it's hell getting old

This week I started back on my "full time" schedule. I was technically full time before at 30 hours but apparently everyone wanted to call that "part time". 

My schedule was 7:30 - 1:30 every day and it was AWESOME!  I got all my work done at my day job and then was able to get a lot of work done at my REAL job, Fennibird.  AND I was able to take a little me time so I wasn't so bitchy all the time (though the boys may think differently).
I loved my schedule.

Well this week the powers that be decided that I had had enough of a good thing and I was told to come back to 7:30 - 4. boo. So now I'm tired, I'm bored, I'm crabby. I don't have any time to work at my REAL job or I should say I don't have a lot of motivation to work at my REAL job. I get off work, get my son, make dinner, clean, clean some more (yet my house is still a poo hole) and then I'm freaking exhausted by 8 pm.  Which got me to thinking....

I was sitting here about to pass out at 8 pm when it struck me that yes, it's only 8 O' FREAKIN' Clock. There's absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be busting my tush to get some art work done right now. But I'm exhausted.

Why? Is it old age? is it the complete brain drain of my day job (sorry if for some really wacked out reason my boss is reading this...but yes, my job is a snooze-fest. If you don't believe me, watch Laura for awhile. She falls asleep at least once a day. I digress....)

So what's the point of this rant? I have no idea. I'm tired. I have no idea what I'm talking about.

On a happy note...
Last weekend was the first of many East Village Sunday Bazaars!! I had a great time, met a lot of very cool and funny people. I made quite a few sales and there was a lot of interest in my work. YAY me!!

http://desmoines.metromix.com/events/standard_photo_gallery/east-village-bazaar-sunday/2803286/content

The Bazaar goes on every Sunday in September and October. Be there or be square. Seriously, I don't think I've seen so many hipsters since my last vacation in Chicago with my favorite hipsters, Joe & Dee (love you!)

I'm really tired

Why do I procrastinate?  Seriously, why have I not learned my lesson yet?  High school and college, nights and early mornings busting my ass to get papers and projects done.  Now, busting my ass to get jewelry done before the 1st East Village Bazaar of year. 

It's supposed to be huge on Sunday. Biggest crowd yet.  The HyVee Triatholn is the same time. The hours of the Bazaar are extended just to hopefully get all those running people to come out and buy stuff.

So I had what? 2 months to get ready? So when did I really start getting to work? Last week. Ok, maybe last weekend. Seriously, I'm exhausted.

And to top it off I'm dealing with my usual low self esteem. I'm annoying :)

I made a few pendants featuring the stunning skyline of Des Moines. I think they're kinda cool.

My 15 minutes

I was included in an article about local crafts in the Des Moines Register today.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110821/LIFE/308210009/Handmade-Iowa-creative-household


I have mixed feelings about it. Besides the horrendous personal photo, I think I would be ok with it :)
My sister took my picture at the last minute. I had just got back from the farmer's market. I was really hot and tired.  I have crazy eyes. 
Then I made a dorky comment about wanting to be married to someone from Duran Duran when I was younger.  It's true.  I loved Andy Taylor. I was going to be the hottest painter in London, living in a loft, married to Andy. We'd jet set to fabulous tropical locations with the rest of the band and their cool wives. I hope he reads this and I can tell him I'd still marry him. Just sayin...

So yea, the article was nice. I hope people read it and come the East Village Bazaar....and buy all my stuff.  I was really excited to be included. When I got the email asking me, I was so happy and excited and nervous.  What a great opportunity!

And then yes, of course I went the typical Jen route and immediately started doubting myself and comparing myself to the others included in the article.  They're all in brick and morter stores. Why can't I grow some cajones and go into a store and see if they'll carry my stuff?  Seriously, I can not think I can make this a full time deal if I can't get into a store!! But I'm so scared of the "no". And I also think I'm a little scared of "yes".

No means I suck and everyone who has ever bought anything is just pitying me (yes because that's what people do....spend money on things they hate just to be nice! don't you?)
Yes means this is real and I have no one to blame but myself if it fails. And so I guess I'm scared of being the failure.

I really wish I had more of an artist's typical ego.  I never would have made it in London with this crap attitude!

I'm very lucky to be included in the paper.  I'm very lucky to included in the East Village Bazaar. I'm very lucky so I'll just shuty and enjoy my 15 minutes....or less cuz I don't think my portion of the article was 15 minutes worth....unless you count that it's be in the paper all day and another paper doesn't come out until tomorrow morning...so maybe it's 24 hours.....

20 years later...still have issues...

This weekend was my 20th high school reunion. I hated high school.  and I couldn't tell you why.  I wasn't ridiculed (to my face at least), people weren't excessively mean to me. Yea, I was the "art freak" who hung out with the other weirdos.  I had a great group of friends. So looking back I wonder why I don't think of that time more fondly. Sure I couldn't beg a guy to look at me....but I made up for that in college (Hello!)

I think the reason I hated high school is for the same issue I deal with every day. I never feel like I'm good enough. I wasn't good enough to be "popular" or even dateable.  I always wanted to be something I wasn't. 

It's the same issue I deal with everyday. I don't feel good enough in my current life and especially in my art and business.
I constantly question myself and how I'll be perceived, how my art will be judged.  How ridiculously stupid.  I was good enough then and I'm good enough now.  My art is my own. I should want to do my art for myself and no one else.

At the risk of sounding like Stuart Smalley, I wish I realized that I'm pretty cool....I'm pretty kick ass. I wish I could walk into a room, any room, and remember that.

welcome to the digital age

This weekend has been a good one for me.  I discovered the joys of digital art.

For Christmas last year, my husband Tom surprised me with a new computer.  Granted, he was sick of me stealing his laptop every night but still, very generous.  It's one of those cool ones with the touch screen tab thingy. 
As you can tell from my description, I'm very knowledgable about computers.

Anywho, it came with a basic paint program that basically sucks.  So I thought about shelling out the cash for Corel or one of the other major programs. I looked at them all. I used the free demos.
By the word "use" I mean, I tried them for one day and then got so confused and annoyed I never tried again.
I contemplated going back to school for digital art but quickly realized that was a dumb idea (for me. Anyone who goes back to school is a hero in my eyes).

So on Friday night I was browsing the internets....can't even remember what I was doing... and I stumbled upon a painting program.  I did a little research and found that it's the perfect program for "newbies" like myself. I played around on the demo and quickly bought the full version. It was freakin' cheap too!!

And now I'm in love.  I can't stop playing. How cool is it to "paint" without the hassle and mess of real paint? Yes, the traditionalist in me just cringed at that sentence.  Of course, nothing will ever replace the sensation of raw materials like paint, ink, and pencil.  But this program has actually released me from my dumb insecurites.  I'm not wasting good paper and canvas (which was a weird hangup I had). If I don't like something, I can just erase it.  If I love something, I can get it printed. How cool is that?!

Yes, I know I'm about 20 years behind.  But  guess I've been stubborn in thinking only "true art" is the use of traditional materials.  So I'm sorry to all you commercial and digital artists out there who I may have looked down upon.  Which is really sad considering you're out there doing what you love and I was trapped by my own insecurities.

This weekend I found the Fun in art again.

duh.

blah

I'm so very uninspired right now.
I have a bunch of shows coming up in September and October. In fact, one every weekend of those months. so yes, I should be busting my butt to get ready.  but am I? no I am not.

I'm not sure what's going on. Is it the unbearable heat of summer that's leaving me tired all the time? Is it that my day job is sucking the life out of me? Is it the snide passive aggressive comments from the one person who should be my biggest fan?

perhaps all of the above.

I hope I get my groove back soon.  Maybe I should go to Jamaica like Stella did.

Jewelry jewelry and more jewelry!

I did so much creating last weekend before the show. Now I have to take the time to list them all on Etsy.  woah this will take a while!

Here's a few examples:

Still recovering

whew....I can't believe I survived that!!

First I go through major crying freak out over resin.
Then I have a marathon jewelry making day on Saturday.
Then Sunday...the big day. Ok it really wasn't THAT big of a deal. It was to me. It was my first ART show. Not craft, not yoga or business show. But a REAL honest to goodness ART show. So yea, it was a big deal for me.
So it starts with me and my sister/helper running late. I briefly thought to myself "this isn't starting well".
We start setting up, things are going well, the canopy is up. Our neighbors are so sweet and nice. Marilyn lives in central Iowa and makes beautiful baskets. 
We look to the west....its dark...really really dark.
The wind picks up, the lightening flashes and thunder booms. Down comes the rain.
OK, no big deal. The events director comes around and says the "shower" should last about an hour.  We continue to set up. The rain lets up and a few people start to straggle in.
So far, it's been 1 hour into the show.
I look to the west....it's dark...really really dark.
This time the rain pours down, the wind is threatening to blow the canopy. The canopy is actually leaking. I have to throw my stuff on the table and cover it with the table cloth.
Jodi and I have to hold on to the tent poles because I was an idiot and forgot weights. We're soaked.
Hilarious start to the day.
The rain finally stops and we start re-setting up. People start coming through again.
It's pretty uneventful and fun for a few hours. People are interested in my jewelry and I get quite a few sales.
Then the heat and humidity set in. It seriously got 7 degrees hotter in 5 minutes. It slowly became oppressively hot. Soon there were only a few brave souls around and sales slowed to none.

All in all, it was an ok show.  I can't really complain about the sales. I know that if the weather was better, the sales would have been better.
I loved meeting and talking to everyone. Everyone was so nice. The volunteers working there were amazing. Someone came around about every 5 minutes to make sure we had cold water!

Sunday I learned that people do like my work. That maybe I should concentrate on the handpainted stuff cuz people really loved that stuff. and most importantly, don't sign up for shows in Iowa in the summer unless its in an air conditioned building!!

I would like some cheese with my whine

Thank you very very much Chris, Pam and Scott for soothing my freak out last night.

I cried for a while as I'm known to do. Watched too much TV and then dreamt about resin all night long.
I woke up realizing (with Pam, Chris and Scott's help) that I'm ok. 
I re-resined the poo pieces today.  I don't want to jinx myself but .....THEY ARE FIXED and drying perfectly!!! 
So I freaked out for nothing (another thing I'm known for).

Thank you again!!
Thank you Chris for always being the voice of reason and for being one of my biggest supporters.
Thank you Scott for also being a fan and for making your wife wear my jewelry :) 
And thank you Pam for talking to me as one artist to another and helping me realize we all go through this crap.  And also the very awesome compliment ...warm fuzzy was definately welcomed.

I'll let you all know how the show goes.  Feeling optimistic again :)

Time for the cheddar....

Frustrated

My beautiful brussels sprouts...you never fail me.  But tonight I had roasted cauliflower instead. It was the bomb diggity.

ok...
on to venting....

I've been trying to get ready for a HUGE (huge for me) art show this weekend. I've been pretty proud of myself for not leaving things to the last minute.  Of course I've been agonizing about if I have enough or if it's good enough and second guessing myself and overthinking things. It's what I do.  But in the meantime, I've been plugging away.  In fact, I was so excited to sell a "new" design.  I just knew it was going to get a lot of looks this weekend and especially on Etsy. 
So Monday night I BUSTED ass getting things ready to resin. This is on top of busting ass to prepare the wood which is annoying and time consuming.  Adding the designs is the fun part but after about 50 pieces, even I was getting sick of it.

So today I rush home, prepare the room for the resining.  Got the dehumidifier going, cleaned a perfect space, got my tools and supplies together.  Of course I agonize over the resin because measurements have to be precise. So I worried about that. Then about halfway through, I'm sweating my tush off and the resin is getting thicker and thicker.  Duh!! I'm trying to resin too many pieces at one time.  So I just do the ones that must be done and figure I'll make a new batch tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the absolute deadline to resin.
I finish and realize I have nothing big enough to cover the pieces. They must be covered or every stupid hair and dust bunny magically appears and lands on the wet resin.  Already a few pieces have a little dust on them.  So I improvise with a huge tupperware bin lid.
I walk away feeling really apprehensive about the batch.  But figure, a couple dust particles is not life or death so chillax.
About an hour ago, I walk in to check on them and to make sure my make shift cover didn't fall on them.  I pick one up. The resin isn't level.
I pick up another one...not level.
I pick up a third....not level.
The freakin' butcher paper is so crinkled that it created little hills and valleys and the freaking resin is drying crooked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
of course it was every single one of the new pieces I was so excited about.

I could...could possibly...apply another coat of resin tomorrow.  The resin from tonight should be dry enough to do that. But I think I'm supposed to wait till it's fully cured.  Or I could go and bust my ass trying to prepare more wood and do everything over again in one night.

Or I could take this as another sign that prehaps I should just give up.  I hardly sell online anyway.  I'm so invested in this and I really want to be successful but it seems that no matter what I do or try or whatever, some challenge always comes up.  And I'm already exhausted from working at my day job, and being a wife and mother. 

I don't know. This is a long post eh? Just so frustrated.  I've been thinking a lot lately about quiting...and I guess this is making me think more

Boring Stuff

So I'm sitting at my kitchen table surrounded by what seems to be about a million pieces of jewelry.
It's time for me to get organized. I hate this part. So boring and confusing.
Yet I guess it's hard for me to sell if I don't know exactly what I have huh?

My Etsy store may look a bit bare for a while but I promise to add more stuff.

I like how I act like anyone is reading this! HA! But if you are, look at the previous post. There's a contest going on!!

Facebook Contest

I'm extremely lucky to know some very talented and friendly follow Etsians from the Des Moines area. One of which is Designs by the Wire in Newton, Iowa

The other day, as I'm perusing her facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Designs-by-the-Wire/151203648239232), I notice a post about a contest she's having. Basically, if she gets to 200 fans, whoever refered those people to her, gets a prize...a kick ass necklace! I fell in love with the idea and of course immediately suggested her page to all my friends.

I couldn't get the idea out of my head. So today I asked her if I could "steal" the contest idea from her. She said yes she said yes!! This is a great way to promote our Etsy shops and get our names out in the community. So without further ado....I give you....the Fennibird Facebook Contest!!

Here's how it works:

1. If you're not already a Fennibird fan, here's the link:  http://www.facebook.com/Fennibird

2. Recommend my page to your friends. Have them "like" my page and post who sent them.

3. I will keep track of who your friends are (a bit of cyber stalking? Yes..but in a good way!)

4. The person who brings the most people to my Fennibird page wins my "Growing Hearts" Necklace shown here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.207101509334267.57616.165589550152130

5. The contest ends at 200 fans (only 135 more to go!)

Thanks to everyone who participates and especially to Designs by the Wire for coming up with such a great idea and for letting me use it! 
Check her out!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Designsbythewire?ref=ss_profile

Spring means headaches

yea so I didn't make it into to craft show. I cried. a lot.
But I talked to some very talented local crafters who also didn't make it.  I think it was all about "who you know". Still a bit bitter but moving on. And sadly feel better to know I wasn't the only one.

I got accepted into the Reiman Garden's Art in the Garden in July.  My first "real"art show. I'm scared shitless.  I have a lot of work to do to prepare.  I'm waivering  about what to show.
Just the silver stuff....or the wood stuff. I think the wood stuff is different enough so I'll go with that.

I was a vendor at the First Annual Central Iowa Yoga Retreat last weekend. There were about 50 people there. I was really concerned about making any sales since no one was there to buy jewelry, only to get their down dogs on.  Surprisingly, I did pretty well!! I got a lot of feedback on my jewelry and sold 6 of 8 pairs of earrings.  I'm very happy. 

Oh....and I've had about 2 months worth of tension headaches.  Don't ever buy a new house and move while also trying to start a new business while working at a full time job you don't really enjoy while raising a 4 year old son. Just saying....

the unknown

I sure do suck at this blogging crap.  Oh well....

So yesterday I was supposed to hear if I was accepted into a craft show that occurs once a month until November. So yes, I really want to be accepted.  I think I checked my email about once every 30 minutes, but it was probably more like once every 10 minutes. Then at about 10 pm, as I'm certain the fact I hadn't seen an email meant I wasn't accepted, a post comes out on facebook that we would know by today!! So today, I've checked my email once every 30 minutes.  2 more hours until I'm supposed to know.

I think if I'm not accepted I might cry... a lot.

seriously?

Today I was stalking facebook as usual and I noticed a post from artist whom I "like".  She's from the same town and her work is similar to mine.  Today's post was even more similar to my work. So I decided to check out her etsy page and DAMN IT, we do the same freakin' stuff!! We even use the same chiyogami papers!!! 
Yes, I know what I do is done by a hundred other people. BUT this person lives in the same town, which means she enters the same shows I do!! DAMN IT!!  (I'm so upset..I don't even say damn it).  I was already "rejected" by one craft show this spring and I'm waiting patiently to hear about another!!

So again I'm on the look out for something more original. I would still like to work with resin and the chiyogami papers. It's fun and I think, kinda beautiful.  Maybe I need to fancy things up a bit?

I'm gonna open myself up to other peoples ideas since apparently I'm not creative enough to figure this out. I'm gonna channel Warhol who never had an original idea either!

I'm tired

It's only Monday and I'm exhausted.
I've slowly been realizing that I have 3 full time jobs.
1: My boring soul sucking day job that last alllllll day
2: mom and wife
3: Fennibird

I'm tired. I'm a lazy person by nature. Having 3 jobs is completely against my nature. I should be sitting on the couch watching vampire shows and eating cheese.  I shouldn't be constantly cooking, cleaning, mommy-ing, creating, accounting, inventory-ing, selling, etc etc etc.  I want to sit by a pool and read a book. Is that too much to ask?
Maybe I should quit one of my jobs. Well obviously number 2 is out. der.
I would LOVE to say "bite me" to numbero uno. But we have to pay the bills yo.
and number 3 is my other baby and my dream is to be so successful I can flip the bird to number one.
So I need to suck it up and work.
but not now...I'm going to bed and eating some chips and reading a book before I pass out.

By the way, I ate some yummy Brussels Sprouts for dinner.  With some broccoli and parsnips. With a splash of fig balsalmic vinegar. De-Lish!

Spring is the time of new beginnings....right?

I've had an extremely crappy winter. I'm so ready for spring. 
Trying to concentrate on learning and making new pretty stuff and maybe finally find that "one thing" that I can call my own.  My husband gave me a few new jewelry ideas that I 'm super excited to try out.
Want a hint?  Recycled broom handles!! What the what? Should be able to finish the first proto type this weekend.

Monday I will find out if I was accepted in one of the first craft shows of the spring. Very nervous but optimistic.  There's another craft show application that opens on April 1st so I'm trying to concentrate on that.
OH and exciting news...
I was invited to be a vendor at the First Annual Central Iowa Yoga Retreat in May! YAY ME!!
Making some yoga and zen inspired jewelry. Ommmmmmm

So busy and exciting spring.
I'm SO ready

Finding My Niche

So I was at work the other day, bored, when I decided to check my Etsy page.  You never know, one of these days I'm going to have a million sales in one day....or something like that.
Anyway,  as usual, no orders. So I decided to browse the "featured" items on the front page.
and what do I see?
PAINTED FUCKING ROCKS!
seriously. I did that a CYC camp when I was 10.
but here's the thing.....people were buying them!
Now I'm not gonna judge this individual artist cuz that ain't fair. Maybe I'm just jealous.  But I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would pay $50 for a rock, painted with dots! and then add a butt load of shipping since rocks weigh a ton!
They were pretty.....but they were painted rocks.
So then I had to look for more painted rocks.  I did find one cool seller who paints miniture animal paintings on little rocks.  They're actually quite beautiful.  THAT I could understand.

So I'm supposed to find my niche right? Like painted rocks....jewelry...headbands... whatever.
I'm having the hardest time with that.  I'm already bored with the headbands and fabric bobby pins.
Then I have coasters and paintings.
My Etsy page is like Art vomit. All the stuff I've been inspired by has been regurgitated.
So I guess I should just keep playing and "vomiting" and find the one thing I really love and then make that my niche?
Life is hard

Truly an annoying day

It started out crappy. My 3 year old son has a cold. But in the middle of the night he woke up screaming that he couldn't breath. Of course I was worried.  But this morning, he woke up and seemed fine. I was supposed to go to my weekly yoga class. But hubby asked me to take the boy to the doctor. Well, duh.
So we go to the doctor which was a 2 hour ordeal.
Then home.
My hubby decided he wanted to re-finish the kitchen floor. So he seals off the kitchen and I'm basically stuck in my son's room ALL DAY with him.
Anyone who's been around a sick 3 year old will understand why this was not fun for 8 hours.
and it was 30 some degrees out today. It's February in Iowa....30 something does not happen!!

So I'm crabby.
I didn't get to make anything today. But I did order some more bails for scrabble tile pendants. and I sketched, when I could, some designs.
Tomorrow will be my day to create.

yes...that's what I'll just keep telling myself.
In the meantime, I've added a gallery of image from my etsy store. You should take a gander.

Have I shared this Brussels Sprouts recipe yet?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Cashews?

hmmm...maybe I'll wait

Knock on Wood

I probably shouldn't make this annoucement so early. I might jinx myself.

But I've had a kick ass day!!! WOO HOO!!

I've spent the majority of my day just work work workin' away.  I made some hand painted scrabble tile pendants and some scrabble tile bobby pins.  I've loved making them. Wish someone would buy them...but that's a new topic and I ain't going there right now.
The day has passed by in a flash. I had a great time. I feel so alive.
Am I being overly dramatic? Perhaps.
But I spend my work week at a job that's...well....just a job. As Morrissey says "It pays my way and it corrodes my soul".  Most days I loath it.
I wish wish wish I could quit and spend my day making stuff and selling that stuff.
maybe someday.

Would it be weird to segue into food? yes but I don't care.
For dinner tonight we had pizza from a new place in town called Gusto.
Hot damn that is some awesome freakin' pizza!!
I had the Il Figaro :  Alfredo, pears, dried figs, blue cheese and mixed greens. I think they forgot the greens but it doesn't matter because it was amazing!
Tom got the Duke: BBQ sauce, smoked brisket, colby jack, red onion and cilantro.
umm...YUM!

So if any of you homies live in the DSM, please do yourself a solid and go to Gusto.
I can't believe I just wrote such a dumb sentence....anyway, go to Gusto!

Here's to another 5 1/2 hours of a great day!!

November spawned a monster

I love Morrissey. That song was playing on my fancy new satellite radio the hubby got me for my birthday.
I love driving home from work, singing at the top of my lungs, "classic" alternative songs.  My son was angry when we got home today and I turned off the car before the Fine Young Cannibals song was over. HEE

Today I emailed a friend at work and asked her if I was insane to consider veganism.
She informed me that, yes, I am insane.  But here's the deal.
I stopped eating meat almost 2 years ago and went vegetable crazy. That's when I discovered my love of Brussels Sprouts.
I lost 20 lbs.
And then I got bored.  So I started to eat lots of cheese. I'm addicted to cheese. and guess what? I gained some weight back.
So finally the point of my blabbing....
if I went vegan, I would have no choice but to eat good veggies all the time right? No butter or cheese or ice cream.

...that sounds awful.

I also asked my friend what the hell I'm supposed to blog about. Do I need a topic? or do I just write like I am now and just blab and blab?  Thoughts?
She said just blab. But I think she said that so she could read this and then make fun of me to all her cool hipster friends...

By the way, I think the whole reason I started this blog was to bring attention to my Etsy shop. Hmmm...perhaps I should mention that huh?
Please visit my shop and buy stuff! :)
www.etsy.com/shop/fennibird

I'm out sprouts!

Bad Day

I'm too sensitive.
It's amazing to me how much power I give to one small incident.  I could be having a great day, someone poops on it, and then the rest of the day is ruined.
How dumb is that?

That was my day. After having a bad morning, I didn't want to make anything.  Yesterday I made a sale on Etsy after the item was listed for a day. I was flying high! Today, I questioned everything.
I hate days like this.

and I'm getting a cold.

*whine*

Hope tomorrow is better.

In the words of my friend Ethan....
I'm out, sprouts!

Day 1- why am I doing this?

So the other day I asked myself and my faithful friends on Facebook if I should write a blog.
Most agreed...but only for Brussels Sprouts recipes and humor.
I can deliver on the Brussels Sprouts recipe but the humor may be a stretch at times.

So tonight I took the plunge...obviously.

So to start things off right I'll share my tried and true favorite Brussels Sprouts recipe (I can't abbreviate BS cuz that would be weird:  "my favorite BS recipe"?)

Trim brussels sprouts and cut in half (For the sprout virgins, trim off the stem, and peel a few leaves to reveal the clean pretty leaves inside)
Place sprouts in pan and add about 1-2 T of unsalted butter and veggie broth (or chicken), about 1 cup. The broth should reach about 1/2 way up the sprouts.
Crank up the heat to high, wait till in boils, put a lid on it and turn down to medium.  Cook until tender. A sharp knife should be able to pierce the sprout easily.
Now for the fun part....
Take off the lid and crank up the heat to high. Do not walk away. The broth/butter liquid will cook off and this is the time to quickly toss the sprouts so they don't burn. The sprouts are ready to eat when they're slightly browned (or really browned like I like 'em)
ENJOY! 

and now I'll sign off and think about what I could possibly write about in a blog...

Later Taters!