My Foot Jewelry Project

I decided to work on making some jewelry today.  I love foot jewelry so I thought I would make an anklet like piece, and even decided to start an Etsy shop. I am currently working on adding some more and have pink, green, and white beads with the silver butterfly beads for accents.  A ladybug one would be adorable as well, so I am sure I will be going out to get more supplies in the future.  Hope you all like the finished product!

Here is my Etsy shop - EvenstarVS

Daily Highlight: What did the early Universe look like?

Credit: Wikipedia

As with all science, there is still much we do not know and what we do know is always changing and adapting to new information, but our picture of the early universe is amazing.  In the very beginning, some sort of gigantic expansion that traveled faster than the speed of light created our universe, the Big Bang. What was left was a mass of superheated gas and galactic dust.  Once the universe cooled some is when things really start to get going.

One idea is that in the beginning there were super massive structures that formed.  These structures would have been light years across, eventually seeding the way for galaxies once these super massive structures exploded.  I often wonder if perhaps those same structures were what also created the super massive black holes that can be found at the center of almost every galaxy.  It has been thought that super massive black holes are various smaller black holes that combined during the time when stars were much more massive, but not as massive as the super massive structures, and exploding in supernova constantly.  This created many smaller black holes that are believed to have combined together to make super massive black holes. Recently, some have thought that super massive black holes may actually be related to those super massive structures.

You can even see the earliest galaxies in the Hubble deep field picture that look like giant structures. I can not help but wonder if perhaps those are actually just massive structures and not galaxies. One lies over 13 billion light years away, at the very beginning of when the universe was cool enough to start creating stars, planets, and the other amazing structures in our universe.  Because they are so far away, our current technology can only see them as blobs of light, making it impossible to see more than the most basic form.

I often think that those super massive structures are actually the seeds of the galaxies.  Once they burn out, they explode all that matter outward, leaving a super massive black hole at the center, and over time all that exploded gas and dust came together to make stars and planets. That is how I believe the early universe may have looked.

Orange is the New Black Review

My husband Andrew and I recently started watching the Netflix original series, Orange is the New Black. We had heard that it was good, and I have to say it is now one of my favorite shows.  It is definitely an adult show, as much of the content is very explicit.  Orange is the New Black follows a woman who got caught up in an international drug ring and gets sent to jail after being caught.  As it develops the show broadens and you come to know the many insane characters that inhabit the prison.

The show also brings to light the many issues that face our prison systems today. Though the fact remains that they are criminals, there are a variety of reasons why people go to prison, and much of our justice system is flawed, sending many to jail who may not deserve it.  As with much of the government, the prison systems are often handled in very ineffective ways and thought I am sure the show over dramatises situations as most, if not all, shows do, it does draw attention to the flaws in our system.

Orange is the New Black also has a lot of humor at the same times as having highly dramatic moments. Many times it keeps you on the edge of your seat with tension as you watch the many situations play out, and as the the different characters develop you come to love as well as hate each one with special conviction. There are characters who are truly detestable and evil, but with every character on the show the situation goes deeper than originally thought, and though you may not feel sympathy, you do begin to reflect and understand their train of thoughts.  At the same time, there are many characters you do love, each with their own wacky personalities.

Though Orange is the New Black is an adult show, I highly recommend it.  With its crazy situation and quirky characters this show will leave you wanting more.  With Netflix losing more and more of its good content its clear that the way they will survive as a company in the long term is by producing more amazing original series, like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.

Review: Age of X - Gameboard of the Gods

Credit: Here! 

Also click there to find out more about Richelle Mead and her many books.

One of my favorite authors is Richelle Mead, who is also the best selling author of the Vampire Academy book series. Mead writes a lot of young adult books, but also has a range of more adult books, like her Age of X series. I finished the first book in this series, Gameboard of the Gods, a while back and loved it.  The story takes place in a future world where technology has advanced quite a bit in computing and genetic science, and everyone in the country of RUNA, the Republic of United North America, is tracked and monitored by an implanted chip.

In RUNA, the story follows the characters Justin March and Mea Koskinen.  These two characters are thrust together to find the individual responsible for the recent string of criminal acts that seem almost supernatural.  With their world completely rejecting religion and all things supernatural, Justin is the only one with the experience to capture the criminal. He soon finds himself wrapped in a battle between Gods as they try fill the vacuum of religion in RUNA, and claim their place as the "top God".  He also soon finds out that one such God is especially interested in him, and can no longer ignore the world of Gods.

This series has a lot of interesting factors, especially when you find out which God is interested in Justin, though those who know a bit about religious studies may be able to determine who this is much earlier on by the many religious symbols and characters placed throughout the story .  Mead does an amazing job, as in many of her other books, incorporating many different mythological and religious symbolisms that are important to those religions, really making for an educated read.  I recently started the second book, The Immortal Crown and love everything about this series so far.

Mead does many other books, but I have to say the Age of X series has a really modern feel and seems like something that could happen in the not too distant future.  In most of her books, if not all, she invokes thought and reflection on the troubles that plague our societies today and bring to attention the many ways technology and our continuing rejection of religion could affect our society as a whole.  I recommend this for anyone looking for a book that will leave you thinking about it long after the book is over.

Daily Highlight: Kevin Murphy Hair Products

Credit: Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy Hair Products

Today's random highlight is my favorite line of hair products, the Kevin Murphy line.  These products smell amazing and improve your hairs' health significantly.  I have very long hair, so keeping it healthy can be difficult, but the Kevin Murphy products help repair and maintain healthy hair.  They have a range of product for many different hair types.  I personally use the Born Again Wash, but there are many products from hair sprays to my personal favorite the Shimmer Shine spray, which makes your hairs highlights pop.  These products can be difficult to find stocked, but for more info you can go here!

Abortion. My Lose, Lose Situation.

A Lose, Lose Situation....

I have Crohn's, Takayasu's Arteritis, and a few other medical ailments.  Because of this, I am on a host of very strong medications, including Methotrexate, a medication used for many things including autoimmune issues. Methotrexate is also commonly used, in combination with another drug, for abortions, making it extremely important that my husband and I do not get pregnant.  I take all the precautions, but nothing is 100% effective, except abstinence, and in my belief intimacy is a very important part of a marriage.  It should never be the only bonding you do, but it is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to maintain a healthy marriage without it. Should it happen that I do get pregnant the outcome would be the same for the baby no matter what I did. ( * )

If I go off my medications, both the baby and I most likely would die.  If I am on these medications the baby will die.  Either way the result for the unborn baby would be the same.  For individuals like me, an abortion is a medical necessity if I were to ever get pregnant. Luckily, because my husband and I observe many precautions, I have never had to face that decision, but everyday women are facing this challenge, and have only one option since whatever option they choose is essentially a no win situation.

With the recent ruling by the Supreme Court stating that the 35 feet buffer zone can no longer be in place around clinics, when the Supreme Court itself has a much larger buffer zone against protesters outside the Supreme Court, it is clear that many individuals don't understand many of the circumstances. ( * ) The protesters are now allowed to be even closer to the entrances of abortion clinics, screaming at people who are facing the most difficult decision of their life, many people who have no other choice. I believe abortion should never be used as a form of birth control, and honestly believe very few women use it for that.

Regardless of the circumstances, an abortion is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, decision a woman will ever have to make.  She still knows that there is a life inside her, and her decision is affecting that life. That knowledge is a difficult thing to face, and I doubt many women want to ever be confronted with that decision willingly. It becomes clear to me that many individuals like me exist out there, and face this fear every time they are intimate with the person they love.  They know that no matter how safe they are nothing is 100%. They fear that if ever confronted with that situation they may have to face the mob of angry protesters who have never bothered to take into consideration that no other choice may exist, that it may truly be a lose, lose situation for everyone.

(* = Reference or further reading material.)

Simply Cheetos, Simply Delicious! Review.

Credit: Here!

That is also a link to an interesting story on remembering that the word simply can be misleading, though the Simply Cheetos are all natural.

I have Crohns and some other autoimmune issues, so what I eat affects my health a great deal. Growing up, there were not many snack and pre-made food options, making it difficult to have a lot of variety and choice in what was available for me to eat.  Many more foods exist now, with the current healthy food trend driving more and more companies to offer alternative options.  Not only is this a recent healthy food a trend, but many more autoimmune conditions are popping up in first world countries, where in third world environments these conditions are extremely rare or non-existent.  This has made the creation of healthy, all natural food options an essential part of today's grocery selections.

My husband, Andrew, and I recently found a delicious, all natural, gluten-free snack that has been loved by many for years, Cheetos.  Thats right, the most artificial, fake tasting snack loved by Americans now has a natural alternative, and its amazing!  These are actually better than the original Cheetos.  They are made with sea salt, real cheese, and baked to perfection.  Every part of this product is natural.  The sour cream is also all organically made.  They are truly divine.  It is nice to see the increasing options consumers are now given, and the wide range of products now available compared to just 10 years ago.

There is also another Cheetos all natural option, but I don't like those ones as much, and they contain more corn.  Corn is a little harsher on the stomach, though it is nice to see even more options.  Sadly, around where I live they do not stock many at a time and we end up buying them all out.  We get them from Food Lion, and they restock every month and a half or so.  They do still often have the other natural Cheetos, but like I said I don't like them as much.  This is definitely a great product for anyone with digestive issues or just anyone looking to eat a little healthier.