If a girl says...

If a girl says not to get her a birthday present, that means "get me a birthday present and make sure it's jewelry."

-Kami Garcia

A Visceral Reaction

Photo from flickr by Liamfm

People have long talked about how random things can trigger an emotional reaction or memory. The smell of a certain perfume or a song can stir up memories and rememberances faster than just about anything.

In my case, what usually trips a memory is a scent. Emeraude perfume was my grandmother's favorite perfume.  I still have a small bottle of it in my dresser drawer that I only open when I'm feeling really low or want a hint of comfort.  Grandma Rose gave the best hugs, and she always wore Emeraude.

Other times, music brings back memories. Randomly, I'll hear the theme song for an old 1980s cop show called Hill Street Blues and I'll be 7 years old again and tucked into bed for the night. It wasn't the T.V. I was listening to, but my father trying to teach himself to play the theme song on the piano. One note at a time. The first few bars of the song over and over and over. That memory makes me feel safe, and I tear up a little every time I think about it.

What has been fascinating to me, as I've been working with vintage jewelry more and more, are the stories that I hear from people as they've looked at the jewelry I have. 

"My grandmother had a piece just like that!" someone will exclaim and then they'll share a memory of their grandmother getting dressed up for this occasion or that.

"Oh. My. God! My mother wore something like that all the time! I wish I had kept it!"

So far, I personally haven't had a visceral reaction to a piece of jewelry...

A cross-stitch piece, nicely framed and proudly displayed at the last estate sale I went to... that's another story.

What about you? What have you come across that has caused an immediate memory or reaction?

Don't leave a piece of jewelry at his house

“Don't leave a piece of jewelry at his house so you can go back and get it later; he may be with his real girlfriend.” 

-Amy Sedaris

A Peek into My Normal Life

I don't know if I've told you this, but I don't do jewelry full time.  It's my hobby that pays for itself! Well, for now it's my hobby that pays for itself.  Maybe someday, in the future, I'll be able to devote more time to it.

But for now, the majority of my time will be spent here:

That wide and empty room is a classroom. 

I am a teacher.

What do I teach? Well, children mostly, but occasionally other teachers and administrators. 

Oh, what grade / subject do I teach? I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Reading and Language Arts.  My classes though are all ELL classess. (English Language Learners). I teach students who don't have a solid grasp of English yet.  A majority of my students are Spanish speakers. No, they are not all Mexican. I have students from Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Yemen.  In the past, I've taught students from Brazil, Ukraine, Poland, and Mongolia.

Why is my classroom so bare and empty? It's brand new!

This happened to my old classroom in April of last school year.

 

THAT was a whole pile of fun.

Anywho, I have a brand new classroom that is twice the size as my old classroom, has twice the technology, actually has storage in it (my old room had no book cases, cabinets or anything, just an old safe), AND has walls that I can stick things on (again, old room had brick. NOTHING sticks to brick!)

One of the reasons I've not been as good with posting or listing new items has been because I've been working and getting my school year ready to go!

Maybe soon, I'll get pictures of it set up and being used!

For those of you in the cheap seats...

“For those of you in the cheap seats I'd like ya to clap your hands to this one; the rest of you can just rattle your jewelry!” 

-John Lennon

Grayslake Antique Market

Today I played hooky.

I didn't go to church.

I know, I know... I'm a baaaaaad girl.

But the weather was gorgeous!  It was 70 degrees, sunny, bright blue skies with cotton candy clouds, and a light breeze.  It didn't take long to talk my husband into playing hooky with me and driving up to the Grayslake IL Antique Market at the Lake County Fairgrounds. 

We got there with only 2.5 hours left before they closed for the day.  It was time for a power shop.  We quickly went through the outside vendors, skimming the tables and darting our eyes to look for items that we SPECIFICALLY wanted.  I, of course, searching for jewelry, and my husband looking for old crates and bee-keeping stuff.

I zipped by booths that normally I would have lingered at.  If I didn't see something on my first quick dig through a jumbled jewelry box full of stuff, then I moved on. Hubs started to walk ahead of me to scout out whether or not tables were "worth" looking at.  (Of course, I always went by anyway to judge for myself.

I do think I got some great deals!

Purchases from today at Grayslake

Some of the designer pieces I picked up were a Goldette Mesh Choker (Featuring the 3 graces); a Weiss white rhinestone necklace; a Florenza Demi Parure; a Kramer Enameled bee brooch; Hickock cufflinks; and a Coro Sterling Brooch!  I was also able to pick up 3 victorian brooches, and an Art Deco 1930s bird brooch!