Freyja's Day....... Wedding earrings perhaps?

    These just arrived in the mail yesterday. I think they're so charming! Will need to clean them of course then gently bend the little branches out. I feel the one on the right is a good representation of the shape they should be in.
   I'm guessing that these were intended as wedding earrings. At least they would certainly work well for that purpose! White milk glass has such a classic look. 
 

    I noticed that these had a silver foil looking residue glued on to some of the small beads.  Little rhinestones perhaps? Or a sequin of some kind? A little glitter would definitely add to the wedding concept! chuckle   Also quite a lot of glue in between the bigger beads.
    I find all kinds of odd "alterations" to jewelry. Some actually improve the pieces, most do not.

    They're marked JAPAN on the back of the clips. Approximate length is two inches from bottom to top of extended branch.   Unfortunately they are as uncomfortable as a clip on can get! It only takes a few moments till they start to pinch horribly. Oh my!    
    I keep looking at them and I'm convinced they weren't dress clips. But I'll have to do some modifications of my own if I ever hope to wear them. Hope to do that soon because they look sooooo good on! 

Surely I'm not the only one.......

What can I say? Blues and florals are my downfall!

   Well I did it again.... I went to the thrift store up the street on their 50% off all clothing day and wound up buying several garments that are too small for me. Now yes, I intend to lose some weight in order to give my joints some relief, but I have to wonder if I'm the only person who does this?  Clothing in question is only one or two sizes smaller. But they were soooo good looking! And the price was sooooo good too!! hahaha 
    Oh my, I should just call myself an optimist and stop second guessing my actions.   Now, there are the pieces I purchase because of the fabric.... that makes perfect sense to me! Even though I have yet to dig out my sewing machine. Go figure!  Oh! And all the XXL men's shirts that I want to turn into  sleeveless blouses. Ooops! And lets not forget the dresses that are going to become extra long vests or dusters. (Used to do that ages ago. It works out very well.) Its the colors that always grab me on those. So even a size 8 or 10 can be split down the front to create a nicely flowing garment. Especially if they are ankle length I can take some off the bottom and sew front panels...  even add buttons or ties if I want to fasten it.
    When it comes to recreating clothing, you are only limited by your imagination! And sometimes sewing skills! hahaha

Late Freyja's Day...... Now what did I put in those cigar boxes?

   Have been trying to do a little bit of Spring cleaning and organizing when ever I get a few minutes. So the other day I looked up on a shelf and wondered "What did I put in those cigar boxes?"  Come to find out there was a little bit of everything. I thought some of the jewelry would be fun for Freyja's day.
    Some boxes held assorted costume pieces. I found rhinestone necklaces and pins, earrings of all kinds, bracelets, etc..

    Got all excited when I found this box!!! Can't remember why the cherry amber bakelite beads are in there, but the pearls are going to be awesome for some of the projects I want to do this Summer. Most of these are flat on one side.... perfect for sewing onto beaded pendants!
  

    Finally.... I was wondering where that necklace went to! Its a little bib necklace that looks great on when you want to shimmy around with a hip scarf!! hahaha  Seriously, it looks good with just about anything. And it only jingles when you move a certain way, so its not too loud. Will have to put it on for one of the hat photos I have coming up.
    The silver and turquoise are from my Arizona days and of the other silver pieces ... my father made the two black onyx bracelets and I made the rest. Hopefully some day soon I can get back to making jewelry and doing my artwork. Creative flow is so important!  Y'all have a happy weekend!

Well, damn those little insects!!!

    SO, I pulled one of my favorite hats out of winter storage. (Trust me, in Florida that doesn't last for very long.) And lo and behold, some little creature from Hell had been munching on the lovely little trimmed feathers that add such movement and grace to the hat's embellishment.
    It would be a massive understatement if I said I was pissed off!  I really thought I had this type of thing under control, but guess I'll be researching for better ways to protect those feathers!!!!   Sheesh!
     Probably need to replenish my cedar pieces with some oil. And, oh yes, it would be nice to make up some lavender sachets for the hat boxes! Why didn't I remember that? The moths may hate the fragrance but I love it! So lavender it is!
     I'm going to post this on Style Crone's Hat Attack as a little reminder to everyone..... PROTECT your headwear! As well as other wools, silks and feathers.
   http://stylecrone.com/2016/03/31/hat-attack-33/

    Anyway this is a fairly modern hat by Betmar. Ivory colored straw, made in China. The shape is what I fell for. Most of my friends like it too. And best of all we've found it compliments quite a few different head and face shapes. Versatility is a great thing! 
    Its definitely one of my top "go-to" hats from Spring all the way through the Fall. Looks good with just about everything. Always nice to have one of those. hahaha 

   My granddaughter (my guest photographer) told me that she didn't look good in hats. I think she looks wonderful in this one. What do y'all think?
   

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!