to the best of my memory) where each piece came from ;)

First Drawer:

-Resin Heart Sparkles and Glitter Necklace made by Stoopidgerl (gift from my boyfriend)
-Vintage Charm Bracelet made from old class rings (found in Echoes and Accents in Annapolis, Maryland)
-Seashell Pendant from Florida (gift from my old roommate Jess)
-Shell, ceramic, metal and turquoise bracelet (gift from my brother)
-Green Sea Glass Pendant from Sea Glass Designs (birthday gift from one of my best friends, Rachel)
-Garnet Silver Star Necklace (gift from my brother)

Second Drawer:

-Copper Potato Brooch, made by me in college jewelry class
-White Sea glass Pendant, made by me
-Beaded Memory Bracelet, made by my mom :)
-Shell ring by UrbanAdornments
-Octopus Pendant by Anomalous Bits
-Vintage Rhinestone Ring (found in Antique Shop in Illinois)
-Vintage Avon Brooch (found in Antique Shop in Illinois)
-Vintage Malachite and Silver Pendant (gift from Mom)
-Fused glass pendant (gift from Mom, also have matching earrings)
-Owl hairpin from Sweeter Than Me Designs

Third Drawer:

Gifts from my mom: Blue Resin handmade beaded necklace (thrifted), Vintage Multi-colored bead necklace, Silver and Purple Leather cuff bracelet, Vintage Brass Charm Earrings, Silver Mayan or Aztec? bracelet (ebay), Amethyst slice necklace (won in raffle from my elementary school, store no longer exists)
-Unakite Teardrop Pendant, made by me
-Copper and Silver Fern Leaf Ring, made by me
-Where the Wild Things Are Necklace from PendantLicious

Fourth Drawer:

-Vintage Brown and Floral Plastic Bead Necklace (from my Mom)
-Glass Bead and Metal Washer Necklace (thrifted)
-Pink beaded Bracelet (free from breast cancer awareness donation, can't remember which organization)
-Bright Green Turquoise and Silver choker Necklace, handmade my a seller on a street in Tel Aviv. Love this necklace but I need to get it remade..it's way too heavy for normal wear.
-Turquoise and small turquoise bead silver necklace, bought at Craft Fair (gift from my grandparents)

So there you have it, a look into some of my jewelry collection ;)
I still have to figure out what to do with all of my delicate necklaces without getting them tangled.

Also, I've decided I need to collect more rings and bracelets.

Feel free to share some of your jewelry collections and/or how you store your jewelry with me! :)

Jersey Shore

2010-08-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

I admit it, I love MTV's the Jersey Shore. It's such a disaster of a show and absolutely hilarious at the same time.

Here are a couple of memorable quotes from the past couple of episodes...

(images via Buzzfeed)

Do you watch the Jersey Shore? Or do you have a love for bad reality tv secretly?

I know All the Words: The UnBirthday Giveaway

2010-08-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

There is an amazing makeup giveaway going on at "I know All the Words" :)

The Ultimate Unbirthday giveaway,
Click here to check it out and enter!
Entries accepted till September 7th.

psst...you can win a pair of my owls :)

2010-08-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

(image via Lauren's blog)

Hey all,

The wonderful Lauren of Busy Bee Lauren
is giving a pair of my owl earrings (in your choice of color) away on her blog!

So hop on over, enter and check out one of my favorite blogs!

Click here to Enter!

Etsy Shop Update

2010-08-10T14:38:00.001-07:00

Here are some recent additions to my etsy shop.
**Remember the summer promotion is still going, free earrings (of my choosing) with any purchase!

you can check out my shop here!

Review: Goody Spin Pins, Hard Candy makeup and Joico hair care!

2010-08-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new beauty products to try.

My skin is both fair and dry, so I'm really picky about makeup. Most products are too dark or too greasy, so once I find a product I like I feel the need to tell everyone.
The majority of my makeup bag currently consists of makeup brands: Lancome, Urban Decay, and Tarte. I'm been reading all kinds of reviews of Hard Candy Makeup and at it's affordable price, I decided to pick up a few products.

Here they are:

Blush Crush Baked Blush in "Living Doll"
Just Nails Nailpolish in "Sweet P"
Hot Smudge, Duo Cream eyeliner/smudge in "Brass Knuckles"

I can say I'm really impressed with this makeup line.

"Sweet P" Nail polish is a green with a golden green glitter (reminds me of the gemstone Peridot), the color can be worn sheer or full on. I used 3 coats with a clear top coat, but it probably didn't even need the topcoat.

"Living Doll" Blush is a nice light pink with golden undertones. It feels super light and wears really well, I didn't have to reapply. Also, it didn't irritate my skin :)

"Brass Knuckles" Hot Smudge is a creamy eyeshadow/eyeliner duo that applies super easy!
The colors are a dark blue (almost like a denim color) with a metallic copper. You could easily either color as a liner or eyeshadow. There is am angle brush/smudger included, which actually is a decent quality for being included.
The description on the packaging reads "Create sharp or smokey bedroom eyes".
I tried these first without a primer, and I can honestly say they held up pretty well. But I always recommend using a primer with anything on your eyes so your eyelids don't stain or feel greasy.

You can see the Blush and eye colors swatched here on my wrist:

This swatches are without primer underneath and were applied lightly.

Again, super impressed with Hard Candy Makeup! All of these products were under $10 a piece and totally rival some of my higher end products.

I still want to try their lipsticks because I've heard the color selection is pretty great but most of them at the store I purchased at seemed to have their seals broken and I wasn't going to take any chances.

Verdict: TOTALLY RECOMMEND!

On to the hair products I recently tried...

I've been wanting to try Goody Spin Pins since I first saw a commercial about them a couple months ago. For those of you unaware with what a spin pin is, they are basically spiral bobby pins that are suppose to hold your hair bun without any ponytail holder or other pins. They work by twisting two of these pins clockwise into your bun. They are suppose to work as long as you don't cross the two pins.

I finally saw some for $5.99 at a local target and with my excitement I scooped them up.

I got home and immediately tried them. All I can say is I'm really not that impressed.

I couldn't get a bun to stay in very well. I'd much rather wrap a bun with a ponytail holder because these were quite a headache to get working. I eventually got these to work right but my bun is looser than I would like it.

Would I recommend these? I'm UNSURE.

Last but not least...

Joico K-Pak Style Smoothing Balm

I really love this hair product! I bought it about a week ago from my new hair salon and it's amazing. As stated before, I have really thick straight hair. When I blow dry my hair it tends to get decently frizzy, but this stuff fixes that problem.
I apply it after I towel dry my hair and before I blow dry and I don't have to worry about my hair frizzing at all! Even in this crazy heat going on outside! It adds such a wonderful shine to my hair too. Just LOVE THIS!

Verdict: Totally recommend!! Absolutely, recommend. Can you tell how excited I am about this stuff?! ;)

Well that's all to review today. Thanks for reading!

**Please note: These are all products I purchased recently and these are my honest opinions of them. This is not an ad.

24

2010-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Today is my 24th birthday!
No big plans, just a nice quiet day with my new DVR and maybe some cooking later ;)

made lots of new earrings..

2010-08-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

I made a bunch of new earrings for my etsy shop, but since etsy is having errors... here is a sneak peek!

;)

I'll let you know when I've updated my shop.

Going Back to Kansas...

2010-07-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

(Annie making a mess)

Tonight I'm starting my journey back to Kansas from Virginia.
I'm stopping to visit family tonight and tomorrow morning.

We're planning on stopping at a couple Diners, Drive-ins and Dives spots from the show on food network.

As much as I'm excited to be back in Kansas, I'm also sad because I leave my boyfriend, family and Annie (pug puppy) on the east coast again.

I won't be blogging the day few days, but Guess what??
I have a giveaway coming up on one of my favorite blogs!
Be excited!

Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend :)

Chromeo - Fancy Footwork / MUSIC from AVIVA on Vimeo.

Couture du Jour

2010-07-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

My outfit is today's Couture du Jour over on Lillyella's blog :)

Go check it out here!

I love Tracy Morgan

2010-07-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Incase you didn't know,

I absolutely love Tracy Morgan. Really.

Just look at him:

via: Buzzfeed

He's my favorite comedian.
We saw him a few weeks ago live and he was covered in Bling just like his 30 rock character, Tracy Jordan.
He went on about his flights, personal life, relationships, politics and sexual experiences.
Really funny set but a couple of times he went on rants and forgot what he was talking about or there wasn't any punchlines.
He also thinks Barack Obama is a true gangsta.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from his and Tiny Fey's show, 30 Rock on NBC:

-"What is this, Horseville? Because I’m surrounded by naysayers. Wordplay!"

-"Live every week like it's Shark Week."

-"I love this cornbread so much, I wanna take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant."

-"I got something on my mind grapes I need to talk to you about."

-"Stop eating people’s old French fries, pigeon! Have some self respect! Don’t you know you can fly?"

-"I can't read! I sign my name with an X! I once tried to make mashed potatoes with laundry detergent! I think I voted for Nader! NADER!"

Do you have a favorite comedian? Do you watch 30 Rock?

HARAJUKU LOVERS

2010-07-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Gwen Stefani's clothing line, HARAJUKU LOVERS is on sale at Hautelook today!

Such fun shirts and at a fraction of the cost, I bought two :)
An early birthday present to myself.

For those of you unfamiliar with Hautelook, every day they have different sale events that last for a few days. Each event features a different designer featuring jewelry, clothing, accessories, makeup and even foods. For a fraction of the cost, many stuff 40%-60% off!

It's invite only, but you can join here:
An Invitation!

DO WORK SON...

2010-07-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

In the words of Rob Dyrdek and Big Black, "DO WORK SONNNNN"

I thought I'd post some process and studio shots from the last year up until now.

carving a woodblock in my studio, I abandoned this print but I love this photo. Great color!

Working on Aquatints in the printmaking studio, here is a shot of hard ground on my copper etching plates. Also, sipping on Pom Wonderful's tea...tea is a studio staple of mine ;)

Here is a shot of my messy desk and lunch of sushi! I was trying to cut this really thick plastic to make shaped plates for printing (relief printmaking). It was a dumb idea because it took forever scoring the plastic over and over again to try to pop the cut pieces out. It gave my wrists a workout and I eventually settled on another method.

Here are a couple of shots from my studio at KU:
These shots are from January, the stuff on my walls pretty much changes every week.
These are mostly side/corner shots. The backwall has 8 windows.
It's really spacious, bigger then my bedroom in my apartment.

And Last but not least,
a process photo of what I'm working on now. Graphite drawings of body parts and organs.
You're probably thinking "SAY WHAT?!" but my graduate school work is currently centered around the idea of medical anxieties that I have. I have this interest of abnormal growth within the human body, so I've been trying to create drawings of this. I've been creating what I consider to be new systems within the body. So I am compiling different body parts almost as if I was creating a new respiratory or nervous system.
These pieces in the photo are still in the early stages, I'm making a bunch of smaller pieces to create a larger piece.

I'm teaching Intro to Drawing to new art and design majors this semester, and I'm interested to see if pushing drawing more everyday is going to continue changing my work.

Do you have a space where you make art or craft? I'd love to see it! Send me links to your photos :)

My shop is included in this great giveaway!

2010-07-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

The Rik Rak studio blog is doing a great giveaway where you can win $20.00 to spend on a great list of etsy shops,

mine included!

Check it out here:
Rik Rak Studio etsy giveaway!

and my etsy shop

giveaway ends August 6th :)

bulletproof, la roux cover

2010-07-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Love this cover!
This girl definitely has talent! :)

Krylon Spray Paint Lamp!

2010-07-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

via Breeze Block

Found these lamps on etsy about a week ago and totally wanting one!

Let's play Scrabble!

2010-07-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm officially obsessed with playing "Words with Friends" on my Iphone.

So if you have an Iphone, Ipad or Ipod touch...Let's play Words with Friends!
My username is: Jrerwin

Feel free to start a game with me.
Oh, and I'm pretty terrible at scrabble...so you'll probably win ;)

I use the free version, it works fine (just beware: LOTS OF ADS)!

Blue Whales

2010-07-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

via my artfire shop

Insert Jaws theme music here

2010-07-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these pictures of the Discovery Channel Building yet?

Talk about awesome! Shark week is coming...

*insert Jaws theme music here*

via Buzzfeed

Are you ready for Shark week? Starts August 1st, on the discovery channel :)

Tomorrow night (7/15/2010) in Washington DC!

2010-07-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
There is an event going on tomorrow in Washington DC, that if you're in the area you should definitely go to!

POP UP @ U Street!!! My art will be featured here, along with many other talented artists!! 20% of the proceeds will go to Dreams for Kids non profit organization :)

Here is the all the info:
PLEASE RSVP AT www.ustreetpopup.eventbrite.com

Monument Music & Arts Festival, Affinity Lab, & Dreams for Kids DC present
POP UP @ U STREET.

Affinity Lab
920 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

We would like to cordially invite you to our Pop Up @ U Street which will feature some of the Mid-Atlantic’s best artists and brightest young stars. DFK, Monument Music and Arts Festival, and Affinity lab have teamed up to put together an incredible lineup of artists to show and sell during a night of silent and live auctions. Live Music by:

ONE BIG WOO
PHILIPPE CHETRIT ( FATBACK DJ COLLABORATIVE)
MATT HEMERLEIN (FOUR HORSEMEN)

FREE BEER FROM PBR!
FREE WINE!
FREE FOOD!

Many artists showing have agreed to donate 20% of their proceeds to Dreams for Kids Dream Leaders Program, a leadership program that unites children of diverse backgrounds through community service and service learning via after-school clubs, in-school workshops, and Dream Leader Conferences.

Artists Showing:

Adam Lister
Amy Boone McCreesh
Ashley Wells
Ben Droz
Joseph Shoenwetter
Carlton Morgan
Chris Ulrich
Christa Reuel
Craig Hill
Erin Keele
Jamer Weatherill
Jamin Sheard
Jenn Erwin
Mary Rainy-Medlin
Mike Cantwell
Pat Obrien
Paul Fredereksin
Rosina Teri Memolo
Stephani Rivers
Jane Ross
Henry Winfiele

$8 suggested donation at the door!

I have two ink drawings, one etching and one mixed media drawing up for sale!! :)

Free earrings

2010-07-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

In honor of my new artfire shop and some new stuff on my etsy, I decided that I would give a free gift with purchase from now until the end of summer.

You can view both of my shops here:

http://www.artfire.com/users/JennTRC

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennTRC

and here some of the stuff you can find there:

NEW! Vintage Windmill Necklace

2010-07-13T11:28:00.001-07:00

Vintage Windmill Necklace
via my artfire

Gone

2010-07-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

This photo is for Lindsay's blog Shrimp Salad Circus and her "Get Perspective Project".

The word this round is the word: GONE.
This is my interpretation. What is yours?

Go play, you have till the 11th of July for this round :)

Cheap Designer Leggings!

2010-07-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

I just found these fab leggings on Hautelook.

Join Hautelook and check out their daily fashion steals!
Join here: Hautelook Invite!

They often sell brands like Urban Decay makeup, Lorac and American Apparel for super affordable prices!

Bright and colorful!

2010-07-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Bright and colorful affordable jewelry!

Owl earrings, $5.00

Rose rings, $6.00

via my artfire shop

2010-06-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

"Tomorrow will be a Good Day" via explodingdog.com

Today I am uninspired, emotional, frustrated and mean.
Here is to hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Sorry...

2010-06-24T10:05:00.001-07:00

I had started posting a list of etsy picks based on "seashells" but sure enough when I was almost finished, I accidentally deleted it.

sigh.

Happy Thursday!

Here are two of the pieces I was lusting over:

Single Tiny Shell Focal Pendent and Bead - Baby Shell Design by
Floridity , $3.50.

Seashell Ring by Ardent1 ,$75.00. too bad it's not my size ;)

Hooray!

2010-06-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I won a beautiful necklace from www.serrelynda.etsy.com
from Kind over Matter! :)

So excited!

You can view the necklace here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettyfnmess/4474825647/

Thank you to Kind Over Matter and Sara! :)

Summer work space

2010-06-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is my desk in the office/loft area at my boyfriend's place for the summer.
The lighting is similar to my studio at KU, instead of a wall of windows..I have natural sky lights from the ceiling :)

I'm currently working on some small drawings/experiments in hopes to come up with some things for some upcoming call for entries.

While listening to Pandora, my current station is a station based off of the band SAY ANYTHING!

new studs and flowers ;)

2010-06-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

I made these earrings yesterday...

Topaz Bell flowers with blue glass beads.
Vintage Hand painted Japanese plastic bird post earrings.
Freshwater pearl beads post earrings.

What do you think?

Giveaway Winners! :)

2010-06-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

My two winners for the jewelry giveaway were chosen via random.org...

Sharon, won a pair of owl earrings!

Alyssa, won a custom piece of jewelry!

I will be emailing you both, you have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Thank you to all who entered, I plan to have another giveaway coming up soon ;)

Botanical Gardens, Norfolk, VA

2010-06-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

JR took the day off yesterday and we went to the Botanical Gardens!

Here is some of my Shake It Polaroids (iphone app) of some of the things we saw...

It was a really beautiful garden, lots of wonderful colors and texture inspirations! :)

*images are mine

A few of my favorite things...

2010-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite things...in Polaroids!

These shoes. They're from Rocketdog and come in a bunch of bright colors! They are almost worn out and I definitely need a new pair.

Alkaline Trio! One of my favorite bands.

Museums! This picture of birds was taken at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, they have lots of birds and bones!

My boyfriend and Annie. I don't think this needs much of an explanation.

What are some of your favorite things?

*images are mine

Owls

2010-05-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

Lots of owl earrings, these are so much fun to make!

Cloud Watching

2010-05-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

My cloud polaroids :)
Happy Wednesday!

Annie and her soccer ball

2010-05-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Cutest pug puppy ever!

GIVEAWAY!- Custom Jewelry by me! 2 winners!

2010-05-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, it's been a little while since I've done a giveaway.
I've been making a lot of jewelry on my summer break from grad school and I thought it would be fun to host a custom jewelry giveaway!

This giveaway will have two prizes, one winner will get either a custom pair of earrings/necklace from me (based on their choice).
-The winner will get to choose either by theme, bead colors, specific charms, etc. I open to using various materials including shrinkable plastic, polymer clay, chain, lockets, brass charms, bead caps, plastic charms, vintage beads, stone beads, chip beads, glass beads, flower beads, stone beads, pearls and more!
-I want the winner to challenge me to make something new, that they would enjoy :)
Here are some images of some things I have in my bead boxes, as well as things in my etsy ;) (Click to view images larger)

BUT WAIT, another winner will receive a pair of polymer clay owl earrings in a color of their choice!
The earrings are similar to these glass ones currently in my etsy shop:

So how do you enter??
Anyone can enter :)

First and Mandatory Entry: Go to my etsy, link is in the sidebar of my blog: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennTRC and tell me your favorite item in my shop in a comment along with your name and email ;)

Want more ways to enter??
Extra entries (get one entry for each of the following, make sure you leave a seperate comment):
-heart my shop on etsy!
-follow my blog!
-Follow me on twitter, http://twitter.com/jennrach @Jennrach and leave your user name in a comment
-tweet about the giveaway, make sure to leave @jennrach somewhere in your tweet
-blog about giveaway, make sure to include a link in your comment!
-tell me your favorite quote!
-To earn 5 extra entries, purchase something from my shop!

Again, make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry!

Giveaway ends Monday, June 7th at 12:00 noon eastern time!
Winners will be notified by email, if winners do not respond in 3 days, new ones will be picked ;)

Friendship Bracelet Swap

2010-05-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Things we Make Blog is having a Friendship Bracelet Swap!

You can make them out of thread, fabric, beads, etc. The sky is the limit!
Send one to receive one back :)

You can sign up here:
http://thethingswemake.blogspot.com/2010/05/friendship-bracelet-swap-sign-up-now.html

Make sure you sign up by the 25th of May! :)

I've already been playing around with my jewelry supplies for this one ;)

a few more earrings...

2010-05-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

I'm really slow about updating my etsy.
And now, I'm watching after my boyfriend's adorable puppy.

But I managed to put up a few new pairs of earrings and here is a picture of the adorable Annie for you too ;)

Hey...check out my etsy ;)

2010-05-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I've marked down a bunch of things in my etsy.
I've also bought some vintage jewelry and been making some more stuff to list, so be on the look out ;)

Be Prepared for a rant! STOP SMOKING!

2010-05-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

I realized I haven't been checking up with blogging, my apologies.
Although, I officially finished my first year of graduate school.
My summer has started so hopefully there will be more time in my life for things I want to do.

Now, on to this rant as promised in the title of this post...

I was on an errand running spree today, getting ready for a road trip with my boyfriend. One of the many things I had to do was laundry. I was sitting in the Laundry mat gazing out the window and I see something absolutely ridiculous.

What's so ridiculous???
A overweight woman on a bike smoking a cigarette.
WHATTTTTTTTTT!
Are you crazy?
What's the point of riding a bike if you are going to smoke a cigarette.
Way to kill yourself faster.

I proceeded to watch this woman try to make it down the block on her bike, she stopped every couple of feet on the sidewalk and took another puff of smoke.

I wish that so many people would stop smoking, it will kill you.

Here are some smoking statistics:

• One in every ten people die because of a disease related to smoking
• One in every three adults smoke a cigarette daily
• Ten million cigarettes are purchased in stores every minute throughout the world
• One person dies every ten seconds from smoking
• One in every five children try a cigarette and become addicted to them for years on end
• Everyday about ninety thousand children try a cigarette (luckily some don’t continue)
• Second hand smoke may be just as dangerous to children as smoking a cigarette themselves
• The highest percentage of people that smoke are between the ages of 25 and 44.

Also, if you have to smoke...please stop smoking around your kids, it's absolute poison!
I could be a millionaire if I collected a nickel for every time I saw this, disgusting!

Fish Eye Camera

2010-03-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to take more pictures.
I need to get my Polaroid POGO printer to work again.
This is a sketchbook entry with some of my printed POGO photos..

Also, I totally want a cheap fish eye camera.
Like this one from amazon...

And maybe a Polaroid camera in general? Since the film is coming back ;)

Do you take a lot of pictures? Have any tips for taking more pictures? SHARE :)

Postsecret makes me laugh sometimes..

2010-03-20T19:01:00.001-07:00

Post secret makes me laugh sometimes...

I saw this postcard on post secret and with this comment underneath:
"There are 8 in that post card and if she only loves one that would be 87.5% which means this person totally loves Snookie."

I giggled.

I love this ridiculous show.

POSTCARDS FOR SATORI/MAIL ART GOING OUT...

2010-03-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

A twitter friend/etsy seller (Hauttotes) is looking for warm wishes for her daughter after her spinal surgery!
You can find all the info here: http://postcardsforsatori.blogspot.com/
Please send cards! :)
SURGERY DATE IS MARCH 31st

♥ IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES
Mail postcards on or about March 25 through April 2nd.

♥ OUT OF THE UNITED STATES
Mail postcards in time to arrive in US on March 30th through April 5th

Satori Lewis
Surgery date 3-31-10
Davis 7 Pediatrics
UC Davis Children's Hospital
2315 Stockton Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95817 USA

**Be sure to include the surgery date**

Here is some other mail art I am sending out currently:

For One People One Planet
http://1people1planet.blogspot.com/

For Cranberry Days Mail Art to Benefit Breast Cancer
http://cranberrydays.blogspot.com/

New Items on my Etsy!

2010-03-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I listed a bunch of new stuff new in my etsy shop...which you can find on the sidebar.
Now, till the end of April...mention "HEYJENN" in checkout (in the message to seller box) to receive a free gift with your purchase!

:)

2010-03-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

Slacking on the blogging,

so I decided to share some photos from my phone.

I decorated my fridge last month.

And on the 26th of February, I saw Alkaline Trio live.
They were great, better than the last time I saw them!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Studio Shot from Today

2010-02-22T12:55:00.001-08:00

Here is one of my studio shots from today featuring some newer drawings made in the past several weeks.

I love my windows bringing in natural light.

If Dinosaurs still romed the mountains...

2010-02-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Older Collage made in 2007.

OWOH giveaway winner!

2010-02-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry to announce this a few days late (it's been a very busy week) but my winner was..

S Hyler

Congrats!

Please contact me ASAP, so I can get the necklace and earrings to you!

Happy Sunday.

2010-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends,

I am spending most of my Sunday in the studio (hopefully) and then I'll be watching the Superbowl.

Currently, I am working on a copper plate for an etching and listening to the movie "Henry Poole is Here" on Netflix (I've seen it numerous times actually).

Here are some sketches I've been meaning to upload to my blog (ink/pencil on rives heavyweight paper in handmade books with handmade paper covers)

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Blue Bombs

2010-02-07T12:53:00.001-08:00

I added another pair of these Turquoise Howlite earrings for my etsy
(Link is on the sidebar)

Today I did something really stupid..

2010-02-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

So, Today I did something really dumb and I couldn't stop laughing about it.

I have a studio in a complex with seven other artists (we're all grad students working on our Masters in Fine Arts). The complex is shaped like a horseshoe and there are two doors that lock from the outside. Once you get into the complex, there are 8 individual studios...and each had it's own lock (combination or padlock). Well...

I was running downstairs to the printmaking studio to grab something and without thinking, I LOCKED my KEYS inside my studio.
CRAP. On my keys..keys to other rooms in the building, my car, my house, my mailbox.

I decided I would grab a tall ladder and climb over the one wall...
I landed fine jumping over (but I wouldn't recommend this)
SMART RIGHT??

WRONG!
I realized this when I jumped over to get my keys and then remembered "THE LOCK IS LOCKED ON THE OUTSIDE"

I just started laughing.
Why? My Studio neighbors are usually around on various times on Wednesday and this was about 1:30 in the afternoon, so usually the majority of us are in our studios in the complex.

My studio neighbor was making frames all day and literally came back into the complex and unlocked my studio for me with me throwing over my keys.

I laughed about it all afternoon.

Have you ever done something so silly??

Photo on 2010-01-30

2010-01-30T12:05:00.001-08:00

Photo on 2010-01-30 , originally uploaded by JennTRC.

Self Portrait.

Happy Saturday Friends!

kind over matter ATC

2010-01-28T20:28:00.001-08:00

kindovermatterATC, originally uploaded by JennTRC.

I made this ATC for Kind Over Matter's ATC/ACEO exchange.
http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com

I titled it "Rainbow Crystals" :)