Organizing Gems
Learning about and Sorting Gems
How has your week been going? If you got this in your email inbox, did you know that if you reply, I will get it and read it? And if you’re finding this on the blog, may I recommend signing up for my emails so you can have all these resources right where you can find them easily?
My week has been full of organizing, albeit something a little different. I’ve been organizing gems!
When I did my first estate sale back in September, the homeowner had been a jewelry maker. She and her husband collected, polished, cut, and set all of their own jewelry. It was such a sacred experience to see their artistry as I combed through their things to prepare them for sale, or to set them aside for posterity.
Tumbled peridot.
We found some gems and minerals that did not go in the sale, and now that November is here, I am ready to help my client sell them.
Tourmaline.
At first, I started listing lots on eBay. I still hope those lots sell. But, something happened as I live-Instagramed the process of sorting and pricing. Someone asked if they could buy a “sampler” of the gems. A new idea was born! All of a sudden, lots of people on Instagram wanted a sampler too. This is not at all what I expected, but what a delight to create these samplers for people to give to their children. Organizing has taken me in some really unique directions, and for today, I am a gem-curator.
Sunstone in a sampler box.
Would you also like to be a gem or rock curator? This was such an easy way to get started. I used these plastic organizers, though mine are a little older and have slightly different coloring. They are wonderful for kids! It is impossible to accidentally open each section because there is a "safety.” This makes it really secure and will avoid accidental spilling.
To make the teeny-tiny labels, I used our favorite QWERTY label maker and set it at a 6 pitch font! Remember, you can do a budget label maker which will work just fine, just not as many options and the keyboard is in alphabetical order.
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House Peace Download of the Week
This week’s download was inspired by a pet peeve in my house. I CANNOT STAND IT WHEN PEOPLE DON’T PUSH THEIR CHAIRS UP TO THE TABLE WHEN THEY LEAVE. And by “people,” I mean everyone in my family except me. Download a PDF here, and you can peruse all of my other little helpful visual cues on my downloads page. You might find one or two in there that are helpful in your house. I’d love to hear about it if so!
Nap Queen Club Update
I made this club up on the spot the other day, as I was talking on Instagram stories about our Normalize Naps tee. The only requirement for membership in the Nap Queen Club is that you love to nap. That’s it. But if you want to spread the message of the joy of napping, get a Normalize Naps tee so we can match! It’s got a little House Peace logo on the back. Oh, and Teale Yeilding, who designed the shirt, has released some stickers, one that matches the shirt, and one that’s a little fancier! Let’s all get some to put on our planners and water bottles!
Giving Things Away for Free
Over the years, I have heard wonderful things about Buy Nothing groups on Facebook. But, I deleted my Facebook page awhile back to focus more on Instagram! So I had no way to join a Buy Nothing group until they recently launched their app. I am trying hard to get my local Birmingham Instagram followers to download the app, but it’s still not enough people. I know it’s not enough because not very many people see my gifting posts (hangers! new shirts! gently used kids’ clothes!). From the Buy Nothing website: "I’m building a gift economy in the BuyNothing app. Please join me! Let’s share our abundance, reduce our waste, build a circular economy, and strengthen ties within our community: www.buynothingproject.org." These are ideals I hold dear as well — sharing, reducing waste, and getting to know people! If you or someone you know is local to Birmingham, (especially Helena, where I live!) please forward this email to them and ask them to download the app. The app is not linked to the Facebook groups — it’s a different community under the same banner.
BOLO
(Be On the Look Out)
We will publish our annual gift guide in couple of weeks. These are items that we use or recommend to add to your life in an intentional way!
A Blessing
I spotted this sign on a recent visit to the San Francisco botanical gardens, and I wish this for you, as well. “Be Thou at Peace.”
Sincerely,
Tara
