Jewelry Box Tour 5 || Brenna Dougan

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!}

Jewelry Box Tour 4 || Johanna Horn

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.} 

Jewelry box tour 3 || Amy Sacksteder

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 about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? 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 last piece 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 me a 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 was not 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.}

Jewelry Box Tour 2 || Margot Miller

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 the privilege 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 and silhouettes. The delicate and precious. I like versatility and I don't like feeling as though the jewelry is wearing me.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? I wear a couple of pieces with 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 to the 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 jewelry added 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 my jewelry 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 without saying 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.}

Jewelry Box Tour 1 || Anne Rubin

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

   

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!