Sharing a post from another artist here with some informative information about hairstyles and appropriate earring styles for them.

https://bluemorningexpressions.myshopify.com/blogs/buy-handmade-from-makers/hairstyles-and-the-earrings-that-accent-them

Hairstyles and the Earrings that Accent Them

March 30, 2020

There is a bit more to choosing a pair of earrings than picking red earrings for a red dress. What if you have long hair? What if your hair is curly? Let us answer some of these questions and more.

Long Hair

Long hair tends to cover your ears and frame your face. That might make it a bit hard to decide what types of earrings to wear.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           For simplicity’s sake, linear drops and hoop earrings are the best choice with long hair. They will stand out from your hair. Fun earrings like tassels and long chains are perfect ways to complement your hair.

Gemstone studs can also be a choice since they will show whenever your hair is pulled back.

Here are more earrings that work well with long hair:

Swarovski Marbled Terracotta Rivoli and Wheat Silk Tassel Earrings from Kats All That handmade jewelry.

 

Purple Flower Dangle Earrings for Women with Chains Swarovski Crystals from Blue Morning Expressions

Short Hair

Short hair can be really cute, and youthful.                                                                                    This playful hairstyle allows you to make all types of earring choices.                                                                                          For the most part, studs, cuffs and multiple piercing really stand out with this type of haircut.                                                                                                        When going for dramatic, the chandelier earring will really draw attention to your face. You also look great in chunky statement earrings, both long and short.

Here are some more earrings that pair will with short hair.

Frida Kahlo Flowers Art Earrings from Shadow Dog Designs 

Shoulder Length Hair

Shoulder length hair creates a stopping point in your appearance as the ends of your hair hit your shoulders. This is a natural frame for your face.                                                                                                                        This hairstyle is perfect for chandelier and statement earrings because those earrings add a point of interest to your face. Smaller earrings may get lost in your hair and not draw attention to your face.                                                                                                                                  You are lucky; you get to wear those trendy, colorful big earrings with your hair.

These earrings pair will with shoulder length hair.

 

Blue Gemstone Bar Earrings for Non Pierced Ears from Sharon of Blonde Peach Jewelry on Etsy.

Curly Hair

Curly hair presents a problem because it tends to overwhelm your face and draw away from your earrings.                                                                                                The best choice for curly hair is a big pair of hoops since they tend to complement the curves of your hair while not being tangled up in it.                                                                                                                                                           Of course, if you are looking for drama, big, bold pair of statement earrings always look great with your curls.

 

Beaded Hoop Earrings, Arrow Charms, Handmade Jewelry from Victorian Style Treasures

Hair Up, Down and Sideways

The perfect earrings for these hairstyles are drop earrings in bright colors for casual days and sophisticated gemstones for evenings out.                                                                                                                                          The updo and chignon add an element of class to your appearance, and drop earrings are the fashionable touch to accent your face.

 A high ponytail is the perfect hairstyle for large statement earrings since the ponytail is equally dramatic. There is a lot of movement in the ponytail, so there can be an equal amount of movement in your earrings. Dangles work very well here.

A low ponytail is much more casual and less energetic that the high ponytail, so you can wear colorful drops with this hairstyle.

The side swept hair offers one ear to decorate with something elegant since this is a sophisticated hairstyle. Short gemstone drop earrings go well here.

Here are some more earrings that go well with the upswept look:

 

Green Onyx Gemstone Earrings 22K Bezel Setting w Green Palace Opal & Clear Swarovski Crystals from Magdalene Jewels on Etsy

Topaz Swarovski Earrings, Dangling Crystal And Leather Earrings from The Singing Beader on Etsy

No matter what hairstyle you have, you can never go wrong with choosing the earrings that make you happy to wear.  

Fabulous Fall Finds

Fall is here and it is time to bring out your favorite sweaters and autumn clothing.  You love your clothes but couldn't they use a little sprucing up?  Or maybe you are in the mood to make something as a gift for someone special?  I have gathered items from some fabulous handmade artisans here that I am acquainted with where you might find just the thing you are looking for this season!  I hope you will take a few minutes to visit the shop of all of these wonderful artists.

Tree of Life Yggdrasil Necklace, Handmade Citrine Carnelian Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs

Fall Leaf Pendant Necklace by Blonde Peach Jewelry

 Orange Pillow Beads by Blue Morning Expressions

Pastel Yellow Butter Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads Shiny Kumquat by Covergirlbeads

Womens Convertibles Hand Knitted Hobo Gloves Mittens with Longer Cover by Crafting Memories 1

Gold Silver Heart Charms Swarovski Crystal Silver Chain Bracelet by Dianes Dangles

Red and Yellow Calsilica with Scarlet Crystal 20 inch Necklace by Kats All That

 Owls In Tree Desk Clock Handmade From Cherry Wood By KevsKrafts Woodworking 

Autumn Gemstone Earrings by Linor Store Jewelry

Crocheted Fingerless Gloves Merino Wool Black Victorian Women Small by Magdalene Knits

Single Hand Designed Postcard Thanksgiving Greeting Child on Pumpkin w/ Turkey by Postcards in the Attic

Wood Bracelet for Men or Unisex, Om Charm, Unakite Gemstone Tai Chi Yoga by Pretty Gonzo 

Handmade Fall Color Basket - Orange, Tan, Green, Cream Crochet Art Design by RSS Designs in Fiber

Ammonite Fossil Pendant Necklace by Solana Kai Designs

Topaz Swarovski Earrings, Dangling Crystal Leather Earrings by The Singing Beader

 Amber Topaz Crystal Teardrop Earrings by Treasures of Jewels

Watercolor, Print, 8 x 10, Five different choices Decorative art, home decor by watercolorsNmore 

2018 Fall and Winter Color Trends

Colors are very important to so many areas of our lives.  Whether it is clothes, food, jewelry, art or so many others things, color is a determining factor in our choices.

Every season, the Pantone Color Institute comes up with a Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report.  This report highlights the top colors fashion designers will be featuring in their collections for the upcoming seasons.

The color palette for the 2018 Fall/Winter season features some non-traditional color choices.  The color of the year for 2018 is Ultra Violet.  The colors for fall and winter are Red Pear, Valiant Poppy, Nebulus Blue, Ceylon Yellow, Martini Olive, Russet Orange, Crocus Petal, Limelight, Ultra Violet and Quetzal Green.

The five core colors are Sargasso Sea, Tofu, Almond Buff, Quiet Gray and Meerkat.  These are colors that can be worn all year.

Since these are the colors that most of the fall and winter clothes will be for 2018, it makes sense that jewelry and other items should follow this trend.

Below you will find several handmade items that are made with colors in this collection.  I hope you enjoy them and if you are so inclined, maybe purchase one or two!

Kats All That on Artfire

Czech Ruby Travertine and Swarovski Crystal Sterling Silver Earrings

Shadow Dog Designs on Indiemade

Klimt Inspired Necklace, Carnelian Orange Turquoise Handmade Jewelry

RSS Designs in Fiber on Etsy

Blue and White Stars Doily - Ring of Stars - Crocheted Stars Round Doily - Stars Decor or Decoration - Blue and White Decor Accent

Kats All That

Butterfly Charm Multi Wrap Purple Green Yellow Orange BOHO Bracelet

Linor Store on Etsy

Wire Kippah Kippot Yarmulke Purple - Silver Beads - Siam Swarovski Crystals - Headcovering

Magdalene Knits on Etsy

Crocheted Infant Bolero Sweater w Lace Collar Cuffs Autumn Red 12 18 mo

Shadow Dog Designs

Turquoise Silver Necklace, Chunky Southwest Handmade Gemstone Jewelry

The Singing Beader on Etsy

Blood Red Crystal Silver Cone Earrings, Red And Silver Earrings, Cherry Red, Strawberry Red, Sterling Silver Ear Wires, Short Dangle

The Singing Beader

Lilac Purple Pearl Earrings, Purple Pearl And Crystal Earrings, Dangling Pearl Earrings, Pearl Earrings With Sterling Silver Ear Wires

Pretty Gonzo on Etsy

Evil Eye Beaded Earrings, Good Luck Talisman Bead Earrings, Long Red Boho Dangles, Amethyst Gemstone, Unique Handmade Earrings for Women

Magdalene Jewels on Etsy

Ruby Gemstone Vintage Earrings 22K Vermeil Gold Accents Ruby Swarovski Crystals

Pretty Gonzo

Blue Pearl Earrings, Blue Bridal Earring, Lapis Pearl Dangles, Versatile Jewelry, Swarovski Aquamarine Crystal, Yellow Czech Glass, Handmade

Blonde Peach Jewelry on Etsy

Clip on Earrings Dangle Earrings Gift for Her Silver Earrings Gift for Women Birthday Gift Beaded Earrings Handmade Jewelry Boho Earrings

Blonde Peach Jewelry

Clip on Earrings Dangle Earrings Gift for Her Silver Earrings Gift for Women Statement Earrings Gift for Wife Flower Earrings Unique Jewelry

Covergirlbeads on ArtFire

Lampwork Glass Bead Handmade Halloween Cool Orange Matte Silver 655efs

Lapis Handmade Lampwork Beads Etched Dark Cobalt Blue Silver 246efs

Thank you for taking the time to peruse this post and viewing all of these lovely artisan made items!

From Here to Colorado Springs - Memphis, TN to Stone Mountain, GA

The last portion of our journey was from Memphis to Stone Mountain, a suburb of Atlanta.  We left Tennessee early and drove through the state of Alabama on our way home.  Alabama is a very pretty state to drive through.

As usual, a road sign caught my attention.  It read - Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS).  My research found that in 1964, the Presidents Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC) reported to Congress that economic growth in Appalachia would not be possible until the regions isolation had been overcome.  Apparently, roads had never been built in the area because of the terrain and the high cost of building in that area.  Congress authorized the construction of the ADHS in 1965.  The ADHS is currently authorized at 3,090 miles.  As of the end of 2017, 90.5 percent of the miles were complete or under construction.

Here is a map of the Appalachia ADHS area.

We drove through Birmingham, AL which is where my husband's Italian grandparents lived after arriving in LA from Sicily around 1900.  Most of his family moved to the Atlanta area after the depression to find work.  Interestingly enough my paternal grandmother lived in the same area of Birmingham with her first husband at the time his family lived there!

My husband and I are both natives of Atlanta.  We met in high school and married after college.  He worked at the family car business where he eventually became President of the company and then purchased it from his siblings.  He sold the business in 2001 and retired to join me in a life of leisure!

Birmingham is known as the Pittsburgh of the South because of its history of iron smelting.  All of the materials necessary for iron production are available in the area.  One of the city's famous landmarks is the 55 foot cast iron statue named Vulcan that symbolized their steel industry at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.

Picture of Vulcan statue provided by Yelp.

Here is a picture of a steel bridge in the Fountain Heights area of Birmingham as we drove under it.

As we were driving along I spotted this pickup truck full of watermelons in front of us.  We used to see this a lot in Atlanta when we were growing up but not so much now.

Here are some interesting facts about Alabama:

* The first electric trolley system was introduced in Montgomery in 1886.

* AL is the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products in the US.

* The town of Enterprise (which is a town we go through often on our way to Destin, FL!) houses the Boll Weevil Monument to acknowledge the role this destructive insect played in encouraging farmers to grow crops other than cotton.

* Hank Aaron (baseball player) was born in Mobile in 1954.

* Joe Louis (boxer) was born in Lexington in 1914.

* Willie Mays (baseball player) was born in Westfield in 1931.

* Tallulah Bankhead (singer) was born in Huntsville in 1902.

* Nat King Cole (singer) was born in Montgomery in 1919.

* At the Battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral David Farragut issued his famous command - "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." - in 1864.

* The word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language.

* Hematite is the state mineral.

* The star blue quartz is the state gemstone.

* The state flower is the Camellia.

* The state bird is the Yellowhammer (yellow-shafted flicker)

I think you can tell by this short post that we were really ready to get home after such a long drive!  I hope you have enjoyed and learned something while reading my posts - I know I learned some things!

From Here to Colorado Springs - Oklahoma City to Memphis, TN

The next portion of our journey took us from Oklahoma City to Memphis, TN.  We had never been to Memphis so we decided to add it to our trip home.

I didn't mention the Indian Casinos that we passed frequently in Oklahoma.  The treatment of the Native Americans is another sad and unfortunate part of our American history.  I once tried to read the book, Trail of Tears, but cried so much while reading it that I couldn't finish it.  America is not the only country that has done things they are not proud of it is just that we are a relatively new country compared to most and our history is more current.  But, I digress!  We did drive past numerous casinos that were just building basically just off the highways.  An informative article on the subject is found here.

We entered Arkansas in the city of Muldrow. 

We drove for a while and had lunch at a bbq restaurant in the quaint town of Russellville, AR.  It was good food and the people were friendly.  

We got back in the car and started driving again.  Not far out of Russellville, I noticed the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant.  It was the Arkansas Nuclear One - a two unit pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant located on Lake Dardanelle.  See www.entergy-nuclear.com for more info. 

A road way sign caught my attention in Conway, AR.  The sign read - Conway, AR City of Colleges.  When I research the city, I discovered that there are 3 post-secondary educational institutes there earning the city its nickname "The City of Colleges".

The city was founded by Asa P. Robinson who traveled to the area shortly after the Civil War.  He was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now Union Pacific).

In 1878, Father Joseph Strub, a Roman Catholic priest of the Holy Ghost Fathers, arrived in Arkansas.  In 1879, he convinced the railroad to deed 200,000 acres along the northern side of the Arkansas River to the Holy Ghost Fathers in order to build the St. Joseph Colony.  Later St. Joseph Catholic Church of Conway was built there.  As part of the land deal, the railroad offered land at 20 cents an acre to every German immigrant.  By 1889, over 100 German families had settled in Conway giving the town many of its distinctly German street and business names.

Another sign in Arkansas that caught my eye was Toad Suck Park.  Seriously???  Apparently the place won top honors in an online poll to find America's most unfortunate "town" name.  

The US Army Corps of Engineers has the honor of overseeing Toad Suck Park.  According to the manager, Scott Fryer, Toad Suck is not really a town so much as a spot on the Arkansas River.  He said the legend has it that Toad Suck got its name from where a ferry used to cross the river from Faulkner County to Perry County.  At that time, there was a tavern on the Perry Side of the river that was a local hangout for folks to do down and drink alcohol and do other questionable things.  Some church ladies from nearby would say, "If you can't find so-and-so, go down to the tavern.  He'll be sucking on a bottle so much he's swollen up like a toad!"

The nearby city of Conway has held a three-day festival in May for the last 30 years called Toad Suck Daze that raises money for scholarships.

The next sign I noticed was on that read Purple Heart Trail.  The Purple Heart is specifically a combat decoration and it is our nations oldest military medal.  It was first created by George Washington in 1782.

The current Purple Heart medal was developed by General Douglas MacArthur in 1932.  The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces in the US who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of these killed in action who die of wounds received in action.

The purpose of the Purple Heart Trail is to create a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges and other monuments that give tribute to the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

Interesting facts about Arkansas:

* The elevation in the state ranges from 54 feet above sea level to 2,753 feet

* Mountain View is home to one of the largest producers of handmade dulcimers in the world

* The state bird is the Mockingbird

* Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, AR

* The state flower is the apple blossum

* Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in Bentonville, AR

* The official state mineral is bauxite

* General Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, AR

* The official state gem is the diamond

* The name Arkansas is the French interpretation of a Sioux word acansa, meaning down stream place

* AR has a humid subtropical climate

* The state is known for extreme weather and frequent storms

* Bill Clinton was born in Hope, AR

* Arkansas is the leading producer of rice in the US - agriculture is the top industry

* There are 6 major rivers in AR - Arkansas River, Mississippi River, Red River, White River, Quachita River and the St. Francis River

We arrived at our destination of Memphis, TN in the late afternoon.  We stayed at the Peabody Hotel.  We got there just in time to see the ducks walk through the lobby.

We walked up the street to Beale Street to eat some of Memphis's famous bbq.  The restaurant we were told to go to was the Rendezvous.  They have been there since 1948 and are best known for their ribs.

This was our view from our hotel window.

This is the Autozone Park.  It is a minor league baseball stadium - home to the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League.  The Redbirds are the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals.

Interesting facts about Memphis, TN:

* Memphis has a mild southern climate

* The city is the most populous city in TN

* Memphis is one of the largest wholesale and distributing centers in the South

* It is one of the world's largest markets for spot cotton and hardwood lumber

* Memphis is one of the busiest inland ports on the Mississippi River

* Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968 at the Lorraine Motel

* WC Handy the "father of the blues" wrote and played his music on Beale Street

* Elvis Presley began his recording career in Memphis at Sun Records

* Graceland Mansion, Presley's home until his death in 1977, is visited annually by more than a half million fans