handmade jewelry | Frivolous Universe

ESCAPE TO MOUNTAIN HOME in the HURRICANE AFTERMATH: Thrifting as a Recovery Strategy

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

12-11-2012

Kelly: Dis ma new coat. It reminds me of Ms. Onassis. Rest assured, I will not wear it with nearly so much class and dignity. In fact, I might cut out dignity altogether. Jackie Oh no she did not get that for eight dollars!

Nicole: While Kelly sasses up her class, I’m gonna class up my trash. I think it’s quite possible my newly thrifted leather bustier once belonged to a 90’s hooker.

K: I got this coat with Kim and Bethany in Mountain Home last week. We hit up St. Vincent’s something fierce, and I walked away with this union-made, mink-collared beauty. And yes, I was for real, only $7.99. Scores like this make the hand-cramps that come from carrying too many hangers at a thrift store all worthwhile.

N: Not to mention the gross gray hanger fingers…eww.

N: Friday was my 25th birthday (who-hoo! Quarter of a century!), so got myself a prezie! I picked up the bustier from Vice Versa on Bedford, because really, what screams “every day I wake up it feel like my fucking birfday” quite like white leather?

K: My birthday isn’t for another month, so it was a wonderful surprise when Bethany gave me this jangley Middle Eastern necklace last week. I marvel at Bethany’s unflinching generosity. She inspires me to be more willing to part with my treasures. I love how this necklace reads like elaborate costume jewelry and makes music whenever I move. I also love the contrast of skinny jeans, suede shirt, and bold antique silver next to such a soft, ladylike coat.

N: Kelly designed and made me this ah-mazing beaded fringe necklace for our 10 year boo-iversary. I love how it modernized my ultra-90’s high-waisted pants and bustier combo. I also love how the blue really pops against the solid red bottom half and otherwise red and white palate.

K: Our day trip to Mountain Home was much-needed salve for my soul. The cold landscape, hot tea, gracious hosts, and pickled eggs gave me clarity and perspective in an otherwise trying time in my life.

N: I am jealous of your escapade and the awesome scores and photos that came with it. Luckily for me my roommate and I are going upstate today to do a little thrifting. The hurricane has really turned the flow of the city upside down in every way. While I am grateful to have made it through the storm with nothing but an inconvenient commute for a few days, it will still be nice to get away from this crazy town for an afternoon. Pictures to come of what we find!

K: Just don’t blow your wad before I get there on December 1st, mmmmkay?

N: Not unless it’s buying something for your December 2nd birthday!

This post has been brought to you by Nicole’s Ass.

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Map of a Story

By: Anna D.

17-04-2012

Anna

There’s this amazing thing that happens here in our humble City of Trees……it’s called STORY STORY NiGHT. Ever heard of it? If not, you should check it out. True stories on a theme, told live onstage and without notes. Simple…right? Anyone can do it. YOU can do it. But if the thought of getting onstage and telling a tale from your life leaves you feeling at a lose for words, our STUDiO can help you find em. And get this – it’s FREE. Every month. True story.

Part of my role at Story Story Night is to guide the story-curious through the oft winding path of bringing a life experience to the stage. I think of this process as a journey of sorts. What follows is an abridged version of what we call the Essential Elements of Story. If you want the full length version, well, you’ll just have to attend the STUDiO, dear readers.

An Instructorly Outfit: vintage knit tee by R & K Knits / vintage wool skirt by Pendleton
vintage velvet blazer by Koret / black leather riding boots by Frye / earrings by Hazel Cox
antique gold bangles and rings from grandma / glasses by Salt

I : THE MAP
The map of your story is the direction in which you choose to guide your audience. If you remember to stay on track and indulge your audience by describing the highlights (or more often, low points) along the way, they’ll stay with you to the end.

II : THE PACE
Don’t wear your travelers out. More importantly, don’t wear yourself out. Give your story the space it needs in order to be fully realized and experienced by your audience.

III : THE LEFT TURN
This is the key turn in your story – the surprising moment when you choose not to stay the course and things get real. Now is the time to reveal to them your vulnerability.

IV : GO THE DiSTANCE
Now that you’ve taken these tourists of your life to the next level and invited them to be a part of the journey by taking that left turn with you, go the distance. Drive your story home by fearlessly reflecting on how that left turn affected you.

V : THE FAREWELL
Be sure to give your travelers something to remember you by. For the purposes of this journey, the perfect farewell gift is a solid, meaningful goodbye.

Thank you Kelly Lynae for the lovely photos, and thank you Jessica Holmes for turning your Story Story brainchild into a Boise phenomenon.

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Chromotherapy: Treating February doldrums with a dose of color

By: Anna D.

28-02-2012

Anna

February is my least favorite month. Somehow, the shortest month of the year manages to stretch on far beyond it’s welcome. It’s cold, but with a couple warmish days that remind us that glorious spring is approaching. It’s dark, but the daylight hours last slightly longer each day, giving we northern hemisphere dwellers a glimmer of the long summer days ahead. And this year, we have the good pleasure of enduring the tease of winter’s best mistress, February, for an extra day – today! Thank you, Leap Year. And just for good measure, thanks for snowing today too! I think the weather gods saved this extra bit of winter just for today…….grumble.

For the most part, I think chromotherapy is a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, but I will admit that on the day I wore this gloriously vibrant outfit, my attitude noticeably improved. I spent the majority of the day dressed in a scrubby brown cotton skirt and black t-shirt, tromping around the Rose Room setting up for Story Story Night, and I was battling a serious case of the cranky monster. But then, with another sell-out event nearly upon us, I snuck away to the bathroom and quickly changed into this lovely color show. And poof! cranky monster at bay (much to the relief of our happy story-goers, to be sure…….)

About the Outfit: This getup was inspired in large part by two of my fellow blogettes – Bethany, with her eye for color, consistently amazes me with her glorious palette work, and Kelly, who found for me this beautiful blue and black hounds tooth wool skirt languishing in a thrift store (made in England for Nordstrom) and also gave me this fuchsia silk top by Chaus after I discovered it in her closet and shamelessly fondled it for a borderline uncomfortably long time. The necklace is a one of a kind piece of incredible artistry, made by the incomparable Hazel Cox, and the scarf-as-belt is a swoonworthy vintage silk piece that once belonged to my manfriend’s grandmother. The suede duster is one hell of a stunner, and was purchased by my mother in the early ‘70’s, and my boots are, of course, by Frye.

So the moral of this color story is: When the longest/shortest month of the year does us the nasty disservice of lasting an extra day, combat those doldrums with a combination of the brightest colors in one’s closet (and bonus points for using the finest clothing staples – wool, silk, and leather.) Thanks so much yet again to Bethany for the photos!