Jean Jean Vintage | Vintage and antique jewelry

Six weeks and a gift

2012-02-10T09:41:00.002-05:00

I got a package in the mail last week from my friend Susannah and this was inside. Isn't it fantastic? I love how she used a bark motif and birds, since those are both things we have in the nursery (and Severen adores birds). It is such a thoughtful gift, and something that our family will enjoy for years to come. Thank you, Sus!

Our little fellow is six weeks old today. He is able to smile now! It is interesting how affirming I find his little grins, like he's saying, "Good job, Momma. I am a happy boy!" In reality, I'm sure he is saying, "Wow, you look very tired and pale. Did you always look like this? Yikes." I haven't captured a full-out smile on film yet, but I'm working on it.

Something for your hair

2012-02-08T10:18:00.001-05:00

The fern collection by Conroy & Wilcox is quite nice. The hair ornaments are my favorite.

Images courtesy of Conroy & Wilcox

Feels like spring update

2012-02-06T12:38:00.003-05:00

Spring feels like it is just around the corner thanks to a string of days in the 40s around these parts. I could get used to this kind of incredibly mild winter! Here is an update to match the weather. I hope your week gets off to a good start today - Happy Monday!

(clockwise from the upper left)

vintage brooch / 1950s / LAVANDULA

vintage Art Deco ring / 1920s / ORCHIS

vintage Art Deco necklace / 1920s / ASTILBE

vintage glass brooch / 1930s / GERANIUM

vintage Victorian brooch / 1900s / PRIMROSE

vintage earrings / 1940s / FIRETAIL

Guest Post || Lisa of Tree & Kimball

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

I asked Lisa of Tree & Kimball (the lady who made this rad necklace) to do a guest post for us about her studio space and when she sent me the photos, I was left bouche bée as they say. Sometimes I find super organized spaces a little intimidating but the opposite is true here - the room is soooo focused, cool and welcoming. I feel like I could accomplish anything at that desk, you know? That is the power of a perfect workspace. Thank you for sharing, Lisa! ♡ Duff

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Hello there! I'm Lisa from Tree & Kimball, filling in with a wee tour of my studio, as Duff settles into her new role as la mère extraordinaire. Ms. Jean Jean has become a dear internet pal of mine over this past year & I'm simply over the moon for her & Soren, as this little gentlemen transforms them into a family of three.

And so, I bring you a glimpse into my full-time Etsy-an work-space:

Where the lace lives.

Chain, with more chain and some chain on top

My two best gals and a brand-new dream-desk

Entry to the studio and a collection of favorite things

A sunny nook and a (hyper-organized) closet

Courtesy of my handy husband, loads of hideous beige carpeting has recently been ushered out of our house, in exchange for some new oak floors (hallelujah!). First stop was my studio, which has quickly become my (tightly sealed) oasis, as inches of sawdust pile up in the remainder of the house. Almost entirely re-decorated from what it once was, my new hideout has made me one seriously happy gal, & just in time for the holiday order rush!

Once the floors are complete (soon, so soon!), the last stop on the home renovation tip for my husband & I will be... a nursery! We've recently come to know that we'll be welcoming a bean of our own this coming summer. An internet pal to baby Duffelmeyer-Anderson, perhaps...

A lovey dovey purse

2012-02-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

It's been ages since I've listed a handbag in the shop - I thought this would be a good one to come back with! Wouldn't it be a sweet purse to take out for a Valentine's soirée? I love the lining and the clasp. You can find it in the shop.

Victorian jet drawings

2012-01-31T11:03:00.000-05:00

A couple years ago, the artist and designer Jonathan Wahl produced a series of large charcoal drawings (yes, these are drawings!) of Victorian jet mourning jewelry. Here is what he says about the series:

The jet jewelry that were the models for my drawings were made during the mid to late 19th century carved by hand from jet, a fossilized material similar to coal but more durable. They were worn during a woman's period of mourning after the death of a loved one when wearing conventional precious jewelry would have been deemed inappropriate.

Today these objects seem Gothic, yet contemporary and almost timeless due to their reflective surfaces and monochromatism. . . Both the objects' timeless beauty and our alienation from their original roles make them perfectly ambiguous when viewed in the scale in which I have rendered them.

Love. Them.

Images courtesy of Sienna Gallery

It's our birthday!

2012-01-30T10:27:00.002-05:00

Today I am 31-years old and Severen is one month old. We are pretty excited to share a birthday - just look at this picture! Ok, ok he is just yawning. But it kind of looks like we are saying "yay! We are getting older!"

He has his one-month check up today and I am really curious to see how much he weighs. He was almost 9# when he was born . . . what do you think he is now? Enter your guess in the comments section and the person who is closest (within an ounce) will get a goodie in the mail from me.

✦ Congratulations to Hannah for having the closest guess! She guessed 11 lb. 7 oz and Severen tipped the scales yesterday at 11 lb. 2 oz. I'll be in touch Hannah! ✦

Want to know how I felt when I turned thirty? Here is last year's birthday post.

P.S. I love how Severen looks like he is trying to get away here when I am nibbling his cheek - like, "Mo-om, you are embarrassing me in front of all these blog readers!" Ha ha ha, I think I have at least a few more years of nibbling/snuggling before he can do anything about it.

Four weeks, three thoughts

2012-01-27T09:44:00.001-05:00

Severen is four weeks old today. In the last month or so, I've had many, many thoughts on motherhood. Here are three that I keep coming back to:

1. Being a mom to a newborn is like being a detective. I am constantly trying to decipher Severen's squeaks, squawks and eyebrow wiggles. My days are a series of problem solving activities - it is like a really long, real-time analytical section on a standardized test. Except this test involves stressful questions about belly buttons, breast milk and soaked diapers. I'm trying to stay one step ahead of him but just when I think I've solved the puzzle and things might quiet down for a bit, he surprises me with something else. Touché, Severen. Touché.

2. I am not special. Nope, not really. There are lots of moms out there and we are all experiencing mostly the same things, have the same anxieties, think the same thoughts, etc. It is humbling to think that I'm just one lady with a one little son. Being a mom is such a big deal to me (the biggest deal!) but when I zoom out of my own life and consider all the other moms all over the planet (or heck, when I just look around the waiting room at the pediatrician's office) I realize: "Hey, you're just doing this thing now - along with all these other people." As my husband's grandma (who had nine kids) said, "Once you have a child, you really join the human race." That's where I'm at right now.

3. I worked so hard to be prepared for this little man - and we had extra long to think about him b/c of our pregnancy journey - but I still continue to be surprised by what is required of me as a new mom. When people tell you that having a baby was the hardest/greatest thing they ever did, they are not exaggerating. I always kind of thought, "Oh, you mean 'hard' like training for a marathon is hard or 'great' like graduating from college is great." But nope, nope. I'm talking hard/great like marriage. There are subtractions and additions to happiness on a daily basis and somehow, at the end of the day, you end up juuuuussst ahead of where you started that morning. Just enough to feel truly gratified.

P.S. Next week, I hope to get back to some listing in the shop (yay! I have so many pretty things saved up) as well as a bit more blogging. Thanks for your patience this last month!

A vivid memory

2012-01-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

Today I've got a little story posted over at the fine blog of Teresa of Bess Georgette. She publishes a series called my vintage memory and this week's installment is written by yours truly! It tells the story of this ring (purchased at Treasure Mart, for those of you who know the place), which was sort of my first step in the direction of collecting vintage jewelry and starting Jean Jean Vintage. You can read it right here!

Guest Post || Maria of Adelaide's Homesewn

2012-01-23T08:58:00.001-05:00

Good morning and welcome to my friend Maria of Adelaide's Homesewn! When she isn't working on her vintage clothing shop, Maria is probably thrifting, eating delicious food and drinking coffeeee! She has a lovely family which so far includes 2 dogs and a hubby (hi Steve!) Next month, Maria's household will be growing by one when they welcome a new babe. Thank you for this post, chère Maria. ♡ Duff

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Hello! I'm so happy to be blogging for Duff while she's taking some time with her new little one. I hope she's snuggling him up or taking a long nap right now.

In this time of winter, i just want to find a cozy spot to curl up and read a book so i thought it'd be fun to do a "cozy spaces" decor inspiration post. All the images are linked to their original sources, if you want to do more snooping! I found out that to me a cozy space equals lots of pillows and blankets, books nearby, light flooding in, and preferably some warm wood tones. i hope you enjoy, and happy winter!

Psst: You can see a pic of Maria and read some funny stats about her and her shop in this post.

My little bird

2012-01-20T09:33:00.001-05:00

Severen has lots of nicknames but I think "little bird" is the best one. Especially since these past couple days he has decided to become best friends with the bird decals next to his changing table. He spent 30 minutes staring at them this morning, which I'm pretty sure is equivalent to 4 hours in adult time. He flaps his arms, pumps his little legs like pistons, and purses his lips. I think he is trying to invite Mr. Bird to his one-month birthday party, which is coming up on January 30th (also my birthday, as it happens!) My mother-in-law thinks "he is having his first wilderness experience." Whatever is happening in his little head, it is really fun to watch him so fixated.

P.S. I bought the decals on Etsy at this shop. Severen also loves this high-contrast book.
P.P.S. Severen has to get his little frenulum clipped today, the connective tissue under the tongue - turns out he is a bit "tongue tied" (yes, it is a real thing). I wish I could have mine cut instead of him. Please wish us a fast, perfect procedure!

Seduce someone drinking chocolate

2012-01-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

You never know when you might need to seduce some so it is good to have a few tricks up your sleeve, non? I think drinking chocolate is the best way, personally. This super-simple recipe yields a cup of chocolat chaud that is flavorful and rich - really, a liquid version of your favorite bar (whatever you choose to chop!)

Seduce Someone Drinking Chocolate

Supplies needed: your favorite dark chocolate bar, milk (preferably whole), 1/2 and 1/2, measuring cup, saucepan, mixing pitcher, whisk

Method: Finely and evenly chop the chocolate bar using kitchen knife. 1/4 c. of chopped chocolate is enough for a rich demitasse. Chop more if you want a bigger (or double) serving. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof mixing bowl or pitcher (I like using my Pyrex) and set aside.

Measure milk & cream (just a splash for good measure) and put in the saucepan. The general rule: Use twice the amount of milk as chocolate (for my demitasse, I used 1/2 c.). The 2:1 liquid/chocolate ratio will ensure that the drinking chocolate is rich and thick but not pudding-like. If you prefer a milkier drink, use more milk here. Want to make ganache? Reverse the ratio.

Bring the milk/cream just to a boil on the stovetop. Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let the mixture rest for a few seconds then gently begin to whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the drink is frothy. Serve hot or warm - the drink will thicken the longer you let it stand.

Guest Post || Amy of Wildfell Hall

2012-01-16T09:51:00.001-05:00

A big thank you to Amy of Wildfell Hall Vintage for today's guest post. Amy became a full time vintage seller last year which is happy news for all of us who enjoy her lovely shop. She is a great student of eras, styles, designers and fabrics, often sharing her learnings on her beautiful blog. And she totally knocked my socks off with this super clever post. Which gal is your favorite? I'm into Carly Simon. ♡ Duff

Hello - Amy here! Sometimes when I find a dress, or a pair of shoes, or put two things together they immediately remind me of someone. So I thought for this guest post I would do a little "fantasy dressing"- putting Wildfell Hall clothes on some famous ladies. I admit that Shelley Duval in The Shining may be my favorite, the movie still terrifies me but I just love watching her in it....and truth be told I kind of love her outfits. Which wasn't the point I'm sure.

I hope you can find a favorite below from these fab women, who would YOU just love to dress given the chance?

Carly Simon in these boots

Dita Von Teese in this dress

Grace Kelly in this dress

Jane Fonda in these pants

Lucille Ball in this dress

Marilyn Monroe in this dress

Shelley Duval in this jumper

Stevie Nicks in this dress

Thelma & Louise in these jeans (yowza!)

Two weeks old

2012-01-13T08:38:00.000-05:00

Severen is two weeks old today. It has been an incredibly challenging and wonderful fourteen days. I haven't cried that much, although I did this morning out of sheer fatigue and frustration. We are still learning how to live with each other - it can be tricky. Most of our moments together are pretty wonderful, though. I spend a lot of time nuzzling his head like a mama bear and smelling his short, puffy little breaths. He has changed so much already . . . more alert (although you wouldn't know it from this photo!), visually more clued in to his surroundings, hungrier, less fragile, etc. I am so proud of him for making it through this first bit of life. He has had to go through more adjustments than me! What a brave little boy.

A dresser on my dresser

2012-01-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

I am very picky when it comes to jewelry boxes. Most of them are pretty ugly, I think. Faux leather exteriors and red velvet interiors don't really do it for me. So when I found this box a few weeks ago I was so excited! It is a miniature dresser (it used to have a mirror on the top, too) with tiny drawers. The lining is a butternut-squash orange. The best part to me? The ring drawer.

Guest Post || Regina from Every Eskimo

2012-01-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! Today kicks off a Monday series of wonderful guest posts here on the blog. Today's blogger is Regina, who made Baby Sev's mobile (you can see it here) and who has outfitted my Jean Jean office with many great pieces (like this receipt file clipboard). I got to meet her in real life last month and she is a splendid lady. And how about these keychains?! I bought two for Christmas gifts this year and they were a big hit. Don't miss the coupon code at the end of the post, just for you. ♡ Duff

I'm Regina from everyeskimo, stepping in today for the darling Duff. I hunt & gather great vintage and stitch up small animals in between . . . filling the shelves of my little shop, Every Eskimo. Today I thought I'd share something that brings a bit of what I love about Jean Jean Vintage into my own everyeskimo world.

Duff finds the loveliest vintage jewelry around. But what makes my heart ache is how each piece carries the soul, story and ghost of its original wearer. It's a connection to the past; a reminder that there's so much more than just this moment. It's part of why I created letterpress keychains. Something small, solid and tangible. Something from a time when the printed word was painstakingly laid out one letter at a time.

Pulled from my collection of antique letterpress blocks and combined with new hardware, letterpress keychains are a new offering at everyeskimo. Sometimes the pursuit of old take you somewhere new . . . running a drill press was definitely new! The drill press was, fittingly, old.

I'm happy to offer Jean Jean readers a free shipping discount! (Who doesn't love a discount?) Free shipping on all letterpress keychains through February 9th. Just enter word nerd in the notes to seller upon checkout and I'll send you a shipping refund. Easy peasy.

Thanks for letting me chatter away in your ear! It's been a pleasure to be here.

xo. regina

The baby's room

2012-01-05T08:21:00.001-05:00

At long last . . . the baby's room! Getting it ready was pretty daunting, mostly because I really don't have a knack for decorating spaces, at least not with a time-limit. And I'm not big on matching colors/objects or buying new stuff. I'm happy with how it turned out, though. Here are a few notes on what we did and why:

Things to look at My friend Kat gave me some very good advice when she suggested that we decorate/paint the room with things that we enjoy looking at. So, not feeling very jazzed about staring down a bunch of giraffes or footballs or whatever for the next few years, Soren and I decided to do cheerful (but not too cheerful) colors, big birch tree decals, some homemade curtains and a framed print that we love. And how about the mobiles! The fuzzy felt one is from Regina at everyeskimo and the elephants in the window are from Auntie Ellen in Australia.

A place to sleep There's no crib! This was a big decision and I am really excited about it. The baby will sleep on a floor bed once he gets to be about six months old (he'll be in a co-sleeper until then). This means that he'll have a crib mattress directly on the floor in his room, just a few inches off the ground. There will be a comfy rug to cushion him when he wiggles off and his room will be totally childproof. Bonus: he'll be able to experience his room at his own level and, eventually, wake and play/explore without needing us to come and get him. It's a Montessori thing, I learned.

A place for things At first I thought we didn't need a dresser and we bought a changing table. But then I realized that the dresser is a better long-term investment and pretty important for storage purposes (the dude has quite the wardrobe). So for now, we have both. We will remove the changing table and replace it with the floor bed once he moves into his room to sleep.

A place to sit I sat in many rockers/gliders and read many reviews before buying one from Dutailier. It seems that gliders are either a.) inexpensive, kind of ugly and poorly made or b.) super expensive, beautiful, and well made. I didn't feel like I could spend $800 on a chair (although I thought about it believe me!) so I did some research and settled on this one. We'll see how it holds up!

The lad is here

2012-01-01T19:37:00.002-05:00

Severen Paul Anderson

8:49 AM, December 30th, 2011 || 8 lb 15.5 oz || 22 inches

Planning for babytime

2011-12-29T19:41:00.000-05:00

Remember when I made this announcement back in June? Well, here we are. It's December and our little lad is due to arrive any day. Actually, his due date was Wednesday (did you hear that, Baby?) Anyway, if there are a few days of silence here on the blog soon you can safely assume that he arrived. Mr. Jean Jean and I are very excited to meet him and introduce him to life outside of my belly.

So here's the plan: I will be taking January off for the most part, a self-imposed maternity leave from Jean Jean Vintage. You will see me on Twitter, though, and there will be excellent guest posts here on the blog (among other things). And of course the occasional baby photo! The shop will stay open with the current listings and I'll be shipping as usual, although perhaps not as speedily as before. I hope to be listing new pieces and ready to roll again in time for Valentine's Day!*

*Disclaimer: Everything that I just said will happen might not happen. I mean, who knows!? Thanks in advance for your patience as I figure out how to be a mom and have a business.

I'm famous!

2011-12-28T10:29:00.000-05:00

My name appears no less than twenty times in this adorable little pamphlet for an incredible and life-changing product called "Duff's Ginger Bread Mix." According to the good people at D. Duff & Sons, thanks to this no-fuss mix a host of homes will be having ginger bread oftener and it will be mighty good for the ingredients are the best obtainable. I'm guessing this cute ingredient book is from the late 30s or early 40s. I wonder if this stuff was any good? I suppose we'll never know!

Proof that my husband reads my blog

2011-12-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

On Christmas morning Mr. Jean Jean led me into my office, eyes closed, and when I opened them I saw THIS hanging on my wall! Agghhh! I did a blog post about wanting an old pull-down map earlier this month (do you remember?), but I never talked to him about it in person. I had no idea he got one for me, let alone the exact map that I wishfully blogged about. I am so happy and surprised. The map is unbelievably rad. Big points for Mr. Jean Jean. Big points.

Happy happy happy to you

2011-12-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

This is the first holiday in my 30+ years that I have not spent with either my family or my in-laws. Special circumstances (we are due on the 28th!) made air travel impossible this year so we have been working to make our house cozy and comfy for just the two of us. It is also our first winter in our house (we were in California last year) so it really is new territory for us all around! I snapped a few photos around our house this morning . . .

Whatever you are up to this weekend I hope you have a restful, fun few days. I leave you with this excellent Christmas song by Ray Charles. Someone paired it with old photos from the 40s and 50s, which just makes it even better in my opinion. It makes this pregnant lady cry!

A stollen story

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

The other day, I was working and daydreaming about stollen. I've craved it every holiday season ever since I had my first bite a few years ago at Zingerman's. Sometimes I buy one for myself. Last year, a friend made me one and shipped it from D.C. (thank you Mariana!) This year, I realized I had no plan for stollen acquisition. Fretting, I off-handedly posted this on Twitter:

Can someone just drop by and bring me some homemade stollen? I would be ever so grateful. I would also probably kiss you and cry.

And what to my wondering eyes did appear but a tweet from my sweet friend Olivia, who replied in less than one minute:

I've got a really good recipe if want to try making it yourself! Or I could make you some : )

Now, Olivia is a seriously great baker. It is my fervent wish that someday she will open a bakery where I can order her treats by the dozen. Her recipes are often creative (the last thing she shared was a persimmon purée and chocolate muffin with buckwheat flour) and she has an unfailing sense of proportion and good taste. So naturally, I pursued her offer to make me stollen. She graciously accepted and yesterday the mailman delivered the dense, precious little loaf to my door. Please see Exhibits A-C above. It is absolutely delicious.

Olivia keeps a cooking/baking blog here and here is her stollen recipe. Also, if you live in the Ann Arbor area and find yourself in need of a special treat, I highly suggest getting in touch with her (via her blog) and discussing a custom order. You will be so pleased!

Something very special

2011-12-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

This bracelet is to me what a cream-colored, beaded, 1920s silk chiffon flapper dress is to vintage clothing sellers. That is to say . . . it's something very special. I've only seen one other piece like this online or in real life, back in April on the Erie Basin blog. The width of the panels, the color of the glass, the cast filigree, the enamel accents - it all screams early 1900s Czechoslovakia. I just stocked it in the shop.

Locket ring

2011-12-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

This locket ring is absolutely incredible! While I prefer to wear my lockets around my neck, I might make an exception for this 1820s beauty. The tiny compartment once held a lock of hair.

Photos courtesy of The Three Graces

Winter leaf update

2011-12-19T09:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I do believe this will be the last Monday update around these parts for a while, since Baby Duff is due to make his appearance any day. More about that later . . . for today, he is still comfy and cozy Chez Maman and I'm happily stocking the shop with some chilly blues and whites.

1. 1940s PATINAGE large rhinestone brooch | 2. 1920s STILL WATERS molded glass pin

3. 1980s FROSTED enamel leaf brooch | 4. 1960s ICICLE rhinestone earrings

5. 1920s WINTERS EDGE glass bead necklace | 6. 1960s WHITE CHRISTMAS earrings

Yoga Duff, Swim Duff . . . 38 weeks

2011-12-16T08:12:00.000-05:00

At this point - 38 + weeks pregnant - things are just getting funny. I mean, my belly was cute and all for a while but now it just looks/feels like I have a small person living inside me who is rapidly running out of space. This means many things, including that I basically have five outfits that I wear for the five things that I am doing these days - walking outside, cooking, doing yoga, swimming and working in the shop. It reminds me of the themed Barbie dolls of Christamas' past . . . Tropical Vacation Barbie, Ballet Barbie, Veterinary Barbie, etc. And that just cracked me up! So here is my own version. Oh and how much do I love you? I took a full body pic in my swimsuit, that's how much.

10 days to Christmas

2011-12-15T09:38:00.002-05:00

1 || Squid Whale Designs fish holder, Snug Studio wooden button
2 || Bark Decor circle scarf, The Fancy Lamb 2012 Desk Calendar
3 || Hensnest10 celluloid ring boxes, High Street Market agate coasters
4 || No Carnations Home mistletoe ornament, Pony and Poppy dinner napkins

I know we're getting down to the wire here for online shopping, but there is still a bit of time and I couldn't help myself from doing one more of these collections! Here are a few more gift ideas, ranging from $10 to $44, from Etsyland.

Coat + Brooch = wintertime happiness

2011-12-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Golden Fresh Fern Coat | Jean Jean Vintage Vanilla Sugar Brooch

Adeline's Attic Capelet | Jean Jean Vintage Thackeray Brooch

Greatest Friend Hunting Jacket | Jean Jean Vintage Twinkle Lights Brooch

Wildfell Hall Hooded Cape | Jean Jean Vintage Miss Bankson Brooch

Adelaide Homesewn Green Plaid Coat | Jean Jean Vintage The Races Pin

If I could put Jean Jean Vintage brooches on some coats stocked by my favorite shopkeepers at the moment, this is how I would do it. I could daydream all day about ways to accessorize the wonderful things in their shops! Text is linked.

Bird Sarcophagus

2011-12-13T09:12:00.000-05:00

I saw a photo of this Victorian bird sarcophagus over on the Facebook group Art of Mourning and learned that it recently sold at auction. What a beautiful memorial piece! The tiny sarcophagus is made of marble and brass. There is a carefully bundled bluebird inside with a note that reads, "Our pet wech died Monday 19 1874 at 7:55 o'clock."

Photo courtesy of Live Auctioneers

Shop update and a winner!

2011-12-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

There's no themed/color-coordinated update today my friends - let's take a break from those, shall we? But there is an update, oh yes indeed. Lockets, necklaces, earrings . . . a bit of everything. All the images are linked!

Also, I'm happy to announce that the winner of the Greatest Friend Giveaway is Deidre of Hinterland Vintage! I clicked the wrong little circle and made the drawing private on random.org (bahhh) but believe me everything was on the up and up. Congratulations Deidre! You won $100 shop credit to Angela's fantastic vintage shop! I am a wee bit jealous :)

Thanks to everyone who left comments and thanks to Angela for letting me have the fun of hosting!

Deco dresses

2011-12-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

These runway images of the spring 2012 collections of (clockwise from upper left) Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Alberta Ferretti and Etro make my brain scramble. The accompanying article, Why Deco Now? by Ruth La Ferla in the New York Times "On the Runway" series is a good read for anyone who loves 1920s-1930s fashion. The most exciting think for me is that with renewed interest in flapper-style dresses comes renewed interest in flapper-style jewelry/accessories. Did you notice the looped strand of sautoir-length beads in the last photo? Hooray!

Images courtesy of the New York Times

Duff's wee gift picks

2011-12-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

1 || Tree & Kimball lace earrings, Oh Dear Watson vintage cigarette tin
2 || Every Eskimo vintage napkins, Little Byrd Vintage perpetual calendar
3 || Haven Vintage vintage platter, Enhabiten zip-pouches

Here are six little gift ideas from some of my favorite shops. Charming, unique vintage and handmade goodies from fantastic shopkeepers - how can you go wrong? And almost everything is under $25, too!

Snowflake Pairs

2011-12-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

There are four pretty pairs of snowflake-style rhinestone pins headed to the shop today. Because the only thing better than one rhinestone pin this time of year is two!

Greatest Friend $100 Giveaway

2011-12-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Well my oh my, we're doing something here we've never done before - a giveaway for another shop! My friend and fellow shopkeeper Angela is offering a generous $100 gift certificate to her vintage clothing boutique, Greatest Friend. Angela stocks everything from turn of the century school boots to red velvet cocktail dresses as well as great, "every day" separates. AND if you see something you like in the shop through December 7th, you can enter code DECEMBER for 30% off.

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

Mandatory entry: Take a spin around the Greatest Friend shop and leave a comment here about your favorite item.

Bonus entries - please leave a separate comment for each action:

1. Follow @greatest_friend on Twitter

2. Add greatestfriend to your Etsy circle

3. Tweet about the giveaway! Be sure to include @greatest_friend & @jeanjeanvintage, as well as the link.

Here is a ready-made tweet you can use ||

A century of vintage awaits! Visit @jeanjeanvintage & enter to win $100 credit to @greatest_friend || http://bit.ly/vJlWEd

~~This giveaway is open to all readers (that means YOU!) and closes on Sunday, December 11th at 10 PM EST. I'll announce the winner here on the blog next Monday. Good luck!~~

Noel Noel update

2011-12-05T07:52:00.000-05:00

An unabashedly holiday-themed update today - the greens and reds were just too perfect not to pair up! I'm especially excited about the two Art Deco rings and the beautiful chaton stone necklace.

1. 1940s VANILLA SUGAR millinery brooch ✦ 2. 1980s KORINTJE CINNAMON earrings

3. 1930s WINTERMINT chaton collier ✦ 4. 1930s MULLED WINE Art Deco ring

5. 1930s SAPIN Art Deco ring ✦ 6. 1980s MISTLETOE earrings

7. 1950s TWINKLE LIGHTS brooch ✦ 8. 1920s DAMSON JAM shirt studs

Also, I am happy to announce that the winner of the Jewelry Snooping Series, and a $50 gift certificate to the shop, is Liane! A big thank you to all of you ladies who commented on the interviews and followed the series last month - it was great fun for me! I'm planning another interview series for the Spring.

Flour sack maternity dress

2011-12-02T09:14:00.000-05:00

Gosh I can't remember when I bought this, but I know I didn't realize what it was at the time - a flour sack maternity dress! Later when I saw the snaps on the waistline I figured it out. It is totally comfortable and wearable throughout pregnancy. Brilliant! I don't have any Christmas parties in my future, but if I did I would totally wear this. With tights and maybe a little red cardigan.

And hey! There is some fun stuff coming up on the blog next week, including a giveaway to one of my favorite Etsy shops and some silly 37 week bump photos. Thanks to all the new readers who hopped on board last month. It is great to have you here. Bon weekend!

Dress || thrifted Shoes || No Carnations

1920s brooch || antique mall 1930s ring || in the shop!

Like at school

2011-12-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but I really want a pull down map - you know, the kind that used to be rolled up above the chalkboard in elementary school? We didn't have a map of France in my little classroom in Iowa, but if I had one in my house today this is the one I would want!

Image courtesy of midmoderngoods on Etsy

Christmas Day, 1940

2011-11-30T18:36:00.000-05:00

As I was listing this locket tonight, I noticed the date of the engraving. What a sweet Christmas present! I wonder if "C.G." and "E.M." are still around/in love, sixty years later. And do you think that the photo in the locket is "C.G."? I do.

Jewelry Box Tour 5 || Brenna Dougan

2011-11-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

1| Your name, s’il vous plait Brenna Dougan*

* I met Brenna on the first day of Kindergarten. She was feisty and she had a sweet perm! I thought to myself, "I should stick with this girl!" So we became friends and have been BFF's ever since. The photo of the kids in rollerskates in this post is us! You can read more about us in this post.

2| Where do you live? Washington, D.C.

3| What do you do during the day and at night? During the day I work on international labor issues. Basically, I monitor the enforcement of labor laws in the countries with which the United States has trade agreements and trade preference programs.

4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? I like unique, tasteful pieces; something that can be worn to the office or worn out but that is not too flashy or too run-of-the-mill.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? I wear a pair of sterling silver hoop earrings several times a week. They are full hoops and close behind the earlobe with a little bar that slips into place. They are just the right size: not too big, not too small, and the silver is beautiful.

6| What is your jewelry weakness? My weakness is jewelry from places to which I travel. That is, it it's very hard for me to roll into a big-box store and buy jewelry. I want my jewelry to have a connection to a time and a place.

7| What’s the last piece of jewelry you added to your box? My latest piece is a pair of off-white lace earrings from Tree and Kimball that are absolutely to die for and look stunning when paired with a strapless black dress and strappy sandals.

8| Please tell me a great story about a piece or two in your collection: Well, I'm including photos of two things: a necklace made from a bullhorn from Guatemala, which I bargained my butt off to get, and I've never seen another piece like it in Guatemala or anywhere else, and the brooch that was my great-grandmother's and has my initials.

A great story? When I was an undergrad one of my numerous odd-jobs was to drive a shuttle from Iowa State University to the Des Moines airport for conferences. That is, I would work with conference services to find out when conference attendees were to arrive to the airport and I would drive down and pick them up and drive them to their hotel at the university. During one conference, there were two men from China who had a 5:30 AM flight from Des Moines. I had to pick them up at their hotel at 3:00 AM to make sure they made it to the airport on time. They were so appreciative of the fact that I picked them up so early that when I dropped them off they gave me a necklace of delicate, floral-patterned beads, a matching bracelet and two packs of gold-foil-embossed Chinese cigarettes. They told me that the jewelry and cigarettes were 'typical' pieces from China. That was many years ago but I still take the necklace and the beads with me everywhere I move.

9| If price was not an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? I would get her several strands of Coco Chanel's pearls so she could mix and match them with other lovely and classic pieces.

{This is the last interview in the five-part Jewelry Snooping Series! If you commented on each post throughout the month, you are in the running to win a $50 gift certificate to the shop. I'll announce the winner on Monday, December 5th here on the blog. Thank you for reading!}

Precious shoelaces

2011-11-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I know you've all been waiting to lace up your fall booties with gold and silver shoelaces. Now, thanks to designer Mr. Kennedy you can! His 24K gold shoelaces are going for $19K and the silver versions are $3K. If you order a pair of gold laces, they will be delivered with a security guard and laced for you anywhere in the world.

via Lost at E Minor. Images courtesy of Sneakerfiles

White Tie Update

2011-11-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been to a white tie event? Or a black tie event? Me neither, but I imagine some of these pieces would be appropriate for such a fancy evening party. If you like marcasite, onyx and pavé set rhinestones this is the update for you. Happy Monday!

1. 1940s STATE DINNER lavalier | 2. 1930s LONDON SEASON cocktail ring

3. 1960s COTILLION pavé earrings | 4. 1930s CHESTERFIELD celluloid clip

5. 1930s WING COLLAR initials brooch | 6. 1920s DUPIONI Art Deco shoe clips

7. 1930s WHITE TIE celluloid brooch | 8. 1930s WAISTCOAT rhinestone bracelet

This time last week

2011-11-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

This time last week I was at the Pop Up Shop! Here are a few photos of the Jean Jean Vintage display from that afternoon. A big thank you to all the guys and gals who stopped by. It was really fun to watch people explore the jewelry - touching, trying on, asking questions, etc. And a huge thank you to Lauren of Dear Golden Vintage for readying her beautiful new space for the occasion.

Thank you

2011-11-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! It is a busy day at my house today, with family visiting from Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon and Texas. The turkey is in the oven, the pies are made and everything else is in the works. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. I know I will enjoy the day, start to finish - I hope you will, too!

Thank you for your support of my work here on the blog and in the shop. I am truly grateful for it!

Jewelry Box Tour 4 || Johanna Horn

2011-11-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

1| Your name, s’il vous plait Johanna Ruth Horn*

* Jo started out as a friend of a friend, and now she is just a friend. I admire her sense of style and her poise. Being around her is kind of like standing in the sun. I wish you could all meet her today!

2| Where do you live? Michigan

3| What do you do during the day and at night? I am a Jack [Jill] of many trades. By day, I run a nonprofit foundation that funds cancer research. Once the sun sets, I teach yoga... I also stare lovingly at my dogs, surround myself with many awesome people, play guitar in a band of completely rocking women, and laugh with my husband.

4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? I am drawn to the oddball or to the elegant. I am not certain there is a rhyme or reason to it.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? Like most of us, I am always mixing vintage with straight up off the shelf. I also have had the privilege of traveling for the last few decades, and have collected beautiful things from all over: Morocco, Guatemala, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bali... As to my habits, I have recently just ended a phase of 'statement piece' wearing which lasted about 3 years... things have moved towards the more subdued and graceful. New stuff: I am wearing lots of wood, like Bettula from Detroit. Old stuff: Lucite!

6| What is your jewelry weakness? see above. Or, just anything off the wall...

7| What’s the last piece of jewelry you added to your box? A brooch! I just got into brooches as well. My mother-in-law had wrapped this classy 1950's gold poinsettia pin around some flowers for my birthday... Once I found it, it joined a frequent rotation.

8| Please tell me a great story about one of the pieces in your jewelry box. One of the most magical moments growing up was standing in front of my Nana's dresser- hands in her 1940's jewelry box which was filled with all sorts of outrageous clip-on earrings. I would entertain myself for hours, and remember being mesmerized by the flash and sparkle of the costume jewelry...I still lean that way sometimes. I, sadly, have none of her earrings or knickknacks in my jewelry collection, but was recently gifted an entire box of a friend's grandmother's jewels. It was essentially filled with the same magic. Also, one of my husband's grandmothers gave me a 1960's brooch of hers just before we got married. I love it's mid-century look... and also love- being an ocean gal- that it resembles a sea urchin. There is a picture of it somewhere in here...

9| If price was not an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? My best friends aren't jewelry lovers! BUT: I would love to buy for some of the women in my family. What comes to mind most quickly are some delicate and refined Victorian-era lockets for Aunt Julie.. who designs from her amazing collection at Julie Starr Dresner.

{This series will "air" every Wednesday this month, with five interviews in all. You can read details about the series here and check out last week's interview here.}

Thanksgiving menu

2011-11-22T08:33:00.000-05:00

Last Thanksgiving was a hoot. It was our first year in our house and we invited the whole family for the holiday. It was my first experience hosting the big dinner and I had a lot of fun picking out recipes. I am basically making the same menu this Thursday (it's been a year, no one will mind right?) with a couple adjustments. What made the cut? The lemon-stuffed turkey, the swiss chard stuffing, the cranberry conserve (so good on yogurt if you have leftovers) and the parmesan roasted butternut squash, which was my absolute favorite last year. What's changing? Brussels sprouts with pecans in place of roasted vegetables and pumpkin cheesecake in place of pecan pie. Oh, and my mom will be firing up the microwave to make that Midwest classic - Green Bean Casserole.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year? What is the food/tradition that you look forward to the most?

Downton Abbey Update

2011-11-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

Today's shop update is inspired by that lovely show called Downton Abbey. I haven't seen the second season yet, have you? I hope to get to it next month. In the meantime, here are some period pieces I've been gathering with Lady Mary, Edith, etc. in mind. Oh and do you notice the rogue bead in the purse photo below? I didn't notice it until I was editing the photos! I think it is pretty funny.

1. 1960s HIGHCLERE faux camphor necklace | 2. 1910s LADY SYBIL hair ornament

3. 1920s GRANTHAM briolette cyrstal necklace | 4. 1920s LADY EDITH filigree pin

5. 1920s CRAWLEY glass and faux pearl brooch | 6. 1920s LADY MARY filigree ring

7. 1920s COUNTESS beaded evening bag

Pop Up Shop!

2011-11-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hi ho! If you are in the area this afternoon/evening Lauren and I would love to see you at the Dear Golden & Jean Jean Vintage Pop Up shop. It's going to be held in the new Dear Golden space (swwooooon!) in Downtown Ypsi. I'm pretty much bringing everything that I have in stock, including hundreds of pieces you've never seen in the shop (a few sneak peeks below). And Lauren has hundreds and hundreds (1000s?) of lovely garments, shoes and accessories. We would love to see you there!

Giveaway

2011-11-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

Hey heay! I am the feature sponsor this month over at Sandy à la Mode. We're running a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to the shop. The last day to enter is Tuesday, November 22nd - I'd love for you to be in the running! Check out the details in this post.

34 weeks and fancy pants

2011-11-17T09:16:00.000-05:00

I woke up today and my head was cold so I decided to put in some curlers. Great solution, non? Then I tried on an outfit from my friend Kat, including some dressy maternity pants (so obviously not ironed - sorry!) Then I thought, "Well, I'm all gussied up I might as well take a picture." So me voilà at 34.5 weeks. This bump is for real now.

Top || Isabella Oliver Pants || Gap Maternity

Necklace || 1940s brass multi-strand Earrings || 1920s faux pearl chandelier drops

Bracelet || 1910s multi strand brass, glass and faux pearls

Jewelry box tour 3 || Amy Sacksteder

2011-11-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

1| Your name, s’il vous plait Amy Sacksteder

* I met Amy a few years ago through Lauren of Dear Golden Vintage. That was a happy day. Although I don't see her nearly as much as I would like to, when I do see her she is always wearing an outfit that I covet (often paired with great boots that I also covet). And the girl knows how to accessorize in a no-fuss way with the perfect combination of tough/modern and delicate vintage pieces. An admirable skill, for sure. You can check out Amy's lovely blog here.

2| Where do you live? Scenic Michigan, U.S.A.

3| What do you do during the day and at night?
Day: artist/ art professor
Other days/night: reading: Murakami-ish magical realism, biographies, social action, historical fiction, art books; gardening; traveling; collecting vinyl LP’s and enjoying them with friends and drinks; running and yoga; playing around in the kitchen making great vegan food with my partner in crime, Mark; eating amazing food and seeking out wonderful restaurants in different cities; organizing, rearranging, scheming, planning and general better-making.

4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? I have a hard time putting my finger on it. I hate to say I know it when I see it, but it’s true. Common qualities seem to be: vintage, tassels/dangly elements, stackablity (for rings), uniqueness, something that resonates with a rich past; that connects me to the woma(e)n who once wore it (or man; I like a good man’s watch). But sometimes I’m a sucker for a new, innovative handmade piece as well, or a small treasure I bring home from a trip that can bring me to back that time and place whenever I wear it.

5| Tell me aboutthe jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never takeoff? Well, I never really take off my antique engagement ring or my grandma’s thin gold wedding ring given to me by my mom. I tend to wear the same earrings for long stretches and switch out necklaces or rings to suit my mood. Even with those, I still go through infatuation phases where I’ll wear the same gold necklace with my mom’s little gold pendants from the 70’s or a carved plastic (or bone?) rose necklace for weeks, for example. For earrings, I’m lately partial to my mom’s old gold hoops because I barely know they’re there and a pair of black lava rock studs I got in Iceland when I was there for an artist residency last year. I also always keep the same brooch on specific jackets or coats. They seem to want each other, and who am I to deny them that?

6| What is your jewelry weakness? Although I only have one piece in each of these categories, I swoon for gutta percha Victorian mourning jewelry and antique English and American (Hoffman) butterfly wing jewelry. I love sleek, black jett and obsidian antique pieces. I am also always on the lookout for early plastics such as Bakelite and Lucite. Aaaand just when you thought you were getting to know me, I’m also going to tell you that I love to wear pieces that have a bit of rock n’ roll fierceness to them like large, bulky rings or ostentatiously long / large necklaces.

7| What’s the lastpiece of jewelry you added to your box? Since first writing this interview, my grandfather passed away and I thus inherited a gorgeous ring from my grandmother, who passed away in April (that's the lovely turquoise and jelly opal ring on the right above). Also, my grandmother had given me her 1942 class ring when I was eleven or so. The emblem/class crest had come off and I kept the ring for years with the solder on the top, not wanting to wear it. Then this fall, I had the idea to have a diamond from my wedding ring (which had lost one and had two remaining) set into the surface of the ring which connects me to it/her even more. I cherish both rings and wear them a great deal.

8| Please tell mea great story about one of the pieces in your jewelry box. Many of my most cherished pieces were inherited or given to me as gifts. One of the strangest and most interesting objects I own is a large, black, fringed neckpiece made out of a thrifted black t-shirt and plastic, wood and metal beads made by an Icelandic artist. My friend Una wore it to the group exhibition opening that marked the end of my November residency in Reykjavik. I told her how much I loved it and inquired about the artist. She immediately took it off and placed it over my head and declared “It’s yours! It looks better on you anyway.” She wouldn’t take no for an answer. I received a steady stream of compliments the rest of the long, celebratory night.

9| If price wasnot an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? I would give Duff a certain 1920s Egyptian Revival necklace with a tiny sarcophagus and a pale blue enamel chain (hi Duff!). I would buy Lauren this super fancy bejeweled wildcat ring she wanted ages ago, for a surprise.

{This jewelry box series will "air" every Wednesday this month, with five interviews in all. You can read details about the series and check out last week's interview here.}

String Theory Scarves

2011-11-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

These scarves from String Theory are perfection. The materials, the colors, the designs - how beautiful! The company also makes shawls and throws. Aie yaie yaie!

Maple syrup update

2011-11-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

We had our first snow last week and this weekend everyone on our block was raking like mad, trying to clear the last leaves before it snows again . . . and sticks. Winter is coming! This is is the last warm, autumn themed update you will see for a while. Staring next week things are going to start getting cool and glittery around here.

1. 1910s CABANE A SUCRE bar pin / 2. 1980s ERABLE goldtone brooch

3. 1950s AMBER SYRUP rhinestone earrings / 4. 1980s CANDIED MAPLE glass necklace

5. 1960s QUEBECOIS sterling leaf earrings / 6. 1960s SIROP identification bracelet

7. 1950s MAPLE NUT locket

P.S. On the topic of autumn and maple syrup, doesn't this cake look good?

Look what I found today!

2011-11-11T14:30:00.001-05:00

Old bracelet/watch display box (here w/the BRACKETS bracelet ) || Antique flower frog

Wooden highchair w/no tray (I've been looking so long!) || Wooden swan basket, for the nursery

Vintage Swedish tartlet tin set w/a bilingual recipe on the box || 1940s brass necklace

1940s leather handbag w/bow stitching || 1930s Uncas Manufacturing Co. baby ring (now on my pinkie!)

German porcelain mini-trays and antique tartlet tins || 1940s Japanese espresso cup . . . perfect for hot chocolate

I had an appointment this morning to get new glasses (I love them - can't wait to show you) and afterwards, I decided to do a little antiquing. Here are a few things that I found.

You might want to make this tonight

2011-11-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

Cornbread has nothing to do with vintage jewelry but this recipe is too good to keep to myself. It comes from my friend Steph who is a brilliant PhD student by day and a gifted home cook by night. She mentioned her "signature cornbread" to me in an email last month and my ears perked right up. I consider myself to be a bit of a cornbread connoisseur and I can say with confidence that this is the best I have ever had. I served it with chili last week for dinner and then had the leftovers for breakfast the next day. It has a dense, cake-y crumb, it's not too sweet, and you can serve it with honey and butter or cheddar and peppers! I'm going to be making this recipe for the rest of my life.

Steph's Cornbread (modified from Dana Sly's Blue Ribbon Vegan Cornbread)

2 T ground flax seed + 6 T boiling water
3/4 c white flour
1/4 c rye flour
3/4 c fine cornmeal
1/4 c polenta
2 1/2 T sugar
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c milk
1 T vinegar
1 1/2 t vanilla (optional)
3 T oil
1 T applesauce
1/2 c corn kernels

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9" cake pan. In medium bowl, stir boiling water into ground flax with fork. In large bowl, thoroughly stir together flours, cornmeals, sugar, baking powder, and salt. To flax mixture, add: milk (bit by bit to combine smoothly), vinegar, vanilla (if using), oil and applesauce. Then mix this into the dry ingredients and add corn kernels. Stir just to combine. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 22 minutes.

You may add frozen cranberries or raspberries to the batter and dust with sugar for a sweet cornbread dessert or sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and pepper/chilis on top just before baking.

Jewelry Box Tour 2 || Margot Miller

2011-11-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

1| Your name, s’il vous plait Margot Miller*

*I consider myself very lucky because, when I left "the best job in the world" (buying many, many thousands of dollars worth of chocolate and candy for a great company), I got to train one of the best people in the world to take my place - Margot! She is a whippersnapper of a gal who's many accomplishments include taking 1st place in a hog wrestling tournament in Texas in 2004. Enough said.

2| Where do you live? Michigan

3| What do you do during the day and at night? During the day, I have theprivilege of being the Chocolate & Confections Buyer ("Chocolate Lady") for Zingerman's Deli and a supervisor in the Deli's adjacent coffeeshop. What this means is that by the time you're dragging your bones out of bed, I've probably had a couple of Americanos and by noontime, I've exhausted whatever semblance of a sweet tooth that I have.

In addition to my Deli duties, I spend a large portion of the year editing PLACENOTES, a publication of the Charles Moore Foundation in Austin, Texas (my hometown). Each volume is a collection of cards featuring a art/architecture/culture-centric destination; beautifully photographed and written by the Foundation's director, Kevin Keim.

During my leisure time, I enjoy thumbing through cookbooks, cooking, reading non-fiction, and making mixtapes (fine, they're actually CDs, but mixtapes' will forever and always sound better). Most recently, I've taken up a weekly pilates class; despite knowing that most of the instructor's gentle comments correcting form are directed at me, I love it immensely!

4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? Silver. Shapes andsilhouettes. The delicate and precious. I like versatility and I don't like feeling as though the jewelry is wearingme.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? I wear a couple of pieceswith great frequency. One is a small ceramic coffeecup on to which my name is printed. This mini-mug was given to me when I was around the age of eleven by a classmate who had found it in San Francisco. She was familiar with my ceaseless and ever-fruitless attempts at finding anything (anything!) with my name on it. It's gotten quite beat up since then, all chipped and worn. I just recently repaired the handle, which broke after a special someone hugged me a little too hard one afternoon.

The other piece I wear near daily is the small gold knotted ring. This belonged to my mom when she was a teenager. I must thank my jewelry-fantatic younger sister for its presence on my finger; she ran across it while poking around my mom's old jewelry box and declared to my mother that it reminded her of me and that I should have it.

6| What is your jewelry weakness? I'm more and more coming tothe conclusion that rings are an absolute weakness for me; perhaps some of that stems from my perception of them as the most masculine of jewelry. Growing up I was the epitome of a tomboy - a trait that I've perhaps not yet discarded completely. They lend me a touch of femininity while staying largely out of my way.

7| What’s the last piece of jewelry you added to your box? The last piece of jewelryadded to my box is a piece from Jean Jean Vintage - the TAXCO buckle ring. It's silver. It's a ring. It's pretty precious. I'm pretty predictable. It's been hanging out on my left middle finger pretty consistently.

8| Please tell me a great story about one of the pieces in your jewelry box. A special thing in myjewelry box is a pair of thin silver band bracelets, each stamped with a phrase: 'HAVE COURAGE' and 'BE OF GOOD CHEER.' I had these custom-made a month or two after my grandpa's death in 2006 as a way to commemorate his life and spirit. For as long as I can remember, he signed each and every piece of correspondence to me with "have courage and be of good cheer." It's a mantra I've found increasingly useful to reflect upon and one applicable in just about every aspect of my life. I've photographed the bracelets here with the coffee mug he always began his day with while visiting our country house in East Texas. Aesthetically, I love the simplicity of these bracelets and the way in which they are a hyper-streamlined iteration of some simple silver band bracelets my grandfather crafted while assigned to bed-rest during World War II. Those treasures are presently in safe-keeping with my mom.

9| If price was not an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? Well, it goes withoutsaying that the friend receiving would be my aforementioned younger sister, and if price is not an issue, let's go over the top. Her eyes go wide at the thought of diamonds and Jackie Kennedy is one of her absolute style icons. Let's go for the Lesotho III - the 40 carat diamond ring Onassis gave her in 1968.

{This jewelry box series will "air" every Wednesday this month, with five interviews in all. Leave a comment on all five entries and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to the shop! Details are here. You can check out last week's interview here.}

These tights

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

These toile tights by Look from London are neat! I think I might need them, along with soooo many other pretty, lacy unmentionables at Lille Boutique. Funny thing is, I really don't like wearing lingerie. At all. I like the idea of it but I'm a wimp when it comes to following through. Maybe I need to give it another try. I'd love to start with a couple things from Stella McCartney (I wish!)

Image courtesy of Rachel via Life in Lingerie, the blog of Lille Boutique

Pink peppercorn update

2011-11-07T09:11:00.002-05:00

Today's girly update includes one of the most spectacular necklaces I've ever found for the shop. You can see it's yellow twin in the Erie Basin archives!

1. 1920s PINK PEPPERCORN Art Deco necklace || 2. 1950s CONCORD lucite cameo bracelet

3. 1940s SORBET openwork brooch || 4. 1940s BOYSENBERRY cocktail ring

5. 1940s ELDERBERRY Czech glass earrings || 6. 1930s MOSCATEL cameo brooch

Weekend plans + 32 week bump

2011-11-04T12:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! What do you have planned this weekend? One of my buddies is visiting from D.C. and I'm having my Michigan baby shower on Sunday. Guess who is hosting it? None other than Lauren of Dear Golden! We'll make sure to take a few photos to share with you. Other exciting news? I'm almost 33 weeks now and feeling great - still swimming, doing yoga, etc. Oh! And I realized this morning that I can put my hair up in a ponytail again. Thrilling, I know.

Blouse || GAP Fisherman sweater || JCrew Jeans || GAP Maternity

Shoes || A gift from Lauren Watch || JCrew (an early X-Mas present to myself)

Brooch || 1900s French paste bird pin Ring || I'm stumped! Any guesses?

Pine cone garland

2011-11-03T09:09:00.000-04:00

How sweet is this pine cone garland? I'm going to start collecting pine cones on my walks and hopefully have one of these up in time for Thanksgiving festivities chez moi (we are hosting our families again this year). This looks like a DIY project I can handle.

Photo and project idea courtesy of Behbehblog

Jewelry Box Tour 1 || Anne Rubin

2011-11-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

1| Your name, s’il vous plait Anne Rubin*

* Anne is a très chère buddy of mine from college. One random reason why I love her: she appreciates fancy tea and French lavender honey nougat as much as me. I dream of going on a trip with her someday (London? Prague?) I think she would be a perfect travel companion!

2| Where do you live? Williamstown, MA

3| What do you do during the day and at night? During the day, I'm an English teacher at a boarding school for girls. At night, I'm a Law and Order watching paper grader, an old house photographing dog walker and novel reading dinner maker.

4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? I'm drawn to old and new jewelry. I love big statement necklaces that bring an outfit together (I have my eye on the carved resin necklaces at Hotcakes Design right now), and I love small, discreet earrings that are understated. Most of my collection is silver, and a lot of it comes from Etsy.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? My go-to earring are my cameo earrings that were my second purchase from Jean Jean Vintage. I find myself wearing them every single day. They are so key to my collection that I keep them in a special glass jar because I worry I might lose them someday!

6| What is your jewelry weakness? I love earrings, particularly small flower shaped studs. They're so simple and understated! While I have a few earrings I love that dangle off the ear, I find that the flower studs are most versatile and easy.

7| What’s the last piece of jewelry you added to your box? The last thing I bought was an art deco pin from Jean Jean Vintage. I teach The Great Gatsby once a year and I love to have real period things on hand so my girls can see what people really wore in that period. Plus, I'm a total sucker for a nice pin to dress up my teacher cardigans.

8| Please tell me a great story about one of the pieces in your jewelry box. The first piece of jewelry I ever bought myself was a very expensive garnet necklace from an awesome store down the street from where I went to college called Avalon. I wanted it for so long and I was really poor college student. Really, I think I visited it for a whole semester. One day I went to browse there, and it was gone! I asked where it went and the woman working there told me she sold it. About a month later I went back and it was back! Apparently it had been returned. I took it for a sign and I bought it. The lesson was that sometimes when you see something you love, you should just get it before someone else does.

9| If price was not an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? I'd love to give my husband an awesome pair of Mad Men inspired cufflinks. He looks even more amazing all cleaned up and wearing fancy-pants clothes, and I'm always telling him how awesome he'd look in a 1960s suit. And a hat. He really needs a hat!

{The jewelry box series will "air" every Wednesday this month, with five interviews in all. Leave a comment on all five entries and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to the shop! Details are here.}

Jewelry Box Snooping Series

2011-11-01T09:12:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is snoop around in other people's jewelry boxes. So why not do it here on the blog?! I'm starting a Jewelry Box Series tomorrow and it will run every Wednesday this month. Each week there will be an interview & accompanying pics with one of the five ladies pictured above - all stylish buddies of mine. I hope you enjoy meeting them and visiting their jewelry boxes!

I'm running a little game to go with it this series, too. If you leave a comment on each of the five posts you will be entered in a giveaway to win a $50 gift certificate to Jean Jean Vintage - just in time for Christmas! Here's the fine print: You have to comment the same week the post goes up (i.e. no playing catch up at the end!) I'll give you some friendly reminders along the way to make sure you get in the running. See you tomorrow for the first interview!

Tied with a bow update

2011-10-31T09:43:00.001-04:00

Bow motif jewelry is always so pretty. I will be stocking all these pieces today in the shop!

1. 1940s LICORICE faux leather shoe clips || 2. 1950s AUNT JUNE locket brooch

3. 1960s SUNDAY SCHOOL goldtone earrings || 4. 1980s SUGARED PLUM costume earrings

5. 1930s WINTERGREEN faux peridot necklace || 6. 1940s BRACKETS rhinestone bracelet

7. 1960s AU LAIT beaded purse

Sweet Bean and I go to a wedding

2011-10-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! Mr. Jean Jean, baby (who I've been calling Sweet Bean lately) and me are headed to a wedding in Ann Arbor this evening. We're driving down early so that we can run some errands and stop at a few of our favorite places. It feels a little bit like playing hooky. The rest of the weekend will be pretty quiet and I'm super thankful for that. Bon weekend to you - I'll see you Monday!

Tunic dress || Motherhood Maternity Necklace || 1930s Art Deco carnelian, ebay 2010

Tights || A Pea in the Pod Ring || 1930s German sterling and faux chrysoprase, antique mall

Boots || Dear Golden Vintage Bracelet || 1920s Czech glass and brass, antique mall

Art Deco Horses

2011-10-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

I am so happy to stock this Art Deco horse pin today! Horse motif jewelry, along with all other types of figural jewelry (birds, insects, dogs, etc.) was hugely popular during the 1920s-1930s and is very collectible today. Brooches were the preferred medium for this type of jewelry, with all kinds of clever designs developed by the popular companies of the day. Here are a few more examples of Art Deco horse motif jewelry.

Image from Leigh Leshner's "Vintage Jewelry, 1920-1940s" pg 182

A singing Halloween house

2011-10-26T10:18:00.000-04:00

The house singing "Thriller"

The house singing "Monster Mash"

I sat at my desk and giggled like a schoolgirl for several minutes when I discovered these videos. THEY ARE SO AWESOME! I think the person/people who made this happen should get some kind of award. Or free Halloween candy for the rest of their lives, maybe.

P.S. The "Monster Mash" video is dedicated to my friends Reina and Sus :)

The Queen's stockings

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few pairs of Queen Victoria's silk stockings will be up for auction November 1st in Edinburgh. The black pair are mourning stockings - aren't they lovely? They are part of the Forbes Collection at Old Battersea House, the London home of the Forbes family. The auction catalog is fantastic.

Image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull

To Australia with love update

2011-10-24T09:30:00.000-04:00

The spring/summertime theme of this update is dedicated to my Southern Hemisphere friends, who are enjoying warmer temps than most of us these days.

1. 1930s EUCALYPTUS Art Deco necklace || 2. 1930s AMARANTH filigree bracelet

3. 1930s HIBISCUS glass pendant || 4. 1930s FAN PALM faux chrysoprase ring

5. 1930s HELLEBORES New England Glassworks brooch

Family Baby Shower

2011-10-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

Last week Soren and I traveled to Minneapolis for our family baby shower. It was a fall-themed, open-house style party with lots of friends and family stopping by. There were about forty people there including my little family from Iowa (that's us in the first pic)! Soren's mom and dad offered to host it at their house which was perfect. They have a big backyard and the weather was beautiful so people could visit outside by the fire if they wanted. The food was lovely (homemade pulled pork and chicken salad sandwiches, a salad, pumpkin cream cheese and apple pie bars), we picked flowers from the garden for the bouquets, etc. Simple, good stuff. Opening presents with Soren was unexpectedly fun. He got so excited about everything we got, saying things like "I can't wait for him to wear this/play with this!" I broke down sobbing once during the party but otherwise made it through like a champ. It was a great day.

A Thanksgiving solution

2011-10-19T14:21:00.001-04:00

This split pie pan from The Spoon Sisters is pretty genius. I think I would still opt for full versions of each pie, though. Pie leftovers are so good!

Images courtesy of The Spoon Sisters

Winter coats, 1983

2011-10-18T10:24:00.002-04:00

Yet another glimpse into the fabulous world of early 80s fashion, courtesy of my old copy of the 1983 Fall/Winter JCPenney's catalog. My mom had a couple of these coats for sure! You can see other vintage catalog posts here.

TURNING LEAVES UPDATE

2011-10-17T09:34:00.001-04:00

I'm back from a long weekend in Minneapolis, where the weather was crisp and sunny. I couldn't resist these colors today. I will be stocking these pieces throughout the day.

1. 1930s SUGAR MAPLE glass necklace | 2. 1940s PAPERBACK BIRCH bakelite bangles
3. 1950s HONEYLOCUST earrings | 4. 1980s BEECH Skal ring
5. 1960s HORNBEAM carved pendant | 6. 1910s QUAKING ASPEN bodice ornament

A pretty girl in a locket - what more could you ask for?

2011-10-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

There are few things that make me happier than seeing pretty ladies wearing Jean Jean Vintage jewelry. Robin shared these photos of herself on her blog, A Chow Life, last Friday and totally made my day. Robin develops pitch-perfect recipes in her Seattle kitchen and shares them, along with witty writing and beautiful photographs, on her excellent blog. If you don't already check in on her from time to time I highly suggest that you start now! I cook from her recipe archives frequently and am always super pleased with the results. My favorites? Lamb Ragout, Escarole, Sausage and White Bean Stew, and Goat Cheese Enchiladas.

Photo courtesy of A Chow Life

She's a beauty

2011-10-13T10:24:00.001-04:00

This little German beauty has all of the elements of a perfect 1930s necklace, in particular the dainty brass chain and the delicate stamped and enameled links. The carved bakelite roses are the icing on the cake. Shoppers hint: sometimes these old, carved pieces are marked leukorite, which is just the commercial name for bakelite. This necklace is now in the shop!

Haunted Victorian Lego Houses

2011-10-12T09:34:00.000-04:00

A fellow named Mike Doyle is a hero to Lego lovers all over the world. Why? Because he designed and built these three Victorian houses entirely out of Legos. The last one here, titled "Lego: Victorian on Mud Heap," took him 600 hours, uses over 100,000 Legos and measures almost six feet tall. I mean look at the curtains! Bad ass. You can see some of the step-by-step process on his blog.

Images courtesy of Mike Doyle

We ate cake

2011-10-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

I went to a little cake sampling session last weekend with Lauren and Maria. We tasted four cakes and picked out two for my baby shower in a few weeks - Mexican Spiced Chocolate and Apricot Ginger. I got to take the leftovers home!

VIBGYOR update

2011-10-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

Geez this was a fun update to put together. I hope you enjoy it! Did anyone else sing the "rainbow color" song in pre-school, otherwise known as VIBGYOR? This is the exact song that I learned. Just listening to it makes me feel like I am five again.

1. 1980s TAFFY JAR bracelet 2. 1940s FLOCON glass earrings

3. 1950s JAPANESE MAPLE brooches 4. 1940s GRAPESICLE costume ring

5. 1940s SMARTIES bakelite necklace 6. 1940s AMBRATO toy ring

7. 1980s SLOANE Napier drop earrings

This week in the shop

2011-10-07T10:56:00.001-04:00

Boy howdy, all these pieces are new in the shop this week! Well, except the Victorian brooch - but it's my favorite so you get to see it again. Bon weekend everyone - what are you up to? I get to see Maria of Adelaide's Homesewn and Lauren of Dear Golden today/tomorrow. We'll be lunching, going to a cake tasting (testing flavors for my baby shower next month) antiquing, eating chili, roasting smores . . . all that good stuff. I hope you get to see some friends this weekend, too!

A blazer and a belly

2011-10-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

I was getting dressed yesterday to pick up Mr. Jean Jean from the airport and I thought, "You know what would look great with this blazer? Some 80s earrings!" Then I remembered this great pair of Napier drops in the cue for next Monday's update and . . . well I just sort of ended up raiding that entire collection for a little dress up session. So here you have glimpse of a few pieces in the 10/10 update and a peek at my belly. We've officially entered the 3rd trimester my friends!

Delfina Delettrez

2011-10-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

The jewelry designed by Delfina Delettrez is really something. Scrolling through her collection is a whirlwind tour of bumblebees, eyeballs, spiderwebs, kissy-lips, bold shapes and très risqué cufflinks. And apparently she just released a collection of modern hair jewelry. I'm intrigued!

Images courtesy of Delfina Delettrez

You can see the house now!

2011-10-04T09:52:00.002-04:00

We made some big changes to our yard and house last month. Here is the before/after! The original garden was planted by a retired couple who, according to our neighbors, spent hours outside everyday tending to it. We knew that wasn't possible for us so we adopted this motto: more grass, less garden. All of the plants/shrubs are babies right now but they will be fuller next year. We also hope to plant two trees and flowers in the spring. For now though, everything is pretty pared down. And don't you love the brick on the first storey? Soren spent hours scrubbing away the white paint and working to expose the original brick. His efforts were the talk of the neighborhood!

Rosy red update

2011-10-03T09:17:00.002-04:00

A rosy red update for you today. Happy October!

1. 1940s BACKSTAGE mesh purse | 2. 1930s KNOCKOUT chaton necklace

3. 1950s TEA ROSE enamel earrings | 4. 1920s CHEEKY filigree pin

5. 1920s FIRST FLUSH costume ring | 6. 1930s ROSEHIPS reverse carved brooch

Trip down Market Street, 1906

2011-09-30T10:17:00.001-04:00

I first saw this video on a 60 Minutes segment (totally worth watching) and I was blown away. This short film was shot in San Francisco in 1906. The cameraman sat on the front of a streetcar traveling down Market Street, hand-cranking the camera and just letting it run as he headed toward the Ferry Building. Life goes on around him. It is remarkable to see all the people on the road (the dresses, the suits, the hats!) as well as the buildings and other forms of transportation on the street. Eerily, the video was shot just a few days before the great earthquake, when over 80% of the city was destroyed and thousands of its residents killed.

Scarab clover

2011-09-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

Another amazing piece of jewelry from Erie Basin. This late 1800s brooch is a mix of classic Victorian (clover) and Egyptian Revival (scarabs). And the beetles are so green and beautiful!

Image courtesy of Erie Basin

I did it!

2011-09-28T09:18:00.001-04:00

Do you remember this little DIY post I mentioned back in July? Well, I finally got around to doing it this past weekend and I'm really happy with it. The hardest part was deciding which hankies to frame. I ironed and tested out a couple dozen but these six made the cut! I bought the frames here.

And P.S. The big cross pillows on my daybed are from Liane at Enhabiten. They are amazing and stuffed with all-natural kapok. If you are looking for some comfy throw pillows she makes some really nice things!

Ruby slippers

2011-09-27T09:26:00.001-04:00

A pair of ruby slippers created for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz will be up at auction this December. The satin pumps, which are chiffon lined, beaded with thousands of burgundy sequins and accented with bows, were one of several pairs created for the character of Dorothy in the movie. There are only three other pairs known to exist and this pair is expected to fetch $2 million! You can read more about the famous slippers here. I would love to be a fly on the wall at that auction!

Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Victorian Sensibility Update

2011-09-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

I've got some beautiful antiques as well as some Victorian Revival lovelies for you today, all done with the characteristic restraint and sensibility of the Victorian period. Can you guess which piece is the hardest for me to part with? Contact me today with your response! The first five folks who get it right will get a secret discount code to use in the shop in October. I'll reveal the answer tomorrow morning in the comments.

1. BRONTE 1910s engraved hinged bracelet | 2. THACKERAY 1910s interlocking ring brooch

3. ELIOT 1900s scalloped earrings | 4. DICKENS 1930s signet ring

5. DOYLE 1900s double sided tinted photo pendant

6. STOWE 1930s modified Victorian monogrammed locket w/faux goldstone

It's jumper time

2011-09-23T08:58:00.001-04:00

I found this jumper while I was cleaning out/changing over my wardrobe earlier this week and I love it. Who doesn't enjoy a good jumper come fall? I figured I should probably wear it while I can - 26 weeks and counting now! As for the jewelry, I borrowed the cider ring from the shop and I gave the 1920s bangle and faux-goldstone locket a test run - they will be part of Monday's Victorian-themed update. Bon weekend!

A California-Kansas love connection

2011-09-22T09:41:00.002-04:00

I found this Czech glass bracelet in California and the brooch in Kansas - and now they are reunited in the shop! Two beautiful examples of 1910s-1920s Eastern European glass and enamel jewelry.

1930s wedding bands

2011-09-21T09:24:00.001-04:00

1920s-1930s wedding bands are just about the prettiest things. Here is an ad for bands from my 1932 Fort Dearborn catalog. I recently listed a sterling version of these platinum/white gold bands in the shop. It has the same "blossom and baguette" design as the advertised rings in the right column - so sweet! I wish I could find a dozen more like this one.

Hidden Victorian kitchen

2011-09-20T08:55:00.000-04:00

When was the last time you went exploring in your basement to find a ca. 1830s, mostly in situ Victorian kitchen? That's what happened to the owners of the house at Cefn Park, a turn of the 19th century estate in North Wales. The kitchen was in disuse for about 100 years before being blocked off at the start of WWII. The contents include a full oven, pots, kettles on the stove, utensils, a large dining table for the servants . . . everything that a stately house would require. Amazing! Here is the full article, complete with great photographs.

Photos courtesy of The Daily Mail, copyright Cascade News.

Pearly Update

2011-09-19T09:10:00.001-04:00

Vintage faux pearls (and three real seed pearls!) of all colors headed to the shop today.

Bon courage to you as you start the week!

1. COLLIER 1960s double strand faux pearl necklace 2. NACRE 1940s drop earrings

3. PERLA 1980s costume bracelet 4. PLONGEUR 1940s celluloid brooch

5. FRESHWATER 1940s sage pearl ring 6. AKOYA 1890s Victorian Etruscan locket

7. MABE 1950s beaded clutch

Hello piano

2011-09-16T09:06:00.000-04:00

We disturbed the early morning quiet of our neighborhood yet again yesterday morning (we've been landscaping all week . . . more about that later) when the family piano arrived chez moi. The piano is very special to me because it has been in my family for over thirty years. It originally belonged to my Grandpa, who was a piano theory teacher and a great player. That's my Grandpa, the piano and me in the last pic! After he died the piano traveled from Kansas to Iowa to be passed down to my dad, who also loved to play. We had it at my house from the time I was about five and I learned to play on it. Fast forward twenty-five years . . . . when my mom and brother decided that the piano should be passed on to me. So now, after a road trip from Iowa, it is in my living room. I'm so happy!

New locket stock

2011-09-15T09:50:00.003-04:00

New lockets added to Jean Jean Vintage!

a | WHIRLIGIG 1930s rhinestone locket b | LA MODE 1950s gold locket

c | GAL PALS 1950s heart locket d | GOLD SHELL 1910s Victorian locket

e | MEDAILLE 1950s gold locket f | MODESTIA 1950s locket

Bakelite and baby bump

2011-09-14T09:06:00.000-04:00

I know, I know - more bakelite jewelry! That's just how it worked out this week. I'm wearing a few of the bangles from yesterday's post, as well as a rad bakelite pendant (still can't believe I found it) and my new "every day" ring. And hey - I'm 25 weeks pregnant with this little guy! His new nickname around here is "Baby Bear." I took these pics in his room so that you could see the birch tree decals we just put up. I really like how they look.

Honeydew bakelite

2011-09-13T09:20:00.000-04:00

I recently found this set of bakelite bangles - tied together with a ribbon and just waiting for me. The colors remind me of melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, etc.) Or maybe squash is a better comparison, given the season we are headed into? A couple of these will appear in an autumn update in a few weeks. I'm keeping the rest!

Sweet Peach Update

2011-09-12T08:55:00.000-04:00

An update fit for a Southern Belle, with peachy hues and carved corsages. Happy Monday!

1. WHISKEY SOUR 1930s faux carved coral necklace 2. PRALINE 1920s sterling band

3. DEBUTANTE 1950s torsade bracelet 4. PEACH TEA 1960s drop earrings

5. CHEROKEE ROSE 1940s carved ivory earrings

Rocky things

2011-09-09T10:21:00.000-04:00

These agate necklaces from Noble Town Vintage really tug at my heart. My family vacationed on the rocky shores of Lake Superior for many, many years and I've spent countless hours hunting for pretty rocks like these. I even thought about being a geologist for a while in college! I still have lots of rocky reminders around my house, including some amazing close up photographs that my dad took.

Paper bag purses

2011-09-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

I really like these "bag" purses from Marie Turnor. They are leather and they have a hidden, magnetic clasp. The brown ones look like fancy lunch sacks!

Photos courtesy Mohawk General Store