Charm Farm Harvest: Falling for Flash Charms (Again) and Playing the Scotland Yard Card

 Far East Feast Charm Necklace

Top: Lily White, Target

Pants: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Belt: B Fabulous

Sunglasses: JCPenney

 Glitter Critter Charm Necklace

Top: So, Kohl's

Skirt: Candie's, Kohl's

Shoes: Chinese Laundry, DSW

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Belt: Wet Seal

Sunglasses: JCPenney

 Hip Trip Charm Necklace

Top: Decree, JCPenney

Skirt: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Nine West, ROSS

Belt: Wet Seal

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

Beauty Cutie Charm Necklace

Top: Merona, Kohl's

Skirt: Xhilaration, Kohl's

Shoes: Guess, DSW

Bag: Gifted

Sunglasses: Cloud Nine, Ocean City

I'd like to begin this post by saying that the original was very different.  I had one lone necklace, and I called it Far East Eats instead of Far East Feast.  The post itself was called Dress to Impress on the Orient Express, Only This Time Without the Murder.  It went like this:

Hercule Poirot used his little gray cells to see cases in black and white to catch the killers -- but even he never saw spots like these (see exhibit A, outfit #1).  Unless they were spots of tea, of course, which works for both England and China, and, don't you know it, is served in china, too. (Cue over-zealous laugh track).

Then, somewhat inelegantly:

Oh, Agatha (Christie).  It's hard to believe that your name was once the height of sophistication and glamour, along with those of your besties Gertrude and Mildred.  I mean, Mildred has the word "dread" right in it.  (Laugh track gets a little weaker).

And, finally:

Whether it's mu shu, pu pu, or even just those tasty if enigmatic fortune cookies (because "Good luck!" isn't an optimistic prediction, but rather something you say to your cat sitter when you leave her with your near-rabid Fluffy), chances are, there's at least one morsel of Chinese takeout that tickles your taste buds.  (Laugh track burps and squeaks out "excuse me" before petering out altogether).

Needless to say, these aren't the sharpest of hooks.  And not just because, as the husband pointed out, naming that necklace Far East Eats made it sound like Mr. Panda was part of the entree (a sad commentary, especially as his flip side sweetly entreats us all to "Be Kind").  Thankfully, I opted to make three other thematic charmers, requiring me to expand my storytelling scope.  Now we've got nature (bumblebees, birds, bugs, and butterflies!), travel to exotic lands (which may or may not include Asia but probably does given that I used the same aesthetically eastern chain charm in the center), and make-out-worthy makeup (love to love you, love potion #9).  Talk about a crop of cute chaos!  Because these necklaces aren't just made up of Flash Charms.  Oh no, siree bob.  This time I got real fancy, adding metal, enamel, and rhinestone-encrusted charms to the mix before embellishing the Flash Charms with rhinestones and a few cabs and crystals.  The result is a (sometimes) tangled mass of magical madness, an eclectic elegy (no, that's a poem about death; murder mysteries get off my mind!), er, ode to the 1980s and all that's good and pure about excess.

That said, our pal Poirot was a natty, not to mention ostentatious, dresser.  Who may (hey, one never knows) be interested in and covetous of what the Trove has on tap.  

Take heart, dear Hercule; I'll make you a hatband.