My 101 List

My 1001 Day Project ends on Friday, October 1, 2010 in .

• Main Goal
• Do something towards my goals every week (1/104)
• Cooking
• Catalog all my stray recipes
• Grow an herb garden
• Grow an organic garden in a pot
• Learn to cook fish
• Learn to cook flan
• Learn to cook my dad's garlic chicken
• Learn to cook pastelles
• Learn to cook piononos
• Declutter
• Clean out garage
• Declutter house
• Photograph and post at least 10 ebay or craigslist items for destashing 1x month (1/34)
• Photograph and post at least 10 supply items for destashing 1x month (2/34)
• Scan and shred all household documents
• Financial
• Create a budget
• Establish a $1000 emergency fund
• Inventory household items for insurance purposes
• Pay off all credit cards
• Health
• Establish an exercise habit
• Get hair trimmed 3x year (1/9)
• Get a real hairstyle…and not just a trim
• Grow my Kickboxing skills
• Lose 80 pounds
• Plan my meals out and shop for them 1x week (1/143)
• Start mountain biking again
• Start rollerblading again
• Test for brown belt
• Visit dentist 2x year (2/6)
• Household
• Buy/make non-disposable shopping bags
• Finish our living room curtains
• Fold laundry 1x quarter (4/12)
• Landscape yard 2x year (0/6)
• Paint our bedroom
• Setup memory board/mirror display in living room
• Vaccuum house 1x week (0/143)
• Wax truck 2x year (0/6)
• Jewelry
• Buy a tumbler and shot
• Establish a blogging schedule for A Pretty Rock
• Learn Chinese knotting
• Learn silver wire fusing
• Pay off A Pretty Rock debt
• Redesign website
• Submit website for write up to 4 blogs 1x month (3/34)
• Knowledge
• Learn to type Spanish language characters on keyboard
• Read 3 books in Spanish (0/3)
• Read Boriquas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings -- An Anthology
• Refresh my Arabic language knowledge
• Loving my dog
• Brush Snickers 1x week (0/143)
• Take Snickers for walk around block 5x week (0/143)
• Personal
• Create a family tree book
• Create an "in event of our deaths" list for both our moms
• Help our mom's fill out their own lists (0/2)
• Give blood (hate needles)
• Have a baby (again...hate needles...and pain)
• Create a book from my Grateful 365 project
• Take my mom to see The Nutcracker
• Recreational
• Attend a USPS dead letter auction
• Create website for my WoW guild
• Create wedding scrapbook (been 9 years…about time!)
• Finish baby blanket cross-stitch (started for my godson who is now 2)
• Go hiking in the Appalachians (I live so close!)
• Go horseback riding
• Learn how to handbind a book
• Learn to alter/customize clothing for myself
• Learn to rock climb
• Learn to snowboard
• Participate in project 365
• Purchase a dSLR
• Read all the Chronicles of Narnia books
• Read my lapsed comic book series
• Visit a corn maze
• Wear a costume to DragonCon
• Relationships
• Buy/make everyone's Christmas gifts before November each year (0/3)
• Host get-together 3x year (1/9)
• Keep track of birthdays and anniversaries (and addresses) and send a card on each one.
• Write thank you notes every time I receive a gift
• Spiritual
• Go on a missions trip
• Memorize a bible verse 1x month (1/34)
• Read bible 5x week (2/143)
• Travel
• Go back home to Puerto Rico with husband
• Take Jason to La Palguera
• Visit St. Thomas/Virgin Islands
• Visit New York
• Go to the top of the Empire State Building
• Go to the top of the Statue of Liberty
• See a musical on Broadway
• Visit Europe
• Visit Las Vegas
• Take a weekend getaway with my husband 1x year (0/3)
• Work
• Back up my computers 1x week (0/143)
• Create a program to serve a useful purpose for others
• Grow my business so my husband can stay home and work with me
• Join a networking group
• Learn a new programming language 1x year (0/3)
• Learn to expertly analyze web traffic tracking results
• Organize files on computers (0/3)
• Read a technical book 4x year (1/12)
• Setup landing pages for all my registered domain names
• Update paperwork for taxes 4x year (0/12)
• Write a blog post 1x week for Turtletopia (2/143)
• Write a blog post 1x week for YazminMedia (1/143)

CPSIA Law Suspended for 1 Year! · 02/10/2009

“Yay!” courtesy of Rev Dan Catt

Congratulations to everyone who took efforts to talk to their congressmen and sign petitions in regards to the CPSIA law going into affect today…If you haven’t heard yet, the law has been postponed for 1 year!

Yay for grassroots movement! You guys rock!

UPDATE 02/10/2009
As soon as I announced my post on Twitter, I got responses saying that I had incorrect information. My apologies on that! For clarification, the law is not suspended! It still went into effect today, however from what I’m being told, while the CPSC is not enforcing currently, your state AG may do just that.

In addition, from the official documents it looks as if you can still be prosecuted if you are reported to have used a material that does not comply with the lead limits, phthalate limits or toy standards.

However, my recommendation to you is to NOT do what I did and get your information from a second source. Go straight to the horse’s mouth:

CPSIA Guidance for Small Businesses, Resellers, Crafters, and Charities – pdf document

Thank you @aquinasnmore, @Humours and @MyPreciousKid for your clarifications!

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Merry Christmas 2008! · 12/25/2008

As I sit here teaching my niece how to use one of her new toys, I’m once again amazed with the blessing of spending time with friends and family on this wonderful day. May your Christmas be just as merry and bright. Thank you for all your support this year! I am forever grateful and humbled by you all.

Merry Christmas!

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When good flan goes bad · 12/19/2008

Around the holidays, in almost every Puerto Rican household, you’re guaranteed to find one of two holiday favorites: arroz con dulce and flan. I had great plans today to make arroz con dulce, but totally forgot to pick up some rice at the grocery store.

So all I have to show you is a picture of a failed attempt at flan. (Notice I have not crossed it off my 101 list…yet!)

I didn’t write down the recipe my mom gave me in January when she was up for a visit. So, I called my mom for the recipe in hopes of surprising our friends with some dessert. In my defense, the only reason the flan turned out lopsided was because she halved the recipe for me. Instead of using the two pans I remembered from earlier this year, I really only needed one. Unfortunately I didn’t realize this until it was too late.

Couldn’t let a good flan go to waste, so I went ahead and cooked it all lopsided…no matter how odd it looked. Let me tell you it was just as good. ;)

Now I know, though, and I have plans on making this again real soon.

If you’re feeling brave enough to try the recipe yourself (without one of my wonderful photos to cheer you on), here’s you go:

FLAN

SPECIAL SUPPLIES
A double sauce pan

INGREDIENTS
5 eggs
1 15oz. can of condensed milk
1 15oz. can of evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water

DIRECTIONS
1. Place water in bottom pan of double sauce pan.

2. Place pan in the oven and heat to 350 degrees.

3. Beat together the eggs and the two milks. Set aside.

4. Put sugar and water in a microwavable bowl. (I use a glass measuring cup, saving me the cleaning of an extra measuring cup.)

5. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until sugar has caramelized to a deep brown (like the cognac color of a dark hessonite garnet.)

6. BEFORE THE CARAMEL COOLS, pour it on the bottom of the other sauce pan (the other portion of the double sauce pan not in the oven.) Make sure to tilt the pan, making the caramel cover all portions of the bottom of the pan.

7. Pour the custard into the caramel lined pan.

8. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Flan is done when a toothpick test comes out clean.

9. Remove pans from oven and let cook in refrigerator for 1 hour.

10. Invert flan onto a serving tray. The caramel sauce is served over the custard.

I want pictures if you make it!

If you’re looking for more Christmas traditions & recipes or a Christmas shop spotlight, make sure to check out the Etsyblogger’s blog on December 22nd for our blog carnival post.

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tags: etsy blogger's, miscellany, recipes

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Tropical Trail Mix · 12/17/2008

I’ve been sick. This is nothing new. I get sick a lot, but this last time I had a breather of maybe a week between my sick bouts. I don’t want to live my life from cold to cold.

Just so happens that both my mom and this random magazine article mentioned that I should look into boosting my immune system, so I’m taking it as a suggestion from Higher Up that this is what I need to do.

While I fear putting myself in the same hypochondriac category that we’ve placed another friend (who really thinks he’s going to die from anything and everything at least once a week), I still made the trek to Target to pick up some vitamin D. (Vitamin D helps maintain bone health and the immune system.) I already had vitamin C and echinacea in the house, so no need to buy more of those.

Since I can’t just go to the store for one item, I decided to pick up supplies for my favorite snack, Tropical Trail Mix. One of my favorite candies to eat when I visit the in laws in California is chocolate covered gummy bears. (Yea, I know – gross, right? I can’t believe I like them either.) Well, the best part of my favorite snack? It gives me a fix just as if I had eaten the gummy bears. It makes me feel like I’m at least attempting to eat healthier. No guilt food. It should always be that way. :)

TROPICAL TRAIL MIX
Makes 1 serving
WW Points: 5

INGREDIENTS
15 Almonds, raw preferrably
1/3 cup dried tropical fruit
1/4 cup chocolate chips (Kroger’s organic brand has really large ones I like a lot)

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together and chomp away!

Yummy.

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2008 Holiday Shipping Info · 12/15/2008

Photo © Hunter Wilson

Feeling overwhelmed and wrapped up in the rush? Holiday shipping deadlines are looming everywhere! Now is the time to start making your final decisions and getting your items shipped to you pronto.

So, if you’re not done with your holiday shopping, you’ll want to keep these dates in mind so that any holiday purchases made from me get to you in time. These are the last purchase dates that I can guarantee arrival before Christmas within the U.S.:

• First Class Mail
  December 19th
• Priority Mail
  December 19th
• Express Mail
  December 21th

To avoid disappointment, please plan your holiday shopping and shipping needs early!

And, if things happen (like they can tend to), there are always gift certificates. No worries! I’ve got you covered. ;)

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The 2008 Christmas Wishlist · 12/13/2008

Everyone is asking me for my Christmas wishlist. I suppose it’s time I delivered.

I will admit, the things I usually want are extremely cost-prohibitive (like a Canon Xsi and a new PowerMac.) However, the following items on my list would be just as welcomed. After all, it is the thought that counts. (And honestly I don’t need gifts – time with friends and family is enough. Thanks mom for teaching me to appreciate the things that truly count. :) )

However, for those who feel compelled to purchase a gift for me, here is my list. All of these items can be found on Etsy shops.

Here’s a tip for anyone who hasn’t shopped on Etsy. If the item is sold, check out the sellers shop to see if they relisted the item. If it’s not relisted, just send the seller a convo to see if they can remake the item. I’m sure you’ll get a quick response!

Thanks to my friend, Danielle, I’ve developed a love affair with purses and clutches. (The shoe affair was already well established by my mom, but I have that under control…mostly.)

My husband used to keep Bath and Body Works in business with all the lovely liquid soaps he’d buy me for holidays and special occasions. I’ve since lost my attraction to them and replaced it with a good old bar of Ivory soap. (Can’t beat that for a fresh clean smell.) However, a gal needs a pretty bar of soap every now and then…and these are right up my alley.

We live in Georgia. Couple that with being self-employed and I don’t get much use out of the scarves I have. However, I see no reason why I shouldn’t continue to build my wardrobe of two scarves, do you? I am from an island, after all, and I do get cold easily. ;)

Have you seen my hair? I have a lot of it…and I do mean A LOT. That’s why I generally end up pulling it all together in a loosely gathered bun. However, if I owned one of these lovely fascinators or hair pins, I just might be more apt to wear it down. Or at least look extra smashing with it all swept up. Then Danielle could make my curls boing to her hearts content.

If you read my blog, you know I’m a techie. Aside from jewelry making, World of Warcraft is my vice. And I can never get enough of computer related items. Seriously…it’s time for a new laptop skin!

Here are a few other things I wouldn’t mind seeing in my stocking. (My ring size is 8 1/2, btw.)

Finally, if you haven’t checked out my Amazon wishlist (there’s a widget for it below), you should. I just added a ton of organizing books that I would love to read…like yesterday! But with it soon being Christmas and all, I’ve decided not to buy them until after the holiday has passed. This way, no one can complain that I always buy everything I want. :)

I hope with this I’ve given enough suggestions as to things I would love to have. Now if only others would make a list like this for me, my shopping would be so easy. Oh, you know who you are… ;)

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Last Giveaways on Modish! · 12/11/2008

Photo Courtesy of Modish

We’re near the end of the year again and it seems at the end of an era. Jena at Modish is refocusing her blog that featured many an independent designer towards more personal pursuits come the start of the new year.

However, the Modish giveaways will be going out with a bang. Starting yesterday, she is hosting three full days of giveaways on her blog. With over $2,161 worth in goodies to be had, she’s splitting them up into three different packages.

Wondering what I sent in to sweeten the pot? My sweet little Onyx and Cream Pearl Chain Thread Earrings. They’re great with almost any outfit.

Today is Day 2…make sure you get over there post haste to submit your entry for these huge giveaways!

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Unexpected gifts are so nice · 12/10/2008

At my last show, I spent a good bit of time walking around and getting to know the vendors. Traffic was down considerably from last year, so this was an easy feat for me to do. There was no risk of losing inventory on my table to wandering five fingers.

One of the other booths I ran across was a booth by the Cumming Garden Club. As you can see, there were rows and rows of magnificent coasters with various pressed flowers. I was in love.

After taking photos of their booth and chatting with them for a while, I was asked the question of why the photos. With anticipation of a guest blog post on Indie Fixx, I was trying to document my time at the show.

That’s when one of the ladies handed me this lovely coaster…with pressed pansies, none-the-less. (Pansies are one of my all time favorite flowers…right up there with sunflowers.) I was so excited and very humbled. With their kindness, those ladies really made my day.

Have you had an unexpected gift recently? Leave me a comment about it and next Wednesday I’ll pick someone from all the comments to send them an “unexpected gift”. I can’t wait to read everyone’s stories!

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Huge November Giveaway at Modish! · 11/25/2008

With over $805 worth of indie goodies up for grabs, you’ll also find my Gold Rose Duster Earrings in the mix.

Go! Get entered today!

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History in the Making - 2008 Presidential Elections · 11/04/2008

I hope you exercised your right to vote today. (I went on Friday, when everyone was out trick-or-treating with their kids. Absolutely no lines and my husband got to make everyone smile in his milk maid costume.) It’s a wonderful privilege…and considering this race, it’s been interesting to see how everything has unfolded.

This evening was spent playing World of Warcraft with some friends, but I’ve been glued to this widget from MSNBC:

And sadly, I’m exhausted from getting ready for the Brookwood Tip-Off Club show this weekend, so I am going to bed. I guarantee you though, this post will be the first thing I look at in the morning as we welcome a new era.

God Bless America!

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Tagged! 6 Random Things · 10/29/2008

Photo by Mike Baird

I’ve been working on being more efficient with my email and addressing things as they come in…although the efficiency is eluding me. I say that because I just found two emails in my inbox from earlier this month where I had been tagged on blogs!

So, for Jersey Girl Design and Theophany, here are 6 random things about myself:

1. I’m competitive. One of the many reasons I never took classes with my husband…another competitive soul. We would tear each other apart.

2. I’m 90% self-sustaining, 10% needy. (Yes, I do need someone to tell me I’m great every once in a while…and more frequently during kickboxing.) ;)

3. I’m more often hopeful to a fault than cynical towards everything.

4. I’m afraid of ocean waves…rather, the really large ones that crest over your head, engulfing you in a foam of salty bubbles. Bad childhood tumble has had me scared since.

5. I would like to learn to surf, if I can ever get over #4. (You’d think that if a dog can do it, so could I…sheesh!)

6. I want to jump out of plans…if only the Army had taught me how.

Now for my 5 bloggie friends:

• Deb @ StoryBeader
• Yvette @ Enter the Narrow Gate
• Mel @ MelDrop’s Corner
• Katja @ mis•cel•la•ne•a
• Brandi @ Brandi Girl

Consider yourself tagged!

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5th Annual "Art on the Lawn" show this weekend! · 10/14/2008

Come out and visit me and my jewelry at Art on the Lawn!

Hosted by the North Cobb Arts League, the Fifth Annual Art On The Lawn Festival is being held October 18 and 19, 2008 on the grounds of The Art Station – Big Shanty in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Joining me will be Myra Hopper from Myra Elizabeth Jewelry Designs.

What: 5th Annual Art on the Lawn Festival
When: Saturday & Sunday, October 18 & 19, 2008
Time: 10 am to 4 pm (both days)
Location: The Art Station at Big Shanty
Address: 2050 Kennesaw Due West Road, Kennesaw, GA 30152 (map)
Phone: 770-514-5930
Website: www.ncart.org/tas

Stop by and say hi! We’d love to meet you.

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Hint of Glint is here! · 09/30/2008

I’ve been in a rut. Having a hard time letting my creativity flow. Spending a lot of time looking at other people’s jewelry and feeling worried that I might end up copying their work inadvertently.

So I’ve taken a step away and gone back to how I started out. I’ve been looking at more of my older designs and trying to figure out what it was that really drove customers to purchase from my store.

While I was doing that, I got a good look at my stash and I realized something. I have all these beautiful gems and when it comes right down to it, I’ve hardly cracked a dent into my inventory. I’d go as far as saying I’m being a packrat. I’m sure someone out there can relate.

In an effort to help myself get out of this packrat mode, I’ve started creating a line of simpler and more pocketbook friendly pieces. Without further ado…let me introduce to you…Hint of Glint!

Hint of Glint is for those times when you just need a little something. A little bit of color, a little bit of sparkly, but a whole lot of lovely.

I’ve only posted three earrings from the collection today, but you can expect to see more if not all of the ones above ready for sale as the week goes by.

Let me know what you think of my new collection! I would love to get your opinions.

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My Mom Rocks (and new Totally Indie Coupons are In!) · 09/23/2008

She cut all 200+ of my coupon packages for Totally Indie Coupons, sorted and bagged them and sent them back to me. One less thing for me to do on my list. Woot. I love you, Mom! (Not just for that, but for so many other reasons, too…)

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Facebook Users Beware - Part II · 09/19/2008

Since my enlightenment concerning the terms of service for Facebook in regards to images, blog posts and other media, I’ve been looking for ways to minimize my exposure, but still use their website as a means to not only connect with friends and family more often, but continue developing the marketing and branding aspect of A Pretty Rock as well. (Whoo – that was a mouth full of a sentence, huh?)

By now you’re probably wondering where is Part I of this blog post. I guess there actually is no continuation for this post, but to get you caught up, this is what’s going on…

Tuesday I ran across a post on Michelle’s Complete Fragments blog titled Social Network Copyright Information. The post was about Facebook and their policy in regard to your media or that of anyone else’s that you post on your profile.

In short, Facebook takes a free use copyright on anything you post in the profile. This means that if they want to create a magazine with your images or your blog posts or anything else they find on your profile, they can do just that, without your explicit permission, because you already agreed to it when you agreed to the terms of service. Kinda sucks, doesn’t?

(Btw, that’s exactly what happened last December, as several people walked into their local bookstores to find an issue of Facebook Magazine on the shelves.) Once I read the terms myself and decided I didn’t like them, I chose to pull all of my imported blog posts and my link to my Flickr account through the MyFlickr app.

And with that, you’re caught up to this post. Having had time to think about the terms, I also had time to think about the various comments my friends made. One of them in particular, is what I think will be my approach to Facebook marketing from here on out: posting of lower resolution images.

Thanks to Facebook themselves, we are given the tool we need as a business to post information about our products without leaving ourselves open to abuse: the “Share on Facebook” bookmarklet.

With the bookmarklet, you can post a link on your Facebook profile from any page you are currently viewing. The bookmarklet then pulls all the images from the page, allowing you to select an image to post with your link…or if you prefer, no image at all.

Using the bookmarklet in conjuction with Etsy product pages (that contain the thumbnail photos) or your own pages with scaled down images, you can control how much you expose yourself to the Facebook ToS. If you look at my Facebook profile, you can see that I’ve put the bookmarklet’s “post a link” feature to use several times already, purposefully using the lower resolution images in my link posts.

Where do you get this fantastic bookmarklet? You can find it on your posted items page on Facebook. In the right hand column, you’ll see the information box for Share on Facebook.

So, lesson learned: Make sure you read the Facebook Terms of Service or any terms of service for social networking sites you frequent. Better to take the time and read, than to not read and get burned later.

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tags: etsy blogger's, miscellany

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Off to Radiology... · 07/08/2008

I suppose a small update is in order on my pregnancy options…

Last we left off, I was waiting for the okay to get busy with my husband. ;) Basically, I’ve had to wait until one full cycle before they could run a tube xray on me and let me know if we could attempt to get pregnant again. The exam day has finally come and it is today.

So, if I fall off the grid for a few days, don’t be concerned. I’m probably just recovering. :)

See you on the other side…

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Revisiting Jewelry Photos · 07/05/2008

It would be a perfect world if everything always turned out right the first time, but of course, it’s not! For the jewelry business, that means that I don’t always take photos with the right settings the first time around. So there will always be a few reshoots here and there. For example, here is a “before” and “after” of my Prehnite Cluster necklace I just reshot:

I’m definitely liking the colors in the “after” shots much better.

Sometimes I even pull out older pieces and then get this desire to redo or embellish them even more. This is one of those pieces that brings out that feeling in me.

Anyone else ever feel the same? If you have and you’ve redone a piece, I’d love to see before and after pictures. I think it would be interesting to compare…

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Happy 4th of July! · 07/04/2008

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July.

“American Sunset” by GR58

“air force security forces” by Defensor Fortis

“the american” by Exodus Photography

“Raising the 2nd flag on Mount Suribachi” by Steiner62

“On the waterfront” by carpe icthus

“Have a safe July 4th!” by Exodus Photography

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