Fashion Color Trends

I'm seeing turquoise everywhere in the trade magazines and trend reports.  It's astonishing how neutral turquoise can be--it goes with lots of other colors!  I've been mixing turquoise beads with redline marble, amber, tiger eye and black onyx.   Reds and corals are hot, too, especially combined with black.  Then there's the Pantone Color of the Year: Emerald!  It's time for me to be thinking about making new things for the holidays, and there's lots to be inspired by!  I've got ideas for those "fan" and "bib" style necklaces with multiple chains and beads.  I may even incorporate some fabulous rhinestone vintage pieces with drippy chains and beads for a SUPER one-of-a-kind treasure! 

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The Truth About Politicians

I found this on Facebook.  It is profound.  John Adams was a perceptive dude.

 

 

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My First Job and What I Learned From It

My first job was at McDonald's, starting in late 1977.  I was there for almost 5 years.  It got me through college with a little cash, my first apartment, and gas in my car.

I was there when McNuggets first came out.  I remember what a huge big deal it was.  They had to put in additional deep fryers so the chicken wouldn't taste like fish or French fries.  We had a training class on the proper preparation and presentation.  I fell in love with them then, and I still love them today!  (And yes, I know what's in them.)

The biggest life lesson I learned from McDonald's stemmed from a motto they had at the time--"If you have time to lean, you have time to clean."  That meant no standing around doing nothing.  You could flirt with the cute guy working the grill area, but you'd better have a wet rag in your hand, wiping down some of the chrome!  That expectation to be doing something constructive ALL THE TIME became second nature after awhile.  It has served me well as an entrepreneur working for myself and by myself.  There are always dozens of things that need to be done every day in my handcrafted jewelry business.  I can't say that I'm the most organized person in the world, but I am pretty good about not wasting too much valuable time when I'm supposed to be working!  (Well, aside from Facebook, but that's another story!)  'Cuz if I don't do it, it don't get done!  And even if it don't get done--after 29 years of self-employment, that still happens sometimes--I always try to do the other thing I learned from working at McDonald's, and that's SMILE!

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What's On My Desk Right Now

I saw this on a "blog ideas" list: What's on my desk right now.  I don't know about you, but I like this kind of revealing little slice-of-life story.  

I think it's a fascinating list. 

Here goes:
A television and accompanying DVD player.
A desk lamp.
Multiple piles of pictures. 
A calculator.
Tons of beads, stones, wire, and findings--all the bits and pieces that go along with making jewelry.
Assorted hand tools (far too numerous to name individually).
Two pairs of reading glasses.
Four pens.
Three staplers.
A hand drill.
A letter opener.
Blank CDs
Cheese flavored Chex mix.
Cherry Craisins.
Liquid makeup.
Cuticle cream.
A lighter.
A patchouli/vanilla candle.
An extension cord.
A dust cloth.
Three polishing cloths.
Three different piles of varying heights, of papers I need to read.
A ruler and a cloth tape measure.
A flashlight.
Bills to be paid.
Jewelry supply catalogs.
My cell phone.
My laptop.

Obviously, my desk is my work space.  Once in awhile I take a day and purge all the piles and pieces and organize the tools, but it's been awhile since I've done that.  But hey, I can assure you that when I need something, I know just which "pile" to dive into to find it!  LOL.

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My Building Then and Now

 

 My store is located in historic Cocoa Village, Florida, in a gorgeous old building called the BelAir Courtyard.  Built in 1924, the top picture shows it in it's early days.  The bottom picture was taken last year.  My store is in the far back left corner on the bottom.  The street was two-way back in the day, now it's one-way south (to the right).  The most striking change to me is the enormous schefflera tree in the center rear of the courtyard.  Since the whole right side lower level is a fine restaurant now, the tree makes for lovely courtyard dining!


I love historic stuff!

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Opal, the Primary October Birthstone

 

For you lucky October babies, all the splendor of nature is reflected in the colorful opulence of your birthstone, the Opal: fire and lightning, all the colors of the rainbow and the soft hues of tropical sunrises. Australia is the most common country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.

The name Opal was probably derived from Sanskrit “upala“, meaning ”valuable stone“. This was probably the root for the Greek term “opallios”, which translates as “color change”.

Opal’s color play attracts and fascinates, doesn‘t it? But what causes this phenomenon? This question was impossible to answer for a very long time. In the 1960s a team of Australian scientists analyzed Opals with an electron microscope, and it was discovered that small spheres from silica gel were responsible for the fantastic play of colors. The spheres, which are arranged in more or less compact structures, split the light on its passage through the gemstone and turn it into all the colors of the rainbow, always new and always different.

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The Government Shutdown and Me

Any time our politicians can't pull their heads out long enough to do their jobs it makes me nervous.  I'm a little-bitty business, trying to sell some handcrafted jewelry, and I don't like it when the Big Boys of government or Wall Street do stupid things that make people nervous.  So no matter WHAT the reason, I can't say that this government shutdown excites me much.

I did, however, just read some news that makes me feel a bit better.  From Instoremag.com comes the following article:

No word yet on the government shutdown from the National Retail Federation, among the most powerful lobbying groups in the country, which has long favored repeal of “Obama Care.” Outside of Washington DC, where restaurants and retailers are bracing for the impact of their customers’ lost wages, the impact on retail of the first government shutdown in 17 years is unlikely to be serious, say most sources. Unless it drags on, which is unlikely. The Wall Street Journal cites a Morgan Stanley report that the 17 previous government shut-downs since 1976 have only lasted a few days. That’s once every two years or so for these showdown/shutdowns, so the economy seems more or less used to them by now. Both stocks and gold were up on the news, and there has been no immediate impact on currency value. Those happy-go-lucky folks at the WSJ have even found a silver-lining in this latest brink-of-disaster black cloud. “For retailers a government shutdown couldn’t have come at a better time,” says reporter, “after the key back to school shopping period but before the crucial year-end holiday season gets under way in earnest.”

So for now I'm going to go back to making some jewelry.  Gotta be ready when that "holiday season gets under way in earnest"!

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Ultimate Blog Challenge

It's my first.  Ultimate Blog Challenge, that is.  A blog post every day in the month of October.  Thirty-one blog posts all in a row.  I'm looking forward to it and I'm full of dread at the same time.  I do enjoy blogging, but I'm not very regular.  I'm hoping this will help get me in the habit.  I don't have a regimented theme to my blog...should I?  My brain is kind of artsy-fartsy, so my blog is a little of this and a little of that.  I read the tips and the how-tos and some say a theme, at least weekly, may be a good idea.  I'm not crazy about doing the same thing day after day, and I can't see myself enjoying writing about something similar day after day either.  Maybe I can try it for a week?  If it seems "forced" I can revert to my hodgepodge way of doing things, right?

And we're off...

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