Rose of Sharon Jewelry

When it’s important to look like a million bucks, it’s your jewelry that transforms an ok outfit into a show stopper. Sandra Lee creates jewelry with the wow-factor. Her personal style, creativity and attention to detail can be seen in every necklace she designs.

These necklaces are not only beautiful, they are an investment in your wardrobe!

Praline Delight, a necklace and earring set featuring champagne colored freshwater pearls and a dramatic caramel and brown agate pendant.

As spicy as a Gingersnap, this necklace set features a large Tiger Eye pendant and bold yellows, browns and ambers.

As colorful as your favorite fruit sorbet, this Jade necklace with matching earrings has some fabulous silver here!

This necklace has the drama of emerald green, the beauty of silver and the sparkle of crystals. We want to go along to where ever you go when you’re wearing this beauty!

Sandra Lee has over 40 beautiful necklaces in the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store. To see her entire inventory, click Sandra Lee under the artist directly in the left column. You’ll find many of her one-of-a-kind designs include matching earrings and some even have bracelets! These sets are a great value and each piece can be mixed and matched for great versatility!

Play is a critical part of building a wealthy and healthy life. $ is tight in most communities but you could win a $10k grant to improve a local park!

As a creative person and advocate for increasing creativity, emotional health and wellness, I believe that play is critical to everyone from infants to seniors. Local parks are vital to maintaining physical play in a world where we “exercise” in front of a TV!

KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to saving play, has partnered with the National Environmental Education Foundation to promote National Public Lands Day (NPLD) and Play Days 2010, both being held on September 25.  By starting a project at playday.kaboom.org, communities can win grants of up to $10,000 to further improve a local park.

This is a great way for a few citizens to make a difference in the lives of families.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single outdoor volunteer event, this year drawing an estimated 170,000 volunteers at over 2,300 sites across the country on September 25.  KaBOOM! Play Day 2010 is a national celebration to save play in the lives of children. It includes games, activities and "spruce up events" at playgrounds coast-to-coast between September 18-26, 2010.

Groups that participate in both programs are eligible for improvement grants of up to$10,000, courtesy of Mott’s and NFL PLAY 60.

This partnership helps with NPLD's outreach, especially among families with young children and in urban and suburban areas where many pocket parks, or small neighborhood green spaces, are situated.  With more than 2,300 NPLD sites, September 25 will truly be a national event for the whole family.  Last year, more than 1,200 communities across the country held KaBOOM! Play Days, raising both funding and volunteer support for their local parks and playground.

So get out and play today! You’ll be so much wealthier!

Bell, CA citizens  discovered their city officials earned up to 10x the average citizen’s salary. Citizens demanded a change and got it!

This small Southern California city is filled with hard-working blue collar families barely making it in a high-cost California economy. The average salary is about $32,000. That’s considered low-income in So. Cal!

A few months ago, Bell’s citizens learned their  city mayor, police chief and part-time city council in a city of 45,000 were making more than Los Angeles officials in similar positions and even more than President Obama!

Citizens took to their anger into the streets with regular protests outside city hall and at public meetings. Soon local LA news stations and CNN were carrying their story live.

Officials caught with their hands in the cookie jar have resigned and the Mayor is working with no pay for the balance of his term. But the best news is that the State of California has opened a full investigation.

The Wealthy Wednesday lesson is that We, the people have the power to make changes in our government. It may take some righteous anger and shouting voices to be heard.

Have an issue in your city, county or state that needs to be fixed? Create a stir, shine the light on it and get others to work together and you too can make a difference like the citizens of Bell have done.

I’ve got 64 ways to be creative today. A colorful box of Crayola® Crayons! Coloring isn’t only for kids – it’s also a great way to unwind.  Today I want you to color – inside or outside the lines!

The treasured 64-count box with the built-in sharpener is a beloved memory. Introduced in 1958, I was so happy to be “big enough” for my own box when I was in 2nd grade.

The Power of Memory on Play

I’m sure many of you have these same childhood memories so this playtime has extra special meaning.

Even if you have crayons in the house for kids or grandkids, I highly recommend going out and getting your very own box. You might even want to splurge on the new 120 count box. Perhaps those extra colors will inspire you! Besides Mom isn’t there to say, “But the teacher’s list says. . .”

Today’s Crayola brand crayons (Don’t waste your money on anything but the authentic Crayola.) have some color changes – no longer will you find Maize or Raw Umber, for example. If you were born after 1972, your color box would have included 8 new fluorescent ones like Hot Magenta. Crayola even has a color history chart.

What to Color

The crayons are the easy part of this process. Now what do you want to color?

Inside the Lines?

Are you an “inside the lines” person? Then you should buy a few coloring books to get you started. You’ll be surprised at how costly they are so to get started perhaps you’d rather download some color pages. To find a printable coloring page on any subject, simply use your search engine. There are literally thousands of possible choices.

• Crayola coloring pages
• Coloring pages for adults and artists
• Flower coloring pages
• Coloring fun for adults – lots of links here

Outside the Lines?

If you want to stretch your imagination and “color outside the lines” – simply start with some copy/printer paper. You can move up to better suited paper with a trip to any craft store. Select a matte fiber-based paper for best results.

Professional colorers (or colorists?) choose quality paper to transform prints into hand colored works of art. Why not explore the art of hand coloring?

Your Coloring Session

If you’re coloring for pure joy, color any where you want (with kids or without.) Coloring for relaxation and exploration is best achieved in a quiet area with appropriate natural light (daylight bulbs work, too). The proper lighting will show the “true” color without any lighting influence.

The key is to relax your shoulders and wrists. Crayons don’t   require the death-grip many of us use at work or while paying bills.

Coloring for Inspiration

1. Try different methods – like color around the outside lines then fill in the blanks or lightly color one direction then blend in from another angle.
2. Go outside your comfort zone – pick colors that aren’t your first choice. Combine colors which feel like they clash.
3. Try shading with a darker or lighter version.
4. Include white as a color to break things up visually.
5. Select colors from a favorite painting and use those to start your creation.
6. Have someone randomly select 4 colors then create something using them.

The most important rule is:

• Throw away all the rules.

I hope you’ll explore coloring soon. During some turbulent times in my life, I found serenity when I just sat silently and colored.

For some color related fun take the “What Color Crayon Are You?” Quiz.

You worked for months to create, promote & analyze your web site. So what’s it worth? This interesting site estimates the value of any web site based on various factors.

WebValues.com provides some useful data  for every business. Besides having some fun, you can also research competitors and set company goals.

Using WebValues.com -

Google.com has an estimated value of $6.2 Billion! Daily ad revenue is $2.5 Billion.

Facebook.com has an estimated value of $3.2 billion. Not too bad for some college student’s project turned mega-biz.

Alas, Rose of Sharon Jewelry only has a value of under $4,000 but this figure is an interesting benchmark as we continue to improve our business model and promote our lovely handmade jewelry.

Emotional health is the foundation of personal wealth. We seek it out but often it eludes us. Here are the 5 things I know for certain that are critical to good emotional health.

1. A way to keep your mind busy. This can be a hobby or perhaps a stimulating job. Don’t spent money on puzzles and other solitary pursuits – get out in the world and immerse yourself. Helping others is a great way to keep your own problems in perspective.
2. A way to keep your hands busy. You know the saying about “idle hands”. Studies have proven that manual labor increases our feelings of well-being and satisfaction. Plant a garden, volunteer at a food bank or take up knitting.
3. A sense of value. Build a life of value – it’s not too hard just be honest, work hard, share often and help others.
4. A spiritual or religious belief. The exploration of a spiritual path or being active in your church or mosque helps us develop a moral compass and keeps us humble.
5. People you love and who love you. We are not solitary creatures. Science has proven that family and friends add years to our life – and they add life to our years! Hate your relatives – start your own family by gathering people around you who you can love!

Best wishes as you increase your emotional health and personal wealth.

Millions of Baby Boomers are now busy caring for an aging parent – sometimes for decades.  Here are 3 critical steps to take now to insure you’re prepared for caring for your parents.

Before Your Parents Are In Need

1. Talk to your parent(s) about their wishes – this includes medical directives, living wills and residency. Most people avoid these conversations but discussing these details is critical to implementing plans that will be workable within the family, maximize finances and avoid family squabbles.

• Questions to ask aging parents from Real Simple Magazine.
• Talk Early – Talk Often web site.
• The Federal Government provides info on advanced directives.
• Advanced directive information by state is available from Caring Connections.
• Talking with Aging Parents about Finances
• Long Term Health Care – Early Planning Pays Off (Mayo Clinic)

2. Call a family meeting to discuss parental care. Not every family member has the resources to have a disabled parent move in. Others simply aren’t willing to lift a finger. Better to know who you can count on and how they will contribute. Hashing out the details without your parents around is often best as buried hurts and wounds can arise when discussing parents. Doing this well in advance also gives brother and sisters time to rethink opinions and adjust to compromises.

• For help on holding a family meeting, check out Family Caregiver Alliance.
• 9 Mistakes Adult Siblings Make When Parents Are Aging, Sick and Dying.

3. Encourage parents to create a “need to know” book. Many parents prefer to not share all their financial details until it’s necessary so putting together a guide is critical. And make certain that the book/file is safely stored and someone trusted knows where it is kept. You can also open a safety deposit box at your local bank were at least two people are required to sign in for access.

•  54-page guide from Wells Fargo Bank on financial conversations with adult children.
• Aging Parents: During Emergencies, Details Count at the Mayo Clinic web site.
• Help Your Aging Parents – free forms from Boomer Books.

The title of the advice web site above – Talk Early – Talk Often – is great advice. Western cultures often ignore talking about death and dying which can be a critical mistake for you and your love ones.

If you’re looking for some extra cash (Any coins under the cushions?), you might consider selling those dust collecting books. I’ve been earning an extra $40 to $50 dollars a month plus getting a less cluttered office.

Here are the first steps to selling books:

• The first step is to gather up all the books you have boxed in the attic, stuffed under the bed or are have been shelved for over 2 years.

• Step 2 is to assess what is worth selling. Sort books down into categories. Toss any books where Billy colored the pictures, covers are missing (unless it could be a rare find), pages are ripped out or answers are filled in. Take a look at the intro pages. If the book is signed by the author, is 100 years or older, is listed as a first edition or has exceptional photography, set these aside as these may be collectible.  Some online research may earn you big bucks on these – think Antique Roadshow.
  • Add a note to the front with condition info (like new, never opened, missing included DVD). Also make any special notations which affect the value.
    • Dust each book but don’t try any DIY restoration as this could potentially reduce the book’s value.

• The best sellers in used books are recently published college text books, business books, craft/art books,  computer books (but not that book on DOS 3.5), self-help books and out-of-print books.
  • Fiction rarely gets top  dollar as these are the first books people want to resell. You may find paperbacks hard to sell for more than $1 each. But remember the wealth you’ll get from selling this extra stuff is more than money. Any time you can reduce your stuff, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and burdened. There are emotional costs to having too much stuff to deal with.

• The fastest way to earn a few coins is to find a local used bookstore that buys books. Be sure to call and get the details on what they accept and whether they pay cash or just a store credit.

• The next quickest method is to sell to an online bookstore or wholesale buyer. You can quickly tally an offer and ship them off. See resources below.

• Half.com, eBay, Amazon and are the biggest online stores for reselling your own books. You act as the seller and can even have your own store at the last two! eBay has posting fees plus selling fees, Amazon and Half.com only charges you a percentage when the book sells. I’ve tried all three and prefer Amazon for its ease. I earn less but since I’m not a professional bookseller I want to make it an easy experience.
  • As a seller, you set your own prices so you need to determine the fair market value for each book. Amazon makes it easy as your prices are automatically compared with others who are selling the exact same book.

• The world’s largest book store, Powell’s Bookstore  in Portland, Oregon is a great resource for price checking plus you can sell your books to them. You can sell via their web site, at their store or at their warehouse. This is a reputable company so their offer is usually fair but less then what you might get if you are the seller.

• Amazon will buy back your textbooks. So this is a good place  to determine if your textbook still has value. Some textbooks are updated every year (partly to add new info and partly as it makes the publisher more money) so your book may just be a good doorstop. Compare what you’d make through a buy back with what you might sell it for. Just remember the buy back program is cash in the hand NOW!

• You can also sell books and textbooks quickly and easily through these online stores. Just type in the ISBN number and you’ll get an instant quote. Many sites will also cover your shipping costs.
  • eCampus.com
  • Textbook Wheel
  • Cash4Books

Words and terms you’ll need to know.

• You’ll need to know the ISBN for online selling and price research. The International Standard Book Number  is 10 or 13 digits long and it uniquely identifies the book including author, publisher, version, book type (i.e. hardbound vs. paperback). This is a great time saver for a seller. If the ISBN is required, you won’t have to type in any information about the book except pricing and condition details.
• Trade paperback refers to a soft cardstock covered book that is larger than a mass-market paperbacks.
• Condition descriptions are important. So what does good condition mean? Empty Mirror Books has a great glossary of terms you should learn.

For convenience and to reach the largest potential customers, I sell my books through Amazon. Before selecting a method of book selling, think about your goal, the amount of time you are willing to spend and the number of books you have to sell. Choose the method that works best for you.

Happy Selling!