Happy Easter Everyone

Happy Easter!

Roman

Overlooking the obvious inappropriateness of putting up a Roman on Good Friday, this is a look that was popular in the '90's and is still seen today. I like it as a way to wear all my old gold chains as well. I added the drop pear to give the whole thing a richer look. Coins have been used in jewelry for thousands years so wearing a Roman is a very classic look. I have some Roman coin cuff links as well. White French cuff shirt and black pants, bedecked with Romans, and I'm ready for any job.

Easter

Sweet pin and necklace from Easters past. I love the nostalgia that comes from items dating from my childhood. These are things that for the most part have been thrown away years ago. That somebody saved them is touching in itself. These are not common finds. They surface only rarely like certain happy childhood memories. I also collect old diaper pins. When your child grows up you realize how quickly the whole thing happens. There is a deep mystery: where has my baby gone? So when you find these old for the most part throw away items they seem like clues and you cling to them.

planets

In May and June of 2001 (with no thought of 911 ahead) I attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop. While in Iowa City I visited a lovely Artists' Cooperative and bought the lampworked beads that were called "Planets." I wish I could dig up my diary from those days and tell you the exact name of the artist who made them. I wear them with an old version of the Greek Evil Eye or God's Eye or whatever because these blue beads remind me of the swirling galaxies out beyond the planets. This whole set reminds me of those lovely peaceful spring days in Iowa before any of us knew the world was about to explode. What do you remember from right before 911?

little pins

It's really nice to collect little pins (with a spring theme) all year and then put them in plastic Easter eggs as gifts. If you have enough of them you can have an egg hunt and everyone will win a prize. Easter is my favorite holiday, and if I am going to throw a party it will typically be on Easter. Unfortunately my kids can't come up this year so I guess I have 52 more weeks to find little pins for next Easter.

emerald-trine

Glass stones with an emerald green and brownish citrine washed together are what these two stones have in common. I think the ring is much older than the pendant just based on the style of the settings. I've gotten a lot of use out of the ring but have never worn the pendant. I don't know why not except for the fact that I don't go to work everyday now so I don't frequently change my outfits. When you live in jeans, you don't feel especially called to change your jewelry in order to integrate a new piece. And this pendant is a recent acquisition based on the fact that it matched the ring which I've had for years. I'm sure that when I go back to work I will find the perfect thing to wear with this set.

small blue pearls

As I've said before, I'm always satisfied with what I order from China. Here I ordered two strands of blue pearls. To one I added a sea shell pearl drop. The other I left plain. Then I re-strung some old cloisonne beads that I got from My Sister's Closet here in Quincy interspersed with white freshwater pearls from China and added that to the combination. This is a subtle combination but really beautiful when worn with a solid silk shirt of almost any color. The blue pearls pick up any color you may be wearing and the enameled beads highlight white, red, pink, royal blue and green as well as silver. This has been a week of rather subtle jewelry altogether. I've been focusing on pieces that would work well for the office.