Monday, March 26, 2012

Aquamarine: The Mermaid's Stone


Aquamarine: The Mermaid’s Stone

by evashawdesigns

From the Latin words for “sea water”, legend holds that the captivating blue-green aquamarine was discovered in a mermaid’s treasure chest, thus earning it the distinctive title of the “sailors lucky stone”.
In the 14th century, poet William Langland wrote his famous piece, “William’s Vision of Piers Plowman”. Part theological allegory and part social satire, the poem names aquamarine as an antidote for poison. As a result, the demand for aquamarine jewelry spiked among European royalty throughout the following centuries.
It’s popularity continued, but morphed over time. While in the 19th century aquamarines with a clear greenish hue were in vogue, a bluer shade is preferred nowadays.  Currently, aquamarines are associated with insight, prophecy and happy marriage. Aquamarine is the birthstone for March

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Happy Spring

Finally Spring is here!!  Spring is my favorite time of year especially here in Virginia where all the fruit trees are in bloom!  I have two pear trees in my front yard and right now they are covered in breathtaking little white flowers!  Here is a wonderful Etsy collection of Spring items from many wonderful and talented people in my teams!







Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Lucky...

St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday!!  Don't miss the Luck of the Irish Sale from both BrankletsNBling and GirlieGals!!  Select items in each shop will be 20% OFF during the week of March 16 - 23!!  Also, make sure you sign up for our newsletters on the right to learn about special promotions and new releases!




In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day - I wanted to ask this question "Do you believe in luck?" When someone is faced with a difficulty I catch myself stating, "Good luck" not realizing if I really believed in what that means.  Is there such a thing as good luck or bad luck or do we make our own luck??  I found an excellent article on the subject called Do You Feel Lucky? by Mike Ford.  Here is an exerpt dealing with this very question:


"Are some people in life lucky and others unlucky, or do we make our own luck? English psychologist Richard Wiseman, who conducted a study on the subject of luck, was interviewed by Fastcompany, an online magazine, about his findings.
For centuries, people have recognized the power of luck and have done whatever they could to try seizing it. Take knocking on wood, thought to date back to pagan rituals aimed at eliciting help from powerful tree gods. We still do it today, though few, if any, of us worship tree gods. So why do we pass this and other superstitions down from generation to generation? The answer lies in the power of luck.
Over a ten-year period, Wiseman kept track of 400 men and women volunteers. These people, of all ages, who "considered themselves especially lucky or unlucky," kept diaries, submitted to interviews, completed questionnaires, took tests, and participated in experiments. The results? Lucky people get that way "via some basic principles."
His results dovetailed with the "Positive Mental Attitude" espoused by a long line of self-help gurus from Norman Vincent Peale to Anthony Robbins. These proponents of proactive self-sufficiency advocate steps like taking advantage of opportunities that come one's way. As Wiseman points out, "Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they're too busy looking for something else." In other words, work hard, save money, utilize personal talents, and do not expect lottery winnings to fund life on Easy Street.
Wiseman also discovered a wide gap in the way they handled misfortune between those who perceived themselves as lucky and those who thought of themselves as unlucky. The "lucky" people looked at the bad things that came their way, and after a time concluded, "It could have been worse." The unlucky ones let problems and trials immobilize or even devastate them.
The bottom line in this man's study seems to be that a person makes his own luck. A lucky person does not blame others for the state he is in, and he works to improve his lot in life. He does not lay back and wait for his luck to change but takes steps to change it himself through work. Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "Diligence is the mother of good luck." In the same vein, comedian Bob Hope said, "I've always been in the right place at the right time. Of course, I steered myself there."


After reading this I discovered that I don't consider myself a "lucky" person, I consider myself to be a blessed person because I know that all my "luck" has come from the Lord and it all has a purpose.  What about you?  Do you consider yourself to be lucky? Unlucky? Blessed? Other??  



Sunday, March 11, 2012

Fuchia and Turquoise Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings

Spring has Sprung with these Fuchia and Turquoise wooden beaded fun hoop earrings, necklace and bracelet set.  Fun and chunky pieces with vibrant spring colors to really spruce up your wardrobe. Match them with whites, yellows or even tangerine. WOW! Bold and Beautiful!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95033859/fuchia-and-turquoise-wooden-and-beaded

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Cuff Bracelets...The New Fashion Craze

Cuff bracelets are becoming this year's biggest fashion craze!! Here is a bit of history on the Cuff...

History of the Cuff Bracelet

Written by  Sandra Castaneda
The cuff bracelet has an intriguing and long standing history of adornment extending from several thousands of years B.C. to the present time. Cuff bracelets were prominent in Egyptian history, as well as a Mayan and Incan adornment in the Americas.
In the Mayan culture, jewelry was an important aspect to royal dress, and an important measure of social class. The cuff bracelet is a solid, rigid, usually wide, minimally decorated bracelet almost always composed of metal and was worn only by Mayan Kings. It appears that the Mayan cuff was a singular representation of not only rank but also family. Mayan cuff bracelet’s different designs were found in several of the more prominent Mayan cities, such as Yaxchilan, Palenque, Tikal, Copan and Quirigua.
Sibilia Pachacamac Cuff BraceletPachacamac Sanctuary
    “Sibilia” Pachacamac Glossary Link Patina Cuff Bracelet  
“Pachacamac Ruins/Lima,Peru
      
Cuff bracelets date back to circa 1000 - 1500, where they were found in Inca graves. Cuff bracelets were also worn by the Roman’s, Egyptians, countries throughout Africa, and other early cultures, including ancient China. In Egypt, pharaohs are seen in wall paintings with multicolored bracelets consisting of parallel vertical stripes of jewels or glass. Lesser members of the court do not display this adornment.

Nubian Royalty Cuff BraceletSibilia Juana Hammered Gold Cuff
Nubian Royalty  wearing Cuff Bracelets  
“Sibilia” Juana Gold Cuff Bracelet
Today bracelets are amongst the most popular forms of jewelry. With the exception of earrings, bracelets are the most popular jewelry in the world. Jewelry is testament to how history repeats itself! Comparing jewelry from hundreds of years ago to contemporary jewelry, we will notice that ancient jewelry continues to inspire our current styles.

Check out these Gorgeous Cuff Bracelets designed by BrankletsNBling and GirlieGals: