Sunday, January 26, 2014

Anatomy 101: Patterned Agate & Onyx Bracelet



As I “stroll” through the jewelry departments of some of my favorite stores and boutiques, one of the things that I find fascinating is the way in which high end designers toss in a variety of beads and components. I love the juxtaposition of components in unexpected ways – that’s what inspires me. In turn, it makes me so happy when someone looks at my jewelry designs and says “I have never seen those gemstones used together. I would not have thought to mix it up like this.” I always take it as a positive observation and not a criticism.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

1956: Aunties, Style & Battles


I am so happy that I uncovered a few pix from my past over the last several months. These two are dated February 1956 and are pretty good examples of the polar opposites in my style choices as a seven year old -- plaid and Levi’s and fluffy organza. The top pix is me with my all time favorite, Auntie Opal. You may remember me talking about her in previous entries – she was the poster gal for girlie-girl in those days; and I loved that about her. I would feign illness just so I could go to Auntie Opal’s instead of school while my mom worked! She’s the one that taught me about nail polish, hair scarves, tabbies and jewelry! Tons of jewelry -- all costume. In my mind, she was the epitome of mid-50s style, even on a family day trip to the Mojave Desert! I loved that woman.


Friday, January 10, 2014

Inspiration: Freezing Fog

A few weeks back, my birthday week to be exact, I received the best gift ever. Mother Nature gave me her finest. Taking my regular route mid-morning, I headed out to Dundee to meet with my hairstylist for a cut and color and some fun girl chat. A few blocks from home everything seemed to look quite different than is usual for this time of year. I pulled my Jeep off road to get a closer look of the white bark birch trees that line the property where I had stopped. The bare branches and trunks were covered in frost; not glistening ice, but soft shimmery frost. The sky was white and soft. It was magical – I felt as if I was standing in the middle of the best snow globe ever.