BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Here we are in the month of October. Not only are we getting ready for ghost and goblins, we are celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I'm sure everyone has been affect my breast cancer. Whether friend, family member or just a friend of a friend, we all have been touched. It is such a horrible disease to deal with, but I'm so glad that there is a special month to honor breast cancer survivors and whose who have lost their lives.

The NBCAM (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) is an annual health campaign to bring awareness to the disease and fund research for finding a cure. The NBCAM was founded in 1985 between the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries, now a part of AstraZeneca, which is the maker of several anti-breast cancer drug.

In 1993, the pink ribbon symbol was established as the symbol for breast cancer, tho the first ribbon was used by the Susan G, Komen Foundation that handed out the pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors.

The first Race for the Cure in Dallas, Texas had 800 participants. Now, organizers say, by 2002 the number reached 1.3 million and the event was held in over 100 US cities.

It is amazing to me, all the support there is out there for breast cancer. No one has to deal with it alone. I encourage all to get regular mammograms and do self-exams. Early detection is the key to living a long healthy life.

Please visit www.denimdawgjewelry.com.

THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

Everyone has at least one. Some have several. They are never out of style. They can be worn anytime of the year. Some are long, some are short, some are knee length. What is this, you ask??? The Little Black Dress. Or LBD.
The LBD can be a "canvas", so to speak, to accent jewelry, shoes or handbags. It can be worn for any occasion, from weddings to funerals to cocktail parties. You can really never be overdressed. Dress up or down with accessories. The LBD can be worn by women of every size, shape and age. Just find a style that fits your figure well.
Every generation has its own style of the LBD. At its core, the LBD is comfortable, elegant and sophisticated.
Black is my favorite color for clothes. I always start looking for an outfit that is colorful, but always go towards black. I even wear it AFTER, Memorial Day. It suits me. I feel "put together" in black. But I do accessorize with color.
Please visit www.denimdawgjewelry.com to see accessories for your favorite Little Black Dress...

PHOTO LIGHT BOX

For me, the hardest part of jewelry design and creating is the photography of the finsihed product. I mostly sell my jewelry online, so I need a good photograph, and  I just can't seem to get the lighting right. Being able to light a piece properly to show the true color can be very difficult. From one photograph to the next, it seems the lighting will be off. I have taken photos outside, inside, rain, sun and always seem to have a problem.

Well, my husband to the rescue!! He made me a "Light Box". 

A light box is a great solution. It provides light diffusion and a uniform background against which to place my jewelry. Some people use a cardboard box with poster board and white tissue paper. Then put some clamp lights around the sides.

Since my husband is a retired General Contractor, he made mine out of wood and muslin fabric with 4 clamp on lights.

We got all the wood supplies at Home Depot and the fabric is actually "flour sack" towel from Walmart. I got two (2) 24inx24in towels for about $1.50. The wood we got are 8,1x2inx4 feet pine boards. The 4 clamp on lights with daylight bulbs. I think the total for everything as about $50.00.

The finished box is 18inx24in and stands 24 inches high. The very top is a removable frame with the white fabric stapled over it. I can remove it and have direct light or leave it on for subtle lighting.

PINTEREST

I just got started with Pinterest. What a great idea. It is what I call a "sharing pin board". It is a social network of sorts. Where users can "create" pin board of favorites, like food, photography, clothes, crafts, etc.
It is by invitation only, but very easy to get invited. Users get connected  to other people in the world and share interests thru "pinboards". There is a "like" button and also a "repin" button on your site. Pinterest is also connected thru Twitter as well as Facebook.
Founded by Ben Silberman in March of 2010, it is one of the "fastest growing social services in the world". On August 6, 2011, Time magazine listed Pinterest in its "50 Best Websites of 2011". There is an app for the iPhone as well as a new one for the iPad. I just love it.
There is a notification system which allows copyright holders to request that content be removed from the site. A "nopin"HTML meta take was realeased by Pinterest on February  20, 2012 to allow websites to opt out of their images being pinned.
There is also an option for video pins. I have not used this choice. But probably great for "cooking lessons", DIY projects or just fun vacation videos.
I have not "pined" any of my jewelry yet. Pintrest is not really for selling, just sharing some of my favorite items.
Please visit my website. http://www.denimdawgjewelry.com/.

HOWLIGHT JEWELRY SET

Jewelry Set





Bracelet and Earrings

One of my favorite stones to work with is Howlite. Especially in turquoise. It's bright, colorful and usually matches anything.

Howlite is used often for different things, including jewelry and small decorative items. It is a very porous stone and easily dyed to look like other minerals, especially turquoise, because of the veining patterns.

Howlite in it's natural state is sometimes called "white turquoise" or "white buffalo turquoise" or its derived name "white buffalo stone". It is also said to aid in insomnia. Especially when caused by an over active mind. It is also said to balance calcuim levels in the body.

For me, I just love the stone. Whether dyed or left natural, it is a beautiful stone and can be used for many different jewelry styles.

Please visit my website: http://www.denimdawgjewlery.com/.

Families and the Military

Kyle In Iraq

I have a son who joined the Army in 2005. It was a very hard year for him. He had a four year old son, he was a single dad, and worked several dead end jobs.
At one point his son got very sick and had to be taken to the emergency for a fever that would not break. The doctors worked very hard to bring the fever down. After what seemed like days, it finally broke and they were able to send Jayden home.

It made my son realize that HE had no health insurance. The next day Kyle went and spoke to the recruiter. I, as a mother, did not want Kyle to go. I gave him so many reasons not to go. But he had more reasons why he needed to do this.

Kyle left in November 2006 the week before Thanksgiving. I was so sad. I kept thinking about Kyle getting thru Basic training. How he was being treated, what he was having to do. Did they get a Thanksgiving dinner? And that was just the beginning. After 10 weeks of basic, he spent 20 weeks for advanced training to become a medic. He left for his first tour in September of 2007. I always have selfish thoughts about how all this made me feel. About what I was going thru, thinking, wondering. But, really, I should have been thinking about Kyle and all the other men and women who have served our country. Shame on me!!!

Kyle went on to serve 6 years and two tours of Iraq.Thank god, he came home.

Kyle learned so much and experienced so much, some good, some not so good. But, he's home. Going to school on the GI bill. His son is 10 years old and doing great.

Sometimes we need to stop and think about what we have. Appreciate all the we have, and thank all the men and women who have served our country.

FAMILIES DEALING WITH ALZHEIMER'S

Well, about 3 years ago I posted a blog about my mom and dealing with her dementia and early Alzheimer's. She had a fabulous sense of humor even till the end. I miss her so much and think about her every day.
Well, here it is 2012, and my husband, Bob and I have been caring for his mom, who has Alzheimer's. She has been living with us for almost two years now.
When we, (yes,we) decided to care for her full time, we thought this was the best option for her. I still believe that. I still believe we made the right decision. But, I never imagined how hard it would be. My husband stays with her all day. I work full time and when I get home I take over, so he can have a break. She is still able to communicate, dress, and feed herself. She is always in a good mood. Wakes up with a smile, and at bed time she hugs me and thanks me. She sleeps more and more during the day, but we were told this is all part of the process.
We have read so many articles regarding Alzheimer's. The symptoms, the different stages, what to expect, but, everyone is different and sometimes the stages overlap.
My husband and I have dealt with so many issues with mom, ALONE!!! We decide what is best for her, what she needs, where she will go. It is the very hardest job we have ever had to do. BUT, I would not trade anything. I will NEVER regret my decision (our decision). What we have had t o give up. I feel it has been a PRIVILEGE to care for her.

WHAT TO DO WITH OLD PUZZLES

I have stacks and stacks of beading magazines. Sometimes when I am sitting and watching TV I will go thru a few of the older ones and get ideas. I came across a cute idea for puzzle pieces. I'm sure alot of people have old puzzles around, maybe some have missing pieces. I went to Goodwill and found several colorful puzzles for about $2.00 each set. I punched holes into the tab part, coated it with Mod Podge, put a ring and then attached an ear wire. Some I put Swarovski Crystals, to accent the colors of the puzzle. There are so many color ranges in the puzzles that you can make several different pairs from one puzzle.

SHOP HANDMADE

I was reading thru my Facebook and saw an ad on the side for handmade items. I clicked on the link www.shophandmade.com and was impressed with this website.

I'm not sure how long its been available, but its such a good idea. It is for handmade items. They can be items that you make yourself or that someone else makes. The only rule is the items are not mass produced.

It works kind of the same as Etsy, except, there are NO FEES!!!! You can post items, and there is no charge. I find that listing an item is a bit more complicated that Etsy, but I am new at listing items and it does take a bit longer for me. Overall I think it is such a great idea. There are so many catagories to list your favorite items under. Plus a great place to shop for handmade things.

ETSY SHOP

Etsy is a website that has handcrafted items listed by crafters from around the world. Anything from soap, knitted items, hand sewn items, jewelry, clothes and some food items. It is like a traditional craft fair (Wikipedia).

You can shop by ideas, colors, gifts and treasury or local shops. When you open your shop on Etsy, you recommend other items by visiting different shops and picking favorite items from that shop. You "meet" other shop owners by adding them to your "circle". You can have conversations on line with the shop owners and they can visit your shop and recommend your items. There are so many items to choose from. Perfect when you are shopping for the person who has everything.

I started using the site in 2008 and listed a few jewelry items. It costs $.20 for each item listed and you list your price plus shipping and handling. You can post photos of your item as well.

Also, you can add a "Like" button on each for Twitter and Facebook. The all your items can be viewed on you Facebook and Twitter pages.