This Jewelry Has To Go!!...But Where?!

        Hubby and I have been seriously accessing our situation the last few days. No unemployment check has come yet...but "It's pending" we're told...The annuity payment hasn't come....but "It shouldn't be more than two weeks" we were assured...The check for his four weeks of leftover vacation pay hasn't come either!..."Give it a week" they said.

    In the meantime we have a few bills that are gonna come due soon, and they're starting to stare us down! LOL So, before we have to start worrying about them, we've been thinking about what we can do to get some income coming in...In other words, what can we sell! ^_^

      I've got enough costume jewelry and stuff around here to start my own store!...but I don't know if any of it is really worth much. And if it is...how much?!...I know the necklace I had made when I started my 'Wuglyees' shop on Etsy (in the header photo) is not worth that much...even if...

        ...I think the slogan words for my shop "are" very valuable!..."Wuglyees-Where nothing is wasted, not even the ugly!" ^_^

     The problem is that not enough people are beating down my 'virtual' door to buy my ugly stuff!! LOL...Hopefully some of my old vintage jewelry pieces will bring a penny or two! Like this...

       It's a butterfly necklace, with stones, colored pearls, and beads...

        The thing is...I don't know what the materials are!...How do you find out something like that when you don't have the 'skinny' (info) on where you got it, how much you paid for it, and what it's actually made out of?!

       Hubby and I tried to read the small writing on it (and on some other pieces we have). But what we found out didn't have anything to do with the jewelry. What we found out is that...we're old! LOL Our eyesight isn't what it used to be!....I mean, how bad is your eyesight when you bring out the "big" magnifying glass and you STILL can't see anything?! ^_^

     But, being the confident and co-dependently delusional couple that we are, we convinced ourselves that it wasn't totally our eyes! What we needed was a jewelry magnifying glass, that's all!! So...we ordered one!...Yep! Depleting the 'coffers' on the chance that we can replenish it with the million dollar find we're bound to uncover!....{I told you we were delusional just a couple of sentences ago, didn't I?! ^_^}

      I'm hoping that something in here is valuable, besides my anniversary gifts and my wedding rings. They stay!!!...But as to the rest of my jewelry, I've certainly got enough of it!! We ought to at least have enough for a couple of bags of grocery in a pinch! LOL...Don't mind me. It hasn't gotten that bad....YET! ^_^

     I have a lot of curiosity about this ring...

       As it would have been described by my relatives in the south..."It's a humdinger!"...{particularly outstanding, unusual, or exceptional.}...I say that mostly because of it's size!...

       Over the years I haven't worn it that often. But every time I have, it gets attention!...

       It's heavy, and it has a really wide band...

       ...a little thinner in the back...

        ...and it has this big pretty purple stone, in a seven prong Marquis setting...I can't wait to get my magnifying glass so I can see if the words it has on the inside of the band tell me anything about the specifics...like is it real gold?! What kind of stone it has? Or if these are real diamonds?....I suspect not. I think it's just a costume jewelry piece. But it has character...and it's old....like me! ^_^ I'm still worth something, aren't I?!....Well, aren't I?!!! {Is "aren't I" proper English?!...O_O}

       My problem with the ring is that it's flawed!...

       As you can see, one of the...whatever it is's...is missing!...

       If this ring is real, and one of my diamonds is gone...making the ring un-perfect...I'm gonna be heart-broken...and less financially endowed! ^_^ .....Oh Well! I'll just have to try to find out how much my Victorian Brass Noah's Ark brooch pin is worth I guess! LOL

     I didn't have enough light to take a picture of  it for you, so I looked online to see if I could find it...and Lo and behold, I found it!!....Well, kinda...

(Brooch Pin from sharkman123)

        My pin is this exact one, but I don't have the swirl backed piece...just the ark and animals piece in the center. I thought that it might be worth a few dollars...and apparently I was right! ^_^ But it's more like 'milk and cookies money'...not the multi-million dollar 'house in the Hamptons' money I wanted it to be! LOL

       Anyway!...I've got other things to think about today. I've got a talk (Bible presentation) to write, some crocheting to get done, and a few other things too. And seeing as I didn't get much more sleep last night than I did the night before, I'd better get cracking on the stuff I have to do, before my mind and body crashes...like it did yesterday!...UGH!...Bye! My eyes aren't getting any younger sitting around here talking to you! ^_^

       Have a good day Everybody! :-)

 Everything Is Getting Older

Everything is getting older,
past it's time, and rusting fast!
No matter how many times you oil it,
Somehow, still, it doesn't last.

Everything is getting older.
Even veggies just from the store,
have now browned and withered up.
They're not all shiny like before.

Everything is getting older.
Old dogs included, people too.
Even babies, from the womb,
start getting older, just past brand new!

Everything is getting older,
like real good books, with tales all told.
But, Wait a minute! Some books are good!
That's why "To read" will not get old.

Everything that's getting older
doesn't harm us and displease.
Just think of wisdom in the aging-
that's with people and with cheese!

All the things, those getting older,
showing marks and scars of time,
just need a tad bit more attention,
or just a small aged glass of wine!

Gifted Designer To The Rescue!!

    I owe a lot of people my thanks today, for coming to my rescue yesterday when I was rashly considering closing my Etsy shop for good. I was taken off guard by the new photo format on Etsy, and I wasn't handling it very well. I just couldn't see myself going through another round with the photos!!!...Yeah! You've heard it here before! :-] But I'm here today to report that Wuglyees remains in business, I am now in a much better and...calmer mood, and that you guys are GREAT!!
    By your comments you make me think, you make me smile, and you had me howling with laughter....at things in general, and at myself! THANK YOU!...And special thanks is going out to Shannon of gifteddesigns on Etsy. Her shop announcement says that she has 'necklaces, earrings and bracelets to enhance your gorgeously chic, timelessly elegant or classically cool nature'! Boy is she right! I'll show you a couple of her other pieces, besides the Repurposed Vintage Antique Brass Pendant with the Czech Glass Beads in my header picture, in a minute.
   But first I want to tell you what a great PERSON she is! She saw my rants somewhere, either here on my blog or on Twitter or Facebook yesterday, and convoed me on Etsy and said: "...I may be able to help you understand what you need to do to fix them..." That started a back and forth that went on for almost 6 hours yesterday, ending with her emailing me a tutorial of exactly how to fix the problem, using the specific camera I own!!
    I just want to say to her that I know how much energy it takes to invest that kind of time in a stranger...well, a kind of stranger. And I am extremely thankful and reassured to know that there are still good people like her out there!! :-) ...With full disclosure I have to say that I actually didn't get the revelation of how to initially fix my pictures from her though!...I'll tell you about that tomorrow. But in the long run, after I fully check out the tutorial she arranged for me, I'm going to be much more knowledgeable, and much more comfortable with my picture taking!!! That makes my encounter with her lovely self Priceless to me!!
   So, you know she's a great person, but what about her as an Etsy shop owner?! Take a look for yourself at her shop HERE!...I'm specifically partial to a few pieces. One is this Rainbow Moonstone and Sterling Silver Necklace with an Asymmetrical Toggle!

     I have an affinity for things that are a bit off center and not like everybody else's! That's probably also why I love these Baltic Amber, Mexican Turquoise and Copper Dangle Earrings!

    They're gorgeous...and unique!!!
    So please, go by and give her shop the 'once over'....Awwww! Give it the twice over if you want to! ^_^ And again I say sincerely Shannon...Thank You!!!!
    Okay, before I go I have to show you what I've been crocheting in between the photo stuff to keep my brain slightly calmer. Remember this yarn?!

     Well, I haven't known what to do with it besides making a scarf. Which I'm planning to do in the next couple of days. But I started with these...to match the scarf. ↓

     Mittens!!!...I'm debating about whether to add some buttons or a flower for embellishment. Any thoughts?!!
    Two more quick things. AWM team member. ↓

    Her Etsy shop is Weyakin. She has a variety of items, including this Sleepy Sheep...Flannel Cotton Herbal Heat Pack Eye Pillow!

    Now that's something you don't see every day on Etsy! I probably could have used this too to rest a bit yesterday!!! :-) ...Please take a look at the other cute items she has in her shop!
    Tired of me yet?! Then a poem about being tired might be in order! ^_^

Tired


Sapped, low,
weary, slow.

Dragging about,
plum tuckered out.

Fatigued, spent,
No power surge sent.

Depleted, drained,
almost empty-brained.

Pooped, sucked dry,
out of gas, can't try.

Exhausted, fried,
 done in, mopey-eyed.

Tired? There's no doubt!
'Cause I'm all petered out.

Color Me Thankful and Happy!

     If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably recognize this necklace. {Although it would be understandable if you didn't, considering my picture-taking ability, or lack there of! LOL} Back on August 24th Karen Clark, of the blog Creative And Faithful, made me the winner of her Giveaway! I blogged about it HERE.
     Well, she sent out that beautiful necklace right away. And I waited, and waited,.....and waited some more, and it never came! Over the course of that time she would ask me: "Did you get it yet?!!" I felt bad that I had to keep telling her no! So, about 12 days ago she direct messaged me on Twitter and said: "I'm sending you a new one." I really felt bad, because now she was going to be out 2 necklaces, 2 shipping costs, and everything!!! Not to mention the labor and attention to detail that this necklace obviously took!!
      But yesterday in the mail I got this cute artwork card..

    ...which I loved right off the bat, because of the color! And when I opened it, there was this sweet note...

      Well Karen, the answer is....OH YEAH!!!!

     I almost couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And to think...someone else has the other one, or it's sitting in a warehouse, or a mailman's bag somewhere! *sigh*...So, my showing it off to you today is not about me saying: "Na na na na na! Look what I got and you didn't!!" It's about showing you what great work she does, what a dedicated artisan she obviously is, and how much she cares about her potential...I said POTENTIAL, because I won this FREE!!...customers.

    So, please go tweet with CrystalVelvetUk, Karen, on Twitter and tell her what you think of this necklace or visit her website, and get you one of your own...or some beads to make one!! She even has a bridal gallery!!!
    Now, you'd think that would be enough excitement for me for one day...and it would have been!...but I got an email too, that said my Wuglyees Etsy shop had been mentioned on a blog, niecynotes! This is what she says on her blog:
"Well, after some brainstorming, I thought about making a new weekly series on the blog called Notice. Notice is all about showing off some of my favorite Etsy shops. I have not tried any of the products from these shops, but I admire them a bunch and think they should have some recognition :D..."
    And who is her first featured shop?! Me, my Wuglyees shop!! She even shared some photos of some of my items!! I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised and happy!! I was beginning to think that the only way my little etsy shop was going to get REALLY noticed, except by me jumping up and down all the time, was if I got rid of it!! {Someone would say: "Wasn't there a crochet shop here one time?" LOL}
   So I want to say thank you to Denise from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to give Wuglyees a little show-off! :-)
     Also, giving you a heads up, there are a couple of blogs that I follow that are having some great Giveaways. For one you can go HERE. It's SnowFlakeDreams1's blog. She's having a One Year Etsy Anniversary Giveaway with lots of ways to enter, and it's more than one gift!
   And for another, bouffe e bambini's blog is featuring a Giveaway for a Clutch! The winner will get to choose which one they want. I like this one.

     Pretty, isn't it?! I, of course, love the flower!!.....Bare with me, I'm almost done talking today! ^_^ I just want to introduce you to another AWM team member, Kama Sutra Fiber Arts.

    Her KamaSuutra Etsy shop has the most beautiful yarns! Of course I love the ones with green in them. No surprise, right?! :-) This is DayLily SuperSport.

    And this is Leaf Green SuperSock Optical Tweed.

     No! The Pistachio green didn't take away my love of green. I'm loving hers now!! ^_^ Who knows, maybe so more green...SOMETHING...is in my future!!
    Okay, poem and then I'm done for today. I know, I know, "Bout Time!!" ^_^ Because of all of the color on my blog today, I thought I'd repeat this poem.

Color Is

Auburn is the setting sun.
Blue is a mood.
Black is the night sky.
Brown is dog food.

Green is the grass.
Yellow is the sun.
Gray is the stormy sky.
Purple is just fun.

Pink is carnations.
Plum is a fruit.
Tan is for shoes.
Beige is just cute.

Gold is a metal.
White is plain, mild.
Red is a fire.
Orange is hog wild!