Freyja's Day..... Healing Pendant.

   Please pardon the photo quality and my tardiness.
   My friends will recognize this piece! I made it quite a few years ago.  The  pale green-blue turquoise cabochon was a gift from an old rockhound couple that I knew when I was very young.  The sodalite cab is one that I shaped from a larger broken stone.  I find both of these minerals very healing to my Spirit and body. Added the hands... think Reiki and other healing techniques. A sacred spiral for energy flow and there it was! One of my favorite pieces... so simple, yet powerful.
    I really need to find a way to get a jewelry workshop going again!
  

Faux Hair Swatch Photo!!! LOL

   For some reason the photos keep getting posted sideways.   ???  I give up. With this one it doesn't matter much, so here is my selection.   Third or fourth down are the ones I quickly narrowed it down to. Need someone else to actually compare them to my hair for me. I have a hard time seeing the top and sides of my head! HAHAHA   Any volunteers?

Faux hair.... Really? Has it come to that?

   So the whole "gonna let my hair grow" thing hasn't exactly been a success. My hair grows SOOOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOW..... and its fine and thin. A recipe for failure if there ever was one.    So what happens? A friend hands me a catalog from Paula Young. Seems that's where she gets her hairpieces and wigs from. (Really?!)    And I'm actually thinking seriously about trying out something from there!!!!  That surprised me so much I could knock myself over with a feather. hahaha
   But really, I have to do SOMETHING! Its been months and all I have to show for it is a thin scraggly "rodent tail" of hair that's grown to a grand length of about three inches. Talk about pathetic!
   And when I put on a lovely hat... well, lets just say that my little wisp o'hair detracts from the overall visual effect I was going for!  So, I ordered my swatch samples from the grey range to see if anything matches whats on my head.
   *Unfortunately the computer isn't letting me insert photos in the correct position.... like right side up!!  lol   And I can't get them cancelled out, so will just go ahead and post this.   Yep, its been that sort of day.

Evening rant.

   So, did you notice how 2015 slipped in the door like a sneaky cat!  Here it is April all ready, and I'm still trying to shake off the surprise and adjust to its presence. I didn't even bother to make any New Year resolutions. Between my mother's dementia and Parkinson's, my own health issues, hours getting cut at my part-time job and my home/yard looking like a disaster area.... I figured I'd just go easy on myself and not create any more pressure.  There, THAT will be my resolution! Go easy on myself this year.      Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. chuckle   What if I just try to take better care of myself?  That sounds more attainable.
    Anyway, I've taken to the keyboard this evening in order to stay away from Ebay. You see, there is this beautiful little red hat up for bids!!!!!!  And I DO NOT NEED ANOTHER HAT!!!   Sheesh! I don't get to wear the ones I have!
   Of course the same could be said for my jewelry. I mean, how many bangle bracelets does a 56 year old woman need?   Wha? What was that? I could have sworn I heard someone whisper "...more".  So anyway, if my arms were skinny little stick limbs I bet I could load them both up with bracelets all the way up to the shoulder! hahaha    WAIT! There it is again....  Yep, definitely sounds like a hushed voice saying "more".       I either have an earthbound spirit with a hoarding streak in my home or there is a part of my brain that is trying to play up my pack rat tendencies. I truly DO NOT need either one of those.
    But seriously, perusing Ebay and Etsy are two of my favorite forms of therapy. And it can be quite an educational activity too! I've certainly seen things that I normally would not have encountered. My favorite right now are the bronze Buddhist temple bells. When I manage to get a few extra thousand dollars I'm going to get a couple of those!!!    How awesome would that be? :)
   

Freyja's Day.......... But what is it made of?

   Oh goodness, its Freyja's Day all ready!  Well, the summer heat has come early to Florida this year so I'll have to start choosing some lightweight jewelry to wear. Time to put away certain pieces till cooler and drier weather returns.  But before I do, I wanted to post a couple of photos and ask if anyone knows anything about these bracelets.

   You see, I don't know anything about them! I wonder what they're made of and how old they are.
   My first bracelet of this design was in a small lot of jewelry pieces. I immediately fell in love with it! I found the brown to be very attractive and the pattern interesting. It has so much depth! But it was the heft and feel of it on my arm that really hooked me.
   As you can see, I loved it enough to start hunting down a few more so that I could adorn both arms! Even found a couple that had been shaped by being ground down in spots. Personally I'm not fond of these. It makes the bracelets lose that earthy, feminine grace.
   As I purchased each one I paid special attention to what each seller had to say about them. Descriptions were either plastic (uh, no.), Lucite, Bakelite and one seller referenced them as being "lacquered Bakelite".  So I'm still in the dark as to their composition!!!
   Would love to find out about them. So if you have any info or might know someone who would..... please give me a shout out! 
   As always, Be Kind, Be Happy and Enjoy Life to the fullest!
    

  

 

 

How did I lose three Fridays?? Plus... when hats arrive smashed!

"So here I sit amongst the canines in repose, for what reason I do not know... nor do I care. I spend my days resting upon towers of hat boxes, dreaming of ancient temples in lands far from this place. Often, my human servant will anoint me with fine vintage perfumes and burn beautiful handmade incense to honor me. My life is simplicity at its best... so I am content to grace these creatures with my divine presence."      ~ Coco Kitteh

    Today for Freyja's Friday I've decided to post a photo of Coco. It was her paw with the amber necklace in my first post of this kind.
    Oh my, thought I'd missed out on one, maybe two, Friday postings.... but I see that isn't the case. Sheesh! Really and truly I can't figure out where the time goes. But in my defense, things have been a bit busier around here and at my part time job. And my mother's mental condition has worsened noticeably. As a caretaker its a lot of stress to try and handle.  Thank goodness I have my "end-of-day therapy sessions".... which is a fancy sounding way of saying that I try on my hats!!! hahaha  Seriously though, it really does help.
   Yesterday evening I unboxed a hat that I purchased on Ebay quite a while ago. When it first arrived I was so horrified at how it had been packed, and summarily crushed, that I repacked it in something safe and promptly retreated to my bedroom to just sit in disbelief!
   ONLY NOW AM I ABLE TO RECOUNT THAT HEINOUS SIGHT!  But you will have to bear with me if I falter in my retelling of these events... the trauma still lingers!      You think I'm being too dramatic don't you? Well, I'm NOT.  I purchased a black and white wide brim straw hat by Frank Olive. In wonderful condition too.   Then it arrived on my porch packed in two pizza boxes.....  Yep, that's what I said "PIZZA BOXES"!  They had been taped together in the middle with regular clear tape. Now, to begin with, the boxes are NOT tall enough to put a hat this size in. So the seller must have had to "smush" the crown down in order to close the boxes. May I remind you this is made of straw and its a older hat. Straw can become brittle with age. (Need a pause here....)  Anyway, the "box" had gotten thoroughly smashed in transit.... I mean, what would one expect to have happen with two pizza boxes!! NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER IN THE CENTER!!!   ( I think I need a chocolate milk break..... getting way too worked up over the gross stupidity... wait a minute. Note to Self: try not to be so ornery. Let me give this another try... getting upset over the mindless negligence of people when they overlook simple, yet important details. There. That sounds better. Mind you its not nearly as satisfying as a good bitch-fest, but it will have to do)
    To get back on track with the story... the hat arrived smashed pretty badly. Only the fact that it is a well constructed hat saved it from total destruction. The straw is broken almost all the way around the crown base, plus in several areas on the sides of the crown and one small place on the very top. The brim is relatively unscathed. There are two roses that are pretty flat, but then I'd like to get better quality ones to replace them anyway. The netting is good and that's always a plus!
    Now y'all know what I'm talking about when I say how horrible it was! The bad news is that I know of no milliner even remotely nearby who might be able to help repair and extend its little life. I have some notions I'd like to try here at home, but I fear I might really mess it up! hahaha   Oh well, if I can reinforce it somehow... guess that means I'll be searching the internet for books and videos.  
    Will have to put a millinery course on my bucket list! chuckle