Happy Columbus Day

This is one of those holidays I am not sure who is open or closed.  My nieces and nephews go to different schools and they are all home today.  A lot of schools have turned it into a Fall break.

We didn't get all the long holidays when I was in school.  Today, they take 4 day weekend breaks.  Sometimes a teacher workday is in there.  Now the whole week of Thanksgiving is out.  When I was in school we only got out Thursday and Friday.  But, I grew up in a small town.  Everybody knew everybody for generations.  We didn't need the whole week to travel for Thanksgiving because everyone's family was here!

I posted a few more items on my Etsy shop over the weekend.

Today, in honor of Columbus Day, I am posting my first pieces of men's bracelets.  I am working on the charms with my artwork and realized I have more nephews than nieces and don't really have anything for men.  I am in the works of changing that with my charms and decided to include bracelets in my shop.  I have had some gorgeous wooden beads for a couple of weeks trying to decide exactly what to do with them.  I also have the prettiest African trade beads from Ghana.  I put them together and really like the way they turned out!  I will be posting more, but have these for today!

This one because Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Black Ebony Wood Beads with Teal Blue Zen Eco-Friendly African Trade Bead from Ghana Karen Hill Tribe Beads


This one because I love the color with the brown beads.

Tiger Ebony Wood Beads with Yellow Zen Eco-Friendly African Trade Bead from Ghana Karen Hill Tribe Bead


     I am blessed with so many great and strong men in my family.  I have my dad, grandfather, uncles, cousins, and my boys who are now men and nephews on the way to becoming men.  The beads in these bracelets are also strong and made of hard strong wood from trees grown in the Phillipines (tiger wood) and India (black ebony).  (I had to rewrite that sentence about 5 times. I had to replace hard to repeat the word strong because, well, I apologize. You know you would have thought it too!)

I hope everyone is having a great day whether it is a holiday for you or not.  I hope you like the new pieces and you might want to honor the man in your life with a special gift.  We are blessed by men who are leaders, great husbands and fathers, and examples to all young men who watch everything they do.  We love you guys even when you won't ask for directions.  It's ok.  Columbus didn't know where he was going and look what happened!