surely I need more costume jewelry

I’ve seen so many compelling pairs of earrings lately, I seem to be in an earring-search-and-acquire mode. Not just any kind of earrings, either. Big, flashy ones. Sparkly ones. In many cases gaudy ones. You know the earrings teenage girls and bridesmaids wanted in 1985? Those ones.

I’ve been searching for a series of highly specific abstracts; massive sparkly cushion cut something or other with drop finding, faceted double teardrops in some shade of green, textured gold spheres ca. 10mm, large hammered brass oblong dangles. I just have these VISIONS. I just have all of these IDEAS.

OK. Here are the beautiful ones I found when browsing Bluebirrrd Dreams Etsy shop for pearls (you’ll remember that the shop owner let me borrow some lovely ones). I seem to find all of the best things when I am looking for something else.

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These are blue milkweed beetle (Chrysochus cobaltinus) wings, which have a gorgeous iridescent surface. Are they not fine companions for my scarab pendant? Hand-drilled and suspended on vermeil. Bold yet light and delicate, metallic yet organic. Lovely, lovely.

These got me thinking about my relative lack of flashy costume jewelry. Unacceptable! I thought. Must be remedied!

So, then.

Something like these seemed in order (mine are still in the mail):

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Evidently Angelina Jolie wore a pair like this for the Oscars a few years ago and it’s been easy to acquire simulations ever since.  My thanks, Angelina.

And I got something like these (again, mail):

681f6f3a6c080fa0247646e6e48c749fThey are like a cross between a classic gold sphere and a disco ball. Festive, no?

And I’m still hunting for something along these lines, which I intend to be quite large indeed, though I can’t yet decide whether I prefer the square or diamond orientation, nor which color I want. I just know I want this rounded square shape and a minimal finding with no accent gems or flourishes.

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images via pinterest

If I find a few I like inexpensively enough I suspect I’ll get a few variations. Studs, dangles, different colors, sizes, orientations. Something about this shape and cut is extremely appealing to me. Strange that one can feel a distinct preference for something so abstract as a shape. I like circles, too. Circles, squares, spirals. These kinds of affinities never seem like coincidences. They are the patterns within patterns that lead me to conclude: I am highly predictable.

Did you know that there are green amethysts? That’s on my mind, too.

And…I may have gotten a sequined skirt. A rose gold one. Possibly.

[If you are on the fence about getting a sequined skirt, you should definitely get one.]

I could blame it on a holiday party but this would be a thinly veiled excuse, and beneath me.

Speaking of holidays, happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S., and thanks for reading.

buttoned up

I have to thank CPL* for sending me a photo worth emulating, and more interesting still for being in line with my style (I had all of the ingredients to reproduce it on hand) yet unlike anything I’ve worn before. Expanding horizons.

*Her blog, geek outsider, is located at the junction of race and geekery. Very cool.

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It’s impressive to me what a difference it makes to do up those top buttons. Loosen the hair and undo the buttons and you have another aesthetic altogether.

I like the simplicity/severity of the clean collar, the white against the black. It seems like you rarely see a clean buttoned shirt like this, so prevalent are bib-style necklaces (and ties). The absence of decoration is almost more distracting than if I had added a detail at the throat.

The lipstick you may remember from my recent lipstick ramble. Oh! I’ve just realized that glasses would have been fitting here.

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Love the clean geometry of the cuffs peeking out. I am won over by such small details.

IMG_8756J Crew buttoned shirt (thrifted), H&M cardigan, American Apparel skinny suede belt, AG jeans (thrifted, cropped), Jeffrey Campbell France strapped boots, Pearls of Joy 8-9mm studs. On the lips, MAC lipstick in Dubonnet.

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