Dive Night - Jethro's

Dive Night is a once monthly adventure undertaken by me and Husby, along with our friends Ruthie and Ray. Each couple alternates choosing a restaurant, one which must come under the category of "dive." Our definition of dive: a neighborhood gathering spot hiding under the radar. Casual atmosphere and good food. We're out to find the best food in the Minneapolis/St Paul area without having to pay a fortune or dress up. A sip of beer or wine doesn't hurt either.  See a list and links to the previous dive night posts here.

Husby and I have been going to Jethro's (located in Mahtomedi, MN) for years.  Well, off and on at least.  It was pretty divey back in the day when you could smoke in bars and restaurants.  It was really, really smoky, but we loved it.  They had great food despite the hazy atmosphere.  So we decided to try it out again with Ruthie and Ray after years of being away.  It was okay, but it seems with the no-smoking laws came some mediocre food.

The beers seemed gigantic, which Husby and Ray could really appreciate.  Ruthie and I had wine, and unless I'm completely off my rocker I could swear it was watered down. 

Our waitress was about 80 years old, and didn't appear to have been in the business all those years.  She was cute and nice, but not too savvy when it came to doing the things waitresses do.  We gave her a big tip anyway. 

The appetizers came first.  We had onion rings and fried cauliflower.  The onion rings were fabulous.  The cauliflower was cold.  Hot on the outside, cold on the inside.  Like, out of the refrigerator cold.  I never send things back to the kitchen, but this time we had to.  You just can't eat fried cauliflower that has not been properly fried.  When the waitress returned with the cauliflower, it was perfect/hot.  My clam chowder was also very hot on its arrival.  It was delicious.

On to the dinners.

Ray and I got the fried fish (meh) which came with really yummy steak fries.  Ruthie got the shrimp and said it was good.  Husby opted for a bowl of chili and a salad.  Problem: he was not provided a spoon for his chili or dressing for his salad.  Of course our waitress was toddling around helping other patrons when he discovered his missing items.  I caught her eye while she was getting drinks at the bar and waved her down so she could get Husby what he needed to eat his meal.  When she saw my wave...she waved back and went about her business.

Eventually Husby got his spoon and dressing.

All in all I must say Jethro's was the biggest disappointment of all the Dive Nights thus far.  Our time was marvelous, however, as nothing can get in the way of good friends having a wonderful time together. 

Oddly, I couldn't take my eyes off this picture, part of the decor of Jethro's.  I guess it really isn't too surprising as I've always had a thing for ghosty ship ephemera.  I chose to believe this is a portrait of a sea captain.  Whatever.

Featured Shop - Cholula Jewelry

About twice a month I contribute an article to the HandmadeMN blog featuring the HandmadeMN members' shops on Etsy. I thought it would be nice to have those articles on my blog too, as I really like the artists and shops I feature, and their wares might add a bit of class to my little corner of the blogosphere.

What kind of name is Cholula?  According to this shop's owner, Cholula is the name of a hot sauce and also the name of a town in Mexico.  Most importantly it is the name of her horse.  She describes this horse as "beautiful and sweet with a little bit of funny and a lot of sass. It seemed fitting for my jewelry! "

Cholula Jewelry is all that and more.  Jessi presents a lovely array of fine silver rings, cuffs, pendants, and earrings.  She even has horse jewelry!  Let's take a peek...

This ring caught my eye immediately.  I love the swirly look!

Peacock Burro Ring

These earrings are so sweet.  A perfect little circle with a drop of moonstone.  So beautiful in their simplicity.  And I love that they are posts!

Mod Moon Posts

This ring caught my eye because I love polka dots.  The little beads of silver surrounding the stone are precious!  I really like the oblong shape, and the name of this ring, Rawhide, describes the stone perfectly.

Rawhide Ring

Go visit Jessi's shop Cholula Jewelry and see all the fine pieces she has to offer.  In her work she captures the free spirit of the horse for which her shop was named.  Keep up the fabulous work, Jessi!

My Hero

Husby went to run some errands this weekend.  When he returned home he came to Craftland where I was busy pouring all sorts of candles.  He told me about his outing, and then told me he got me a present.  He extended his arm to offer me a plastic bag which contained...three boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

Who says diamonds are a girl's best friend?

My Roots - Candles

There was a post I wrote before where I wondered if the name of my business is still appropriate.  The internet sees my work as cute bottle cap magnets, smutty pulp fiction magnets, and ice-breaking drink charms.  I've limited my waxes on the internet simply because the shipping can be expensive when ordering online.  Candles are heavy, and if you sell them one at a time it can be off-putting to see a shipping rate of $7.  Of course the more you buy the increments at which shipping increases is less, but this isn't really a post about shipping charges. 

It's all about the wax.  As much as I love to play with the bottle caps and laugh at the pulp fiction pictures as they roll through the laminator, I never tire of seeing and smelling a freshly poured candle come out of its mold. 

Lately I've been pouring the "green" candles.  All-natural palm wax makes such a beautiful candle.  It's got such an interesting texture, feeling much drier than paraffin.  Palm wax candles can also be stored in your hot attic in the summertime and will not get soft or misshapen.  That says nothing for the really interesting surface designs that occur naturally during the cooling process.

Then there's the beeswax.  In my business you'll never find a beeswax candle scented with oils.  That's disappointing to some, but my integrity will not allow masking the wonderful scent nature provides in beeswax.  I also don't dye beeswax, although you might find some embellished with appliques cut from colored beeswax sheets.  For the most part my beeswax candles are a natural color or ivory, which is achieved through a major filtering process.  When you buy a beeswax candle from me, it is the most pure candle you can get. 

I've been busy pouring lately, preparing for upcoming shows I hope to do throughout the summer and fall.  I've also thought I should get more candles into the online shop, despite what some may consider outrageous shipping charges. 

Are you a candle lover?  I'd be interested to know what scents you like, what colors appeal.  Have you tried alternative, more environmentally friendly waxes?  Give me some inspiration!

Taking A Little Whiff Of The Sweet Smell Of Success

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've been getting noticed lately.  Gratitude has been expressed to some of those who pointed and said, "hey, in case you haven't seen it yet, look at what she's doing."  Wonder has been prominant in the mind of the girl who never really thought much of herself despite accomplishments.  Ruthie's question, "are you afraid of success?" has taken center stage for me these days.  It seems I'm on the brink of something a lot bigger than what I'm used to.  Deciding what steps to take has merely anchored me to one spot on the ground while my head is busy spinning in circles. 

Emerson's quote is one of my favorites.  It reminds me that success is not measured in dollars.  You can't convince the wise person that you are successful by driving a fancy car or wearing designer clothes. 

On the other hand, there's something to be said about earning enough money to live all on your own.  I've spent my whole life wondering what it would be like to make money for myself instead of earning a salary from someone else.  I also found it is much safer to dream about those things than to actually try to go out and grab it.  Less satisfying of course, but much safer.

I've been offered some opportunities that could very well put me a few steps closer to earning that living without relying on a day job.  Secretly I'm kind of scared and nervous.  Okay, maybe not so secretly.  I might just take advantage of some of those opportunities, no matter how scary.

So off I go on the scary road of the unknown to find some monetary success.  Maybe I'll win the respect of intelligent people (like Emerson said) on the way.

So on and on you go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
Cat Stevens

Moving Forward

A life has passed, the rituals performed.  For some there will be times of emptiness and uncertainty.  For others, a stack of thank-you notes waiting to be composed and mailed. 

After a week of easing Mrs. Husby into the great beyond and hosting the funeral events I don't know what I'm about anymore.  The weekend proved to be a time of recharging in front of the TV and computer screen, accomplishing a lot of chit-chat on Facebook and Twitter and seeing several movies but not much else. 

It's time to get back into real life again.  Will I remember how to do my day job?  Could it be I'll have some time to vacuum the accumulating sock lint off the carpet?

Real life also brings on the new challenge of making decisions about Mr. Husby.  I'm not ready for that.  Husby isn't ready for that.  Yet we move forward, dealing with it as though we are indeed ready.

And what's with Daylight Savings Time starting in March?!  I really could have used that extra hour this weekend.

Getting The Groove Back

At long last, I'm back.  Maybe it hasn't been so long, but long enough for me.  We, Husby and I, have been quite occupied with the business of Mrs. Husby's demise, wake, and funeral, not to mention occupying ourselves with how we are going to proceed with Mr. Husby. 

The last couple of weeks have seemed like months.  Spending time in Husby's parents' house has been wearisome and downright boring at times.  Waiting...waiting...waiting.  Mrs. Husby had a peaceful demise for which we are all grateful.  The meeting and greeting during wake (visitation) and funeral has put a strain on our emotions and backs, although I must say it was good to see some distant friends.  It's also quite apparent that Husby and I have a marvelous network of family and friend support.  I can't give thanks enough for all my family has done during these times, and I must give a shout out to Ruthie for being so faithful and keeping my family in stitches and the Gundersons in coffee.

In those days and weeks I've been away from the computer and with my return I found out I've made several new friends and even made Etsy's Reading List.  What an honor!  Thank you Jane, of Glorious Hats for suggesting my humble article to the people at Etsy.

So now it's time to move on.  Next on the docket: candles, magnets, and drink charms.  Spring is officially here as we had our first thunderstorm of the year this morning.  That means it's time to build up inventory for upcoming the craft shows and festivals this summer.  I'm still trying to screw up the nerve to approach some brick and mortar shops for some consignment and wholesale business.  Kinda shy that way, but finding more venues for my wares is a goal for 2010.

This weekend I'm going to begin work on some new drink charm sets.  Here's a sneak peek: