Moonstone and other ramblings

Ahhhh, I'm feeling rather weary...I've just had a 3 day show in my local town, Coolah, and it went incredibly well. I got to share lots of lovely jewellery with lots of lovely ladies and had a great time doing it! But, as usual, I fall in a heap afterwards!! I think its because I'm operating at high revs for so long, when I don't have to anymore, I sputter to a stop LOL.

I have also been thinking on Christmas and have decided I just MUST have a maxi dress for summer and went looking online since I am so distant from shops. I looked and I looked and I looked. I found a couple that 'almost' made it, but not quite. Then I had a thought....Michelle from My New Shiny Shoes blog is always finding great deals and unusual items to purchase online, so I sent her a 'challenge' ... to find me such a dress! I will be keeping a close eye on her blog to see what she comes up with!!!

Sunday night is my ironing night. I really don't enjoy ironing, but feel I can cope if I do it in front of a good movie. So last night I set myself up and watched the first instalment of the BBC production Jane Eyre. Well I think I spent more time watching than ironing as I hadn't made much progress at all by the end of two hours! The acting is brilliant and I think the casting is well done - Jane is quirky/attractive and Mr Rochester is handsome in a worn, rather craggy way - very Bronte-esque! I thought I had the book of Jane Eyre on my bookshelf but couldn't find it which is annoying as I have the need to read the story right now! But I will have to make do with waiting a whole week until Part 2 is on next Sunday night. Sigh. Did anyone else watch it? What did you think????

Today's picture is of a gorgeous bracelet of moonstone in colours reminiscent of coffee - anyone for a latte? Linked into a chain with 12ct gold fill, this bracelet will be able to be worn year in and year out without dating. Moonstone is type of orthocloase feldspar and has a beautiful shimmer within,(called adulararescence) visible when the stones are moved. Often thought to be only in white, it actually comes in colourless to white to yellow to peach and even grey.

Metaphysically, moonstone is a stone of new beginnings. It promotes intuition and emphathy, calms overreactions and emotional triggers. Soothing stress and providing deep emotional healing it also helps assimilate nutrients, eliminate toxins and alleviates degenerative conditions of skin, hair, eyes and liver as well as helping to treat insomnia.

Don't forget free worldwide shipping from me for a special chistmas gift - be it for a gift for someone else or a gift for yourself! ;)

Australian Summer and Amethyst

We've just been to Sydney and its a long, tiring drive. We made the journey to see my dad while he was there as he lives on the north coast of NSW which is even more of a drive!

We left very early in the morning, just before there was light in the sky and the children thought it a great adventure to see the sky gradually lighten and change colour. By the time we made it to the Blue Mountains, the sun was high in the sky and blazing down from a bright blue sky.

Driving along, with chattering children in the back, and engine noise from both our and others cars, the cicadas in the bush were still loud and a definite reminder of the Australian bush. My husband and I spoke about how that sound reminded us of summer in Australia - hot days in the bush and that constant buzz of cicadas. I just saw this post on the Rainbow Designs blog, and it is so true! We certainly are fortunate to be able to be so close to nature in this big country. Remember my holiday post and the kangaroos in the front yard! ;)

The response to free worldwide shipping has been great and I am so glad I can now more easily share my jewellery, in reality, with the rest of the world. Its a great feeling and makes the additional cost to me very worthwhile!

Today's picture is a very stately, classic necklace. Made with big faceted lilac coloured amethyst and set off with natural lilac freshwater pearls and tiny little Karen Hill Tribe silver faceted balls. Although you can't see it, the silver clasp is in the shape of an adorable ribbon bow. Very feminine!

Amethyst is a beautiful stone and comes in every shade of purple from lilac through to the deep purple favoured by royalty (they're featured in the British Crown Jewels). It is the stone of the Buddha and Catholic Bishops wear rings of amethyst. Some tribal shamans used amethysts as a talisman and object of power. Egyptian solders wore amethyst into battle to retain their courage and the Romans made goblets of amethyst as it was believed to protect against drunkenness.

The Romans had a wonderful myth for explaining the occurrence of this lovely rock. The god Bacchus had been insulted by a mortal and furious, swore that the next mortal that crossed his path would suffer his wrath. A young maiden called Amethysta, who was affiliated with the Goddess Diana was the next mortal he saw and in his anger killed her. Diana took pity on Amethysta and changed her into crystal. Bacchus soon repented his act and wept on the crystal, whereupon his tears turned the crystal purple.

Metaphysically, amethyst is still considered a powerful and protective stone. Among its many attributes are: a natural tranquiliser, helping you feel more focused and in control; enhances acceptance of new ideas; dispels anger and fear; alleviates sadness and grief; opens intuition and enhances psychic gifts; brings intuitive dreams when slept with; tunes metabolism; cleanses the blood and eliminating organs; heals bruises and swellings, poor hearing and skin conditiouns; treats insomnia and brings restful sleep.

Mums children and social networking

*** I have decided to introduce FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on my jewellery. I get so many lovely comments from people overseas and the freight cost really holds them back - so as of NOW, its free shipping to anywhere in the world! :)***

I have been reading through some of the posts on the blog, The Tall Poppy. Anne is funny, entertaining and thoughtful and I particularly love her slightly irreverant sense of humour. I particularly like the following post - The Hazards of Having Children - it really made me smile, even though my children are a bit bigger than the ones targeted in the story.

Speaking of children mine are rapidly wearing me out/down. How am I going to cope when it gets closer to Christmas?? How are yours treating you?

A great source of support is the social network called Posh Mama. This great site is aimed at women all over the world, mostly mothers, who like to look good and keep up to date and not be relegated to the just 'mum' status! Its very supportive, interactive and I have met some really interesting women through it! Lots of different forums to join on all sorts of topics that there is easily a few there you could join in on, and Posh Mama herself (the site's owner) keeps you up to date with all things "posh" and "mama" oriented! You get your own page on the site to share with the world and can even link your blog there (this one is linked to my page!). The community is growing everyday - check it out!

Keeping this Posh Mama mindset, I've selected a piece for today's pic that is very classy and will not lose that timeless appeal. This necklace would look stunning worn with a white shirt, a little black dress or a dress in any of the cream-taupe-brown tones. My supplier described the stones as "Opal Quartz" - I am unsure of the rock that is attached to the quartz, but it is absolutely delicious. The browns/creams/golds are set off by the rock crystal quartz all with an extremely high polish, and I have matched it simply (as it didn't need much enhancement) with small nuggets of pyrite in between. A sterling clasp finishes the piece off.

Have a great day! :)

I've been SHOPPING :)

Ahhh, shopping, don't you LOVE it. The highs of finding something new, hearing that little angel on your shoulder going "goodie goodie" and then the expectaction of waiting for the items to arrive (since I only ever seem to shop online, the whole shopping experience is somewhat extended!). Then when the goodies DO arrive, the anticipation has built and you rip open the box to see the treasure inside! Ahhhh, bliss.

OK, well, maybe I'm a shopaholic? But I KNOW there are many of you out there that are the same. Nod your head .... that's right ;)

So, what have YOU been shopping for? I've been shopping for stones and pearls - I told you I needed more last week! I've revisited some of my favourite suppliers and even found a new one that I am sure will keep me salivating for years.

Someone sent me an email the other day saying there was only 51 days left to Christmas! EEEK. Its even less than that now! I really will have to think about gifts soon. I've just had to have a look at my favourite gift store, Tonic Gifts, and found the Action Hero's Handbook - now I know my son would love it as he has always aspired to be Indiana Jones and I can see my hubby sneaking the odd peek too ;) Michelle from Tonic Gifts also has a great article on her blog about christmas shopping which is well worth a look before we plunge headlong into the fray!

The pic for today is a necklace of huge amazonite balls (they really are big!) separated by white freshwater pearls. The toggle closure, although you can't see it in the pic, is also made of amazonite - how cool is that! I call this my "Wilma" necklace - as in the Flintstones ;) . The amazonite is a beautiful aqua blue colour and really quite magnificent, especially in such a size! Meaning "from the Amazon", this sodium feldspar has been used for ornamentation for thousands of years, with articles of amazonite being found in treasure hoards from ancient Egypt. Metaphysically it is considered a soothing stone, calming thoughts and the nervous system and protecting against electromagnetic pollution.