Ich bin ein Preuße, kennt ihr meine Farben?

Hello everyone!

As of late I have been getting some questions about my ancestry.  Specifically about how I can be Prussian if the nation of Prussia does not exist anymore.  Today's post will not just be about my family.  Rather, today's post will be about genealogy.  I have been doing my family's genealogy for quite a while now.  So has my mother's side of the family.  It is ridiculous how much we know about her side of the family!  Of course, if you knew who was in my mother's family you would know why it is plentiful to come by.  Yes, on my mother's side I do have royal and noble blood and that makes finding out about various family members very easy.  I will leave it at that.  My father's side. Not so easy.  Why?  Mostly because his family has had no interest in learning where they came from.  He is also American Indian and that complicates things a lot!  Scattered in today's post I will have tips  for those of you who wish to trace your family back as far as they can. Without further ado, let us start digging into our pasts!

To answer the questions about my Prussian ancestry I will say this.  The farthest back that I can get in my Prussian ancestry is to a male ancestor, I will not mention names on here because of who members of my family are, and he came from Bartia.  Where the heck is Bartia?!  Bartia does not exist anymore so it is not too surprising if you have not heard of it.  In fact, it would really surprise me if you did seeing as how the only person that I have ever met that knew what I was talking about was a college professor of mine whose family also comes from that area.  Bartia is where the Bartians lived.  Before I get flooded with questions as to who the Bartians were I will answer that for you now.  The Bartians were one of the Baltic Prussian Tribes, of which there were between 9-13 (that depends on who you are talking to).  They lived in the area that is now part of Poland.  Wait!  Wouldn't that make you Polish?!  Nope.  Way back in those times the Poles were a West Slavic group of tribes.  They did work their way up towards the Baltic region, but that was a bit later.  So, to answer the question outright as to whether or not I am actually Prussian.  Yes!  I am in fact very, very, very Prussian.  On both sides of my family.  I will get into this topic now.

As I said above finding out about my mother's family is ridiculously easy because of their ridiculous record keeping about family births, baptisms, deaths, moves, and every other thing about the family.  My father's side is the exact opposite.  Finding out about American Indian families is hard.  This is because they just did not keep records.  We can only trace my father's American Indian lineage back so far and then it just stops.  Although we can get pretty far back!  Thanks to census records and oral history of the tribe we've got quite a bit.  There is however this wonderful, although some would argue it is horrible, quirk in our tribe.  Way back when, the Oto-Missouria tribe did love them some French and Dutch fur trappers.  Those French and Dutch fur trappers brought with them their need to keep records and keep track of every thing.  Of course, they also tried to convert us to our own religion, but we will forgive them for that.  They did not know any better.  This has helped finding out about my father's family a lot easier.

Filling out a census is a pain in the butt.  I hate filling them out, but they are necessary.  They also are a great help to anyone trying to find out anything about their family.  Without these census records I would have never found out that part of my father's family came from Canada.  Yep.  I have always known that the Oto tribe lived way up in the Northern United States, but I did not know that they actually lived for any length of time up in Canada.  Now, part of my mother's family does live in and are from Canada.  So, having Canadian relatives is not that much of a surprise.  The surprise came with it being on my father's side.  I even traced that part of my family back to Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson.  I am his 40th great grand-daughter.  If you know anything about Nordic history you should know who that is.  He was the King of Danmark and Norge.  The Bluetooth communication technology is named after him as well and uses his Rune initials. Funzies!
 
Another surprise came when I was tracking down parts of my mother's family that had not been explored.  That is when I found this lovely person on my family tree.
 

 



Who is that handsome devil?  That is a cousin of mine...kind of a distant cousin, but a cousin none the less (Distant cousin to my family is 3rd cousin and back).  That man is Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prinz von Preußen.  Yep, that is the Prince of Prussia.  You can read more about him, his lovely wife, and the House of  Hohenzollern by clicking on that picture of him.  Like I said, I am Prussian.  There is a picture of the Prince of Prussia.  So, yes, you can be Prussian even though the country does not exist anymore.  We still have a prince!  He does not have any political power and he does not really want any.  Either way, I admire him.  He is pretty awesome and I found it interesting that I am related to this man. 

Is there a point to all of this?  Do you really need to know about part of my family's history?  Not really, but there is a point to it.  I would have never known about being related to the Prince of Prussia or that I was even Prussian had I not had any interest in my family's genealogy.  I had always been told that there was noble and royal blood in my family's past and now I know where it comes from.  Actually, it comes from both sides.  Some of the stories that I had been told about my family turned out to be true!  You never know until you look it up.

Okay, okay, so the point of this post even though it is really long is this: learn about your family history!  You might even find out that you are related to someone famous.  You might even learn that your family was from a country that you didn't even expect them to be from.  I was not expecting to have more of a family connection than my first cousins on my mother's side be from Canada.  I defiantly was not expecting the Prince of Prussia to pop up on my family tree or the King of Danmark and Norge.  Learning about your family history is exciting and it can make world history more exciting if you know that your family had a hand in some of the events or lived through some atrocities that happened in the past.  It has defiantly changed my world view.  I look at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and it means more to me now because part of my family wanted that built that as a symbol of peace.  It is now one of the most recognized monuments in all of Germany!  You never know what you will find out about your family.  So go out and learn about your family and your history!

To help you along the way here are some of the most helpful sites that I have come across when doing my family's genealogy.  Some of them are free and some are not.  RootsWeb is free and one of the most useful ones that I have come across and is basically a free version of Ancestry.  I recommend an Ancestry account if you want a paid for site.  It is wonderful and has the most resources of any site I have come across. Have fun and I hope that you all find something interesting in your family history!

RootsWeb
Ancestry
My Heritage
Family Search

Tips for College: Be Social

Hello everyone!

Let us talk about being social in college.  This is important!  Yes, being a good student and studying so you can do well is even more important, but so is having a social live.  There are numerous reasons for this.  Today I will talk about just a few of the more important reasons.  So, let us get started shall we.

First off, I should probably give you all some background on my social life so that you will see where I am coming from in terms of my social life.  As a child and up into my young adult life, I was shy and did not make friends easily.  Yes, I was in numerous extracurricular activities in school, but that does not equal being social.  On the whole I tried to keep to myself because I had issues with some of the other students picking on me since I was the "smart kid"  and I never really told anyone about it because when I did it got worse for a bit.  My mother always told me that they only picked on me because they knew it bothered me.  As long as I ignored them it seemed to be manageable.  Part of my problem may have, and probably still does when it comes to the random moments of social awkwardness that I still experience, come from the fact that I am the youngest of 10 children. Yeah you read that correctly.  I have 9 siblings and a plethora of nieces and nephews.  Because my oldest sibling is in his 50's and the next closest in age to me, that is still living, is in his 30's, there I have mostly be around adults.  Since most of my siblings have children and some of their children have children, I have also had a lot of dealings with little kids.  This is probably the reason that most people that are around my age view me as being ridiculously mature for my age.  On the flip side, people that are older than me seem to think that I am too childish because I still enjoy things from my childhood like Pokémon and various other anime, cartoons, and games.  That has turned out to be a good thing though since I connect with little kids and my nieces and nephew seem to think of me as the "cool aunt" and my cousins think I am pretty cool too because I will play games with them, watch cartoons with them, run around the park, and even go to concerts with them.  In high school when I was thrust into a group of four different grade levels from the entire city I was kind of at a loss as to what to do with myself.  It did not help that when I was in 4th grade my older brother, he was a teenager at the time, shot himself in the basement bathroom of my grade school.  That was the first time that the death of a person had really hit me hard.  Because he was close to my age we got along really well, not that I do not get along with my other siblings.  That we the first time I had seem my brother Robert get mad like that, throwing his keys, kicking his VW van, and what have you.  However, a friend of mine had asked me to go to church with her a few mouths before and I had been going there for a bit.  This turned out to be a good thing because I had a good support network, small though it was because of how shy I was at the time.  I still go to that church and if you are wondering why I am bringing this up, here is why.  In high school I had a few good friends, but I still got tormented about being the "smart kid" at times by the same kinds from junior high.  However, there was always one boy outside of my friends that whenever I saw him in the hallway or in line at lunch he always said "hello" to me.  I think, I am not sure since I am not in his brain, that he probably recognized me as someone from church and that was why he talked to me when he saw me in the hall.  Maybe it was because it seemed like every time that I saw him I was having a bad day and I looked stressed out and that I needed someone to acknowledge my existence, I have no idea what it was that made him say hello, but he did.  His name is Brett.  I sometimes sit over by him and his wife at church, she is an amazing photographer by the way and if you live in northern Oklahoma and need someone to take pictures she is your girl.  Turns out, when I went out to dinner with a group of friends, him and his wife were with us, he asked if I had always been a quiet person.  Well, I was until someone actually acknowledged me in the hallway in high school.  That was when I started to be more talkative and actually started gaining more friends.  So, if you are reading this for some odd reason Brett, thank you for just saying "hello" to me in high school.  It meant a lot to me then to have someone acknowledge my existence outside of my small group of friends.

Was I social when I went off to college and then to university?  Well, yes and no.  I was certainly more social than I was when I was a little kid.  I started at Cottey College right out of high school, and I mean right out of high school because I took summer classes online, I only had one friend that was even going there with me.  There was another girl from my school, but she was more of a classmate than a friend.  My friend that was there was in a different dorm and we didn't see each other that often.   So, I was effectively on my own when I actually got to move into my dorm room that August.  In my suite there were ten girls, two of which were from Sweden, two from Texas, one from Chicago, one from Michigan, one from Montana, one from Malawi, one from Missouri, and then me.  Of them, only one was a returning student.  Despite us going through some sticky spots due to our differences, we all got along pretty well and I still talk to some of those girls from my first year.  My second year was a whole other story.  That year was  filled with drama deluxe.  However, I still talk to a lot of my friends there from Cottey.  I was more involved in other activities and have far more friends from the University of Central Oklahoma where I was in a much smaller academic department that was closer knit than a two year "finishing school" like college.

Now on to what this post is actually about.  Probably the most important reason to actually be social in college is, this could possibly be taken as being shallow and I assure you that I do not mean it to be but I will go ahead and say it,  networking for the future.  Think about it logically.  The people that you will ultimately hang out with are your best friends from high school and your college friends.  Who are you going to turn to when you need to get a job?  You are going to ask your friends if they know of anyone hiring in the area you are in or wanting to go, you put them down for references on applications, and you may end up working for them.  As sad as it is, the old saying of it isn't what you know it's who you know when it comes to getting a job is very true.  I ran into this at a place I used to work at.  The management just handed jobs over to their friends without following their own policies and I was overlooked for jobs that I was more qualified for in favour of the management hiring their buddies.  Thankfully, I do not have to deal with that anymore.  So, be nice to your friends as they will most likely end up helping you in some way when it comes to the job market.

Everyone goes through some rough patches in their life and I am no exception.  Thankfully, I have had always had a good support network.  How did I get this support network?  Well, at first it was just my family and it has since grown.  However, these people did not just pop up out of nowhere.  No, I actually had to go out and make friends.  That's right.  I had to be social.  Thankfully, being social at university becomes a bit easier than in high school.  In college you have a vast number of people that don't really know everyone and they are pretty much in the same boat as you.  So, don't be afraid to just go up and talk to someone in the hall between classes or in the department while you are waiting to talk to a professor.  Also, universities generally have a greater number of extracurricular activities and clubs to join than your average high school because of the sheer number of students they have.  Some of which are from completely different countries and their interests tend to vary a great deal.  By joining a club or any other student group allows you to make friends that share the same interest as you.  At the University of Central Oklahoma I joined Chess and Games Club, Medieval Society, and the Philosophy Symposium group.  These people have been there for me through a lot.   They are some of my closest friend that I have.  I talk to them all the time.  I probably would be a lot more stressed out if I did not have their support.

Reason number three, and this will be the last one on this already ridiculously long post, is that it can actually help with your grades.  *gasp*  Really?!  You have to be kidding me.  Nope, I am serious.  When you think about it this really does make sense.  Since most of your friends that you make are going to be in classes and most likely have the same major, at least have a minor in the field you are studying, you will most likely call them for help if you cannot get a hold of your professors.  Also, who are you going to ask to be in your study groups?  Your friends.  Most of the time my friends and I had study groups at either a coffee shop, the library, or a restaurant of some kind.  Usually a pizza place or a place that was open 24/7 because we sometimes stayed there until about 2 or 3 in the morning.  If it was a coffee shop it was either a Starbucks or one of the local coffee shops that actually liked having college students there.  Your friends can also help you get over your nervousness about presenting a paper because you can read it allowed to them.  Just be sure to tell them to correct you if they find something wrong with it.  They are your friends they are not going to criticize you just for laughs.  When you actually study you tend to do better in your classes.  Just saying.  I mean some of the classes that I took at university I could not have made it through had it not been for my friends.

To sum things up since this post was really long, making friends and being social has a lot of perks in terms of your happiness, health, employment, and your grades.  Friends can help you out of a lot of sticky situations.  Just remember, that lovely quote by the wonderful C.S. Lewis.

 

It is true!  If you never go out and make friends you will never experience that wonderful feeling.  I had that moment when I met my friend Andrew's wife, at the time she was not his wife.  Her name is Rosemary.  Those two are probably some of my closest friends.  I have known Andrew since I was in junior high.  At that time I had not met another girl that had quite the same interests in games and crafts as I did.  Also, I have not met another person who eats eggs and hash browns the same way and loves rubber ducks as much as I do except Rosemary.

 

So, go out and make friends!  Be social!  I promise it will not be the end of the world if you do.  Believe me.  I am very introverted and it takes me a while to make friends and start being more talkative around people even today.  However, going out and making new friends has really made me more of an upbeat person that gets along with a wider range of people.  That has helped me out a lot.

 

In closing I would love to say THANK YOU to all of my friends!  I adore each and every one of you and you mean the world to me.

Black Tie and White Tie for Men!

Salve pulchra populus!

If you have been following my blog then you will probably have ready my post on ties and you will know that I said I would talk about Black Tie and White Tie differences.  I will be dividing this post up into two parts.  Part one is the difference between men’s Black Tie and White Tie and part two will be about women’s dress.  That is what today’s post in going to be about.  So, put on your ties and tuxedos and let us get down to business!

First things first; what is Black Tie and White Tie and when are they worn?  White Tie is the most formal of evening dress in the States, the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Countries, and other European countries.  Other names for this are “Full Dress”, “Tails”,  and “Full Evening Dress”.  Black Tie is slightly less formal, but still considered formal wear.  However, it is occasionally called semi-formal wear.  It is also called the “suit and tie” that people talk about.  As for when they are to be worn, both are only worn after 6 in the evening.  They are evening wear after all.  It would not make sense to wear it in the middle of the day.  White Tie is usually worn at events such as  formal weddings, balls, state dinners, some graduation ceremonies, and when requested by the host or hostess of the event.  On the other hand, Black Tie is worn at some weddings, operas, some dinner parties, and some dances for school age children.  Now that you know the differences in when to wear them we can move on to more important things.

Both are similar in that they both consist of a Black or Midnight Blue suit made from wool with silk lapels.  The collar on the shirts both wing style and the shirts themselves are made from cotton. The waistcoats are not to be seen below the cutaway on the coat. When it comes to the trousers, both have the braids made from silk.  Footwear is also the same; either a black court shoe or plain black oxfords.  However, this is basically where the similarities end.

Since Black Tie events are more common, we will start with it and go from the top to the bottom.  Obviously, as the name suggests one wears a black bow tie.  You never, ever wear a necktie to a Black Tie event.  It just looks bad and very out of place.  You will look like you have no idea what is going.  That may in fact be the case, but at least try to look like you at least know how to dress yourself.  The dress shirt that is worn with this particular dress is usually called a "dress shirt", "formal shirt", or a "tuxedo shirt".  These come in several styles, but almost always have some form of pleating.  The waistcoat that is worn with Black Tie is called an evening waistcoat and it can be switched out for a cummerbund.  Yes, it is cummerbund NOT cumberbun.  You would not believe how many people I have come across asking if I know anything about "cumberbuns".  It is ridiculous.  Anyway, back to Black Tie.  The trouser will only have one silk braid on the side, NOT two.  I see a lot of people with two, Black Tie only has one silk braid.  Here is an example of Black Tie attire.

When it comes to the accessories worn for Black Tie, if you must have colour, then it is only a single colour and is muted.  No bright colours when you are wearing Black Tie!  Absolutely not!  DO NOT WEAR A TOP HAT WITH BLACK TIE ATTIRE!!!  Just don't.  If you are going to wear at hat then follow the guide.  For warm seasons you wear a boater hat made of star and during cold seasons you wear a Homburg that is the same colour as your suit.  A handkerchief is usually worn in the pocket on the breast.  This handkerchief is either made of silk or cotton today, but the traditional one is made of linen.  As the wearing of a handkerchief is slightly out of fashion, or if you are attending a less formal form of Black Tie, a Boutonnière is worn and will usually be a rose.  You do not wear it if you are wearing a handkerchief.  That is another big fashion no-no.  Pocket watches are the desired timepiece if you must have one.  However, time pieces that are out and visible are not desired.  This is because if you are going to a formal event it is considered rude to be constantly checking the time.  If you live in ridiculously cold places you may wear a matching overcoat, scarf, and white gloves.  If you do not live in a cold climate I am not sure why you would even need these, but if you insist on having it just in case, make sure it matches! 

Now on White Tie!  White Tie events require a white bow tie in case it was not obvious enough and is made from cotton.  Once again, no neckties.  That is just trashy looking and you will probably not be allowed into the event at all if you wear one.  The coat itself is made differently.  It is called a "bodycoat" by the people that make them and will have more detail.  Also, this is where you get the tails on the coat.  The coat does not button!  Do not even try to button it.  Those six buttons are there for decorations and nothing else.  The shirt that is to be worn will have no pleats on the front at all.  It is plain and made of cotton.  Also, the collar is detachable.  No cummerbunds are to be worn at White Tie events.  Instead there are special cotton waistcoats called a low-cut waistcoat that are made for White Tie dress.  Make sure that your waistcoat covers your belt!  That is very important. The trousers that are to be worn for White Tie have two silk braids going down the side.  You can get away with only having one, but if people notice they might look at you strangely.  So, to be on the safe side, make sure that your trousers have two braids.  This is what White Tie looks like.

Accessories for White Tie are few, but the details in them are very important to get correct!  Your buttons need to match.  It does not matter if they are gold, silver, or have semi-precious or precious stones set in them.  They need to match.  That means shirt studs, cufflinks (if worn), and the buttons on the waistcoat.  All of it.  No exceptions!  Another thing with no exceptions is that you must not wear a watch on your wrist.  It does not matter what brand or how expensive it is.  The standard time piece is a pocket watch.  Yes, it is proper to wear a pocket watch to White Tie.  Boutonnières are almost never worn and the standard is to wear a white handkerchief.  If you have state decorations, those go on your pocket instead.  Top hats are the standard hat for White Tie and white gloves are to be worn when dancing and at other times except for dining.  You do not want to get your gloves dirty.  Not only are they a pain to clean because they are so delicate, but it just looks bad.  If you must wear a coat it should be a Chesterfield coat.  If you want to go for a cloak instead, you wear a opera cloak or an Inverness cloak.  Yes, an Inverness cloak.  That's right.  In the old movies and drawings Sherlock Holmes is wearing a cloak that is worn with White Tie attire.  How classy!   Scarves that are worn sometimes are made of silk and if you want to have cane, you may.

That is it.  In terms of men's Black Tie and White Tie these are the basics.  Just remember to always wear what the dress code calls for!  If it says White Tie do not wear Black Tie and vice versa. Some hosts or hostesses might want certain accent colours and some will not want accent colours to be worn by guests at all.  If you have any doubts, check with the host or hostess.  They will always be able to clear things up for you.  They know what they want and since it is their event, they make the rules.  You may go your entire life and not go to either a Black Tie or White Tie affair.  You may go to several in a year.  It just depends.  However, many of my friends that are guys have at least the attire for a Black Tie event.  They have told me that it is always good to have it on hand and to make sure that it fits because you never know when you might need it.

I hope this has helped you guys out!  Until next time!

Tips for College: Picking a Major that You Will Enjoy!

Helo Pobl Hyfryd!

It has been requested of me to do some posts on going off to college or university.  Why and who?  The who is not important and they that requested it know who they are.  As to why, there is an alarming amount of people my age and younger that either did not go to college, are struggling in college, or do not even want to go to college.  So, for their benefit, I today I will be talking about the importance of picking a major that you enjoy.  I hope you find this helpful and interesting.  Enjoy.

First off, what did I study at college?  Well, my first two years I went to Cottey College and I switched my major several times before graduating with an Associate of Arts degree.  When I went off to University at the University of Central Oklahoma, I read Philosophy.  This was focused on Philosophy of Religion.  I minored in English Composition.  What can I do with those degrees that I spent so long working for?  Honestly, not a whole lot.  Philosophy is one of those majors that you cannot do a whole lot with.  You can write about it or teach it.  That is about it.

So, why did I got to school to read a subject that I cannot do a whole with?  Easy, I enjoy the subject.  This was something that was important to me.  I feel as though it is important to find something that you enjoy studying.  The reason I believe this is quite simple.  If you are going to be sitting through classes day after day for four years or more, should you not sit through something that you enjoy rather than something you hate?  I for one would not like to sit through four or more years of biology.  I respect anyone that does.  I mean really, if you pick a major just to make money chances are you will end up picking something that you hate or have no interest in.  If you have no interest in the subject you are more likely to skip which will lead to bad grades and possibly flunking out of college or university.  There goes all your plans of making lots of money.  So, if you are going to spend all that time and money on going to university or college, pick something you enjoy.  It will make going to class a lot more enjoyable.

That being said; be realistic when you go to college or university.  Yes, I understand that not everything that is offered as a major is going to make you a ton of money.  Just look at my Philosophy and English Composition.  As I said before there is not a lot that I can do with it.  I can write or teach and that is about it.  Yes, I am a published author and you can buy my book.  I will post the link below if you are curious about it.  Yes, I am a private tutor.  I have several students that I teach and this particular job I have had since high school.  However, my primary job is that of the Vice President of Sales at a high-end jewellery store.  Do I use my Philosophy or English Composition in that job?  A little, but it is not the primary point of my job.  So, what do I mean when I say be realistic about your major?  Simply this,  understand that what you like to study may not have a lot of job openings and that you need a practical skill to fall back on if all else fails.  Pick something that you enjoy that may not be offered at college or university or something that you get certified in at a trade school. 

What is my practical skill?  Well, I actually have a few.  You see, I was raised pretty much as a farm girl.  I can tell you all about how and when to plant things, how to take care of farm equipment, and I can even tell you how to take care of livestock.  Is this something that I enjoy doing?  Well, besides keeping a small garden, not particularly, but it is a skill that I have that was taught to me by my father.  Another skill that I have that was taught to me by my family is cooking.  I can cook just about anything.  You name it, chances are high that I can fix it for you.  Do I enjoy this?  Well, I enjoy baking and making candy.  I will cook when I need to, but I find more enjoyment in baking and trying to find a job as a baker without spending money on going to culinary school is near impossible.  Why not go to culinary school?  Well, why would I want to spend money taking classes on a skill that I already have?  My grandfather was a five star chief.  I am pretty sure that I know what the heck I am doing in the kitchen.  There is, however, one skill that I have that I am the most proud of and that I love more than anything.  That skill has basically become a lost art.  Very few people still do this skill.  That skill is sewing.  You know, making clothing.  Yes, I do know that there are a lot of people out there that can “sew” because they had to take a class in school or they can fix a tear in something.  What I am talking about is that I design and make clothing myself.  Mostly it is for myself, but I have been known to make clothing for other people.  I can also do all that fancy beadwork that people put on clothing and that includes loom beading.  Sure, some of you all have made pillows or made a skirt.  I made my first hand sewn quilt when I was five.  I made this quilt last year.

 

That is a lot of little pieces.  No, that quilt is not for sale.  That particular quilt was made for someone special and he loves it.  However, if you would like something made, be it a quilt or a dress, please feel free to drop me a line in the comments section or by emailing me.

In closing what exactly am I saying to you all?  Go to college or university and study what you love.  It does not matter if it is Classical Philosophy or Aerospace Engineering.  Do what you feel you would be most interested in.  However, do understand that some fields of study are incredibly hard to find jobs in.  That does not mean that you should not study them.  It only means that you need to have a practical skill to fall back on if you cannot get a job in that field.  Make sure it is something that you also love.  You want a career when all is said and done.  You do not want to have to go to work.  Work is just what it sounds like.  Work.  Work is not fun work is boring.  A career is fun and exciting!  A career is something that you wake up in the morning, or evening, and want to go to.  Work you want to stay home and sleep.  Live your life the way you want too and be whatever you want.  If you want to be a Philosopher that works in a jewellery store then so be it.  If you want to be an Aerospace engineer that works for NASA.  Do that!  Just do what you love.  It makes the world a little bit brighter for you because you are happy with your life.  Life should be enjoyed not suffered through.

Until next time my beautiful people!  Stay happy and fun-loving!

 

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Sick of Stress? Me Too! Let's Lern Some Tips on How to Deal With it!

Greetings and Salutations everyone!

Well, these past couple of weeks have been a bit stressful.  Yes, I have been happy and cheery when talking to others and when making my posts on here.  That being said, people that know about this stress know about it and that is good for me.  I do not particularly want to muddle up your happy thoughts with my stress.  Instead, what I am going to do is give you all some of the tips that I follow to help with stress!  I hope that you all find them helpful as well!

Tip One

 

 

Oh William James.  I was never overly fond of reading his work, but this quote of his has always struck with me.  The reason being is it is very true.  You can always choose to not think about the things that stress you out.  Nobody is forcing you to be stressed out.  So, if something is stressing you out.  Try not to think about it.  Take some time to calm your mind before you make a stupid choice made in stress.  Stupid choices can be dangerous.  Maybe not in the present moment, but possibly in the long run.  You might not think too much of it now, butt later you might regret it.

 

Tip Two

Go to the park and play on the swings and various other playground equipment.  Not only does that burn calories, but it has the tendency to make you happy.  Maybe it makes you happy because you remember happy times in your childhood, or maybe it makes you think about how goofy you must look as an adult on a tiny piece of playground equipment.  I do.  I do it every chance I get.  I love to go play at the park and I am a quarter of a century old! 

 

Tire swings are my favorite!  So, get out and go to the park!  It has so many good benefits for your health.  Also, some parks have outdoor plays or concerts.  There are so many things to do when you go.

Tip Three

Do you have younger siblings or nieces and nephews?  Go hang out with them.  Take them for ice cream or to the park.  Not only will they think that you are awesome, but it will give you a chance to act goofy and have an excuse.  Little kids are awesome!  They are true to themselves and do not try to impress everyone.  People can learn a lot from little kids.  So, go out there and have fun with your family.   For those of you who do not know a great deal about me, I come from a huge family and we’re all pretty close.  I mean we have parties just for the heck of it.  Sure, we may not get along all the time, but we still love each other and help each other out with our problems.  The old saying is true you know, friends may come and go, but family is forever.  Here are some goofy pictures of my family and I for your giggles.

Tip Four

Eat chocolate!  Apparently it can give you the feeling of being in love.  Love makes you happy!  It is a wonderful stress relief.  This looks amazing to me.  So, go out and get some chocolate!  These are some of my favorite chocolate products. 

 

I recommend the Mars Bars…the British ones not the American ones.

Tip Five

Go make something.  Cook something, sew something, do something crafty.  Plant a garden.  Do something productive and be proud of what you have done.  Remember everyone is good at different things and you just have to find what you are good at.  For example, I am really good at doing sewing.  Check out this skirt that I made.

 

I am not so great at playing the Great Highland Bag Pipes or wearing the colour white as a turtle neck.  I probably should have not done that.  Doing something that you are good at gives you something to be proud of.  I stress out whenever I have something to do that I am not very good at.  So, I try to intersperse it with things I’m good at if I can. 

 

Tip Six

Click on this little emoticon. *\(^_^)/*  You cannot help but laugh at his profile picture.  Really, well played. 

Tip Seven

You know how at office supply stores they have giant rolls of bubble wrap.  It is true!  They do!  Go buy one and roll around on it.  It is so much fun and relieves stress like nobody’s business.  It also feels like you are getting a massage.  Massages make you feel pretty dang okay with the world.

Tip Eight

Go listen to this song by clicking on this picture.

 There is great truth in that song.  Either that or type in “Epic Soundtracks” into the Pandora Radio station.  It sounds like you are saving the world.  Who doesn’t love saving the world?  Just go listen to your favorite songs.  You will feel pretty okay with the world.

 

Tip Nine

Just remember that you cannot change the past.  You should not even try.  Things happen, people make mistakes, and the world goes on.  Nobody is perfect and nobody expects you to be either.  If they do expect that of you then they probably are not worth your time.  Just be yourself and not worry about the past.  You cannot change it.  Sometimes it feels like you are weighed down by your past mistakes, but if you just let go of that worry you will feel a lot better.   

So, I hope that this helps you all out.  These tips might not work for you.  They work for me and some of them are pretty easy to do.  However, you have to do what is best for you.  Sometimes it will not be easy.  Everyone has been through some hard times.  Believe me, I have.  You should not try to live in the past.  Learn from your mistakes and use what you have learned to improve your life now and in the future.  If in doubt think about how lucky you are to be where you are to worry about what you are worried about right now.  There are people all over the world that are far worse off than you.  So smile, be happy to be alive and well! 

Stay beautiful and stress free my lovelies!

Speaking of people that are in far worse condition than a lot of people in the world; at the moment there are over 1million children and other people displaced from their homes because of crisis in Syria.  The number is rising every hour of every day.  If you would like to help by donating please click on one of the links below!

UNICEF USA

UNICEF UK

UNICEF Worldwide





Rubies! July's Beautiful Red Birthstone!

Hello everyone!

So, it’s July. Lots of things happen in July so I am making my post as early as I can. The 4^th of July is tomorrow, my tribe has our encampment later this month, I have lots of family members with birthdays this month, and for those of you who do not know, my birthday is in July. That means that my birthstone is the Ruby. Today I will be talking about Rubies. So, since I have a lot of stuff to get done in a short amount of time, let’s get this going!

The Ruby is a red stone and is one of four precious gems that are considered birthstones. The other’s being Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald. The name for this stone comes from the Latin term ruber which means red. It, like Sapphire, is a form of corundum.  The red colour that it has come from the chromium being found in the stone when it is forming. Rubies are usually mined in Asia and the finest rubies have historically been found in Burma, or Myanmar as it is known now.  So, if you have heard of Burmese Rubies, that is where they come from.

So, why are pink forms of corundum called Pink Sapphires and not Pink Rubies? I have often wondered this myself. The truth is, in the a lot of other countries throughout the world pink corundum is classified as a Ruby and not a Sapphire. In the United States corundum must be a certain shade of red before it can be called a Ruby. All other are considered Sapphires. Speaking of colours in Rubies, the most desirable colour of this stone is called a pigeon’s blood ruby. They are very expensive and usually only can be found in the area around Burma. Most Rubies will have what is called a secondary hue. This means that some Rubies will have a slight purpleish shade to them or an orange shade to them. Most of the time it is not notice able, but it can have an effect on the price of a stone. An interesting thing to note is that Rubies look better when set in yellow gold. The reason for this is that the yellow of the gold will neutralize the blue tones in the stone and make the Ruby look more red than it would if you were to set it in another colour of gold.

Now we come to the part that is important to know. Why is it that some people when they go to the Middle East can buy Rubies really cheap and then come home to find out they are worth next to nothing? The answer is simple. A great number of these Rubies are called Glass Filled Rubies or Lead Filled Rubies. Whichever term is used it means the same thing. What happens is that when a Ruby comes out of the ground it will, like all gemstones, have inclusions and these inclusions are filled. The substance to fill these inclusions and make them look more transparent and desirable is Lead Glass. Many times people will not know that there is Lead Glass in the stone. Many times the only way to tell if the Ruby has been filled is to take it to a jeweller who will run a test on it. While they may look pretty, when it comes to setting filled stones is that many times they will crack when they are being set because if any heat is applied to the piece the Lead Glass will react to the heat and cause the stone to break. Sad, but true. Most people do not know that what they are getting is not so great stone. However, if you buy your stones at your local jeweler they will be able to tell you if the Ruby you are buying from them is filled or not. Most jewellers will NOT sell Lead Glass or treated Rubies. They are not valuable and if they break it falls back to the jeweller and they should pay to replace the stone.

If you come across a Ruby that you have your doubts about, ask the person that you are buying it from if they are willing to have a jeweller take a look at it before you purchase it. If they say they do not want a jeweller to examine it, I would not purchase it. The reason being is that if they know their stones are genuine and not Lead Glass filled they will have no reason to be offended if you are simply wanting to double check. If they know their stones are NOT genuine they will usually act defensive about it and will not even want to do business with you. People that are proud of their products will want you to be as happy with the product as they are and will do whatever it takes to make you happy. So, if in doubt ask. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Especially when it comes to expensive gemstones.

Well, I hope that you all found this informative and interesting! If you have any questions for me about Rubies feel free to ask! Also, if you are wondering what the alternate genuine birthstone is for July it is the Carnelian stone. It comes in colours ranging from orange to dark reddish-brown. It may also be called Sard, or Red Onyx.

Have a wonderful and safe Independence Day to all of my American readers and a big Thank You to all of our troops that are stationed around the world! My father was in the military, as well as numerous cousins and other relations of mine, and I know how hard you all work to keep us back here at home safe. We appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for us!

Emeralds! May's Birthstone

Hello everyone!

I have been getting ready to go on vacation in a couple of weeks, so please bear with me. I am slightly frazzled at the moment. That being said, I have a new, and hopefully informative post for you all. I will be posting these, theoretically, at the first of each month since they are going to be about birthstones. I will possibly continue the posts afterwards with information about other gemstones, but for now, just gemstones. That way you will all get at least one post a month. Hope you all enjoy them! It gives me a way to use the stuff that I have learned in my classes and at work.

So, this year’s big colour is emerald green. Well, the emerald is May’s birthstone. Emeralds are a type of beryl which puts them in the same mineral class as March’s birthstone, Aquamarine, and the beautiful pale pink Morganite stone. It is very pretty and can be found in numerous jewelry settings. You can get find them set in all colours of gold. However, most jewellers will tell you that the most common and beautiful setting for an emerald is in yellow gold. In terms of the cut, most emeralds are cut in what is called and emerald cut. They are available in other cuts, but the emerald cut brings out the beauty of the emerald and is a good stable cut for the stone.

A question that I get asked a lot is where do emeralds come from? Well, that depends on what time period you are living in. If you were to live in ancient times you would most likely get your emeralds from places like Austria, Egypt, and India. However, in today’s world you can find emeralds just about anywhere if you know where and how to look for them. Most emeralds come from Colombia and Zambia though. Colombia has the most emeralds, however those that are mined are softer than those mined in Zambia.

Speaking of emerald softness, all emeralds have inclusions in them. When buying emeralds be wary of buying one that has none. Chances are, if it has no inclusions it is either a synthetic emerald or an emerald green cubic zirconia. A synthetic emerald is grown in a lab. Really, there is nothing wrong with lab grown emeralds apart from they are not brought out of a lab. That being said. If a jeweller tells you that the emerald has no inclusions always ask! I cannot stress this enough. The store that I work for has both kinds and all of us know which is which. If in doubt of it, ask. Most jewellers will have no qualms about telling you anything and everything you want to know about the stone you are interested in. If they do not want to tell you, you may be better off buying somewhere else. Also, do emeralds are one of the stones that you do not want to buy online. Not only do you run the chance of not getting a real emerald, but the shipping may damage the already fragile stone. You have no idea how many people we get coming into the store asking us to replace cracked emeralds.

What colours do emeralds come in exactly? While most emeralds are a beautiful medium green, it is not uncommon to find some that are little more blue or a little more yellow. They are still emerald, but it is the medium green that people want. If you get too blue you end up with different species of beryl such as aquamarine and maxie. If you go to yellow you end up with Golden beryl and heliodor. So, what makes an emerald green as opposed to another colour of beryl? Emeralds contain small amounts of vanadium or chromium. Chromium being the most common. Yes, chromium is the chemical that was causing all those problems if you have seen the film “Erin Brockovich” or know anything about the case that Erin Brockovich worked on in real life. That being said, the type of chromium in that case was hexavalent chromium and that is NOT found in emeralds. Hexavalent chromium is chromium in the sixth state of oxidization. Unless you are going to be ingesting large amounts of emeralds you will be fine wearing it. It will not harm you to wear an emerald.

Emeralds, as mentioned above, have inclusions in them. Most emeralds have a lot of inclusions in them. As such, most emeralds look more opaque than clear. However, you can buy very clear emeralds if you want to dish out that kind of money. The clearer the emerald, the more money it is. The good news is that most lapidarists will oil the emeralds to give it a more clear look to it. The most common type of oil used is cedar oil. You can ask your local jeweller about the oiling of emeralds if you so wish. Most jewellers will be able to tell you if the emerald you are wanting to purchase has been oiled or not. However, not all emeralds are oiled. Some may be treated with synthetic oils. In the US the FTC requires that when an emerald is sold the person buying it must know about it. There is a downside to this though. A company may buy and emerald to set in a piece of jewellery and know that the emerald has been oiled. When that company goes to sell to your local jeweller the salesperson may not  know if that emerald has been oiled when they are selling to your local jeweller. So, if you jeweller tells you that they are not sure if the emerald was oiled during its time at the lapidary they very well may be telling the truth. Nonetheless, most emeralds are in fact oiled and as a good rule of thumb it is safe to assume that the emerald you are interest in and all other emeralds in your local jewellery store are in fact oiled.

Another question that I get asked frequently is how does one take care of an emerald. Since emeralds are so fragile with all of their inclusion it is better to have your emerald set in a piece of jewellery that does not get banged around. Pendants, brooches, earrings, and hair pins are all good choices. Rings and bracelets tend to take more abuse since people use their hands for various things throughout the day. So, if you want a ring or bracelet you may consider purchasing a lab created emerald instead as they hold up better since they do not have very many, if any inclusions and are harder than mined emeralds. Do not put them in harsh chemicals. Always take them off before working with chemicals of any kind just to be on the safe side. If you wish to clean them, use water to gently rinse them off and then dry them with a soft cloth. It is better to take your emeralds to the jeweller to have them cleaned professionally. Most jewellers do not charge for cleaning. If they do it is usually not that much. Also, just because your emerald has been oiled at the lapidary does not mean that it needs to be oiled again. If your jeweller thinks it needs it they will tell you. In which case, if your jeweller is a trained lapidarist they will do it themselves, or they will have a lapidarists come in to do it. On occasion, they will either take it to the lapidarist or send it to them. As with most jewellery care, if in doubt ask your local jeweller.

I hope this has helped you and that you have found it interesting! Until next time!

Product Review: Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Grüße!

It is product review time again! I know it has been a while since I have done this, but I have been super busy and relying on my old favorites in terms of makeup and various other beauty products. However, I have been trying out some gel eye liner.  To be specific, I have been using Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. So, without further ado, let us get on with the product review!

So, you may be asking what is so great about a gel liner. Well, a gel liner is sort of that in between a pencil and a liquid in terms of texture and consistency. Some of the other gel eyeliners that I have used for costuming and various other projects have a slightly oily texture to them. Maybelline’s does not! In fact the formula is completely oil-free! This means that you do not have to worry about it falling or smudging for about 24 hours. Have I tried to wear it for 24 hours? Yes, for the purpose of this product review I did. I usually do not wear my makeup for 24 hours.  I always wash my makeup off before I go to bed since leaving it on for long periods of time can clog up your pores. I have found that gel liners go on smoother than liquid eye liners. Not that I have anything against liquid eye liners. I use those the most after all. However, for a gel eye liner this is the best I have found. It goes on very smooth and you do not have to fight with it like some of them.  Best of all? It comes with its own liner brush so you do not have to go out and buy your own if you do not have one. Also, it comes in 4 basic shades: Blackest Black, Brown, Charcoal, and Eggplant. On occasion you may also be able to find the older shades such as Sapphire and Forest. Here is what Blackest Black looks like after wearing it for about 24 hours.

 

Are there any bad things? Of course. There are always downsides to products. If you are not used to putting on liquid eye liner then you may have problems with the gel liners of any kind, not just the Mabelline. Also, when it says it stays on for 24 hours it means it. While it is great that it stays on well, it is not so great that it does not come off easily. On Mabelline's website it says that it comes off easily with their brand of makeup remover. However, I have had allergic reactions to their makeup removers and cannot use them. So, I end up having to scrub it off with the eye makeup remover that I can use. Not fun, but that is how it goes. Although it says that it can be used by people with sensitive eyes that wear contacts, if you wear it for more than about 5 hours it starts to make your eye water. At least it does for me. I have to go and touch it up to make sure that none is about to fall into my eyes or get close to my eyes period. My last problem is the brush that it comes with. I have more problems with that brush that I just gave up and started using that brush as my eye brow brush. I prefer to use a slanted eye liner brush. They work much better than the one that Mabelline provides.

Is it a good product? I would say so. It works well for what it is and it also helps if you are trying to learn how to put on liquid eye liner. It works as an in between step. Also, it stays on well and does not clump like a lot of the ones that I have tried before. It comes in the basic colours that everyone needs, but if you are looking for other shades you may have difficulty finding them. Overall, it is a great product. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to use gel eye liner. There is also enough in the pot so that it lasts a long time and you do not have to go out and buy new all the time.

 

Hope you found this helpful! Until next time!