Randomly Raining

Ok, so I need to first apologize for not posting regularly this week. It's been a little batty in the Bead Up house -- for starters, I got a new job (prayers are answered!) and transfer departments this week. Secondly, it's been raining cats and dogs and frogs here in Los Angeles, leaving our roof leaking and our garage flooded (which is what happens when you spoil your house with rainless weather for so long!). Lastly, my brother moved in with us this week, too, and the hubs and I are enjoying catching up with him in the downtime. Needless to say, it's gotten in the way of a bunch of bottled up creativity, both in blogging and jewelry making! I have, however, found a few moments in the space between to post a few new items on Etsy. Most of these are technically "left over" from my Christmas craft shows, but they definitely fit in with the rest of my dainty necklace collection on Etsy!

Butterfly, Turquoise, and Pearl necklace: $14

Buzz Buzz Buzz Brass Bee Necklace, $13 Thrive Brass Necklace with Leaf Charm and Freshwater Pearl, $14 Silver Black Bird Tag Gemstone Necklace, $14

I also re-made a few pieces of jewelry for a friend of mine this week. Carla, who works in my soon-to-be old office, asked if I could help her out with an old piece of jewelry. Carla was born and raised in Peru, and before leaving the country she collected shells and trinkets from the country and had them made into a beautiful long necklace. Eventually some of the shells fell off of the hemp wiring and Carla has kept them in a box for decades. She simply asked if I could restring them into a medium-length necklace and bracelet with gold wire and fixtures. No problem! At first glance, the shells didn't look like a challenge. They had lots of holes already in them, which meant I didn't have to dig out my bead reamer. I hadn't anticipated that, since each shell is so uniquely shaped, the thin wire I was using would take on the shape of the shells and twist and turn permanently. At the end of the day, re-wiring the shells felt more like a needle-and-thread project than a beading game, but I think they turned out well, their own unique way!Carla was all smiles when I gave her the "resurrected" jewelry. She wrote on Facebook: "I have had these shells with me since I was 7. I found them on the beach in Barranco, Lima - Peru; a week before we left the mother land for the good ole' USA." Hooray! So bear with me, Bead Up buddies, as I may come and go within the next week here in Bloggin' land as the rain continues to pour and I continue in my transitions! I'll send you a postcard from my final destination! And if you haven't done so, please consider contributing to the relief efforts in Haiti. Click here for ideas how you (yes you!) can help!

Haiti Relief

I just couldn't stomach writing about the (comparatively small and trite) world of fashion and jewelry when the world as Haitians know it is ending. In fact, I am left quite speechless. Therefore, I would like to urge you to give, in whatever way you can, to the relief effort in this already impoverished country. Here are a few ways you can help: Sponsor a child through World Vision: a very rewarding way to feel connected to those whom you are helping! World Vision is one of the leading relief aids in the world and is really great at keeping donors connected to the country in which their donation was specified. Texting through American Red Cross: Thanks to the growing culture of emerging news stories via social networking sites, the American Red Cross has already raised $5 million through it's text messaging campaign! What a tangible way for people, especially youth who may feel they have no resources of their own, to help out (even if Dad is the one who gets the cell phone bill, I am sure he will understand!). Read about other cool social networking campaigns here. Donate money directly, and not just in times of "need": lots of disaster relief efforts work year-round to ensure that past disasters are amended and future disasters are avoided, in addition to taking care of the day-to-day needs of the impoverished (many of which are even in our own neighborhoods!). A few of my favorites include Lutheran World Relief and Habitat for Humanity, who is already looking for ways to restore housing in Haiti. And though I have never had any direct contact with the organization, it looks like "Hope for Haiti" is another great fund that works to provide education to Haitian children year-round. No doubt all of these charities can use our financial assistance, especially now. Note: Though giving is super great, there are lots of "organizations" out there who are actually scamming for your well intended money. And while it seems natural to send resources directly or to the government, doing so actually hinders the effectiveness of your donation. This article articulates what to look for in a charity and how to best use your resources. Buy something on Etsy: Didn't think I would bring it back to jewelry and Etsy, did you? Looks like lots of people on Etsy are designating part of all of their profits to the Haitian relief effort. Why not give AND get, while you are at it? Read this article about how Etsy staffers are also donating funds that will be matched by Etsy itself, and how you can set up your shop for donations, too.

And finally, and of course, PRAY. Even if you aren't in the habit of doing it regularly, even if you don't know who to whom you are praying. Give it a try.

(5x7 Did You Think To Pray on Brown by persimmon & pink, $13)

I Love You, Wednesdays: Numbers and Stars

In light of all the problems we are facing, it's so refreshing - and often sometimes humbling - to be reminded by how little they are in the big scheme of things. Yesterday an earthquake hit the island of Haiti, killing over 100,000. For as hard as I try, I cannot manage to comprehend what that number really means. It's like taking all of my Facebook friends and multiplying them by 100. Or looking around the Superdome and still adding 30,000! In numbers, it's a whole nation, history, and culture of people. Please remember to keep the people of Haiti and those working on local relief in your thoughts and prayers. And if you feel compelled to do so, consider donating to a disaster relief cause, such as Lutheran World Relief.

The magnitude of numbers especially overwhelmed me yesterday when I took yesterday off of work and drove my parents and brother (parents are visiting from Kentucky; brother just moved here) to the Griffith Observatory. I have heard that this place is an LA Must-See, both for it's impressive view of the city, but also for it's equally impressive, newly renovated museum. Oh, and it's home to lots of movies, including Rebel Without A Cause, The Rocketeer, and Yes Man. We drove to the peak of the Los Feliz Mountains and within minutes understood why this is on the top of the list. Breathtaking.

(love my new camera and picnik photo enhancer!)

I'll spare you all the details of the Observatory and it's recent renovation and programs and get to the good part (my husband is good at reminding me to "Get to your point!" when I am telling stories - I am like spaghetti - to me, it's all connected!). Connecting the new and the old wings of the Museum and Observatory (which is celebrating it's 70th birthday this year!) is the "Cosmic Connection." I was BEYOND surprised with the exhibit along the walls of the corridor... I'll let the website's description do the talking: "The Cosmic Connection, the corridor linking the historic building above with the new Gunther Depths of Space below, provides the transition from ground-based and more familiar astronomy to a new realm of cosmic perspective. The main element in this passageway is a 150-foot timeline of the universe whimsically composed of celestial-themed jewelry in the glass case that lines the corridor. At the top end of the corridor, near the Guide Station, visitors pass the Big Bang. At the bottom end, near the Edge of Space mezzanine, all of human history occupies a fraction of an inch. In between, large images illustrate key moments in the evolution of the universe and our cultural connection to the cosmos." That's right - a whole astronomical illustration made of nothing but JEWELRY! It was beyond amazing - 150 feet of star-themed broaches, necklaces, earrings, even some sheriff's badges and studded belts, all lines up to depict the infamy of the history of our universe! According to the Epoch Times, the collection is made up of over 2,200 pieces of jewelry, most of which were from donor Kara Knack's private collection. She started collection celestial broaches when she noticed the conversations they started. As a friend of the Observatory, she offered them to the new wing of the museum and managed to collect over 500 more pieces thanks to friends who worked at Swap Meets. Originally the use of her pieces was discouraged by scientists and astronomers who saw them as "kitchy" and "unscientific" (lame - and perhaps proving the science and art are often like oil and water?!).According to SFGate, "In 2003, Krupp [the director of the observatory] prevailed, insisting that 'a ribbon of jewelry will serve as a time line of the universe.' Just days before the Galactic Gala on Oct. 29, 2006, that marked the reopening, Knack unrolled a 165-foot-long piece of paper in her driveway. She drew a line that she said looked like a giant string snapped like a whip. At the Los Angeles jewelry mart, she bought connectors, pins, nails and needle-nosed pliers. She enlisted 18 volunteers who stationed the jewelry along a display board, earring by bracelet by necklace by pin, with Knack organizing the pieces to appear 'random and chaotic.' Having worn almost every piece to one occasion or another, she knew them well." Working on a crazy timeline, she and the volunteers constructed the entire display within ONE day! The resulting display shows "the universe of over 13.7 billion years, from its beginning to today, a time line marks each billion year interval, and in panels written by Carolyn Collins Petersen, tells what scientists think happened during specific time periods. Clustering many small pieces at the beginning symbolizes the Big Bang, the beginning of our universe, and placing numerous pieces with suns and moons that have human faces toward the end of the line to mark the beginning of human life" (Epoch Times). The pieces really were each stunning, each in their own right, and shined ever so beautifully under the bright display lights. Most astounding of all was the scale of the display: 150 feet represents the 15+/- billion year history of our universe! That means each of the 2,200 pieces of jewelry represents 6,818,181 years of history! That really puts things into perspective! Or, in terms of the recent Haitian disaster, every piece of jewelry represents 45 lives lost. I can comprehend it more clearly now, and am left, for once, speechless.