Sunday, July 31, 2011

What's on your BUCKET LIST?

I remember after seeing the movie, "The Bucket List" that I really needed to make that list. Well life tends to get in the way and time passes. I also remember thinking that my parents probably never made such a list. They missed out on so many things. I know that my Dad would have loved to have visited Ireland to see where his ancestors came from, and Normandy, France to see the resting place for all of the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom back in WWII. I know that my Mom would have loved to see Germany, where her Mother was from. And I know that in the years before she passed away, she would have loved to have been able to SEE. She became blind in the last 5 years of her life.

But today is not about the things that never happened; it's about the things that I have wanted to do and never thought for one minute would ever happen. But first, I want to reveal what's on my BUCKET LIST - not in any particular order and I'll reveal the things that I can check off!!!



  1. TRAVEL - the Holyland, Tuscany, Provence, England, Ireland (I would really love to live here someday), Fiji and Bora Bora, every state in the USA (I've been to 41)

  2. OWN MY OWN BUSINESS . . . check

  3. BE A GRANDMOTHER - plenty of time for this Kellan

  4. BE PUBLISHED . . . more to come on that

  5. OWN A SUMMER HOME

  6. HAVE MY OWN DOT.COM . . . hmmmmmmmm


  7. ALWAYS BE IN LOVE - 28+ years and counting

I know there are so many more that I could come up with, but I surely don't want to lose you. So #6 mentioned that I wanted to have my own DOT.COM. Well, as of tomorrow, I can check that off my list. For the past month or so, my sweet friend Sara has been designing and developing a website for me. What will be different here than from ETSY? Probably not much, but you'll definitely see more new and exciting product. The prices may drop a smidge as I won't have the fee's that ETSY charges :) That's great news, huh? You won't have to "sign up" to have an ETSY account. All you'll need is a PayPal Account for checkout. While I will still keep my ETSY site open for awhile, it will become more streamlined and significantly less product than it does now. So without further ado . . .


http://www.tippystockton.com


If all goes smooth, the site will be up and running on Monday, August 1. At tippystockton.com, you'll be able to access not only my new shopping site, my blog is connected so you can pop right over and see what I'm up to. And let me tell, you'll want to stay tuned as there is some amazing news coming up. You'll also be able to find out about special events, sales, and just general information from moi!


So let's get this celebration started. From August 1-15, take 25% off your entire order. Prices are already adjusted, so shop to your hearts content.


THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE MADE

MY DREAM COME TRUE! XOXO

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Tuesday Trends

Tuesday Trends for this week . . . blue sky, deep blue sea, moonglow, robin's egg blue. All of my favorite colors. Can you believe how much gray is in our fashion palette these days? THE NEW BLACK. I love it! Enjoy, and don't forget, all of these amazing jewels are just a click away @ http://www.tippystockton.etsy.com.






Cobble Hill Earrings - $34

Thursday, July 21, 2011

I'm Bribing you with a YUMMY Summer Dessert

Well, I'm going to say this right up front . . . I'm not a person who resorts to bribery very often. But I am tonight. I really want more BLOG FOLLOWERS. So if I give you this really YuMmY recipe, will you tell your friends about my blog??? You see, there's a really good reason for that. NEXT WEEK something really wonderful is going to happen here. I'm going to have a celebration, but I'm just going to keep it at that for right now. I'll have some prizes too! Do you like prizes??? Perhaps a discount coupon?
Leave me a note here about your favorite dessert, and I'll enter your name into a drawing to win one of my Vintage Bottle Cap Necklaces.




And now, for the recipe:


Grilled Strawberry Cobbler


6 wooden skewers (we used metal skewers)


1 (2#) container fresh strawberries, stems removed


1 c. strawberry preserves


1/4 c. water


2 tbl. fresh lemon juice


1/2 c. butter


2 c. all-purpose baking mix (I used Bisquick)


2 c. sugar


1-1/2 c. half-and-half




  1. Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Preheat grill to high heat (400-500 degrees)


  2. Thread strawberries onto skewers. Arrange skewers on grill, and grill for 2-3 minutes per side, slice strawberries, and set aside


  3. In a small saucepan, combine strawberry preserves, water, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes.


  4. Preheat oven to 350.


  5. Place butter in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Place dish in oven until butter melts.


  6. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, and half-and-half. Pour batter into dish with butter. Arrange strawberries on top of batter. Pour preserves mixture over top of strawberries.


  7. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

ENJOY . . .


I will pick a random winner on Monday, August 1. So don't forget, spread the word. Have a wonderful weekend . . . the sun is finally going to shine here in Seattle!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

A Proud Moment

So when I woke up this morning and my every Sunday bulletin from The Creative Connection was in my in-box, I opened it as I do every Sunday. Looking for any "new" news about the upcoming event. And there it was . . . a photo of the cover for the upcoming book by Where Women Create - CELEBRATE! I had a multitude of feelings going on when I saw it, but most of all, I felt proud. To be included in with these lovely women; many who are uber amazing in their own right. Ree Drummond - the Pioneer Woman, whose line I stood in last year at TCC for an autograph in her new cookbook, to Celeste Shaw - owner of Chaps in Spokane. There are not enough words to describe Celeste. She is THE most gracious, loving woman I think I have ever met. Serena Thompson - The Farm Chick who gave me a gift last year when she picked me to be in her show in Spokane. Molly Wizenberg - Brandon's wife! Co-owner of my favorite pizza place on earth right here in Seattle. Delancy's on 70th if you haven't tried it. You won't be dissappointed.

It was just a year ago that I hosted a dinner party for my dear friend Tiffany. She spent the afternoon taking photos of me and my Studio. I wanted to get some promo shots and to just document this amazing gift that I was given. We gathered under a canopy that I had decked out in aqua and red to celebrate friendships; a meeting of a lovely group of women who share a common interest. It was a magical night of laughter and love. I remember going to bed that night thinking how much love I felt that night. A couple of weeks later I received a phone call from Tiffany telling me that she submitted the party photos to Jo Packham of Where Women Create and Where Women Cook fame. They wanted to feature my photos and a story about this special evening in an upcoming book, called, "Where Women Cook - CELEBRATE". And so it began, this amazing journey. The thought that kept running through my head was, "wow, Mom and Dad are so happy and proud of me". The mere thought that I could come out of the depressed state I was in after their deaths to have something as amazing as this happen, was truly extraordinary. I felt blessed beyond belief and knew that my angels were right there with me.

AND NOW IT'S A REALITY! Right there on page 72 is my story. I can't wait to share the whole thing when the book launches in Minneapolis in September. I'll be there for the launch, and I couldn't be happier.





Here's the cover shot -



Extraordinary Women & Their Signature Recipes



My Shrimp and Salad recipe made it into the story - the yummy cake didn't but I'll post that cake in an upcoming post.



Thank you Timi!


And there's Timi and I serving up a slice of the Kahlua Cake.




Timi, Jo Packham and myself at last years TCC!



Thank you so much Jo Packham and Where Women Cook.



Truly a dream come true.


(I'm just going to add this . . . I don't think anyone except my immediate family knew just how sad and depressed and guilt ridden I felt after my parents passed away. The depths of sadness took over every part of me. I know that most people who know me know that I put up a strong front. But inside I felt like I was dying too. I mean this when I say this, that being by myself creating beautiful jewelry in my new Studio space saved me. That and the loving and caring gestures of my husband, son, family and good friends. You all know who you are. So this moment means the world to me. I feel alive again :)





Thursday, July 14, 2011

Trend Tuesday has moved to Thursday this week!

I had the best of intentions . . . really! So here's your Trend Tuesday update, just a couple of days late.






Garden Party - $28


Sway - $34


Colour Annee - $36



Daphne - $56


So there you have it, your color class for the week! Any questions? Until next time . . . xoxo

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Let's get chatting . . .

It's Tuesday, July 5 and for me this officially means that it's Summertime! When you live in the Pacific Northwest, this is the day we so hopefully wait for. The jet stream is way to the north, bringing us endless days of sunshine, blue skies, and weeds in the garden :)

I thought that maybe I would start a new feature here on my blog . . . let's hope Summer doesn't get in the way of me posting each week. Let's call it TUESDAY TRENDS! Each Tuesday, I will feature a color way and post some of my jewelry, and perhaps other links to other fabulous designers and friends. I'll try to link everything to it's proper website so you don't have to go on a search and rescue to find it. First, let me introduce you to my inspiration color boards . . . Color Collective! It's an amazing blog full of all things color. Truly amazing.


Who loves aqua and orange and gray?



Hildreth Meirer Earrings - $35



Orange Bomb Earrings - $34





All of these fabulous pieces are available at Tippy Stockton! Get your Summer Fun on now.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Summer Memories

It was the Summer of '76. I was 15 years old; just a youngster getting the opportunity to stay with my grandparents in NYC. When you're from a small mid-Western town, this was the perfect way to spend the Summer. My days were spent at Rockaway Beach, between 108th and 116th St. Nearly every day, I would gather my beach gear and head two blocks to the boardwalk and scope out my spot. With my transistor radio tuned into WNYC, I listened to the song that would define my memories of Summer. Care to guess??? "Silly Love Songs" . . . I'm not sure why, but this song more than any brings back so many amazing memories of that Summer of '76.

When I think back, I don't think I ever realized how fortunate I was to be able to spend this time with my grandparents. We laughed, we played cards, we walked on the boardwalk. My nanny would bring me my lunch every day at the beach - I could almost set my watch to her arrival. She would stand at the railing of the boardwalk, and yell, "Patty Ann, here's your lunch." If I close my eyes, I can still see her standing there. Later in the day, I would ride with my Pop down to the "Hall". The hall was where his band, The American Irish Society would play and practice. I remember helping myself to a cold bottle of Coke from the fridge, listen to the Irish music he played, and watch as he polished the instruments. The sense of pride I had for this man was like no other. Having spent two weeks in Ireland with Pop and his band just a few short months before, I knew how this band had shaped his life. He loved his "kids", all of us!


I made friends with many of the kids that lived near Nanny and Pop. The McCarthy's, the O'Laughlin twins, Danny Massetti, and a pimply faced boy named Stevie who apparently had a ginormous crush on me. Who knew? I imagine we looked something like this. At night, we would hop on the "EL" (elevated train/subway) and head into Brooklyn to watch a movie. That's how safe it was back then. A bunch of girls riding the subway by themselves at night. We spent our time laughing, eating pizza the New York way - a large slice of cheese folded in half. Perfection!



Back in the day, I'm sure my Mom looked like this.




It was the Bicentennial year, 1976. So while Nanny and Pop took the band into the city to play in the parade, I went out to Long Island to spend a few days with my cousins. My Aunt Renee and her family went into NYC to take in the amazing spectacle the City had in store. The Tall Ships that came from around the world were a spectacular sight. Gazing across the water to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island knowing that my family passed by the grand lady and walked the halls of this building gave me chills and such pride. The Twin Towers still stood above this great City. Who would have known that 25 years later they would be gone - and that the very cousin I stood beside looking at these buildings would be gone as well.






More than anything else, what I remember about this amazing Summer was family. The Kelly and Dwyer Families . . . immigrants all of them to this incredible country we've called home now for almost a century.






HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!





Bookmark and Share