Monthly Archives: September 2013

Bike Ride Party of One

I had a great morning bike ride in the cool crisp air yesterday. It was a first for me. Not the riding, I bicycle an average of 3 days a week on our beautiful parkway system. But this time was different.
This time I was alone.
Typically I ride with a couple of girlfriends or my husband. But no one was available and I needed to get my blood pumping. If I don’t get regular exercise I can get into a really “off” state of mind and emotions, so I ventured out. It was sooooo peaceful. I was able to take in the scenery and really think. And pray. Just a whole different experience from the usual gabby time with my friends (which is a ton of fun btw).
I will not have to think twice about going solo the next time they are unavailable.
Do you have a favorite place/way to do your thinking/praying/alone time?
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Billy Jack for Her

This is probably my very favorite find from my August thrifting. It’s a vintage 70s Billy Jack For Her dress. It is long to my shins so I converted it to a tunic by belting it with a skinny belt and blousing it over.
 
 
 
 
 


{Tunic: Billy Jack For Her THRIFTED $5.99} {Boots: Clarks} {Cherry Red Beaded Bag: Vintage THRIFTED $3.00} {Lace Buckle Necklace: Tarnished Royalty Here} {Blush Heart Lace Earrings: Tarnished Royalty Here
 
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GIRLS WANT PEARLS: Don’t Blink! Photo Frame Embellishment

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, they sure do fly by don’t they! Just a couple more left till the official end of summer. I would be sad if I didn’t love fall so much.

Now, on to the fifth installment of GIRLS WANT PEARLS, 52 Mondays dedicated to the lovely pearl.
Photos are such a treasured item in every household. Moments of our lives captured for later reflection and future generations to glimpse and ponder. I love it when I go into a home and there are photos of family and friends everywhere. It lets me know just how important those relationships are and who they hold near and dear.

I must confess, I have A LOT of photos stashed away in boxes that I need to organize and place into albums. But I do have many displayed in frames around my home as well, though not near enough! I buy all my frames at tag sales, I NEVER pay retail for them because they are expensive, but so plentiful at yard sales. It’s easy to transform a boring frame by simply giving it a coat of paint.
But for those super special pictures that you really want to stand out, a pearl embellishment will do the trick.

For this first example I used two sections of tiny vintage pearls but any type will do. I did them “freehand” but if you want to you can draw your design out with pencil first. Just start with one end of the strand and glue a few pearls in place, allow to dry and coil around, gluing a few more. Don’t worry about matching the coils perfectly. Continue until your design is finished and you have a beautiful new frame.
 The second example is much simpler but still pizazzy (that’s my mama with her dolly ~ isn’t she cute?). I started by gluing a medium large single pearl in the center of the frame. Then, using two separate sections of tiny pearls I draped and attached them by gluing in a few places. Very little effort and I like the final result very much.
 
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1940s Vintage Suede Spectator Pumps

I found all three of these pieces on my last thrifting trip, along with lots of other great finds. When I got home and started putting things together I loved this combo.
The vintage skirt is actually meant to be worn with a long top that was part of a set but it was by itself. It is just sort of a slip above the pleats so I paired it with longer layers.
 
I have a new-found love of stripes.
I made the bracelet from vintage drawer hardware and vintage metal buttons.
I’ve had these vintage pumps (and by vintage I mean 1940’s) for a few years. They are too tight and hurt my feet so I’ll probably sell them eventually to someone who wears about a size 6-1/2 or 7.
They’re just too cute to leave stored away.
{Cardigan: THRIFTED $1.99 {Green top: Old Navy THRIFTED $1.99} {Vintage Pleated Skirt: faded tag THRIFTED $3.99} {Vintage 40’s Spectator Pumps: Nina} {Bracelet: Tarnished Royalty here } {Earrings: Tarnished Royalty}
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 Fashion and Faith, Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins, Style Elixir, Face It Catalog, Rachel The Hat, Lena B. Actually, Not Dead Yet Style, The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Simply Lulu Style
 
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GIRLS WANT PEARLS: Like a Merchant

As a former antique dealer I know what it is to be on the hunt for something unique and drool-worthy. I know the desire to score something that not many had that would be wanted by many. You know, that piece, THE piece, that would evoke ooos and ahhs and would ultimately cause the customer to pull out their checkbook.
So I can very much relate to that aspect of this parable.
Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
But as a human being, like every human being, I have a deeper need for fulfillment. In all my “getting” I have found the one major “score” to beat all others, the Pearl of great price. Yes, I still like and enjoy my stuff. But do I live for it or for the quest of it? Thankfully, no. God is the center, and all else in my life revolves around my relationship with Him. He brings me back to focus on what matters. Once we really glimpse the value of the kingdom of heaven, we want to bring heaven into our everyday lives and the lives of others. Then and only then will we abandon (set aside as secondary) everything we have, think and feel to pursue the one true Pearl.
 Fun facts from Wikipedia:
*Not all mussels and oysters produce pearls. In a haul of three tons, only three or four oysters will produce perfect pearls.
*Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. In 1917, jeweler Pierre Cartier purchased the Fifth Avenue mansion that is now the New York Cartier store in exchange for a matched, double strand of natural pearls that he had been collecting for years; valued at the time at $1 million USD.

Next week’s hint: Don’t Blink

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