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"Pies of pumpkin, apples, and mince, jams, and jellies, peaches and quince, purple grapes, apple red cakes, nuts, and gingerbread, these things are what the holidays, and family, mean to me." Mrs. Eunie Mae Gray
Whatever the holidays mean to you, my hope is that the days between Thanksgiving and New Year's, 2020, are joyful. Season's greetings and Happy New Year! From the Giftkone Lifestyle Fashion website, and the Giftkone-TP Blog!
Giftkone Tumblr Connection
You're invited to check out my new Giftkone Lifestyle Fashion, Tumblr Blog, titled Curvy Diva Fashion Ideas. This blog features posts and positive quotes about full-figured plus-size clothing fashion and the curvy women that wear them. In addition to the great looking curvy girl outfits, the Curvy Diva Fashion Ideas blog also offers plenty of positive quotes, artwork, and photographs that show the latest trends in your size clothing. Trendy outfits for the full-figured fashion-conscious with quotes, gift ideas, and photographs for the lovers of the full-figured fashion conscious. There is no one-perfect-body type, that's why there are so many different body types and sizes. A situation that creates a real clothing design challenge for the clothing manufacturers that make clothing in many different sizes. Clothing designers that seem to know you can't always get good things into small packages and create plus size dresses, gowns, and other plus size fashion for those with so much body-size-goodness they tend to overflow the smaller sizes, that's my take on their reasoning, anyway.
As a result, many of the clothing affiliates I feature on my website, and this news page below, for plus size clothing do a very good job at satisfying my curvy girl visitors, customers, and gift hunters. And, at no extra cost to you, clicking on or making a purchase from any of my affiliates below helps to support this website. At Giftkone Lifestyle Fashion we believe there is nothing wrong with being your own kind of beautiful, no matter what your size, so embrace your curves as a blessing no matter what others think and shop for full-figured beauty dresses, gowns, and outfit fashion that will look good on you.
A jewelry appraisal is a valuable service to people who own diamonds and or other high-end jewelry. Jewelry appraisal by a qualified jewelry appraiser is not only very useful when you’re in the process of buying a diamond, or other expensive pieces of jewelry, but I can also think of at least four or five other occasions where a good jewelry appraiser can come in handy when it comes to protecting the value of your Precious. (jewelry)
First of all, the jewelry appraiser can identify your jewelry relative to the material, quality, workmanship, and condition of the jewelry piece. Other characteristics that influence your jewelry item’s value, like diamonds that appear similar to the eye can differ in terms of color, cut, clarity, fluorescence, measurements, and durability can all be easily identified by an experienced jewelry appraiser. An appraiser can see the sometimes subtle factors that uniquely identify one diamond from another and the little things that can cause the value of one stone to be more than double that of another even though they may both look identical to the untrained eye.
Second, since the definition of value can vary depending on the purpose of the appraisal, the jewelry appraiser can offer a more accurate estimate of the true value that should be attached to a piece of jewelry. In other words, an appraisal value could be quite different if the purpose is 1) selling the item, 2) purchasing an item from a retailer, 3) ensuring the item after purchase, 4) settling an estate, and 5) distributing property in a divorce, or as an expert witness in a lawsuit.
Third, if you’ve ever lived through a major disaster in which not only was your jewelry lost, but the paperwork or photos you kept as proof of ownership were also lost the jewelry appraiser can serve as a witness to the existence of the lost property. This is important in the process of filing an insurance claim for the loss of an item, especially where proof might be required that the jewelry existed at a certain point in time and was in a certain condition. This is why an appraiser should insist on examining the jewelry item when updating an insurance appraisal.
Fourth, the jewelry appraiser can provide advice as to the durability, wearability, and repair of your piece of jewelry. Jewelry made of metal and gemstones can vary greatly in their hardness, toughness, and resistance to heat or chemicals. Because the appraiser has professional training (i.e. Graduate Gemologist) and is not involved in the sale of the item, they can provide unbiased recommendations based on their experience.
With regard to the above when selecting a jewelry appraiser, understand why you are seeking the jewelry appraiser’s services so you can choose the best provider of those services. Professional jewelry appraisers set their fees based on an hourly rate or a per-item basis, never as a percentage of appraised value. Appraisers who are efficient and highly computerized can often provide lower prices for services than those performing the same task but take twice as long to perform them.
This post takes a look at some of the foods that nourish the largest organ on the human body, your skin. I will also share information about a list of foods that have been scientifically proven to boost the strength, health, the appearance of your skin. And some interesting details about the Walnuts, Yellow Bell Pepper, Raspberries, Pomegranates Chickpeas, and Salmon that have been proven to help you maintain healthier skin with fewer wrinkles.
The best way to maintain that healthy skin glow is to eat healthily, and maintain a healthy diet so here are some of the ways to protect the skin you're in. Our body's protective covering of skin is under constant attack from the sun, the gazillions of good and bad bacteria that call the surface of our skin home and from within. Most of the time if you're not healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside, your skin.
So let's start with Walnuts, unfortunately for us, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are not made in our bodies but walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and when you eat them walnuts can help our body make collagen that is necessary for healthy skin. Inflammatory skin diseases like acne and psoriasis can be reduced by the helpful anti-inflammatory qualities of the omega-3s that can also be found in other foods like ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, tofu, chia seeds, and canola oil.
Chickpeas are also good for your skin, the zinc in chickpeas is important for your skin mainly because it supports the regeneration of new skin cells. A benefit most noticeable in skin repair associated with the healing of wounds. Studies have shown that zinc can inhibit propionibacterium overgrowth, Propionibacterium is just one of the gazillion skin-dwelling residents mentioned above that contributes to acne. Zinc-fortified cereals, oatmeal, poultry, tofu, oyster, and beans are all good sources of dietary zinc when it comes to keeping your skin healthy.
One of the building blocks of protein is amino acids and amino acids are believed to be related to collagen synthesis in our skin. I have noticed that when I highlight information like that in my blog posts about half the people who read it and share their thoughts with me say something like, "I tried it and I actually believe it works! While the other half shares why they don't believe it worked for them. To me, this sounds about right since not every cookie-cutter health idea fits everyone.
That is also one of the reasons I caution everyone interested in trying something new "health suggestion wise" to be sure to consult with your doctor before stepping off the healthy path your doctor may have laid out for you. The food medicine ideas that I try and work for me might not work for you, especially if you are taking prescription meds. Anyway, back to the amino acids---salmon contains all of the essential amino acids that play a role in skin health. Researchers found that consuming a combination of essential amino acids significantly increased the rate of collagen syntheses in mice suffering from ultraviolet light damage.
In my research, I found that eating a well prepared, grill cooked, salmon meal left me feeling full and very fulfilled, and while I do suffer from bouts of dry skin some days I still can't tell if it's the hard water my city provides for bathing or the fact that I don't have salmon as often as I might like that contributes to my dry skin. I do know that salmon is a good source of monounsaturated fat that was found to be positive associated with skin elasticity in older women in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Carotenoids the antioxidant pigments that give a lot of fruits and vegetables their bright orange, yellow, and red colors can be found in sweet potatoes. Carotenoids help keep our skin cells healthy and go well with fat-soluble foods to help them be better absorbed, so for a boost to your skin health that tastes good add some nuts or a little olive oil to your sweet potato. In the article, I consumed about carotenoids the people whose faces were rated as healthy looking by others around them had consumed 2.9 carotenoid laced fruits and vegetables a day.
To end this post let me mention how Pomegranates and Raspberries can help keep your skin looking healthier and more attractive. These two fruits are high in ellagic acid and research has shown that ellagic acid can significantly reduce collagen breakdown from UV light exposure. To me, it's been eye-opening to see the role nutrition plays in the prevention of collagen breakdown, wrinkle reduction, and other skin damage. For better-looking skin make as many of the above fruits and vegetables mentioned above a part of your skin healthy diet.
"Isn't jewelry romantic by its very nature, I asked myself?"
After overhearing a woman talk about how beautiful some of the jewelry, she was wearing made her feel, I think that to some degree it's true. Jewelry can make you feel even better about yourself, but we wear jewelry for any number of reasons that are not strictly romantic. To look sophisticated, and professional, to impress our friends and neighbors.
So, what about the romance of jewelry?
Something more like, the dictionary definition of jewelry:
"A quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life"
Romantic jewelry is that jewelry that makes you feel special, like a princess or a prince. That special jewelry that takes you out of your normal humdrum life every time you put it on and makes you feel extra special.
Perhaps that is why gold is such a popular metal for jewelry. I love silver and platinum and there are other metals (titanium comes to mind) that make great jewelry, but there is nothing like the romance of gold. To wear gold is to wear the jewelry of kings and queens. In ancient Egypt, only the pharaohs and those especially favored by the pharaohs were permitted to wear gold. This feeling of being special and above the fray has continued to the modern-day. If you want to feel like royalty (or if you want to give a gift that says you think of your beloved as a king or queen), gold is the answer.
Another form of jewel that inspires feelings of romance are pearls, emeralds, and rubies... and, of course, for many people, diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Somehow though diamonds don't seem to have the same warmth and romance as the other stones. Diamonds were not historically valued as highly as they are today. Much of the romance that has been generated around diamonds is due to De Beers in the early part of the 20th century instituting a brilliant and very effective advertising campaign... so I will leave diamonds for another post.
On the other hand, pearls feel wonderful against your skin. They are sensuous and mysterious. To look deeply into a fine pearl is like looking into eternity. There is also something intriguing about a pearl, knowing that it came not from the cold hard ground, but from a living industrious mollusk.
Pearls have been prized in all time periods and all cultures. Historically baroque pearls (large irregularly shaped pearls) were used to make wonderful and fantastic jewelry by embellishing them with gold and gems. Frequently these took the shape of Neptune or other Greek gods, sirens, beautiful women, and animals. The Canning Jewel in the Victoria and Albert Museum is a famous and elaborate use of a baroque as the base for a handsome merman.
Black pearls, particularly Tahitian black pearls have become very popular in recent years. They come in a range of colors from spectacular purples and greens, through pinks to sophisticated browns. All are lovely and the range of colors gives them a great deal of flexibility in choosing just the right pearl for your outfit and fashion mood. The most beautiful black pearl necklace I've seen was from Morrison's a small manufacturing jeweler in Berkeley. The pearls were arranged in a rainbow strung together so that each color melted into the one next to it, talk about stunning. And of course, what could be more romantic than pearls from Tahiti?
(By the way, if you wear pearls, do wear them against your skin, it is good for them, but be sure that you do not wear any perfume, scent, or lotion, at least not where it might contact your pearls, okay?)
Emeralds and rubies are traditionally the emperor and empress of gems. Perhaps it is their vibrant colors that inspired our ancestors. Certainly, that vivid blood red and cool serpent green are hard to ignore. Even today emeralds and rubies of equal size and quality are more expensive than equivalent diamonds are.
In Victorian times colored gems were used to spell out love messages. Sometimes this made for interesting and not necessarily attractive settings, but it is very romantic. For instance, a piece of jewelry might have these gems in order:
LOVE: Lapis, Opal, Vermeil, and Emerald. REGARD: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, along with Ruby and Diamond.
The shape of jewelry too can harbor a romantic message. Hearts and clasped hands, hands holding a heart and cupids are self-explanatory, but some shapes are a bit more subtle.
For many cultures, including the Romans and the Victorians, snakes were a symbol of enduring love. A snake biting its own tail to form a circle is a particularly potent symbol of everlasting love. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a snake engagement ring -- at the beginning of a long and celebrated marriage.
Interestingly lizards and frogs were (and perhaps still are) also symbols of wedded happiness. Perhaps this explains the continuing popularity of jewelry depicting these wiggly creatures.
Jewelry in the shape of flowers may also be symbolic. To quote Ophelia "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and there are pansies. That’s for thoughts."
Other flowers commonly found in jewelry are daisies for innocence, roses for the growth and continuation of love, and bouquets expressing the commingling and compatibility of marriage. When you are considering the perfect gift from that next anniversary, rather than the common "anniversary ring" how about a more romantic bouquet pendant?
So the next time you are looking through your jewel box before that special tryst or looking for the perfect gift for the perfect lover, consider the symbolic romance of jewelry and gems.
The GK Trading Post also offers clothing fashion to go along with your jewelry choice. So after you've made your jewelry selection you don't have to stop there. Need a pair of party shoes, a party dress, or a new outfit for work? Now that all of your back-to-school shopping for the kids is done take a look a some of the clothing, shoe, and jewelry fashion ideas waiting just for you. Visit the link above and do a little window shopping at the GK Trading post affiliate location and see exactly what I'm talking about. There is clothing and women's footwear from several of your favorite stores along with some other very interesting jewelry and accessory choices. Fall women's clothing selections are available now like, the perfect Office Christmas party dress and shoes.
Fashion stores do indeed come in plenty of different shapes and sizes, online and offline especially some of the beautifully decorated brick and mortar walk-in-fashion establishments. I am actually still working on just the right look for my online fashion outlet the GK Trading Post clothing and jewelry store. What I like about this online location is its one-stop shopping feature jewelry and clothing fashion in one handy web location. You can select a fall outfit and the perfect matching jewelry set too. I know the big-box stores do what I am talking about setting up pretty much all day, every day
So with summertime, 2020 disappearing behind us in the seasonal rear-view-mirror, even though the weather is still nice here in California Autumn and Winter is just ahead, making now a great time to visit my new GK Trading Post online store and to think about adding to your wintertime wardrobe,---just sayin'! I can tell you this, even if you don't see anything on the new site that you want to add to your wardrobe right now, because of the great clothing and jewelry selections you will enjoy online window shopping.
