Devine Designs Jewelry

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's about time that I got back to blogging. So I'm making the effort to keep this blog going with updates on my jewelry business, Devine Designs Jewelry , book reviews, and user friendly content. What would you like to see on my blog this year? Leave me a message in the comments! I'm using a new computer system, so bear with me as I learn. You can view my show schedule in the side bar, with current updates. Sign up for my newsletter also in the side bar. You'll receive updates on shows, sales, and special discounts, only for my newsletter subscribers. I'm learning some new jewelry making techniques, such as granulation, (see photo) just to name one. I figure I've got to stand out and be a little bit different that other jewelry designers, currently in my area, who I am constantly in the same shows with. This means I'm going to have to update my current metalsmithing set up that I have; but growth is good. New jewelry designs ...

Amateur sleuth, Rabbi Kappelmacher takes it upon himself, with Rabbi Steinmetz in tow, to investigate the murder of Florence Eisenstein, who is found dead the day after her wedding. This is the story of two elderly sisters living off their wealthy father’s estate. Their father’s will has stipulations as to if either sister marries one will lose their share of the estate. The scene is set when the entire wedding party stays over night and awakens to this mysterious death. I surprisingly enjoyed this story. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as I had won a copy of this book on Goodreads -First Reads. The story is filled with humor and Yiddish expressions. With an interesting cast of characters, the story keeps you guessing, or thinking about “who done it”. Well written by the author. Definitely fits a “cozy mystery” genre and worth the read.

A cozy Mystery by Kathi Daley Tj Jensen is a high school teacher and coach in snowy Serenity, Nevada. As winter Carnival approaches, Tj finds herself very busy between ski and snowboard teams competitions, leading a choir, taking over motherly duties of her two sisters, and then getting involved with a murder investigation of a local sports "would be" Olympic hopeful. I won this book on Goodreads as a "first read". I thought it would make for interesting reading, being the climate of winter, and being in a Olympic year. The main character was appealing; there was enough personal informaton to get a feel for her and what she was like. However, the story lacked strong mystery details. It didn't leave me thinking or guessing, or at the edge of my seat. The other characters; mainly teens and high school students weren't detailed enough to hold my interest. Basically, the story line was good, but overall, just o.k.

I won this book from a "Goodreads-First reads" giveaway. My review is brief; as I did not enjoy this book much. From the book cover it says, "An improbable voyage and one man's yearning for redemption". I understand that this is the author's memoir; written and spoken from a man's point of view, so I couldn't make the connection. The story has a lot of nautical terminology, and tales of sailing, which doesn't interest me. I really didn't feel that there was much of a redemption to the author's story either. At best, I'd consider this a "guy's book", or for one who loves sailing.