Witching Hour

If you must wear the colors of Halloween...


Carnelian and Onyx Necklace by Siman Tu for Vivre, $1,050.00



Arunashi Fire Opal Ring in Blackened Setting with Diamonds, $12,500


...this is really the only way to go.

Today's Jewelry

*Morning Song Necklace by Laurel Denise purchased at the (sadly) now closed Trunkt on Hudson street, though they still have a website up. If I am remembering correctly, I bought this necklace with my first just-given-a-raise paycheck like, two years ago.
*Bracelets and Casio watch, ball earrings.
*Favorite and much mended Diesel jeans, that miraculously fit this morning.
*Orangey (a nod the the holiday!) red short sleeve sweater and white tank.

Tagged... I'm it!

Happy Halloween, everyone!


I've been tagged by the lovely Lady N of Flair to tell you all six interesting things about me. I can't promise they'll be interesting to you, but they interest me!


1. I read A LOT: Since I take the train to work everyday, I usually breeze through a book every other day. I've memorized my library card number, and all the librarians know me by name. I'm a little proud of this.




Yes, she is holding a cat. Similarities to me? Why, what do you mean?
2. Which brings me to...: My favorite author is Barbara Pym, who wrote very British "comedy of manners" type novels chock full of bumbling vicars, excellent women (unmarried women who help out at the church jumble sales), and small town gossip.

Two quality Pym quotes:
"There are no sick people in North Oxford. They are either dead or alive. It’s sometimes difficult to tell the difference, that’s all." from Crampton Hodnet

"Miss Doggett again looked puzzled; it was as if she had heard that men only wanted one thing but had forgotten for the moment what it was." from Jane and Prudence (my favorite)



3. I am fascinated with medical disorders, especially ones concerning the brain: My favorite NPR show is Radio Lab, which dedicates each episode to different functions of the body. I am currently in the middle of (neurologist) Oliver Sacks' "An Anthropologist on Mars" which is about rare brain disorders, and I've just become obsessed with the TV show House. In the last episode, a 12 year old kid had anthrax poisoning AND leprosy!!
I've also loved the Bubonic plague since childhood.

4. I get very tired at concerts: The pounding bass has lulled me to sleep more often then I'd like to say. I barely saw any of The Dismemberment Plan (their last show ever, btw), and, well, Steely Dan was a seated concert. What did they expect?



5. My favorite jelly bean flavor is...: Buttered Popcorn. It sounds gross, I know, but just give it a shot. Apparently, it was the favorite for a couple of years. It's been bumped to #2 by Very Cherry. Sad.


6. When I like a song I have a tendency to listen to it over and over again: This drives my boyfriend crazy. Yesterday, I listened to Beirut's Nantes about, oh, 70 times.



Images from:
Pumpkin
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3
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Today's Jewelry: Severe Schoolmarm Edition

*Flowers from boyfriend (aww!)
*costume crystal and pearl necklace, circle marcasite earrings
*Black sweater set, grey skirt, black/ grey tights, black satin flights. On two separate occasions (with a different outfit), a woman has told me my tights are sexy. (!) In a corporate setting, no less. What a compliment, right?


Have a great night!

Getting Ahead of Things: X-Mas Shopping 2007

Behemoth Christmas Tree '06. This year will be bigger. I'm very competitive. Even with myself.

Though I don't take advantage of it as often as I should, I know New York City is a great place to find interesting stores, jewelry, clothing... what have you.
all across town trying to buy cool presents for people (and maybe one or two for myself) during my lunch break, which seems to steadily stretch from an 60 minutes to almost two hours. If it's slow, nobody cares.

Christmas is the one time I'm all about spending a lot of money and finding the most unusual gifts. Brooklyn has been a great source over the years, but one of my recent favorites is Edge*ny NOHO. Located on the ground level of the Louis Sullivan Building at 65 Bleeker Street, Edge is like a really cool indoor market. With a lot of jewelry. (Clothing and other accessories too.) I'm not gonna lie---it's a little annoying to navigate. You see, I hate talking to salespeople, and with 65 little shops... well, you do the math. But the minor frustrations are worth it when you walk out with a really unique piece (that usually ends up being fairly affordable).

STORE HOURS:
WEDNESDAYS Through SATURDAYS: 12PM - 8PM
SUNDAYS: 12PM - 6PM
Closed MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS


The website lists all the participating designers. Here are few of my favorites:


Judith Haas



Bijoutique NY




J. Weber Jewelry




Maiflores NY

And if your day is dragging like mine, this might cheer things up:

Stella, mosaic-like on the other side of the shower door

One, Two, Three

I know I've been a little scarce on the post front, but some major things have been happening behind the scenes. In brief, I'll go from frivolous to scarily serious; that's the only way I can broach number 3:

1. We saw Morrissey on Saturday night and, as someone who only dabbled in The Smiths, I can say without any fangirl-ness that it was absolutely awesome.


Moz pic from Brooklyn Vegan

2. Today marks four years for BF and I. That's the flowers and fruit anniversary. Three years was leather and crystal. I can't believe I missed the opportunity for this kind of stuff:


Leather dress, $135 (Isn't this in style now, too?)


Genuine Crystal Handcuffs, $98.99

3. My mom's awesome, amazing, wonderful boyfriend was diagnosed with renal cancer about two weeks ago. Were you just like "Whoa! Bondage to cancer in under a second!"? That's kind of how shocking the diagnosis was. A lot of people have been in this kind of situation before; I know we aren't the only ones. But it's heartbreaking to watch my mom cry over an uncertain future, and it's hard to not to feel heavy at the thought of what might be. I don't believe in a higher power, but I do think that being positive, sending positive energy into the universe (as new age as that sounds) is important.

Light from the Heart Nebula, NASA


Normal posting to resume tomorrow when the world isn't swallowing my head.


Lalique preview:

Friday Favorites: She Must Be Rich and Interesting

Catherine Waterman Blackened Applique Wildflower Band, $8,940




Annette Ferdinandsen Pearl Petal Flower Earrings with Diamonds, $2,356




Ten Thousand Things Sunstone Cascade Necklace, $1,145




Ten Thousand Things Sapphire Klimpt bracelet, $6,745




Le Petit Marcel Necklace by Catherine Michaels, $510

Halloween Corner: Batty

I promised a post on Lalique, and a post on Lalique you shall receive. I am working on it in the back room, so to speak. First, let's proceed with today's Halloween jewelry!
Yesterday, I was browsing etsy to see what Halloween offers came up, and my lord. Jackpot. I've already got a ton of stowed away, so from now on, there will be three Halloween themed pieces a day.




1. Iris Bat Ring by R Jewellery, $145.



2. Roundrabbit Happy Bat Porcelain Necklace, $22



3. Bankside Bat Bracelet, £25
Inspired by a line from Shakespeare's Tempest: 'On the bats back I do fly after summer merrily'

Today's Jewelry with Special Bonus Feature

I can't even express how much I'd rather be asleep right now. It's one of those days where words lag somewhere in the deep recesses of the brain. You're a second too slow on responses. People may look at you funny.

Here's what I'm wearing today:

*Chunky black enamel cocktail ring with crystal from Banana Republic (of all places)
*Embossed hoop earrings, no idea of the origin
*Olive green sweater, grey tank, dark blue skinny jeans, gun metal ballet flats (with unseen ankle ties)

Bonus Feature:
People, I need your help. For the better part of this year, I have been looking for a new necklace to replace this:

It's my grandma's. I think it might be made of lucite or crystal or something and it broke. The connector rings are shot. I haven't tried a jeweler because I am convinced this exists somewhere and probably plentifully. (Also, I think a bunch of the beads are missing.) I feel like I've seen a million of these necklaces over my lifetime! If anyone could help, well, it would be much appreciated and would make my grandma the happiest lady ever, basically. I saw a blue one on ebay as lucite, but haven't seen anything close since.

Halloween Corner for 10-24

Day two of the Countdown to Halloween is upon us!

Three Ghost necklace, $231


I'm really excited by how wearable this jewelery is... jewelery which would normally be relegated to the discount bin post-Halloween. Speaking of, how much do you people love discount Halloween candy?

My favorites were always the Hershey mixes:

You can buy these goodies at the Hershey Store. Why, of course you can send me some!

Of course I also love the creative holiday desserts. As a matter of fact, I am annually tempted by the Martha Stewart mag, featuring things like:


The Head-Waiter Tray (har, har)


Eye Popping Soup


And the one that makes me smile all year:


Creepcake cupcakes (How adorable are those mummies?)

BF isn't big on holidays, so I've basically spent the last four years nudging him into this stuff. He likes our Halloween door banner, so I think it's working.

Martha Stewart pics from her website.

Halloween Corner

My second favorite holiday fast approaches and I think it deserves more than one measly day of recognition, don't you? A Halloween themed post a day, I say!

Day the first comes courtesy of Wendy's sharp eye:


Sabrina Dehoff Cat Mask Necklace, $255.
(I am considering this as my signature piece. I really love something about it!)

1. College became a breeding ground for the most innovative and/ or slutty costumes. I've long since lost the photo, but as a Sophomore full of ennui, I was a dead ringer for Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum. A borrowed ratty fake fur coat and five pounds of eyeliner later, I was in full character. My method costuming was interrupted by a bottle of whiskey which made the rounds. What? Margot always seemed like a hard drinker to me.
Anyhow, this particular bottle of whiskey (and the unfortunate pickle-vomit experience that followed) was my incentive to take it easy "experiencing" all that college had to offer.


Gwyneth biting my H-ween style. Pic from Senses of Cinema.

Now I'm a Shirley temple girl :



Er... I meant this kind:



What was your best costume?



Photos:
Shirley Temple Poster Card from All Posters
Drink pic from Cocktail Times

Today's Jewelry

Well, yesterday's "Today's jewelry" feature was pretty well received, so let's give it another go. I am not promising this every day, but I'll keep it up as long as possible!


*Brown pearl earrings seen on other TJ posts. They just go with everything, you know?
*Turquoise and gold bead necklace, purchased as a birthday present to myself this year, as I wandered around NYC. My office encourages you to take off birthdays. I never really want to, because what fun is it mulling over your mortality alone? But they kind of actually force me, so I'm usually found at one of two places:
1. Optimally, at some artsy city theater watching a pristine reissue of a Godard film.
2. More often, at some cheesy romantic comedy that BF refuses to see.
*Wearing: brown comfy cords, ancient tank, teal converse (why, yes, my shoes often match my jewelry!), cocoa colored cashmere cardigan (alliteration alert!) that I wear a whole lot. It's the prettiest neutral!


Also, NPR, where is this rain you were so foreboding about? Huh? I got all rain/ comfy dressed and it's beautiful out!

Lastly, A Note About My Hair: I know this is pretty vain, but I'm kind of excited about my hair. I've been gagging on two tablespoons of flax seed oil every night and like to think that there is some definite shiny happening here. The oil must not be in wont! I've also been taking "Hair" vitamins every other day. I don't know where the sudden obsession came from.

Today's Jewelry

Obviously, this is now a sporadic feature!
-Erica Weiner brass filigree ring purchased last year at Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg. Can also be purchased here: Erica Weiner Jewelry.
-Gold bead necklace purchased yesterday at the Third Avenue street fair. It's kind of a long story, but I've been wanting a necklace like this ever since a blogger fave of mine, Nothing But Bonfires, came back from Ecuador with one. Apparently, the regional style consists of layering gold bead necklaces and wearing a fedora--and that's limited to the ladies!
I've been working on an elaborate plan to get BF into a vacation to Ecuador, but I figured me wanting to go purely for these necklaces wouldn't fly.
Anyhow, I was pretty psyched when I found the gold bead necklace yesterday.

Black empire waist dress and black pattern tights. And, yawn, black satin flats. It was early! And dark!


Here's Nothing But Bonfire's pic:

Manual Labor

Perhaps Caeser was the original gangster after all?

Last week, I didn't think much about the two finger ring I posted under Medieval Rings. That is, I didn't think much until Wendy singled it out in the comments. Since then, I've seen it in a fashion magazine (and, in a stroke of sublime stupidity, did not tear it out, thinking that I would remember where I had seen it), and many a dream has been populated with a two-digit ring wearing population.


The ring posted on that fateful day last week was a Roman version from the 4th century.

The Medieval Rings website notes that they may have been worn as funereal jewelry, but most people think they were just a quick and easy way to load the fingers with rings, as was common practice at the time.

It seems nowadays that one of the most prominent wearers of the two-finger ring participate in what some may call the "thug lifestyle."

Supporting evidence to this claim found in the lyrics to "Ice Cream" by Raekwon:
"Whos that queen bee chick, eyes curly black
Freaks be movin in fly sneaks
Two finger rings and gold teeth, and aint afraid to hold heat
So when I step in the square dear
You better have cream to share"




Two Finger Men's Sterling Silver ring, $24.99



But maybe I jumped the gun... it seems there's room in everybody's life for some two finger ring action.

The Goth:

Chained Gothic Two-Finger Rings, $3.59


The Whimsical Thug:

Two finger ring by Edith Schenider


The Sports Addict:

Bicycle built for two... fingers ring, $350




The Alien Conspiracy Theorist:

Two Finger Floating Saucer Series Ring



If you are Banksy's girlfriend and need a good gift:


Graffiti Ring, £58 -£75.



A great present for a forgetful friend:

14K Name ring, $962.55. Diamonds extra.



Jeweler Noah Landlow has a whole collection dedicated to the idea of control:





Native American artist Richard Tsosie has more of a one-and-a-half finger version:




And let's wrap things up with some controversy...
Two finger rings played a prominent role in a brouhaha surrounding teachers and the fast food chain Hardees:


"The commercial shows a group of male students in a classroom being taught by a female teacher in a tight gray skirt. The sexy teacher stands at the chalkboard, turns, stands on her desk and begins to dance and pull on her blouse while the two male students rap about their love of "flat buns," to promote Hardee's new Patty Melt Thick Burger, with grilled, flat rye bread.
In once scene, the boys erase a portion of an oversized gluteus maximus on the chalk board, but not before flashing two finger rings that read "flat buns."

From All Hip Hop