In what would have been late great Queen singer’s 65th birthday, Google’s opening page remembers Freddie Mercury with a very cool animated montage. Classic rock stars are approaching retirement age if they have not yet surpassed it already. It’s nice that Google honors Freddie today.

See the ABC News report – Google Honors Freddie Mercury’s Birthday.

Jewelry website FloraGems.com has a very cool – and pretty unique – way to show you around! Not sure where to start? Well, meet Michelle, your Flora Gems tour guide. You can find Michelle as she pops up in the lower left-hand side of the front page. She’ll tell you that Flora Gems has been an established family-owned business for over 150 years. Yes, it’s been four generations that the Floras have been Decatur, Illinois’ premier jewelers! Since the days when Great-Grandma Flora used her precious wedding gown to create intriguing displays, they’ve shown customers different ways of looking at jewelry.

Is getting engaged on your mind? If so, you need a quality diamond. Flora Gems has a vast selection of loose diamonds for you to choose from. Don’t forget that platinum is the best metal for a diamond setting, so be sure to ask to see their platinum engagement rings. Flora Gems also buys your diamonds, estate jewelry or gold jewelry should you be in a selling mode.

Visit FloraGems.com today!

JCK Marketplace, a leading jewelry industry web portal, now features Bali-inspired jewelry designed by Robert Manse. Manufactured by hand in Bali (and not imported from other countries or sources), this affordable jewelry collection has plenty of flair and a variety of colors. If “fun” is on your short list of jewelry attributes, then you definitely don’t want to miss this jewelry layout! Bail RoManse jewelry is not high priced, yet it still feels luxurious. And in this day and age, style, value AND affordability are all essential.

Robert Manse has been a personality in the jewelry industry for over twenty years. For ten of those years, Mr. Manse has been a hands-on designer whose name adorns his very own jewelry line – Robert Manse Designs. His new collection – Bali RoManse (also Bali Designs) – features styles created in sterling silver with 18kt gold accents, and incorporate such semi-precious gemstones as citrines, blue topaz, amethyst and more.

Look for Robert’s next show for HSN on September 14, 2011 (starting at 10PM EST).

See Robert Manse jewelry on JCK Marketplace.

Buy Robert Manse jewelry on HSN.

Tissot is giving away a great black quartz watch for men. I love how this watch looks, so this contest is a no-brainer for those manly men who like cool looking watches. Sound interesting? Well, then, get on over to the Tissot Facebook page for a chance to win a new Nicky Haden Limited Edition Men’s Black Quartz Watch. From now (August 18, 2011) until August 28, 2011, you can enter this cool watch giveaway. But, as always, see contest rules for more details about entering!

Enter the Tissot Facebook Watch Giveaway.

Now is a great time if you are in the military and getting married! For those who like to shop online, reputable Internet wedding ring retailer Larson Jewelers is compassionate about the tremendous personal sacrifice made by America’s brave men and women in the all divisions of the armed forces worldwide. And to illustrate just how much they appreciate this enormous sacrifice, Larson Jewelers gives all active duty military personnel a special military discount of an additional 5% off the lowest available prices for their online wedding rings. This military discount is not available to the non-military general public. To learn more about the Larson Jewelers wedding ring military discount, please contact them directly via their jewelry website.

More about Larson Jewelers
Larson Jewelers offers a superior selection of palladium wedding rings for both men and women. In fact, when you think of “palladium,” Larson Jewelers should come to mind!  Larson Jewelers’ palladium rings are American made and come from the some of the most trusted names in the wedding ring industry, like Benchmark and Novell. Novell is considered THE leader in palladium wedding ring manufacturing; this American bridal jewelry company had a handle on palladium before anyone else! While some might believe that palladium is a new metal used in wedding rings, palladium has been around quite awhile. My Grandmother had a palladium wedding ring, and she was married in the 1930s. For many years, palladium was mixed with gold to create white gold. That’s right – white gold is not naturally white, which is something to keep in mind. Larson Jewelers’ featured palladium wedding rings are 95% pure palladium, so you get the best metal mix percentage available.

Larson Jewelers also carries a great collection of platinum wedding rings, which is the most precious of metals used in wedding rings and jewelry. Platinum’s superior quality boasts eye-catching color and strength to create remarkable designs that won’t easily wear down over time. Considered a step up from a palladium wedding ring, each of Larson Jewelers’ platinum wedding rings is naturally tarnish resistant, naturally white and strong than most metals. Platinum also holds both its mass well over time. Whether you are looking for women’s platinum wedding rings or men’s, Larson Jewelers is sure to have the right wedding ring for you!

LIKE Larson Jewelers on Facebook.

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The wedding and all of its planning is over, so the hard part is done; it’s obviously time for the honeymoon. So while thinking about booking the destination of your choice, you may want to consider visiting Belize. What could be more unusual, more cutting edge, more chic than a visit to the Mayan Ruins of Belize! If you’ve ever seen the movie “Against All Odds,” then you can picture what they might look like. Can you think of a more romantic way to spend a night of your honeymoon while on top of a Mayan Temple?  When I picture a unique vacation or honeymoon, I definitely picture a landscape like Belize!

It’s not that hard to get there, as Belize is just a short flight from Houston, Dallas, Miami or Atlanta.  You can hop on an approximately two hour flight daily from either of these gateway travel hubs. One fact that I didn’t know about this Caribbean country is that it is home to the world’s second largest barrier reef, with the largest obviously being located in Australia. I always thought that if you wanted a top notch diving experience then you would have to spend an entire day (if not more) traveling to the other side of the world, but not if you visit Belize. The overall climate is generally cooler than most of the surrounding countries, so if sweating is NOT your thing, you have a fairly good chance at remaining reasonably comfortable during your journey. There’s nothing worse than being too hot and uncomfortable when you are trying to have the time of your life. Comfort + adventure = Belize!

Also, if the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life is wearing on your nerves, then you definitely want to keep Belize on the top of your vacation or honeymoon list. Apparently there are only four – that’s right, just FOUR – traffic lights among the 300,000 citizens. English is this land’s official language, but you can also break out your High School Spanish or Kriol if you want. Overall, Belize offers a safe visit to paradise, and the 2:1 currency exchange ratio (one US dollar equals two Belize dollars) can work in your favor, too.

For more information, please visit Romantic Travel Association of Belize.

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According to Reuters and many other news sources, rock singer Jani Lane, best known as the energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for 80’s hard rock band Warrant, has been found dead in a Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) motel room. Mr. Lane was 47.

Having been a fan of the 80’s hard rock scene in general, I’ve seen Warrant quite a few times throughout the past two decades, and most recently saw Jani as a solo artist a few years back. Although he’s best known for “Cherry Pie,” Warrant had much more depth than the theme of their novelty hit. His battle with alcohol has been well know in music circles for years, and even discussed on rock website Metal Sludge, yet Lane seemed to turn the corner was strong performances on stage with Great White in 2010, another rock band from the 80’s hard rock scene.

At this time, the cause of his death was unknown and Los Angeles coroner’s officials were conducting an investigation into Lane‘s death.

Read – Former Warrant singer Jani Lane dies in Los Angeles.

Related – Former Warrant lead singer Jani Lane dies at 47.

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If Motley Crue singer Vince Neil ever ventured down the wedding aisle again, what do you think he’d choose for a wedding ring? Well, I like to think that ol’ Vince would like something with a cool tribal or tattoo theme, and American wedding ring manufacturer Novell has just the style – TATU wedding rings.

TATU wedding rings are pictured online in stainless steel, but most designs can be also specially created in Argentinum Sterling Silver, palladium or even platinum – the best metal that can be used for wedding rings and jewelry. TATU wedding rings are currently being highlighted on WhereToGetEngaged.com, a great wedding planning website, and can be ordered through authorized Novell retailers.

View Novell’s TATU rings on WhereToGetEngaged.com. Or see more rings on Novell’s website.

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 Blue. I think that the color blue makes fun and interesting jewelry. And if you share my love for blue, then you might want to check out some fun jewelry that I found of the Facebook page for Lotus Jewelry Designs.

Lotus Jewelry Designs prides itself on creating unique handcrafted jewelry for the everyday Goddess. One of their featured necklaces really caught my eye with its beautiful, vibrant shades of purple and blue bicone-shaped beads. Not sure what “bicone” means? Neither did I, so here’s the definition of bicone on Wikipedia. I guess I fell asleep that day on Geometry!

Okay, let’s face it – this necklace is absolutely stunning and most affordable. The necklace is long enough to be doubled up, worn as a multi-strand bracelet, anklet, used as a hair band, or just around draped around your neck as a fun piece of jewelry. So check out all of their latest handmade jewelry at the Lotus Jewelry Designs online Etsy store.

LIKE Lotus Jewelry Designs on Facebook.

Follow Lotus Jewelry Designs on Twitter.

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Don’t believe me? Well check this out:

Nobody likes to feel crappy and cruddy after a few days of wedding celebrations. Drinking at the rehearsal dinner and reception can take its toll, and even the most casual drinkers can feel a little hung-over after all is said and done. So how do you avoid a wedding-related hangover? Well, I have a method that works very well for me, but please keep in mind that it may not work for everybody, or even be right for everyone (especially if you are on a low sodium diet).

How I avoid hangovers is very simple. Aside from drinking water before bedtime, I hit the refrigerator for the pickle jar. That’s right – the pickle jar! Pickles and pickle juice have a high salt and electrolyte content. Medical professionals believe that salt plays the major role in preventing the dehydration, and in sports that really tax your body, this will prevent cramping as well.

Read more at of Hangover Cures – Avoiding the Wedding Hangover at The Wedding Ring Blog.