Monthly Archives: November 2013

Girls Want Pearls: PUT A RING ON IT

Happy Thanksgiving Week and

Welcome to Girls Want Pearls!

I love to incorporate natural elements into my decor. There’s something romantic about bringing nature indoors. And the fact that it costs nothing is a bonus. With holiday tablescaping upon us, I thought it would be fun to do a pearly twiggy napkin ring.

Very little is needed to make these:

Just gather some twigs and be sure to find some that are super skinny for threading pearls onto. If you can’t find any skinny enough, you can cheat and use brown wire for the ones that have pearls. Make five bundles of twigs and wrap with wire. Tie your twine around each bundle, spacing them approx. 1/2 inch apart. I found it easier to prepare the knots in advance and then slide the bundles in. Form the finished twine around a napkin and tie the ends together. Thread your pearls on and add a dot of glue if needed.

You could mix in some sparkly beads in your color choice for a Christmas table. Add a natural-elements centerpiece, maybe vases full of twigs or a tray of hedge apples, pumpkins or artichokes for a cohesive look. Happy decorating!

Next week’s hint: Eye Candy

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Savvy Southern Style,The 36th Avenue,Stone Gable Blog,Imparting Grace,No Minimalist Here,Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson,The Scoop,Mod Vintage Life,Between Naps on the Porch, From My Front Porch to Yours, Cozy Little House, Knick of Time, A Stroll Thru Life, Ivy and Elephants, Jennifer Rizzo, Style Elixir, Shabby Art Boutique, Maria Elenas Decor

Junk Jubilee Jingles ~ Part 1

As a blogger, have you ever met any fellow bloggers or readers for the first time in real life? It’s a fun experience and it happened to me last weekend. My good friend Claudia and I got away for some girl time and shopping at Junk Jubilee Jingles in Des Moines, Iowa. What a fabulous show! We had a great time and one of the highlights for me was meeting Kris from Junk Chic Cottage. She has a fun blog that I follow and I was excited to meet her in person. She graciously agreed to having our picture taken and here we are.

One of the other reasons I took the trip 3 hours north was to check out the show and see if I might want to vend there next year. I think it would be a great venue for my jewelry. I’m excited at the prospect but undecided so far. We’ll see. My friend Claudia has been a vendor there a few times. She has great taste and decorating flair, if you haven’t seen her blog Just Claudia Style you should definitely pop over and see her.

I’m splitting this post into 2 parts so here are some of my favorite booths from the show, Part 1.

The above four pictures are the beautiful booth of Kara Fogertey, Studio F.

Cute stars from Relics Awry.

In Part 2 I’ll show you some of the things I bought and a few more great booths!

Talk soon,
Ann

Girls Want Pearls: A WINNING HAND

Welcome to Week 15 of GIRLS WANT PEARLS! where every Monday we look at pearls in a new light and get creative with wardrobe and decor using the cherished pearl.

So, you know that feeling you get when you have a party or occasion coming up and you just really want to shine? You’re feeling very girly and you want the world to know it. You want to do something super special and different but nothing drastic like coloring your hair pink. How about pearly nails?!
Have you seen the amazingly creative manicures lately?

I love to plan a few holiday outfits in advance and get creative with my combinations. You know, think outside the box and look at colors other than red and green, silver and gold that can rock the holidays. You can take the simplest (read: boring) classic pieces and make them instantly festive by adding something unexpected ~ layered on chains and pearls; sparkle in your hair, or a statement manicure. Today I want to share with my readers some fabulous nail ideas that I have gathered from around the web to inspire you.

Do you wear your nails natural on a daily basis, manicured with polish always, or polished just for special occasions? Do you polish them yourself or have them done by a professional?

Here are some tips on doing them yourself, as well as links to a video and a place to buy what you need to do your very own pearly nails.

How to Master Nail Studs and Stones

Baby Pearls at Born Pretty Store

graphics by: source; source; source; source; source; source; source; source; source; source

Next week I’ll be sharing more holiday ideas.
The hint may sound wardrobe related but it’s actually a decor tip: Put A Ring On It

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Glen Plaid, Leopard and Hardware

This past weekend I had the pleasure of snapping pics during the golden hour. I hope you enjoy the shots of the beautiful fall colors in the background. Maybe photo overload but I couldn’t help myself. I need a new camera though, I really want better photo quality.

I just added this necklace to my shop here.

{Faux Leopard Vest: UBU Clothing} {Shirt: Adiva} {Glen Plaid Shorts: Worthington} {Boots: My Go-To Clarks}

{Lace and Pearl Drawer Pull Necklace: Tarnished Royalty HERE}
{Metallic Pink Hardware Bracelet: Tarnished Royalty HERE}

Linking with: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, Monday Mingle, My Style Monday, Casual Friday, Funday Monday, I Feel Pretty, CC McAfee Perspective

Girls Want Pearls: CORK BOTTLE JEWELRY

Happy Veteran’s Day and
Welcome to week 14 of Girls Want Pearls!

This week’s idea is a great gift idea that is much easier than it looks. You know the parties we all have coming up with family and friends for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s? Well, if you aren’t hosting, and you want to take a hostess gift to show your appreciation for the one who is, I’ve got you covered. A bottle of wine or sparkling cider is a classic gift which in and of itself is appropriate and adequate. But if you want to take it up a notch, a piece of bottle jewelry will do just that.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 wine corks

loose pearls of various sizes

styrofoam

strand of pearls or ribbon of your choosing

straight pins

glue

wire

Start by cutting your styrofoam into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch circle (start larger and pare down from there) making it the same height as your corks when they are laid on their side. Arrange your corks around the outer circumference to make sure they fit but don’t attach yet; adjust the styro size as needed.

Attaching the ribbon or pearl hanger:

Measure out enough pearls or ribbon to form the hanger, making sure that it will lay on the neck of the bottle and stop where you want it to. If your pearls have a clasp, you will use that to attach to the styro, otherwise you’ll need to wrap your pearl strand or ribbon with a medium guage wire at each end. Generously dot the clasp pieces or wire-wrapped ends with glue and push into the styrofoam at the point that will be your “top”. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Attaching the corks:

Place glue generously on one end of each cork. Attach to styro circle one at a time and allow to dry. Don’t worry about being neat with the glue, it will all be covered later. For added stability, you can add a straight pin at the connection point, pushed in at an angle.

Attaching the pearls:

Place your largest pearl in the center of the styro circle and attach with a straight pin. Attach pearls with pins, one at a time around the center pearl. Continue in circles until you have expanded all the way to the cork edge and beyond. I used larger pearls towards the center and graduated to smaller ones on the outer edge. Fill in with small pearls anywhere you have “holes.”

You’re done and ready for your next party! Your hostess will love you! When it’s not being bottle jewelry it can transition into an ornament for her tree. Pretty great, huh?

Ask away if you have any questions or if I can clarify my instructions!

Next week’s hint: A Winning Hand

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Blushing For Fall

Gosh, how my yard has changed in just a couple of short weeks. Where you see lush green in these pictures it has gone to lovely yellows and oranges, to now half bare after rains and wind have stripped the trees. I love experiencing all 4 seasons here in the Midwest, but it’s always bittersweet to see the leaves disappear.

Soon we’ll be looking at the pretty white snow…whoa…not ready for that yet!

{Jacket: Liz Claiborne, THRIFTED $1} {Pants: Jones New York, THRIFTED $4}

{Shirt: Worthington, last year} {Boots: Clarks, last year}

{Blush Lace Necklace: Tarnished Royalty, HERE} {Charcoal Lace Earrings: Tarnished Royalty, HERE}

Talk soon,
Ann