Hello, everyone!

Just a friendly reminder to all of our wonderful customers that wedding season is fast approaching! Whether you're the lucky bride, a bridesmaid or a friend or family member, we have a wide variety of great jewelry to match the perfect dress! Come on in and see what we have to offer!

We can also do repairs on old wedding jewelry as well as create custom jewelry for your special day. Or, if you want to have your wedding set cleaned, we offer that service as well!

Michelle Zjala Winter Our friend and bead maven, Angie Dowland will be at The Gift Itself, Wednesday, April 14, 2010, from 11 am to 6 pm. Angie has just returned from a bead buying trip overseas, and she will bring wonderful gemstone and pearl treasures for you to enjoy and buy. Angie's pricing and selection always amaze us, and we are pleased to share them with you! Please, tell your friends, bring them along and join us for a bead extravaganza, complete with refreshments and prizes.

The Gift Itself
125 N. Broadway, Green Bay
920-433-9171
www.thegiftitself.com

With the coming of Spring, I am reminded by many orders of Draw-lery, (children's drawing made into jewelry for Moms, relatives or friends) that Mother's Day is fast approaching, and our schedule is filling up fast! So if anyone you know would like to have a piece of Draw-lery made for Mother's Day, have them bring the child's drawing in soon and you will have it for that day!

And the BIG news from Michelle:

I have very exciting news, I have been selected, along with nine other area women professionals to be a mentor for the Young Entrepreneurs Program.  Local mentors will be matched with YEP participants primarily on the basis of common business interests and ability to participate in program activities.  This program is bringing Jordanians and Israelis together from a volatile region and  is on the cutting edge of what is commonly called “public diplomacy” at the government level, or “citizen diplomacy” once people are interacting face to face. UW-Green Bay is honored to administer one of only three YEP grants awarded nationally.   Mentors will dedicate some time to the YEP during the participants’ one-month visit here, and perhaps as part of the training team to visit both countries this summer.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Professional Exchanges Program  Organized and sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

The program director is Jay Harris, International Projects Coordinator
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive, WH 303
Green Bay, WI  54311
Tel:   (920) 465-5145
I am excited and honored to be included in this project, and look forward to the unfolding of this marvelous adventure, which begins this weekend. When there is time I will be sure to blog about this experience.  I have included a portion of an article from Women magazine below.

BEYOND OUR BACKYARD

Program forges ties with women
from Israel, Jordan BY TERRI DOUGHERTY

Female entrepreneurs from Israel and Jordan will visit Northeast
Wisconsin this spring through a program designed to foster
learning and friendship.
The Young Entrepreneurs training project will also give area
businesswomen the opportunity to travel to Israel and Jordan on
the state department’s dime.
“With a program like this the relationship building that happens
from a global perspective” is a major benefit, notes Christina Trombley,
director of the Small Business Development Center at the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. “Learning from each other can
be very energizing and very vibrant.”…

WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM

Wednesday, March 31 we will be hosting one of our local gem cutters, Gary McFarlane, for a trunk show!

Gary frequently travels to various places around the United States and mines the stones he later cuts and polishes in his home studio.  He will be bringing a number of beautiful pieces with him to our store which will be available for purchase.  Stop in, see his gems, purchase one for a "pet" or have us make you a new, lovely piece of jewelry.  Gary will be in the store from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Refreshments will be available.

This size 6 Sterling Silver ring features a 20 X 17 quartz drusy.  The drusy has several interesting aspects, first-the naturally clear drusy crystals have a vapor deposition layer of copper and secondly-the  stone gives the apperance of two images, depending on which way you view them.  One view(if you squint a little) is of a horse and rider while the other image portrays a running man.  On a more symbolic and mushy note, when you look at the ring from the ends it has an O while the sides have X's.  I have carved (and discarded) more waxes for this stone than any other one the gift has ever owned.  Your pal in art, Al