JessicaBe

GiGiPetals Giveaway

2012-02-11T09:03:00.002-07:00

Check out my $25 shop giveaway running this week on GiGiPetals.

To celebrate my coupon code "JESSICABETEN" is active in my shop. Save ten percent on your entire purchase now through February 17th. Enjoy!

New Necklaces in Aluminum

2012-02-09T10:10:00.003-07:00

Aluminum is hot right now in the hand stamping world. Sterling silver is trading at a thirty year high which is causing jewelers to look for more affordable options for their pieces. Aluminum is a great alternative, not only for it's cost, but also for it's shine. Aluminum will not tarnish like sterling tends to do.

I use 1100 Pure Aluminum in my designs which has a lower rate of skin reactions than sterling does so it is safe for your skin.

You can find links below to the new aluminum pieces I have in my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92445380/mothers-washer-style-hand-stamped

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92049381/mothers-cuff-hand-stamped-and-hammered

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89742259/new-year-new-me-mindbodysoul-silver

My New GiGiPetals Feature

2012-02-04T11:22:00.001-07:00

Check out my new GiGiPetals feature running this week. I'm featuring my handmade ruched scarves.

http://www.gigispetals.com/deals/show-deal

XO Gift Ideas

2012-02-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

Check out my latest Etsy Treasury and find great "XO" Gift ideas.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODkwMjAyN3wyMDE4MDk5MTg0/xo-i-love-you?ref=pr_treasury

Blog Giveaway

2012-01-26T13:44:00.002-07:00

Check out this review of my jewelry and enter to win this personalized Mother's Necklace!

http://green-mama-jama.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-for-love-sponsor-spotlight.html

My GiGiPetals Feature!

2012-01-16T14:44:00.005-07:00

Have you joined GiGiPetals yet? Today is a good day to do it. They feature very cute handmade items at a discount. The other day I bought this:

http://www.gigispetals.com/deals/show-deal/id/153/valentine-s-day-vinyl-value-pack-9-kisses-and-p-s-i-love-you/

Two of my necklaces are being featured today. You can see them here:

http://www.gigispetals.com/deals/show-deal/id/184/antiqued-brass-handstamped-or-mixed-metal-valentines-necklaces/

New

2012-01-06T09:17:00.002-07:00

HaPPy NeW YeAR!

2011-12-28T08:23:00.002-07:00

I am working on some fun new designs to post into my Etsy shop, including Hand Stamped Cuff Bracelets. In the meantime, here are some fun things:

This songs has been stuck in my head for a week. I love this funky version (and her hairdo).

Does anyone have a resolution for Healthy Habits this year. I've loved doing this challenge in the past and am excited to see Kim has it ready for the New Year. Anyone going to do it with me?!?!
http://www.thebestyou.blogspot.com/

COUPON CODE

2011-11-24T21:15:00.002-07:00

Enter the COUPON CODE
"JESSICABETEN"
and receive 10% off your entire purchase from my Etsy shop on
BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY.
Enjoy!

Teacher Apples

2011-11-22T15:32:00.003-07:00

Lots of new apples for teachers around here!

And CUTE snowflakes too!

BLACK FRIDAY

2011-11-20T21:16:00.002-07:00

Stay tuned!

Coupon codes will be posted on BLacK FriDaY and cYbER mOnDaY for my Etsy shop. I have about 15 new necklace styles to list before then.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping!

Holiday House Boutique TODAY!

2011-11-18T08:35:00.002-07:00

Last Weekend of the Holiday House Boutique. Don't miss this!! You will be amazed at all of the great gift ideas.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T09:55:00.002-07:00

Happy 11.11.11!

To celebrate, enter the coupon code "111111" at checkout

and receive 11% of your purchase in my Etsy shop, this weeekend.

Enjoy!

www.JessicaBe.Etsy.com

Holiday Boutiques Starting This Week!

2011-11-06T21:11:00.004-07:00

Hobble Creek Boutique

Friday and Saturday

November 11th and 12th

10am-6pm

12945 W. Woodspring St.

Boise, Idaho 83713

Hobble Creek Subdivision

Off Eagle Rd. South of Chinden

http://www.hobblecreekboutique.blogspot.com/

Holiday House Boutique

Friday and Saturday

November 11th and 12th

AND

November 18th and 19th

9am-6pm

1491 E. San Pedro St.

Meridian, Idaho 83646

Saguaro Springs Subdivision

Off Locust Grove between Chinden and McMillan

http://www.holidayhouseboutique.blogspot.com/

Brookwood Country Bazaar - Starts Today!

2011-11-03T09:14:00.002-06:00

Brookwood Country Bazaar

Northeast Corner of Eagle Rd. and Floating Feather Rd.

November 3-5

10 am -5 pm

Hand-made Crafts, Stitcheries, Home-baked Goods

Christmas Gifts, Jewelry, Scentsy, Antiques

Boutique Season

2011-10-31T22:05:00.003-06:00

It is CrAZy over here. I have extra doors in my office, a work table on which only I can find anything, a cold, and a broken dishwasher. Must mean it's holiday boutique season, right. Here they are:

November 3-5 Brookwood Holiday Bazaar from 9-5 each day.
Inside of the BRookwood CLubhouse on the NE corner of Eagle Rd. and Floating Feather.

November 10-12 and 18-19 The Holiday House Boutique Find info here:
http://www.holidayhouseboutique.blogspot.com/

November 11-12 Hobble Creek Boutique look for info to come here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hobble-Creek-Boutique/169195316430990

These are so fun to shop! Can't wait to see you there.

New Charms for my Stamped Necklaces

2011-10-26T14:26:00.003-06:00

I just received several new charms to add to my stamped necklaces. Here is a sneak peak.

If you aren't a fan of my facebook page yet, head on over there and "like" JessicaBe. I'm trying to get at least 25 fans on my page so I can get my URL and then the fun starts. Discounts, giveaways, contests will be coming but I need to see some action first so spread the word. Cut and paste this web address into your status box then leave me a comment about it.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/JessicaBe/191144204256263

If you share the love then I'll share some too!
In the meantime, check out these new charms. Yes, there are many more. Visit my Etsy store to see them under the "Design Your Own" tab.

Available Fonts

2011-10-11T14:36:00.004-06:00

I've acquired a few new fonts and thought I'd list a sample of each font now available.

They are:

Angelina Lowercase 1/8"

Angelina Uppercase 1/8" (Sample Coming Soon)

Aerial Lowercase 3/32"

Aerial Lowercase 1/16"

Gothic Uppercase 3/32"

Gothic Uppercase 1/16"

New Lowercase Fonts

2011-10-04T14:26:00.002-06:00

I am so excited for these new lowercase letters! Here's my necklace that I made this morning to try the small size font out.

My New Favorite Recipe - Just In Time For Fall

2011-10-03T22:15:00.004-06:00

I thought I'd share my new favorite recipe with you. We had it tonight and we love it! I like to serve my Black Bean Soup with homemade corn chips. Rub corn tortillas with a little E.V.O.O. and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Cut into quarteres with a pizza cutter and bake on a cookie sheet at 375 until golsen and crispy. Perfect for scooping up your soup! (Soup photo and recipe courtsey of Our Best Bites. http://ourbestbites.com/

ENJOY!

Black Bean Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters.

Puree soup until completely smooth. Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges. Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):
125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber

Tour De Coop

2011-09-19T12:27:00.003-06:00

Guess who's coop is going to be part of the Boise and Eagle Tour De Coop?!?!
Ours!
Saturday October 1st from 9am-3pm.
Register here: http://boisechickens.blogspot.com/

New For Fall

2011-09-13T14:28:00.002-06:00

Remembering

2011-09-11T14:48:00.001-06:00

Mowing Lawns and Gathering Eggs

2011-09-09T12:44:00.003-06:00

This is what our variety pack of eggs looks like on the days that all four hens lay. I love these colors! I especially love the little hands that insists on carrying the eggs to the refrigerator. D bought a lawn mower today at a garage sale for $1 and has been busy ever since. I even managed to catch a photo of him showing me the airplane passing overhead while he mowed. I love getting to be home and catch these moments with him. I am lucky.

Boo-tique!

2011-09-07T20:07:00.004-06:00

Mark your calendars for the Holiday House Boo-tique!

Friday and Saturday, September 16th and 17th.

Brrrrrr

2011-09-01T13:59:00.002-06:00

I definitely felt it in the air this morning.....

Lovin' Copper!

2011-08-22T14:41:00.004-06:00

I am in love with these new copper washers. The color is so rich and they are really getting me in the mood for fall. What do you think?

VooDoo Donughts-Do you prefer bacon or Fruit Loops on your maple bar?

2011-08-16T20:28:00.005-06:00

We just returned from our annual summer vacation to Portland and the Oregon Coast. It was wonderful! Not a speck of rain in ten days and sunshine at the beach. I even got to wear my swimsuit this year.

These photos tell a funny story from our trip.

Have you ever heard of VooDoo Doughnuts? It's a famous donut shop in Downtown Portland. We ventured down to the Saturday Market and decided to stop in for a donut. The line was very long and we decided to skip the hour and a half wait. After our market stroll we went up to the waterfront and rented a cool six seat, four wheeled bike to ride around the waterfront. As we were getting on our bike, a kind young lady approached us with a Voodoo Doughnuts box. She had just bought too many donuts and wondered if we'd each like one. We each tried one of the glazed donuts and were on our way.

We first rode up to the Hawthorne Bridge which was closed for to traffic for the annual "Brunch on the Bridge" event. As part of the event, VooDoo Doughnuts had set up a giant version of their donut box to fill with donuts in an attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the "largest box of donuts". (They succeeded by packing 600 donuts into the box).

Apparently, after the official weighing of the box, the owners handed out all the donuts for free. The donuts vanished in 45 minutes and, of course, we missed it. When we came upon the large box we were curious, just having left the shop with it's long line. We wondered if we could simply buy our donuts there, from the van on the bridge. (No, the one free glazed from the kind lady wasn't enough!)

Greg went over with our two oldest kids. Soon I noticed them peeking into the large box. Next I noticed Greg lift our daughter inside. I assumed that they were down to the last few boxes and Liv needed to jump in to grab one for us to purchase. I was wrong. I was curious, by now, and walked over with our two youngest boys. There was Olivia picking up squashed donuts from the bottom of the box. What on earth was going on?

Soon I was filled in on the story of the event that we had missed. Soon a crowd gathered to see why a young girl was in the box handing donuts to her brothers. Soon grown men were barking at her to let her know which donut they wanted from the bottom of the box.

Want to know why VooDoo Doughnuts is famous? I saw maple bars with strips of bacon on top, chocolate cake donuts with Cocoa Puffs on top, frosted donuts with Fruit Loops on top, chocolate iced donuts with smashed Oreos on top, and apparently, if you make it to the end of the line and into the store, you will see that VooDoo doughnuts come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Turns out it was a good thing we didn't wait in line and make it into the store with our four young children, if you know what I mean! I think I'll stick with the glazed.....

Bounty or How We Became Urban Chicken Farmers

2011-08-01T21:00:00.003-06:00

My husband, being the city boy that he is, has always had a very romantic dream of owning a small farm. A few years ago we decided to make that dream a reality. We placed a "For Sale By Owner" sign in front of our home but reality soon sunk in and we realized that unless we were willing to drastically drop the price of our home, we weren't going to sell it anytime soon.

We had two options: wait for the housing market to turn or make this house our dream.

We visited our neighbor's gardens. We checked books out from the library about square foot gardening. We measured and staked out (with plastic forks and yarn) boxes in our yard. Hey, this might just work!!

We had one last hurdle to jump. Beef cows and chickens......

We decided the beef cows will have to wait for the housing market to turn. The chickens were a possibility except that our Home Owners Association doesn't allow them. Our answer, petition our HOA for an exception. What's the worst they'll say? "No". But they didn't. They said "Yes". That is the story of how we became "Urban Chicken Farmers". Boy, are we glad we did!

Blueberries, Fresh Eggs, and Copper

2011-07-25T09:40:00.003-06:00

I am in love with July. The weather is finally hot; just how I like it. Our garden is trying hard to flourish and we've been enjoying peas, bean, squash, and beets. Last week Olivia and I went and picked blueberries at a U-Pick spot near our house. We picked with all our might for two hours despite the blazing afternoon heat and brought home 7-1/2 pounds of blueberries. We ate them until our bellies were sick then used the rest to make a few "firsts". Pictured above is my first blueberry pie and in my freezer is my first batch of blueberry freezer jam.

Another reason to celebrate July.... our hens started laying eggs this weekend. We are so excited and are enjoying beautiful, fresh brown eggs.

I am very excited about a Mother's Necklace that I am creating for my sweet friend. She has seven children and I'm going to stamp all their names on a rich, copper washer. I can't wait to see it! I love copper. I hope you are enjoying your July too.

Teacher and Girl's Camp Necklaces

2011-06-02T13:38:00.004-06:00

I am busy today stamping Teacher Necklaces and creating these cute necklaces for the girls to make at Girl's Camp in a few weeks. I'm also excited to try this new recipe for dinner tonight.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/biggest-loser-simple-swaps-diet?page=4

A Grandma's Custom Creations

2011-05-25T18:00:00.002-06:00

These are two necklaces that I made this week. Both are from a grandmother to two of her grandsons. One is a graduation gift for a grandson who is crazy about running. The other is for a grandson on his birthday. Both were designed, by this grandmother, to bond her heart to theirs and let them know how much they are loved. My favorite type of jewelry to create is a piece with meaning and sentiment, like these.

Training Season

2011-05-24T15:36:00.004-06:00

It's training season again. I've got three races I'm planning for this summer. The Sawtooth Relay, The Dirty Dash, and Barber To Boise. I'm getting ready to start sporting my "Sole Sister" necklace everyday. If you were going to create a piece of jewelry around one of your favorite passions, what would it look like and what would it say?

http://www.sawtoothrelay.com/sawtooth/home.cfm

http://www.thedirtydash.com/

http://www.barbertoboise.com/home.html

The Desire To Create

2011-02-10T21:23:00.002-07:00

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.
Everyone can create. You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.
You might say, I'm not the creative type. If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that You are a spirit daughter of the most creative Being in the universe. " Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Sentiment

2011-02-10T21:15:00.002-07:00

I made these two necklaces this week for a customer. They are reminders for her, her sisters, and their daughters of their sweet Mother and Grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. I love making jewelry that holds sentiment to it. While I am creating it, I think of all the sweet people involved and how each will react when they receive and see for the first time this piece. I think of the reminder it will be of a loved one whose memory they hold dear. Think about the sentiment in your life and what you might create from it.

Here it is!

2011-02-10T21:12:00.002-07:00

Here is my new mother's necklace. I've had these tags stamped since the very beginning. I just needed to find the perfect way to display them. I like it.

A Word About Sterling Silver

2011-02-02T14:09:00.003-07:00

Yes, I know I should be dusting and vacuuming. It is Wednesday, after all. I can't help it. I'm good at procrastinating and I feel like writing. I want to talk a bit about sterling silver and this seems like the best place to do it. You should know, and I want you to know, that sterling silver will tarnish. It just happens over time. Here are some tips I've learned. First: Your jewelry will tarnish less the more you wear it. Isn't that cool?!? Most people think the opposite is true. Second: You can find special cloths to remove the tarnish at most craft stores. The picture above shows the one I bought at either Craft Warehouse or Joann's (I can't remember which). I know Hobby Lobby also carries one. Most are two sided. One side is more rough for taking off the tarnish and the other is softer for polishing. They cost $7 or $8 but you can usually find a store coupon for a discount. That's all. Just a little FYI for my customers. Now I should really go and vacuum! Happy February!

Mother's Necklaces

2011-01-27T13:26:00.004-07:00

Want to know something funny. The entire reason I started this business is because I wanted a Hand Stamped Mother's Necklace. I'd had an order form for a local lady in my desk drawer for months waiting for the right time to fill it out and give it to Greg for an approaching holiday. Now that I can make any necklace for myself that I want, I can't decide what I want! Yep, I still haven't made myself a Mother's Necklace. Here are the four that I'm trying to decide between. Yes, I know I can make myself one of each but that's much too frivolous for me. I'll know which one, when the time is right......

"Loved" Necklaces

2011-01-09T14:30:00.007-07:00

I love Valentine's Day. It is a day that is great, in it's own right, but most of the reason why I love it is that it's also my birthday. Yep, I am a "Valentine Baby". Do you know how many times I've been called that? Only every time I have to give anyone my birth date. Think about it. That's alot.

I didn't always love sharing my birthday with this holiday. On one of my birthdays, when I was about eight, the only gift I wanted for my birthday was a heart-shaped box of chocolates. I'd never received one before. My aunt and uncle gave me one and it's the only birthday gift that I have a specific memory of from my early years. Then there's high school. Has anyone ever been inside of a high-school secretary's office on Valentine's Day? For four years of high school I spent my birthday listening to everyone else having their name called on the intercom to receive their dozen roses and balloon bouquet.

Now I love having my birthday on Valentine's Day! I get to spend much of the day in my kid's classroom and helping with class parties. It is so fun to me. Sometimes when friends find out when my birthday is, they will make a comment to my husband that goes something like this: "You got lucky, two for one". My husband is better than that. He doesn't take advantage of that two-for-one deal. Usually I receive my Valentine gift in the morning and my birthday presents in the evening. He's very good about distinguishing between the two.

Whether as a young girl or a wife, Valentine's Day had always been special to me. Grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles, friends, my children, and my husband have all been great at showing me that I am "Loved".

Running Themed Necklaces

2011-01-09T14:05:00.002-07:00

I love to run. Yes, you heard me correctly. I did say love. Not just after I'm finished but during the actual run. I love it. Am I a marathoner? Nope, never will be. In fact, I ran my first complete mile at the age of 29. I mean that literally. I'd NEVER run a full mile before that.

My friend wanted to burn off some baby weight and was looking for a running partner. "I can't run", was my reply. "Sure you can", was hers. In preparation for our first run together, my husband gave me a little coaching. He told me to start at our driveway. Run down the road until I got to the stop sign, turn around, run home. That would be one mile. He told me how I would be feeling at each marker point along the way. At our mailbox I would feel really good. At the park I would feel silly, like everyone was watching and I should just walk, for Pete's sake. At the Stone's house, I would start to hurt. This was normal.

You may wonder how I'd made it this long without ever running a mile. I was the kid with the note from mom excusing me from the mile run in elementary school because I had a "wheezing" problem. My husband loves that word: wheeze. My kids do not get notes excusing them from the mile run, by the way. I now know that "wheezing", while running, is normal.

Early that morning I took off on my first ever run. One mile. My husband was right. At each marker point I felt just as he said I would. As I made my way back home I could see four people standing out in the middle of the street. It was my cheering section. I had run my first mile. I was crying and my husband and kids were cheering as if I'd just completed my first marathon.

Since that day I've run thousands of miles. I run for fun and fitness. Occasionally I'll enter a fun 10k to get my competitive juices flowing. I run alone now. Most mornings, at 6:15 when it's still dark, you will find me out for a run. I am a runner. Am I a marathoner? Nope, never will be. I've already had my marathon moment.

Adoption Necklaces

2011-01-07T15:35:00.002-07:00

Some of you may wonder why I have Adoption Themed Necklaces available when I don't have personal ties to adoption. A customer approached me a few months ago and asked if I would make her a necklace that said "I Love Adoption". She has three adopted children and belongs to an adoption group that meets together often. She said many of the families are currently waiting to be selected as adoptive parents or are waiting for their babies to be born. She told me that many were wanting to find a meaningful gift that they could give to the birth mothers of their babies. She mentioned the theme often associated with adoption "It's About Love".

I have two members of my extended family who have become adoptive parents. Both of these adoptions have filled our family with joy for the new parents. I must admit, though, that my thoughts often turn to a young mother, whom I have never met, who is grieving over the loss of her baby. The ache that these birth mothers must feel is unimaginable to me. They only thing, I believe, that can fill that emptiness is love. These mothers willingly choose to give their babies the greatest gift possible, a family. Is there a greater gift and a stronger display of love than that?

What gift can you give the woman who has given you her child? Nothing to compare. My hope is that these Adoption Necklaces are a token of the love that one mother gives to another.

Change

2011-01-07T15:25:00.002-07:00

Change is in the air. Can you feel it? My blog is about to change.

I am excited to announce that I have just opened my Etsy store! Yea!! I hope this will make it easier, especially for those of you who live outside of Boise, to order and pay for my products. You will find a link to my Etsy store, as well as, my new business email address on the right side of my posts.

The opening of my Etsy store is bringing change to my blog. I will continue to update my blog with new products but will not continue to post pricing and details. For this you will need to visit my store. Instead I am going to get a little personal (consider yourselves warned). I am going to post on my blog the stories behind the pieces of jewelry and other projects that I make and why they are important and touching to me. I hope you enjoy.

For those of you who do live in the Boise area and want to order product but pick them up directly from me, you may use my new business email to place orders after you have visited my Etsy store for products and pricing and pay when you pick up.

I, as always, will still continue taking custom orders so please email me if there is a product you want but don't see in my Etsy store.