I Be Jeweled... And You Can Be Too

Coral and pearls and lions, oh my!  My   Here's what I've been working on the past week or so.

 

The red dragon set I wore Wednesday is now available on the So & So etsy shop, along with a whimsical necklace with coin pearls and a two-sided brass rabbit pendant.  One side of the rabbit has a coin pearl embedded on its side.  The other side is a plain rabbit.  It's amazing.

Also listed are a two-strand mother of pearl necklace and earring set and a leopard-print shell bead bracelet and earring set.

I don't want to sell everything I've made, so here are the pieces I'm keeping for myself for now.

I found the "lucky" charms I used for these earrings below on my trip to Oregon.  Beads and jewelry components are some of my favorite souvenirs because I can create something personal and memorable that will last for years to come.

 

The set on the left has wishbones and horseshoes.  The set on the right has horseshoes and four-leaf clovers.

Shameless Promotion: Tell 'Em What They've Won!

I've made contact with all the winners of my last giveaway, and their prizes are in the mail.

Thank you to those who entered and those who promoted the contest through Facebook or other means.

Beth won a mixed-media memory wire bracelet
with glass, stone, and wood beads.

Barb won the dyed variscite necklace.

Emily won the tree of life necklace with
amazonite beads.

Watch out for future giveaways and shameless promotions for the So & So etsy site!

Shameless Promotion: Everyone's a Winner

Well, I didn't have many entries for my jewelry giveaway, so I've decided that everyone who entered is a winner.  I'll email Barb, Kate, Emily, and Beth tomorrow with what they have won.  Congratulations, ladies!

If you didn't get your entry in, you can still use the coupon code THANKSGIVING to get 25% off any item in the So & So Etsy Shop.  Necklaces start at just $9 with the coupon code.

Shameless Promotion: Etsy & A Giveaway!

Last week I listed a couple of my beaded creations on Chenille's So & So etsy site, and today I listed a few more.

Turquoise and Coral Indian Set
For Sale for $25

Three-Strand Stone & Glass Necklace
For Sale for $25 

I've had a great few weeks with my recent travel and fun reviews, so I'd like to share my good fortune with you.  If you'd like to win one of the two necklaces shown below, please check out the So & So site and leave a comment below telling me which of the pieces listed there is your favorite or email me at idreamofjeanneblog at gmail dot com with the same.  To get an extra entry, mention my blog on your blog or share it on Facebook, and then submit a second comment or email telling me you did.  Make sure you send me a way to contact you if you win.

This contest is only valid for readers in the United States.  Sorry.  There's a limit to how much postage I'm willing to pay.  The contest will go through midnight next Friday, November 16.  I will draw winners at random.

Amazonite "Tree of Life" Necklace
You can win this necklace!

Dyed Variscite Necklace
You can win this necklace!

As an extra incentive to check out the etsy site, all of my pieces listed there are on sale through November 22.   Use the coupon code THANKSGIVING for 25 percent off your purchase (excluding shipping).

Happy Friday!

Self-Promotion: Etsy Edition

This is the necklace of the tiger's eye
set for available for purchase now!

I've finally taken the leap and listed two of my handmade pieces of jewelry on the beautiful Chenille's etsy shop, So & So.  I listed pieces made with semi-precious stones: a tiger's eye necklace and earrings set and a color-blocked pearl and coral necklace.

Please bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of photographing for etsy, and please give me feedback on pricing, etc.

As a reward for sticking with me as I figure things out, I'm having a jewelry giveaway next week!

Happy Friday!

Beachy Keen

I love the ocean.  I love the beach from chilly Maine to balmy Cozumel.  I love this dress because of it's beachy star fish print and how incredibly comfortable it is.  I love the semi-patriotic vibe of the color scheme.  There's just lots of love going on in this outfit.

 

Sweater, Sweater Project, Younkers; dress, thrifted and shortened; belt, thrifted; shoes, Montego Bay Club, Payless Shoes; earrings, ebay; necklace, handmade by me.

 

One of my very important goals for this summer is getting to the ocean.  We have a beachy mini-vacation scheduled next month, and I can hardly wait!

I love this outfit.  I love how this necklace turned out.  I love the beach.  Lots of love in this post.

I hope your day is as full of lovely things as mine is.

Bear With Me...

Alternate post titles:

• Bear Necessities
• Bear in Mind
• Grin and Bear It
• Bear Naked
• Bear Bones
• Can't Bear It
• Bear-ly There 

Whew.  Now that I've got that out of my system...  I spent most of last night beading, trying to develop stock to put in Chenille's etsy store.  I found some bear-shaped mother of pearl beads that I've had for a long time and decided that I would finally put them to use.  I made some earrings with the bears a couple years ago for a craft sale, but they didn't sell.  Now I don't know if I can bear to part with this set.

Bear Necklace: mother of pearl bears,
white howlite beads, silver-plated spacers,
sliver-lined glass seed beads.

Sneak peek of first strand of color
block necklace with freshwater pearls
and coral.

I often have a hard time parting with the pieces that I really like, and it shows in my overflowing jewelry box.  It is actually easier for me to give my favorite pieces away than it is to sell them.  I'm working on a cobalt blue and red color-blocked necklace with cobalt blue freshwater pearls and red coral beads next.  I have already decided that I'll probably need to make two of those if it turns out like I think it will.  That way I can keep one and list one.

I have a girls' night tonight and a long weekend ahead of me.  Look for a post about my amazing shoes later tonight and more jewelry pics this weekend.

So, do you like my bears?

Whatever

Here is my style philosophy in a nutshell: wear whatever makes me happy, and accessorize with whatever makes me happy.  

I am acutely aware that it is not about me in general, but when it comes to my clothes it isn't about anyone else.  My clothes don't need to "go together" in anyone's estimation but mine.  Sometimes I coordinate, sometimes I contrast, sometimes I just wear a bunch of things that I like all at once.

 

For today's outfit: Animal print consistently makes me smile.  Turquoise plus red is one of my favorite color combinations right now.  It is reflected in my jewelry, my belt and shoes, and my fingernail and toenail polish.  I could have worn this as a super-short dress, but I decided I'd be more comfortable if I followed Gracey's lead and wore my short dress as a tunic with leggings.  

 

Animal print dress, thrifted; leggings, No Boundaries, Walmart; belt, thrifted; shoes, Merona, Target; necklace, brancelet, and earrings, handmade by me.

Two Peas Necklace.
Please excuse the cell phone picture quality.

In other news, I have made a few more pieces of jewelry lately, and these pieces are destined for sale on Chenille's So & So etsy shop.  


One of my favorite pieces I've made for sale is the two peas necklace.  I am fortunate enough to have amazing friends with whom I connect on so many levels, and this necklace is inspired by them. 

I'll shamelessly self promote when my items are listed on etsy, but in the meantime, check out the lovely things Chenille has listed on So & So.

Check back tomorrow night for a special bonus girls' night post with AMAZING shoes!

Mightier than the Sword

Yes, I seriously ordered this pen with my blog name and tagline on it.  Actually, I ordered two.  Hopfully it makes note taking and work more fun.

Everybody, Everywear: Pirates FTW

This is the second time I've posted this pirate song on my blog.  Last time it was stuck in my head for days after.  Why am I doing this to myself?

I know that Everybody, Everywear is not a competition, but in this outfit I feel like I'm winning.  What is more nautical than a skirt with ships on it?  This outfit makes me feel like a pirate, and pirates always win in my book.  I would be lying if I said I hadn't considered adding an eye patch.

 

Sweater, thrifted; tank, Walmart; skirt, Sailor Jerry; sandals, Montego Bay Club, Payless Shoes; necklace and earrings, handmade by me; bracelet, gifted (thanks Mom!).

 

I've figured out what I will title the fashion book I will probably never write:  How to Dress Like an Eccentric With a Crazy Budget.  It's funny because rich people are eccentric while normal people are crazy, and my style proclivities are skewed to the eccentric crazy.

Blogger Kimberly at Poor Girl Eats Well actually is writing a book, and I anticipate it will be terrific.  The Poor Girl Eats Well book has only 4 days left on Kickstarter.  Kimberly has met her fundraising goal, but if anyone else contributes it will only improve the awesomeness of the book.

Poor Girl Eats Well

I love cooking.  I love eating.  I love planning.  I live on a budget.  That's why I enjoy Poor Girl Eats Well.  The blog's author Kimberly Morales is currently trying to fund a cookbook through Kickstarter, so I decided to pledge a little money to help a fellow creative woman pursue her dreams.  Check out the video below, her blog and her Kickstarter page.  If you decide to pledge, you can choose any amount $1 or more.

Please share this information with anyone who might appreciate eating well on a budget!





*I decided to write this post without any influence or permission from Kimberly at Poor Girl Eats Well.  Hopefully that's okay with her.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

This dress is a perfect example of why I unashamedly shop at Goodwill.  I like a lot of what it has going on including the colors, pattern and flow.  I'm not crazy about the length, so you can anticipate some hemming in the future.

Dress, vintage, thrifted; belt, thrifted; shoes, Dexter, Payless Shoes; earrings, So & So, etsy; necklace, handmade by me.

 

The dress is greener than it looks in the photos.  It is closer to the color of the belt.  

Today is Visible Monday, so check out all the loveliness at Not Dead Yet Style.

Liger

What do you get when you combine a tiger shirt with a lion belt?  A liger outfit, of course!  I tend to be especially excited about silly conceptual outfits, and this one falls firmly into that category.  Why else would I be thrilled with an otherwise bland black and brown outfit?

 

Shirt, Express, thrifted; slacks, thrifted; belt, thrifted and embellished by me; shoes, Clarks, Younkers; bracelet, Claire's; earrings, handmade and gifted (thank you Chenille!); necklace, etsy.

 

Chenille gave me these earrings before she was a famous jewelry designer with a fancy etsy site.  It is so good to have talented friends.  I got quite a few compliments on them today.  I like the combination of the buttons, beads and copper findings.  I think I am going to order/commission a pair of earrings like this but in a bright color.

Just the So & So You Want to Know

Image Credit: So & So
Button and crystal earrings.

The message below is shameless promotion of a great friend and talented artist.

Do you remember my gorgeous, creative, intelligent friend Chenille?  Her Etsy shop, So & So is now open!  Check it out next time you need a gift for yourself or others!  Actually, check it out right now!

Also, Chenille will be doing a guest post here sometime in the near future.

More items will be added to her shop soon, so shop early and shop often!