Some cool little things you just might like...

Helloooo! So here's an update from Ashley and I! We are currently making Greek-inspired jewelry to raise money for our trip. Many of them will be turquoise blue because this color is considered lucky to the Greek. After research, I found that "Evil Eye" jewelry is very popular so I thought I should explain this a little bit to you all. Basically, this is a bead that looks like a blue eye and it is supposed to give you luck and protection. The "evil eye" is considered to be a terrible thing and the Greeks believe that wearing these blue eye beads will ward off evil things (just to clarify: the beads are not evil eyes, just protectants from the evil eye). So they're really cool and we made some just for you guys! All proceeds will go to our trip and I will also write down your address so that we can send you a homemade postcard saying thanks after we get back from our trip. Here is the link to our Etsy store:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ProjectGreece
Another thing I have been working on is an apparel/trinkets/random things store in which we customize items to sell. A very small amount of this money actually goes to us to the items are rather highly priced, but you can take a look at the store just in case you like anything! More designs are coming so the store is a little silly-looking right now. HOWEVER it does have some homemade Harry Potter designs which are pretty dang awesome if you ask me. But the Harry Potter ones will be up in a while and the designs we have right now are kind of lame compared to Mr. Potter. But yeah...check it out and I'll let you know when we have some new designs up! Here's the link:
http://www.cafepress.com/project_greece

On another note, I am currently talking with a Greek tutor to help Ashley and I learn some common phrases we may need and to learn how to read the Greek alphabet. I'm purrrty excited!
Also, we are in the process of putting together a video to post on this blog so we can talk to you guys more personally...so that's another thing to look forward to.

Don't forget we're doing a $2 fundraiser so everyone who is able, please donate $2 to help us out and receive a hand-made post card when we return from Greece. Love you guys! Thanks for everything you've been doing for us!

17 Interesting Things about Greece

Here are some interesting facts about Greece:

1. Greece is about the size of Alabama, however it has more than twice as many people.
2. No one in Greece can choose not to vote. It's required by law for everyone over 18 years old.
3. Nearly 80% of Greece is mountainous.
4. Common English words from Greek include “academy,” “apology,” “marathon,” “siren,” “alphabet,” and “typhoon.”
5. Greece has more than 2,000 islands, of which approximately 170 are populated.
6. Continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years, Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is also the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, political science, Western literature, historiography, major mathematical principles, and Western theories of tragedy and comedy.
7. Greece enjoys more than 250 days of sunshine—or 3,000 sunny hours—a year.
8. Greece is the leading producer of sea sponges.
9. Many Greek structures such as doors, windowsills, furniture, and church domes are painted a turquoise blue, especially in the Cyclades Islands. It is used because of an ancient belief that this shade of blue keeps evil away. They called the color kyanos, which the words “cyan” and “cyanide” are derived from.
10. In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name rather than their own birthday.
11. Greece holds one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was called the Colossus of Rhodes. It was a 98-foot tall statue of the God Helios and was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 B.C.
12. The first Olympic games took place in 776 B.C.
13. Greece is home to monk seals, an endangered species with only 250 left in the world.
14. Greeks do not wave with an open hand. In fact, it is considered an insult to show the palm of the hand with the fingers extended. Greeks wave with the palm closed.
15. After giving a compliment, Greeks make a puff of breath through pursed lips, as if spitting. This is meant to protect the person receiving the compliment from the “evil eye.”
16. A Spartan specialty was a black soup made from salt, vinegar, and blood. No one in the rest of Greece would drink it.
17. Greek workers get at least one month of paid vacation every year.

http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-greece.html