Books Are Fun! Reading Is Cool!

My crafty pal Jen of Naughty Secretary Club just emailed me to let me know that she's doing a book signing at Make on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 3-5pm. She doesn't want only her parents to show up (c'mon now, she's a crafty legend!), so let's show her some Big D love and show up in droves!

Check out her blog about the event HERE.

And her book HERE (but wait to buy it at the signing, if you can make it).

I managed a book store in college, and let me tell you that book signings are really a lot of fun - esp. when there are cupcakes!

Wrapping It Up

One of my favorite blogs is calling it a day. Craving Anthropologie was started back in 2005 by a woman named Jade who loves the sophisticated urban-chic store almost as much as I do.

As most good things must come to an end, so too does her blog, which chronicles the latest offerings from Anthropologie and praises them to the sky. I'll miss you Craving Anthropologie. Perhaps I'll fill the gap with an Anthro-loving blog of my own...

Show Pony Flyer

Check it out - Tefi Designs is listed as a Featured Vendor. Can't wait to see you there!

Pamelita's Flyer

Too often I forget to mention the super-awesome craft collective I belong to - Etsy Dallas - and founded, um, by the way!

The leadership team (LT) is revving up for the coolest, most awesomest, most fantastic holiday show Dallas has ever seen (Can you tell I'm excited?), and I have to give my girl Pam of Pamela Michelle some major props for leading this particular show and taking care of our team graphics, to boot!

As you all now know, I'm going to be late into my third trimester by the time we hold our show on November 22nd, so Pam has bravely agreed to be the leader of this here crafty bash. The rest of us on the LT are also working our tails off to make this show rock. More details to come...

And while I'm bragging on Pammers, check out her latest design for a general team flyer (up top). Awesome work, Pam Pants

Adios, Madagascar

One of my long-time favorite necklaces is gone to Pennsylvania. The Madagascar, made with a real Thai orchid and freshwater pearls, sold last week and I was happy to shine it and wrap it up nice and snug for my Etsy customer.



I also saw that orchids like these are for sale at Free People. They cost $20 less than mine, only they are strung willy-nilly on a plain cord. Bright and colorful, but a little boring!

Paging Donna Reed

While I'm pretty sure you won't ever catch me wearing a hoop skirt and petticoat in public, you will see me wearing an apron at tomorrow's Urban Street Bazaar. Thanks to Miss Pamelita, the ED leadership team now has aprons with our official logo (which she designed back in October).

The original plan was to wear them at the BBQ, but it seems we will be debuting them en force this weekend. So look for the bright blue and orange colors and stop by our booths to show some crafty love. I mean, just look at how cute they are (that's Pam!):



Olives update: 56

Tender Twig

I got this Google alert in my inbox this morning: History of the “Book of Tephi"

That led me to a Google search where I found this information:

Teia Tephi was the daughter ("Tender Twig") of the king of Jerusalem whom Jeremiah went forth to 'plant' in Ireland after the destruction of Zedekiah, king of Jerusalem in c. 588 B.C.

The Book of Tephi describes the journey Jeremiah took with Teia Tephi, The Lia Fail, and The Ark of The Covenant from Jerusalem to Ireland, via Tanis in Egypt (as in Raiders of The Lost Ark), then on to Gibraltar (where Tephi was proclaimed queen of the Gadite Israelites); Breogan in Spain; Cornwall and eventually landing at Howth, near Dublin, in Ireland on the 18th. of June 583 B.C.

And here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

The Irish, or Insular Celts, are descended from the Ten Lost Tribes. Proponents of this theory state that there is evidence that the prophet Jeremiah came to Ireland with Princess Tea Tephi, a member of the Israelite royal family. Proponents of this theory point to various parallels between Irish and ancient Hebrew culture. For example, they note that the harp, the symbol of Ireland, also plays a role in Jewish history, as the musical instrument of King David. Some maintain that the Tribe of Dan conducted sea voyages to Ireland and colonized it as early as the period of the Judges.

No wonder I've always loved trees and twigs and tiaras and Harp lager!

See also: Scota Tephi, descendant of Scota, Egyptian princess and founder of the Gaels

Olives update: 25

Nesting Instincts

Many, many thanks go to mother, blogger, and jewelry lover Courtney of Nesting Insticts. She was kind enough to feature my Peapod necklace, which sold a record number of times yesterday and today.

I'm making a ton of Peapods (with 2 and 3 peas, both large and small beads) to have on hand at the upcoming Urban Street Bazaar next Saturday, May 10th. Come by my tent and get one!

Diana Droopy Eyes, Mouth Breathin' Betty, Slouchy McGee, Frightened Frida

an evening with Gladys Knight at the Meyerson
(Jen, Jenn, me, Mami)

Go On, Sample Me

Tefi Designs is thrilled to be a part of The Sampler for the month of May. I donated 50 fabric bobby pins to the cause, which has turned into a potentially bigger deal that I will tell you about later...It starts with an M and ends with a TV. Very exciting!!

See my listing here, 17th crafter down the list.

The Sampler is a subscription bonanza where you get a box full of handcrafted promo items each month from crafters and artists from around the world. Subscribe today or contribute your own handmade goods!

The Ol' Switcheroo

My dear aunt Sylvia snapped this pic at the Mambo Room about a million years ago and I just got it in my inbox last week. This is the four of us in an alternate universe: me + Justin and Jen + Jason. How funny would that be?

Speaking of alternate universes, I'm sorry to hear of Heston's death over the weekend. His politics leave much, much to be desired, but he made some great flicks: The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes, and Soylent Green. After all, Soylent Green is....PEOPLE!

It's Leap Day!

What a hectic week. As I finalize some deadlines at work, prepare for my BFF trip to Santa Fe next week, and keep Tefi Designs motorin' along, I want to stop to pay homage to this once-every-four-years event..........okay, there. That was nice.

I'm so excitied about my trip. Jen and I will get our yoga on, our shopping on, our mud bath on, and tons of walking and hiking. The hiking part I'm not too keen on, but she is and I know it will be fun so long as I keep it lowkey. My ol' bursitis knees can't take too much.

I'm gonna be a regular Willie Loman, too. I plan to pack my bag with some of my charming fabric bookmarks and hair goodies, and see if I can't get some of the shops we visit to carry them. Work it, work it. The worst word I can hear is No, right? And it's only made up of two itty-bitty letters. *shrug*



Tomorrow night is Jason's and my first in a series of movie nights. I call it "Bitchin' B-Movie Bonanza" with our first installment to be Westworld starring Yul Bryner. Also on the horizon for other BBMB nights: The Warriors, Logan's Run, Soylent Green, and The Jazz Singer. Awesome!

Date Night Recap: Every Wednesday, Jason and I have a standing date night, and this last Wednesday we went ice skating at Plaza of the Americas. I used to go there a lot as a kid and it was weird going as an adult. Everything was so much smaller.

We had so much fun, and altho I did a few twirls and he did a few oh-oh-oh-OH!'s, neither of us fell down! Check it out - that's Jason on the right swingin' his arms like an Olympian (I took that while skating backwards!) and me doing a bit of disco dancin' on the ice:





Have a great weekend everyone!

Funky Finds: Jewelry Giveaway!

Jessica at Funky Finds is doing her February jewelry giveaway, and guess what! Tefi Designs donated a pair of super-fun and definitely funky earrings called "Chocolate Drops." They are brown crocheted beads with silver findings. You can eat 'em up!

Click here to read about the giveaway and enter to win some handmade jewelry!

A big fat smoochy wet one to Jessica for hosting this great contest. Hurrah!

Friday - A Love Story

This past weekend was awhirl with plans and get-togethers. Friday night I spent the evening surrounded by popcorn, chocolate, and estrogen. That's right, a girls' night movie night was in effect at my cousin Jennifer's house. We watched Love Story starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw and let me tell you: Love means never having to say, "Oh my god this is cheesy."

Put the Horse Before the Cart

I love Feist. Girlfriend is beautiful, Canadian, and up for four Grammys! Two of them is for her song and video, "1 2 3 4". I posted this months ago when it first came out, and here it is again. It's that good.

"Sleepless, long nights - that's what my youth was for." *sigh* Ain't that the truth....



Also nominated: Lily Allen and Tom Waits. You can bet I'll be watching the entire Grammys for the first time ever!

Happy Anniversary Sweet Jane!

As an active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, it is my duty to out myself as a dork with an English degree and wish Ms. Austen a happy anniversary. It was on this day in 1813 that Pride and Prejudice was first published. You go girl!

And here she sits on my desk next to my dachshund paper weight.

Yard Party

People still do this? This afternoon Jason called me to come check out the front of the house. We stood there in disbelief and giggled like children. Who would do this? I have a feeling I know who did this - we call each other "cuz" and she probably had the help of a Serbian side-kick. Thing is, she hasn't called me back. Perhaps she's reading this blog right now and laughing to herself. This is so her. Girl, call me back!

UPDATE: So I talked with my cousin Jennifer, and she swears up and down that she didn't do this. It has got to be someone who lives in Oak Cliff since it happened between 3am and daylight. Hmmm...Dave? Ean? Larry? ChickyD? Nikola? Those people who came to our party and drank our beer?

You who know, tell me what love is.

After years of studying Italian, I'm pretty sure that's an accurate translation of an aria that I cannot get out of my head - "Voi Che Sapete." It's from the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, and I it's been stuck in my head since 1995 when I first watched the BBC production of Pride & Prejudice (I know, I know.... Elizabeth Bennett sings an English translation of it.) To hear it, click here and type in "Voi Che Sapete," hit "Search" and BAM! There you go. You get about 7 versions to choose from.

The Marriage of Figaro is something I know you're familiar with, even if you don't know it yourself. There is a duettino that Tim Robbins plays in Shawshank Redemption that brings the criminals to a standing halt. Remember? Also, the Overture has been in about a thousand commercials, mostly diamond commercials ala "He went to Jared!".

Yikes. Once Mozart stops turning around in his grave, perhaps he'll be pleased with a couple of inspired pieces I made recently:


Rock Me Amadeus ring: SOLD


Rock Me Amadeus pendant: $7.50

I sold the ring last week to a gal in England, but I can easily make a duplicate if you are so inclined. The pendant is still available at my Etsy shop...(Oh my, see the video below. I just couldn't help myself.)

Because they're cousins...

My cousin Jon got back to the States a few weeks ago after a tour in the Navy. He stopped by Dallas this past weekend and joined us for our monthly Cheers to Charity gathering. This time, Jason and I threw a party at our place and we have some pics to prove it.

(I wish you could see my necklace up close and personal. I made it from a photo Jason took about 4 years ago of a man with a white beard, Santa hat, and red outfit, jogging at White Rock Lake. I framed it, and surrounded it with Czech glass beads in white, candy apple red, and mint green.)


The Cousins & the Aunts


2 Cousins, 1 Serb, 1 Honorary Serb


3 Crazy Cousins


3 Normal Cousins @ Cafe Izmir
(Here I'm wearing one of my new mega-big fabric button necklaces.)


Aw, can you believe I only see him about once every year or two?


Jennie Loves Chewchie

And now...the finest ladies in Dallas!

Funny Ha-Ha

Came across a couple funny pics that made my Tuesday a little cheerier:


Crochet Man, found on Crafty Little Owl's blog


My cousin, Jennifer, and me on a catamaran in the San Francisco Bay, August 2007 (How is it that her hair looks so darn good?)