My First UBC--Analysis & Questions

This was the first Ultimate Blog Challenge I've ever participated in.  And I managed to post 31 times in 31 days.  I missed a day here and there, but made up for it with 2 posts on a subsequent day.  I'm pleased with myself for being able to meet the challenge.  I've proven to myself that I CAN post more frequently and still keep up with all the other stuff I need to do.  I just need to remain disciplined so that I don't allow one "missed" day to become a week or more!  Time will tell if I've got what it takes.

I got no new followers from this month of blogging.  I really expected at least a few.  I rarely even got the 2 "required" comments from fellow UBC bloggers.  That was terribly disappointing, mostly because I hate when people don't follow the rules.  I didn't even find any new blogs that interested me enough to follow them. There seemed to be a lot of I'm-an-authority-on-such-and-such-and-you-should-do-things-this-way posts.  That may have disappointed me the most.  I was hoping to develop some new relationships.

So other than finding my own writing and time-management capabilities, I don't know what I've accomplished here.  I'd love to hear thoughts from others who participated in the UBC--how did it work out for YOU?

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Gemstone Meanings, Part 1

Folklore has attached meanings to gemstones for millennia.  Here are a few stones and their historic meanings:

Malachite:  An equalizing and balancing agent.  Stimulates intuitive reasoning.  Promotes loyalty in partnerships and responsibility in business transactions.

 

Rose Quartz:  Brings peacefulness and calm to relationships.  Stimulates the true life force...LOVE!






Tiger Eye: Relieves high blood pressure.  Offers protection while travelling.  Aids in becoming more practical and grounded in reality.

                   

 

(In no way are these claims to be considered absolute or infallible, nor are they to be considered medical advice.  They are merely folklore, for entertainment purposes only.)

 

You can find out more about these stones and others on my website.

 

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Ancient Chauvinism

In the Greek monastery of Mount Athos, nothing female is allowed.  Men can enter but not women; roosters but no hens; bulls but no cows, etc.  The border is patrolled by armed guards to ensure that nothing feminine passes the gates.  It has been this way for more than 700 years!

 

 

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Artistic License

Over the years my son has come to work with me once in awhile.  Once he was about 5, he had been driving me crazy poking into everything, and I wasn't getting any work done.  So I laid out a series of beads and told him to sit quietly and string them.  After awhile I looked down and saw that he was indeed stringing them, but he wasn't stringing them in the order I laid them out.  I started to snatch them out of his hand and chastise him when I noticed that HIS design was actually better than mine!  Ha ha!  Lesson learned: just because I'm an ar-TISTE doesn't mean my vision is the only vision!

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Kid Stuff

 



For a number of years now, as my son is growing up, I make it a point to try to remember what it was like to be "that age".  The life lessons are important, and I nag and lecture and even raise my voice sometimes, because that kind of stuff needs to sink in in order for him to be the best adult he can be.  But there are other things, like building a blanket fort (pictured above), that are necessary for the kid to just be a kid.  So the pillows and sofa cushions and blankets and sheets and whatever else he can find are strewn all over the bedroom...so what?  Yes, you'll have to help pick it all up (because as all mothers know, MAKING the mess is far more fun than CLEANING UP the mess!) And yes, you'll probably have to do some laundry.  And maybe the cushion will get torn or stained.  In the grand scheme of life, I think it's more important to let the kid build something out of his imagination, and put it together so it works, than keep the sofa cushions pristine.

 

Well, actually, we have 4 rather large dogs, so nothing in our house is pristine.

 

These days especially, when 5-year-olds can work iPhones better than their middle-aged grandparents and planning their extracurricular activities for college entrance starts in preschool, working some (semi-forbidden) hands-on, old fashioned playtime into a kid's day is a GOOD thing!  Drawings in chalk on the sidewalk or driveway will wash off.  Strips cut from plastic bags to make into friendship bracelets that never actually get made can be thrown away.   Muddy shoes from going fishing with the boys in the "pond" across the street can be dried and brushed off.

 

And blanket forts are cool.

 

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Shop Local!

 

Since I am that "local craftsperson who makes jewelry", I TOTALLY support this proposal.  But I'm sure I would even if I wasn't directly affected.  How about you?  Will you shop small and local?  Not just for the holidays, but as often as you can all year long?  (Thanks!)

 

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Aquarium Over Bed

 

This is one of those things that LOOKS really cool, and at first glance you think it's something you'd really like to have.  But if you step back and think about it, perhaps you wonder how practical it really is.  I LOVE the look of this.  I love aquariums.  I love to watch fish swimming around.  Would I love it over my head?  Every night?  Would the light from it, no matter how dim, be annoying when I'm trying to sleep?  Would I feel claustrophobic with the archway over my head?  Some pros and cons.  I'm thinking I'd really like it in real life, but it would be awesome if I could try it for a night or two somewhere else, like in a hotel, to decide for sure.  Your thoughts?

 

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Halloween Idea

 

 

Every year I say I'm going to do this.  I even save toilet paper rolls for a few weeks beforehand.  But I never get any kids out in my (rural-ish) neck of the woods, so I've never gotten up the oomph to actually do it.  I think it's a really cool idea!  Maybe this year...

 

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Welcome To My Store!

 

 

This is the front door to my store, as seen from across the courtyard of the fine dining restaurant next door to me.  Beautiful scrollwork chairs, a gorgeous stone fountain, and (although you can't see it in this picture) a huge schefflera tree to the right of the umbrella.  It's been my home away from home for going on 21 years!

 

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Rainbow Bracelet

One of my most popular bracelets, and one of my favorites as well.  I just LOVE a good rainbow!  In gold or silver wire, custom made to fit any size wrist.  $65.00.

 

 

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5 Ways to Stay Creative

I've been making and selling handcrafted jewelry for almost 30 years now, and I love it!  But even doing something you love has its moments where you might need some help.  Take a step back, reflect, recharge...however you want to put it.  Here are five ways that help me keep the creative juices flowing!

1) Listen to new music.  Rhapsody has a "New This Week" feature, and "You Might Like.." suggestions based on what I listen to regularly.  I've found some great new bands that way!

2) Carry a notebook everywhere.  I never know when the muse is going to strike.  I often get ideas while I'm driving.  I carry a small spiral notebook in my purse so I don't forget any of those great ideas!

3) Read a page of a dictionary or thesaurus.  I sometimes use those tools when I'm writing descriptions for my online listings, and I'll look over entire pages, just checking out words and words and words.  Starts some free-flowing thinking!

4) Get plenty of rest.  I love to sleep, plus right before I fall asleep and just as I'm waking up are very often times of creative thinking.  Many mornings before I get up I'll just lie in bed designing jewelry in my head!

5) Clean my work space.  If all else fails, sorting wire and putting beads away inevitably leads me down a creative path.  I run across a stone I forgot I wanted to set, or several strands of beads will clump together in a color combination that hadn't occurred to me.  Plus I end up with a clean-ish space where I can actually work!

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Largest Swimming Pool

The largest swimming pool in the world is located in Algarrobo, Chile. It covers 20 acres!  Just look at it!  No sharks to worry about, no fish nibbling at parts you'd rather they didn't, no jellyfish lurking to sting you.  Looks like you can swim and swim and never run into anyone else!  And is that a sail board?  Couldn't take one of those in the water down at the Y!

The Luella Collection

When my grandmother passed away in 2002, I told my mom to bring me some of her old jewelry.  Not the good stuff--that was split between my mom and my aunts.  The FUN stuff--the shiny beads and the big bubble clip-on earrings and the rhinestone things.  I wanted to take all those great old things apart and remake them into fresh new things to appeal to future generations. 

These are obviously limited edition or one-of-a-kind pieces, and in the years since Grandma passed, I have acquired other great old jewelry from estate sales.  But it originated with Grandma's stuff, and it is called The Luella Collection in her honor.

This one was part of the clasp on a strand of large amber colored beads:

These were clip-on earrings that I embellished with wire:

This set was made from parts of a strand of beads in multiple reds, and what is now a pendant was originally an earring to match the bead strand:

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Moorea

On my bucket list:
An overwater bungalow on Moorea, an island in French Polynesia.  The pictures alone curl my toes!

 

 

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Bumper Sticker

I saw a bumper sticker this morning that said,
"When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, the world will know peace."

 

 

In the aftermath of the ridiculous sniping session that was the government shutdown, I don't hold out much hope for those who seem to have that "love of power".  But since I can only control my own behavior, I will opt for the "power of love" as often as I can.  And I'll encourage everyone I know to NOT vote for their incumbent Congressmen next election!

 

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A Little Humor

Some things just should not be pierced!

What piercings have you seen that you really don't like?

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Facebook Cover Photos

I've got a number of cover photos for my Facebook business page and I was wondering which might be the most eye catching.  What do you think?  And how often do you think a business should change their cover photo?

Number 1 is some of the raw materials I use to make my jewelry:

Number 2 is a particularly gorgeous custom piece of jewelry:

Number 3 is a picture of part of the interior of my store:

Three totally different approaches to what I do.  Which to you like the best, or which do you think is the most effective?

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So Many Pearls!

PEARLS-- Don't you just love beautiful, luminous pearls?  I have some beauties! 

Freshwater pearls: almost-round in glowing white, fat rice-shape in a rainbow of vibrant dyed colors, or long stick-shape in white, peach, peacock/black, or glowing copper. 

Osmena pearls: domed cabochon-shape in shimmering white and pale colors and a variety of sizes. 

Blister pearls: a natural formation of pearl "bubbles" on a cut section of shell. 

I have pendants, earrings, ear sweeps, bracelets, anklets, rings...you name it!   Check out my Etsy shop for items ready-to-ship, or browse my Contemporary Concepts website where I can make many of the designs in pearls just for you!

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My Favorite Joke

Question:  How many men does it take to change a toilet paper roll?

Answer:  Nobody knows.  It's never happened!


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Twenty-Five Things About Me

Working on this Ultimate Blog Challenge, I've run across a number of "what to blog about" lists and suggestions.  Most are great, and have prompted even more ideas as I apply the suggestions to my own life and interests.  This "list" was one of the suggestions, and as I was looking back over it I realized each of these 25 things could be yet another blog post!  So provided I can get into and maintain the habit of blogging every day--or at least every other day--I have enough material for MONTHS!  Woo hoo!

1. I’m adopted.
2. I hate being cold. And anything below 65 degrees is COLD!
3. This is my 25th year in business. I established Contemporary Concepts on April 14, 1984.
4. I love good landscape photography.
5. I got my first grey hair at 23. My hair color has been out of a bottle ever since!
6. I’ve always had a powerful attraction to the number 8.
7. I’m very right-brained, and I think in three dimensions (hence my innate ability to create beautiful pieces of jewelry…? But don‘t ask me to draw anything more complicated than a stick figure.)
8. It makes me crazy to see advertisements or billboards (or anything else, really) with words misspelled. Get a dictionary, people…and PROOFREAD!
9. My favorite author is Orson Scott Card. He sucks me into a book so deep that I absolutely CANNOT put it down until I’m finished reading it. I’ll also read anything by Roger Zelazny or Michael Crichton.
10. My favorite colors are green, purple, and yellow, in that order. Any combination thereof is also highly appealing.
11. When I was younger, I wished I had been born a brunette with brown eyes. And that I was taller and thinner. In the last several years, though, I have come to terms with all my “imperfections”…yes, ALL of them!
12. Sometimes I wish I had finished my college degree.
13. I’ve never had a broken bone.
14. I really hate being wet. I’m not a big fan of swimming, and when I shower I always dry off immediately.
15. My son Ricky was conceived through in vitro fertilization, and I gave birth at the ripe old age of 40! No morning sickness, I only gained 16 pounds, and my labor was about 5-½ hours from start to finish. An awesome experience!
16. The downside of being pregnant at 40 was that everything that was going to sag, droop, spread, or otherwise go to hell in a hand basket as I got older, did so…quickly and irreversibly! Consequently I now wear bifocal contact lenses and my feet are a full size bigger than they used to be. (I’ll let you take a wild guess at what sagged and drooped!)
17. Ricky was over a year old before I realized that diaper packages come with a perforated side that you can easily rip open. Now there was a “duh!” moment!
18. It blows my mind that I’m going to turn 54 this year! Inside my head I still feel about 28. Only maybe a little wiser!
19. I am mesmerized by moving water: ocean waves, small creeks, even my washing machine and jewelry tumbler. But I especially love waterfalls. (Have you ever seen pictures or video of the Iguazu Falls in South America? Breathtaking!)
20. I love penguins and giraffes.
21. I have a tattoo of a seahorse on my right ankle.
22. My favorite flowers are yellow roses.
23. I love the smell of pine needles (like Christmastime!) and orange blossoms.
24. When I was younger I enjoyed traveling. At one point or another in my life I’ve visited 36 of the 50 United States. Nowadays I’m the consummate homebody--there’s no place I’d rather be than home.
25. My husband is nearly 10 years younger than I am. Grab ‘em young and train ‘em right, I always say!

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Ear Sweeps Anyone?



  An Ear Sweep is a bobby-pin style earring that goes in your regular piercing and then sweeps UP your ear! Get the multiple-pierced look without the extra pain! I have more than a dozen styles, in gold or silver and your choice of gemstone or crystal beads. I've been making them for more than 20 years, and I can guarantee they make a great gift. Interesting, unique, and probably not something the person already has! My mom wears them all the time, and says that people are constantly stopping her in the grocery store or at church, asking about the Ear Sweeps. And that's what cool jewelry is all about, right? Getting noticed? (I wear Ear Sweeps myself most of the time, but the only place I go is my store, so the only people that see me are customers. I sell a lot of them because I wear them!)  I have several for sale in my Etsy shop .

 

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Points to Ponder

I ran across these statements on a Facebook post today.  They were at the end of a little parable about socialism.  In no way do I mean to belittle anyone's beliefs, nor do I intend to force my views on anyone else.  I just think these are things worth thinking about.

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

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Traditional Birthstone List

Traditional Birthstones:
January - garnet
February - amethyst
March - aquamarine
April - diamond
May - emerald
June - alexandrite, pearl, moonstone 
July - ruby
August - peridot
September - sapphire
October - opal, pink tourmaline 
November - topaz or citrine
December - turquoise, zircon, tanzanite

This is not the "ancient" list, nor the "zodiac" list, nor the "modern" list.  Parts of those are the same and parts are different.  (No idea why!)  I've been in the jewelry business for more than 30 years, and these are the stones I learned back in the beginning, and that I've always associated with the months.  The "traditional" birthstones.  Except for, I have to admit, the tanzanite, which was just designated by the American Gemological bigwigs as the "new" birthstone for December only about 5 or 6 years ago.  But it's gorgeous and it's one of my most favorite stones, so I'll happily add it to my "tradition"!

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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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