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Small Town Woman 50+: I'm going to do it! Below are some finds that look...

Small Town Woman 50+: I'm going to do it! Below are some finds that look...: This sweet little necklace I put together from all new parts. Sweet and simple        This sweet little lady is nearing the antiq...

I'm going to do it! Below are some finds that look great as they are!

This sweet little necklace I put together from all new
parts. Sweet and simple

       This sweet little lady is nearing the antique stage.
     These  were produced in the late 1800's to about
 1920's. She is very pretty in sepia tone.
  The back is brass.

The itaglio necklace has matching pierced earrings. It is what I call old/new stock. It has been around a good while but was never sold and worn. I have seen glass ones before but this one is mirror and the cameo is frosted. Very pretty.

The delicate "violets" brooch is vintage Avon. Very pretty lucite.  Another view of the itaglio necklace and earrings to the left.  Below are two views of a silver tone bracelet.It is another one of the old/new stock. It is much prettier than it appears.This bracelet has lots of glitter, a cameo charm, and a pretty heart-shaped clasp. Also below is a vintage Las Vegas bracelet that has 3D charms of some casinos and the words Las Vegas. 

I have been working on one of those free "do-it-yourself" web sites. So far I have to say it is looking pretty forlorn, but perhaps with time it will improve.I will share that with you when I get it refined some.I had been selling some vintage jewelry (usable as is) through a small flea market here in town but that is no longer available and I do want to sell these things I have stored up and some that I have put together from bits and pieces. I really hope in the future to find more and better sources for finding things to re-purpose but that all takes a little time. Some of the vintage items I have saved over time are Sarah Coventry or Avon and collectible. I will share these with you. You can contact me at sweetreview@mail.com if you see anything of interest. During the winter I hope to do a little sewing, perhaps baby things and I will have that to show as well. Hopefully by next summer I will have enough items to start my first fairs with a booth.

Photos listed below

The first two photos are of a bracelet I made for my daugher who works in the education field. A couple more are gifts, and a few I have made for myself.

I call one my cherry necklace. I copied it from one I saw in an expensive shop, $75 and I copied for less than ten. One contains old photo charms of family from years back. One has a real small lock with it's key. The lock is attached to half of a hinge that was on an old jewlry box of mine, one I had owned since my teens. That same necklace dangles a photo of my mother holding me.

The one photo brooch is probably the oldest thing I own. It is probably as old as 80 or 90 years.

I have collected vintage jewelry for many years. Some of the things I have put together contain a mix of old and new findings. The vintage jewelry that is in good shape as is I have been selling at a local flea market.

I have learned to dance, one step forward and two steps back, two steps forward and one step back

I have wanted for some time to share some of my projects. Here goes..... I am going to keep going until I get some of this like I have hoped for.

Check out my post on Rock and Rollin

I entered a brief entry this morning on my other blog and it pretty well sums up things for this one as well. I am hopeful that I will very shortly have some pictures of my handiwork to show on this blog. Please excuse my typos. Things seem to have changed some on here and I can't  find everything I want.....like edit, but that too will work out.

Be careful of the heat and take care.

Frumpy or casual?

Another thing that has been on my mind lately is what a casual society we have become. For anyone much younger than I am, they would have trouble seeing where I am coming from. When I was child girls were allowed to wear only dresses and skirts to school. In high school boys were not allowed to wear jeans, they had to wear cords, khakis, or other type trousers. Boys and girls both had to wear our shirts tucked in at all times. My family dressed for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner even though it was just for us. Mother and I usually wore hats and gloves for church and on our three or so major shopping trips a year. (Christmas shopping, school clothes shopping and sometimes to get summer clothes.) I now am acquainted with a whole generation of adults that don't know anything but jeans, T's and hoodies and sneakers or running shoes. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking this. Since I retired I have become way too frumpy myself. Part of it has to do with the fact that nothing fits right now so I am limited for that reason, but when I really put some thought into it I realize that for my own happiness I need to dress up a little now and then. What is one of the first things a little girl wants to play DRESS UP! I cannot make myself attend church in jeans....... Things are special when we do something to make them special. I am not saying that women who live and work on the farm should be concerned with anything but comfort, that fits their life. It is a little like serving dinner on a bare table or counter, or putting a table cloth over the table. I have decided that I need to put the table cloth on once in a while. That may be more literal a statement than you think. Another project is to lose some weight, then I would have some things that fit. Just a little food for thought.....don't we all feel better when we spruce up a little? Working from home I will have to remember to do this, even if it is once a week to the grocery store.

It has been a while but the cogs have been moving all this time. Actually I have a few things to write about and I may not get it all today but give me time. I have been re-purposing and sewing and trying my hand at a number of crafty things. Hopefully before long I will have a camera that will pick up enough detail that I can share photos of some of my own things with you. I have two cameras but neither make an interesting photo on small items. My spare bedroom has boxes sitting in it right now, and I so want to make a good work area there. I found a blog the other day that had some amazing photos that might have set me in motion on how to fix this style problem. The lucky part is I have some mis-matched shelves in the basement that perhaps can be painted and turned into something real workable. I have a small computer to make space for, I sew, crochet and re-purpose jewelry. I collect vintage jewelry and vintage purses. I think the photos are mostly of a sewing area but perhaps I can still do something similar. Wish me luck!

Style.....it may all be in the accessories....

I wanted to share the post about the lucky elephant necklace. Just click on the name and you can view this ladies blog and view items she has made for sale.

There are many women these days that are perhaps working from home....producing something that they like to do and they are fantastic at networking. These women promote each other's "shops".

Since I have more time than money, they mainly are inspiration to me. Then I try to figure out how to do it. There are also lots of free tutorials out there showing how to do various things. From time to time I will show a certain site, I hope you enjoy. In other words, I am doing a mini-magazine right here on a blog and it will have items about many things that interest women. I guess now that I am old I know what I want to do when I grow up. I want my own magazine.

Lucky Elephant Necklace at Bittersweet Ridge Jewelry

Lucky Elephant Necklace at Bittersweet Ridge Jewelry

A New Outlook

I am very certain that I have heard this saying or one similar in my youth. It would have been the kind of thing my parents or grandparents would have said.


Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.


I think the economy has changed so that we all need to consider some of this thinking. I have started redoing clothing, re-purposing items whether is is clothing, pretties for the house or even old jewelry.

There is so much information out there about "how to"' and items galore. The woman that is still working may not have the time to Google and sift through tons of things until she finds what she wants. It is surely worth it if you can. There are also many blogs out there covering recipes sewing, you name it.  I will share with you what I find and like.  I think of it as Sweet Review. Not old, not handed down, not broken and not, not any good any more.

This tutorial would be great for anyone having a daughter or grandaughter going to a prom, wedding or any special event this spring or summer. The directions look easy and I am for having something pretty and fun without the money that it can cost.

Wrist Corsage Tutorial | AllFreeSewing.com

Wrist Corsage Tutorial | AllFreeSewing.com