The best wines are the ones we drink with friends

Thanks to one of my gorgeous cousins, I have been having so much fun creating bespoke wine glass charms with some very fun themes! 

When I was approached to create these wine charms, I was SO excited because they were different from the styles I usually create and included themes that I adore.

The first set is one that many bookworms will love, a set of Harry Potter-themed charms featuring some of the most well known symbols from JK Rowling's books and the film adaptations of them.

The remaining sets are all music-themed, which is appropriate given that my cousin and I, and most of the cousins in our family, are amateur or professional musicians.  Are you musicians and/or Harry Potter fans? And let me know, which sets do you love best?

Thomas & Friends

Mamas, you've been asking when Domum Vindemia's popular Thomas & Friends buntings will be re-stocked, and I'm excited to announce that our re-stock has finally happened this week!

There are currently three Thomas the tank engine buntings in-store, with another two to be in-store soon.  There's a fun Christmas-themed Thomas bunting, perfect for getting your little one's room ready for the festive season, and the other buntings will feature Thomas and various others of the favourite characters.

So comment below, which Thomas & Friends characters do your little ones love (other than Thomas)?

I could never love anyone as I love my sisters

About a year ago I was excited to add Little Women-inspired lockets to Two Cheeky Monkeys, featuring a heartfelt quote from Jo March: I could never love anyone as I love my sisters.  These locket necklaces have been popular with Louisa May Alcott fans, and this past month I had the pleasure of creating matching bespoke necklaces for a customer.  

A little different from our usual Little Women necklaces, these bespoke necklaces were created with beads that matched the two sisters' birthstones, further representing their bond with each other!  I thought this was the sweetest idea, and it's a great opportunity to let all my customers know that I am more than happy to customise our existing designs to create something unique for you.

So tell me, would you choose necklaces with your birthstones on them, or would you rather beads in your favourite colours?

Thai-inspired sausage rolls

The Cheeky Monkeys and I aren't huge fans of sandwiches, unless they're filled with "fancy" or "gourmet" ingredients.  I'm not sure if this is because of my Chinese heritage, or if it's because we're a bit high maintenance, but it does make filling school lunchboxes a little more complicated.

So, almost every school holidays we spend a day baking up batches of sausage rolls to freeze and then pull out as needed when the school term starts again.  If your own cheeky monkeys love something other than sandwiches in their lunchboxes and love the flavours of Thai food, then you'll definitely want to give this recipe a try.

Makes 20.

Ingredients

- 500g minced pork

- 500g minced beef

- 1-2 carrots, grated

- 1 clove garlic, crushed

- half a stick of lemongrass, finely chopped

- 1-2 Tb of store bought Thai green curry paste

- 1/2 tsp of salt

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 5 sheets of butter puff pastry, thawed 

- 1 egg, extra, lightly beaten

- sesame seeds (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 200⁰ C (390⁰ F). Line two trays with greaseproof baking paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the puff pastry.

3. Cut a pastry square in half, lengthwise, to give you two rectangles.  

4. Place spoonfuls of sausage mix along one long edge of a pastry rectangle.  Roll up the pastry to firmly enclose the sausage mix.  Cut the large sausage roll into two smaller rolls.  Place on tray.

5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining pastry sheets and sausage mix.

6. Brush the sausage rolls with the extra egg and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if using.

7. Bake the sausage rolls  for 20-30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is cooked through.

8. If you're freezing the sausage rolls for a rainy day, leave them on wire racks to cool completely.  Otherwise, enjoy them with a green salad and some chilli or tomato sauce on top!

If you share photos of your sausage rolls on Instagram, don't forget to tag @domumvindemia or @twocheekymonkeysdesigns so that I can see your delicious baking efforts.

How to select the right necklace length

Necklaces are believed to be one of the first types of adornments humans chose to wear and have been worn for a variety of reasons over millenia.  Nowadays they are usually considered a beautiful and fun way to complement an outfit or even to express one's personality.
But with such a large range of necklace lengths to choose from, how do you choose one that will suit your outfit, personal style, body shape and practical needs?

1. Measurements

 

The first and most important step is to measure your neck circumference and length carefully. Neck circumference is the really important one, as you don't want to end up purchasing a necklace that leaves you feeling like you're suffocating.
If you love wearing choker-style necklaces, add approximately 5 cm/2 in to your neck circumference for a comfortable necklace.  For the versatile average length necklace, adding approximately 10 cm/4 in to your neck size to give a good length.
(Image credit: https://bit.ly/2PN8GJ3)

Another neck measurement to consider is your neck length.  While I'm all for wearing pieces you love no matter your size or shape, taking into account which styles look best for your neck shape can take a necklace from simply pretty to beautifully flattering.
Choker and collar style necklaces are more suited to longer, slender necks, while thinner chains and longer necklaces are generally more flattering for wider and shorter necks.
(Image credit: https://bit.ly/2PfL12X)

2. Body size and shape
As with my comments regarding neck length and width, matching necklace lengths to your body and face shape are general recommendations only.  If you can pull off a necklace style that might not normally suit your size or shape, then go ahead and wear it!  And likewise, don't feel you have to follow the latest necklace trends if you know the style is unflattering on you.

Those who are on the shorter side (160 cm/5 ft 4 in or shorter) may find that long and chunky necklaces look overwhelming on their smaller frames, while long necklaces can accentuate and complement the height of those lucky enough to have it (175 cm/5 ft 9 in and taller). 

Necklaces can emphasise your figure in all its glory, so if you don't want to highlight certain areas, then avoid necklaces that will draw attention to them.
For example, long necklaces that fall around the bust area may not hang properly on those with fuller figures.  Instead, choose a necklace that will sit higher up on the neckline, approximately 45-55 cm/18-22 in long.  And conversely, long and layered necklaces will flatter the figure of those with smaller busts and/or slender necks.

3. Clothing
The perfect necklace length to wear will also depend on your outfit for the day.  Shorter necklaces such as chokers go beautifully with open neck clothing, but do not sit well with high necked outfits or turtlenecks.

 

 

High neck outfits are beautifully complemented by long chains and opera length necklaces (26-35 in/65-90 cm long), and long strands of pearls or gorgeous glass beads look especially flattering with evening dresses and gowns.

So let me know in the comments below, what is your favourite necklace length to wear?

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

Today I am continuing the locket theme for the fans of Two Cheeky Monkeys' inspirational quote lockets!  This new addition to our popular range features a quote which is a paraphrase of Henry David Thoreau's writings in his Walden writings.

While I know that we can't always achieve our dreams, I think this quote is a beautiful encouragement for someone starting a new, exciting or possibly scary chapter of their lives, such as a graduate or someone making a sea change.  Follow the link above to see our full range of literary and quote lockets, or commission a piece with a special quote just for you!

Live your life by a compass

I am continually thankful for how much my customers love Two Cheeky Monkeys' bookish locket necklaces.  And this past fortnight I've been blessed to have a fun and inspirational bespoke piece to work on for a customer.

The request was for a bespoke locket featuring the quote "Live your life by a compass not a clock", an inspirational quote accredited to Stephen R. Covey, the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  It's always a pleasure to create our jewellery inset with quotes special to our customers - what's your favourite quote?  Comment below!