|
I just wanted to show you how a simple little jewel can totally work for you. You’ll remember that pretty green summer dress I featured the other day – well it has calico trim with red in it. Think how pretty these vintage oval jewels would be as earrings with that dress 🙂  I’m going to post a pic in a little while, showing the dress – and the jewels (wish I could do it on a model! Oh well). Just so you can get the idea. Contrasts work. Simple works. Color works 🙂 I saw this adorable kelly green vintage dress and it just popped into my head, how I would wear it. And I totally fell in love.  Now first, it’s a cute dress. Next: add bright red hoop earrings. Big ones. And really high heeled sandals. Yes, just this once, because they would so totally rock. In red, or green, or black. Black patent. That’s the ticket. I don’t know if I’d leave the length “as is”, or shorten it to one of the calico bands around the bottom – would have to try it on to see. I found this terrific garment while visiting Topanga Hidden T on Etsy. Darrell and Mary Bee, the owner and curator, have a great eye, super values – and a brick and mortar shop as well! So in person, or online, you definitely want to Go Shopping here 🙂 And this dress – cute, cotton, and even comfy – and it’s a “large” (yay! not a size 2!) And fun? Yes. The bright red hoops are optional 🙂 P.S. Plus – this is important. They have a dinosaur on the roof of their brick-and-mortar. I mean, it’s worth the trip to LA! I think of these pretty oval duos as “wedding jewels”. Of course you can wear them for other occasions, but they are so graceful, simple, and feminine, that I think they are perfect for brides:  The little sparkle of color at the top of the setting can be matched to your wedding colors – or of course can be clear, sparkling, bridal crystal. Hmm. You could use crystal for your earrings – and a color stone for your bridesmaids 🙂 DIY. Save money. Sparkling, pretty, bridal jewels. This is all to the good! Oh my goodness! Look at these gorgeous shoes. The shop has them listed as “mules” – I’d have said, “Slides”. They’re backless heels, they’re sandals, whatever you call them, they are wonderful!  Actually I think I like the name “mules”. It’s vintage too. And these are that super combo of vintage style – that looks totally great today. I found these hot shoes at Vogue Vintage boutique at Etsy, and this woman has a great eye (and great prices!) Check out her orange crocheted sundress, or purple mod 1960s swimsuit, or Hawaiian batik dress, or – well, you get the idea. And right now, she’s got a “Christmas in July” sale. Check it out – you’ll love it! I mentioned cushion cut jewels the other day – one of the other major trends I’m seeing lately is stud earrings. Small, pretty earrings that don’t shout out loud – but look great. Like these pretty glass octagons:  Those little jewels can be placed in one-ring, two-ring or no-ring settings. I think people are liking the no-ring, button earring styles lately because they don’t get in the way, they look girly and pretty, and sometimes it’s nice to have a change from big dangle earrings. Which we will talk about later. Because they’re still wonderful. But the little earrings? They’re fun too 🙂 The term “cushion cut” refers to an octagon shaped glass jewel, usually with rounded corners. It’s a classic cut harkening back to the fine Czech glass rhinestones of the 1800s – and probably to beautifully cut gemstones for a long time before that. They are still one of the most popular cuts, and you can see why:  They’re one of the most flattering, versatile styles of stone to wear – whether glass, lucite, or gemstone. You’ll love them! We have been very lucky, here in KC. There’ve been some humongous storms this year – none of which have reached our neighborhood. Well this week we had one finally come through. Just a few days’ worth of interruption to “normal life” (you can define that however you want to, I figure as long as there’s food on the table and running water, everything else is gravy). So anyway – I am playing catchup. Last Thursday (okay, very early Friday, about 2:00 am) we had part of a tree fall on our house.  And it didn’t make a hole in the roof – talk about blessed! As it fell it came through other branches, so it was gentle. Just cumbersome and big and I do have to say, it was much bigger in real life than in the pic here. Well, it seemed like it. We got it removed (a huge front-yard-filling pile of tree trunks, lumber, and branches as they were hauled away) and the only other problem was two days without power, which I’m not fond of. And three days without internet, which ditto. But some people are still without power, 5 days later. And had major roof and/or house damage. We were SO lucky. Counting my blessings! A little something different – jewelry that features your logo. It’s fun, totally customized and personalized, and in my other shop I make these, so I figured I ought to mention it 😉  And hey, this particular example (made a ways back for Act4Murder dinner theater are even black and white – they’d be great with the vintage halter dress I posted about the other day! Back to my regularly scheduled vintage and rhinestone goodies. (The logo earrings are pretty cool, though…) I was going to title this post “Vintage Black and White Summer Dress” and then I thought about it. Yes, this is a great dress for summer. But actually? Add a black jacket or cardigan and you could wear this gorgeous dress year round.  Take a look at the other pics in the listing – you can see the detailing, and it’s pretty cool. It’s probably fairly adjustable, would be forgiving of a little weight gain or loss, and it’s a super flattering line. And come on: sexy halter, shoulders, flirty skirt, and black and white…. this is a foxy dress! I found it at Sammy’s Chifforobe on Etsy, and Sammy, the owner/curator, has got a great eye. She gives you good pics, lots of detail, and the prices? In a word – amazing. Go shopping! You’ll love the store, you’ll find great deals, and to top it all off, Sammy’s using her savvy and sense of style to help pay for grad school. We need more women in grad school, getting educated, getting out in the biz world! This is what we call a “win/win”! You know, there are beautiful jewelry supplies from all over the world. But I have to say, I think our jewelry manufacturers in the eastern USA (Rhode Island and Massachusetts primarily, I believe) really do make the finest brass filigree in the world. Case in point: these beautiful brass filigree butterfly charms. Look at the detail!  They’re delicate (but not flimsy). They’re perfect as slightly asymetric earrings ‘as is’ – and are wonderful with added jewels or pearls. This is what fun, attractive, and affordable jewelry making is all about – easy and pretty! |
Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
|