Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Gems, Beads and Trims - Oh My!

Just on the cusp of leaving, with Daughter #2, to Tucson, AZ for a few days, to wander their many gem shows. We've always wanted to go to this -- and thanks to friend Joline's generous offer to stay with her and husband Neil, we will this year. Daughter #2 has a thriving shop on Etsy that offers jewelry and rock samples. She's going to ramp up her inventory; I'm going to look for beads and trims for Brickworks' customers. We're both planning to open a few Etsy shops in tandem -- more on that soon.   
     The offices will still be open -- and the Brick will keep an eye on the dogs and chickens.Or vice versa.  Meanwhile:

Some beautiful fingerless gloves...knit them yourself, using these detailed instructions. (Thanks, Snail Pace Transformations.)

 I had not visited this blogger before. She's got an interesting series of posts grouped under 'Selling Saturdays' that deal not only with saving money at garage sales, off clearance racks and such -- but selling them, too.

Meals to make when the pantry's bare. (From Pretty/Hungry) And on that note:

Recipes and meal plans for 1 pound a day (i.e., about $2.75 USD) , from a Brit who was homeless for several years, and learned to get by. I'm not sure -- most of these sound a bit zany. (Tomato scones???). But then, Brit food has a rather unusual reputation, and certainly different vocabulary...here the blog link is, in the interest of international fairness. My doubts were reinforced by the first recipe I saw on the blog - muffins with mincemeat and oats. Yum. (But I do enjoy listening to her natter on about things.)

 Putting hobbies on hold, so you can pay off debt. Actually, if you read this post, it's more about adapting your hobbies, to help pay off debt. Interesting, nonetheless. (From My Money Design)

A woman gets found out after 37 years on the lam. What was the giveaway? Her eyes, say detectives.

How to keep saving, even during a job loss. (From that classic favorite, Get Rich Slowly)

What Abraham Lincoln did when a family member asked him for money. Again.  (Have you ever heard this?)
     We watched Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter over the weekend, which was a real kick --

Assuming, that is, that you believe that our 16th President was a dedicated anti-vampirist because his mom, Nancy Hanks, died after she got bitten. And his son Willie died for the same reason.
     And some of his best friends were vampires. (Ah, but they were good vampires who only bit bad people.)
     And most of the Confederate army were vampires.
    And the only reason the North won at Gettysburg was because the Union soldiers used silver bullets and cannonballs.
     Just assuming, of course. (I can already feel my Georgia friends bristling.)

I did not!

A 196-square-foot self-sustaining cabin? I'd do it, if the deal included, like this one, a deck as big as the house, and 20 acres besides! (From Apartment Therapy)

Really ticked off about gratuitous retirement articles -- that's Mr. Money Mustache, folks. (Actually, he's right.)

Eight interesting DIY projects gleaned from house tours. (From Apartment Therapy. They've been doing a lot of outstanding stuff lately.)

Wrens during WWII -- a series of drawings. (Wistful ones, at that.)

Post this past week from yours truly include 10 Favorite Reads, dealing with the Big D, Five Lessons Learned from James Herriot, and Advice from A Millionaire.

Finally, one of my favorite songs...and surprisingly, the top album of the year. (All the talk suggested this song became popular because it appealed to women. The Brick agrees -- he thinks it's silly. Well, I thought it was wonderful.)
     You decide -- Adele's Rolling in the Deep:

Have a good week.