Robinson says her jewelry didn't cause that bad skin reaction

Fox 9 anchor Robyne Robinson wanted it noted that she was NOT wearing her own line of jewelry when she had a bad reaction to a combination of metals in makeup and, possibly, jewelry.

Robinson was back on the air Sunday, but Friday she was at an urgent care clinic when I called to ask about the new high-definition makeup suspected of irritating her skin. Before her name was called at the clinic, Robinson told me she believed the reaction was a caused by a couple of issues she has discovered as a lupus patient. "You know the lupus makes me hypersensitive to everything," she said in a voice mail after our first conversation ended abruptly. "I'm very hypersensitive to different types of metals. I have all kinds of allergies to latex, but the metal seems to be pretty bad, too. I think it was just the perfect storm of the makeup for the HD and wearing costume jewelry, NOT ROX -- but other costume jewelry that I like."

Robinson suspects that the new makeup that anchors are wearing so they look good on HD TV contains nickel or chromium. "I have to ask every makeup artist what makeup they use. ... But this was a bad one. It's just a sensitivity [related to lupus]."

Robinson is designer and CEO of ROX Minneapolis Jewelry, RoxMpls.com, sold all over the country. After refusing to answer repeated calls for a medical update Monday, Robinson sent word that she didn't have time. Probably more pouting over a little nugget in Friday's Web posting regarding her HD makeup odyssey.

365 'headaches' Two Twin Cities women who wrote and published "365 Ways to Weasel Your Way Out of Sex" claim that their husbands helped supply excuses.

"They think it's hilarious. They've been incredibly supportive," said Addie Michel, who wrote the book with her friend of 15 years, Marie Chablis, who added, "They actually gave us a fair amount of the content."

The women gave me their real names, although they are asking media to use only their pen names "because we have young kids," said Addie, "and the subject matter is probably just -- better to use pen names. When we wrote this book, it was important to keep it light."

It's not just over the top; some of the book is mean around the middle. Tip 186 suggest avoiding conjugal activities by commenting on his spare tire.

Yep, they know that's mean, but some people have told them it's funny.

Appetizing art Those Coastal Seafoods mussels and oysters aren't only tasty, but they also make very fine art.

Twin Cities artist Patrick Kemal Pryor recently showed off the fruits (some of which came from the sea) of his labors created during a 10-week stay in New Zealand. At startribune.com/video see video from the private event Pryor held at the home of his patrons Dr. Richard Holt and Dr. Kristen Sparks, area psychiatrists.

Seeing art in everything associated with the ocean, Pryor collects fish bones, sea urchins, whatever, and affixes them to artified pillows in some works while encrusting mussels in paintings. "I wanted it [the painting 'Big Blue'] to sort of mimic the way mussels attach themselves in nature," said Pryor, who also mixed water from the ocean in his paints.

"These are from the East Coast," he said. "I did not bring all these oysters back from New Zealand. I get them from Coastal Seafoods." One of my favorite places to shop! "Mine, too!" Pryor said. "I love Coastal Seafoods. I have to eat a lot of mussels."

Art and suffering just kind of go together.