Turquoise and Carnelian Sterling Silver Earrings

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:48:00 +0000

You can’t get Mexican food in Kolkata to save your life. Sure, some places say they have Mexican, but when you get there all you find is some wack version of nachos that are so tasteless and bland that even the most spice-phobic person would beg for something to liven up the dish. You can get passable tapas if you’re willing to spend a pretty penny, but that's hardly the same. In other words, if you want the real deal, you’ve got to make it at home.

This lack of Mexican food here makes no sense to me considering the abundantly similar ingredients used in Bengali and Mexican cuisines. Beans? Check. Tomatoes? Check. Onions? Check. Cilantro? Cumin? Hot peppers? Chili powder? Check, check, check, and check. Massive quantities of oil? Check. And these are just what is readily available.

Easy to obtain, Punjabi rumali roti can easily substitute for a flour tortilla, and different varieties of cheese (though expensive) can be obtained with little effort from Spencer’s, a one-stop shop similar to SuperTarget. Sour cream can be made with a little time, lemon or buttermilk, and heavy cream, so really, the only thing missing is avocado—but that is only absent because I simply refuse to pay $4USD per avocado to the exotic food scoundrels in New Market when there are better uses for my hard earned cash.

The one and a half year absence of this culinary staple has made it a mental focal point, so when I saw the brilliantly blue turquoise and carved carnelian gemstone earrings by Amy Holton Designs, I immediately longed for Cancún. Granted, I’ve never actually been to Cancún, but I imagine it has a effervescent feel similar to this delectable pair whose price tag ($25) won’t break the bank. The lightweight design and sterling silver ear wires make them easy to wear all day long, which is good because the unique style will have you coordinating your outfits to match your earrings instead of the other way around.

Amy Holton started making jewelry after being laid off from Enron during the 2001 scandal. Turning her corporate disillusionment into personal artistic fulfillment, Amy’s creative fuse was lit while working with the Houston Ballet and subsequently exploded after she and her husband moved to the indie arts and music capital of the Southwest—Austin, TX—in 2007. Taking the opportunity to launch her own business selling hand-made jewelry, Amy Holton Designs pushed its way into existence.

Clearly inspired by nature, each piece is a unique creation mined from the earth and sea. Don’t mind my excess salivation while wearing the Turquoise and Carnelian Sterling Silver Earrings. I’m simply recollecting the tart and tangy taste of a margarita. Mmmm.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, October 14th 2009

Freshwater Pearl and Blue Topaz Earrings

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:58:00 +0000

By Amy Holton Designs

I’m going to my first Indian wedding this December, a celebration I am enormously excited about because of the sheer enormity of this type of event. Indian weddings are multi-day festivities filled with family, friends, fun, and (best of all) food. The wedding I will attend will be a particularly exciting culinary event; it is sure to include a sampler of delicacies from West Bengal, the Punjab, and Burma, a feast that is a reflection of the multiple and overlapping ethnicities of the bride and groom.

Now, I’m not a wedding kind of gal. I didn’t have one myself, and I’ve deftly avoided being in them, but this is an altogether different kind of affair than the cookie cutter wedding industrial complex in the States. Indian weddings are a community experience; families parade in the streets playing music, dancing, singing, and making all kinds of merriment. To attend an event that involves this degree of fanfare, you know a girl’s got to be dressed to the nines.

While I haven’t yet chosen a sari to wear—an apparent requirement for weddings and another first of mine—I have selected the earrings: Freshwater Pearl and Blue Topaz Earrings by Amy Holton Designs. The choice for ear decoration was an obvious one. Resembling a tiny bunch of grapes, this group of freshwater pearls hangs from a sterling silver hook above one solitary blue topaz briolette whose color is so subtle it could by mistaken for clear. I envision a light blue raw silk sari embroidered with a cream colored thread would match this pair perfectly.

But don’t let my pomp and circumstance fool you. The Freshwater Pearl and Blue Topaz Earrings aren’t too fancy for the every day. It’s just that my taste is a little non-traditional, and pearls feel a bit more elegant than my own drab daily attire permits. If you favor a classical vibe, the Freshwater Pearl and Blue Topaz Earrings will add a bit of subdued sparkle to your day-to-day ensemble. For me, I’ll keep them around for the more celebratory occasions.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, September 27th 2009