Hi everyone! Welcome to Depict This! if you are visiting. ^ ω ^ I am so pleased to be part of Casey’s Cherished Collections Blog Tour; I am a big fan of Casey’s and I think her tour is a really neat idea. I have so many collections {no really ~ stamps, teapots, teacups, TEA, vintage doilies, books, plush horses & of course, shoes!} that it’s been pretty hard to decide which one to show you all!
There have been some really special collections put up already, and I finally made up my mind as to what I would share. I am happy to present one of my cherished collections featuring all of the pearl accessories & jewellery I have gathered together over the last few years.
~ * ♥ * ~ L to R: My mother’s bracelet gifted to me when I was quite young; eleven or twelve I think? A necklace I bought at an antique store. My mother’s costume pearl necklace. I can’t remember when she gave it to me, but I think it was the first piece of jewellery she passed onto me. ~ * ♥ * ~
My Mom’s pearl necklace is definitely the first piece in my collection and I have had it for years. I never wore it when I was younger, so it’s been tucked away in a box gathering dust for the better part of my ownership. Thanks to my recent interest in vintage I dug it out and now I wear it a lot because I love pearls.
In my mind, pearls are timeless and classic pieces of jewellery and I love how they make me feel when I put them on. I always feel elegant and feminine when I wear my pearls ~ like I can take on the world, and then some! There is nothing like feeling pretty and confident at the same time. ^ u ^ ~ ♥
~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1: Fresh water pearls ~ I bought the necklace in Florence, Italy and the earrings at the Parklea Markets in Sydney. Picture 2: Fresh water pearls ~ this tri~strand set necklace, bracelet and earring set was a 2007 Christmas present from my family. ~ * ♥ * ~
Plus, pearls have such an interesting story. Did you know that saltwater pearls take between 6 to 18 months to develop whereas freshwater pearls can up to 4 to 6 years to grow? However, saltwater pearls are more expensive than freshwater pearls is that saltwater pearls are grown in oysters and can only grow 1 to 3 pearls at once, but freshwater molluscs can grow up to 20 to 30 pearls in one go.
~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1: Freshwater pearl set in a marquise flower; a Valentine's Day present from my darling Husband. Freshwater pearl set in a fan; bought in Hong Kong. Picture 2: Some of my favourite costume pearl earrings ~ * ♥ * ~
Saltwater and freshwater pearls also differ in the type of lustre. In appearance freshwater pearls are noted for a softer lustre, a glow that comes from deep within the pearl; whereas saltwater pearls have a more brilliant superficial lustre.
Freshwater pearls tend to be more durable due to thicker nacre{the material pearls are made out of}, which is a good thing as far as I am concerned, because I wear them a lot, but I really would love to be able pass them onto my daughter{if I ever have one!}.
~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1: Vintage hair comb bought from Etsy and hair clips from Equip. Pearl and chain sweater clip made by me. Picture 2: Glass pearl bracelet made by me and a costume pearl bracelet.
~ * ♥ * ~
Pearls vary in colour from white to those with a hint of colour, often pink, to brown or black. Each coloration will depend on the type of mollusc and the water where the mollusc lived. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to extreme heat, acids, dryness, humidity and scents. I don’t put any perfume on my neck when I am wearing my pearls because apparently they can pick that scent up and it isn’t good for them.
~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1: Pearl and seed bead necklace made by me. Picture 2: Pearl headbands. ~ * ♥ * ~
Also, did you know that pearls used to be really popular as an engagement ring jewel until the diamond companies decided to do a huge campaign promoting diamonds as the symbol of forever?
There is a lot of interesting symbolism and history for pearls. Pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, and to cement engagements and love relationships.
Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought while some ancient legends say that pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods. The Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying{which would be a great reason to put them into an engagement ring!}.
~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1: Vintage angora collar embellished with pearls; bought off Etsy. Picture 2: Vintage gloves embellished with pearls and seed beads; these are my most recent addition to my collection as I thrifted them two weeks ago. ~ * ♥ * ~
I must say that I can’t really remember when my obsession with pearls started, but I do know that they are my favourite jewel. Diamonds may be other girls’ best friend, but pearls are mine!
I hope you enjoyed this guided tour of my collection. : )
xox,
bonita
~ * ♥ * ~ A close up on the bead work. ~ * ♥ * ~
So those are the best picks from my haul from last weekend. I also took home a whole stack of books {around about 20 I think} including some by Janette Oak who is an amazing Christian romance author. I am going to have a great time reading them all, but what I am really itching to get started with is my nightgown upcycled into a dress idea. I will keep you posted on how that goes ~ I shall have to do a tutorial if they turn out like I hope they will!
By the way, if there are any particular topics you’d like me to vlog about, just give me a shout out in the comments. Have a great weekend! ^ ω ^
xox,
bonita
P.S. ~ Sorry for those of you that might be viewing this post twice. I had problems with the video, and did not realize this until I had already posted it. I promise it works properly this time! > o <’
I found this post on Fashion Hacker by Em, and I love it! A fantastic and easy DIY that will make something special to add to your jewellery collection. I cannot wait to try it myself.
Those earrings! So pretty. I had to try to make my own!
…..I have had so much fun wearing these, and I can't wait to make more. Have fun with your own DIY!
xox,
bonita
I have a few websites & iPhone apps that I wanted to share & review with you today. I having been loving these ever since I found them and I think that they are just too good to keep to myself, so here you are!
Okay, so a lot of bloggers already know about this free app for the iPhone, but I want to share it anyway just in case.
Instagram is a great app for anyone who loves to capture an instant photo, and with the added advantage of a polaroid type picture, it produces some pretty cool snaps. It’s simple and easy to use, so this app is superb for everybody!
The thing that I personally like the most about Instagram is that it forces you to work with limited lens and capture technology. It’s a challenge to get a good picture, but once you do, you can make it look pretty spiffy with the tilt shift function and the awesome range of filters. I like that I can grab a shot when I see it, and still have to rise to the challenge to put the shot together in a way that looks good. I think that this is great app for furthering my photography skills and technique so that’s why I am loving it!*
Verdict:
4.5 /5 ~ could be faster to load up into the camera view, other than that, fantastic.
And if you are taking all these gorgeous photos how are you going to share them? Why, with the Extragram website of course! You can share your photos and follow other people, and much like Twitter, receive the feed of the people you are following on you iPhone. Sweetness! There are some great pictures out there and it is really inspiring to see what you can do with a simple phone camera.
Okay, now I heading off in another direction and into another hobby of mine; knitting and crochet. If you are a knitter or crocheter { or both; like me! } and you’ve looked up patterns on the internet, Ravelry might be old news to you. However, I only just discovered it recently and I am impressed!
It provides a nifty way of not only finding patterns, but also storing them, keeping track of your UFOs { Un~Finished Objects! }, your yarn stash, and, of course, the successful projects that you have finished and want to gloat over. I like that I can put up photographs of my projects and keep them all organized ~ so again, loving this site.
Speaking of organization, I have to mention 2Do. It’s an iPhone app, so it’s limited in availability, and you also have to pay a $7.49AUD fee for it{ it’s gone up since I bought it{ !! }but if you consider how much you pay for an organizer, it’s still worth it and you never have to throw it out or buy new pages }. If you are wanting something to help you stay on top of things however, and you happen to have an iPhone, I can really recommend this app.
Usually { as you probably know } I am a traditionalist. Give me good old paper over tech any time! But the thing is, I can only fit so much in my tiny vintage handbags and using this app helps me to loose an address book, a to-do list, shopping lists, a social calendar, a blogging calendar, an art & craft ideas notebook, etc ~ basically the brick of paper that is a Filofax/organizer!
I like that I can bundle most of my life into my phone and I am good to go! Okay, so I still keep a separate journal, but between 2Do and Instagram I am pretty much set. I have slimmed down the contents of my purse, and as a bonus, feel a lot less “scattered” with all my bits and bobs in one place. Yay! > ω < ~ ♥
Verdict:
5/5 ~ You know what? No complaints from me. I was trying to think of a downer, but there just isn’t one. All in all it’s a really great app!
What apps/websites do you use to help keep you organized? Are there any that you just love?
xox,
bonita
*All the pictures were taken with Instagram. Theodore makes the best subject! ^ U ^ ~ ♥ ♥ ♥
This tutorial from Tasha of By Gum By Golly is a useful one to have tucked away in your bookmarks folder! It’s easy to follow and she makes up the cutest pair of shorts, so check the post out here:
Today I have a little tutorial for a fun idea that I claim no credit in inventing!
We're probably all familiar with the concept of cut off shorts. Many of us wore them when we were younger, and I saw a pair just yesterday. You know the kind. Often born out of a pair of jeans with ratty knees, cut off and left to fray unceremoniously…..
xox,
bonita
~* ♥ * ~ Okay; I know hipsters are supposed to be all ‘cool’ and not smiley, but I couldn’t resist breaking character for a bit… : D ~* ♥ * ~
Earrings ~ Best&Less Belt ~ Thrifted Blazer ~ Thrifted Top ~ Thrifted
Jeans ~ Primark {UK} Socks ~ Thrifted Shoes ~ Reproductions from Amazon
~* ♥ * ~
For those readers that are new to my blog, I have been doing a fashion feature called “Stepping Out” where I take clothes from my wardrobe and mix them up into a style I would never normally wear!
I like doing this because it challenges me to try something different, have a bit of fun with my style and think creatively to get the pieces I need. And who knows, I might even find a new look! Though I have to admit that so far, all I have done is confirmed how much I like my vintage inspired style. > o <
So this is my version of hipster fashion. No, I do not have the wayfarers, which to be sure, are a staple of ‘hipsterness’, but being my own interpretation of the style it doesn’t have to be perfect… At least, that is what I reckon!
~ Differences to my normal style: Well, I do wear jeans, but not that often, so the jeans are first. Secondly, my hair ~ I have never worn a top not before in my life!
~ Similarities to my normal style: Saddle shoes! These are new and I bought them to go specifically with my vintage style, so you will be seeing a lot more of them in the future. > U <
xox,
bonita
