I'm not sure which part of this new product I'm excited about most: the actual gorgeous earrings themselves, the fact that buying a pair means you're supporting a tree-plantin' Colorado artist, or the fact that he is working with cool, space-like biodomes that are planning on saving the Earth.

First, the earrings.  These are beautiful, lightweight wooden earrings that are handmade from furniture-grade wood veneers like cherry, mahongany, and maple.  They range from about 1 1/2" diameter circles to 2" long rectangles, they all dangle from sterling silver hooks.

                     

Then there's the fact that for every pair you purchase, the artist, John Murphree, will plant a tree.  Murphree works in Englewood, Colorado, and is inspired by "the organic shapes in nature, sacred geometry, popular icons and traditional design motifs such as Art Deco or Medieval."

Finally, he is planting all these trees in cooperation with the Eden Project in Cornwall, England.  This place was built in 2000 on top of an old china clay quarry.  It's mission is to educate people about our dependence on nature and different ways to save it.  They want us to realize that making environmental changes is both "believable and palatable."  They do this by experimenting in horticulture, natural pest & disease control, and controlled climate.  Put it this way: this place is so cool that it hosted "Live 8" in 2005.

Click on the photo above to see their site... 

These earrings are flying out of the store at $13.95 a pair. 

(taken from www.annetaintor.com)

In 1985, Anne Taintor glued the words “intellectuals gone bad” onto an advertisement clipped from a vintage magazine and featuring a pair of proper and glamorous women. Twenty-five years later, what began as one woman’s attempt to make a living working from home while caring for her young daughter has become a thriving and wholly original business based on giving voice to modern women’s secretly subversive thoughts.

(click on the bag to buy one from Urban Girl!) 

Among the new products to be introduced in 2010 is the 25th Anniversary Shopper, a commemorative 15.7” x 15. 5” shopping bag made of 100-percent
recycled materials and featuring images of dozens of the most popular Anne Taintor illustrations from the past 25 years. A perfect gift for anyone who’s had
trouble choosing just one image—now they’re there in a single product. Best of all, 100 percent of the profits from sales of the 25th Anniversary Shopper will be donated to the Global Fund for Women, an organization that shares Anne Taintor’s drive to give voice to and improve opportunities for women everywhere.

Some of everybody's favorite things in Urban Girl Accessories are the Kelly Rae Roberts wall hangings.  They are whimsical, colorful, and meaningful - and a surprisingly affordable way to fill a wall!  Here is some information about the artist, taken from her website www.kellyraeroberts.com.

Kelly Rae grew up in rural North Florida where she jumped off docks into the Sante Fe Lake with her german shepherd dog every day after school. As a child, she lived for eating fried chicken every Sunday afternoon, fishing with an old tattered piece of bamboo, and playing checkers with her then 85 year old granddad. Amidst the winding dirt roads of her hometown, Kelly experienced the joy and complexity of life and, like her mother and sister, turned to creative outlets as a way to express her experience of life.

Eventually, Kelly’s family moved to Jacksonville, Florida where she attended middle and high school. Later, she attended college at Florida State University, deciding to major in something “practical”- social work. In 1999, she met her husband John and they set off to begin a life together in Portland, Oregon. It was there that Kelly eventually decided to take up running which mysteriously led her to discover the confidence and passion to pursue a longtime “impractical” dream: to become an artist.

Kelly is the author of Taking Flight: Inspiration + Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings, a popular arts + craft book that encompasses all aspects of what it means to live the creative life. Her work has been featured in a variety of mixed media books by her peers and she’s had several articles published in various magazines, including Cloth Paper Scissors, Somerset Life, Somerset Studios, and Memory Makers. Much of her artwork is licensed and can be seen in stores nationwide on a variety of products, including cards, journals, magnets, decorative wall art, and more. In addition to painting, licensing her work, and writing, Kelly is passionate about teaching others how they too can find their creative wings with her inspiring lectures and workshops that are held all over the world.

In essence, she is an artist, social worker and all around lover of life and people who seeks to express a sense of vitality and connectedness in her paintings and writings. Having spent most of her life in the company of women, her pieces grow out of the kindred support she has felt from many of them throughout her life. She is unendingly grateful for the spirits of these women who walk with her, in flesh or in paint, on her incredible journey into art, love and life.

Kelly currently lives in Seattle with her outdoorsy husband John and their airplane-eared dog Bella.

Unfortunately, we don't keep her art in our on-line store as it sells so quickly, it's hard to keep up!  Also, many of her pieces are in limited production - when they're gone, they're gone! But please enjoy some of her images below.  Please feel free to call us - we'll ship whatever we have!

One of Annie's great Urban Girl finds is the Gathering of Friends series of cookbooks.  The one we're featuring in the store currently is Volume II. 

These books were written by Michelle Huxtable, an interior designer in Utah.  She, along with her six children, created this collection of recipes, shopping lists, and decorating tips.  Gorgeous photographs!  We've picked  our favorite recipe to share with you: Bleu Cheese Potato Chips.  (If someone could whp these up and bring them to the store right now, that'd be great!)

BLEU CHEESE POTATO CHIPS

6 med. size potatoes

1 qt. vegetable oil

1/2 c. dry Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. crumbled Bleu cheese

1 tsp. Kosher salt

In large soup pot, heat oil on high until a potato slice pops quickly in oil.  Slice potatoes with a peeler in very thin slices.  Combine salt, Parmesan cheese and Bleu cheese tgether in a bowl to create cheese seasoning mix.  Drop handfuls of potato slices in hot oil and quickly fry chips.  Stir gently to separate chips.  Remove from oil, spread in a paper towel lined baking tray.  Sprinkle with cheese seasoning mix.  Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.  Serve immediately or keep in a warm 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Please let us know if you make this dish, and what you think.  Meanwhile, you can buy the book by stopping by the store, calling us (916.231.8845), or here in our on-line store.

As many of you know, one of my favorite product lines in the store is Acholi Beads.  These are gorgeous handmade beads rolled from magazine pages by the Acholi Tribe of Uganda.  The company was created for these women by local San Diegan James Pearson.

Recently, James posted a video on his website about one of the beaders, Mama Esther.  Please take a moment to watch this 3-minute story that introduces you to one of the beautiful women that make this noteworthy jewelry. 

 http://vimeo.com/7717581

Ocean Spray Cran Grape Individual Drink Mix is the BEST! 

I keep one in my purse and put it into my SmartWater

I have always loved my True Religion Jeans.  I am up to my 6th pair!  That makes me a fan for sure!  My newest pair is the 'Joey Dark Drifter' with the disco buttons.  They are $262 at Nordstroms and are great fitting.  They have the twisted seam that wraps around your leg.

My favorite tea to drink when I need to relax is Yogi Calming Tea.  You can find it at Jimbos or any regular grocery store that has a healthfood aisle.  It is about $4, but well worth it!   It is full of really great ingredients and smells like lavender.  I give it to all of my girlfriends when they need to have a little down time.  My favorite thing about the tea is the saying on each teabag. Namaste.......