Art Camp Oregon Coast:The Creations

While in Oregon, these are the projects I completed. 1) a resin bezel with rhinestones, lace & vintage button, courtesy of Kristen Robinson. 2)Etching & leather wrap around bracelets with bling, taught by Terri Brush. 3) Wire wrapped bangles, necklaces & bird's nests by Ruth Rae.

It's so great to come away with wearable wonders to treasure. Every time I wear these pieces I am reminded of the creativity, craftsmanship, and patience of these women who shared the secrets to making great art on the Oregon Coast.

Happy Creating!

Thinking Inside the Box

On the second day of Art Camp we exchanged cigar boxes with our camp sister. We were encouraged to get to know our sister and then fill a box based on things we think they would like. I had to admit, it wasn't easy for me to write about myself to a stranger. I actually think I just sent her here, to my blog. I didn't know what to expect, as I had never done a swap before.

But what I got in return was beyond anything I had imagined. Let's just say, Laurie did her homework. Her cigar box was made to look like an issue of Vogue, which I of course, love reading. It even had a masthead, a spine, back cover, and cover lines including my name. And on the inside, it looked like I had exploded. It was full of chocolate trays covered in pink, black, white, and gray jewels, beads, baubles, crowns, charms, candy, trim, and even some English themed goodies. I actually think Laurie did a better job of capturing me than if I had made the box for myself!

Thank you Laurie, from the bottom of my heart for all your hardwork, and for really "getting" me. I hope to show this project in detail in an upcoming Jewelry Affaire. Stay tuned. 

Art Camp on the Oregon Coast: Day 1

I am so fortunate to have spent five days on the Oregon Coast with Terri Brush. I met Terri two years ago and have worked with her on Jewelry Affaire. A week ago, I stepped on the plane to Portland, not sure what to expect. What I found when I stepped off the plane was refreshing indeed. There were the antique stores lined with vintage jewelry, the tables set with name cards and purses, the embellished door to our gift-filled room, stacks of cupcakes, and a plethora of handmade jeweled delights. And this was only the first day.

Moving Forward

I just returned from an amazing art retreat on the Oregon Coast. I have lots to share, needless to say. But I need to get organized first. For now, I wanted to share a very special honor: I am currently on the front page of the Huff Post Weddings. This article is so special to me, as it is about my father's wedding that happened earlier this month. Please check out the article and feel free to leave a comment on their page. I so appreciate the support.

Above is a picture of me in my bridesmaid's dress on the Big Day.

Shoe Glutton

I have a true passion for shoes. I definitely have a collection. They are wonderful pieces of architecture as well as fashionable staples. A shoe can make or break an outfit, without a doubt.

Last week all the stars must have aligned because in 7 days, I wound up with 3 new pairs. I know my mom reads my blog, so I say this for her and for concerned readers everywhere who might assume I have lost my mind or won the lottery and failed to mention it: These shoes were all fantastic bargains. I love bargain hunting just as much if not more than I love my shoes. So with that being said, let me walk you through these new additions to my collection:

Green Zara Lined Wedge : these beauties are a lovely shade of green and oh so comfy. Plus, I think Zara is very affordable. Bought these full price and am wearing them now (worth every penny!).

I've had a shoe crush on Charlotte Olympia for a while now. It has been a dream to own a pair of her gorgeous, luxury shoes. Well on Friday, a trip to Nordstrom Rack and some gift cards from the Easter bunny helped make this dream a reality. These pumps are 6 inches high, emerald green, velvet, dotted, and just my size. The web detail on the shoe bottom is too cute. These are stunners that are a worthy investment at a fraction of the cost. These shoes retailed for $895 and boy do they look it!

I had seen these Sam Edelman shoes at Nordstrom but then saw the price and decided to wait for them to go on sale. Well I never saw them on sale at Nordstrom and completely forgot about them until I saw these replicas at Kohl's. I almost bought them, but something inside of me just couldn't. I still had hope that I would find Sam's version out there. And yesterday I grabbed up the last pair at another Nordstrom Rack. They were $100 cheaper than the original sticker price. I couldn't pass them up. The description on the Sam Edelman website reads that these shoes will help "keep him in line." I love shoes with a sense of humor.

And speaking of sense of humor, my boyfriend's wonderful, sweet parents got me this Scotch tape dispenser shaped like a shoe. It's the perfect gift! It's on my desk right now and I don't know how my office survived without it.

Here's to a week of walking in style! Happy shopping/bargain hunting : )

Dior Addict

Spring means spring cleaning. I was taking a load of clothes to trade in at Crossroads. I felt like shopping instead of cashing out, so I wandered the racks to put my store credit to good use. It usually takes me an hour or two to comb the racks. But yesterday I did just a brief sweep. That's because I couldn't stop thinking about the jewelry I had seen at the front counter. I had never seen jewelry at Crossroads before, and this group of Dior sparklies really caught my eye.

A set of earrings and a necklace with pink rhinestones came with a jewelry bag and box. Since pink is my favorite color, I tried them on and loved how they stood out. The ring was cool too, it has a lot of baubles and beads on it. But I was really attracted to the details of these pieces. The necklace has a "D" at the end of the clasp, and the ring even has little "Dior"s dangling off of it, as well as the Dior engraving on the band. The ribbons on the box have its namesake on it too. And the best part was that all the jewelry came with individual bags for safekeeping in the box.
I cashed in my store credit and was so excited to fuel my jewelry addiction. These three peices combined were purchased for a fraction of what one of these would have cost new. Good deal!

Good news for those who shop Crossroads: I spoke to the manager and learned about how they authenticate their items. While the details on these pieces convinced me they were real, you'll be happy to know they also have a professional consigner appraising pieces too. My rule of thumb: if it is behind the counter or under glass it's probably real. If it is out on the racks, it's probably not. I almost bought some white Dior pumps, but after seeing them strewn on top of the racks and not behind the counter, I figured they were probably fakes. The fact that I could see glue marks on the tops furthered my suspicions. Remember, shopping is an art, and it can take a trained eye or a great staff to really score true value.

I'm so in love and excited to wear these Dior beauties through the seasons! You will notice several photos of my nails in the pictures. That's because I'm in love with their color! And is there any better combo than mint and red or mint and Dior pink rhinestones? I think not.

Happy Deal Hunting!

Easter Monday

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little lame baloonman


whistles far and wee


and eddyandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring


when the world is puddle-wonderful


the queer
old baloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing


from hop-scotch and jump-rope and


it's
spring
and
the
goat-footed


baloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

-ee cummings

Above are scenes from my Easter Sunday. Hope you had a blessed Easter!