I know you're waiting on the edges of your seats

to see how I answer your questions! So, I guess I'll end the suspense now.

Kristin asked, "Do you have any recipes using summer squash?"

You know, I don't think I do. I love squash, especially yellow summer squash, but I'm pretty boring with how I fix it. I like the simplicity of it, so I usually either grill/broil it with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sautee it with a little butter, or steam it with some sweet onions (and butter). I fix zucchini in the same way. In fact, I have some gorgeous zucchini in my fridge right now that I need to fix. Kristin, I wish you lived near me, I'd take some of that squash off your hands! I tried growing some myself last year, and well, umm, that didn't work. As for other summer veggie recipes, again, I'm pretty boring! I roast, sautee, or steam everything with some salt, pepper, and butter (or olive oil and balsamic vinegar)! I know, I know. You're disappointed. You expected so much more from a vegetarian! *sigh*

Jessica wants me to give away my jewelry trade secrets!! ;o)

HAH! No, seriously, I'm not sure I'm the best teacher. Plus, I'm very self conscious about my hands and wouldn't photograph them for lessons, and it would be hard to not include them for most things. I will tell you though, that I am a self taught jewelry artisan. If you have the personality to self teach, there are a TON of good materials out there to teach you the basics. Some are free, some are cheap, and others are quite expensive. But the free stuff and the magazines you can find in a local bead store or a local craft store are enough to get anyone started. If you're not good at teaching yourself, check your local bead stores, craft stores, and college campuses. Many of these places have classes for various things. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask me. :o)

Heidi asks, "Have you talked on you blog before about how you and your mom started your jewelry business?"

I don't think I have! However, I wrote a nice blurb about that on our "About Us" page on our site. I also finally added pictures on it! Woot!

Meet the Belles

We are a mother and daughter team of jewelry designers based in south Texas. What started out as a bonding hobby between two belles and a little bead has transformed into a lively business that has allowed us to both express ourselves and help others do the same. We have both always loved jewelry, but when Daughter Belle married her Beau almost seven years ago, we found the jewelry selection in area stores to be sorely lacking and turned to a jewelry artisan in another town. The handcrafted wedding pieces we bought are lovely and will always be treasured, however they were priced for a queen, not a simple southern Texas belle. We are pleased to be able to offer our handcrafted goodies to you at excellent prices! We believe you will find something suited perfectly for you and yours in our wide variety of affordable styles. Every belle should be able to afford to look “classy and fabulous” in their very own quality handcrafted jewels!

Meet Daughter Belle, aka "Crystal":
Crystal started making jewelry a few years ago when Momma Belle gave her a set of tools and design books for Christmas. She quickly dove in head first, making simple pieces to give as gifts. It wasn’t long before friends saw her work and requested their own pieces. Things have only grown since then and Crystal has enjoyed all the opportunities she has had to learn new skills. She has recently learned some wire work and is delving into other metal workings. She is excited to share her passion and skills with you! She happily lives with her Beau/husband, Dustin, and their two dogs.


Meet Momma Belle, aka "Karen":
Karen became interested in jewelry making when she saw how addicting it became for Daughter Belle. She and her Beau/husband, Chris, were in a rather terrible car accident a few years ago that severely and permanently injured her back. She has had a long road to recovery, including major back surgery, and in the process has found that making jewelry is a therapeutic distraction from her physical pain. The Belles are addicted to gemstones and are like two little kids in a candy store, drooling over the yummy and shiny delights, when they are choosing goodies to incorporate into their designs. Karen has amassed quite a collection of yummylicious gemstones, but there are never enough! She and Chris live with their dog just down the road from Daughter Belle.

We are so happy you decided to visit our little corner of the internet and we invite you to kick back, grab a glass of sweet tea, and stay for a while. We know you have a lot of options when it comes to handcrafted jewelry and we are truly grateful to be given the opportunity to let our passion embellelish your life!

Heidi also asks,"At what age did you first start having phobias and the like?"

I'm not completely sure. As far as I can remember, they started affecting my life sometime when I was in high school and have just gotten worse since then. I have social phobias - stage fright, big crowds/stores/enclosed spaces; emetophobia - extreme fear of vomit and vomiting; and slight agoraphobia that stems from the other phobias. Oh, and germ-a-phobia. I'm sure that one has a technical name too, but I don't know it. It's from the other phobias too though. I'm a regular nut job! :o) The germ-a-phobia subsides when the other ones are better under control. The slight agoraphobia is something I have to constantly work on, but it is better now than it was a year or two ago. The emetophobia never goes away, though when I have extreme panic attacks from it, I have found a self acupressure method that calms me down big time. If only it was a lasting thing.

I do not medicate for them, though my doctor suggested it and wrote me a prescription. At this time, after doing research on the drug, I just simply do not have peace about taking it. We are exploring some natural treatments and I'm hopeful that someday I'll find significant relief. BUT in the past year I have really come to understand what causes phobias and panic attacks and even if I never "get normal", there is an extreme amount of peace and satisfaction in finally coming to that place and accepting it for what it is instead of beating myself over not having enough faith to get "healed" or living with unfounded guilt due to the belief that it's a spiritual matter when it is purely physical. I lived with that for a very, very long time unfortunately. If I take these phobias to my grave, at least I can die knowing the truth and with NO shame.

Ok, I think this post is long enough for now. I'll try to address the rest of the questions sometime this weekend. Please leave me more! More, more, more! I just might get back into this whole blogging thing after all. ;o)