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Well, last week’s topic received a whopping zero responses, but I’m not one to give up so here’s this week’s topic:

What is your favorite book? The one you read over and over again?

I actually have two: To Kill A Mockingbird (I reread it about every 18 months or so) and In Cold Blood (a favorite of mine before the movie – which was outstanding)

So, take some time to cool off in front of your computer and let me know what stimulates your brain!

Everything is in a state of flux. Things at work are weird, the jewelry biz is at a turning point, important people in my life are in the middle of big decisions, you name it. I had a little emotional setback this weekend when I was informed that I didn’t make it into the WinterFest show here in Springfield. This is a show I did last year and it was incredibly successful. I guess I was feeling a little smug about my chances of getting in and I got rejected. It was my 4th application to a show this year and my 4th rejection. So now I’m facing a holiday season with no major shows to do. All I can think is, “How will I get the money I need to go to Arrowmont next year?”

So now I’m licking my wounds and trying to come up with a plan. I’m going to do a show in St. Charles, MO in December, but I don’t know much about it so I’m not sure how successful it will be. I know there’s never a guarantee of success in a show so I just have to take chances. At least I’ll be showing in a new area so I hope to be well received. I’m just crabby and feel the need to purge. This is just one roadblock in the world of art that must be conquered. I’m sure I’ll see the silver lining of this cloud soon. I just want to complain.
Anyone need some great jewelry?

Update: I just received an email from my Des Moines gallery. I asked if they were interested in another trunk show around the holidays and they said “yes.” Well, that’s a start!

It’s going to hit 100 here today. I don’t even want to know what my utility bill is going to be. I try to keep the air set at around 77 during the day, but it’s just so hot. It’s sucking my will to live!!!!

Despite the intense heat, it’s so cold in my office that I have my space heater on. Yes, you heard right, my space heater is on. Maybe I should start doing aerobics in my office to stay warm.

With temperatures soaring, what do you do to stay cool in the summer?

Right now, I’m spending my afternoons in my basement studio. It’s 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the house!

The smoker came! The smoker came! Ok, I’m not really as excited as Steve, but it is cool that it came so quickly. And just in time for a massive heat wave rendering all indoor cooking impossible. The thought of even cooking in the microwave is unappealing right now. To quote my neighbor Julie, “Looks like cheese sandwiches for dinner.” I agree.

Steve’s job now is to decide what to smoke first. He’s so excited he’s taking off work tomorrow for the inaugural smoking. Sorry mom, you don’t get first dibs on food, but I promise you’ll be invited over soon. We have to test it before unleashing it to the world.

Stay tuned for smoker updates. I’m looking forward to enjoying some smoked salmon and ribs soon.

Exciting news in my jewelry world. Yesterday I received word two of my pieces were selected to be shown at William Woods University in Fulton, MO. The exhibition of juried work will be shown at the Cox Gallery in the Kemper Arts Center August 14 through September 23. I was really honored to have my two pieces chosen. You can see them on the left here. They are examples of my cloisonne work.

What’s cool about this particular show is that it’s in Fulton, MO. My mom is a native of Fulton and my grandfather, Stuart Keckeley, was once president of William Woods. I feel like this honors my grandparents and I know they would be so proud to see my work displayed in their town.

If anyone is in the area, stop by. The show will be full of great artwork by many different artists. Also, these pieces are for sale!

With the summer just heating up it’s almost impossible to imagine cooking inside. However, our old charcoal grill was just too much trouble to fire up for dinner involving just the two of us. Steve, the king of research, decided the Weber Q200 grill was just the thing we needed. Last Thursday, he purchased the last model at Westlake Hardware and brought it home for an inaugural dinner celebration. A quick stop at Harter House for pork chops and we were set. Because he’d bought the floor model, it didn’t need assembly so we were cooking in no time.

Now, I’m not one to get excited about a grill, but I have to admit I don’t know why we waited so long to invest in this thing. It’s great! On Saturday, rather than have turkey sandwiches, we had hamburgers on the grill. Then last night we grilled again. This is so fun!

Next up: a smoker. This is shaping up to be a delicious summer.

This week’s topic should appeal to everyone as it involves alcohol.

What’s your favorite alcoholic summer beverage? Discuss.

Mine’s gin and tonic with lots of lime.

Last night I did something I very rarely do. I went to see a new movie at the theater. Knowing that Steve wouldn’t want to see it, my friend Mary Hutton and I saw The Devil Wears Prada. I read the book several years ago and don’t remember all the details, but I was dying to see the movie. So here’s what I thought:

1. Meryl Streep was outstanding! She was so elegant and poised and played Miranda to a T.
2. Anne Hathaway was good as the assistant, but scenes where she was drinking or sleeping with guys were a little weird. She just seemed so young to be doing that. Or maybe I’m just old. No, she seemed young.
3. The girl who played Emily, the other assistant, was brilliant. I loved her.
4. Stanley Tucci was extremely underrated in this movie. His part was terrific and he added so much to the workings of the magazine.
5. The clothes, shoes and accessories were divine. I love food too much to starve myself for fashion, but I can understand how people get caught up in the world of beauty.
6. One of my favorite lines is where Tucci’s character tells Andi (Hathaway) that “size 0 is the new 2, size 2 is the new 4 and 6, well 6 is the new 12.” Guess that makes me a plus-size!

This is a movie I want to own when it comes out on DVD.

Word on the street is that we’re in for a little fashion shock this fall. I’ve heard (and seen) the likes of leggings with over-sized sweaters, shoulder pads and neon. My curiousity got the best of me so I decided to investigate what was on the fashion horizon. The logical starting point was New York Fashion Week and it did not disppoint.

I didn’t get through all of the designers, but I browsed through some of the standards: Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, BCBG, DKNY, Ellen Tracy and Anna Sui. So, while not all of these designers embrace the same trends, I think I can give you a quick glimpse into the future.

1. The hot colors are black (naturally), loden green, dark teal, maroon, cream, gold and chocolate.

2. The hot patterns and materials are tweed, plaid, rugby stripes, cable knit, striped tie-dye (check out Michael Kors for that one) and brocade.

3. Leggings were shown tucked into slouchy boots with belted over-sized sweaters. This is a look for anyone who wants to add 10 pounds to their figure.

4. Skirts ranged in length from the mini to the floor and all were paired with tights.

5. Almost all designers featured dresses. Many were layered strappy sundress types over long sleeved ts.

6. Gauchos, knickers and shorts were all paired with boots and tights.

7. Almost all sweaters were belted.

8. Ponchoes seemed to be appearing in a few places, but were worn over leggings as were capes.

That’s all for now. Even though it’s 90 degrees outside, it’s never too soon to think about the next fashion season. I’m going to get a sneak peek at Spring 2007!