More Jewelry....

I made two more pieces!

Treasure of the Tomb

Summer Ladybug

Later today I will be doing some more post, not jewelry related though.  I also am going to be working on being more consistent with the Daily Highlights, though illness has made it a little more difficult these past few days.

My goal for my etsy shop is to get about 10 items in it by the end of the week, so wish me luck!

And Another....

Yep, I made another footpiece!  This one is double stranded this time, and I think it is my favorite so far.  I also think the pictures are getting better.

I am almost out of small butterfly beads now!  I feel so crafty today. :P

Find this item for sale at: EvenstarVS Etsy Shop

The Next One....

I made another footpiece, as I am going to call them.  Like a head piece for your foot. :P  I am currently pricing the butterfly ones at $10.00 a piece.  I have no idea what international rates would be, so for now I am just shipping in the United States.  I may change that if there is any international interest.

On the way home from the craft store yesterday I thought of a lot of ideas for more, including an egyptian one I am looking forward to making.  Tomorrow Andrew and I are going back because I realized I don't have the proper type of box for storing beads, making them a little tedious to work with.  I really enjoy making them, though I need to work on my picture taking. :P

Find this at my: Etsy Shop

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.