Monday, August 25, 2008

And now for your entertainment pleasure: the Democratic Convention!!!

Talk about boring. Political conventions have to top the list. Listening to the blower goers congratulate each other and rip the opposition is not my idea of a fun evening. And I wish somebody would come up with another finale than the balloons dropping from the ceiling. Maybe they could use bird poop.

So it's another TV wasteland. Okay more of a TV wasteland than usual. Looks like I'll be spending some time at blockbuster. Or maybe not. Maybe I should consider joining one of the online programs that lets you pick out the movie you want and then postal mails it to you in a couple of business days. That saves time because I don't have to drive to the store and money because I don't spend money on gas - these days at $4.00 per gallon every mile you don't drive adds up.

Andrew's review has a comparison of the blockbuster and netflix programs. I had no idea that netflix has nearly double the distribution centers than blockbuster. They don't charge a late fee either.

The downside is that I have to plan ahead. I can't decide this afternoon that there's nothing I want to watch this evening so I'll rent a movie. The other factor is that while I may be in the mood to watch a romantic comedy when I order the movie online, when I receive the movie I might prefer to watch a drama.

Well pretty much anything is better than watching a political convention.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Design on a Dime (or a Dollar)

I love those design shows on TV. One room at a Time, Design on a Dime, Extreme Makeover, Designed to Sell were fun to watch and you could pick up some snazzy ideas for cheap room decor. On occasion there would be an episode where you know they didn't stay within their budget. I'm thinking of a Designed to Sell show where they renovated two bathrooms with new vanities, sinks, shower doors and travertine tile flooring for $2000. That's not $2000 each but both. That was completely unrealistic. Now I know that there are no labor costs in the $2000, but we recently redid our bathrooms and the tile alone was close to $2000 with no installation.

Home furniture can be expensive think Ethan Allan, or budget priced when ordered from assemble-it-yourself catalogs. That never worked for me. I have a mind that puts things together backwards. I tried putting up shelves in the garage and had to nail them to the wall because they kept listing dangerously to the left. What I especially like from the design shows are the alternative ways to use furniture you wouldn't ordinarily think of. For example using banquet chairs in a formal dining room. The trick is to cover the banquet chairs with slipcovers. Another example is using a bench meant for the garden in the entry way.

I'm not a big fan of the cozy chic peeling paint look. I don't want to have to worry about getting splinters when I sit down, so I don't shop garage sales.

I'm also not much of a sewer, I don't have a sewing machine. I have learned that you can make your own window treatments by using printed king size sheets. They already have a pocket for the rod. No sewing required. And if you get tired of the look it's quick, easy, and cheap to change it.

Dee

Friday, August 22, 2008

Let's get cooking

Usually I'm not terribly interested in the Olympics but this year my significant other and writing partner and I decided to do something different. We're cooking our way through the games. We both love to cook (and eat - which is why occasionally you will see posts about weight loss on this blog).

Our first dinner was on the opening night. I picked China. Now for Chinese cooking one does a lot of chopping and for that I've found sharp knives are best, Shun knives do a great job of shredding and chopping; mincing and dicing. No wonder the Chinese gymnasts and divers are all so thin, that preparation for stir frying takes forever.

I do have to wonder if their competitors meet the legal age limit of 15. Have you really looked at the girls? They don't look like they've hit puberty yet.

Back to cooking. For his dinner on Saturday he picked Argentina, probably because Argentina cuisine is heavy on meat and he does like meat. He prepared a terrific stuffed roast. For Christmas I think I'm asking Santa for All Clad cookware because while the roast was delicious the roasting pan was a disaster. As in have-to-throw-it-out-I'll-never-get-it-clean disaster.

The sacrifices we make for good food.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

And once more the pundits are wrong

There was an interesting article in one of the business magazines I read. A woman with a start up gaming company was out beating the bushes for venture capital. Now gaming is a popular niche for investors. Think of the billions of dollars spent on Wii, or Xbox for example. Her search for investors should have been a slam dunk. But no.

It seems her gaming company was directed at girl's games. And the VCs had decided that games for girls don't sell well. Gaming is more for boys because of the violence, fighting, and chasing that most games include.

The venture capitalists were wrong. The best selling game of the year, that year, was "Nancy Drew." It turns out girls do play games but hey like the treasure hunting, puzzle, mystery solving types of games.

Dee

Monday, August 18, 2008

Fairy Princess Dresses

I had an interesting childhood to say the least. I grew up in Washington D.C. and spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill, yes the nation's capitol. My parents were involved in the D.C. social scene and in the theater, so they went out a lot. Which meant my mother had quite a closet full of cocktail dresses, hats, shoes, and jewelry.

One of my favorite memories is playing dress up games in her clothes. I mostly did that when she wasn't home, which was a lot. Not that she didn't take care of me, she did, but I was old enough to look after my two little sisters when they went out.

I especially remember a beautiful copper colored iridescent cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline and full skirt. I felt like a fairy princess in that dress. The fashion at the time was tiny waists and full skirts. So just about any dress was fit for a princess. Think Grace Kelly and you'll get he picture.

Now, well, not so much. It's more of a how-much-skin-can-you-show-and-get-away-with game.

Dee

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Playing dress up

Anybody remember the series Sex and the City? Of course you do. For one thing it was just released as a movie over Memorial Day Weekend. No, I didn't go see it. My significant other didn't like the TV program so I can't imagine him sitting through the movie.

One thing about Carrie, she had a fashion sense but some of those outfits made me feel she was playing Dress Up Games. Where you go into your big sister's closet, not that I had a big sister because I was the big sister, and put together outfits. The feather boa with the short shorts and high heels. That sort of stuff.

Her ballerina outfit during the opening credits was classic Carrie. I have a subscription to InStyle, although I have to admit I'm more of an OutOfStyle type of girl. Did you know that many of the "stars" have stylists? I know they do for major events but I had no idea that they relied on stylists for everyday wear.

Interesting.

The postman only rings twice

Of course these days he or she doesn't ring at all but leaves the mail in the box down at the corner.

Oh well that's progress I suppose. And progress also means it time for me to look at new cell phones and programs. Is anybody else as confused as I am? Please tell me why I would want to look at a website on a screen that's less than two inches square when I have a flat monitor 17 inch screen upstairs? And then there's email. I have to scroll so far over that I lose track of the sentence before I get to the period. It's difficult to compose email using the phone's touch pad which is completely unlike a computer keyboard.

One thing I do like is that I can have a different ring for my phone so I know it's mine. It's kind of embarrassing to be standing in line at the grocery store and a phone starts ringing. Is it mine? Is it the guy behind me? Is it the manager? Hard to tell when they all sound alike.

So I'm off to Download Free Ringtones and solve that problem. I've always liked Batman maybe I'll get The Dark Knight ringtones. Of course I still have to figure out what kind of new cell phone to get. Definitely not a blackberry or chocolate. I have enough trouble staying away from sweets.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Time Flies

Some days there aren't enough minutes in the hour and hours in the day to accomplish everything I set out to do. I rise early enough, my two dogs make sure of that. When the sun comes up they're ready for the day to begin and that means no sleeping in for me.

We take our walk, I shower and dress, we have breakfast, I sit down at the computer and suddenly it's 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

Mondays seem to be the worse. There is a ton of email from over the weekend. I've been trying to take weekends off from work, trying is the keyword there, so it builds up.

I've taken courses in time management and their suggestions don't make a lot of sense. I can't delegate, we have a small company. Unless one of the dogs learns how to blog (oh wait they do blog there isn't any one to delegate to.

Maybe I just need to get a new watch. If I kept track of the time rather than just using the clock on the computer perhaps I'd put my time to better use.

I like a bargain and I like Movado Watches so maybe I should put the two together and look at Discount Movado Watches. I do have a birthday coming up. Perhaps one with diamonds?

Dee

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cleopatra's Milk Bath

So make like an Egyptian.

Any spa experience isn't complete without a luxurious bath. A soothing soak in the tub can calm nerves and relax the muscles or serve as a wake up call and get the energy flowing. Baths come in many varieties.

Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in ass's milk so her skin remained incredibly smooth and soft. I haven't seen any asses around lately, the four footed hoofed kind that is so here's an alternative recipe. You will need several springs of fresh rosemary, thyme and mint. You can use dried herbs if fresh aren't available. Use at least two tablespoons of each of the dried herbs. Combine with the peel of one orange and one lemon. Add these ingredients to 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid.

Add the herb citrus mixture to the bath water and at least one cup of dry powdered milk as the tub is filling. You can use up to four cups of powdered milk. Fill the bathtub with warm, but not hot water. Soak in the tub for at least 15 minutes up to 30 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.

Wrap yourself in a fluffy bath towel and pat dry. While your skin is still moist and warm from the bath water apply a rich moisturizer.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Silly but fun

I was at a friend's house and her little girl was staring at the computer screen intent on the images before her, concentrating fiercely and quiet. Let me tell you that child is never quiet. Curious as to what was keeping her enthralled I went over.

She was engrossed in food games. What might you ask are online food games? Well she found a site that gave her a selection of games. One of the most elementary, and the one I started out on, was simply looking at a 6 item shopping list and then picking those items off the virtual grocery store shelves and dragging them to my shopping cart. Sounds simple. You control the speed of the cart by how fast you move your mouse. You can go faster if you don't have to look at the list to remember the items. It also helps to know that produce is way past the clothing aisles so you can buzz past them.

The first two times I played I didn't even finish the list before time ran out. She beat me 3 out of 5 times. Well she did have the advantage of experience.

The games seem simple but they're educational as well. They improve memory, hand eye co-ordination, and reading. Although younger children could play because the audio is supportive and the shopping list is in images as well.

Next time I'm bored I'm going back. I just need a little practice to beat her.

Dee

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

From Fishing Village to Holiday Hideaway

That's Yarmouth in the UK. It began life as a commercial fishing village netting Herring. As the fish population declined the holiday vacationers increased. And with good reason. Hemsby Yarmouth Holidays' offers weary travelers 15 miles of sandy golden beaches, clean, cold, clear, ocean water, restaurants and a broad variety of places to stay.

Love shopping? Then the shops within ocean view should be appealing. Restaurants offer varied menus and prices for those looking for a long romantic dinner or a quick bite between dips in the ocean.

Did you know that David Copperfield by Charles Dickens is based in Yarmouth? Or that the beloved childrens' tale, Black Beauty, was written by a Yarmouth Native, Anne Sewell.

Greater Yarmouth literally has something for every vacationer. There are festivals throughout the summer from the National Beach Volley Ball Championships to the Greater Yarmouth Festival of Bowls. And let's not forget the Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival in early September.

Children will be entertained by the amusement park, of course the beach, donkey rides, crazy golf and the circus.

Adults will love the cruising on the Southern Belle Passenger Steamer, the night life, and just soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches. Every Wednesday during the summer brings a free fabulous fireworks display.



Sunday, August 10, 2008

Desert Wasteland of Television

You would think that with cable TV and the literally hundreds of channels that the challenge would be winnowing down to the programs you have time to watch, but alas that's just not so, especially during summer time.

The Olympics are one option but there's only so much thrill to seeing the American Women's Gymnastics team doing double buttskies (that's landing on their butt to the uninformed) and losing out to a Chinese team that looks like it's made up of ten years who haven't hit puberty yet. I mean come on, no hips, no curves, no bust line. That must make it easier on the uneven parallel bars, nothing to get in the way if you know what I mean.

Summer might be the time to catch up on watching the shows you missed. Free Tv Shows online make it possible to see episodes you couldn't watch - not everybody has Tivo- or shows you may have been curious about.

For example I'm intrigued by House M.D. I love the attitude and personalities. Dr. Gregory House, the character the show is named after, may not have much of a bedside manner, okay no bedside manner, but he's the Doc, I'd want if I had a mysterious disease. The guy stops at nothing to diagnose his patients. Gotta love him Unfortunately my significant other doesn't like medical shows, or cop shows, for that matter so I don't get to watch very often.

That's not going to stop me. This summer I'm going to watch House M.D online during my lunch break.

Dee

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Put a little fun in your life

In my business life I deal with lots of entrepreneurs who take their projects very seriously, as well they should. But sometimes you have to take a break from the grunt work and have a little fun. I love reading and, what I call popcorn movies. Those movies that don't try to lecture you, enlighten you, or make you feel guilty. In other words, for the most part, they're not Indy movies or Oscar winners. What they are is fun.

Movies like "Indiana Jones," "Men in Black," "Under the Tucsun Sun," Enchanted," and most westerns.

Another way to take a quick break from drudgery is to find Free Online Games a few minutes spent playing can be refreshing. Some of these games can be addictive so monitor yourself, don't let a few minutes turn into a few hours.

You've heard it before but exercise can be uplifting. You don't have to change into sweats or a tank top and shorts. Get up, walk around the room, go down and up a flight of stairs, do some deep knee bends. Movement gets your blood flowing faster and that means not only will you get a boost of energy, you'll think more clearly.

What you don't want to do is get a hit of caffeine or sugar. it will give you boost but you'll crash about an hour later. Those energy drinks have the same effect, at least on me.

You'll have a better day if you have some fun.

Dee

Friday, August 8, 2008

Best photo forward

Have you ever wondered how celebrities look in real life? Do they have bad hair days? Personally I don't have bad hair days, or good hair days, I have hair and it does what it wants to, when it wants to. No sense fighting it. But I digress.

If you met a movie star or pop culture icon in the supermarket would you even recognize them? You've probably seen the tabloids where the headlines scream PLASTIC SURGERY GONE SOUTH and show you photos of Ms Glitz and how her smile is stretched so tight you could bounce a quarter off it. Compare that with the Celebrity Photos in the latest four color glossy fashion magazine and she looks fabulous.

I've been fortunate to meet a few actresses, models, dancers in my life and the truth is somewhere in between. When they're just being regular people they pretty much look like regular people. Okay maybe really good looking regular people, but not drop-dead-gorgeous-oh- my-gawd-he-can't-be-that-handsome people. Except for George Clooney. I met him years ago before he was an established actor and he was unbelievably handsome. Sigh.

The difference between you and I and the stars, is that they are paid to look great, we're not. They also have a stable of professionals to help them dress, make up, do their hair, even style them. We just have "What not to wear."

Dee

Thursday, August 7, 2008

As expected Joshua won

The last show of So You Think You Can Dance is usually a lot of fun because they bring in the favorite dances of each judge and you can see the top 20 dance all over again.

Joshua did win. I personally don't think he is the best dancer, that would have been Will, who didn't even make the final four, but Joshua has an endearing quality about him. Make no mistake he can dance as well.

Dieting for Dummies

Dieting for Dummies, Walk off the Weight, Cram down the Calories, all sound like book titles don't they? Well I think the first one actually is. We have been told often enough not to judge a book by its cover, although that's exactly what potential readers do. They look at the title first, then if the cover is attractive, they pick it up and turn it over and read the back blurb.

Why does the publishing industry think we need these in your face titles? If I want to lose weight I don't necessarily want to move to South Beach to do it, or go into the Zone, or well, ... you get my point. And while Oprah can afford both a personal trainer and a personal chef, me and about a bazillion others can't. Oprah also has the incentive to avoid gaining weight in front of her huge audience. And lots of support when she admits failure - yet once again- and goes on another weight loss program.

I have to admit that the Idiot proof diet review does have some merit. It's seems simple. The diet uses proven weight loss methods and then generates an 11 day diet menu for you. The program is online and has lots of support groups and forums. So maybe Idiot proof is a good term for that diet.

so You think you can dance?

Okay I admit it I love So You Think You Can Dance. I guess it's the frustrated dancer in me. This year they decreased the number of programs about the auditions and the judges were kinder. Less in your face and more aware of the fact that anyone who auditions has to be given a certain level of credit.

The programs about cutting from 100 to 20 final dancers are interesting but there are too many dancers to have any particular one stand out.

Last night was the performance of the final four. At this point it's a popularity contest not to be judged on the quality of the dancing. One of their best dancers Will didn't even make the semi finalists.

So who do I think will win? Joshua.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Diet Downers the scale's gone up.

Part of me wishes there was a magic pill I could take and the pounds would just melt off. It's not like I have a ton of weight to lose. I don't. In fact it's only about 15 pounds and I'd be exactly where I'd want to be.

I've tried the all you can eat fruit diet and don't ever want to see another banana or blueberry. There's the cabbage soup diet, where, um, people don't want to be around you because of your unique scent, shall we say?

And while the eat grapefruit, tomatoes, olive oil and salmon at every meal sounds good, it's fishy after awhile.

Diet pills sound like a good idea. However there are so many different kinds that work in different ways it's hard to tell what's a good choice and what's not. Take Alli for instance. It blocks about 10% of the fat you ingest from being digested. That's the good news. The bad news is that you can't eat whatever you want. If you go over a certain number of grams per fat per meal there are consequences to pay. Nasty consequences.

It would be nice if someone sampled all the different diet pills and diet pill brands and gave honest diet pill reviews. It would simplify the choice for me.

Or maybe I should just give up my before bedtime cookies and milk and get a little more exercise. Mhem. Maybe that would do it.

Dee

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

A Bolt From the Blue

Monsoon season is here, finally. This June wasn’t as hot, or as dry, as it historically has been, but still any time the temperature is over 100 degrees and the humidity less than 10%, the relief provided by summer thunderstorms is welcomed. Monsoon means much needed rain, a cooling breeze, and lightning.

At any given time there are 2000 thunderstorms in progress around the world releasing 100 lightning bolts every second. A lightning bolt unleashes 20 million volts of electricity and heats the air around it to 50 thousand degrees, that’s five times hotter than the surface temperature of the sun. Every year there are a hundred or so lightning related deaths, several hundred more people injured, and millions of dollars of property damage just in the United Stated along.

Exactly what lightning is and how it’s caused has been a mystery for thousands of years. Ben Franklin with his infamous kite was the first to prove that lightning is electrical. Of course if old Ben was so terrifically smart, why was he out in the middle of a storm holding on to a metal wire attached to a kite?

Lightning is caused by the separation of negative and positive charges in different regions of a cloud. Ice particles in the cloud grow, break apart and collide. The smaller ice particles acquire a more positive charge and the larger particles a negative charge. The smaller particles are lighter and have a tendency to be carried up into the higher regions of the cloud. The larger particles are heavier and accumulate in the lower regions of the cloud. When the electrical potential (the difference between the negative and positive charges) within the cloud and between the cloud and the ground, is great enough, the electrical resistance in the atmosphere breaks down and the flash begins. Lightning is the electrical discharge, think of it as Mother Nature restoring order.

Thunder is produced by the heating of the air along the electrical current and occurs simultaneously with the lightning flash. Sound travels much slower than light, so the farther away the lightning is, the longer the delay between the lightning flash and the thunder. You can guess roughly how far away a strike is by counting the seconds between when the flash is seen and when the thunder is heard. For every five seconds counted, the lightning is a mile away. If you see the lightning at the same time you hear the thunder, odds are: you’re toast.

Worst places in Fountain Hills to watch a thunderstorm:

Under a tree at McDowell Park

On the tenth tee at Eagle Mountain

(any tee, green, fairway or rough on any golf course, for that matter.)

In a swimming pool

Sitting on the scrap metal horse at The Fountains Park

In other words if you’re caught in a thunderstorm, stay away from tall trees. Usually lightning will hit the tallest object and if you’re standing under it, the charge can jump from the tree to you. If you’re in an open space you are the tallest object, so crouch low, lay flat on the ground, or get to your car or a building as quickly as possible. Water is a great conductor of electricity, stay away from being in the water or on it during thunderstorms. There’s a reason throwing a hair dryer into a bathtub is used in cheesy movies to murder someone. And finally don’t pull a Ben Franklin – what was he thinking – stay away from metal objects.

Monday, August 4, 2008

time to take off the weight

Have you ever noticed that you diet like crazy before summer comes so you look good in a bathing suit, shorts, and cute cropped tops, but then when you go on vacation you gain some of the weight back? Me too.

I guess it must be all the restaurant food. How can you go to the beach and not chow down on creamy clam chowder, sour dough toast, and fried fish? Not to mention desserts, which I won't.

So what's a girl to do?

I've looked at different diet pills and besides being confusing, it's difficult to tell which ones really work. First there is Alli which says it prevents fats you eat from being absorbed in your stomach and intestines. The downside is well, on their website they say wear dark clothing and bring a change of underwear.

Then there's the pills that boost your metabolism by cramming you full of caffeine, green tea and herbs. No thanks. I get jittery enough during the day without extra stimulants.

There are supplements that make you feel full because they expand in your stomach so there isn't room for food.

And finally products that work in your brain telling you you're not hungry so don't eat.

I think I'll lose these few extra pound the old fashion way. Eat less and exercise more. One of my favorite diets is simply eating fruits and vegetables, as much as you want, cooked anyway you want (no butter sorry - but you can use olive oil) all day and then a having a 4 ounce portion of skinless chicken or fish with more fruits and veggies for dinner. I do that 2 days a week, eat reasonably the rest of the week and the weight comes off.

Dee

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Summer Heat

Summer is ending but my dry skin is just beginning. I love the summer, even though where I live the temperature averages over 100 degrees during the day. May and June are dry, as in desert dry. July and August are humid, perhaps only from 20% t0 30% humid but combined with 105 degrees it's uncomfortable.

Drinking water is vital for your skin survival. You have to replace all that dripping sweat somehow. Did you know that your body burns 25 calories to bring your body temperature back to normal if you quickly drink a 12 ounce glass of ice water? So there's the double benefit of weight loss and better skin.

I've found that hydrating my skin through steam and then applying a nice thick moisturizer does wonders, especially if I do this right before bed. I don't use a greasy moisturizer because that would just clog up my pores. I've been lucky I've never had acne, even when I was a teenager. It must be awful to have to try to figure out How To Get Rid Of Acne when you're a young adult. Fortunately there have been a lot of advances and research into in dealing with skin problems like acne.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Love to Travel - Hate to Fly

I love to travel but these days flying is getting to be impossible. I live within an 8 hour drive of beautiful beaches or one hour's flight time. That's in the air time. Why would anyone drive for 8 hours when it only takes an hour to fly. Well here's why.

It takes an hour to drive to the airport and of course you don't want to cut that too close so leaving an hour and half for drive time makes sense. Checking baggage and getting boarding tickets takes another 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Going through security takes an hour. fly time for an hour. Landing and collecting baggages take 30 to 45 minutes and finally driving to the final beach destination takes from 30 minutes to an hour.

So it's really comparing 8 hours driving from my doorstep to the beach to 5 hours for flying and I have a car when I get there, save on car rental and save on airfare.

No matter where you live you can holiday in a place close to you and not spend extra time or money getting there.

Dee

Friday, August 1, 2008

A sign from Heaven?

One of the most widely known symbols in the world, the Peace Sign, is now captured in diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and gold in the Peace Sign Jewelry collection from HeavenlyTreasures.com, a New Jersey based company. The collection includes Peace Sign Pendants and Peace Sign Necklaces. While the peace sign is pervasive in our culture it is not commonly known that the symbol was designed as a logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the United Kingdom in 1958. Gerald Holtom, the designer was inspired by a Goya painting. The peace sign also incorporates the semaphore N and D signals. Semaphore is a method of communicating visually over long distances with flags. The letter N (Nuclear) is represented by the flags being held downward and away from the body at a 45 degree angle, while the letter D (Disarmament) is represented by one flag being held directly over the head and one straight down. The inner symbol is then enclosed in a circle which represents completion and infinity.

"Showing faith in world peace is one reason we're excited about the Peace Sign Jewelry collection," says Rebecca Mandel, Production Designer at Heavenly Treasures. "People can demonstrate their hope for peace by wearing the peace sign jewelry. We've used rubies and sapphires, which are actually the same gemstone called corundum. Any color corundum but red is called a sapphire. Red corundum is known as a ruby. The sapphires we use are a lovely dark blue and the rubies are a deep, rich red."

Other gems used in the jewelry are diamonds, jade, and amethysts. The carat weight of the pieces vary from .13 carat to about 1.5 carats total of gemstones. The peace symbol is available in pure gold as well. The peace sign itself is about one inch in diameter for the pendants and 5/8 of an inch for the rings and earrings. The inner symbol is composed primarily of fully faceted diamonds surrounded by a circle of gemstones or additional diamonds.

The jewelry is available in both white and yellow 14 k gold. The peace sign jewelry comes in pendants, with or without a chain, rings, earrings, and even an ankle bracelet. The items are sold separately but can be bought as matched sets of ring, pendant and earrings.

"There are other symbols of peace, such as the dove and olive branch, but none translates so beautifully and simply into jewelry as the Peace symbol. Our collection is a wonderful way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the symbol's design," adds Mandel.