Life is Good

Imagine my surprise as I'm browsing the Etsy Treasuries and stumble across one of my bracelets in a Treasury created by Flowered Sky aptly titled "Life is Good".

Earth tones are my favorite color palate.  What a stunning combination of colors and items that gel so nicely together.  I absolutely LOVE the Precious Moments pendant; it screams LOVE -- the overwhelming emotion I have for my son...this unconditional & limitless love.

If you would like to take a closer look at the Asymmetrical Skeleton Key & Crystal Skull Bangle you can find it in my Etsy Shop here.

So glad I did

It's about 30 degrees out and Gabriel decides out of the blue this morning that he wanted to go to the Aquarium today, now in fact.

The sun is shining brightly, it's windy and the temperature is below the freezing mark - not the ideal day for a trip to an indoor-outdoor Aquarium along the Peconic River.  Brrr!

I thought about it for a second and said "what the heck"; and I'm so glad I did!  We had a great time building memories.  And sometimes we just need these days.  Days where everything else takes a back seat. After all, these are the moments that we don't get back.

  

  

 

Winter Wonderland

1. saralagace: white mini paws
2. thejewelrybar: faith earrings
3. btavsan: white grey cocoon scarf
4. cricketscreations: snow leopard scarf
5. theintuitivegarden: snowy solitude
6. countrydreaming: deck the trails
7. flandersfield: crowd
8. rudman: felted collar
9. getthepicture: morning frost
10. maisondelucille: esme legwarmers
11. uncommonaccents: barren winter birch tree forest
12. maxmelody: white headband

Top Hat Tattoo & Brighter Tomorrows

Now through December 15, bring in a $10 gift card or new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 to benefit Brighter Tomorrows and receive up to 50% off of a tattoo or piercing at Top Hat Tattoo.

Brighter Tomorrows is a non-profit organization helping the victims of domestic violence on Long Island. You can learn more about Brighter Tomorrows and their Mission here.

Top Hat Tattoo is a world class tattoo studio located in the heart of Rocky Point, NY. You can find Top Hat Tattoo on My Space here and on Facebook here.

More on the Donations: If you choose to bring in a Gift Card, Brighter Tomorrows asks that they are no larger than $10. Choose from Target, Wal*Mart, Kohl's, or a plain old Visa Gift Card. Donate as many gift cards as you like.

If a Toy Drive is more your thing, Brighter Tomorrows is asking for a new, unwrapped toy for a boy or girl, ages infant to 12 years old. Please don't spend more than $10 per toy.

Top Hat Tattoo
(631) 849-5441
678 rte 25A
Rocky Point, NY 11778

Kitten Koffin Zombie Ad

Here is a picture of the Ad we placed in the 2010 Kitten Koffin Zombies Calndar. You can get your copy from the Kitten Koffin Zombies shop.

The Kitten Koffin Zombies Calendar is more than just a retro inspired Pinup Contest where the voting is open to everyone. It all started back in 2006 and has been going strong ever since.

To learn more about KKZ & how to become next years Calendar Girl go here: About KKZ

Steampunk Cuff INTENSE GOTHIC Wrist Cuff Black by edmdesigns

Today's "Pick of the Day". I stumbled upon this designer perusing Etsy & felt compelled to share with you.

Truly original, Edmdesigns is Dramatic, Daring & definitely not for the faint of heart! I LOVE this cuff!

Visit their shop here: (via edmdesigns)

Huge Sterling Silver Evil Eye Ring by MerCurios on Etsy

Huge striking ring, guaranteed to attract attention. ...the evil eye stares back at the world to ward off negativity & keep the wearer safe from harm.

Modern Evil Eye Bangle Bracelet by MerCurios on Etsy

A modern interpretation on the classic evil eye legend comes to life in this one-of-a-kind bangle bracelet.

Sodalite and Evil Eye Chunky Pendulum Bracelet by MerCurios

Always on the go? Want all the answers? Then this is the perfect divination tool for you. The Pendulum Bracelet is both fashionable and functional.

November's Fruit

1. Pomegranates; jhiro

2. Pomegranate; heatherrosedesign
3. Beijo de Roma; beijo flor
4. Keep Calm; queens order
5. Mango & Pomegranate Body Scrub; dress green
6. Lone Pomegranate, hillary miller
7. Electric Brazilian Pomegranate Necklace, beijo flor
8. Midnight Pomegranate Soap, catherine filippelli
9. Chubby Pomegranate Ring, the lovely teaspoon

10. Pomegranate, heather johnston

11. Pomegranate Rose Perfume Oil; flourish bath body

12. Pomegranate Prose; middleburg

Spark Periwinkle Goldstone and Evil Eye double wrap by MerCurios

Some say that's how it all began - with a spark. This double wrap bracelet is sure to ignite that spark within you. From the moment you put it on your wrist...magick. For that special occasion or with a pair of jeans... Heck, I may just keep this one for me.

P.O. Box

This lovely Treasury titled "P.O. Box" was created by Applied With Love.  In the midst of all of the beautiful items sits one of the MerCurios Pendulum Bracelets.

If you are in the market for unique baby apparel, onesies and frames, please visit Applied With Love's Etsy Shop here.

While the Kambaba Jasper & blown glass Pendulum Bracelet featured is no longer available, I am always updating shop, so stop and satisfy your curiosity.

What a Surprise!

What a nice surprise!  I awoke this morning only to find out that Found Handmade included my Mesh Corset Ring among their featured items.

For those not familiar with Found Handmade, they pull together all the sellers from various websites that sell handmade, vintage and supplies and conveniently put them all in one place so the buyer does not have to visit each of those sites separately.  How ingenious!

If you would like to take a closer look at my Copper Mesh Corset Ring, you can find it in my Etsy Shop here.

OMG! I made the Front Page of Etsy!

On October 11, 2009 I accidentally stumbled across one of my rings on the Front Page of Etsy - one of my favorite rings, actually. Needless to say I was shocked.

It's 4 days later and I'm still filled with the same overwhelming emotion when I think about it. I find it quite an honor and dare I say a sign of things to come.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to Seema of Flowered Sky for including me in her wonderful Treasury and to the Etsy Staff for placing it on the front page!

Enjoy!

Copper

I Love Copper...

How it feels in my hands while shaping it...

And forming it...

There nothing quite like it...so flexible and malleable

Such a wonderful living metal...

Haunting

A few of my favorites that capture the essence of the season perfectly. Enjoy!!

White Balsamic Glazed Chicken

White Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts - filleted
1 large onion - chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic - chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes - chopped
1 cup white wine - I use what I have in the house at the time. This time it was chardonnay.
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat. Cook chicken until just about cooked through, remove and set aside. Saute the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomato. Add the white wine and balsamic. Reduce the heat & return the chicken to the pan. Cook until the sauce has reduced & thickened up a little and the chicken has cooked through - 5 - 10 minutes or so.

Featured Corset Rings

Out of the blue, I received an email from TotusMel informing me that the MerCurios Agape Corset Ring would be among those featured on her blog the following day.  Of course, I was thrilled and high tailed it over there to check it out.  Look what I saw:

What a simple, yet stunning write-up.  I was honored to be featured along side such accomplished artists and designers.  In addition to lurking in the dark, wondrous corners of Etsy to bring us her fabulous pics, TotusMel is an amazing artist in her own right, creating unique and elegant Tatted Jewelry & Accessories.  Check out her Etsy shop here.

My 1st Treasury

I scored a Treasury on my 1st try. Here it is... thoughts??


Here's what I did:
1. http://www.craftopolis.com to check the clock
2. opened the respective treasury, in this case Treasury West
3. had my title already in my clip board
4. waited patiently...when it opened I pasted my title in the bar and hit "ok, create" -- It worked!!

All these tricks I learned here:
http://etsyalberta.blogspot.com/2009/07/treasury-info.html

Hope you guys find this useful.

Spaghetti Squash with White Wine, Spinach & Shrimp

Last week, I made spaghetti squash for the 1st time in place of pasta for dinner & I must say it ROCKED! Here's what I did should you want to give it a try...

Squash: (small - medium size)
sliced in half length-wise
Baked the squash on 375 for 20 minutes (10 each side)
scooped out the core & separated the "spaghetti" with a fork

Sauce:
saute pancetta, red onion, lots of garlic, pignolia nuts, red pepper flakes in olive oil
add a package of frozen spinach (I didn't have fresh spinach handy)
add white wine & chicken stock (approx a half cup of each)
add a pinch of kosher salt (teeny tiny bit)
add parmigiano reggiano grated cheese
add shrimp

This is something I came up with on the spot based on the ingredients I had available at home. I don't use actual measurements -- everything is to taste.

Feel free to leave comments or your Spaghetti Squash recipes.

Did you know?

Did you know?  Copper is an amazing metal.  It directs energy and increases the flow of blood.  Copper provides strong energy to the body and brain.  It helps to heal the metabolism, and may relieve exhaustion. Copper also aids in healing sexual instability.

Approximately 4 weeks have passed in between the two anklet photos below.  The difference between the two is dramatic.  While there are ways to speed up the natural patina or antiquing process of copper, what you see in the second photo is a result of the natural aging process.

Copper will naturally patina over time from exposure and wear.  Now, I personally love the antiqued look of aged copper, however, it's not for everyone.  Exposure to air, water, the oils in our skin will speed up the natural antiquing process of copper.

Like the original shine better?  No problem! ...just drop your copper piece in salted lemon water for a few moments, rinse with cold water & dry to bring it back.  Keep in mind this is an ongoing process.   Enjoy!!

Giving Back -- Cast your Vote!

This year especially, MerCurios has seen it's share of success and I am truly grateful. I've been wanting to give back for a while now, however, couldn't decide on a direction.

Moving forward, I would like to donate $1.00 from each sale to charity. This would include retail sales as well as wholesale & consignment orders.

The idea is to involve my customers -- give them (you) the choice of where the $1.00 is going. To keep things simple I will offer 3 charities. You, the customer, would choose which of the 3 charities to donate your dollar to.

I need to narrow down the list to three charities. This is not any easy task as each and every charity & cause holds significant importance to its founder and the community its helps.

So who would you donate to? St Judes? Autism speaks? Stand up 2 Cancer? Coalition for the homeless? ASPCA? Susan G. Koman? Rescue Ink? And the list goes on & on... What charities are closest to your heart?

At the end of the day, I would like to see diversity & to keep the donations in my backyard (United Sates).

Based on your suggestions, I will announce the three charities on August 1st and the donations will be retro active through January 2009. They will be sent to the respective charities at the end of the calendar year.

Cast your vote!

xoxo,
MJ
MerCurios

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Some would call it an obsession

If you haven't already guessed, I have an obsession with the Evil Eye. I can't tell you where my obsession started or how it began, what I can tell you is it's very real...my obsession that is. Whether or not you believe in the power of the Evil Eye, now that's totally up to you.

Flowered Sky creates some of the most alluring Evil Eye's I've come across. I've been using her glass Evil Eye beads in my work for years. Not only is Flowered Sky talented with glass, she is a successful jewelry designer as well. Below is a sample of her work -- please stop by her shop & tell her MerCurios sent you!

Flowered Sky Beads ~AND~ Flowered Sky

Here is my interpretation of Flowered Sky's beautiful bead work....

MerCurios

Contest: Win a Copper Corset Ring designed by me!

UPDATE: FeatheredDesigned was selected as the winner of this stunning ring by FashionGrail on Sunday, June 21.

She won with her comment: ” I adore necklaces, next to feathers, necklaces are my got to accessories, the bigger, the bolder, the more unique the better! And I love layering necklaces. Pearls with chains, chains with woods, black and white, fringe with wood. The possibilities are endless and what better way to add to my collection then with the Periwinkle Dream…Upcycled Chocolate Link Chain and Ribbon Choker Necklace with Copper and Goldstone accent from the Alchemy Collection.”

Congratulations Feathered Design and a big thank you to all of you who participated!

Wow! My favorite Copper Corset Ring is the prize in this weeks Fashiongrail Contest.


There is no purchase necessary and the Contest is simple... visit the MerCurios shoppe and pick your favorite accessory. Then go to Fashiongrail and answer this question "what would you wear it with?" The most creative answer wins the prize.

The contest runs from Monday, June 15 through Friday, June 19 and the winner will be selected on Saturday, June 20.

What are you waiting for? You could be the winner of this fabulous ring! Creativity is key and just to prove it here are a couple of the comments that have already been left...

..."I really like Bewitching ....I would wear this with my wedding dress so everyone would know I meant business, especially my groom"

..."The “love knot” ring ...I’d wear it in the bath while I was covered in bubbles!!!"

Remember...Have Fun & be Creative!

Rhubarb & dried-cherry chutney recipe

Rhubarb & dried-cherry chutney

1 cup medium-diced fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup small-diced onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, and simmer over medium to medium-low heat until the onions are translucent & the juices are beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring frequently, until very thick, another 6 - 8 minutes.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

...This is a wonderful condiment for grilled pork loin or roasted chicken.

I can't take credit for this one...Source: Fresh Magazine, issue 27, 2009

A new take on rice

My three year old son loves rice, but doesn't like vegetables. So this is something I came up with while playing in the kitchen as I often do and Gabriel LOVES it!

Please keep in mind I don't use specific measurements when I cook, so I'll try to break it down as much as I can...


Jasmine rice (1 cup)
Salt-Free Chicken Stock (2 cups)
Sun dried tomatoes (approx 1/8 cup - diced)
Shelled edamame (approx 1/4 cup)
Pineapple (approx 1/4 cup - diced)
Sea salt (pinch)
Italian seasoning (approx 1 tsp)

Bring two cups of Salt-free chicken stock to boiling point. Add jasmine rice, sun dried tomatoes, shelled edamame, pineapple, sea salt & Italian seasoning. Cover & reduce to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

If you are NOT using Salt-free Stock then omit the sea salt.

NOTE: I use Herb-Ox Sodium Free Granulated Chicken Bouillon. One jar makes 26 cups of broth and has a much longer shelf life than refrigerated broth. One teaspoon equals one cup of broth...just add water. And it's under $4.00 and can be found in most supermarkets...Stop & Shop, King Kullen, etc...

This side dish goes great with anything! This recipe is just one rendition...I'm always changing & adding depending on what I have in the kitchen at the moment.

Contact Us

Online Store: www.mercurios.net
Etsy: www.mercurios.etsy.com

Customer Service: (MerCuriosJewelry@Gmail.com)

Media Inquiries: Mary-Jo  (MerCuriosJewelry@Gmail.com)

Wholesale Inquires:

MerCurios

East Setauket, NY

Phone - (631) 813-8340

 Email - (MerCuriosJewelry@Gmail.com)