Gorgeous Jewelry + Russian = One Happy Friday

 

It's Friday, and time for some happiness, aka, some of my favorite things right now! (Do the forgeign words above confuse you? Stay with me and all will be revealed. ;)

1) This shop I found on Etsy the other day:

Just look at this stuff. Look at it. And just try to pick a favorite. I don't think it's possible. Her four featured items at the top alone are gorgeous enough to drool over. But of course I have to show you more...

At Flowerleaf Handmade Jewelry & Fine Art Jocelyn Pryor sells an eclectic collection of her handmade treasures, which she describes as "Vintage Inspired/Modern Jewelry & Art for Women & Men." Not only is there beautiful bohemian, vintage-style jewelry, there are also full paintings, often Regency style. And then, for people like me who couldn't choose if they had to, there's a combination of both! Behold: handpainted rings (and there are also necklaces, of course)!

I am amazed at how there is such a variety of items and yet they all complement each other incredibly gorgeously! So go show this fellow creative redhead some love!

2) As we all know, the Olympics are nearing their close. I was so excited that they were going to be in Russia this year, as, if you've read any info about me on here or my Etsy shop, you'll know I love Russian. And I am getting to hear so much of it! No, I don't know it well enough to have much of a clue what they're saying (though I took two wonderful years of it in college), but I do catch a word here and there and get appropriately excited. :) We'll hear someone speaking it briefly and I just have to say, "Man, I love Russian." It just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and who knows why. No one in my family knows Russian, and I don't have a drop of Russian in me, but my heart sure does! (Maybe it has something to do with my red hair? See #7. ;)

from nbcolympics.com

That said, of course my favorite part of the opening ceremonies was probably this, which video I am thrilled to have finally tracked down. (I'm sorry blogger won't let me embed it here like a youtube video, but you can click on the picture to get to it.) The alphabet! I just wish they'd have put each word on the screen in Russian in addition to the other languages. But it's still awesome!

3) And speaking of the Olympics, I know all of America's focus for Ice Dancing was on Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and I am thrilled for them that they got their much-deserved gold! But I loved the free dance by Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who finished in eighth place. Did anyone else notice how amazing this was? (I'm sorry this is the best video of them I could find, and it is from when they performed it at the US Nationals, not the Olympics.)

I'm not at all a huge Les Mis fan (didn't even see the movie), but I do agree that the music is incredible, and they performed to "One Day More." Now this is how you do it--they are just exploding with the passion of the music and clearly feel it. I don't get all the technical aspects of ice dancing by any means, but I do know that this is pretty incredible regardless of rules and points.

I do wish they had gotten a little more attention. Were there any less popular athletes that were your favorites? And were you as thrilled by Chock and Bates as I was? Do chime in!