Archive for May, 2009

A lovely sterling silver necklace like this one is our first blog giveaway item.

 

This is the final entry in our series by Julie Hiltbrunner of Fort Worth’s own Silversmyth blog. 

We’ve talked about how to sort the jewlery you already have, and how to make simple repairs. Now it’s time to look at pieces for which more serious repairs are indicated, and, at the end of this post, to enter to win a beautiful sterling silver necklace with heart pendant from Silversmyth. Now, today’s post:

 Do you have a piece in which something need to be soldered back together?

Leave soldering to a bench jeweler.  But maybe you don’t want to pay to have something fixed.  The price of silver and gold is high. Your piece is probably worth more now than when it was purchased. Sell the items you can part with to a local precious metal buyer. You’ll get cash and the pieces you sell will be recycled. They will be melted down and made in new jewelry instead of new silver being extracted from mines.

See how environmentally conscious you are!  You can just slip that tidbit into conversation and people will think you are very knowledgeable… and at least in this one way, you are.

With the money you got for your unwanted jewelry, maybe it’s time to shop for something new. Gosh you have done a lot of work and have been so charitable–you’ve earned a reward.  Happy shopping!

* * *

1. Only U.S. entries please; we cannot mail the necklace outside of the U.S.

2. One entry per person.

Julie Hiltbrunner is the owner and jewelry designer for Silversmyth.  Julie lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas.  Julie enjoys designing unique items and personalized gifts for her clients, predominantly using sterling silver (when her mother-in-law isn’t keeping her busy with repair work.)  Silversmyth jewelry line can be seen at www.silversmyth.com. Updates about what is being newly created in her workshop can be found at the Silversmyth blog.

Questions and comments about Silversmyth can be directed to: Julie@Silversmyth.com  Questions about the contest can go to editor (at) fwrenaissance.com.

This is a favorite of my oldest daughter. It takes some attention, but is probably the most perfect coffee cake I’ve ever eaten.

You’ll need a tube pan like you use for angel food cake.  If the bottom is removable, wrap the pan in aluminum foil before you start or the batter will leak out.  Butter the pan well with 2 tablespoons of butter. Set up the oven by taking out all but one rack and putting that one rack near the bottom of the oven so the pan will fit.  Preheat to 350 degrees.

Streusel Topping

Mix together 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour, 1/4  cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.

Put 1 1/4 cups of this mixture aside into a small bowl and stir 1/4 cups of brown sugar into this set aside mixture.  This will be the streusel for the inside the cake. Mix the rest of the topping with 2 tablespoons cold butter (some would add nuts, but we never do) and set aside. This will be streusel for the top of the cake. 

Cake:

Combine 4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1 cup sour cream in a bowl. Sift 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder,1/4 tablespoon baking soda and 1/4 tablespoon salt  into another bowl and add 1/2 cup sour cream and 3/4 cup softened butter, mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Then beat well, scraping sides of bowl. Add the egg mixture in three steps, beating after each. Beat well again until you see batter begin to become puffy and increase in size.

Now you’re ready to assemble the cake. Start filling the prepared tube pan with 3 cups of batter, follow with 3/4 cups of the streusel for the interior, one cup of batter, and then the remaining interior streusel, the last of the batter, and the streusel with butter for the top of the cake. 

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. May be difficult to slice while still warm. Wrap in aluminum foil to serve.

From an email update sent by the City:

Closed May 25

• All City of Fort Worth offices
• All Fort Worth Library locations
• Fort Worth Business Assistance Center
• All community centers and Haws Athletic Center
• Fort Worth Municipal Court
• Log Cabin Village is typically closed on Mondays.

Open May 25

• Garbage, recycling and brush pickup schedules are not affected, and the Environmental Management Department’s three drop-off stations will be open.
• Municipal golf courses
• Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Japanese Garden
• Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge
• Fort Worth Water Gardens
• Fort Worth Zoo
• The Fort Worth Herd will be on the move at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The horned frog prefers arid spots and dry grasslands as habitat

I never thought I would love a frog, but now that I sport a logo of one in the TCU sticker on the back of my car, I consider the sighting  of real live Texas Horned Frogs in the yard a sign of the favor of the Universe.

Twice now I have seen small, brown, broad-bodied frog-like creatures (more conventionally known by their proper name of Horned Lizards) scurrying away from me while I was tending my vegetables. The children tell me they have seen them as well. It begins to appear we are in possession of our own Texas Horned Frog preserve. If so, I have to admit I feel very lucky, since this animal, the mascot of our local university, Texas Christian U, does seem to have something endearing in its rough features and scurrying, low-slung body.

Have you seen a Texas Horned Frog? Apparently they used to be everywhere, but today populations are down.

Description: Light brown lizard with horn-like growths on its head; wide in body, like a toad or frog, thus the common name “horned frog.” They are physiologically, however, members of the lizard family.

Size:  About four inches long.

Range: From the south-central United States to northern Mexico, including much of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico.

Diet: Main food is harvester ants, many of which have been killed off by pesticides or by the dreaded red fire ants.

Habitat: Arid or semi arid, light sandy or loamy soils, with light plant cover. (Maybe that’s why they like our yard — it’s xeroscape, no irrigation, and no pesticide has touched it in years.)

Population status: Considered a threatened species.

Here is more on how to Horned Toad became endangered. You can help with efforts to preserve the Texas Horned Lizard through a program with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Go Horned Frogs (the species!) No disrespect to the football team of course.

Image credit: Jim the Corsair

Julie Hiltbrunner creates custom jewelery in her Fort Worth studio

This is the second guest blog in a three-part series written by Julie Hiltbrunner of Fort Worth’s own Silversmyth.  We’ll be running a cool giveaway for one of her pieces next week. 

Last time, we walked you through cleaning out your jewelery box, separating the good pieces from the stuff you actually don’t need to save. Now is when you’ll learn about making your own simple jewelry repairs.

* * *

Do you save broken pieces with the idea that you’ll find someone to repair them? If so, first ask yourself,  ”are they even worth fixing?” If you decide the answer is yes, consider whether one of these three techniques can bring your piece back to life:

1. Do you have scratched silver rings and bracelets?  If they don’t have much detail… you can rub the backside (not teeth) of a key against it.  That’s called burnishing.  There are fancy tools that you can buy to do this, but I’ve found stainless steel objects around the house that will work just as well.  If it’s a  larger piece, try using the backside of a spoon.  The steel pushes the softer metal into the lines making them disappear. 

2. Maybe you have a piece where a jump ring opened and there are two parts that need to be hooked back together.  To fix, you need two pair of jeweler’s needle nose pliers.  Also, buy some replacement rings in different sizes.  Silver plate is junk, get some sterling from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.  In small quantities they are not too expensive.  With pliers in each hand, hold each side of a jump ring with the split between the pliers.  Push one pair of pliers forward and the other back.  Jump rings are twisted open not pulled out to the sides, because it would cause the ring to lose roundness.  Twist the ring shut to complete the repair.   Try again if you see light between the split.  When closing a jump ring shut you should hear a small snap of the metal coming together.

3. Restringing beads is very simple.  You may get hooked once you know how, and start making your own jewelry.  There are plenty of instructional videos on Youtube.com to teach you the basics. 

Next time, we’ll explain what to do with more seriously damaged pieces. 

 * * *

Julie Hiltbrunner is the owner and jewelry designer for Silversmyth.  Julie lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas and enjoys designing unique items and personalized gifts for her clients, predominantly using sterling silver (when her mother-in-law isn’t keeping her busy with repair work.)  Silversmyth jewelry can be seen at www.silversmyth.com. Updates about what is being newly created in her workshop can be found at the Silversmyth blog.

Generally, if I’m following you on Twitter, I stay following you. I’m now following over 1,000 people, and I no longer believe I can read everyone’s tweets, so actually, at this point adding more people doesn’t really cost me anything.  It actually just increases the pool of potential tweets I read on the half hour or so each day that I’m on. However, there are ways you can tweet and DM that can get an “unfollow” response from me. Here are some of the biggest:

1. DM me a message about how I can make $5000 a month with only one hour’s work a day, or how I can be healthy, wealthy, or wise by reading an ebook, or promising to show me how to have over 10,000 followers … forget it. That’s the end of our “relationship.” In fact, if you ever send me an auto-DM it’s over. 

2. Talk too much about your sexual interests that I do not share.

3. That goes for your political views as well.

4. Repeatly send out messages that are just a bunch of technical jargon I don’t understand, so that I finally recognize your avatar as “that one that never makes any sense.” At that point, you’re not gaining anything from being on my thread anyway, so I might as well drop.

5. Make too much use of hashtag threads relating to words on a theme. Once or twice is okay, but when you start doing it incessantly, it starts to grate. Biggest offender this week? #Three hot words.# Ugg. 

6. Brag about prizes your kids won and how, in particular, your kids are actually smarter/stronger/more socially well adjusted than other kids, including, by extension, mine. Friends don’t brag about their kids. And tweeps are supposed to be friends.

Is there any clemency or mercy? Yes, there is. If the rest of your tweets are really good, I might overlook any of these things (except #1). And of course, there are no rules on Twitter. Any of these concepts could be changed or suspended at any moment. Look, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be a grouch –I’m just saying.

Now you know.

From an announcement sent out by the city, we have news of this summer’s library programs, including the 20-minute per day summer reading challenge. 

Fort Worth – The public is invited to learn about keeping mind and body healthy during the kickoff for Mayor Mike’s Summer Reading Challenge, 11 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. May 21 in the Central Library, 500 W. Third St.
 
Children, teens and adults are invited to attend this free event. Honorary co-chairs for the event are Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks and Robert Earley, President and CEO of JPS Health Network.
 
Activities will emphasize health and wellness for the entire family. Planned activities include testing for diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure; an aerobics demonstration; children’s activities such as jump rope and hula-hoop contests; and a fruit walk (instead of the normal cake walk). Booth volunteers will be sharing information on eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The Summer Reading Challenge officially starts June 6 and runs through Aug. 1.
This year’s theme, “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” emphasizes our Texas roots, but also focuses on the heart as a vital organ. The Challenge is designed to keep the heart and mind healthy, to encourage reading for pleasure and to promote more visits to public libraries.

Registering for the program, reading 20 minutes a day and keeping a log of what has been read makes the reader eligible for different prizes available at any city library. Online registration begins May 21 on the Library’s Web site: www.fortworthlibrary.org or register at any Fort Worth Library.
 
In addition, all 15 libraries have planned special programs and activities June 6-Aug.1. Some events include live performances, teen gaming, adult legal information, tips about keeping yourself healthy, family story times, circus clown visits, book and chess clubs, and nature programs.

Is the modern market really fixated on “Everyman?” And is that why Chris Brogan is getting all the cool freebies for his blog?

Brogan recently claimed that “I am the new everyman” and that this fact gets him blog trials and freebees. I had to go to work this morning, so I didn’t have time to take issue with this when it first came out, but I’m going to now.

First premise: that marketing is now just looking to the “everyman” image. Marketing to everyman goes pretty far back. Who can forget the plethora of beer commercials and car ads we grew up with? Remember “Baseball, Apple Pie and Chevrolet?” They’ve been searching for Everyman for generations — this is not a new deal.

Second, I don’t really think of Chris as Everyman. He’s obviously quite unusual. From my distant vantage point he appears to be a kind of new world order social media jetsetter, a guy who’s followed by 70,000 people on Twitter and who can show up at any town in the U.S., tweet that he’d like company for dinner, and immediately see some instant friends. He doesn’t go to blogging conferences, he presents at them. He promotes others, yes, but all the while, he is himself at the center of the storm, the axel around which his social media circle revolves, not just another spoke. 

Chris, you are a social media celebrity, not Everyman. The reason people send you things to try out for your blog is:

a. Readership. That includes numbers and demographics. How many of what kind of readers you get when a product is written about on your blog.

b. Writing skill. Association with good writing is always worthwhile for product promotion. And finally a word you like to use:

c. ROI. Return on investment, for non-marketing readers. Sending you a free item to look at for the blog is hugely, hugely cheaper than hiring a PR firm and buying ad space. Especially when you remember that the company gets its product at cost, not at retail.

No, they are not sending you stuff because you’re Everyman. However, your innocent stance about your own stature is somewhat ingenuous … kindof simpleminded … maybe a little Everymanish. But that’s it, the rest of what I’ve seen of you is unique and sophisticated. Go with it.

This is a three-part series written by Julie Hiltbrunner of Fort Worth’s own Silversmyth blog.  We’ll be running a cool giveaway for one of her pieces next week. In the meantime, so you can get to know her and her blog better, she’s contributed a set of three guest posts. Thanks Julie!

How to Make the Most of What is Already in Your Jewelery Box

Take a look at your jewelery box. You probably have a bunch of pieces that you never wear in there. Want some new jewelry? Here are some initial steps to getting some new kick out of your old pieces. Take a moment now to make an inventory, looking over what you’ve got.

1) Consider: what is in style and what needs to go?
2) Are you just keeping it for sentimental value? Would a photo suffice?
3) Does it need to be repaired?
4) Clean all your jewelry with liquid jewelry cleaner or a polishing cloth if it contains soft stones such as turquoise, opal or pearl.
5) Make a pile of broken, kinked or tangled chains.
6) Separate your costume jewelry from your silver jewelry.  Costume jewelry is sold on racks in clothing stores. There is a heavy markup on these items despite that they are made of base metal and plastic.  Base metal refers to any number of non-precious metals alloyed (melted together) to form cheap metal.  This type of jewelry is mean to be worn and thrown away when it goes out of style.   Go ahead and throw yours in the bag going to Goodwill. Its okay, I’ll wait here. Doesn’t that feel better? Now there’s less stuff in the way of you taking a good look at your precious jewelry.
7) Take all pendants (the part of the necklace that is suspended from the chain) off their respective chains.  Do you have some chains that are the same length?  You can wear two of the same length at the same time for interesting look. You can try running two same-length chains through one pendant.
8 ) Have an old charm bracelet you never wear?  How would those charms look on a chain?  Small pendants are in style.  So is the layered look. Take three charms and three different lengths of chain and slip one charm on each chain. Ta Da! You have three new necklaces that you can wear at the same time.  You are too cool…
9) Have rings that don’t fit any more? I like to wear a large and a small plain band rings on a chain.  Simple is elegant.
10) So what do you have left?  A few pair of earrings you don’t wear because post earrings annoy you? Could an old pair of earrings be made into charms by cutting off the post and adding a split-ring (jump ring)?  Or clean them and give them to a friend?  A class act like you wouldn’t re-gift costume junk but a pair of sparkling sterling earrings?  They are truly precious… a thing of lasting value and beauty. A friend would like to have them, I’m sure.

Now you’re on your way, but there’s more to do … come back on Thursday and I’ll tell you how to re-string your old necklaces and more!

Julie Hiltbrunner is the owner and jewelry designer for Silversmyth.  Julie lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas.  Julie enjoys designing unique items and personalized gifts for her clients, predominantly using sterling silver (when her mother-in-law isn’t keeping her busy with repair work.)  Silversmyth jewelry line can be seen at www.silversmyth.com. Updates about what is being newly created in her workshop can be found at the Silversmyth blog.

Kevin at 5ksandcabernets says that runners are nicer in Fort Worth than Austin, but they have better restaurants. Not really surprised, there …

The Amon Carter Blog has some interesting daguerreotypes from the Mexican-American war posted, and a new web portal will be matching donations to the museum if donations are made throught the site on May 20, 2009 … Food and Fort Worth clips from the Fort Worth Business Press on the Kimbell’s new Michelangelo painting, then goes to report on a customer satisfaction survey of fast food. Talk about high-low …Dave at DallasPhotoworks has been kicking around Santa Fe, photographing traditional Indian basket art.

Eva-Marie at Extra Credit Blog reports that Fort Worth High School principals support the current policy of not allowing high school seniors to walk for graduation if they have not passed the TAKS tests required.

Richie Escovedo has put a discourse online about social media tools vs. the social web, and what that all means for PR people.

Fort Worth Can Do seems to be suggesting that the earthquake felt over the weekend might be related to gas drilling. Fortworthology is apparently serious about being on hiatus, until, they say, May 22. It’s better than just disappearing, but not completely reassuring after the sign-off by West and Clear last week. 

Rob (follow him on twitter — @coffeetalkee) reviews the Kaloric Aqua 10-cup coffeemaker … and Log Cabin Village Blog features a podcast on how to make a bucket the old fashioned way. Julie at Silversmyth posts a story about Lampwork beads. Look for a three part series from her this week on organizing your jewelery box, and next week, a our first blog giveaway featuring one of her creations.