So, today (technically yesterday, but that’s not the point) Elizabeth and I made a pilgrammage to the Intergem Gemstone & Jewelry show in San Mateo.

On the walk from the CalTrain station to the Expo center, Elizabeth gleefully squeaked a little song: “shiny things, shiny things, we’re getting shiny, shiny things.”

On the walk back, we were both clay-footed and grumbling: “so tired. . . must have smoothie now.”

Man, was that exhausting.  The combination of all the super-bright lighting, crowds of slow-moving yet sharp-elbowed tiny old people, and row after row after row of sparkly things for looking at, my brain turned into soup.

I did pick up a few really cool things before we left (no sneaking the ingredients!  You’ll see what they were as, one by one, the new pieces come to life).  And I got one treat for myself: a lovely, deep sapphire to use on my engagement ring, since Steve proposed sans jewels, suspecting (correctly) that I’d much prefer making something myself.  I also saw a few other items I really, truly meant to buy, but, after several hours in visual-overstimulation-land, completely failed to make it back to those booths.  Like I said, brain soup.

Oh, well.  Next year in Jerusalem San Mateo, I suppose!

For now, sweet dreams.

I just completed a fairly major update of my Etsy Shop.  I added a bunch of fresh designs as well as some one-of-a-kind pieces.

Ach Ach Liebling received two early Valentines this week: some sweet blog love on Purple Pink & Orange, and a shout-out in this Etsy Storque article about gifts that pay homage to Darwin (hint: scroll down to #7).