#Jewel of the Sea

[nikonstudio]

The sight of Iceland greeted the guests onboard, as the ship enters the 70-km long Eyjafjörður fjord that connects Akureyri to the vast Norwegian Sea.

Temperature naturally dipped to around 10 degrees celsius as the morning breaks while I get myself ready to pick up the rental vehicle. The fjord surely resembles those found in Norway and Alaska, just so much wider in overall breadth.

A much needed breadth of fresh air...

[maddie-grove]

Little Book Review: Romance Round-Up (May-December 2022)

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas (2005): In the second installment of Kleypas's influential Wallflower Quartet, outspoken American heiress Lillian Bowman is looking for a husband at stuffy Lord Westcliff's weeks-long house party. Lord Westcliff is decidedly not on the menu, thanks to the huge stick up his ass, but we all know how that goes. This novel was a little slow, but solid and sexy. I probably wouldn't have even minded the pace if I were a little more into uptight aristocrats or feisty American heiresses in romance. Also, say what you will about love triangles, but Lillian's flirtation with villain/future-hero Lord St. Vincent added some nice tension.

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2006): In the third Wallflower book, debilitatingly shy heiress Evangeline "Evie" Jenner is desperate to escape her abusive maternal relatives so she can be with her dying father, who runs a London gambling house, and also avoid being forced to marry her cousin. She offers marriage to ne'er-do-well Lord St. Vincent, who's rather short on cash because his dad cut him off. She doesn't have high expectations, given that he was a real piece of shit in the last book, but he's good in bed, he's nice to her dad, and he has some good ideas about how to manage her dad's gambling house. Based on largely anecdotal evidence, I believe this is one of the most beloved romance novels of the 2000s, and I can see why. St. Vincent is an engaging chaotic bitch hero and Evie is both endearing and proactive. It didn't hit me as hard as some villain-hero romances (like To Have and to Hold, Shadowheart, Duke of Sin, and A Lady's Code of Misconduct), but I enjoyed it a lot.

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2006): In the fourth Wallflower book, Daisy Bowman, Lillian's fanciful younger sister, is issued an ultimatum by her dad to find a husband, or else marry the man of his choice. The man of his choice is Matthew Swift, an austere Bostonian entrepreneur whom Daisy finds soul-crushingly boring...but is her assessment fair or right? This is probably the least-loved Wallflower book, and I get why. It doesn't have a strong unifying concept or concrete stakes. Daisy's dad gives her a long timeline, she doesn't lack for acceptable prospects, and she can go live with her loving sister if worse comes to worse. Matthew, for his part, isn't actually on board with the ultimatum; he's in love with Daisy, but won't tell her because he's harboring a Dark Secret, plus he's not a mustache-twirling villain. So, most of the romance is them tentatively circling each other, forgetting more and more of the reasons they can't be together. And, honestly, I was so into it. Kleypas makes uncommonly excellent use of former protagonists as well. The three former couples, rather than being static and boring, are still going through struggles in the background despite being happily married. It's also really sweet how they come through for Matthew in his hour of need.

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne (2015): Farah Mackenzie is a clerk for Scotland Yard who holds herself out as a respectable widow. Dorian Blackwell is a powerful underworld figure who kidnaps her out of the blue, claiming that he (a) knew her tragically dead young husband in prison and (b) wants to marry her as part of a byzantine plan to gain power in society. This book is an absolutely wild ride, with secret identities and marriages between ten-year-olds and romantic kidnappings. It does kind of lose steam after they leave the gorgeous kidnapping island, though.

Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh (2021): Lydia Tavernor lived for years in the shadow of her husband, a magnetic and zealous vicar, and even after his heroic death (during which he saved a child from drowning), she's continued to be quiet and self-effacing. Then, at a small party, she finds herself feeling unexpectedly attracted to her amiable neighbor, Major Harry Westcott. Harry has suffered his own disappointments, namely losing the position in society he'd been raised for when his father's bigamy was revealed and suffering years of ill health due to horrific injuries sustained in the Napoleonic Wars. Although both are gun-shy due to their experiences, they crave intimacy and begin a no-strings-attached relationship. This romance had so much potential. I was invested in both characters and intrigued by the late husband's post-death effect on the characters' small community; I felt like there was going to be some exploration of how devotion to the memory of a good person (or maybe just a person who seemed to be good) can be twisted and make people act in cruel ways. Unfortunately, Balogh decided to go hard on demonizing an obviously troubled child character and having the hero and heroine bond over bullying him.

Jewel of the Sea by Susan Wiggs (1993): Roughly a decade after October Wind, which followed a bunch of characters in the several years leading up to Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas, a new crop of young people have to navigate life in both hemispheres. There's Armando, resentful son of the unethical Rafael/Catalina/Santiago throuple from the first book; Paloma, resourceful daughter of Spanish-nobleman-turned-Jewish-refugee Joseph and Taino wise woman Anacaona from the first book; Gabriella, lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon and daughter of troubled Mercedes; and Will, Jewish-Spanish-English musician and chronic simp. The sequel is an improvement over the first book, in the sense that Columbus and Queen Isabella aren't major characters, but the cast of original characters is a little weaker. October Wind had three great characters (Joseph, Santiago, and Catalina), one underused one (Anacaona), and one annoying one. Jewel of the Sea has one great character (Gabriella), one underused but interesting one (Paloma), one pleasant but not terribly fascinating one (Will), and one annoying one (Armando).

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole (2021): Makeda Hicks, eternal people-pleaser, is forced to move back in with her hotel-owner grandma after losing her job and live-in girlfriend on the same day. Burdened by a childhood where she had to parent her own mother, who struggled with alcoholism and was obsessed with the possibility that she was a long-lost royal, Makeda isn't amused when Beznaria Chetchevaliere, a detective hired to find the lost royal heir to Ibarania, turns up on her doorstep. However, pressing financial obligations and Beznaria's unconventional charisma make her take a chance. This one didn't really work for me. Makeda's a terrific heroine, but Beznaria is cartoonish, the couple spends too much time on a cargo ship, and Cole apparently still can't write a well-paced ending.

[jadeazora]

I actually like beta Alice more than her final design. She's really cute.

Also Marcus and his fucking massive forehead and no eyebrows. They did him a favor hiding it underneath that crown in the finalized movie design.

[gemville]

Massimo Izzo's Jewels Of The Sea Ring In 18k Yellow and White Gold and Featuring A 223.80 Carat Aquamarine and 3.41 CTW Diamonds

Photo Courtesy: Massimo Izzo

Source: jckonline.com

[heartnosekid]

sao.decor on ig

[morethansalad]

Jeweled Rice Stuffed Onions (Vegan)

[ukbella]

Saturday night style ⛈️

[ghosts-n-jewels]

A new line up of the mascots and their human designs i made for them! these are not the final human designs, i want to tweek a few of them, but its a start!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Prehistoric necklace made of cut and polished seashells. Dated between 4500 and 4000 BC (Neolithic), it measures 284 cm. It was found in the Neolithic necropolis of Mas de Seròs II (Terres de l’Ebre, Catalonia).

Seashells and snails have been used since Prehistory to create personal ornaments, as well as for food. They were very common in seaside sites, but also in inland ones thanks to trading networks.

In the burial sites of the early sedentary communities found in the territory of modern-day Catalonia, it’s very common to find the bodies of men, women, and children are buried with grave goods, usually consisting on ceramic vases, cut flint-stone tools or polished stone tools, and body ornaments. Necklaces, pendants, and bracelets made of seashells are interpreted as status symbols, that during their lives were used as prestigious objects, presents, and as trading tokens (equivalent to what coins will be some millennia later). For this reason, ornaments made of seashells and sea corals have been found in inland areas very far away from the sea.

Source: Museu d’Història de Catalunya.

[zookacestance]

Meeshell Mermaid’s Closet

All photos from Pinterest

[nikonstudio]

The recent upgrading did put the Jewel into a more presentable state for her passengers but I still think its the Captain who will always set the overall atmosphere for each trip.

As of late, I am beginning to wonder if a Cruise Director is even necessary for such trip as I do not see much of that person apart from appearing on the stateroom's TV.

[algaeful]

diatom art created by klaus kemp

[angelnumber27]

Strawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis)

Photo by Paul Caiger @ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

One of my favorite creatures ever!! 🦑･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

These beautiful elegant creatures are found in the tropical/subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They live in the Mesopelagic zone which is often also referred to as the “twilight zone.”

Strawberry squid can be found between depths of from 1,000 meters (3300 feet) and the surface, where they go at night to feed

The photophores within the tissues of their skin produce a distinctive bioluminescent flashing glow which attracts prey. That’s why they look bedazzled!

Strawberry squids have asymmetrical eyes that allow them to perceive light in both bright and dark surroundings. One eye is small and blue while the other is large and yellow and both were adapted for their own unique purpose!

I could go on forever bc these creatures are not only so breathtaking but also soooo incredibly interesting

[y2kbeautyandother2000sstuff]

Polly Pocket Jewel Palace Under the Sea

1992

Found on Ebay user seyo21

This is one of my favorite Polly Pockets!! I bet this is still in storage somewhere. My grandma found so many Polly Pockets at yard sales for me <3

[katarinanavane]

When I have an event coming up I tend to spend a lot of my making-stuff time on things that sell well, like lots of curio earrings that I don't usually bother to photograph, but here's what I've been up to! As always there's a few pairs in my Etsy but message me if you want a pair that isn't there

[tithsokphanny31]

Jewel Hair Mermaid Barbie, Teresa and Midge those velcro stars always got stuck in my hair