Of feather hats and mulberry trees.

   Wearing feather hats, or any thing that I want to keep clean, under the mulberry tree probably wasn't my brightest idea! Its just that the trees are sooooo pretty right now. All the leaves have filled in and the berries are just beginning to ripen. I can hardly wait till I'm able to start picking them!   But, I should have kept in mind that the birds are all ready eating the ripe ones at the top and that can turn into a messy situation very quickly! Hats don't stand a chance under those circumstances.

   I call this hat my "modest Edwardian". A tightly woven straw, asymmetrical brim and the inner circumference is quite large so it could accommodate the hairstyles of that era. Very simple with lots of ostrich feathers. I ADORE them! I even have a box with ostrich and peacock feathers just so I can add them to hats from time to time. Some days you just need the little extra touch of movement and color.

   And since my granddaughter Arianna was visiting I took  full advantage of her photography skills and put on several different hats. (For twelve years of age I think she did a great job!)  This pheasant feather toque has such lovely colors in it.  Predominant are shadings of slate blue. Who could ask for more?

Wrapping comfort around me.

    Its been pretty rough around here this last month or so. While I had every intention of posting to the Style Crone's March Hat Attack, life just got too jumbled up... then became extremely sad.  (I had to have my big goofy dog Jacob euthanized. It was a heartbreaking necessity..... still can't deal with it all that well. But his Spirit is happy now! And running fast and free.)
    I found this shawl/scarf at the thrift store and figured it would go along well with this vintage hat I just bought online. Very glad I got it, I'd forgotten how comforting shawls can be and that is exactly what I needed... comforting.
    In the last three years or so, I've had to say final farewells to my two oldest dogs, six of my cats and now Jacob. And you know, with taking care of my mother and all, I don't feel like I've had any time to truly grieve these losses.
    So I continue on..... knowing that one day I will have the time to adequately express my grief. That time just isn't now.
    But during this time I do find myself playing in my hat stash more! Now I'll be playing in the scarves and shawls too. There is something about the feel of the fabric draping around my shoulders that has a calming effect. What a fun coping mechanism it is!
   

    And while the hat isn't a very flattering style for me, how could I resist those little feathers? And burgundy velvet! Plus the tag says it was made by Miss Alice....  Alice being my first name. hahaha  (Yes, I did use that as an excuse to buy it.)  The shawl itself is polyester fabric made in Korea, but it certainly has the look of silk. Nice feel to it too. 
    The color is also one of my favorites to use as an accent. These pieces will be especially versatile come Autumn.  Oh, I need to start matching up some of my Lucite jewelry too!  See, I'm feeling more centered all ready.  Y'all take care and remember to spend more quality time with your furry children.

Freyja's Friday.......... starting to think Spring!!

   Even though we're having a cool spell right now, it was up past 80 degrees F just a few days ago. So I'm thinking Spring!  As usual I dig into my moonglow box and see what color beads I have. hahaha  These are such lovely soft shades of green.  Perhaps I should combine some of the floral colored beads with them. Pinks, yellows, blues, purples and maybe even a little bit of red!
    Yep, that sounds like a great idea to me!

   And then I found this necklace with these delicate little plastic and rhinestone blossoms! So cute. As usual, I'll need to make an extender for it.

   And, of course, as I was trying to photograph the jewelry I had cats attempting to help me! Maynard was quite miffed that I didn't appreciate his assistance. I told him that unless he would sit still and actually WEAR the necklaces.... then "no", I didn't need his help. Pawing at the pieces and trying to run off with them is definitely NOT what I consider helpful!

Yes. Today I shall wear red.

   Oh, the color red! I've always loved it... but rarely wore it. And then it was usually as an accent piece. But every once in a while I'll go crazy with it! Today being one of those days.
   Found the hat at the local thrift shop. Its wool and velvet, made by Scala for the Red Hat Society. Have found several from that group in the last few years, but this is the first one that I actually liked.  It has just the right amount of decoration for this color!
   As you can tell, I'm trying to photograph myself again! Not easy, let me tell you! Especially with my short arms! hahahaha    Anyway, for the whole outfit I paired old blue jeans with a bright solid red button-up blouse and then overlayed with a tunic blouse (light jacket?) in black with red florals. Added red moonglow and white rhinestone earrings and, of course, SCARLET lipstick! hahaha 
    Will have to send this one over to Style Crone's Hat Attack. I just LOVE that she does that every month!
 http://stylecrone.com/2016/02/01/hat-attack-31/

  

Another case of "What to wear with THIS?"

   Oh my! Its happened again. I saw a wonderful hat on Ebay and was successful with my bid.   Now, I knew it was impressive when I saw the photos... and more importantly FUN... but it would seem that I underestimated it.
   I knew it was colorful! Mostly red, with orange, purple  (a bit muted) and a rich saffron yellow. And it has a nice wide brim... though I was surprised at how wide. At least 20 inches across! Couldn't even find a box big enough to store it in! And trust me... I want to keep this baby safe and sound! I just LOVE it!!!
    Then the realization struck me... I don't have anything that I can wear with this! I mean, the hat IS the focal point.  I need an outfit that is solid and probably neutral in color. And the simplest of jewelry.      OK, that right there spells trouble for me. hahaha  I like fairly big jewelry... and colorful! As for clothing, I like florals!! Oh, and fabric that is colorful! hahaha   See my dilemma?   chuckle
    All I need right now is enough time to reorganize my home.... go through all these boxes of belongings... and set up a sewing area! (Not to mention space for my drawing table and easel .... and lets not forget all the stuff from the old jewelry shop. sheesh!)  Hell, I'd be happy with just TIME!!!!
    Anyway, will have to review my sewing patterns and choose some versatile pieces to make in solid colors. I saw the latest issue of Threads magazine just the other day and they had a travel wardrobe that they had put together. Looked good. I might need to go back and see which patterns they used. I think I need a classy casual look. Then off to the fabric store to see what looks nice. Black is an obvious first choice because I can use it with so many other things. White is out of the question because of the water quality around here.... clothes don't stay white for very long! chuckle   A nice cream would be an option, but it would still need a lot of extra care and effort when its time to wash it!

Freyja's Day........ Warrior brooch.

   Seriously, how could I pass this piece up?  He is AWESOME!!!
   The loops with the rhinestones look odd and out of place to me. And the backing is soldered on in a very sloppy fashion. I would guess that the molded face had probably been part of something else at one time. Don't have any idea as to what, but it really doesn't matter.   I would love to create a pendant with this. Or perhaps a substantial necklace! You know the kind with all the seed beads! Those can be true works of art.... and if any piece deserves to be part of a necklace like that, its this guy!

   I'm so impressed with the features. The seller referred to it as Genghis Kahn. I can definitely see that connection. hahaha   Will have to sit down one day and do a meditation to see what design I'm shown. Pieces like this are so exciting!

See what I mean when I said "sloppy"?
Face is 2 1/8" by 1 3/8"

 

A little catching up to do!



Well, I finally found a little red purse in the perfect shade! Yeh! Plus some more moonglow jewelry... LOVE that stuff! Also lion earrings. I've always wanted a pair of those!


   My goodness, here it is the New Year all ready! I hope everyone had a wonderful December.
   I was feeling pretty depressed during the holidays because my daughter and grandchildren didn't make it back home. I haven't celebrated a Christmas without my "little girl" in 37 years!!! (Hard to believe that she is that old! lol)   But I did have a visitor on Xmas eve!  A little puppy had been dumped in my neighborhood.... so guess who took her in? Not sure what she is exactly. Maybe part Rottie... or Dobie? Its anyone's guess at this point. Approximately 3 months old and weighing in at 16 pounds... She is going to be a BEAUTY!  Of course, I named her Merry Christmas.    Hoping to find an AWESOME home for her soon.
    So now that she has settled in a bit and all the hectic activity at the bakery is finally slowing down I'm also hoping to get more time at my computer! 
    Its been pointed out to me that I'm obviously an accessories kind of gal. hahaha  Well yeah, that would be the inevitable direction for me to head off in. #1: I just LOVE hats! #2: I spent a lot of years making jewelry. Learned it when I was a teenager in high school out in Arizona. A local silversmith was giving classes and I talked my father into signing up and going with me (I've always been shy), that led to over two decades of both of us making and selling our designs on the art and craft show circuits here in the Southeast. I certainly hope to be able to set up another silver shop soon. I love doing it and I have SO MANY ideas!!!!  :)   I want to explore some different techniques and materials and I'm in the process of gathering (even more) supplies with which to do exactly that! hahaha This is going to be loads of fun.  #3: I used to sew... a LOT.   Would like to get back to doing it. That way I can make what I want AND it will fit me!  I can also make my own purses again! (Another REALLY FUN thing to do!)       Hopefully 2016 is the year I get my creativity rolling again!