Friday I'm in Love...

So, I'm totally ganking this blog title from the Freckled Citizen. I randomly found her blog one day, and I fell in love (pretty funny considering this blog title) with her Friday I'm in Love posts... or maybe just her blog in general! She's super funny, super crafty, and just plain fun! You should definitely go check her blog out!  Anyway, back to Friday I'm in Love... she basically highlights her "picks" for the week. Things she loves, enjoys, etc. Or at least that's what I've gathered. I decided to borrow this from her for several reasons... (a) I love the actual song by The Cure. It's on my "Work It Out" workout playlist on my iPod. And I think it may be their most loved or at least most well known song. (b) We all know You need to know that I love things grouped in threes. The Freckled Citizen does three picks each week. (c) I'm the world's worst at squealing/saying "Oh my gosh... ______________'s my most favorite thing in the whole world!!!" I have a whole lotta favorites! : ) (d) I figured it's a quick way for you to get to know me... this of course on the off chance that there's someone out there actually reading this blog other than my BFF Nicole! : )


Sooooo, without further ado, I present Friday I'm in Love..............

Maximal Art by John Wind

www.maximalart.com

Let me just tell you that I'm a little obsessed with designer John Wind's Maximal Art jewelry. My John Wind bracelet is totally my most favorite piece of jewelry right now.  And let me tell you, that's a high esteem because I love jewelry... in fact, I may be a little over the top when it comes to jewelry.  It's my shopping weakness!  Nonetheless, I LOVE my John Wind bracelet!  (Note: If you've never seen or heard of his designs and you're the least little bit in love with jewelry, you MUST go check out his site!) I've been drooling over coveting his designs for quite some time now! I think my first John Wind encounter was back in October when Nicole, Bridgett, Jen, and I spent one sunny afternoon perusing the quaint and lovely little shops in downtown Thomasville. We spied the above bracelet in one of the shops and my mouth immediately dropped into a sweet little "O" of admiration and reverence. I asked to try the piece on. And of course I immediately fell in love! When I clasped it to my wrist, I swear my little ole heart skipped a beat! : ) I restrained myself from buying it... but then everywhere I turned it seemed that I saw someone wearing the bracelet (or the matching necklace)! I was almost heartsick over it. Thanksgiving night my sister and I went shopping in our little town's "Midnight Madness" event. All of thelittle downtown stores in Baxley were open, and there were tons of great deals to be had! We finished out the night in Jada's - a cute little accessory/clothing/stationery/gift store. (And by the way, this store is another one of my great loves - everything from Vera Bradley to John Wind to Buckhead Betties bags to Trapp candles to great jewelry... and so much more!)  Back to Thanksgiving night... I'm pressing through the throng of shoppers and suddenly a beam of angelic light illuminates a jewelry stand. Alas, John Wind jewelry! Heart, be still! A jolt of excitement ran through me when I realized that (a) the bracelets were marked at a much lower price than I'd seen them anywhere else, and (b) everything in the store was an extra 20% off. My sister was as enchanted as I... we both wanted a bracelet. Closer inspection revealed that Jada had both of our first initials in stock. (Que heavenly host...) We immediately decided that it was too close to Christmas to be purchasing our own loot, so we agreed to by the bracelet as each other's Christmas gift. Can I just tell you the torture it was to carry her bracelet home with me... and be forced to stare at it for close to a month??? Sometimes I'd tiptoe into my room, quietly close my door, and try her bracelet on! Christmas came soon enough, and I was quickly getting VERY good wear out of my new jewelry staple. I'd be willing to bet that out of the 28 days that have passed since Christmas, I've worn my bracelet 15 of them! : ) Now, I must save up for the earrings and the necklace that match my pretty little bauble of a bracelet! I can barely stand it I want them so badly! You might be thinking... "Carrie Beth. It's JUST a bracelet... JUST jewelry!" Well, it's not.... it's so much more!

Reasons I love this bracelet and other forms of John Wind jewelry...

(Yes, I have been stalking his website... and there's not a single piece of jewelry that I can't picture myself wearing! I wish I had a bazillion dollars to spend on jewelry... I'd own it all!)

1. I am a lover of all things vintage... vintage-vintage and vintage inspired. Especially vintage jewelry and decor. I could just get lost in estate sales and antique stores and flea markets! I also love the whole vintage state of mind... remembering who we are and where we come from... life at a slower pace... repurposing old things in new and unique ways. LOVE vintage. John Wind's designs are so totally vintage modern, vintage chic, and just plain awesome!

2. The bracelet itself is just so me! (a) It's vintage and modern and classic and feminine and elegant and fun! (b) It's chunky... I love chunky jewelry! I especially love chunky jewelry that makes noise when I wear it! Dangly-jangly! (c) It has a sweet little monogrammed disc charm... enough said. (d) It has a "cotton ball" pearlized pom pom. I adore all things pearl! I have a good fifteen or more pairs of pearl earrings in various shapes, sizes, and styles. And I have seven or eight pearl bracelets. I love pearls by themselves. Pearls mixed with other elements. Big pearls. Small pearls. I just love pearls! (And who in the South wouldn't want to own something with a "cotton ball" descriptor! Haha!)

3. This bracelet makes me remember. The first time I put it on, I was immediately transported back to my childhood. Most of my earlier memories center on times spent at my grandmother and grandfather's house. They lived only a half a mile down the road from us so I spent the majority of my free time there, and they spoiled me rotten! I was, after all, the youngest granddaughter! Even though my grandmother lived a hard life as a mother of five boys, a homemaker, and a farm wife, she absolutely loved feeling feminine. She never went anywhere without a light dusting of powder and two bright spots of blush on her cheeks and a pair of her huge assortment of clip on earrings adorning her lobes. I can remember countless Saturday afternoons spent playing dress up in her bedroom. I’d climb up on her step-stool or old white rocker and spend hours digging through her jewelry boxes and dresser drawers, trying on anything and everything - necklaces and earrings and scarves and hats and gloves. She would come in and just ooh and ahh over the “designs” I’d create with my accessories! Her love for those quintessential feminine touches definitely inspired my love for the same. I know without a doubt that my love for jewelry – wearing, buying, and creating – came from her.  When she passed away three years ago, a piece of me went with her. I will never forget one of the first conversations I had with my mom when I learned my sweet Grandmother had passed away. We were discussing what she would wear - I knew this would have been a decision of utmost importance for Grandma Bessie! She’d want to look pretty for everyone who came to see her at the funeral home. And then it really hit me. Earrings! She had to wear earrings! “Mama… what about her earrings? Which ones will she wear?” My mom assured me we’d figure it out, but I knew this just wasn’t something we could brush aside. So, I spent the afternoon shopping… looking for the perfect pair of clip on earrings. When my uncle, who inherited her home, started going through her personal items, he asked if any of us wanted anything specific. My only request? Grandma’s jewelry. I went to her room, reverently lifted the lid of her jewelry box, and tears rolled down my cheeks. Most of her jewelry was gone, misplaced long ago by an Alzheimer’s ravaged brain. I took only a few things – a broken watch, a brooch, a broken bracelet, a pair of earrings. Then I spied a few loose beads and pearls… they were my greatest finds. Since that day they’ve been fashioned into new pieces of jewelry… pieces that remind me of her each time I wear them. That’s the beauty of vintage. It connects you to the past. And that’s what John Wind does for me each time I wear my bracelet. 

And now since I've probably taken waaaaay too much time talking about a bracelet, I'll be short and sweet with picks #2 and #3!

Valentine's Day

Can I just tell you that I can not wait for February 12th?  I am so excited about this movie!  Most likely because Love Actually is one of my favorite movies of all time (in my personal Top 5)... and this seems like America's own Love Actually of sorts!  Eeeeek!  Exciting!  Plus, look at the all-star cast:  Julia Roberts,  Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Kathy Bates, Eric Dane, and that's just getting started!  I saw another enticing preview today, so it's on my brain!  : )

Coldwater Creek (and my new pink vest!)

Two weekends ago, I went into a Coldwater Creek store for the first time ever.  I knew I liked some of their items that I'd seen in a catalog, but I'd never been to a store, never ordered, etc.  Well, I knew that their winter clothing was now drastically reduced, so I decided to check it out.  (I really wanted a sweater or two and a quilted vest!  Perfect "teacher" wear!)  I found one sweater that I loved, but didn't find a vest in my size.  As I made my way to the checkout counter with me, I quickly spied a sign that proclaimed "Order online here, and we'll ship it to you free!"  Ding, Ding, DING!!!!  Wooohoooo!  So, I quickly found the above vest (along with another casual fleece one) in my size and ordered them!  Fastforward to two days ago.  My package finally arrived - just as I was starting to worry about it!  We were in the middle of a warm front, and I was unable to wear either of them.  Well, it started raining here.  A bunch.  And with it came cooler weather!  Yippee!  So, tonight I got to wear my cute pink vest!  I love it!  Isn't it just the most perfect color of pink?  I'm in love.  Luckily it's Friday, errrrr... Saturday!  : )