Just in time for $WINTERHOLIDAY: My jewelery wishlist

Wyrding Studios
I've had my eye on this jeweler for some time, and would love to own a piece or two. I'm partial to the organic shape of the wirework, vibrant but natural colors, and the fact that each piece is unique. Unfortunately there are few currently available pieces which catch my eye, but Wyrding Studios does large custom projects and weekly small custom projects and also provides gift certificates (my paypal is swiftskyes AT hotmail DOT com).

Sihaya Designs Jewelry
This designer caught my eye more recently, but I love what I see. The asymmetrical designs, ornate and delicate detail, and rich natural colors appeal to me. I have my eye on some of her currently available pieces, but she also offers custom work.

My preferences in...
Jewelry Types: Pendants and necklaces. Also bracelets, some rings. (I don't wear earrings.)

Colors and stones: Peridot green (stone and color) and amber (stone and color). Also tiger's eye, petrified wood, blister pearl; shades of black and gray, brown, greens (yellow-green, never blue-green), copper, orange, red, purple.

Metals: Copper, hammered copper, antique(d) brass. Also harvest gold, silver.

I don't like: Swarovski crystals (in Wyrding Studio pieces), fire polished glass, busy wirework with simple gems, very bright colors, too much white and/or silver, charms. Also most faceted stones, labourite.

( Some of my favorite pieces. )

Manga Review: Cat Street, Death Note, Dogs and Dogs: Hardcore Twins

Title: Cat Street
Mangaka: Yoko Kamio
Chapter Count: 35
Rating 4+ of 5
Keito Aoyama was once a child star but has since become a complete social recluse. When fate leads her to a school named El Liston, free to high school students with social issues, Keito has the opportunity to make friends, fall in love, and reclaim her life.

A social recluse, a high school dropout, an introverted geek, and a gothic lolita—all of these stray cats have different reasons to attend El Liston, but their unlikely friendship helps them recover from past traumas to grasp the greatness of their own potential. It's a story very similar to my beloved X-Day, and though the series begins stronger than it ends and much of the plot is predictable, this is still an enjoyable, enheartening manga which is pleasantly counter-culture and anti-stereotype. I recommend it.


Title: Death Note
Mangaka: Ohba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi
Chapter Count: 110
Rating: 5 of 5
Light Yagami is a brilliant but bored student—until he discovers a Death Note. He can kill any person just by writing their name in the notebook, and so Light vows to use the Note to rid the world of evil.

But that's just how it begins. When the police become aware of the rising death rate, legendary detective L pits himself against Light in a lengthy battle of wits. Psychological, analytical, and convoluted, Death Note is an unusual manga—one that grabs your attention with violence but holds it with complex machinations. The series drags in the second half and all the female characters are irritating, but on the whole it's a wonderfully original, unusual, and intelligent manga which will keep you guessing until the end. I recommend it.

(Having finally read Death Note, I'm honestly not sure why it's so popular. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it—but it wasn't what I expected. There are quirky, intense male characters in opposing roles, sure, but there's also a distinct lack of fan service and it's far more intelligent and convoluted than your average manga. So don't let its popularity deceive you: this isn't a predictable, average series by any means.)


Title: Dogs and sequel Dogs: Hardcore Twins
Mangaka: Shirow Miwa
Chapter Count: 6 and 1
Rating: 4 of 5 and 2 of 5
Sometime in the future in a dystopic world, an cast of assassins, genetic mutants, and other oddities struggle to make their way in the world and slay the demons of their pasts. Without little overarching plot, this volume and brief sequel introduce these characters.

Violent, bold, and stylized (and a bit of welcome eye candy), but with exaggerated characters and no overarching plot, Dogs is a visual delight with little substance. Read it with just those expectations, and you won't be disappointed. It's a fun romp, if somewhat unbelievable, and serves as a promising introduction to a full series. I recommend it. Skip the one chapter sequel Hardcore Twins, however—like Dogs it has little plot, but it's too cutesy and funny to be equally intriguing.