Posts Tagged ‘jewellery’
fashion favorite: charm-ing bracelet
my grandmother rowie’s charm bracelet is one of my most treasured possessions. she started it herself, as a new beginning and a gift to herself. i loved the jangle she made, and how we would sit and talk with her about the story behind each charm. a lot of the charms were collected on her travels and others were just gifts from my mum to mark occasions.
pictured below are closer views of the bracelet…
a bell (from capri), a lion (from trafalgar square, london), the little mermaid (from denmark), an outback ‘dunny’ (er, an out-house), a heart, a clog (from the netherlands), an echidna, an easter bunny, the leaning tower of pisa, a dice (from vegas), a christmas tree, a chili
a tasmanian devil, a razor blade, a globe, a bucket of ice and champagne (60th birthday), scissors, an abacus, a bear (from berlin), a bee
a junk boat (from hong kong), a thimble, a pagoda, an apple (from tasmania, australia), buddha, a clover leaf (from ireland), a virgin mary, a horseshoe and clover leaf
rowie was a fabulous woman. she was attractive, witty, and elegant in a style all of her own. she was a hostess to die for, and always loved trying new things. after getting divorced in 1979, at the age of 50 she embarked on a trip around the world and it was on this trip that she collected a lot of her charms. i find that so inspiring, and so typical of rowie, that she up and went out in search of a new adventure. she travelled to america, and mexico, europe, england and ireland, japan and hong kong. i still have the postcards she sent my parents, and she made the most of everywhere she visited. i love that my grandma ate snake and climbed a volcano but then talked about high fashion shopping in new york!
this charm bracelet is a documentation of a chapter in her life that was all about her. these charms weren’t for protection, they were to remind her of the good times and achievements all of her own. she seemed fearless, independent, and always did her own thing her way. i think of these qualities when i wear her charm bracelet in hope that it will evoke the same spirit in me. at the very least, the bracelet’s jingling brings me right back to sitting on her lap and talking.
from sepharial’s book of charms and talismans, published by foulsham, london
a charm bracelet is so simple, but elegant and a beautiful thing to leave behind. do you have one? did you inherit it or are you building it yourself, as a little biography on your wrist? if you don’t have one, why not start a new one to celebrate the new decade!
pilgrim’s palette: yellow
it might be an odd thing to say, but i worship color. do you feel like this too? it has such a profound effect on me, when i’m dressing or when i’m working, sometimes i feel a bit like an alchemist. its powerful stuff, this! take some teal, add a dash of rose and a pinch of black – not too much! and voila! the magical combination of colors equal something new and greater than the parts. its power can turn your mood around or evoke memories.
i love that, perhaps more in childhood, our favorite colors help to define us. though i go through phases of staunch loyalty to a certain shade, ultimately i’m a fickle color tart! a year of red, then a season of green, a month of teal… while loving these colors i can’t fathom why anyone would love another color, “how could you possibly like purple” i’d wonder, “it certainly isn’t blue!” and then a month later all i want is to surround myself in purple. (its probably just as well i don’t follow sport, can you imagine the scorn i’d attract for changing my allegiances like this!?)
my color fetish lately is yellow. for such a long time, a true appreciation of yellow elluded me. yellow just seemed so sickly, and ew! yellow snow! being of an english rose complexion it had certainly never entered my wardrobe. but gradually it entered my home, and my heart.
its just so sunny and joyful! but in the right context there is a sophistication to it, and i think that was what i had missed previously. so to celebrate it, in (some of) its shades, here are some outfits that -if i could pull it off without looking ill – i would definitely rock some mellow yellow.
how do you feel about yellow? is it welcome in your home or wardrobe?
droolry: jewelry that makes me drool
… perfection, i believe is the word you’re after. Victoire de Castellane’s diorette collection for dior include these breathtakingly bold enamel and jewel encrusted rings. they’ve been around for about a year now, but i just can’t stop looking at them. they really are tiny works of art. well, tiny is perhaps an understatement! the price tags certainly aren’t tiny, and the cheapest little daisy one is $1137. let’s not mention the other prices.
i’ve always felt like i should like Tarina Tarantino. a lot more than i do. i love sparkly, slightly crazy stuff, but nothing of hers has ever really grabbed me until now: the electric koolade bib necklace! and i’m ready to take it all back. just look at it, the colors, the jewels – like dew drops on the flower petals. its like some futuristic mexican art work. too good. in conclusion: yes sir, i like it!
literal cocktail rings! but be warned ladies, if a smooth talking gent presents you with one of piaget’s sex on the beach rings (from their limelight paradise collection) he may be giving you a subtle hint as to what he expects in return! and its not served in a martini glass. and its going to be sandy.
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