Dogs Are The New Co-Workers
There's one segment of the population who seems absolutely thrilled with the stay-at-home orders from the government: dogs! This must seem like a dream come true for them to have their tribe around them all the time. So many laps to sit on! So many long solitary walks around the neighborhood! On social media you can find plenty of photos of pets around laptops while their owners try to work, but my favorite story so far has been from Emma Smith on Twitter, who said that her dog was so happy to have everyone home that it sprained its tail by excessive wagging.
Dalmatian Stone (and Polka Dot) Jewelry Trend for Spring
I'm not the trendiest person by any stretch, so it made me smile to get the latest J. Jill catalog in the mail with an entire page of dalmatian stone jewelry. I already have a Dalmatian Necklace in my Etsy shop, so for once I am ahead of the curve!
Fashion tends to forecast trends way in advance, so it's likely that J. Jill was banking on polka dots (not lots of dogs at home) being a spring trend for 2020. (See sites like Fashionista, StyleCaster, and Refinery29 for a look at some of this year's polka dot fashions.) The neutral colors of dalmatian stone go well with many of J. Jill's neutral tops, skirts, and pants.
Dalmatian stone is also sometimes called dalmatian jasper. The inspiration behind the dalmatian part of the name is pretty clear. The controversy comes in deciding whether it's stone or jasper. You might enjoy this article "What is Dalmatian Stone? It is not a jasper." by Hobart King if you're curious about the difference. The author has a PhD in geology and is a GIA graduate gemologist.
Some of the stone's attributes:
- a sense of playfulness
- grounding energy
- supportive of family and loyalty
- calming influence on children and animals
- banishing nightmares (the black spots suck up negative energy)
Photo credits:
Dalmatian dog by Craventure Media on Unsplash. Necklace by Michelle Mach.