Well, I fell in love this summer - madly and helplessly in love with Venice, Italy! Venice, for me, has always been just a dot on a map, a word on a bucket list, a hope and a dream of wonderful and faraway expectations. As I got onto the water taxi and entered the Grand Canal, I entered a world unlike anything I had ever experienced. To me it was like entering the 16th Century. The Canal was in a fury of activity with water taxis, gondolas, slick boats, boats piled high with boxes bobbing along in every direction possible, (I don't know how they don't hit) probably heading for some incredible centuries old building that lines the Canal. There is not one hint of a modern building. Each building that goes by is more jaw dropping than the one before it.

To celebrate this unique place, this month's earring from “Audrey’s Jewel Box”is my expression of Venice! The earring is a kaleidoscope of vibrant and colorful beads. I started with two millefiori beads. Millefiori is a type of Italian Murano glass that has tiny flowers. The word literally means "1,000 flowers". I used an aqua millefiori bead and a light green millefiori bead. Each bead has a flower on it. I also used blue and white crystal beads, orange and green Swarovski crystals, an aqua polka dot bead, and a barrel blue and green bead. The beads dangle off a sterling silver chain. I can also make the earring with gold filled chain, if you prefer.

The earring is 2 1/2 inches long but can be made to any length. The price of the earring is $20 plus $3 for packaging and shipping. I also made a necklace that is $45 and a bracelet that is $30.

The only way to see Venice, besides the gondolas, is to simply walk the tiny little streets and alleyways. We spent a day doing just that and I was just in awe of all the beautiful shops. It is a window shopper's paradise. There would be a shop that just sells hats or a shop that sells masks or Italian gloves. Each window is a work of art. In the mix of these shops would be specialty food shops that would sell Gelato, Italian meats and cheeses, pizzas and sandwiches. On one little street, I turned the bend and there was George Clooney! At the end of each street would be a little plaza with a restaurant surrounded by a church and apartments.

The first time I saw one the these plazas, there was a big fat Italian woman leaning out of a window yelling to a gondolier! I wish I could have captured that scene with my camera but we were dragging three pieces of luggage, trying to find our hotel, Hotel Giorgione. We were dead tired, thirsty, sweaty from the heat. We finally asked an Italian woman which way to go and she said "You silly Americans with all that luggage, just go that way". We walked into the air conditioned lobby of our hotel and a man said "buongiorno". I felt I had come home.

We also got to spend a day visiting the island of Murano and the island of Burano. Murano is noted for their glass blowing skills which they have done for centuries. Technically Murano glass should be made on the island but with our world today it is made everywhere. We watched a glass blower make a glass horse in two minutes and it was beautiful. On the island of Burano, we watched a woman make lace. This island is noted for their lace making. It is such delicate work, that many women go blind after years of making lace.

I think Italians must be the happiest people on earth. They have one secret to happiness. They love to sing. The gondoliers sing. The waiters sing. People walking to work sing. We were sitting in a restaurant and the two Italian men sitting next to us sang all the way through their lunch!

Arrivederci for now!

-Janet for Audrey's Jewel Box

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