Saturday, July 28, 2012

This Week's Blog Post

The Coin
When I started selling jewelry online I was using a coin to demonstrate the size of beads. Well I stopped doing so after being in crafty forums that suggested that the coin is tacky in a photo! Years later I have decided to incorporate a dime into my photos (but not in the main photo)!
Occasionally I receive feedback that something appears larger in the photos and even though I am thorough in my descriptions I do not want to seem misleading. Customers are too busy to refer to a ruler for size so hopefully this will be more useful to the shoppers. Unfortunately it will not be much help to my international customers!
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery is located in Cambridge, MA. This may sound like a morbid thing to stroll through but this is a stunning place to visit!
Founded in 1831 by Bostonians, this was to be used as a peaceful, gorgeous place for burials outside the hustle and bustle of the city.
In 1975 this place was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
It is known for its amazing horticulture and landscape!
Various notable individuals are buried here such as landscape painter Windslow Homer, Behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, activist for the insane Dorothea Dix, famous art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner, U.S. Senator and abolitionist Charles Sumner and many more!
This is still an active cemetery which I can only assume one needs to be wealthy to purchase a plot in!
With 175 acres and 10 miles of road you could easily spend half a day enjoying the beautiful headstones and wonderful trees.
The family plots are so sweet.
Reading up on the symbolism, the lamb often commemorates a child.
The headstones with flowers were my favorites. Ivy represents friendship and fidelity.
A column symbolizes strength and commemoration.
A broken column stands for a life cut short.
Irises represent eloquence.
It is sad seeing a baby site like this one.
This is the Bigelow chapel.
I have been here in the fall before too and it is absolutely gorgeous then with the vibrant changing leaves!
This Sphinx was sculpted by Martin Milmore in 1872 as a civil war memorial to celebrate the end of slavery.
If you are ever planning a trip to Boston or Cambridge, this is a great offbeat place to visit during any season! Brochures/maps are available that identify the trees within the cemetery for nature lovers. Maps are also available to bring you around to the famous grave sites!
5 skywriting planes were writing Go Sox in the sky (for the Boston Red Sox). If you have ever lived in New England you know how obsessive people are about their sports teams here (Jim and I excluded).
We saw this again the next time we were in Boston. Someone has some serious cash to throw around since this must cost a small fortune to put together!
Our walk was cut short because we had some place to be in the afternoon but we will be back! I hope you enjoyed our little tour! Have a wonderful summer week! ~Val


22 comments:

  1. Love the earrings - I love the copper colored pearls - so pretty. I love all the history around the Boston area. I'm a big history buff (sorta have to be as my husband majored in history!). Lovely stroll - thx!

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  2. I do like the idea of having a coin in the photo because it does give perspective to the correct size. Maybe you could show the metric ruler along side the customary one for your international visitors?

    Glad you enjoyed another fantastic trip!

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  3. I agree that the coin is a great idea to use in a second or third photo. You can easily tell the size of a piece when it's next to a coin. Love the ear wires on these earrings!

    The cemetery is beautiful! The headstones are amazing and the greenery is so pretty!

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  4. Hi Val,

    I love walking in the cemetary...it is so awesome. Here at West Point we have a wonderful cemetary and whenever I go walking for excercise, it is my final stop, I get to slow my pace and enjoy my walk as I'm going through. George Armstrong Custer is buried here and I constantly visit his monument, as I feel it is the most majestic and tasteful one in the whole cemetary. I also find it a peaceful place, we get so caught up in the daily craziness of our lives that it is nice to take a moment to reflect on those that came before us, their lives...dust in the wind and all that good stuff.

    Well, I've talked enough on that subject, you've hit upon one of my favorite things tho, nothing campares to a good walk through the cemetary.

    It seems tough to please all our customers all the time. I like the idea of a coin to judge size...I also like to measure though so I appreciate when an artisan provides the size as well.

    Have a great weekend.

    Ruth

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  5. Hi Val,
    Beautiful earrings I also like the idea of the coin to judge size the ruler is helpful too.
    I love cemeteries especially the old ones. Thank you for sharing your stroll through the one in Cambridge.
    Therese

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  6. That is one gorgeous place! If only all of our cemeteries were like that!

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  7. Hi Val,

    That's a great idea to put the ruler next to your item - very pretty earrings btw. I always try to remember that 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters ;-)
    Beautiful photos of the cemetery. I love the one with the weeping willow trees (at least that's what I think they're called)!
    Happy Sunday!
    Duni

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    1. You are correct...that is a weeping willow! :) One of my favs too@

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  8. Those are such pretty earrings! Thank you for the beautiful tour and all your great information. :)

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  9. Val, I love the cemetery! So much history! So much meaning! I think I could spend a couple of days there! And, the nature surrounding it is gorgeous!
    Do what you can to help tell the size of your jewelry. That's the only thing you can do ;o) Take Care ;o)

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  10. Lovely earrings! I think a stroll through the cemetery is actually quite interesting. This history of that one would be so fascinating (and sad at the same time). I do like to read the headstones just because it gives me an idea of the person and how much the family must miss them.

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  11. That cemetery is amazing! I am sure your stroll around was fascinating.
    Funnily enough my latest blog post has something about the Boston Redsox in it too - wierd huh?

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  12. Those earrings are very pretty! Also, your walk through the cemetery very interesting...the baby grave is sad ad so is the broken column :( But indeed it is a very nice place to rest.

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  13. gorgeous earings!! the coin definitely puts the size in perspective.
    what an interesting cemetery walk...

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  14. What a wonderful tour! Thank you for sharing all of those beautiful pictures. I think the coin will be helpful for quick United States assessments...

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  15. Thanks so much for your visit and comment ~ I hear you on the coin factor, I think the key is you try your best to depict accurate sizing. Anyone buying handmade online should realize that images are never going to be exact ~ monitor colors vary, sizing can be deceiving, and minor flaws can be hidden, despite our best efforts. Hopefully your customers are understanding and simply delighted to have something that's truly handmade and one-of-a-kind. Love your ear wires by the way, they're so whimsical and unique!
    ♥Sharon

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  16. I LOVE these earrings Val!!
    Could you send me info on them, if they are not already sold?

    Glad I am not the only one who likes to roam old cemeteries. I have been know to spend hours in them. Not sure why really, I just like them. So many stories to be told there.

    Happy Tuesday to you, my friend!
    xo.

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  17. What a gorgeous cemetery! That baby one is very creepy for sure...yikes!

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  18. Beautiful photographs, congratulations. I am greeting

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  19. Beautiful photos!! I love the earrings!!
    have a wonderful weekend!

    Besos, desde EspaƱa, Marcela♥

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Thank you for stopping by! I love reading visitor comments! ~Val