Heirloom Jewelery

"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines..." 
-Oliver Goldsmith

I must admit I seem to share Mr. Goldsmith's sentiments on the matter. In my opinion, the older the better. I've always been an old soul, and I spent a good portion of my youth fully convinced I was born during the wrong decade. Do you ever feel that way? I'm not lying when I say I dressed up as a 50s girl for more Halloweens than should be considered appropriate, but at least we got our money's worth out of that overpriced Lillian Vernon poodle skirt. See, there's one benefit to an elastic waist. And not growing an inch from age 7-15. 

Though my fashion choices have evolved considerably since my bobby sock days, I still have an affinity for old jewelry. From earrings pilfered from the bottom of my mom's jewelry box to costume pieces found in thrift stores, there's something so romantic about wearing a piece of jewelry that has already lived another life. It just seems wiser, seasoned, experienced. Like dating an older man or hanging out with your big sister, something as simple as an antique brooch somehow elevates you to a higher level of sophistication. 

My mom and I happened upon a holiday bazaar this weekend, and we couldn't help but scoop up funky chains and strands of pearls and countless other baubles. The mystery of their past is intriguing, but the pieces I love most are the ones that  share my history. Here are some of my most favorites:

Clown necklace from my mom's mom. She wore it all the time when I was younger, and anyone who knows her can testify that she is a total clown. When she passed the piece on to me I was thrilled. 

Mom's college earrings. I swiped these years ago, long before the word vintage became a part of my vocabulary, but the detailing makes them so unique.

Dad's ID bracelet from 8th grade. My mom had this in a pile to give to Goodwill. Seriously? It's no secret that I'm a total daddy's girl, and I really love having this piece. Whenever I wear it I can't help but think of my dad as a mischievous 13-year-old boy. 

Great-grandmother's cameo. When I visited my grandparents last December, my grandma let me rummage through her jewelry. I didn't think she was going to let me make off with this cameo necklace, but she did, only after explaining that it belonged to my grandfather's mother for years and years. She died when I was young, but the dainty, delicate charm suits my memories of her perfectly. 

Do you have any heirloom jewelry? Thrift store finds?

p.s. In case you missed it, refashioned vintage bling and vintage rings 

On my mind...

thinking about vision 
and eyes are for seeing 
but sometimes you just have to close them
sometimes our vision is clouded by the billowing dust-clouds of our emotions
sometimes obstacles stand in the way
the naysayers, the rules, the way we think things ought to be
or how they used to be
what a terribly dull existence to be bound by the way things have always been
change. it's bound to happen,
or is it?
"a power of resisting by which every body, as much as in it lies, endeavors to preserve its present state, whether it be of rest or of moving uniformly forward in a straight line."
inertia.
resistance to change
it's monday morning and things are happening and it makes me feel like everything is going to be ok.
sometimes i get overwhelmed.
it's silly, but the anxiety starts to build in my chest like the bassline.
silly expectations, impossible deadlines, i put them on myself and on others and i'm disappointed when they aren't met.
that's the danger of comparison, like apples and oranges, sometimes it's just not a fair game. 
even when things seem bad- when feelings are hurt and egos bruised, when the water turns cold and your breakfast egg rolls off the counter and onto the floor with a splat before you've even sprayed the frying pan- even when things seem bad, they are good.
There's a great, big world waiting out there, somebody ought to tackle it. 
your turn. xo

Pumpkin (birth)Day

Hi cats, how was your weekend? Mine was the perfect mix of fun and relaxation. We've been short-staffed at the restaurant these past few weeks, and it feels like I've been going non-stop. Fortunately, I had the past 3 days off and Hurricane Sandy forced me to sit back and take it easy. It's no exaggeration when I say I literally laid in bed all day Saturday and Sunday, sipping detox tea and watching romantic comedies. It was pure heaven. 

[I've seen You've Got Mail over a dozen times, and I can honestly say I love it more and more each time I see it.]

Friday served as the 4th annual Pumpkin Day (I cannot believe it's been this many years since the first one!) Though if I'm being truly honest, it's been pumpkin month this year. (Which really means I made pumpkin cream  cheese muffins in September, and I've been sipping pumpkin beer since late August...) This year's Pumpkin Day was particularly special though, because Friday night we celebrated my main man's 50th birthday. My dad requested this pumpkin bourbon cheesecake, we stocked up on craft beer (seasonal, of course) and celebrated with a bunch of friends and 2 big pots of spicy chili. Sandy may have squelched our plans of a bonfire, but she didn't dampen our spirits. 

[We converted the laundry/mud room into a wet bar. It helped cut down on the traffic in the kitchen and as the ice melted it went right down the drain! Pretty brilliant if you ask me.]

[My mom had already scooped up a plethora of pumpkins, so even though our day didn't actually include a trip to the pumpkin patch, there's no shortage of decorative gourds around the house.]

The cheesecake was delightful. The crust is particularly tasty and the bourbon gives the cake a nice, full flavor. I almost skipped out of the sour cream topping, thinking cream cheese plus sour cream topping would equal cream overload, but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a nice contrast and it packs another little punch of bourbon flavor. I'll be making it again for Thanksgiving, and we are in the process of developing a bourbon caramel sauce to drizzle over the top, because you can never have too much Makers Mark, no?

psst... Sunday morning I woke up to pumpkin Belgian waffles, so it looks like even though "pumpkin day" is over, the pumpkin love will continue indefinitely. 

psssstt... you might have noticed a few minor changes here in Soliloquyland... I did a little tweaking! I think the changes will be more conducive for sharing both photos and text. And I think it was time for a change since this little blog just turned 3 on October 19th!! Time flies. 

weaknesses

We all have them. They're our vices, the things we can't turn down. Some we can't help but smile at the very thought of, some cause tears to well up in our eyes in mere seconds, others we can't resist going back for thirds. 

Mine include:

stripes

fall

boys with brown eyes (age 2 to 92)

a good sale

nail polish

anything festive

pretty packaging

everything father-daughter

gold.

chocolate (dark)

all things warm & cozy

red wine

An Achilles' heel, a soft spot... call it what you want. What are your weaknesses? 

college town

Visiting your college town after you've graduated is a lot like seeing that ex-boyfriend you know you're not supposed to be with.

Guilt-free Friday!

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend! Any fun plans on the books? My sweet brother is headed home for a few days and the weather promises to be perfect (mild sunny days, chilly evenings.) I am looking forward to getting in some family time & sipping seasonal beers on the back porch with a big fire burning!  Did I mention I have three days off? I'm a happy girl.

Have a relaxing weekend! A wink and a smile until next time...

Hey! It's ok...

... to think it's totally weird that Taylor Swift is dating someone who's still in high school. AND a Kennedy. But to be counting down the days to her new album regardless...

... if calling french fries "frites" makes them seem totally chic and nutritionally sound. 

... if you're just now catching on to the wonder that is Spotify. (yes, I'm what they call a "late adapter") But um hello! You can listen to entire albums! I'm loving the latest from DMB and I've listened to GOOD Music: Cruel Summer more times than I'd like to admit... 

I can't pick a favorite song, but this one is up there...

Seasonal Brews

So, maybe I forgot to tell you, but I stared drinking beer. I know, right? Totally weird. My mom still cringes at the thought. She really hates beer, and I never really liked it either. And then on Cinco de Mayo, I tried a sip of my brother's Dos Equis Amber (a beer that I had certainly tried before) and suddenly I liked it. It's weird. Your taste buds just change I guess. So all summer long, I sipped Michelob Ultra on the beach and I drank Dos Equis with Mexican (if a grapefruit margarita wasn't an option.) I still haven't found an IPA I can tolerate, but baby steps, right? Besides, despite the glasses, I never could quite cut it as a hipster anyway.

It's no secret that I love all things seasonal, so what better way to embrace fall than with these seasonal beers? 

1. Sam Adams Octoberfest My brother told me to try this, and then one night at work 2 girls came up to me separately and said they couldn't wait to have one after work. Oddly coincidental, I took that as a sign to give it a try and I picked up a 6 pack on my way home. Since then, I've purchased several more 6 packs, much to the detriment of my waistline... Fortunately though, the advent of fall beer coincides perfectly with the end of bikini season, so I don't mind trading one 6 pack for another. I'm dying to try their Hazel Brown, also from the Harvest collection.

2. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. I had this in Fort Lauderdale at my favorite bar, Tap 42. The last time I went I sipped wine (which is pretty much hypocrisy at a place like that...) but this time Erin and I sampled pints of seasonal beer. This was our favorite, especially when they served it in a frosty pint glass with a cinnamon sugar rim! My sweet mom picked up a 6 pack at a specialty store in Virginia, and I've been rationing them out until I can find a retailer nearby. 

3. Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale. I haven't tried this yet, but I feel like Blue Moon is the typical girl beer, so the pumpkin varietal is sure to please, no?

So tell me, what are you sipping on this season? In addition to all this beer, I've found myself craving Makers Mark (rocks, splash of water) and I've transitioned back to red wine... bring on the cab!

Cheers!