Business: Online Jewelry and Decoration shop: AndyBFashion is super creative!

If you're looking for cute, unique and exclusive items for your personal use or to give as gifts, check www.etsy.com. It's a site where artisans and small business artists sell their talented crafted creations. It's rare to find unique gifts lately. We tend to go to Walmart or any other big store and purchase mass merchandise, gifts with no individual value, something everyone else is going to have as well.

Glitter Collection with lots of bling! Be the star and shine!

Unique Brazilian style bangs decorated with Brazilets and hanging amulets - very unique!

That's why it's so important to support small businesses. There are so many treasures to be found when we look elsewhere. The common "made in China" gifts are so yesterday. There seems to be a movement going around to raise the awareness of the community to buy more from local and from neighbors.

Decorated Christmas craters with imported fragrance soap make great gifts!

AndyBFashion is a one of a kind, small online store inserted within etsy that makes creative and unique gifts. Lots of glitter for jewelry, including rings, earrings, key-chains and pendant necklaces. Colorful, unique and sparkly, those pieces will accentuate and accessorize any outfit.

Another specialty from AndyBFashion is decorative items. There are really nice looking hanging wood crosses with different themes to decorate any room. These crosses seem to be the best selling items of the decoration aisle - really unique, some are made with recycled cards, beads, mosaic stones and resin to give them a glossy finish.

Decorative wall hanging wood crosses look great in any room!

Check out these unique items. Support a local artisan, and give different and exclusive items - for your own fashionable self, or for your friends and family!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/AndyBFashion

Music: New Artist: Eric Mbadinga-Nzamba's debut album

New artist: Eric Mbadinga-Nzamba's debut album Continuum

There's a lot of new music to be explored and most of what we are exposed to comes from massive radio manufacturing, bombarding the waves with the same rhythms and beats which makes you wonder if you're not hearing the same music over and over non stop. There seems nothing new to listen to.

Thus, it's refreshing to find a new artist who comes up with an eclectic sound - his album is a mixture of slow beats, rock, alternative, sounds reminiscing of bossa nova and even flamenco. You don't know what to expect when you're coming upon the next track (sort of like the chocolate box concept: each chocolate is a surprise - get it?)

Each track is carefully weaved with instruments that complement Eric's mellow and soft voice in a myriad of languages that truly transforms his album into a worldly composite of great sounds and surprising beats.

Cover of Continuum, Eric's debut album

All the lyrics were composed by the artist. I was marvelously surprised by the track "Timeless" sung in Spanish, in a Flamenco style that is alive and exciting! The track just transports you to Spain - it's a great around the world sound experiment! The track "Hold on" reminded me of Metallica, not so heavy metal but enough for Eric's voice to be raspy and effective, and there's also more ballad driven, inspirational and sentimental tracks like "I'm a Daddy", which conveys the artist's own astonishment at the fatherhood adventure awaiting for him.  The catchy track "Bafana Bafana", a tribute to Africa during the last Soccer World Cup held in the continent, ends the album with a festive and winning tone.

 

For more information about the artist and his recording company, visit the site highlighted below. As a reward, you will be able to download a free track (for "Bafana Bafana" - the video is also available on the site as well as links to purchase the CD or the album download).


I personally know Eric and he's a delightfully positive soul - couldn't have expected anything greater coming from his creative mind and talented persona! Two thumbs up!

http://www.madducksrecords.com/continuum.htm

http://www.yozik.com/yo/boutique.php?boutique=1412

Restaurants: Eating Vegetarian in Rio de Janeiro

Below, find three places that make up the hip scene of the vegetarian (as well as non-vegetarian) crowd.

Deliciously fresh coconuts by the beach

1. "Balada Mix": with 8 restaurants in several areas of Rio de Janeiro, you can spot some famous Brazilian people having dinner at this cool eatery (the last time I was there on a Wednesday night, I spotted 2 soccer players and a well-known comedian having dinner), as well as fashionable people and athletes having a bite after working out. The menu offers grilled and fat free meat choices and an amazing variety of salads and fresh juices and fruits, as well as delicious desserts. One of my favorites is the fig salad, a mix of wild greens with fresh fig slices and nuts in a zesty honey flavored sauce, a very vegetarian meal, accompanied with a glass of healthy, cool and hydrating coconut milk.

2. "Delírio Tropical": this is my favorite place, with also 8 locations spread throughout town. The lines during lunch time can be long, especially at the Ipanema location. The chain has their own produce plantation and distributes it to their restaurants, ensuring the food served daily is fresh and organic in all locations. The mango salad, a mix of greens and fruits with a tangy mango sauce is amazing, and the quinoa cake with nuts and passion fruit sauce is also worth trying! If you´re really hungry, get the 3 salad plate and choose from a variety of delicious options. "Delírio" also bottles their own coconut milk and offers fresh juices and other natural alternatives.

3. "New Natural": this is another vegetarian´s delight. There is only one location in the posh neighborhood of Ipanema, but the price is very affordable and you pay by weight of your plate. Lots of different empanadas, cakes, soy food, hot and cold entrees are offered in this self-service buffet restaurant. Fresh juices and coconut milk (also served fresh on the coconut, not bottled) complete the abundant variety of delicacies found at this cool spot, where you will find an interesting crowd, including those who are stopping for a bite after a nice morning sunbathing in Ipanema beach. http://www.baladamixrestaurante.com.br/index.php?submenu=principal
http://www.delirio.com.br/