Collage Barrage

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Magenta Mix Necklace

Barrette: Dolls Kill

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Light pink bangle: Don't Ask, Zulily; Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Dark pink bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Flower ring: Claire's; Square ring: Express

Skirt (a dress!): JCPenney; Top: Hippie Rose, Macy's

Happy Hodgepodge Necklace

Bag: Nordstrom; Bracelets: So, Kohl's/Amrita Singh, Zulily; Rings: PinkBopp

Sundae Sundae Sundae Barrettes

Shoes: Ami Clubwear; Socks: Xhilaration, Target

Cardigan: So, Kohl's; Skirt: Indigo Rein, Macy's

Shoes and bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Mint Mix Necklace

Turquoise bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Purple bangle: Don't Ask, Zulily; Green bangle: Burlington Coat Factory; Mint bracelet: H&M; Heart ring: Delia's; Oval ring: Express 

Barrettes: SHEIN

Spring means flowers.  But gardening and I . . . don't get along.  So instead of digging around in the dirt, I glue fake flowers to keychains and call it art.  Because what's a collage if not a barrage of all the things that you love?  

That's all.  Time to make more collages.    

Tea Time Crime

Flower clips: Capelli, ULTA

It's been eleven years, but I finally found my way back to cozy mystery author Laura Childs.  In 2012, I got crafty with a book from Childs' New Orleans-set scrapbooking series called Frill Kill.  This time I moved on to a volume from her Charleston-based tea shop series entitled Haunted Hibiscus.  Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Because in both books I was struck not by whodunit-related intrigue, but, surprise surprise, fanciful fashion:

"Racks of denim jackets, skirts, and slacks were jammed next to soft sea island cotton dresses and diaphanous beach cover-ups.  A circular rack had long ball gowns and filmy silk wraps to match.  Antique highboys spilled out offerings of jeweled belts, strappy sandals, hand-painted silk scarves, bangle bracelets, and beaded handbags." (223)   

This scene takes place at a "denim and diamonds" event in an upscale boutique.  Yet as much as it charmed me (and it charmed me a lot), I'd be remiss in not reporting that the piping hot cup of homicide that is Haunted Hibiscus heats up when an author is hanged in a haunted house.  It's a grim incident to say the least, so Childs' imagery of beautiful clothes, as well as that of heroine Theodosia Browning's picture-perfect Indigo Tea Shop, go a long way in dispelling the gloom.   

Much like, I suppose, a restorative cup of Earl Grey or Celestial Seasonings.

This One's for You, Magenta and Rue

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Bag: Xhilaration, Target; First three bangles: Mixit, JCPenney; Love bangle: Boscov's

Sunglasses: Betsey Johnson, Zulily; Necklace: JCPenney

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bold Bouquet Barrette Brooch

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Purple Planet Necklace

Necklace: Betsey Johnson

Bright Blossoms Barrettes

Tights: Mixit, JCPenney; Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Top: Nine West, Kohl's; Skirt: Xhilaration, Target

Bag: Zulily

Boots: Dolls Kill

Violet Vibes Necklace

Headband: INC, Macy's

Watching so many Golden Girls reruns over the years has caused some of the dialogue to stick in my head.  And so when I put together this hot-pink-heavy post, I couldn't help but think of the episode where Blanche reveals that when she feels down, she calls it "magenta."  I thought this was weird because magenta is such a happy color.  Also, because the always ebullient Blanche rarely admits to being in the doldrums (that's Dorothy's department).  Yet I guess it's just one more example of the multifaceted magic of these Miami mavens.    

And now, on to the jewels!  I was very excited to use the amethyst-hued agate slice pendants I recently ordered from Amazon.  I thought they were a fun complement to all the rosy clothes.  Because if there's one thing we learned from Barbie, then it's that pink doesn't pop without purple.

Of course, I also had to embellish them with crystals for that fallen-fresh-from-the-firmament look.  Even though rocks come from the earth, not the sky.  But a little artistic license never hurt anyone.  

Except for maybe Van Gogh.

A Passion for Fashion and Family

You know that I loved Jennifer Weiner's novels Big Summer and That Summer.  So of course I was looking forward to the third installment in this not-quite-a-trilogy tribute to the most wonderful time of the year (sorry not sorry, Andy Williams).  Even if some of the things that happen are more sun-streaked sad than beach read.  This last book, The Summer Place, is no different, a bittersweet family drama about the road not taken.  Each of Weiner's characters comes to a crossroads, forced to choose and then wonder what might have been.  Their destinies are intertwined in peculiar yet believable ways, creating the kind of irresistible suspense that makes this novel such a page turner.  Yet it's a passage about almost-concert-pianist-turned-music-teacher Sarah's love for -- what else? -- clothes that I find most captivating:

"Sarah's job at the music school had no dress code.  If she'd wanted to, she could have worn jeans and blouses, or even T-shirts and sneakers to work.  But Sarah loved clothes.  She loved finding new boutiques and discovering new designers; she loved the feeling of buying the perfect azure-blue necklace to wear with a new navy-blue dress, and a pair of vintage leather riding boots to pull the look together.  Even the clothes she didn't wear made her happy.  She'd brush the sleeve of the pale-pink cashmere sweater she'd worn on her second date with Eli and feel, again, the first flush of infatuation; she'd flick past the black gown she'd worn for her last recital and feel a bittersweet pang.  She loved the challenge of putting together an outfit, searching out each individual piece, shopping her closet, combining old and new.  Getting dressed was its own kind of creativity, and it satisfied her in the same primal way she imagined gathering a perfect sheaf of wheat or an unblemished handful of berries might have delighted her hunting and gathering forebearers." (121)   

Weiner gets this exactly right, elevating Sarah's -- and women's -- passion for fashion to an artform.  It's as reverent as it is whimsical and sentimental.  The setup (which really, I should've started with) is that Sarah's husband Eli, who drives her crazy during quarantine, goes on a decluttering kick that involves tossing some of her most prized possessions, the things that make her feel like her.  Knowing this makes Sarah's wardrobe seem even more -- not to get all Narnia on you -- magical.    

Speaking of which, it's the magic of being true to oneself that ties the tie-dyed ribbons of The Summer Place together.  Even when, especially when, following one's heart leads to family conflicts.  Weiner shows us that having it all isn't possible -- but that having something, even it if it's just one thing -- that we truly love always is.    

Keys, Please: Last Call for St. Paddy

Sweater: Paper Heart, TJ Maxx; Dress: Esley, Modcloth

Fancy Fawn Necklace

Hair clips: Marshalls

Bag: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohl's

Top: Jessica Simpson, Zulily; Skirt: Banned, Modcloth

Key to Kilkenny Necklace

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Heart barrettes: SHEIN; Other barrettes: So, Kohl's

Sweatshirt: Macy's; Jeans: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Cat & Jack, Target

Coat: Anthropologie, Zulily; Skirt: Amazon; Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Sassy Circles Necklace

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

"Keys, please!" is what every teen yells before peeling out for the mall.  But this isn't about that (also, most teens don't say "please," and only grifters still frequent the mall).  It's about how I made three new necklaces that all have to do with that jagged thing that fits into locks.  It's also a little bit about St. Patrick's Day (yes, still!), but we'll get to that.  First things first: I didn't plan the key theme.  It just happened based on the supplies that I had and the outfits I wanted to wear.  The craft goddesses work in mysterious ways, not unlike Ronald McDonald.  

 

I made the Fancy Fawn Necklace from a vintage-style motel keychain.  Not that it's from an actual motel, of course, but rather, Oriental Trading.  I saw all that blank yellow, green, and pink plastic and thought, those would make great canvases.  So I stocked up.  A doe and a couple of cherry cabochons later, and this yellow one became a pendant!

The Key to Kilkenny Necklace was a no-brainer.  I will say that the keys were an afterthought, though.  The four-leaf clovers came from a pair of earrings I got on clearance, and I needed some charms to fill in the middle.  So these keys were it.  I guess necessity really is the mother of invention.

Finally, I made the Sassy Circles Necklace using keyrings leftover from keychains I used to make a necklace years ago.  At first I was worried it might be kind of blah, but I ended up loving it.

And now for the St. Patrick's portion of our program.  Here are some pics from yesterday's dinner at my parents'.  My mom is the most festive person I know, and I like to think that I get my sense of whimsy from her.  I was with her in Marshalls when I bought these St. Paddy's hair claws.  At first I said, These are ridiculous.  Then I was like, I've gotta get them. 

 

Here's the husband hanging out with his Peeps:

And also the sour cream and shamrock potato chips he found for us to try (spoiler alert: they're delicious!):

And finally, the whole clan -- minus Mom the photographer:

We may not be Irish . . . but we do like to party! 🍀🎉🥔🍰