musings of a mimi: 12 (or so) days of christmas

well, let's take a look at some of the goodies i've come across that can help with that last minute shopping. first we'll start with my favorite category- jewelry. that's always very easy for me because i love jewelry. i love looking at the design, how it's made, the use of dissimilar or unexpected materials & the architecture. i like all kinds- silver, gold, rose gold, stainless steel. i've seen some jewelry that integrates rubber & my friend cate turned me on to a guy that uses hardware items.

i sometimes imagine my jewelry has special energy & powers. one of my favorite pieces is a bracelet that danny bought me at harrod's in london a good number of years ago. he was over there with my brother-in-law (we call mr. armand sometimes- he has the best taste in clothing for women- he always knows what looks best on someone). danny knew i would probably want something from harrod's. he looked at alot of different things & found a bangle bracelet of interlocked bangles in yellow gold, white gold & rose gold. first off, he did the exchange rate incorrectly & ended paying way more than he wanted, but was too embarrassed to say so after the sale was rung. he agonized over it the next few days, bringing it back & then keeping it. when he finally decided to return, he went to harrod's & they were closed. so it was his as they left the next morning. this bracelet was simple & elegant in its simplicity- at that time, this was not my taste. what i loved, though, was the energy, though & care that went into the purchase- the fact that he kept wondering if it was right. since it is a simple & elegant piece, it is also timeless. i have never flown without it on my wrist. i have worn when i ran my two marathons. i wore it when i did my skydive. whenever i feel that i need to be reminded of the love my husband has for me, i make sure i have that bracelet on my wrist. i know he believes in me. any time i have given a presentation, that puppy has been on my wrist. i wil probably leave it to my niece (who has simple & understated taste) upon my demise & i want her to know the story. the fact that it is simple & unobtrusive means it has been easy to wear with all my different jewelry over the years. i can't remember the exact year they went- i think it was 1988- i still have the box the bracelet came in after all this time. i don't keep it in the box because i wear it so much. here is the bracelet.

so enough about that. on to some pretty potential christmas trinkets. here are some rings that caught my fancy.

i like the pearls- very simple- they would look nice stacked. i don't know the source of the two pearl rings (bad blogger) other than they were from etsy. i love the middle ring. i've been seeing a lot of oxidized silver in my meanderings. i loved the juxtaposition of the oxidized silver with the whiteness & purity of the pearl. this ring came from www.etsy.com/shop/senayakin. finally, the last ring by carla coruso (sadly no longer available) is a raw diamond on a thin gold band. i've had a thing for raw diamonds. first of all, they are much more affordable & i think they are interesting. the ring above sold for 180. at katy beh in new orleans (www.katybeh.com). it's a great gallery with wonderful artists.

for those unfamiliar with etsy - www.etsy.com- & i have discovered there are still some who are uninitiated, i have found lots of wonderful trinkets at etsy, a virtual shopper's delight of all things handmade. i have always liked the use of stones in jewelry & this bracelet appealed to me.

this can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/stonz. it is selling for 55. the stones move around the bracelet. i also find that i like jewelry i can play with.

one of my favorite artists that works with river stones is terry logan. her work can be found in galleries nationwide. here is an example of her work. she's quite a bit more than the etsy folks- that is one of the advantages of etsy. you can find some great bargains.

terry logan does pretty incredible work. i've seen many artists work with river stones, but i think very few do it as well.

finally, for your consideration, one of my favorite artists, gabrielle gould. garbrielle loves birds. i love her whimsical pins. i first encountered her work at the chicago museum of modern art (where i first came across terry logan, as well- they have a great shop). she is fanciful & fun. her pins & necklaces make me want to smile. here are a couple of her pieces. she's not easy to find. you will have to buy her stuff off the internet unless you are somewhere where her stuff is sold, which is too bad, because the pictures don't do it justice. i'm not aware of any galleries nearby that sell her stuff.