Twinkle Studio

Valentino the Pug Man

I would have never guessed that Valentino is a pug man. Yes, he currently has six of them: Milton, Monty, Maude, Margot, Maggie, and Molly. 

I am awaiting the release of The Last Emporer on DVD because the pugs are central figures in Valentino's world. In the movie, Valentino says: "I don’t care much about the collection. My dogs are much more important!”

Valentino takes his pug babies with him everywhere. They fly on private jets and have a dog butler. Where can Lola and I sign up? 

Winner -- Stretchy Floral Bangle

Congrats to Crystal who won the Stretchy Floral Bangle! She said: 

"I have been enjoying your blog and the Twinkle Studios. I am looking forward to visiting often! The Bracelet is so pretty..Love it ;)"

Be sure to check back on Thursday for this week's drawing! I'm thinking of something red, white, or blue since we are approaching Independence Day weekend! 

This weekend, we saw My Sister's Keeper...and pretty much sobbed through the entire thing. 

I'm not talking about tears running down our cheeks or a few sniffles. I mean full-on crying. That kind of crying where your entire upper body heaves up and down because of the force. It pretty much brought on exhaustion afterward. 

The book is based on the novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult. The book is phenomenal and better than the movie (as always). But the movie is truly worth. 

The story is about the plight of a family whose eldest teenage daughter, Kate, has been battling leukemia since she was a toddler. When Kate was diagnosed, her only hope for survival was a bone marrow transplant. Nobody in the family was a match for this. So the parents had another child, Anna, with the help of a doctor who engineered a perfect transplant match.

As the years pass and the sisters become very close. The movie's main plot focuses on Anna's filing for legal medical emancipation in order for her parents to stop using her body to keep her sister alive...and, of course, the entire raw emotions around this perplexing turn of events. 

Cameron Diaz as the mom is phenomenal as is Abigail Breslin as Anna. But the true star of the movie is Sofia Vassilieva who plays Kate. What a wonderful performance! Great cameos by Joan Cusack and Alec Baldwin. 

If you need to really let it rip and cry, see this movie. I guarantee results!

Yo Poppy

Coach just launched a new line of accessories called Poppy. It's cute and bright! Doesn't the jewelry look a whole lot like Twinkle Studio? 

Poppy Flower Bracelet $168

Poppy Flower Ring $68

Poppy Button Bracelet $148

Adorable, yes. However, did you know that $1 out of every $4 spent on handbags in the US is Coach. SO...you'd be wearing what all the other girls are wearing. You don't want to do that!

Remember that Twinkle Studio  jewelry is all one-of-a-kind. You're never going to see another diva at a party wearing your necklace, earrings, bracelet, or ring.  

Plus Twinkle Studio pieces are a fraction of the price...bonus! 

Man in the Mirror

While he may have been quite a bit odd in his recent years, Michael Jackson brought a lot of positive energy to the world. I've always loved the song Man in the Mirror: 

I'm starting with the man in the mirror.

I'm asking him to change his ways.

And no message could have been any clearer.

If you wanna make the world a better place,
take a look at yourself and then make a change

Those are sentiments we should all take to heart. RIP MJ. 

Give-Away -- Stretchy Floral Bangle

I'm going to start a weekly give-away for the lovely and fashionable readers of my blog...starting today!

Just check back here every Thursday for that week's item (hint: bookmark http://twinkle-studio.typepad.com). 

To win, just leave a comment on any blog post from now through Monday. I'll draw a winner at random at the end of the day on Monday. 

This week's give-away is a fun bracelet that I just made. The bracelet is made from a vintage stretchy watch band and perched on top of it is a bright white flower...perfect for summer! This sort of reminds me of a wrist corsage, which is downright fun and sassy. Plus it has a value of $49. 

Leave a comment for your chance to win...

Oh Alice

I am a huge fan of Alice and Wonderland! I have the original pop-up book, named my first dog "Alice," and have watched the movie numerous times. 

So I am just thrilled that Tim Burton is tackling this adorable and quirky tale. 

His usual cast of character is involved (Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter), but there's a new actress in a key role...Anne Hathaway as The White Queen. 

Unfortunately we all have to wait a while before it's released. Mark your calendar for March 5, 2010. 'Til then, enjoy these sneak-peak photos:

Hot Tequila

I'm quite enjoying the jalapeno-infused tequila that I made and am sampling it tonite. It was really quite simple, but it makes the most interesting margaritas. 

Do it yourself: 

1. Get a bottle of white tequila (really any will do since you're infusing flavor, but I chose Sauza since it's 100% agave)

2. Slice about 5 jalapeno peppers into strips, removing seeds. 

3. Pour the tequila into a glass container and add jalapenos. Soak for 24 - 72 hour depending upon the "spice" you want. I soaked these for just over 24 hours and it was flavorful, but not overwhelming. 

4. Remove the jalapenos from the tequila. Save the jalapenos for garnish. 

That's it! 

Now onto making the margaritas...

I don't really have a recipe, but more of a general "sense" of what I mix and it's something like this: 

- 2 parts tequila

- 1 part lime

- 1 part Cointreau (do not use triple sec...yuk!)

- 2 parts juice of your choice (BEST is fresh grapefruit or watermelon...for a regular old margarita, I'll use the bright-colored margarita mix as my juice)

Salt the rim and enjoy!

Flores Open House

Twinkle Studio is the featured jewelry at the new Flores Fine Art Gallery at 492 Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Woot! 

At the gallery, I have more than 100 necklaces, bracelets, rings, pairs of earrings and (drumroll please...) cufflinks!

Plus there is a selection of about 25 necklaces with horse imagery for all the equine fans who are in or will be visiting Saratoga for the upcoming racing season. 

The creative talent behind the art at Flores Fine Art is Frankie Flores. His style is contemporary, in application, but classic in subject. His specialties are horses, horse racing, jazz music, and Manhattan. 

Stop by and check out Frankie's new gallery (and my jewelry!) on Thursday, June 25th from 5-9pm. 

Check out some more of Frankie's creations by clicking here.

Brilliant...Save Your Feet

I adore this concept! Rollasole offers stilleto-wearing gals the opportunity to buy a pair of inexpensive (but cute) flats out of a vending machine at a club. 

Right now they're only available in the UK. Sounds like an opportunity for a clever American!