Only lockets

With all these color updates I've been doing lately, I've forgotten about my true loves - lockets! So I'm playing catch up with locket listing today, a few this morning and a few this evening. All ages, all sizes, all shapes. There are some real beauties here.

Four thumbs up

I am giving two thumbs up to this leather cuff from K/LLER. The little metal panel makes me want to borrow two more thumbs and give it four thumbs up. It also comes in gray! You can find it here.

Image courtesy of Totokaelo

We're on a boat!

Soren, getting ready for the boat ride w/his SPF 55

The Michigan folks getting ready to drive off and make room for us!

Me taking a picture of me

Soren driving our car onto the boat

Take a good look 'cause we're on a boat!

Sailboats in Milwaukee

Bye bye Wisconsin!

We're going so fast! I started feeling sick right about at this point . . .

Fast-forward through the un-fun parts to the Michigan port!

Hello Muskegon, Michigan

Probably most of you have seen the SNL Digital Short "I'm on a boat," right? (It is pretty ridiculous - you can watch it here.) Well, Soren and I couldn't help think about it yesterday when we boarded the Lake Express from Milwaukee, WI to Muskegon, MI. For a girl who grew up in a land-locked state, being on a boat that carried people and cars across a lake was pretty awesome. I felt sick for the middle part but the beginning and end (docking!) was really fun. And we didn't have to drive through Chicago traffic yay!

Anyway, we are home now. I'll be setting up Jean Jean headquarters this weekend and getting Monday's update ready - it is going to be all lockets!

I want to look I don't want to look

These human hair necklaces by Kerry Howley make me crazy. I love them I hate them. I want to look I don't want to look. They are beautiful they are repulsive. I actually really enjoy antique hairwork jewelry (especially mourning jewelry) but usually that category features tight, tidy weaves that end up looking like fiber art. But Howley's work is messier, with loose strands and somehow that gives me the shivers. What do you think?

Photos via Arts Thread

Inspired by insects

Butterfly wing bangles

Beetle ring

Cicada ring

Butterfly ring

My friend Ellen of A Wild Tea Party told me about the company Dinosaur Designs in Sydney, Australia. They make jewelry out of synthetic resin, which is sort of a dream for girls who like plastic jewelry. Their recent collection based on insects is so awesome. The black resin cicada ring is my favorite! You can browse the online catalog here.

Photos courtesy of Dinosaur Designs

Land of 10,000 Lakes

1930s sterling filigree and faux aquamarine ring

1920s filigree bangle || 1930s cut glass brooch

1930s brass and crystal necklace

1940s glass drop earrings || 1960s Victorian style brooch

1950s glass earrings

I'm enjoying a few days with my in-laws in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Minnesota. I vacationed here as a kid, went to college here, met my husband here . . . I really love it. I would move to the Twin Cities in a heartbeat. This update is inspired by the lakes of Minneapolis - I love their names! You can click on the captions to see each listing.

Summer supper snapshots

We had a great time with my family in Iowa. On our last night, we had a nice supper complete with all the summer fixins - including watermelon and sweet corn! The guys were in charge of grilling. I asked them to take a break and pose like they were in an indie band (ha ha!) That's my brother and me in the last pic. I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of my mom! You'll just have to trust me that she was there.

Poppies and leaves

This was a hard one to give up, mostly because of the colors - gray! peach! - and the flower and leaf motif. But I dutifully went through the motions (cleaning, photographing, etc.) and as I did, I realized that it was meant for Jean Jean Vintage. No matter how much I love it, I think someone else can love it more! You can find it here in the shop.