Do You Remember?

It's been almost a year since my last post here, and I'm astonished that so many followers have signed on to a long dormant blog.

It makes me smile.

I missed jewelry, and talking about jewelry, and thinking about jewelry. Also: writing about jewelry. Offline, my collection of old & pretty things has grown unwieldy. Sometimes, I like to take the box out to organize by stone, or size, or time period. Like those folks who can't stop rearranging their record collection, I have fallen down the rabbit hole of obsession. (I make my husband pick his favorites, but he always cheats and picks the most sentimental--like the ones he gave me. I cry foul!)

Earlier this year, my mom (a fellow lover of all things old & sparkly) and I decided to put our magpie eyes to good use and thus Bellflower Bay Antique and Vintage Jewelry was born. It's our little Etsy shop full of very pretty, hand-picked things that we travel around looking for. Not just anything can sit in our store: it has to be just right, just interesting enough, just beautiful enough, just perfect enough.

I'll probably put some things up here from the store every once in a while, and I'll definitely still talk about all the over lovelies out there that have been catching my eye.

Let's start with this:

A kick-ass Victorian Aesthetic ring in our store. Doesn't this look weirdly and beautifully tribal? We have a bunch of traditional pretty things too, of course, but this guy just sings to me. In a very strange language I can't understand, but it sounds like poems in code. Head on over to site for more info.

(Holy crap when did Blogger start cooperating what with the links and pictures and everything?!)

Tumbling

Tumblr seems to be way more compatible with my non-Mac computer, so I'm going to try tumbling over here for a while:

http://catbelly.tumblr.com/

Expect a lot of jewelry.

Reader, I Married Him

Where: The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
When: May 21st, 2011
Jewelry: Mine, antique. His, white gold on the outside with rose gold on the inner by Jesse Danger on Etsy.
Dress: Purchased at Neiman Marcus, off the rack
Hair and make-up: The Little Hair Shoppe in NYC

March On!

Progress: in my apartment currently is a box of invitations, waiting to be sent out. Sure, yes, they must still be sealed and addressed, but lo: do not rain on my parade! Also, someone is making my dress and not only that BUT I have managed to put the other dresses that I purchased but were not right for me on ebay. Exhausting just reading about this, right? Let's look at pretty things.

In the So Tiny! So Adorable! Category:

Iwona Ludyga Tiny Keyhole Ring, $135

In the So Sparkly! So Dainty! Category:

Yasuko Azuma Moonlight Diamond Necklace, $738

In the So Pretty! So Old! Category:

Vintage 1930's Rhinestone Dress Clip at Jean Jean vintage, $78

And here's a little snap of some of my babies...

I've got some new ones too! I have to look longingly at this photo until May. No more "frivolous" (how insulting to diamonds!) purchases until after the nuptials. SIGH.

And my big baby:

Rock and a Hard Place

How is it already almost Christmas? This year went by in a flat second, I swear. And that's probably because now my wedding is in six months (!!!) and I'm just now getting around to the important stuff you need to do. Like, uh, invitations? So the dress has been the hardest part and we're not going to speak about the three that are in my closet right now. Instead, let's look at the one I am very much leaning towards:

Pretty! Also, since the last post, I got a new (old) engagement ring:

Ladies, I've learned that if the ring is not you, then you must say something. The original ring the fella gave me was beautiful, it really was, but it was really not me. This one, however, is totally me. I found it in a little antiques and art gallery up in Provincetown, MA and was immediately drawn to it... and it's Edwardian!


On to the holidays: I've been toodling around on a lot of great sites, looking at jewelry and bookmarking and thought "Why should I let this go to waste? I shall not!" I'm in a natual stone mood, so here's some stuff (potential presents for loved ones, perhaps?), all $150 or under:

Flourite Stud Earrings by AlanaDouvros, $88

Nakamol 8 stone Necklace, $138

Titanium Quartz Ring by Stone&Honey, $73 (I actually have this ring, and think it's super interesting & pretty, but I would recommend sizing it for your middle finger; it's heavy and it leans when you wear it on the ring finger. I have to exchange mine...)

Victorian Banded Agate Brooch at Victorian Sentiments, $75 (Remember, brooches can always be turned into necklaces!)

Happy Holidays!

Dropping By

Hello. Sometimes I stop by my old haunt and see what's been doing since I left; I marvel at the odd spam comments that have taken over like so many weeds in the cracks of a building and I get a little misty at the new comments, people who have taken the time to post even though it's been over a year since I last wrote.

Here's an update: I got a job shortly after my last post, and at first I was filling a position meant for two people, so I was burnt out and tired and only wanted to look at jewelry, not talk about it. Then we moved. Then I got engaged. I've been wedding planning a bit, or as much as I can without getting sucked into the vortex that is known as the bridal industry. It overwhelms me, so I even try to stay away from the computer for recreational use, because I somehow end up feeling hopeless as I look at pictures of some perfect garden wedding, where the bride found the perfect use of old aluminum cans and used paper towels.

If you are wondering, we got engaged in Cooperstown, NY over Thanksgiving (2009), first in local (and excellent) restaurant Alex and Ika, and then recreated in front of Babe Ruth in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Fella's original idea was to get down on one knee in front of the Babe's statue, but they had moved him from the lobby to somewhere inside and, after two visits to the Hall of Fame in my lifetime, I was content to get a manicure in town while he browsed. The ring was his grandma's and vintage, of course, from the 30's. The camera pooped out last year and instead of buying a new one, I waste my money on Victorian rings, so you'll have to take my word when I say that it's awful pretty. And I cried.

And that's where I've been. Now let's get back to it. Just because I haven't been blogging, doesn't mean I haven't been bookmarking beautiful things and trying to pay for them by skimping on the caterer! These are for summer, for warm nights when you don't have to wear a cardigan, for earrings that graze your bare shoulders, for the sun still shining when you leave your cubicle for the day, for wearing bright colors since the days are so long:


Art Deco 18K White Gold, Diamond and Emerald Dinner Ring, $595




Antique Style Jade, Coral, Pearl, Lapis and Turquoise Earrings, $49.99




Petite Cobalt Peacock Cuff, $32 (We got one of these for my soon-to-be-sister-in-law and she never takes it off)




Natural Blue/Green Turquoise & 10K Gold Ring, $95





Lisa Levine Slinky Brass Necklace with Mixed Stones, $147.20



I hope you have been well.

Let it All Hang out

I know I was all blah, blah unemployed blah will post a lot, etc. but see, I've been doing stuff every day! Movies and walks and Pinkberries oh my! I'm really going to try to be more attendant because I miss the blog world... so, just as soon as this 85 degree weather gets out of dodge, then I am back at the computer. In the meantime...

It's been too long since we've had a cat post!

Inspiration

I went to MOMA this past week and figured out that I don't really like modern or abstract art. It is uninterpretable, no matter what critics may say. I like my art to be full of Sirs and Ladies and possibly a shepherd or two. That is what I learned about myself. Below is the only thing that warranted a photo, in my opinion, and a piece of jewelry that could be its cousin. Any guesses as to what the sparkly objects may be? (Click on link to find out)

Things from MOMA

Colour Segments Necklace by Lila Ruby King, $89

Spring?

Went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wednesday... a whole post on yellow to come--once it stops snowing here. Sigh.

Memento Mori, Part Deux

As Birthday Extravaganza (More about this to come, but consider the whole month of March my birthday. I do.) time draws nigh, I have been spending a lot of time looking for just the right present. For someone to give me. Hey, it's tacky, I know, but BF and I have had present "issues" in the past, and he now insists on a list of possible things I would be very happy to receive. As you can imagine (um, have you seen my blog?), I like to receive jewelry. A lot. So all this birthday business is a great excuse to waste hours on Ruby Lane, my favorite vintage jewelry site. Again and again I return to Memento Mori or "Mourning" jewelry, specifically rings. If you don't remember, I wrote about mourning jewelry way back when. At my late corporate job, I tried to explain to one lady how awesome hair jewelry (jewelry either created with or containing the hair of the deceased) was, but it's a little hard to convey. A lot of skulls and memorial designs have been popping up; here are the most unusual:




Skull Ring, circa 1680 (!), sold by Robbins' Roost Antiques, $2600 (do you see the awesome skull tucked behind the crystal?)





Victorian Mourning Ring with Black Enamel and Seed pearls, sold by Drury house Antiques, $459: Black coloring meant that the deceased was married. Seed pearls were use to indicate tear drops of the ones left behind.




White enamel skull ring circa 1740, also sold by Robbins' Roost Antiques, $5000: white enamel on a ring conveyed that the deceased was either a young woman, a child or a virgin. I've read varying signifiers, but back in the day, most unmarried young woman should have been virgins and if they weren't, well, nobody should have known. Unless their father found out and that's why there were memorial rings in their honor.





18k Pair of English Gold Hair Rings, sold by CJ Antiques, $1050:
Rings like these featured either solely the hair of the deceased or a plaited combination of the deceased and the ring wearer's hair. Hair was also used to create designs in some pieces... I will post one when I can find it again.

Twice in a Month Already!

Pic from AP

I sort of glossed over this in the last post, but just to get it out into the world: I am currently unemployed. Before my posts began dwindling, I often complained about the location and just general awfulness of my workplace, so it could be worse. Everyone says it's an opportunity, which is possibly one of the most annoying things to hear in such a situation, but very true, so I can't hold somebody's kind words against them. Though I'd like to. Anyhow, I've been taking it easy, trying to figure out what to do next. That's the worst part: the untethered feeling. Though you may resent the cord, once it's been cut, well, then you're just floating.

But I've made a list of Things To Do and blogging more frequently is near the top. That means I'll be branching out from solely jewelry, to talk about some books and further possible fetishes I encounter (see: last post). I'll probably be writing about my cats too; lucky you!

Other time-wasting treasures: I've been on the Natalie Dee website for a while and can't stop laughing at this one:

"Don't Invite Morrissey to Your Birthday Party"

So true.

Anyhow, over the past month I read two incredibly extraordinary books that I haven't been able to talk to anyone about. Then I thought, "Hey! What about that writing thing you do on the internet?" And the cat meowed at me, even though I only said it in my head (duh--cats are psychic), which I took as both support and affirmation. Today I will write about one of these...

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is an incredible story about a young white woman named Skeeter, coming of age (22) in 1962 Mississippi. She's not into the dilettante lifestyle or coming out parties or settle-down and get pregnant lifestyle that her best friends have embraced. She's gawky and smart. She tells part of the story. The rest of the book is written in alternating chapters from the POV of two black maids in the community. One, Minny, is bitter and angry and, even though it's fiction, my blood boiled reading about the awful things people did to her, cause you know these things and worse actually happened. The other maid, Aibileen, is wise and maternal, and takes care of the white babies like they were her own. Skeeter decides to write an anonymous book, telling the stories of the maids. This book is so well-written, and drags you into the moment and people's lives without a second thought. I missed several train stops whilst reading this.

As a matter of fact, that's the basis for my new book rating system:

0 stars: couldn't wait to get off the train

1 star: made myself read a couple of pages, then started playing on phone and staring at people

2 stars: ride went by slowly

3 stars: ride went by quickly

4 stars: maybe missed one stop, but then pulled myself together

5 stars: missing stops, purposely going out of my way to read more

The Help: *****

I'm Sending You Letter...

Hi there! Two very odd things happened to me this morning:

1. I saw a purple thong laying in the snow, immediately thinking, wow. That woman must be really cold.

2. On my way to the post office, my boot came untied. A man offered to tie it for me, the offer suggested in a very lascivious, if not altogether sleazy voice. Due to my deeply ingrained manners, I said, "No thank you!" Now this is definitely odd, but made odder by the fact that it happens to me often. You are surely thinking, damn! This girl needs to learn how to tie her shoes! True. I am regretfully impatient and often tie my shoes in a slapdash manner. But. I can retie them without aid and so it makes me wonder: is there a fetish group for this business? Am I on page 1--"This girl loves to tease!" I am frankly too afraid to research this on the interwebs; lord knows who'll show up at my innocent blog due that single mention. However, please enlighten me in the comments if you've got any ideas.

On to the jewelry, which I have sorely missed posting about. Today's theme is the post office, which I have been to frequently, now being jobless (or: stay at home kitty mama) and not having a receptionist to hand my mail to. I should hire a receptionist for our apartment. Without further ado!

The Love Inside No.1 Ring by Colleen Baran, $75: a silver tube ring where a little love note can be inserted. Save the money you'd spend on stamps when sending out your love letters. 

Special Delivery Mailbox Necklace by Birdland Creations, $180

Love Letter Earrings by Destiny's Creations, $30

Love Letter Bracelet by Only Lauren, $160: inscribed with a love letter from Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barret Browning.

Silver Envelope Ring by Samantha Jean Designs, $38

Stay warm!

Hidden in Plain Sight

Edit: I don't know why this reads like a humorless, tourist guide entry, people. Post-nap brain'll do that to you. But it's still a valid post!

I thought I'd tell you about my favorite place in Manhattan because, though it's in a heavily trafficked location, many people seem to miss this wonder. In Grand Central terminal, there is a wing (Grand Central Market) dedicated to a row of counters, all selling marvelous foodstuffs: cupcakes, starfruit, tuna burgers. Basically, whatever you didn't know you were craving. But when you walk in from Lexington avenue, just look up. There's an amazing sight:

Lest you think your eyes are deceiving you, yes, that is a giant, upside-down crystal tree. Here are some more views, courtesy of the MTA website:

This one is from MHJohnston's Flickr Stream:

It's by artist Donald Lipski and is called Sirshasana, after the inverted tree pose in yoga. There's more information about it here.

Doesn't it look like a great big piece of jewelry?

Manhattan has all these little miracles tucked into hidden corners: a gargoyle smiling from a skyscraper perch, an anonymous boutique where you find your favorite piece of clothing, a small square of central park where you can watch the swans... Winter was getting me down, but warm temperatures this weekend are reminding me of all the great explorations to be had in the city.