Jewelheart's Blog

Everyone loves earrings and whether you have pierced ears or non-pierced ears, you can give your earrings a whole new dimension in design. If you have a pair of pearl studs and a pair of diamond stud earrings, why not combine them as one. The diamond solitaire, depending on size, could be set at the base of the pearl. Of course, the backing has to be removed and redesigned. This can also be applied with any combination of gemstone stud earrings. You may have a unique cut or color gemstone that would look exquisite combined together. Imagine rose quartz with amethyst, black onyx and tiger-eye, blue topaz and sapphires, diamonds and everything.

Chandeier earrings are glamorous as well as very tres chic. If you have a pair of dangle earrings that are short and wide, they would make a good base. Now see what you have in other dangle earrings. If you have 3 or 4 earrings that yo do not wear, imagine what a spectacular pair can be created. The add-ons dangle at different levels.

If there are earrings you don't wish to wear any more such as a pair of gold hoops, why not have them soldered together horizontally or vertically and have the birthstones of your children or grandchildren set in the center for a one-of-a-kind pendant.

With an odd 1/2 pair of stud earrings, you can have it modified to wear as a ring by adding a shank. If they were dangle earrings, you can have the closure removed, add a bale and have it redesigned into a charm or pendant. If you don't want to wear your earrings as studs, why not convert them into a dangling pair. As well, you can have an odd pair of earrings made into a tie or hat pin.

Again with an odd 1/2 pair or several pairs, you could have the backings removed and have them spaced apart and soldered on a chain . Now if you have a link chain, they could be set between the links at various inches apart. Imagine how beautiful it would look as a jeweled neck-piece. A single earring could be added to the center of a chain simply by having the chain cut in half and soldering each half to the earring. Wouldn't an odd diamond solitaire that has been sitting in your jewelery box look gorgeous as a beautiful diamond solitaire necklace.

I hope I have inspired you with these new ideas. Have fun looking through your earring collection. Let me know what you have come up with. I would love to hear from you.

Positively,
Baya

All my life people have asked me, "Baya, why are you always so happy? or "You are always so cheerful and you always have a smile on your face". As I write this blog, I am also smiling.

No I am not on happy pills, but I sure do love life.

Each and everyday as we listen to the news, or talk to people, we are reminded about the global recession, that people are losing their homes, jobs, are not sleeping well because of the high level of stress. However, from all these daily negative reminders we also need to bring about change simply by bringing joy to each other.

The joy that I am talking about, is completely FREE, you only have to move a few muscles around your mouth, and SMILE. When you smile, you feel joyous. Your demeanour changes, you feel relaxed and content. You also feel peace within.

Now imagine smiling at a complete stranger, or a group of people. How can one resist not smiling back? Perhaps someone has had a rough day, or is not in a good mood. Your smile, certainly can lift their spirit and make their day.

To quote a line from the late Louis Armstrong's famous song "When your Smiling", it goes like this "When your smilin, keep on smilin
The whole world smiles with you"

So you keep on smiling...

See its contagious and its catching on.

Positively,

Baya

I remember as a child receiving my first charm bracelet with a charm. My "first charm", oh yes, my father with his great sense of humour, took my "first tooth" and encased it in a small gold setting and that was my first charm. As the years passed, each charm that I received reflected a part of me--ballet slippers, trophy, my first ring, etc.

Charm bracelets are as unique as your signature and no two are alike. I enjoyed wearing my charm bracelet throughout my growing years, but after a while, I can honestly say that I got bored of it.

It was tucked away for several years and when I started wearing it again as a young adult, it became an annoyance--it got caught in things and jingled all the time. Too bad I never thought to wear it around the Christmas season--Santa and I would have had a lot of jingle belling in common

Well, it got put away again for a few more years.....but when I rediscovered it, I looked at it in a whole new light. Instead of wearing it as a bracelet, I thought how about wearing it as a "charm necklace"?

With a simple modification, the closures were removed and a chain was soldered to each end of the bracelet. Today, I wear it as one of my signature pieces of jewelery. It is not tucked away in my jewelery box, but worn in its full glory.

Another suggestion would be to have the charms removed and wear them as individual pendants, or have them individually soldered to a chain with large links. Not only would you have a new neck-piece, but a new bracelet.

And yes, I still get questions about that tooth......

Many years ago, when my husband and I were travelling in New England, we came across a little boy and his father who were the best of buddies. The child was approximately 4-5 years old and had the same jeans, running shoes and white T-shirt on as his dad. He even wore his baseball cap to the side like his father.

The father had a unique stride as he walked in front of his son who was a foot behind his dad. What intrigued me was how this child even emulated the way his father walked. When the child finally caught up to his dad, the father wrapped a loving arm around his little shoulder as if to say, "hey buddy, you've caught up to me. I love you"

I have never forgotten that moment and the true meaning behind it. That little boy looked up to his dad as his hero, friend, and probably the best dad in the world. He wanted to be just like his father in every way...even down to his walk.

How we raise our children, and instill in them the values that you hope they will take with them one day can be seen throughout their growing years.

In our family, we have taught our children to be compassionate, loving, gracious, empathetic and kind hearted towards mankind. I can proudly say that our children are certainly following that path.

We have modelled these virtues for our children and I can now see the results all the time.

Several weeks ago, my husband and I had a date on a Saturday. Before we left, my little Julia reminded me that if I saw a street person who was in need, that I should buy him a cup of coffee. She knows me too well. That evening when we came home, the first thing she asked me was if I bought a coffee for a stranger.

I told her "Julia, there were two people that were lying on the cold sidewalks a block apart, and I bought them both a warm breakfast". I went on to tell her that these two gentlement both told me "God Bless You" . I told Julia, that I recipricated and told them, "Sir, Gold bless you too."

She was so happy that I was able to provide not one but two strangers with a warm beverage and a small meal.

Yes, children certainly emulate their parents, but I must confess, there have been a couple of times when I've had to tell my daughter, not to be that generous...like the time, she gave away her newest "Littlest Petshop" toys to her friend, because "Mommy, she liked them", or the other time, when her little friend was coming down the stairs with a $20.00 bill clutched in her hands. "Julia, gave this to me".

God love them......

The beauty of agate stones are their unique and individual patterns that are caused by the stones natural inclusions.

What do you see in this stone?

I would love to know your thoughts?

Have a beautiful day.

Positively,
Baya

When you visit your favorite deli and order a great smoke meat or cornbeef sandwich, they always serve it with a dallop of coleslaw. I guarantee, that this coleslaw recipe is as good, if not better than what you have tasted in the past. Everytime I make it, especially for a large gathering, I have requests for this recipe. Enjoy and let me know how you like it.

Vegetable Mix

1 cabbage
1 english cucmber
1 red onion
l red/orange pepper

With your food processor, or manually, shred the cabbage, thinly slice the other vegetables. Toss in a big bowl.

Liquid Mix

1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar

Mix together and pour over salad.

Toss the salad a few times and refrigerate immediately. The taste improves day by day and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week--if it lasts that long

Are you aware that he earrings that you just purchased or received as a gift should have the closure cleaned with an alcohol swab—this will kill any bacteria. You do not know who tried on those earrings before you.

When putting on earrings, especially studs, most people press their index finger against the stone while pushing in the butterfly. It is wise to put a tissue over the surface of the stone as you apply the closure since your finger leaves an impression on the stone’s surface and takes away from the brilliance, sparkle and shine of the stone.

If you have post and butterfly earrings, the butterfly should not glide on too easily, but rather should be pushed on the post. If it glides on too easily, it can also slip off easily and you would lose your earrings.

There are two groups of travelers: the minimalist who packs just a few key pieces and then there is the opposite, who brings everything. This also applies with jewelry. Some travelers will not wear any jewelry, or if they do, it would be something inexpensive and simple, while others will not part with any of their jewelry.

I love my jewelry, but when I travel, I am the minimalist. I wear only my wedding band, a simple pair of gold hoop earrings and a plastic watch. Blending in with the locals and not drawing attention to yourself can sometimes be a challenge. In some countries, I definitely would not blend in since I am a very tall person. I certainly do not want to draw added attention.

There are many glorious destinations where the locals struggle because of poverty and rely on tourists for their livelihood. Tourists who wear a lot of jewelery stand out and are a potential target.

I cannot stress it enough that when you travel, please keep it simple. If you are heading to a beach destination, do not wear your jewels, especially your rings because the only person who will be laughing to the bank will be the person who is scouring the beaches with his metal detector. Suntan lotion makes your fingers slippery and rings can slip off easily as well as swimming in the cold ocean–your fingers shrink and your rings will slide off.

On the flip side, for who who choose to travel with their jewels, while in transit, keep your jewelry in your handbag or carry-on bag. If you are a frequent traveler, i.e. business traveler, you may wish to invest in a traveling jewelry case because they have the proper compartments that keep your jewelry organized and protected. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a travel case is how much jewelry and what type of jewelry you will be travelling with–there are so many different types available. You want to make sure you purchase the appropriate type. Again, minimal is always the best and safest policy.

If you are staying at a hotel, a wise idea would be to keep your jewelery in the hotel’s safety deposit box or in your room’s safe. It is also advisable to take copies of sales receipts, appraisal certificates or insurance papers as proof of ownership; by doing to you will avoid any potential problems with customs with regards to import taxes and customs declarations.

All emails welcome and answered

With the busy lives that we lead, and the multi-tasking that many of us do, sometimes I feel like an octopus, my one arm is reaching for this, my other arm is grabbing that, but the one thing that is always a priority for me is providing healthy home cooked meals for my family.

Growing up in a European household, my mother was truly my role model because she balanced her many roles with such such efficiency and complete dedication–she did it all from her heart and nothing and no one was ever short changed. She worked diligently at our family owned jewelry boutique, raised me, maintained a household and always provided the most delicious, homemade Hungarian meals for us every night. Yes mama, little did I know at the time, that I would one day be emulating you, and how grateful I am for that.

One of the many meals that my mother cooked for us was Chicken Paprikas. Not only is this one of our national dishes, it also has many versions since you can substitute the chicken for veal cubes or mushrooms. It is sooo delicious, but most importantly, a very healthy and quick meal to prepare.

Watching my mother prepare meals over my life-time, I have learned many of her skills in providing nutritious, yet simple dishes with minimal preparation time.

I hope you all have the opportunity to try this wonderful dish and let me know how you and your family have enjoyed it. I can tell you one thing, this recipe has been circulated world-wide by my friends who have eaten this meal at my home, asked for the recipe ,and have further sent it on….from Canada to Bosnia to Australia and around the globe, and now to you.

CHICKEN PAPRIKAS

2 medium onions - diced

1 1.2 tspn Hungarian SWEET PAPRIKA

1-2 pounds Chicken Breasts - cubed

1 Large Tomato - diced

1 Sweet Pepper (yellow, red, or orange) - Cut in half

Cooking Oil

Pinch of Salt - Or To Suit your Own Taste

Add cooking oil to pot.

Add Onions and cook until Soft

Add Chicken and cook until no longer pink

Sprinkle Hungarian Paprika over chicken/onion mixture

Add Pepper, Tomato, Salt and cover pot.

Cook it for one hour - make sure the chicken is fully cooked through.

The tomato releases its natural juices and you will find that you have a dish that resembles chicken stew. Separately cook either rice or pasta to serve over the chicken. We use German noodles that are approximately 2 inches long when fully cooked.

If you do not wish to use chicken, just substitute it for Veal or Mushrooms. These dishes are called Borju Paprikas - Veal Paprikas and Gomba Paprikas - Mushroom Paprikas. You prepare it the same way minus the chicken.

Guaranteed to become family favorites. Bon Appetite! I welcome all your comments and look forward to hearing from you when you have tried this wonderful dish.