How to tell that Tex is home for the holidays: every other sentence either begins or ends with "...darlin'" and his usually unaccented American is replaced by a molasses-thick Texas drawl. It's fucking adorable.

And now, please take my incredibly important poll, because I can't choose:

Poll #1111508 Jewelry Display

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All. Participants: 39

I'm buying a jewelry display for necklace photography. I shoud get:

View Answers

Black velvet to repel flash

30(76.9%)

White leatherette to show off the colors in the stones

9(23.1%)

Thank you. I am so indecisive. Leaning towards white, but I'm still undecided.

Okay, I'm feeling unabashedly materialistic today, so... for Yulemas, I got: gift certificates to Old Navy, Starbucks, and Terra Firma Beads, a nice wad of cash to pay for bellydance lessons with afoundobject, an umbrella with a flashlight in the handle, books including Liz Hand's Illyria and both of catvalente's Orphan's Tales novels, a pretty woven glass necklace, teas (including Blackberry Sage!), gourmet chocolates, and BSG: Razor. I had sufficient change left over to go on an Etsy spree, so I bought these totally gorgeous hair sticks and a bunch of gemstone pendants for upcoming work.

I've still got about $100 worth of stuff in my Etsy cart... cheap deals on sterling curb chain, garnet briolettes, little iolite and amethyst rondelles, paua shell, champagne citrine. I want to try some longer necklaces soon-- lariat style with semiprecious and precious gems. And I'm trying to decide if I want to spend $19 plus shipping on 15 beads, but look at the pretty ametrine! Also, kyanite. Grabbyhands, let me tell you. The hardest part in doing the jewelry thing has been building up to nicer materials. When I started, it was almost all glass and base metal. Then I started adding little bits of some gemstones. Then pearl. Then swarovski. Some sterling silver. As each sold, the money went into buying nicer quality materials for the next batch. And I'm about to sink some major cash into AA grade gems-- again, starting small. I can't quite afford to do some of the ideas I have, and that's immensely frustrating. ACK.