APPLESandRUBIES: Loretta Fontaine's Blog

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T16:57:00.000-08:00


{source}

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm a romantic, and can't help but love a holiday filled with handmade cards, kisses and love.

How did you celebrate the day?

Loretta

p.s. I added 2 1/2 hours to my Valentine's giveaway - so still time to enter!

Valentine's Giveaway Tomorrow!

2012-02-13T10:56:00.000-08:00


{win this!}

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Plan something sweet for the sweet ones in your life and remember to enter my jewelry and chocolates giveaway here!

Loretta

Valentine's Day Earring and Chocolate Giveaway!

2012-02-06T02:38:00.000-08:00

Let's do a sweet giveaway! The winner will be chosen on Valentine's Day, and receive this pair of Loretta Fontaine Jewelry freshwater pearl earrings on handmade sterling silver wires.

...and a box of chocolate from Krause's Handmade Candy! (This is our BEST local chocolate!)

To enter, be a follower of this blog and leave a comment below. For a second and third chance, post this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter, and leave a comment below, as well!

Winner will be chosen by randomnumber.com at 10:30pm EST February 14.

Loretta

Red Rose Earrings For Valentine's Day

2012-02-01T06:31:00.000-08:00


{Loretta Fontaine Jewelry sterling silver Theresa earrings with Crimson Rose}

February 1! Valentine's Day is around the corner...

I'm getting an order of jewelry ready for one of my favorite galleries - Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Oregon. What do you think of these earrings for Valentine's Day? They are one of my favorites!

Loretta

Matching Aluminium Cladding For An Exterior Paint Color

2012-01-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

{best match}

Did you ever notice how the white aluminum cladding on windows (here's my Pella Architect Series windows for my new windowseat) has a blue-green cast?

I decided not to fight it but embrace it - hence my new exterior paint color "Angel Touch"

I can't stand the name, but the color of the whole exterior should look uniform - and I DO like the color! It's white with a hint of aqua to it!

...photos of the finished exterior coming soon!

Loretta

Paint Colors and A Gorgeous Ceiling Fan...

2012-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

{my drawing}

Finally, I'm at the fun stage of picking some paints for the windowseat addition.

Here's what I've picked - Benjamin Moore "Yarmouth Blue HC-150" for the walls, "Atrium White" for the trim and "Wrought Iron 2124-10" for the windows. (I'll use a 50% strength Atrium White for the ceiling... don't want the ceilings to appear chalky... thanks Maria!)

...and in the living room a new ceiling fan "Elle" by Craftmade in polished nickel w/ 60" walnut blades and seeded white cotton shades. Six fan speeds, and five lights in the uplight and three in the downlight. Isn't she beautiful?

Loretta

Goodbye, Dave Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs, Improvements and Remodeling ...

2012-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

{a pile of "poop" on my framing}

What more can I say? It never worked out with contractor Dave Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs, Improvements and Remodeling, and the fact that one of his employees drew a pile of "poop" on our framing reminds me of that every day! We've hired a new contractor (Mike Brown) to finish the work on our windowseat addition last month. If you remember, this project started way back in October 2010, when we tore down our existing fireplace.

The good news - a NEW year, a NEW contractor (who we love - what a difference!) and the fact that there's Angie's List. So I'm working on drafts of my Angie's List reports and will share them with you:

JOB #1: Dave Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs, Improvements and Remodeling of Delmar, New York was hired to fix a roof valley leak and to add a one foot roof overhang over a kitchen window.

When the roof repair was done, I went outside when it was raining and could not believe it when I saw water dripping on my hand under the new soffit. There was a hole in the new roof valley that you could literally see daylight through! On a new roof!

Dave said the guy who did the roof repair was a new hire. He said they would repair the hole. I asked him if we would be charged any extra, and he said no. The final bill did have additional charges for materials - he should have told us in advance if there were additional charges for materials.

We signed a contract in September 2010 for this work to be done in October 2010. Dave Palmer was never able to do the job as scheduled, and then it got too cold outside and had to wait until next Spring. This job was finally finished seven months later in May 2011.

We paid David Palmer in full for this job before the gutter was put back on. Without the gutter, water from the roof flowed into and flooded the crawl space under the kitchen. Dave wanted to postpone the gutter work. We told him we needed the gutter work done immediately, it was part of the job. It took a few calls to finally get him to send an employee over to put on the gutter. Dave was very hard to communicate with.

JOB #2: We hired David Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs, Improvements and Remodeling of Delmar, New York to remove an steep staircase from our existing deck, and build a new, wider staircase to the side of the deck. A new 3 ft by 3 ft portion was also added to the existing deck.

We were very unhappy with Dave. The project was suppose to start in October 2010, but never started and then it got too cold and had to wait until next Spring. In March 2011 when the weather was warm enough we were emailed a new time frame for the deck stairs of April 25-26, 2011 by Dave's employee Peter. Then we kept getting more and more delays. The project was finally completed in July 2011 - 9 months late.

Dave had oral surgery with complications during this project and communication was very, very difficult. When we reviewed the preliminary contract and drawings in September, we told Dave we wanted a beam under the deck modified so we could walk under the deck, which he noted in the signed contract.

When the deck was to be built in June, Dave Palmer showed up with a new drawing showing the existing deck at 11'-11" wide when it was actually 10'-7" wide, (when he first measured our deck in October 2010, he measured it wrong, so he had this wrong measurement on a "layer" on his CAD drawing...) Because of the extra deck width and the wrong ground slope, there were fourteen steps shown in Dave's new construction drawing, and we only needed ten. When I complained that his construction drawing wasn't accurate, Dave told me that that's what I could "expect from $500 contractor drawings, these were not $5000 architecture drawings." Dave claimed he didn't need accurate drawings anyway, everything was worked out in the field, doing field verifications.

Two employees, Matt and Zach, were left to build the new deck stairway with no accurate drawings while Dave recovered from surgery. They did the best they could, but at one point built a railing that was not parallel to the stairs - it dipped from 34 " above the stairs to 23" above the stairs, which did not meet code. Then there was a big discussion over what the height of the railing over deck stairs should be.

Dave Palmer showed up later and had Matt and Zack rebuild much of the work they already did. Even then, I found out months later, in October 2011, that the new stairway did not pass code. The town failed the stairs because of the open risers. I wanted the stairs to match the existing stairs on the existing deck, but if I had known that risers can't be open (the town inspector told me this code began in 2002) I would not asked that the deck stairs match what was existing.

Dave's "solution" to this problem was that I'd pay him extra for the extra materials and he'd have his employees add on solid risers of 1 1/2" thick pressure treated lumber. He said they could be put permanently, or just "tacked on" and I could remove after the town's inspection. The problem is that the new lumber would make the stairs boxy, and take away the 1" nosing.

This upcoming Spring I will hire another contractor to complete this work so my deck stairs have closed risers and will pass code. The stairs will need to be completely rebuilt so that there is a 1" nose on the steps.

JOB #3: Dave Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs and Improvements of Delmar, New York was hired to remove an existing fireplace chase and use the joists that supported it to build a new windowseat with four windows and a gabled roof above. We did the demolition of the interior fireplace ourselves.

David Palmer was horrible to deal with and we eventually hired a new contractor to finish this job.

A contract was signed on September 2010, and work was suppose to start on October 15, 2010. We removed the interior fireplace ourselves on October 10, 2010 to start the project. This turned out to be a big problem as it left a hole in our house and turned out and Dave could not start the project when he promised. As days went on and the temperature dropped, we started getting very cold inside our house.

We kept getting more and more delays, and were told in an November 2, 2010 email that "You are the next job I will start, I just need to finish the one I am on." Communication with Dave was very bad. By December 2010 we had to board up the fireplace opening with plywood and canned spray foam to keep the cold air out of our house.

In Spring of 2011 it was warm enough to work, but we kept getting more delays. In March we were emailed a new work schedule by Dave's employee Peter that construction for the windowseat addition would start May 2 and end May 10, 2011. We kept getting more and more delays. Dave finally finished the exterior of the windowseat on December 2011 - fourteen months late.

Dave Palmer had two back surgeries during this project. We did not find out this through him, but through his employees. Communication was difficult. We were not happy with the way the addition was framed. We expected straight construction, but Dave framed the addition askew, because he said the existing building was crooked. I would expect a new addition to be built straight and plumb. The rough openings for the side windows were built 1/2" too wide.

The new Pella windows were installed without sill and pan flashing. We asked that the windows be removed, sill and pan flashing added as per Pella's installation manual, and the windows be put back in. The two side windows are very, very crooked in the openings because of the skew of the walls making them hard to open.

We met with Dave on October 23, 2011 at our house and told him we were unhappy with him and the delays in the project and didn't want him to finish the project. It was an awkward meeting and I was very upset. We told him to finish the exterior, and we would hire others to finish the interior drywall, ductwork and electrical.

Right now a new contractor is finishing the project and the new contractor is a pleasure to work with.

We would never hire Dave Palmer of Bethlehem Home Repairs, Improvements and Remodeling again.

Loretta's Top Ten APPLESandRUBIES Posts of 2011

2012-01-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

Looking back at 2011, here's my favorite TOP TEN APPLESandRUBIES posts:
(click on the links to view the posts)

#1 January 2011: APPLESandRUBIES Pure Style Home Inspired Lunch post. Creating a winter tablescape based the color palette of Lauren Liess's star turn article in Better Homes and Gardens. Thanks for the inspiration, Lauren! (and it gave me the kick in the butt to finally hang curtains in my dining room!)

#2 April 2011: APPLESandRUBIES Wishes For Charlie post. How could I forget this beautiful and moving interview I did with fellow blogger Sarah Greenman of La Maison Boheme about her son's upcoming surgery? This charming boy is doing so well now! See an update on Charlie here.

#3 January 2011: APPLESandRUBIES Dreams and Dragonflies post. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry, based on Loretta Fontaine Jewelry's sterling silver Maria necklace. I enjoyed researching, sketching and painting the delicate dragonfly for this custom piece.

#4 May 2011: APPLESandRUBIES A Letter To Vern Yip post. What a pleasure to get together and have a GREAT design consultation on my home from HGTV's iconic interior designer Vern Yip.

Stacey, I'm still waiting for those photos of Vern and I... I know you took, like, a hundred photos!!!

#5 June 2011: APPLESandRUBIES "A Beautiful Windowseat" Post - This was the MOST POPULAR post of the year. (Seven months later it still gets dozens of hits a month... Unbelievable!!!) A tale of how I envisoned my dream windowseat, and the random Google search that lead me to Lauren Liess's blog Pure Style Home.

#6 June 2011: APPLESandRUBIES A Little Custom Can Make All The Difference post. One of my favorite things - customizing my jewelry to perfectly fit the client! This is the Loretta Fontaine Jewelry sterling silver "Theresa" necklace with the miniature original photograph "Reaching Boxwood."

#7 August 2011: APPLESandRUBIES Labeling: My Dad and A Sharpie post. Dad, I love you and you crack me up, always!

#8 September 2011: APPLESandRUBIES More Paper Model and Demo is Done! post If you've followed my blog this year you'll see the slow progress of my windowseat construction as the year went on. Making this paper model was a blast. (You can see the latest windowseat update here.)

#9 September 2011: APPLESandRUBIES Our Backyard Flooded From Irene post. Yes, this is our backyard creek. Looking more like a small pond. What a storm!

#10 APPLESandRUBIES Best and Brightest For Nate post. Yes, I picked the outfit on the left, and yes, I will post soon on the trip to NYC to see the show taped. And yes, I am so SAD The Nate Berkus Show was not picked up for next season!

What a fun trip down memory lane to make this list. I put my top ten list in chronological order, because, honestly, I could not rank my favorites within this bunch.

Happy 2012!
Loretta

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

{yea!}

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

There is nothing like a New Year and a fresh start to feel invigorated. What about you?

This past November I had a bicycle accident and lost a day's worth of memory. I was found unconcious by the side of the road the day after Thanksgiving!

It was a time to rest up and heal (separated shoulder and concussion) and let others take care of me for a while. And then after a week I was thrown back in the world from that cozy caring cocoon and had to dig deep and remember all the schedules of daily life.

I remember that first week as being quite nice. Imagine resting in bed and requesting bowls of ice cream!

The second week - not so nice. My brain was still trying to get in gear and there were so many things to remember. I had an appointment with a neurologist and got lost trying to find the office. How could I miss the two street signs? I ended up getting stuck in traffic and getting there so late the appointment needed to be cancelled. Was is just bad luck? Or was my brain out of whack? We went to get a Christmas tree - normally a joyful time - but I just felt down.

During those times I tried to give myself some slack even though I felt bad. I needed time to recover and had to expect some ups and downs. I have a new appreciation for anyone with a head injury, big or small, temporary or permanent.

Today, I feel fantastic with just a bit of soreness in my shoulder. I feel so GRATEFUL and have a new happiness to tackle 2012 with joy, excitement and a big dose of patience and love.

I have big plans for 2012 - I'm writing them down this week and will share them later...

What are your 2012 plans?

Loretta

Construction Update - My Windows Are In!

2011-12-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

{progress!}

Big construction update - my windows for my future windowseat are in! What do you think? Still a construction zone here, but the wreathes cheer things up a bit. I am so happy with how the new windows look.

The addition and ceiling are getting ready for wiring and insulation. See the new wiring to the top of the photo? A gorgeous new Craftmade ceiling fan will be going in to replace the two old "eyeball" lights that were originally in the living room.

We've decided to do a big whole-house insulation project at the same time we insulate this little addition - that's why you see all the old fiberglass insulation pulled out of our living room ceiling! Icynene Spray Foam is coming soon...

{how to light this little space?}

Here's a shot looking up in the window seat space. It will have a vaulted ceiling. I'm still trying to decide what type of lighting to do up here. Any thoughts?

Happy Holidays!
Loretta

Merry Christmas - Back From My Blogging Break!

2011-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

{Evie, Son H and Rosie}

Merry Christmas!

Thanks you to everyone who sent well wishes after my bicycle accident the day after Thanksgiving. I'm 99% recovered, just some soreness in my left shoulder.

I took a nice blogging break - it was too tough to blog and catch up on the holiday whirlwind and house construction. I was only trying to get things done that absolutely needed to get done. Let's just say I'll send out New Year's Cards instead of Christmas Cards this year. Ha ha!

Enjoy this wonderful day with your family and friends and feel thankful. I know I will!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Loretta

An Accident and A Good Book...

2011-12-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful, unforgettable Thanksgiving with family and friends.

My Thanksgiving was, um, partially forgettable!

The day after Thanksgiving I supposedly took my brother-in-laws bike for a spin and ended up knocked out on the side of the road with a concussion. This happened at 2:00 in the afternoon, I spend 5 hours in the hospital with memory wiped out for most of what happened that entire day. I don't even remember riding the bike!

So thank goodness for the bike helmet, and for recovering over a nice holiday break hanging out with lots of cousins, nieces and nephews. I'm feeling much better and am nursing a separated shoulder, but expect to be in full swing, soon.

On my R&R list - finally sitting down to read through the pages of Brooke Gianetti and Steve Giannetti's new fabulous book Patina Style. Now that's nice! Have you read it, what do you think?

Loretta

p.s. Sadly, no fabulous out-of-body story, or enlightenment. (Just remembered vaguely eating a fruit cup in the hospital!) But nice to regroup and be really thankful for all those things we take for granted!

Pics From My Holiday Delmar Open Studios

2011-11-20T05:46:00.001-08:00

{Loretta Fontaine Jewelry sterling silver Triple Maria necklace with natural turquoise place on a Liz Vigoda Pottery plate}

I've just posted some photos from Holiday Delmar Open Studios on the blog my friend Liz Vigoda and I write together: http://delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com/2011/11/sale-this-weekend.html

We had a great day yesterday, and look forward to a great time today as well. Stop by if you are in our area - we are open from 10am - 5pm. More info: Holiday Delmar Open Studios

Loretta

New Jewelry!

2011-11-18T11:23:00.001-08:00

{sterling silver Loretta Fontaine Jewelry Mabel necklace with Plum Ballet Flower and natural turquoise}

I've posted some new work I'll be showing at Holiday Delmar Open Studios this weekend on the blog Liz Vigoda and I write for the sale.

See more of my jewelry at this post: http://delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-jewelry.html

(One of the pieces I posted is a custom ring I made with a photograph of a client's adorable dog. Please take a look!)

Loretta

Interview Printed: "A Trip To A Bad Part of Buffalo..."

2011-11-17T12:25:00.001-08:00

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I was interviewed last weekend along with my potter friend Liz Vigoda for an article about Holiday Delmar Open Studios for the local newspaper, The Spotlight. Take a read of the first paragraph of the article published yesterday. Too funny!

The interviewer, Jackie Domin, was so nice. It's always interesting what questions you'll be asked - and what story comes out in print!

{Love the local news - my jewelry and construction news on the same page!}

It was so great that the Spotlight featured us. If I were more organized, I would have sent out a press release for our sale - but I didn't, so I forgot to ask Jackie how she found out about us!

{Photo of my friend, Liz. Where is my photo? I must not be as good looking!}

Here's the full article - "From Architect To Artist." I'll try and see if it's published online and post a link, if not I'll write a post later on the ending to that "bad part of town" Buffalo story.

Thank you, Jackie!

If you are in the Albany, New York area here's more info on the sale: Holiday Delmar Open Studios.

Loretta

Holiday Delmar Open Studios Next Weekend

2011-11-12T13:07:00.001-08:00

Next Saturday and Sunday I'll be here:

{Liz and I - photo taken at the sale last year}

at this adorable blue house with my friend Liz Vigoda for the 3rd Annual Holiday Delmar Open Studios.

This is her home/pottery studio. Liz also teaches adult and children's classes here, my girls Evie and Rosie have taken her "clay camp" and absolutely loved it!

I've posted a few pieces of Liz's work earlier, here's another:

{Liz Vigoda vase}

Liz is SO talented! I can't wait to see what she brings next week. I'll try and post some photos of the jewelry I'll bring to the show in the next few days...

Holiday Delmar Open Studios
November 19 & 20, 2011
10am - 5pm
Liz Vigoda's home/studio at 9 Keith Road, Delmar, N.Y. 12054 (15 minutes south of Albany, N.Y.)
(518) 439-4457
website: www.delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com
Facebook page for event: www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=223424381057027

"See the latest handcrafted pottery of Liz Vigoda and artisinal jewelry of Loretta Fontaine at Liz Vigoda's home/studio in Delmar. New work will be debuted and special sales held. Drinks and snacks served. Wonderful shopping, please bring a friend!"

Loretta

Lauren Liess Textiles Launch

2011-11-10T20:21:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy to see the talented Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home launch her new textile line!

{so pretty! Wouldn't one make a great pillow for my new windowseat?}

{Lauren and her Queen Anne's Lace print}

So many beautiful fabrics, it hard to pick a favorite! (Hard pressed, I'll have to say Happikat - a "happy ikat" takes the cake). The evocative photography for the line (love it) was done by Helen Norman.

Learn more about the textiles (and a great giveaway) here.

Loretta

More Construction Pics...

2011-11-10T07:51:00.001-08:00

Getting closer to being finished!

{new windowseat - the silver on the outside is foam insulation}

{messy - and muddy, too!}

{Husband and Rosie on the deck}

Progress is being made, remember when it was a big hole in the wall?

I'm keeping my eye on the prize:

{my exterior elevation sketch}

Soon I will get this, right?

Loretta

Holiday Delmar Open Studios Postcard I Designed...

2011-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here's the postcard I designed for the upcoming (in ten days!) Delmar Holiday Open Studios. Liz Vigoda designed that adorable red bird-in-a-tree design, and I drew the written logo (once again based on an Esher Font, like my blog header title!)

My talented brother Dave has been teaching me his Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop skills over the years, so I used those two programs to put the card together:

{postcard front}

{postcard back}

What do you think of the postcard?

More on our sale here: www.delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com

We also set up a Facebook page for the event:
www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=223424381057027t:

Loretta

Look At Liz Vigoda's Pottery!

2011-11-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

{Liz's hands}

My good friend and neighbor Liz Vigoda and I are planning our Holiday Delmar Open Studios sale this month - November 19 & 20. I'll be showing my jewelry, and Liz will be showing her amazing pottery. I'd love to share a few images of her work with you...

{gorgeous!}

Her work is so lyrical - and each piece is one of a kind.

We'll be using an image of this lovely vase for the postcard to advertise the sale - don't you just love it! The chickadee in flight is complements the shape of the piece so beautifully. I hope you'll be as big a fan of Liz Vigoda's work as I am! Every year I add a piece to my collection.

For more info on our sale (it's near Albany, New York) visit the blog we are writing: www.delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com, or visit the sale's Facebook page here.

You can find out more about my friend Liz on her website: www.lizvigoda.com

Loretta

Holiday Crafts On Madison This Weekend

2011-11-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'll be exhibiting my jewelry at this show in Albany, New York this upcoming Friday and Saturday. Last year I volunteered to organize this show, read about that here, but this year I've passed that torch to someone else!

The Facebook page for the show is here.

I still volunteer to write the show's blog! http://www.holidaycraftsonmadison.blogspot.com/

If you are in Albany, please stop in to this beautiful show and say hello!

Here's one of the pieces I'll be bringing:

{Theresa necklace in sterling silver with White Tulip and freshwater pearls}

Loretta

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

{Evie and Son H}

{Rosie looking just like her pumpkin}

{ready for trick or treating}

Can you guess Son H's costume?

My daughter Evie and he came up with it with stuff dug out of the costume bin, and she made the light saber pouch attached to the belt. (Hint! It's a purple light saber)

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Loretta

New Construction Pics

2011-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted much this month...

You all know why!

{guys working in the background}

So I'll just do a quick post here with some more pictures. How crazy has it been here? See Son H in his special apple hat?

Yes, I missed his Kindergarten Apple Celebration... Sigh... He doesn't seem too upset about it!

Loretta

Why I've Been Stressed Lately...

2011-10-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

{wide open!}

Nothing like a big hole in your house to make you a bit stressed out!

The windowseat project is marching along...

Loretta

p.s. So much fun to escape the dust last Tuesday to catch a taping of The Nate Show in NYC! I'll post some pictures, soon...

Best and Brightest For Nate

2011-10-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

{which would Mr. Berkus like the best?}

I have tickets to see The Nate Show in New York City soon! I'll be going with good friends S and A and we need to arrive wearing our "best and brightest."

So excited! I've never seen a television show taped before - and I'm sure after this I'll appreciate what goes into these shows a lot more. And I can't WAIT to see Nate Berkus!

What outfit would you pick? Friend S is coming over soon to help me decide...

Loretta

Picking Pumpkins Way Too Early

2011-10-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

{Rosie}

We buy our Christmas tree early and our pumpkins, too. A good chance these will rot out by Halloween, but like the needle-dropping tree, worth it to squeeze in as much fun as possible.

{Evie took the longest to find hers}

We spend last Sunday visiting my Great-Grandma H. She's ninety-nine and in a nursing home, and the home was close to this pumpkin patch we stopped at on the way home.

When I was a kid Great-Grandma H lived on a lonely road called Laura Lane where few trick-or-treaters ventured and she gave out full size candy bars.

{I told Son H any pumpkin he wanted - as long as he could carry it!}

The full-size-candy-bars-houses were stuff of legend in my childhood neighborhood. But my kids have it better. A house on our block? KING SIZED candy bars! (He's a candy distributer!)

Happy October!

Loretta

More Paper Model - and Demo Is Done!

2011-09-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

{done!}

Here's my paper model completed with it's roof on! This shows the new windowseat and the larger roof overhang and a 18" roof extension over the deck. (The construction drawings done a year ago had shallower overhangs.) This past Spring a friend told me I needed heftier overhangs if I really wanted to change the style of my 70's "modern" house to something more traditional, and I have to agree. See the shallower roof overhand here.

Another project is on this paper model, too. Wouldn't this new french door and circular window look great to replace the existing ho-hum sliding patio door? I think so, and maybe it can be done in a year or two. Always dreaming! My budget calls for renovating in stages.

The demolition of the old fireplace chase is done and work building the windowseat should start this week, weather permitting. Here you can see the old steep staircase removed and the ladder up the chase...

{an octopus revealed!}

Always surprises during demo. I never knew the old fireplace had all these vents attached to it! We have four vents in the house that I though were HVAC, but were really a forced air complex heating system with this old fireplace we never used! Weird, and looks like an octopus!

Fianlly, all torn down and ready for the new construction. I am SO excited!

Loretta

Making A Paper Model of the Windowseat

2011-09-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

{working it out}

Today I made a paper model of the windowseat addition we're building so I could take a better look at how the rooflines will work. (I'm thinking I want a larger overhang then what's shown on the construction drawings.)

If you can remember from this post back in October 2010, this project was suppose to be completed almost one year ago! It should start this week. Everyone I know tells me contractors are always delayed.

Have you had a contractor complete a project on schedule?

Loretta

p.s. Thanks all for voting on their favorite of my three master plans. The winner (and my favorite, too!) - plan #1!

A Recycled Project - "Pop Can Trio"

2011-09-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

"Pop Can Trio" - recycled aluminum cans, waxed cotton

I'm starting a "deep clean" of my studio and came across these aluminum "vessels" I made a while back. If you're in a book store you can pick up a copy of the book "500 Metal Vessels" and find them published on page 154.

{the book you can find them in!}

I named my little group "Pop Can Trio" because at the time I was living in a house near kid's baseball fields. I'd pass them twice a week on my walks to the post office and became obsessed (as in digging in the trash cans!) with picking up and redeeming all the soda cans always lying around.

When a call for entries for this book came out, I just had to use soda cans!

I saved my favorite cans for this little project (the tallest "vessel" is only 5 inches high!). The one complex shape is based on a project for a structural column I did in Architecture School with my friend Christine. She's still a good friend!

I hope you enjoyed this little creative project dug out of my past. I'm having fun going through lots of stuff.

Loretta

p.s. Funny reading that word "Pop"! When I was in school in Buffalo, New York that's what soda was called, and I also thought the vessels looked a bit like Pop Art.

A Before Irene and After Irene

2011-09-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

I finally found the battery charger for my camera, so now I can take a good picture of what our creek normally looks like.

{our backyard!}

So, here it was during Tropical Storm Irene.

..and here it is normally! You can see the water in the creek is still a little muddy.

The mosquitos have been fierce here after all this rain. Even in the middle of a sunny day a little swarm attacks you!

Loretta

Kindergarten!

2011-09-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

{getting on the bus!}

Big Day here- my youngest, Son H is off to Kindergarten! That smile is for real - he's so happy to step out on his own. This independent one has never had one bit of separation anxiety!

Me? From 9:00am to 3:00pm my day is now free. I have the time now to pursue things I haven't had time for in the last 11 years I've been raising my little munchkins. It does feel like a new leaf turned. I plan on doing a lot more designing, a lot more connecting with friends and peers, and a lot more daydreaming...

Loretta

Hang On Summer - Kayce Hughes Sale

2011-09-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

It's raining today, Labor Day is past and Fall is just around the corner. A few red leaves have even hit our driveway.

But if you want to catch a bit more Summer, head to KayceHughes.com and stock up during her latest Sale.

{Sleeveless Nantucket Dress in White Twill with Red}

The clothes Kayce designs are modern with vintage flair. A smart cropped cardigan could carry this dress into Fall. (I'll take the wallpaper, as well!)

{Sleeveless Party Top with Blue and White Flower Bouquet}

Kayce's Bears and Pears children's clothes are adorable. (She has seven children, so she's quite child-savvy - read her story in this online Summer 2011 issue of House of Fifty.)

{Vintage Knit Sun Set - Pink and White Stripe with Green Scotty}

..and Summer baby clothes as on sale as well! So sweet! Here's hoping for a bit of Indian Summer for everyone this month.

Loretta

(This is not a sponsored post - I just admire these clothes and am so happy to share them with you!)

Our Backyard Flooded From Irene

2011-09-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

{not so charming}

I think everyone in New Jersey, New York and Vermont is rethinking why they bought a property adjacent to a "charming" creek after Irene. Here's a photo of our backyard during the storm. It looked like a small pond, with a fast flowing stream running through it.

{The Dowerskill Creek on a better day}

I can't find my camera's battery charger to charge the battery and take a picture of the creek at normal levels, but here's an earlier winter photo.

What was scary about this storm was we had about 5" of rain, but what would happen if we got 11" like Vermont, or 13" like the Catskills? Would my cute little creek breech the culvert under the road downstream and have to flow over the road? Then I hate to imagine how much water would fill our lower level.

Loretta

p.s. We had a little water flowing in our basement, not from the creek, but seeping in from the ground. The dehumidifiers are still going before I clean it out.

Waiting Out Irene

2011-08-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

{lunch today}

Husband and I just got back from a three-day getaway in Vermont to celebrate our fifteen wedding anniversary. We had the most marvelous time! Husband's parents graciously took the kids, and right now I'm waiting while he picks them up. I've made a quick meal of what we brought home from Vermont - blueberries, bread, goat cheese, veggies... We ate lunch like this the whole trip - just stopping at roadside stands and general stores and grabbing what looked tasty.

{paying by the honor system, roadside in Putney, Vermont}

Hurricane Irene's heading our way and we'll feel the effects tonight. How lucky we were to have good weather for our anniversary trip! In the Albany, N.Y. area we are on a Tropical Storm warning, and don't expect to get hit as hard as the areas to our south and east. I'm thinking of of those who are in a more dangerous path of this storm and my thoughts go out for a safe weekend to all.

Loretta

Polishing Jewelry Earwires

2011-08-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

I thought you'd like to see a bit of the process of making jewelry - the little spheres, ovals and pins in my hand are stainless steel shot.

The "shot" is used to polish metal. Add the shot and a few drops detergent to a tumbler along with the metal to be polished. Here I'm polishing some sterling silver earwires I made!

Loretta

Labeling - My Dad and A Sharpie

2011-08-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Our Adirondack camping vacation is a big family affair. Here's some more photos from our trip this summer. Take a look at my parent's gear - and what happens when my Dad meets a black Sharpie marker:

{boat warning}

{how many teaspoons of hot chocolate mix?}

{supplies}

{camp stove warning}

{hammock warning}

My grandmother H put up with her husband and his black marker. Now it's my Mom's turn. Do you think this is hereditary? One day I may wake up and "label" everything!

Loretta

Adirondack Vacation Pics

2011-08-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

{beautiful site - Floating Battery island}

{the water is SO clear!}

{bliss}

{plug your nose!}

{breakfast!}

{guests on the dock}

{morning sunrise}

{after 12 days, packing up to head home}

Hope you enjoyed our Lake George vacation pictures! Where did you go this summer?

Loretta

The BEST Places To Buy Kid's Fall Clothes!

2011-08-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

{starting Kindergarten this September!}

Here's Son H in his new outfits. New-to-me, that is. These clothes were bought second-hand. Wasn't he sweet to pose for me? I did have to bribe him with chocolate chips!

I buy (and sell!) a lot of clothing at the Pass-It-On Children's Consignment Sale in Albany, New York. Kids grow so fast, you can get amazing deals on "gently used" clothes that have lots of wear left in them. Two dollar size 5 boys Tommy Hilfiger jeans, anyone? The sale is going on now and ends this Saturday.

Find a kid's consignment sale near you with this cool website.

Loretta

Back From An Adirondack Vacation & Autoposting!

2011-08-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

{we got to the site in my Dad's boat}

We just came back from a twelve day Adirondack family camping trip on Floating Battery Island in Lake George, New York. It's the most pristine place, and our site was in the shadows of Black Mountain, the highest peak on the lake. The last two weeks I've been using Blogger's Post Date "Scheduled At" feature so no one would know I was gone!

{Husband and Son H, paddling away}

I'm always worried for bloggers who write posts while on vacation.

ONE - you're letting strangers know you are out of town (see Traci Zeller's post on blogging safely and preventing home invasions!), and

TWO - don't you want to enjoy your vacation time and get away from the computer for once?

{view from the dock - lovely hues}

To autopost, I just wrote up two weeks of posts before I left, and had them scheduled to run while I was away. And get away we did - we went with my parents and lots of family came up. What a wonderful time! I'll post more pics later.

I'm really inspired to do an inspiration board for my living room from all the colors captured in the water, sky and mountains. Aren't the shades divine?

Loretta

Buy It At Habitat For Humanity Restore

2011-08-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

{goodbye bookcase!}

Cleaning out some old stuff, and donating this bookcase to the Albany, N.Y. Habitat For Humanity Restore.

{thank you, guys!}

It's SO easy to donate - call ahead and they will come and pick up your furniture!

Do you want it? Solid maple, excellent condition and your money will benefit local Habitat For Humanity projects. Find the Albany Habitat For Humanity ReStore at 454 North Pearl Street!

Loretta

Summer Earrings

2011-08-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

{Loretta Fontaine Jewelry custom reversible sterling silver Maria earrings w/ blue Forget-me-Nots and tourmalines}

Summer is here and I love these summery earrings from my line. What would you wear them with?

Loretta

Finished Deck Stairs! Yea!

2011-08-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

The new deck stairs are done! The are replacing the old narrow stairs to the left.

{master plan}

Those old stairs will be removed to make way for the new windowseat!

These new stairs are much safer, if you slip (which husband did on the old stairs last winter with a load of firewood) you'll only fall seven steps!

{5'-4" wide}

I love that there is room for a person to be sitting on the stairs when someone walks up them.

What do you think?

Loretta

Construction Supervision

2011-07-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

{watching}

Son H is really enjoying the construction. His job is to get the workers ice cream, water and ice, and candy bars. He's a well-liked supervisor!

{the matching shirts are just a coincidence!}

Progress is being made!

Loretta

Construction Started!

2011-07-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

{footings poured for new deck stairs}

Our windowseat construction project was suppose to start last October, and it's finally starting now!

{the stairs will have two big platforms}

New stairs are being built off the side of our deck. They are really wide at 5'-4", wide enough for a two people to walk up comfortably...

Here's it shaping up! More updates coming soon...

Loretta

A Visit To Mimosa Gallery, Saratoga Springs

2011-07-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

{Mimosa Gallery on 70C Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs, New York}

It's a treat when I get to visit a gallery that carries my work! Mimosa Gallery in Saratoga Springs, New York is less than an hour drive from Albany. It's off the beaten path on the charming arts district on Beekman Street.

{perfect summer bag!}

Mimosa's talented owner Michelle LaLonde is a well-known handbag designer. She was out of town that day, and here's artist Susan Burden holding one of Michelle's sophisticated bags. You can see more of Michelle's work on her website: www.michellelalondeaccessories.com

Mimosa Gallery has two large rooms, one is for jewelry, handbags, homewares and gifts. The motto is "art for home and wear" So many local artists are represented.

The other room is a spacious gallery space with rotating shows. If you're in town for the Saratoga racing season (which opened in scorching heat this past weekend!) take the time to visit Beekman Street and Mimosa Gallery!

Loretta

A Little Treat To Unwrap

2011-07-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

{finished pieces, inventory sheet, notecard and a little something chocolate...}

Yesterday I drove up to Saratoga Springs, New York to deliver some jewelry to the amazing Mimosa Gallery on Beekman Street.

I remember at a business conference a presenter told how he always added a hard candy to his orders to give the person who had to unpack and enter inventory a little treat. Hard candy never would do it for me personally, so I've been adding a piece of chocolate to my orders ever since!

I took a lot of charming pictures of Mimosa Gallery (the owner is a well known handbag designer!) and the shops in the Beekman Street Arts District of Saratoga and will share them with you later this week!

Loretta

Navy and White: Traditional Chinese Indigo Fabrics

2011-07-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

My brother J and sister-in-law C are building a fabulous new home. She's thinking navy and white fabrics might be a great way to pull together the open floor plan of the new place and go mix with the furniture she already owns. She also loves ethnic fabrics as she's lived - among other places - in Turkey and Japan!

When we got together at my parent's house, I remembered about a decade ago I bought some traditional Chinese indigo fabric for my Mom at the Lyndhurst Craft Show where I had a jewelry booth. I took with a quick look down in my parent's basement, and actually found the fabric! I admit I am growing more and more fond of navy and white. Isn't this fabric fantastic?

{hand stenciled}

I bought it from a woman named Shengzhu. The textiles are from her "TC Collection" and I was able to still find her website. It's made in the traditional way with pure cotton cloth, lime, sticky rice and soya using hand-cut stencils. It's dyed with the indigo carmine extracted from the blue grass (DAQING or BANLAN).

I am so impressed by the handmade quality and care that went into this fabric. Navy and White is such a classic pairing. Isn't this little flower print lovely?

{love the birds!}

Are you a Navy and White fan? What would you make with this fabric?

Loretta

July Fun - Picking Fruit at Samascotts

2011-07-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

{Happy Birthday Dad!}

Here's the promised pictures of our 4th of July visit to Samascott Farms in Kinderhook, New York. It was my Dad's birthday and we had a blast!

{yum}

We did blueberries first, before the heat of the day set in...

{Evie and Son H, my good pickers}

It was a big field of bushes, but watch out for the groundhog holes!

{sour cherries}

Next we went into the shade of the cherry trees and threw down a blanket for a picnic lunch. After sandwiches and tart lemonade we filled our containers with sweet cherries and sour cherries...

{Son H, Rosie and Evie among the branches}

The sweet cherries had a lot of rot, so you had to climb to find the good ones.

{kids on the car}

My Dad told how his father used to pull their beat-up cars under the trees when he was a kid to pick the fruit, so my husband backed up the minivan...

{summertime!}

Too much fun! See the dessert we made the next day here.
Do you have a favorite picking place?

Loretta

Happy 4th of July! ...and Our Three Winners!

2011-07-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

{RED cherries, WHITE cake and BLUEberries on my Mom's wedding dishes!}

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July Weekend! The Fourth is my father's birthday so he set the agenda - my Mom, Dad, husband and the kids went picking blueberries and sweet and sour cherries at Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York. The highlight was a picnic under the cherry trees. I'll post some pics, soon!

...and now the three winners of the Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Bowls, invented by my awesome inventor brother-in-law Ryan:

Debra: "Those bowls are so cute and what a great idea, Dylan dog would love to win a bowl! It's starting to get hot for him and some of his watering holes are drying up so Mom now has to carry water for the boy so this would be perfect!"

Jen: "I'm a follower! I would use this for my sweet cats. When we have work done at our house, we keep our cats in our master bedroom. It would be nice to just keep this bowl folded up in the bathroom and pop it out and fill with water when we have to lock the cats up. What a great invention!"

Sherry Hart: "How convenient!!! Well I have 2 old english sheepdogs that I could use it for!!! I take them to the park every day so I could really use it!!"

Congrats to the pets! ( ...and their wonderful owners! All bloggers!) I've followed Debra's carriage barn renovation at Acquired Objects, Interior Designer Exraordinaire Sherry writes Design Indulgence, and I just found Jen's blog Our Fine House )

Loretta

My Groggy Ikea Trip

2011-07-04T02:27:00.000-07:00

Son H woke me up at four in the morning Friday. And I couldn't go back to sleep! The day I planned to drive by myself the five hour round-trip from Albany, N.Y. to Ikea in Paramus, N.J. Ugh.

Let's just say that I was a bit of a zombie wandering the store. I felt like I could fall asleep on the plush display beds in the store. Ha ha ha. And when I tried to take an afternoon nap in my van in the underground Ikea parking lot, it just didn't happen. (I spent ALL Friday in Ikea and finally did take a nap at 10:30 at night in a rest stop on the New York Thruway!)

{hello Ikea Paramus!}

But, even groggy, I loved my day, all by myself, wandering the store. My favorite part? The "It's my home" series of vignettes throughout the showroom floor. Entire living spaces, including kitchen, dining, sleeping AND bathrooms! This one here was in a mere 280 square feet.

{Love this black shade on the dining room light}

I so admire how the amazing designers at Ikea can pack so much function into such a small space. 280 square feet? And yes, everything you needed was there...

{bright and cheerful}

...here's the other half of the space. You can see the bathroom just beyond the right door.

Everything at Ikea is so modern, cheery and upbeat. Makes me want to move my family of five into a fictional 280 square foot urban apartment. Well, maybe not. But it puts things into perspective. My 1500 square foot house looks pretty huge after an Ikea trip. I'm empowered to make every inch count after studying what those resourceful Ikea designers can do.

{The "flip flop" bag is a cooler - I packed a lunch}

Thank goodness it was a Friday in Paramus and uncrowded. I was able to get a corner area in the cafeteria all to myself to spread out and work on some floorplans.

{drawing an elevation of Evie's room in the cafeteria}

I stuck pretty close to my shopping list, picking up the Kura bed for Son H and furniture for Evie's room. They didn't seem to stock the Lack bookcases anymore, so I went with Expedit units instead.

{Designer Cilla Ramnek was inspired by a collection of vintage crocheted pot holders}

Of course, no trip to Ikea is complete without a few impulse purchases. Here's the $39.99 Lusy Blom rug for Evie's room. How could I not resist taking this home? This rug sums up Ikea to me- cheap, cheerful and FUN!

Next up, the not-so-fun Ikea manuals and assembly! Have a fantastic Fourth of July!

Loretta

p.s. Drawing my giveaway winners SOON! Don't forget to enter!

Planning An Ikea Trip

2011-06-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

{road trip! The nearest Ikea to Albany, NY is Paramus NJ}

I'm planning a trip to Ikea - an all day event as you can see how far from Albany, New York the nearest store is! All by myself, no kids, no husband. Just me and a lunch date with Adal, Bjursta and Billy. (Husband went to an Ikea in Pennsylvania once, on a crowded weekend, and vowed never to return again to that "crazy spiral" store.)


{Ikea Kura bed - the panels reverse from white to blue}

I want to pick up a few things for the kids rooms - A desk for Rosie, bookshelves for Evie and this Ikea Kura bed for Son H. This photo above from the Ikea catalog just drew me right in. The bed's not as high as a bunk bed, and has such a cool area to play underneath. Dreamy for a six year old! Should I spring for that tent top, too?

I might see if I can hack it to make the left right and the right left. After looking at other photos online I realize that there are three white solid panels facing the wall that will block a lot of light coming from Son H's bedroom window. Not a very exciting hack, but a practical one!

{handy}

I told my husband that maybe I should call the store to make sure the bed is in stock before I drive down. I heard this bed can sell out. Then I found the handy "product availability" feature on the Ikea site. Pretty cool, huh?

What's your absolute favorite Ikea purchase? Or do you, like my husband, avoid the store at all costs?

Loretta

p.s. Enter to win my brother-in-law Ryan's invention - Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Water Bowls! Three winners drawn on July 4!

A Little "Custom" Can Make All The Difference

2011-06-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

{a larger clasp}

With jewelry, it's little customizable details that can make the difference between a piece a person will wear all the time, and a piece that sits in a dresser drawer. Here's a necklace I just modified with a larger clasp. The necklace was given as a gift - but the clasp was too difficult for the recipient to use. So, back to my studio for a little tweak...

{reversible sterling silver Theresa necklace with Reaching Boxwood}

It brings me joy to make pieces that are PERFECT for my clients. A longer or shorter chain, a custom photograph and custom gemstones are all easy when you work directly with the artist.

And here's the beauty in my garden that was photographed for the piece - boxwood! Doesn't she make an great model? I love to capture the elegance of plants in my jewelry.

Have you ever had a piece of jewelry you love, but can't wear because it needs a little "custom"?

Loretta

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Bowl Giveaway! I'm drawing three winners on July 4!

I Hate Being Yelled At (and possibly sued!)

2011-06-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got yelled at by a NYC stranger on the phone claiming I, as "Loretta Jewelry" sold her $100 earrings in Queens that turned black, and when this stranger brought them to local jewelers she found they were not sterling silver.

{the perils of Google + an unusual first name!}

Excuse me? I don't live near Queens and have never sold my jewelry in Queens and don't have any galleries that sell my work in Queens. I live upstate, in Albany. Surely, lady you must be mistaken...

Oh no, she rants, her credit card company gave her my name. She paid in cash, but her credit card company looked me up as a courtesy for her.

Now, I have a very unique name. I think naming a girl Loretta peaked in 1910. So when you Google the words "Loretta Jewelry" which was on her receipt, my web site pops up.

I'm Loretta Fontaine Jewelry, not Loretta Jewelry. She wouldn't buy it, she yelled. She's going to get a lawyer and sue me.

Loretta

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Bowl Giveaway! I'm drawing three winners on July 4!

Jody Scooped Dwell (and knows the lingo, too!)

2011-06-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

{in my mailbox}

Yes, we all coveted the cool New Zealand beach house on the cover of the latest issue of dwell magazine...

{Jody's foot stepping down the stairs of dwell's cover house... photo: Jody Brettkelly}

...but my friend Jody Brettkelly, the beautiful and quick-witted blogger behind About Last Weekend got her manicured foot in the door and scooped dwell with her post "Corker Kiwi Bach" early this year!

{Jed, and Jody expertly dressed to match his tractor}

Jody visited with her friends Kate and Jed last January on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand and gave us her take on the gorgeous modern home Jed designed...

{photo: Jody Brettkelly}

Of course, being a Kiwi herself, Jody throws us all the proper lingo too. The place is a small beach house, or Bach (pronounced "batch"), where you can throw off your jandals, and join your rellies round a chilly bin on the lawn.

{photo: Jody Brettkelly}

Isn't the kitchen fabulous! The house has pops of orange and blue throughout. And look how it still looks fantastic on an average day without the team of magazine stylists...

{a wonderful axis, source}

I admire the use of materials - wood, fiber cement and stone framing the views of sky and sea. Masterful architecture. More on Jed's amazing architecture practice here.

{how could she ever leave? source}

Read Jody's About Last Weekend post on the house here, and next visit bring me along, please!

Loretta

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Bowl Giveaway! I'm drawing three winners on July 4!

Volumetrics and Vegetables

2011-06-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

{prepping a volumetrics recipe- lots of veggies!}

We've been trying to eat healthier here at home, and have been using a lot of recipes from Dr. Barbara Roll's "The Volumetrics Eating Plan". It focuses on food with low energy density - or low calories per gram. Lots and lots of vegetables and whole grains!

So far we've loved the Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich, Chicken and Avocado Pita Pockets, and Bulgur & Vegetable Stuffed Peppers. Husband requested the Buffalo Chicken Wraps for Father's Day. He loved them, but as I'm not such a fan of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing so not a hit for me!

Have you ever tried Volumetrics recipes? And I wish I could say our kids loved these meals, but they for the most part don't.

Loretta

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Wow Bow Acquabol Portable Pet Bowl Giveaway! I'm drawing three winners on July 4!

GIVEAWAY! Acquabol Pet WaterBowls!

2011-06-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

{happy dog!}

When I visited my awesome inventor brother-in-law Ryan in Portland, Oregon last April he gave me some of his products to giveaway. Wanda already won the Travelite luggage scale last month, and this month we'll be giving away three of his Wow Bow Credit Card Sized Acquabol Pet Water Bowls...

Part of the fun of having an inventor as a brother-in-law is I get to "help" at wholesale trade shows, which basically means I watch my cute nephews as my sister and brother-in-law work their booth. At a Pet Show in downtown Los Angeles we all stayed in the historic Biltmore Hotel, where the Oscars were held from 1929-1943. The concierge let us into the empty grand ballroom where the ceremonies took place, and we swam in a gilded pool where Shirley Temple dipped her toes. Such is the life when you know someone who invents such cool products...

{faux crocodile print with silver logo}

The stylish, convenient and portable Acquabowl folds to the size of a credit card and fits right into your wallet. When your thirsty pet needs a drink, unfold and this durable, reusable waterproof bowl will do the trick!

It comes in three colors and I have three Acquabols to giveaway!

To win, be a follower or email subscriber of this blog, and and tell me about your pet (or pet who will be getting the bowl!) in the comments below. Get up to four more extra chances if you share this on your Blog, Facebook or Twitter, or become a follower of Loretta Fontaine Jewelry on Facebook! Leave a new comment for each. Good Luck! I'll draw a random winner at 12:00 noon EST on Monday, July 4. Shipping in the U.S. is on me!

Loretta

...interviewed!

2011-06-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

I was interviewed by Jack Williams last April on "Three Tips for Creative Blogging"

{Jack Williams}

It felt a little nervous in front of a microphone (it was a recorded interview and will come out as an audio file), but can't wait to hear the final interview which should be out very soon!

Loretta

A "Beautiful Window Seat" by Lauren Liess For The DC Design House

2011-06-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

Remember my post that mentioned the progress of Lauren Liess's room in the DC Design House? Here's the finished room! What an amazing difference!

{"The Hideaway" at the DC Design House, photo:Helen Norman}

Now, how did I ever find Lauren's wonderful blog Pure Style Home in the first place?

It was back in Spring of 2010 when I was using Google Images to search the words "Beautiful Window Seat" as I was doing research to design my own window seat. I came upon an image of a window seat in an old April 2009 post by Lauren called "Icons of Home" describing how she had just bought a home, and was using photographs to illustrate what would be in her dream home.

Of course, her home was so similar to the one I had just bought, ( a '70s home with a walk-out basement, creek in the back and a so-similar first floor plan) that I had to keep reading a year's worth of past Pure Style Home posts to catch up.

{so charming! photo: Helen Norman}

So I have to sigh with happiness when I see this room in the DC Design House. Let's just focus on this new "beautiful window seat," shall we? There's the Peter Dunham Fig Leaf fabric on the pillows. Luscious! As well as two pillows with fabric from Lauren's new collection Lauren Liess Textiles - Wild Chicory in black, and Magnolia in true. Don't you want to curl up and spend the day?

{photo: Helen Norman}

With a Princess and the Pea fairy tale twist, Lauren has three real mattresses stacked up. Heavenly! Such an innovative and creative space. Even though the room is dismantled as the showhouse is over, I know the photographs of this room will live on and be referenced time and time and time again, happily ever after. Congratulations, Lauren!

{my sketch - construction has been delayed yet again - will start late this month}

Here's the latest drawings of my windowseat project...

{interior - pillows will be added, promise. This is a "working" drawing!}

...and did you know that I always invisioned a cozy "real mattress" in it, not just a thin piece of covered foam? A real mattress in a window seat is something I rarely see, so I was SO excited to see it in Lauren's project!

{from Pure Style Home, image from Cottage Living}

...let's go back to that image I pulled out of Google Images so long ago, and you can read Lauren's April 2009 post "Icons of Home" here. One of my favorites!

Loretta

Jewelry for Mimosa Gallery and a Favorite Garden Flower

2011-06-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

{sterling silver Maria earrings with Reaching Flower in Plum and freshwater pearls}

I've been working on new summer jewelry for the amazing Mimosa Gallery in Saratoga Springs, New York. (So worth a visit during horse racing season or any season!) This earring features a photograph of one of my favorite garden flowers, tinted violet.

{pardon the "jewelers hands" - polish and long nails don't mix well with bench work!}

This style is reversible - you can thread the earring off the handmade earwire and thread it back reversed. Here's the back - I did the etching in silver based on a William Morris wallpaper.

More work to send to Mimosa Gallery. The earrings here are the same style, but with a different photograph of the same flower - this time in classic black and white.

{beautiful - I love to photograph this one!}

The flower is a "perennial sunflower" that I started from seed years ago. Such a beautiful muse, this garden plant. About 2" blooms in yellow, with tiny sunflower seeds that form later. She reminds me of a ballerina!

Here the plant is today growing behind some hosta in front of the house. It looks very weedy, doesn't it. Part of it's charm! I'll cut it back once before it blooms this Fall. What's your favorite garden flower?

Loretta

p.s. I'm still interested in your opinions on my which of my three Master Plans I drew up for my house is your favorite! Click here to see them. Thanks!

Help Me Name My Mystery Vegetable!

2011-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Do you know what this mystery vegetable is? I got them at a neighborhood plant swap and the name started with an "s". Something like shallots or scallions. We pulled them all up and cooked (bulb, stems and all) them in early Spring, but left two to "mature" and this is what we got.

These look like little baby mystery "s" plants that would probably fall to the ground and root eventually, do you think? Should I separate and plant them?

Here's the mystery plant in the garden bed.

..and here's the stem. Any guesses on this plant? When do you harvest it and what parts do you eat?

UPDATE: Mystery solved! Egyptian Walking Onion! Thank you Kathy!

Loretta

p.s. I'm still interested in your opinions on my which of my three Master Plans I drew up for my house is your favorite! Click here to see them. Thanks!

Which Is Your Favorite? Three Master Plans For My House...

2011-06-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

I have three "Master Plans" for the back of my house. Which do you like the most?

As promised here's the first, the "Master Plan" I was working on in my last post:


{Master Plan #1}

Of course, I've been gleaning advice from all my architect friends (thank you all!) on this little project. During one of these "charettes" my good friend Michael really REALLY pushed me to explore a bit more. And a conversation with the fabulous Ian (a Professor of mine way back) made me want to do some tinkering too!

So, Ian and Michael, here's what I came up with:

{Master Plan #2}


{Master Plan #3}

Which is your favorite? Let me know!

More on my windowseat project here. Remember, right now the rear of the house looks like this:

Loretta

Watercolors and a "Master Plan" for my house...

2011-06-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

{The fireplace chase is rotting so I'm making lemonade from lemons}

I'm working on a "Master Plan" for my home! Here's a photo of the back of my house before our renovations start. It's a 70's house with gray painted "T1-11" grooved plywood siding. You pronounce it "Texture One - Eleven" It's the stuff they clad sheds and barns with, and in my case, a house.

{The back is a bit of a mish-mash of windows- eventually I'll replace them all!}

Here's the elevation I showed earlier of the new windowseat that will be built soon where the fireplace chase is now. And we are rerouting the deck stairs. (The steep narrow staircase will be gone and we'll have five foot wide stairs and landings to the side)

{Love my blue Staedler drafting pencils - a set of tweleve from the soft 6H to the hard 4H}

I'm working on tweaking the final exterior materials for the windowseat and developing a "Master Plan" for the whole house. Here's my original drawing and I'm adding a new piece of tracing paper over it...

...to sketch out some new dreams for the future.

{In this plan I'm using T1-11 on the new windowseat- see the 8" apart vertical grooves?}

See the pencil on tracing paper over the old drawing?

Then I photocopied the whole thing and whipped out the watercolors...

{Evie got mad I "muddied" the colors in her set!}

Of course, I haven't made a trip to the art store lately, so I'll make do with the kid's Crayola set and the sad brush that came with it.

Coming next... The finished Master Plan!

Loretta

p.s I've just lined up an APPLESandRUBIES guest post on seating heights from the talented Ashley Spath! Thank you Ashley, I can't wait to see what you write!

Guess Where I Was... on the Appalachian Trail

2011-05-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the long holiday weekend. I had the pleasure yesterday of meeting up with some of husband's family to do a little hike on the Appalachian Trail. Can you guess where I was? Here's three visual clues:

{clue #1}

{clue #2)


{clue #3}

Can you take a guess where I was? Have you been here yourself?

Loretta

p.s. Just used the Novica gift certificate I won from Clear Blue Skies to order a dress from Bali! Thanks Elizabeth for the great giveaway!

... also, for the question on my top - It's a coral orange and white stripe cotton/spandex top from the GAP Factory Store. I picked it up brand new for ten cents at a rummage sale! (One of my best rummage sale finds, ever!)

Our Giveaway Winner Wanda! (and a photo of Spain...)

2011-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

We have a winner for the Travelite luggage scale giveaway! As you remember, this is one of the inventions of my super-talented brother-in-law Ryan.

I had so much fun reading the descriptions of places people would love to travel to. Really, it was like going on mini-vacations as I dreamed of each place mentioned. Our winner choose Spain and she is...

{The beautiful Wanda Mann source: TheGloss.com}

Wanda, who writes the amazing blog The Black Dress Traveler! Congrats Wanda! (could it be more appropriate for her - a traveler- to win this?) Wanda writes of Spain, "...the food,the music, the lifestyle and so many handsome men!" Read a post about Wanda here.

Spain is dear to my heart, too. It's where husband and I went on our Honeymoon! Here's a snapshot from our trip of a tiny beach in Nerha, Spain. Perfect in all ways but for jellyfish in the water! This photo brings back such wonderful memories...

Wanda, contact me with your address and I will send your prize asap!

Loretta

Drawings of my windowseat...

2011-05-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Our living room will start to look very different soon...

{The rear of my 1978 house, walk out basement...}

As promised, here's some drawings of our construction project. Here's an elevation drawing I did of the back of our house, showing the new gabled windowseat...

{These windows are almost 6'-0" tall, and two more narrow ones flank the sides}

...and here's an elevation sketch from the inside. These photos are not the best, I snapped them as the light was getting low! The addition will project out from the house by three feet, replacing a fireplace (We tore out the bricks last October), and fireplace chase.

I'll share more drawings and photos soon! The windows have been delivered (yeah!) and construction will start this month. I'm finalizing the last-minute details, and hope to get some opinions from all of you!

Loretta

p.s. Enter to win my giveaway - Ryan's Travelite Luggage Scale! I'm drawing the winner May 23.

A Letter to Vern Yip

2011-05-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Vern,

It's been a year since we met. Thanks for your gracious advice on my house.

It was super fun to have won the contest at the Albany Home Show and get to spend some time with you. You were gracious, charming and a little sleep deprived as your son was just born. I see he has a new little sister, now. Two kids under two. Wow!

I've been drawing plans and elevations - lots of them. Construction starts tomorrow! That "wall of windows" you envisioned has morphed into a windowseat. I think you'll like it! It's not as modern as the existing house, but it will be the tail that wags the dog. I'm more of a "modern cottage" girl at heart.

The wall-o-wood is still there. I'm still wishing I could paint over it, but I know in my heart your advice that the slanted installation makes it dated is right. I'll make it all firewood by the end of the year, promise!

You're probably asking why a boring stock photo above and not a photo of you and I? Heaven knows Stacey took a gazillion of them. (She though you were adorable, by the way...) She misplaced the camera's memory stick. It's in a box, in a drawer, somewhere in her house. Perhaps the readers of this blog will think we never met without that proof, but Vern, you and I know the truth...

Send some construction prayers my way. You know you started this whole thing rolling...

Yours Truly,

Loretta

p.s. I know how much you travel. Enter to win my giveaway - Ryan's Travelite Luggage Scale! I'm drawing the winner May 23.

GIVEAWAY! Ryan's Travelite Luggage Scale

2011-05-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

{Just one of my brother-in-law's many inventions}

NOTE: This giveaway has ended - my apologies for those who came to this link from Oh So Savvy Mom's linky! It auto-filled an old listing and by mistake I posted it! The real giveaway for July 4 is Wow Bow Portable Pet Bowls - I have three to give away and I hope you enter - here's the link: http://applesandrubies.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-acquabol-pet-waterbowls.html Again, so sorry for any confusion! - Loretta

My last post was on my fantastic-inventor-all-around-genius Brother-In-Law Ryan and his involvement in an Earth Day Recycling project. As promised, I'm giving away one of his inventions to a lucky reader - the Travelite Luggage Scale.

Flying back from Portland, I was so pleased to thumb through the SkyMall catalog and see Ryan's luggage scale in the pages! What's so great about his invention? Let me tell you: "The EZ Weigh Indicator Light (green or red) protects against overage fees by quickly indicating if a bag is over or under the 50 lb limit..."

...and it's got a built in LED flashlight! Find out more at www.Travelite.com

The scale has a $24.99 value. To win, be a follower or email subscriber of this blog, and share your favorite travel destination in the comments below. Get up to three more extra chances if you share this on your Blog, Facebook or Twitter! Leave a new comment for each. Good Luck! I'll draw a random winner at 12:00 noon EST on Monday, May 23. Shipping in the U.S. is on me!

Loretta

An Inventor (I Know) & Starbucks Recycle

2011-05-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

{The cheerful Starbucks at Forest Heights in Portland, Oregon}

Let me tell you a tale of an inventor I know and a new recycling bin...

(the start of the bin, Ryan to the right}

The inventor is my Brother-In-Law Ryan, and these pics are from my Portland, Oregon trip last month.

{Laura and her mother cleaned all the recycled straws and cups used in the bin}

The recycling bin was the brainchild of Laura Kutner, a barista at Starbucks and a Peace Corps volunteer who worked in Guatemala.

{bottles in a framework of metal and chicken wire, and the finished building}

In Granados, Guatemala, Laura helped build two beautiful classrooms of plastic bottles, adapting a technique started by Pura Vida Atitlan. The children of the school had to collect the bottles and fill them with plastic trash for strength. They cleaned up so much trash, they had to search in neighboring communities! Here's a link to an ABC News story on her inspired project.

{my Nephew J got in the act}

Laura wanted to encourage more people to recycle their plastic cups at Starbucks, and dreamed up the idea of a recycling bin made of recycled bottles. "I had never built a trash can out of bottles before," Laura said, "but I figured if we could do a school and other structures, a trash can couldn't be too difficult."

{the team in action}

My inventor brother-in-law helped on the project. "Ryan graciously said he would help," Laura says, "and he added so many wonderful ideas, (not to mention his time, tools, and expertise!) that made this recycle bin that much more fantastic. The idea to cover the threaded rods with straws, as well as the double magnetic lid, was all his idea, and it makes the bin that much more functional and aesthetically pleasing!"

{Ryan, me, and the almost finished bin}

I loved this Earth Day project! Congrats to Laura and Ryan and everyone who helped, and a reminder to all to recycle that plastic!

...and look for GIVEAWAYS on my blog soon of two of Ryan's fantastic inventions!

Loretta

Upper Deer Trail in Forest Heights

2011-04-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

{My Sister S and Nephew B on the trail}

One of the highlights of my trip was hiking in Audubon Sanctuary, an amazing forest preserve within the Portland city boundaries with stands of old growth Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar. Portland, Oregon is a city in love with trails and green spaces.

{roads and cul-de-sacs in white, the trails are the dotted black lines}

You expect great hiking in a forest preserve, but in my sister's neighborhood there are great trails just out the front door. She lives in the Forest Heights, a 601 acre area developed in 1989, where one third of the space is dedicated to public green space and parks. The six miles of trails in the development mostly follow the low creek beds that flow in the valleys of the steep hillsides.

{to the pond of the old Jones Lumber mill}

The area, like most of Portland, was logged of it's old growth timber in the mid-1800's. The old "Mill Pond" for the past logging operations is down this path right behind my sister's house.

{Portland home construction- crazy!}

Most of the homes, since they are built into hillsides, are tidy one or two stories from the street. But in the back the basements are often built stories down, and may are built on high piers. This is a view of the back of one of them from the trail.

{fern land}

My favorite trail in the neighborhood is the upper part of the "Deer Trail". Steps away from the houses, it's just another world. The banks are extremely steep and the trees are romantically cloaked in green moss.

{beauty}

The most restful sound- a creek joyfully spilling down the slope.

How beautiful are these yellow woodland violets?

{Spring!}

Or this trillium?

{upper Deer Trail}

This trail was amazingly serene, with just glimpses of all the houses crowding the tops of the hills on both sides of the steep ravine.

And once the trees leaf out, you will not see any homes from the trail at all, and it will be even more magical. I'm glad to be home, but I'm already planning my next trip to Portland!

Loretta

Easter in Portland, Oregon!

2011-04-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

{my primrose brownie bites}

I had the pleasure of jetting off solo from New York to Portland, Oregon to spend part of Spring Break and Easter with my sister S and her family. They just purchased a gorgeous new home, and our Easter feast included these brownie bites I made topped with marshmallow fondant flowers.

{a little buttercream holds the fondant in place}

Homemade marshmallow fondant is so easy to make- and molding it reminds me of playing with Play-doh. It tastes so much better than commercial fondant!

{Portland Spring drizzle outside the windows}

A nice way to spend Easter morning making the little flowers. I was inspired by the colors of Spring primroses. Husband took my kids down to his parents in Westchester county, New York and we kept in touch everyday by phone. The big excitement was their Easter egg hunt where crows did much of the hunting. (Lesson: Don't hide eggs too early)

{too cute!}

Our Portland egg hunt went much better. It was a huge Saturday gathering for all the kids in the Forest Heights neighborhood. Here's my Nephew J hunting eggs...

{got one!}

...and little Nephew B! I'll post more Portland photos as the week goes on.

How did you spend the holiday?

Loretta

Escher in the Berkshires (& My Mom!)

2011-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

{Day to Night, M.C. Escher}

Since my husband teaches Math at a local high school, the whole family is enjoying a Spring Break. Last Monday we took a road trip to Pittsfield, Massachusetts to see an exhibit on M.C. Escher. My Mom was out of town and couldn't come with us, but she was still "there" as you'll see later in this post...


{Son H outside the museum}

Escher was a Dutch artist known for his amazing art based on geometry and tiling. (See the cool lizard tessellation on the sign above.) The Exhibit is at the Berkshire Museum through May 22 and titled "M.C. Escher: Seeing The Unseen."

The exhibit was fun - and a little hard on the eyes with all the intricate imagery to look at! Here's one of my favorite woodblock prints. Too clever!

{Doris Schattschneider's book Escher: Visions of Symmetry}

So how do I fit my Mom in here? See this book on Escher held by Rosie?

{in the foreword of the book}

My talented Mom, Anne Fontaine is a mathematician with her doctorate in tiling theory. She was one of the folks who reviewed this book of Escher's work. How fun is it to search out your Mom's name in a book in the museum gift shop?

{heading home}

A great way to spend an overcast Spring day in the Berkshires. We may even try to make some Escher-style tessellations at home!

Loretta

p.s. remember how I used an Escher font to design my blog logo?

The Empty Cupcake Bus

2011-04-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

{1963 Bristol Lodeka Double Decker bus from London}

A fun sight around Albany and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. is "Dee Dee", short for "Double Decker" and an apt name for this converted pink British bus. It's a rolling extension of Bettie's Cakes, Lorraine Murphy's sweet retro shop on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

{doors closed}

I found Dee Dee parked near Academy Road in Albany. If you want to find the location of the bus, visit bettiescakes.com and a link will map out her location at the moment.

Sadly, at the moment this photo was taken, the doors were closed, nobody home and no cupcakes served. I promise to track Dee Dee down another day and snap some pics of the inside!

Loretta

Turquoise, diaNoche and the Sahara

2011-04-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

{beads are about the size of a dime each - hand-faceted natural Arizona turquoise with no dyes or stabilizers}

When I saw this strand of turquoise beads in New York City last month I though of Veronica El-Showk, who writes the beautifully written blog diaNoche Living.

I had to buy these stunning blue beauties! They fit right in with the Spring and Summer fashion trends Veronica has been writing about recently...


{a diaNoche mood board showing Nile Blue as one of the swatches. From left to right: Roberto Cavalli, Oracle Fox. }

Veronica posts on art, fashion, travel and interior design. Her latest posts have info she gleaned from a recent fashion trade show in Las Vegas on color forecasts for Spring and Summer '11 and '12. Here's an snip from diaNoche Living on the trend "Romantic and Adventurous Bohemian":

"...Think: Skin, suede, all about detail with a little bit of shine, animal print, safari animal, military detail with a pop of color, soft sand pink, peachy nudes, aqua sanded blues, beaded crochet, long, layered, dramatic, ethnic patterns, with wood, bone and metallic details..."

Blue in varying hues show up all over the upcoming Spring and Summer trends as a wonderful accent shade. Adore the pop of the blue necklace on the model wearing the white dress on the diaNoche mood board above!


{diaNoche Casablanca shirt with matte gold silkscreen print}

Veronica introduced diaNoche's apparel line recently, and here's one of her beautifully made shirts. Veronica and her husband Hedeer are world travelers, and there is a strong arabesque influence in her work as well as influence from her Colombian heritage. Look at the beautiful faceted details in the print on the shirt. They are so similar to the faceted shapes of my beads! I love it!

...Now, I have a confession to make. I used to subscribe to all the fashion magazines. I work in a fashion business, after all. But two years ago I let all the subscriptions drop. I enjoy fashion, but the magazines never made me feel uplifted, happy or inspired.

They always left me feeling a bit sad. I can't put my finger on it exactly. The constant self-help and plastic surgery articles? Pouty underage models in layouts where I couldn't really see the clothing? Pretty images that seemed vapid once I put the magazine down?

{The beautiful Veronica surrounded by the sands of the Sahara, Morocco}

It's blogs like diaNoche Living that have made me fall in love all over with fashion again. There is a passion and authenticity in Veronica's blog that I found lacking in the magazines. I'm inspired again.

Here's a quote from Veronica's post "Sahara Sunset", one of my favorites:

"Because there is zero humidity [the Sahara sand] skims off your skin and gives way to any form of weight or pressure. It is simultaneously heavy and light and moody during sunset. At first you find yourself in a sea of Aperol that intensifies by the minute and then before you know it, it cools down to a soft pink that gives the scarce shrubs a silver hue. Once the sun has dipped below the horizon, the grey sky turns the sand a gentle neutral amber color..."

Too dreamy! I will be sure to show what I dream up with my turquoise beads, soon. And, take the time to see Veronica's full line of clothing here!

Loretta

Jackson Heights, The Most Diverse Neighborhood in NYC

2011-04-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

Wanda at The Black Dress Traveler often posts her NYC picks for the upcoming weekend. Her choice of a Indian walking and tasting tour of Jackson Heights this Sunday gives me a great excuse to share more of my NYC trip pics...

Let's head to Jackson Heights, Queens, the most diverse neighborhood in all New York City...

{5th Ave to Queens}

I stayed in Jackson Heights with my sister-in-law, Italian brother-in-law and my wonderful little niece and nephew while I was at my jewelry conference. It's an E or F train out of Manhattan. The subway travels under the East River. (Always amazed a river is flowing above me!)


{a great time to sit and relax on the train in the evening, but prepare to stand during morning rush!}

{37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, Queens}

The streets of Jackson Heights are so much fun to stroll, listening to neighbors speaking thirty different languages. Two-thirds of Jackson Heights residents are born abroad.

{evening at the Trade Fair grocery}

Open-air displays of fruits and veggies. You can choose from not one, but many different types of oranges. I chose some tiny sweet ones for breakfast the next day.

{the good buys}

My Puerto Rican mother-in-law always finds the produce so much cheaper in Queens then where she lives in Westchester County!

{I would have explored every aisle if I had more time}

So many different types of ethnic foods in the grocery stores. Are these corn and cheese cakes? Let me know if you know what "arepas" are...

{shop filled with colorful Indian Saris}

Those in-the-know head out of Manhattan (including my clothing designer friend Antoinette) to dine in Jackson Height's well-regarded Indian restaurants. You'll also find more amazing South Asian restaurants (Nepalese, Himalayan...) as well as distinct Latin American eateries and street carts representing Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, El Salvador, and Mexico.

Here's the full scoop on The Black Dress Traveler's weekend pick:

Indian Culinary Center: Jackson Heights Walking & Tasting Tour
Sunday, April 10. 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. $40
Explore the culinary delights of Jackson Heights with Geetika Khanna, founder of the Indian Culinary Center. Start your day with an authentic Indian breakfast with Masala chai and then visit stores that sell gold jewelry, saris and music. Stock up on exotic ingredients at a large Indian grocery store and get great deals on spices, veggies, and snacks. The adventure ends with a traditional Indian lunch.

Next week we'll head off the bustling commercial streets of Roosevelt Ave and 37th Street to the quieter residential 35th Street. I'll show you the stately architecture of Jackson Height's pre-war brick garden co-op apartments in Jackson Heights: Part II!

Loretta
Have you been to Queens? Tell me about it!

My Blurb.com book - with a problem...

2011-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Remember when I was ordering a blurb.com book to bring down to New York City as a little press kit?

Here it is! Overall it looked great, except for one problem which I'll get to at the end of the post. And I'll introduce you to my new friend Calla - who REALLY had a great blurb.com book when I met her!

I got the idea of printing a blurb.com book from Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home. (See Lauren's post on her portfolio book here. )

Isn't a little book the best? The images and captions came out great, and it was so convenient to have the book to hand to people at the conference so they could see the jewelry I made. I got so many nice compliments on it!

One of my favorite pages was in the back that highlighted some of my "press hits" - lingo for when my jewelry has shown up in the media. Wouldn't you know I met the author of one of those books that featured my jewelry in NYC that weekend!

{bad text}

So what was a problem with the blurb.com book? I used their online software to design the book, which was fairly easy. I previewed everything carefully. But when I got my printed book in the mail - on the first page - a paragraph of text got formatted all screwy and part of the paragraph got completely chopped off!

Can you call a real person to discuss customer service with blurb.com? No, no phone number given. I had to email. Let's see if they can fix this for me - I hope!

{Calla Gold and me at the MJSA Expo NYC}

And here's my new friend Calla Gold. She's an amazing private jeweler, and yes, that's her real name - her career must have been destiny. She brought with her a hardcover blurb.com book "The Language of Jewelry Design by Calla Gold"

This is the amazing thing - you can go to Calla's website and download the e-book version for free, or use blurb.com to order a book yourself! Brilliant! Not only does blurb.com allow you to print a book, but you can publish it as well!

Loretta

p.s If I did another book on blurb.com , I'd skip the online software and submit my own .pdf files to have more control over the finished pages. Remember how Lauren was a little disappointed in how her greens printed? I had a similar problem with how some of my whites printed. Probably no one noticed this but me, but when you are a designer, you just want everything to be perfect!

Wishes For Charlie: An interview with Sarah from La Maison Boheme

2011-04-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend and blogger Sarah Greenman of La Maison Boheme has a beautiful eight month old boy Charlie who will be having cranio-surgery soon. Charlie suffered a stroke in-utero and is on a healing path with great strides but a lifetime to go.

{Charlie}

I've asked Sarah some questions about this blessed and challenging time in her life.

Where does love fall in this journey?

Sarah: It falls everywhere. It falls all around us. The only reason Charlie is here is because I loved someone. He is an embodiment of LOVE in all its forms. And, while I'm not a religious person, I believe that he is healing because of the enormous out pouring of love that is swirling around him. The doctors don't know why he's getting better. They don't know why he had the stroke or the skull fuse and they can't explain why he isn't more "affected"... but I think its love.

What are your wishes for Charlie's surgery?
Sarah: I am so pleased with the care he has received so far. Dr. Fearon is really wonderful on all kinds of levels. I want this surgery to go smoothly and for it to be 100% effective so that we don't have to go back in next year and repeat the surgery.

What have you learned from your sons?
Sarah: Oh this is a hard one... so many things. I've learned that I take myself and my work too seriously. I've learned that there is a deep well of joy in every living creature, and that this joy must be nurtured in order to be revealed. I've learned that my husband and I are even more perfectly matched that I suspected. I've learned that the only proper response to hardship is to embrace it, listen to it and create a space for its transformation.

{A powerful paintbrush}

How can you help? Sarah is asking for prayers and good wishes. Big Brother Walker has put his artwork on greeting cards on the Help Charlie Heal shop on Etsy to help his adored little brother. And you can make a direct contribution at www.charliesfund.blogspot.com.
.
Loretta

Eaton Pottery - Happiness in Clay

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

{I would buy a swimsuit like this...}

Doesn't this little handmade tray make you smile? It's made by Beth Eaton of Eaton Pottery. Beth's sister Meredith is holding it (and smiling).

{Happiness in Clay}

Another adorable Eaton Pottery mug. So cheerful and happy. Makes me want to learn to drink morning coffee!

I snapped these pics yesterday at the Fourth Annual Spring Craft Show at The Woman's Club in Albany, N.Y. Today, Saturday, April 2 is the last day. You'll find Beth's pottery, my jewelry and the work of bunch of other artists there.

...and Meredith is heading the volunteer cafe. The food is YUMMY and all for a good cause! (proceeds to The Woman's Club and Hope In A Boat, the Capital Region's Breast Cancer Survivor's Dragonboat Team).

Loretta

A Purple Tint

2011-04-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

{Mabel necklace and Lucy earrings on the bench..}

For Spring I am enamored with the color lavender. I tinted some of my black and white photographs lavender and love the look. Here are some jewelry pieces in progress.

I finished them up for the Fourth Annual Spring Crafts Show in Albany this Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. The April Fool's joke was that is was snowing this morning! I hope the jokes end there.

Loretta

Birthday Thai

2011-03-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

{The rare date night w/ a smiling husband}

Husband and I hit Lark Street in Albany on my birthday. It was suppose to be a restaurant crawl, with appetizers at one place, then walking to another for dinner...

{down the basement steps}

We started off at a favorite place, Sukothai, and ordered a glass noodle soup and Thai egg rolls to share.

{watching over us}

The place is tiny with eight tables, and the decor is brass figures, Christmas lights and a smiling photo of the Thai Royal couple. We got our favorite table for two, next to the red blinking "OPEN" sign in the window. Never made it to any other restaurants, the soup and egg rolls filled us up enough, and we took a long chilly walk through the streets...

{Son H, me and Rosie and Evie's hands}

...finally ending up at C and S's city home where their kids and our kids were jumping on the beds. Cake and ice cream, and cupcakes that never did get frosted! Great day!

Loretta

It's My Birthday!

2011-03-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

{Me, trying to grow into my teeth}

When my first daughter turned one, a friend gave me a card that wished her a "Happy First Trip Around the Sun."

I've always liked to think of birthdays as space trips ever since. It takes the earth one year to complete it's orbit around the golden sun and I've just logged in another lap.

If you think about it, you have to admit, it's a pretty cool ride! There are chocolate cupcakes baked by my husband on the counter, and sticks of butter too, getting to room temp for some frosting. I'm looking forward to a sweet day!

Loretta

More NYC and meeting The Black Dress Traveler

2011-03-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

{43rd Street}

Let's go back to my NYC trip pics!

{Wanda and I outside the 45th Street Theater. photo:Shaye Strager}

Let me introduce you to the fabulous Wanda Mann who pens the blog The Black Dress Traveler! I met Wanda at a performance of "Women Playing Men as Women" (to watch our mutual friend Duvall OSteen!) at the 45th Street Theater.

Wanda's blog covers "Saucy Snippets about Destinations, Fashion, Beauty, Food & Wine, Events & Everything Fabulous" from her home base of New York City. As soon as I met her, I was blown over by her infectious smile and the zing in her voice.

{source: The Black Dress Traveler}

I adore her attitude that the "little black dress" is a reminder to live life with a dash of flair whether you are traveling to work or circling the globe. Wanda implores everyone to have a little black dress approach to life no matter where you are or what you are wearing. She writes fluently on topics from trendy spas in Austin to her favorite Argentinian wines.

{source: The Black Dress Traveler}

Here's a photo from a recent Black Dress Traveler post that shows Wanda's roots - her grandmother Bertha, a performer and recording artist who, in Wanda's words "loved big furs, big jewels, and had even bigger love affairs..." Now we can see where a bit of Wanda's fabulousness came from!

{neon Johnny Cash lyrics overhead at Southern Hospitality}

After the play (which was awesome and based on Edward Albee's Zoo Story), I headed with Duvall to celebrate the performance and her co-star's husband's birthday at Southern Hospitalty BBQ bar and restaurant on Second Avenue near 76th Street. Owned by Justin Timberlake, Eytan Sugarman and Trace Ayala, it was my chance to try fried chicken livers, but I passed.

me: "What is that, that looks SO good"
he :"Fried chicken livers! Try?"
me: "Ummmm...."

Great pulled pork, though! We were all in a clubby room in the back, away from the bar scene in front.

{back room at Southern Hospitality - love the paper towels on the tables!}

I had to snap a picture of this room - the black and white plaid wallpaper against the tufted seats is fantastic! Have you ever seen plaid look so graphic?

{Duvall was so kind to drag my luggage}

Then it was off to catch the E train to Queens. I'll write about Queens, soon!

Loretta

Live near Albany, NY? Join me at a Spring Craft Show April 1&2!

2011-03-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

My friends Antoinette and Karen are organizing a fantastic Craft Show at the beautiful historic Woman's Club of Albany on April 1 & 2. It's part of Albany, New York's 1st Friday schedule. I'll be showing my new Spring pieces from Loretta Fontaine Jewelry, and am excited to meet some of the artists who will be there:

Teresa Berger - felted accessories
Meredith Butler - handmade boxes
Cinderloop - clothing
Pam Demers - accessories and more
Loretta Fontaine - jewelry
Karen Greendale - jewelry
Ali Herrmann - original artwork & jewelry
Ben Karis-Nix - printed t-shirts (& music)
Nancy Miller - jewelry
Katie Nare - jewelry
Sistahs - vintage aprons
Sugi Pickard - mosaics
Lorre Smith - knitted textiles & collage cards
John Visser - pottery
Barabara Weingart - painted silk

10% of sales from the cafe benefit Hope in the Boat, the Capital Region breast cancer survivor's Dragonboat team, and the WCA.

Loretta

Spring?

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

{my crocuses in their snowy blanket}

Yesterday was the Vernal Equinox, so does that make today the first or the second day of Spring?

We welcomed Spring with two inches of snowfall this morning in Albany, New York. I keep forgetting we still get snow here in March. I keep forgetting I can't put the snow scraper away just yet. But I am remembering green grass and flowers! Just a little patience...

Loretta