lutkaandco

The Noduitgang!

January 16, 2013 1 Comment

Recently, DH and I met up with some friends from way back when. We all met at an international graduate program in Delft Netherlands. It was probably one of the most memorable year in my life. We hailed from Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and the States. I can’t believe how young we were back then! Though it only seems like yesterday. One day, it would really be neat to have a reunion in Delft with everyone!

And I complain about my son; wearing sandals during winter in California – look at these guys, shorts during winter in Holland! 🙂

Filed Under: Family and Friends

More Lampwork Beads!

January 14, 2013 3 Comments

I seem to have regained my passion for creativity this year. All the things that I enjoyed in the past and thought I somehow lost interest in have become interesting again. I have so many unfinished projects, as well as new ones constantly floating around in my mind these days. The weather has been a bit cold, but really ideal for lampworking, as my studio is still located in the corner of our garage. Perhaps one day, a real all inclusive studio space of my very own … Meanwhile, here are some more beads I made. They are listed in my Etsy shop:

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

Epiphany Words

January 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

Epiphany –

1. (initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.

2. an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.

3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.

Last Sunday, at our place of worship, we picked our epiphany words out of a basket for the new year:

Mine is “birth” – I try to not read too much into the word itself. As happens, I’m sure it will pop up in the most unexpected place and time. Do you have an ephiphany word for the year?

Filed Under: Announcements

Zentangle Challenge #101 “Phicops”

January 10, 2013 3 Comments

The Diva recently celebrated her 100th zentangle challenge. I had taken a break from zentangling, but decided to try and participate again in the weekly challenges. The new year starts off with a new tangle called “Phicops” that B-rad, the Divas hubby created. It took a few times of draw/erase, but I kind of like the end result:

If you’d like to try you hand at it, and/or view other participants tangles, go to “I am the diva“. I find it to be a soothing activity – no pressure. You’re not being judged or graded. In fact, everyone is really very supportive and kind.

Filed Under: Zentangle Challenge

Dr. Oz Three Day Detox

January 9, 2013 Leave a Comment

Woo-hoo! two posts in one day… As long as I was talking about eating well, I thought I’d mention the Dr. Oz three day detox. I just finished day three! After a crazy month with all three kids at home, our good eating just went out the window. Considering the boys eat like carnivores, my daughter a self proclaimed pescetarian (had to look that one up in the dictionary), and DH not eating wheat, I felt at times like a short order cook! The boys complained there was nothing good to eat, and their sister complained there was too much junk food in the house. That compounded with two rounds of holiday cookie baking (so much fun!)… It was time to detox. I’m not promoting it, but this three day detox works great for me. It gets me going on the right eating track. Start the day with green tea, followed by three very healthy shakes. If you want to try it, you can find the detox here: Dr. Oz Three Day Detox. I had to do some frozen fruits, as raspberries and such are out of season and hard to find.

Filed Under: Announcements, Baking And Cooking

Einkorn Bread

January 9, 2013 Leave a Comment

In our quest for better health, DH and I have drastically altered our way of eating. After reading the book Wheat Belly by William Davis, we decided to try a lifestyle without wheat. I thought DH would have some difficulty with it since he grew up in Europe, on bread, pasta, whole milk, and real butter. But, he’s managed much better than yours truly, and is back to the weight when we first met. Me, my cholesterol is great, but the weight has been slow to come off… Anyway, in lieu of traditional bread, I bake an einkorn bread. You can find the flour on numerous sites. Einkorn is supposedly a much healthier alternative to the wheat we consume now. Here is the recipe that I use: Hubpages. It doesn’t rise as much, and isn’t as fluffy as regular bread, but all in all, a good substitute:

Filed Under: Baking And Cooking

Show And Tell

January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

Thought I’d share a couple of things my daughter made during break (anything to put off doing her homework and last few college apps!). Here is an adorable retro looking pink kitty with daisy cheeks – I think it is a gift for her grandmother:

She’s also very much into everything Disney. We found a really cute Disney beading book at a Japanese bookstore, and she made these earrings:

I’m glad she is artsy/crafty. It’s just another thing we have in common and can spend time doing together.

Filed Under: Projects And Interests

Official Start Of New Year!

January 7, 2013 Leave a Comment

Things have been so hectic around here to say the least. I am finally ready to kick off the new year… Just to wrap up the season:

My younger two have had a tradition of making a ginger bread house. With all their activities, they just managed to make it before younger son returned to college. This year, the “kit” got even easier I am told. One day, I will challenge them by having them make it from scratch:

And here he is getting ready to head back. He attends university by the beach, and for whatever reason wears sandals – even with sweaters! This, to the dismay of his younger sister’s fashion sensibilities.

And the movers have finally arrived this morning to take away the rest of oldest sons belongings. Of course, what young upcoming professional can’t do without: huge flat screen TV, snowboard, ice hockey equipment, skydiving helmet, game console, sound system, exercising equipment, collection of beer glasses, and a hand me down vacuum cleaner from his parents 🙂 Also very efficient at putting his clothes in garden trash bags…

Which just leaves me with our daughter, soon to graduate HS and suffering from a chronic case of senioritis (since her junior year). And of course, our dogs: Happy and Grumpy – just kidding, Hiro and Koko.

And… I have no more excuses, time to put away the seasonal decorations and clean the house – yippie!!! 😉

Filed Under: Announcements, Family and Friends

Kid #1 Launched…

January 6, 2013 1 Comment

I knew this day would come. I think every parent anticipates this day with mixed emotions. I am very sad but happy for him, at the same time. Sad because I will miss seeing him on a regular basis, and happy that he is finally going to start his adult life… My oldest son left the other day for a new “real” job which takes him to another State. Hopefully, he will turn on his Skype now, and we will be able to video chat weekly… If you’re reading this, and you know who you are – turn on your Skype! 🙂

Filed Under: Announcements, Family and Friends

Thumpers?

January 5, 2013 2 Comments

I must admit, I am getting to the age where I will soon be joining the ranks of the AARP. This being said, I had never heard of a “Thumper” (except for that cute little bunny), until my recently graduated oldest son decided to have a go at making them. What does one do after 4+ years of private university education and a BSEE ?… You make an upcycled vintage suitcase boombox! 🙂 Here are the finished products; one for himself and his brother. And the small vintage train case will be made into a boombox for his younger sister – hopefully before she goes off to college.

The finished system is really quite amazing. They just hook up their smartphones, and the sound is awesome! I can’t wait to see what older son will be able to accomplish after earning his Masters 😉

Filed Under: Family and Friends, Projects And Interests

New Lampwork Beads!

January 4, 2013 Leave a Comment

My interest in lampworking kicked in recently, so I have been spending some more time behind the torch. Here are some beads that I made and listed in my Etsy shop. I’ve also amassed an enormous amount of digital scrapbooking kits, and since I really haven’t had the opportunity to use them, I have incorporated them here:

Please stop by my shop and have a look!

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

On Making Petal/Aloha Beads

January 2, 2013 Leave a Comment

I have finally figured out how to make the elusive petal/aloha beads… with the help of a couple of tutorials. Of course, when I found the tutorials, I had to get both; Petal Bead tutorial and the Aloha Bead tutorial. I had been muddling through on my own, wasting glass in the process and getting a bit frustrated and discouraged. It’s a good thing the lampworking community is so generous in sharing their knowledge. Usually, I can figure it out, but this bead has eluded me for some time. As it usually is, I was on the right track, but omitted one crucial process. And now, it’s my favorite bead to make. Here are some beads that I made a few days ago. It does take a bit of patience and time, but the resulting beads are worth it!