Tonia Davenport

The Pianist

Yeah, I know I'm annoying sometimes; what's your point?

(Sheesh, I was really hoping to be the drummer . . .)

What Instrument Will Lead to Your Rockstar Dreams?
	You should be a Pianist. You are relatively unassuming and tend not to attract attention to yourself. Level headed, you are the one who always comes up with a solution or compromise to a problem. With a massive amount of focused energy you are able to accomplish many goals with seemingly little effort. Your frequently annoying to others.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Whole-Lemon Lemonade

I finally got around to trying something that I've been wanting to try for a while. I can't remember where I first read about this--probably on some food blog--but it really appealed to me. Instead of only using squeezed juice from a lemon, this lemonade has much more depth of flavor because you get nuances from the whole lemon. I fixed this for us twice this weekend and Dave and I both loved it each time. It basically takes one lemon for two servings.

Here's what you do:

1. After scrubbing, cut one lemon into eighths.
2. Put it in a blender with about 1/3c. water and about 1/4c. sugar.
3. Blend until well pulverized, then strain through a fine-seive strainer. (Push the liquid through with your hands--like I did--or a spoon.)
4. Dived the liquid between two glasses--you should only have about 1/4c. in each glass--not much.
5. Fill the glass with ice and add water. Stir and drink up.

Heart-It-Forward IX

Happy Independence Weekend!  If it's raining on your parade and you can't grill out because of a storm warning, check out this quiz. (I got 2/3 of the answers right. I've never been too swift with some of that governmental stuff.) Then, if you're still bored, find out what state you are. I don't think I've ever felt like a california, but whatever. . . (and anyone who really know me, knows that I'm not a celebrity aficianado.)

You're California!
In many ways, you are larger than life and almost defy description. You certainly love to shake, rattle, and roll with the best of them. You have a generally sunny disposition, but are capable of resorting to harsh extremes when pressed. You are more likely than most to become rich, or famous, or perhaps both. While you have the golden touch in so many regards, your respect for actors is a little over-zealous. This endless faith in actors needs to be terminated.
Take the State Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

Finally, try your hand at this silly connect-the-dots game. I've been coming back to this site for months now, trying to improve my score, as well as my score on this site.

I'm having a great time relaxing, making some new things for the shop, and most importantly, making something new to give away. So, without further ado, here is HIF IX. If you're willing to play by the rules, just be the first to comment, to win. It's hard to get a feel for scale with these pics, but this is a choker with a tiny box of three hearts.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Now Open!

I still know very little about doing all of this . . .but . . .my shop is officially open now! So, go on--have a look-see! Tell me what you think!

Shop Opening Soon

I'm excited to be able to show you a sneak peek of some of what you'll find in my soon-to-be-open Etsy shop. My goal is to have it up by the end of the month, which means I have about a week to go! I just wanted to let you know what I've been up to. Stay tuned for the grand opening!

Save the Trees Bracelet

Hey guess what? The free project of the week for the Mixed-Media Group over at MyCraftivity is from Plexi Class! If you aren't a member of MyCraftivity yet, head on over and sign up--it's a great place to find creative inspiration and share what you're making with others. After you're signed up, if you go here, you can download this bracelet project from the book and try it yourself.

Best Eggs Ever

I have mentioned here before that I love eggs? I LOVE eggs. I'm sure I've mentioned it. Well, I just discovered the best way yet to eat them. Until now, I think my consistent favorite has been huevos rancheros, but this now tops the list. You can't really tell from the photo what all is going on here, so I'll give you the quick rundown.

Start with two toasted (w/butter) slices of baguette or french bread. I toasted mine in the panini maker. Top with a dab of pesto and either chopped fresh tomato (hard to find at the moment) or a dab of bruchetta mix. Put one slice of fresh mozarella on each, add one egg (poached or fried) to each slice and eat as if you're in Heaven. And if you're not, I don't want to hear about it because nothing can spoil this for me.

Heart-It-Forward VIII

Good morning! The early bird gets the worm, or at least the first person to comment (and agree to play) gets the bracelet. This bracelet was fun to make and I am looking forward to playing around with some variations on it. Oh, and I almost forgot, the winner will also be getting a nifty extra surprise!

Heart-It-Forward VII

I know it's been a long time since I've posted a HIF project (thirty-three days! sheesh . . .) so if you aren't familiar with the rules, check them out here. And I'll try not to take so long before the next HIF! But for now . . . be the first to comment, and agree to play. Happy Saturday! XOXO

Proposals and Such

Well, this post was going to be a new Heart-It-Forward project, but as happens with projects sometimes, and I know most of you can relate, I screwed it up and ruined it at the final stage of creation. Bummer. But fear not, after I take a little break and recharge my creative energy (translation: my frustration and annoyance subsides), I will be back with a new HIF project, albeit not the one I was planning.

So, let's see . . .what else is going on? For starters, after returning from my beautiful trip, I scrambled to get two proposals finished and sent to Teesha for next year's Artfest. I've never applied for this event before, so wish me luck! I proposed two plexi jewelry classes. I really, really would like to be accepted, but if I'm not, that's okay too--I shall soldier on and continue exploring other events.

Oh, and one thing I'm really excited about is my trip at the end of next week to the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'm going to be taking two classes, one from Susan Lenart Kazmer and one from Lisa Niven Kelly and I'm very excited about both! I'm also looking forward to catching up with a couple of authors who will be there as well as making some new friends. Are you going be there? Tell me if you are!