Jack Handey Quote of the Week

"Here's a good thing to do if you go to a party and you don't know anybody: First, take out the garbage.  Then go around and collect any extra garbage that people might have, like a crumpled-up napkin, and take that out too.  Pretty soon people will want to meet the busy garbage guy."

Bounce Goes the Bauble

Top: Kohl's
Skirt: Steve Madden, ROSS Dress for Less
Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy
Bag: Gap
Tights: Kohl's

I don't know about you, but I still get excited when I see one of those old-school bouncy ball vending machines.  Knowing that just a few coins are all that stand between me and a colorful, rife-with-new-rubber-scent toy adds a special something to my day.  (Plus, bouncy balls are so much more dignified than those plastic domes full of slime.)  Designer Erica Domesek must be of the same mind, because this Big Ball Necklace is the very first project in her tons-of-fun do-it-yourself fashion book, P.S. I Made This. 

Now, you know that I'm not usually a fan of how-to craft books on account of their precise instructions and narrow ideas of how finished projects should look.  But Domesek's book is more of a sounding-off board for inspiration than a get-this-wrong-and-you're-a-hack primer.  The directions for the Big Ball Necklace were so easy that I read them twice just to make sure I wasn't missing something:

1.  Grab a pair of sheer stockings and cut off the legs.  Leave room at both ends (so you can tie your necklace together when it's done).

2.  Knot one leg (leave a little room at the end) and drop in bouncy balls, one at a time, tying knots between them as you go.

3.  Repeat the process with the second stocking leg.  Make sure that one leg has more balls.  This will serve as the bottom strand.

4.  Attach the legs together by knotting them.  P. S.  Get creative by mixing balls of different colors and sizes with a variety of textured stockings and tights.  The possibilities are endless.

The only bit of editorializing I have to add is that you should use the cheapest, sheerest pantyhose possible so the colors of the balls show through.  I began with a relatively pricey pair of Sheer Energy hose and needed to run out for some No Nonsense instead before I got it right.  I found mine at CVS, but you can buy them from any drugstore, or Walmart.  Also, my bouncy balls weren't as bright as I would've liked.  The fluorescent ones featured by Domesek were surprisingly impossible for me to find.  (And as long as I'm being honest, I got mine at A.C. Moore and Target as opposed to from the aforementioned and much-romanticized vending machine.)  Finally, I used too many balls and needed to extend the length of my hose with black tulle to use as ties.  Which begs the question, is this pantyhose and tulle contraption secure? I have no idea. I may very well find myself on a mall escalator in the near future sending balls flying and taking out shoppers.

Okay, so that was more than a bit of editorializing. Still, this project is so simple and fun that you'll (and I apologize in advance, but come on, you had to know it was coming) have a ball.  

Jacket Jam

 Gap

  She Said, JCPenney

 Xhilaration, Target

Abbey Dawn, Kohl's

I was in Macy's the other day when I saw a mint green Members Only jacket.  Like so much of what came out of the 1980s, it was both laughable and magnetic, pulling me into a vortex of color-drenched madness anachronistically set to Beck's "Where It's At."  (Although I know that the line "Members only/Hypnotizers/Move through the room like ambulance drivers" has nothing to do with the jacket, I can't help but see that satiny silhouette whenever I hear it.)  I wanted to buy it but resisted,  instead choosing the spiffy (and surprisingly pricier) turquoise Target slicker pictured above.  Riding on that retail high, I thought it would be fun to photograph my most colorful jackets (as you do in such situations).  And I was right.  Even if I did discover that out of more than twenty pieces, only four proved to be rainbow-ready.  Perhaps I should reconsider becoming a Member . . . 

Something New and Sparkly: Fire and Ice and Something Extra

Dress: XOXO
Cardigan: August Silk
Shoes: Chaps, Kohl's
Bag: Kohl's

Dress: XOXO, Macy's

Shoes: Dollhouse, Journeys

Bag: Chinese Laundry, Bloomingsales Florist and Gift Shop

Top: Marshalls
Tank: Kohl's
Jeans: Marshalls
Boots: JCPenney
Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

When I spied these oversized blank metal pendants in Michaels months ago, I knew they'd be the perfect backdrops for rhinestones.  But because I was in the throes of a custom order I was forced to table the idea.  So, while browsing Michael's last week, I was dismayed when I couldn't find them.  Stock moves on and out, I lectured myself as I made my way to the register clutching a packet of safety pins.  Then I saw the clearance jewelry racks winking with treasures near the front of the store.  Sure enough, I spotted the pendants nestled among the beads and findings, deeply discounted no less.

Back at Trove headquarters I thought they'd beg to be fashioned into overly ornate pieces.  I pictured bits of bric-a-brac mixed in with the aforementioned rhinestones, anchored by wires overburdened with beads.  But when push came to shove, I knew that would be overdoing it.  So, I stuck with the lone rhinestones as embellishments and exchanged the beaded wires for simple satin ribbons.  Although the final products weren't as over-the-top or as original as some of my other pieces, I was enormously pleased.  Sometimes it's nice to make something simple.

Etsy Favorites: Movie Magic

 Candy and Popcorn Necklace, Pretty Thingz

 The Notebook Charm Necklace, Holy Sheep

 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Necklace, Sarah Crumpler's CH Gallery

 Dear Vincent Brooch, Tramps and Glams

 35 mm Film Earrings, Happy Factory

 Pirates of the Caribbean Decoupage Bangle, Ericosmicgirl

 Movie Time Resin Necklace, Girlybe

 Marilyn Brooch, Chaachi and Chaachi

 Mean Girls Regina George Earrings, Blue Velvet Heart

Vintage Movie Poster Bangle, Gorgeous Georgia

With the Oscars airing tomorrow night, I thought, why not center this week's Etsy Favorites around the silver screen?  I love watching the Oscars, although I seldom see most of the nominated movies, which tend to be of a dark and serious bent and therefore not on my radar.  But the drama and the dresses more than make up for that, and it was in their spirit that I unearthed these ten light-hearted (yes, even you, villainous Vincent), camera-ready pieces of jewelry.  Whether they celebrate concession stand favorites or iconic characters, they're sure to sprinkle a little star power your way.   

Something New and Sparkly: Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp Kabobs, Shrimp Casserole . . .

Caftan: Mudd, Kohl's
Tee: City Streets, JCPenney
Jeans: (wrinkled for when you don't care enough to press the very best) City Streets, JCPenney
Boots: JCPenney
Bag: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

. . . shrimp necklaces.  You know, all of Bubba's favorites.  I'm not sure how I spawned the idea for this design.  I just love shrimp and thought it'd make a fun necklace.  I'm considering wearing it to a restaurant and ordering a basketful, if only to see the look on the server's face.  But I don't know if I have the Gump-tion.  Or the heart to plague the bf with such shenanigans.      

Jack Handey Quote of the Week

"I remember how my great-uncle Jerry would sit on the porch and whittle all day long.  Once he whittled me a toy boat out of a larger toy boat I had.  It was almost as good as the first one, except now it had bumpy whittle marks all over it.  And no paint, because he had whittled off the paint."

Something New and Sparkly: The Pink Badge of Kookiness

Top: Rampage, Macy's
Skirt: Material Girl, Macy's
Shoes: Madden Girl, DSW
Bag: Nine West, Boscov's
Belt: Wet Seal

I don't think jaunty felt jewelry was what Stephen Crane had in mind when he wrote his classic tale of Civil War valor (or cowardice, depending on how you look at it).  Still, this brooch wields its own brand of power, a tough but tender one-two punch (of color) in a black and white world.  I especially like the way it stakes its claim on this plain gray sweater.

Something New and Sparkly: When Shapes Collide . . .

Top: Target
Skirt: Alloy
Shoes: Barefeet Shoes
Bag: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney
Scarf: A.C. Moore

. . . it's a beautiful thing.  Unlike when worlds collide, as George so emphatically pointed out in that fateful "Seinfeld" episode.  I think this is my new favorite necklace, in part because of the sky blue ribbons.  Well, at least until the next one I make.  Hear that, Smurfy?  Your days in the limelight are numbered.

Something New and Sparkly: It's Raining Rhinestones

Tee: So, Kohl's
Tank: Express
Skirt: Candie's, Kohl's
Shoes: Candie's, Kohl's
Bag: City Streets, JCPenney
Headband: Colors, JCPenney
Green bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City 
Pastel bracelet: Some unidentified shop in Hawaii

I've always thought that the cuteness of umbrellas is meant to mask the wretchedness of rain.  And what could be cuter than brightly-colored hearts and a jaunty blue bow?  I like to think that they lend this necklace's raindrops all the glamour of a magic elixir.

On a more technical note, I'm getting into using chains instead of beaded wire or ribbon to anchor my felt creations.  I'm drawn to their clean, metallic lines and the way that they let the felt take center stage.  In this necklace, the added sparkle isn't bad either.  How's that for a silver lining?