Farewell, Bluff City

I love Memphis, and I will truly miss this fair city on my 2-month trip, which begins TODAY. My friend Jordan and I are embarking on the trip of a lifetime, starting with an 11-day cruise from Miami to Barcelona, followed by train and plane trips through France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, London, and Iceland.

I like to show my Memphis pride with this necklace, handcrafted by Kathy at Pangaea Designs. Memphis will always hold a special place in my heart. We have the boldest jaywalkers, the best BBQ, and some of the craziest, friendliest characters you’ll ever meet. There's a reason Justin Timberlake says he hails from Memphis, and not boring Millington, TN.

I already miss my friends and family, the river, the P & H,and lemongrass tofu. Get well soon, Darlene!

And go Grizzlies go!

الحب

My Uncle Sam has always done things a little bit differently. Although my aunt and uncle were married in California, they soon relocated to Saudi Arabia, where my uncle had this cut-out wedding ring made. I've always admired it's uniqueness.

Since I don't speak Arabic, I'm not sure what it says. But in my mind I've decided it reads "My love forever, baby doll." See you soon, Uncle Sam!

Cradle to the Grave

Do you ever marvel at the miraculous ability of a mother to provide nourishment to her baby in the form of breast milk? Ever wish you could carry a bit of that milk with you, close to your heart, for the rest of your life? Well, now you can, with this Etsy seller's breastmilk pendants.

While I love most things weird, breastmilk jewelry may be taking things a bit too far. The actual process sounds quite complex, and quite creepy:

"You will need to ship your milk to me. I only need a small amount, aprox around a tablespoon, and it needs to be shipped securely in a sealed bag.

This is a lengthy process. I first have to plasticize your milk, seal the milk bead, and then I embed it in resin. So I need aprox 3 weeks to factor in your shipping the milk to me and the time it will take me to make it. My process is completely sterile. I will put great care and respect to preserve YOUR milk as an everlasting keepsake to your precious nursing expierence. Please know that I will in fact use YOUR milk..."

Stylistic side note: using chalky apples as a background for a breast milk pendant does not make me want to purchase said pendant.

Also fascinating (although probably bogus) is this service offered by LifeGem, in which the ashes or hair of loved ones are turned into "diamonds":

"Your very own LifeGem diamond(s) can be created from the carbon in cremation ashes, a lock of hair, or both. Of course, not only do we turn ashes into diamonds and hair into diamonds, we also have a full line of cremation jewelry, rings, and pendants to accent your beautiful LifeGem cremation diamond."

A little more about the cremation process, in case you were wondering:

"The procedure necessary to create a LifeGem diamond is exactly the same as above; however, eight ounces (or 200 grams) are put aside to be sent to our facility to begin the LifeGem diamond creation process. We do NOT need the full set of cremated remains.
If you have lost someone in the past, the most important thing to know is that we CAN create a LifeGem from previously existing remains from many, many years ago. Carbon that exists in your loved ones remains will be accessible for a very long time. If you have just lost a loved one, your loved one can be cremated at one of our certified facilities across the nation, or at the facility of your choice. Please contact us and we will direct the location of your choice on how to properly proceed. We can train the funeral home and cremation operators quickly, so your family will not experience any additional stress or concern. You do NOT need to send the deceased to our location."

You know, I've always wanted to be made into a piss-yellow diamond. Kudos to these lifecycle jewelers for their bold foray into an untapped market!