"The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little worth."
Proverbs 10:20
"How much better to get wisdom that gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver."
Proverbs 16:33
Our refrigerator
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I've never seen such elegant magnets!
We put these on our fridge last night to photograph for Cherche'. {These can be on your fridge, too, at a wonderfully low price!}
But I feel like I should be honest with you and show you what was really on our fridge. Among the wedding invitations and parties coming up, we had a magazine article for a daily laugh, of sorts. We received the article in the mail several weeks ago from my {future} sister-in-law, Lindsey.
Hmm. I wonder why Lindsey would think to send The Lee's an article on streaking....
Andrew....
Anyway, it's something to laugh about. But I couldn't let this "elegant cameo post" mislead you.
On that {streaking} note, Happy Thursday!
Pardon Me
Friday, August 20, 2010
Today we had a jewelry distributor come in the store with what may be the most amazing jewelry I've seen in quite some time. I had to pardon myself for the drooling salivating admiring over the gems.
About 4 pieces haunted me enough to try on. Ironically those 4 pieces were the only old ones he had. They were all 100 years old or older. There's just something about that antique jewelry, isn't there?
What is it about old jewelry that I love so much?
About 4 pieces haunted me enough to try on. Ironically those 4 pieces were the only old ones he had. They were all 100 years old or older. There's just something about that antique jewelry, isn't there?
What is it about old jewelry that I love so much?
I'm still on The Proverbs kick
Working at a jewelry store, we get folks in everyday that want to scrap their gold for cash. And I can see why; have you seen how much gold is per ounce! We pay top dollar for gold, and I can't help but notice when Scripture references "choice gold." Take a look at this:
"Take my instruction instead of silver,
and my knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her."
Proverbs 8:10-11
Want to know about peridot?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Peridot is the birthstone for August babies! My grandmother was born in August and so was my sister, so of course she has my grandmother's large peridot ring. Boo.
I'll try to recover and tell you a little of what I've learned about the gem, peridot.
"An old legend says that the inhabitants of St. John's Island, in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, mined green stones as early as 1500 B.C. The stones were greatly prized by the Egyptian kings who dominated the island, and the inhabitants were forced to mine them under rather harsh conditions. It was believed that the gems glowed in the dark, so they were hunted at night and the locations of the glowing spots carefully marked for recovery the next day. Actually, today we know topaz is a completely different gem. The material mined is the gem form of the mineral olivine, which we know as peridot...
Many peridots were sent to Europe during the time of the Crusades, labeled as emeralds...
Peridot is a warm, soft olive or yellowish-green gem. It never reaches the intensity or shade green characteristic of emerald...
Customer tip: Peridot is not an expensive gem, except in very large-sized flawless pieces. The best material is green with no tinge of brown or yellow."
-Gems and Jewelry by Joel Arem
I'll try to recover and tell you a little of what I've learned about the gem, peridot.
"An old legend says that the inhabitants of St. John's Island, in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, mined green stones as early as 1500 B.C. The stones were greatly prized by the Egyptian kings who dominated the island, and the inhabitants were forced to mine them under rather harsh conditions. It was believed that the gems glowed in the dark, so they were hunted at night and the locations of the glowing spots carefully marked for recovery the next day. Actually, today we know topaz is a completely different gem. The material mined is the gem form of the mineral olivine, which we know as peridot...
Many peridots were sent to Europe during the time of the Crusades, labeled as emeralds...
Peridot is a warm, soft olive or yellowish-green gem. It never reaches the intensity or shade green characteristic of emerald...
Customer tip: Peridot is not an expensive gem, except in very large-sized flawless pieces. The best material is green with no tinge of brown or yellow."
-Gems and Jewelry by Joel Arem
Happy anniversary, Cherche'
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
It's been 1 year! Already!
And I don't think I've ever shared the entire story about my journey of Cherche' from the very start. So here goes.
It was May 2009; mere days before my wedding. I was at the bead shop in Baton Rouge getting some things made for the French girls who were coming to my wedding. I wanted to get them something similar to the bridesmaids gifts, but more-age appropriate. After that was decided upon, I saw a sign up sheet for a jewelry making class, inquired about it, then had the audacity to sign my little self up for that class....mere days before my wedding! It was a pretty bold move thinking that I had the time or money to do so, but I did it.
So mere days before that May 23 wedding, I went back to the bead shop for the class. I realized that the nice lady who had talked me into signing up wasn't there, but another lady was there to teach. She proceeded to tell me all the things I needed to purchase: the tray, "findings", more wires, clamps for the wires, more this and more that. Granted, I had already bought the jewelry tools, the beads for which I was to make into some fabulous piece of jewelry, and the cost of the class itself. I wasn't looking to spending any more money. I just wanted to make a little something for my beach honeymoon, and of course chunky turquoise beads aren't on the low end of the spectrum. Great.
So I said, "Listen, lady. Knowing me, I'll never pick this up again, so I really don't want to go spending any more money than I already have. I'm getting married in about a week and a half, and I really don't know why I'm here. I shouldn't have come."
Well anyway, I stayed and made my fabulous turquoise set, and I did a pretty good job. Since I chose such big stones to work with, I was finished in record time. All the others had small beads to string on to their wires. So the lady mentions that maybe I should make more pieces since I paid for an hour and a half's worth of teaching. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so I found some small coral beads to go with the turquoise set. She said those weren't too expensive, so I went to the register and she rang me up. The price ends up being astronomical. I told her that I might need to go look for something else then. But whoops, she had already run it through the computer, and she couldn't return. Oh I was not happy. I was so upset; not angry like I was before; upset.
So with my new jewelry tools and beads, turquoise and coral, I just left. I thought that I would figure this jewelry making thing on my own, if I could only remember what they taught me in those 5 minutes I was there. So I cried all the way to the Mexican restaurant where my family was eating. (I know this seems a bit dramatic, but I was probably under lots of stress because of the upcoming wedding...mere days away).
My mom probably laughed and said I was being ridiculous, which I was. And my dad probably said, "You need some money? Don't worry. How much do you need. Here-here's a $100." That's Dad's solution to everything. He's very generous; I'm not complaining. But I said, "No. I'm just upset because I was trying so hard to manage my money, and I blew it on jewelry tools, jewelry beads, and a jewelry class, and knowing me, I will never use any of this again." I tend to take up projects and put them away and never pick them back up (ie. the bag of yarn sitting in the corner from when I took up knitting).
After all that drama, I went home my empty apartment, as I was fixing to move to South Carolina, and I laid out those coral beads on the hard wood floor, and attempted to make a bracelet by examining how I had made the turquoise one. And I did it! I couldn't believe it! I'm not a quick learner when it comes to stuff like this, and I fully expected the project to be an utter failure, but I did it! A small, very small victory! I must add that I still wear those pieces today; they did not break; I must have done a pretty decent job.
Why do I tell you this?
Because the story really does come full circle.
After moving to South Carolina the day after I got married (that's right, the very next day), I looked for a job. For months, I looked and looked on the internet, which has and always will be a huge waste of time. It's all about connections. Since I had no connections here, I was so very close to going to Cracker Barrel and apply for the hosting job that I found on the {unhelpful}internet. I'm not kidding.
Few times in life, or few times in my life, do things just "click." But maybe desperate times call for desperate measures, and my prayers were finally answered in August of last year. After countless nights talking it out with my husband, he enlightened me on what I am capable of doing and doing well. And after spending some more time "searching" for specifics in the mountains of North Carolina, I came home and I knew what I needed to do: search for jewelry. Antique jewelry. I had an interest, some prior knowledge, and most importantly, the desire to learn.
As things were rolling along, I started to find some jewelry that was broken and tried fix it. I had surprising success. Then it occurred to me: I didn't waste my time or money buying those jewelry tools. I actually use them everyday! I got so, so upset about the jewelry class, the jewelry tools, the "findings", the books etc. that I felt like I was forced to buy, but God was leading me the whole time! Even if I was pushed, God used it for good.
Then this occurred to me:
"TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATH STRAIGHT." JEREMIAH 29:11
This:
And I don't think I've ever shared the entire story about my journey of Cherche' from the very start. So here goes.
It was May 2009; mere days before my wedding. I was at the bead shop in Baton Rouge getting some things made for the French girls who were coming to my wedding. I wanted to get them something similar to the bridesmaids gifts, but more-age appropriate. After that was decided upon, I saw a sign up sheet for a jewelry making class, inquired about it, then had the audacity to sign my little self up for that class....mere days before my wedding! It was a pretty bold move thinking that I had the time or money to do so, but I did it.
So mere days before that May 23 wedding, I went back to the bead shop for the class. I realized that the nice lady who had talked me into signing up wasn't there, but another lady was there to teach. She proceeded to tell me all the things I needed to purchase: the tray, "findings", more wires, clamps for the wires, more this and more that. Granted, I had already bought the jewelry tools, the beads for which I was to make into some fabulous piece of jewelry, and the cost of the class itself. I wasn't looking to spending any more money. I just wanted to make a little something for my beach honeymoon, and of course chunky turquoise beads aren't on the low end of the spectrum. Great.
So I said, "Listen, lady. Knowing me, I'll never pick this up again, so I really don't want to go spending any more money than I already have. I'm getting married in about a week and a half, and I really don't know why I'm here. I shouldn't have come."
Well anyway, I stayed and made my fabulous turquoise set, and I did a pretty good job. Since I chose such big stones to work with, I was finished in record time. All the others had small beads to string on to their wires. So the lady mentions that maybe I should make more pieces since I paid for an hour and a half's worth of teaching. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so I found some small coral beads to go with the turquoise set. She said those weren't too expensive, so I went to the register and she rang me up. The price ends up being astronomical. I told her that I might need to go look for something else then. But whoops, she had already run it through the computer, and she couldn't return. Oh I was not happy. I was so upset; not angry like I was before; upset.
So with my new jewelry tools and beads, turquoise and coral, I just left. I thought that I would figure this jewelry making thing on my own, if I could only remember what they taught me in those 5 minutes I was there. So I cried all the way to the Mexican restaurant where my family was eating. (I know this seems a bit dramatic, but I was probably under lots of stress because of the upcoming wedding...mere days away).
My mom probably laughed and said I was being ridiculous, which I was. And my dad probably said, "You need some money? Don't worry. How much do you need. Here-here's a $100." That's Dad's solution to everything. He's very generous; I'm not complaining. But I said, "No. I'm just upset because I was trying so hard to manage my money, and I blew it on jewelry tools, jewelry beads, and a jewelry class, and knowing me, I will never use any of this again." I tend to take up projects and put them away and never pick them back up (ie. the bag of yarn sitting in the corner from when I took up knitting).
After all that drama, I went home my empty apartment, as I was fixing to move to South Carolina, and I laid out those coral beads on the hard wood floor, and attempted to make a bracelet by examining how I had made the turquoise one. And I did it! I couldn't believe it! I'm not a quick learner when it comes to stuff like this, and I fully expected the project to be an utter failure, but I did it! A small, very small victory! I must add that I still wear those pieces today; they did not break; I must have done a pretty decent job.
Why do I tell you this?
Because the story really does come full circle.
After moving to South Carolina the day after I got married (that's right, the very next day), I looked for a job. For months, I looked and looked on the internet, which has and always will be a huge waste of time. It's all about connections. Since I had no connections here, I was so very close to going to Cracker Barrel and apply for the hosting job that I found on the {unhelpful}internet. I'm not kidding.
Few times in life, or few times in my life, do things just "click." But maybe desperate times call for desperate measures, and my prayers were finally answered in August of last year. After countless nights talking it out with my husband, he enlightened me on what I am capable of doing and doing well. And after spending some more time "searching" for specifics in the mountains of North Carolina, I came home and I knew what I needed to do: search for jewelry. Antique jewelry. I had an interest, some prior knowledge, and most importantly, the desire to learn.
As things were rolling along, I started to find some jewelry that was broken and tried fix it. I had surprising success. Then it occurred to me: I didn't waste my time or money buying those jewelry tools. I actually use them everyday! I got so, so upset about the jewelry class, the jewelry tools, the "findings", the books etc. that I felt like I was forced to buy, but God was leading me the whole time! Even if I was pushed, God used it for good.
Then this occurred to me:
"TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATH STRAIGHT." JEREMIAH 29:11
This:
Turned into this:
And I don't think it's any coincidence that I work at a jewelry store either. I was just minding my business when I needed a "real" repair done, and I brought my ring to a local jeweler here in SC. The jeweler called to let me know that my ring was ready, and also said that he noticed a real interest I had in jewelry. He said that they had been casually looking for someone to help with repairs and with the in's and out's of the store. He asked if I would be their new apprentice. Maybe I was at the right place at the right time, or maybe I'm being lead by the Spirit. The second is what I prayed for. I think the second is what I got.
Be careful with this one
Friday, August 13, 2010
Floating opal necklace set in 14k. Very rare. Very beautiful!
{SOLD}
Passion, Vision, and Diligence
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18
That seems a bit dramatic, but I didn't make it up. God did via King Solomon. I've been reading the book I mentioned a few posts back, the book that breaks down Proverbs. I brought it on my trip home to Louisiana, and it's concepts are starting to sink in; mainly, the points on diligence and developing a clear vision.
"Diligence is a learnable skill that combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient, and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence."
"Vision is a precise, clearly defined goal within a detailed plan and timetable for achieving that goal."
I'd be lying if I told you that these points were at the forefront of every moment of my time at home, or my time in general. But I am open to being led by the Lord in any scenario.
Scenario: shopping in La:
I was shopping around town at my local favorites, and I didn't feel like going shop for antiques, but I just felt like I should. Like I needed to.
So I fought the traffic and went. I had a raging headache, it was hot as Hades, and I didn't feel like digging throughgarbage antiques. I gave myself a time out, went to Walgreen's, took some Tylenol, and asked myself why in the world was I doing this on my vacation home.
I pressed on, trying to make the best of it. There's nothing like good-natured cajuns to make your day a little brighter, either. I came across the owner of an antique store, and I started asking questions. In his cajun way, he was so helpful. And then I guess I asked a question that was overstepping his turf a bit. (There's some confidence involved in this business. There is for me, too. That's why I haven't disclosed the point of my location...)
Back to my helpful cajun friend...
He didn't get mad when I asked him a little too much. All he said was, "I can't tell ya all 'a dat." I laughed and said that I understand. I told him that I'm just trying to learn more about these sort of things. Then he said, "Ya know? Down da way, there's 'a lady that can prolly help ya."
He gave me her information, and I went to see her. I walked in, and I had no questions. I didn't know what to ask or say, but all I could think of was that she knew stuff, and I wanted to know more about the stuff she knew. Eloquent, right?
We got to talking. She looked worn out, maybe it was the heat, but I after hearing her speak, she definitely knew what she was talking about. She was an RN, had an interest in antique jewelry, then read about it, became diligent in her reading, and she's acquired quite a collection.
Her kindness was unbelievable. I asked her questions about black jets, opals, alexandrite, paste, and more. She went to her drawer, and said, "Here, you can have them."
She gave me these: Black jets from Czechoslovakia.
That seems a bit dramatic, but I didn't make it up. God did via King Solomon. I've been reading the book I mentioned a few posts back, the book that breaks down Proverbs. I brought it on my trip home to Louisiana, and it's concepts are starting to sink in; mainly, the points on diligence and developing a clear vision.
"Diligence is a learnable skill that combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient, and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence."
"Vision is a precise, clearly defined goal within a detailed plan and timetable for achieving that goal."
I'd be lying if I told you that these points were at the forefront of every moment of my time at home, or my time in general. But I am open to being led by the Lord in any scenario.
Scenario: shopping in La:
I was shopping around town at my local favorites, and I didn't feel like going shop for antiques, but I just felt like I should. Like I needed to.
So I fought the traffic and went. I had a raging headache, it was hot as Hades, and I didn't feel like digging through
I pressed on, trying to make the best of it. There's nothing like good-natured cajuns to make your day a little brighter, either. I came across the owner of an antique store, and I started asking questions. In his cajun way, he was so helpful. And then I guess I asked a question that was overstepping his turf a bit. (There's some confidence involved in this business. There is for me, too. That's why I haven't disclosed the point of my location...)
Back to my helpful cajun friend...
He didn't get mad when I asked him a little too much. All he said was, "I can't tell ya all 'a dat." I laughed and said that I understand. I told him that I'm just trying to learn more about these sort of things. Then he said, "Ya know? Down da way, there's 'a lady that can prolly help ya."
He gave me her information, and I went to see her. I walked in, and I had no questions. I didn't know what to ask or say, but all I could think of was that she knew stuff, and I wanted to know more about the stuff she knew. Eloquent, right?
We got to talking. She looked worn out, maybe it was the heat, but I after hearing her speak, she definitely knew what she was talking about. She was an RN, had an interest in antique jewelry, then read about it, became diligent in her reading, and she's acquired quite a collection.
Her kindness was unbelievable. I asked her questions about black jets, opals, alexandrite, paste, and more. She went to her drawer, and said, "Here, you can have them."
She gave me these: Black jets from Czechoslovakia.
I was blown away. She told me that people like me re-energize her and remind her why she's doing what she's doing. That was a compliment to me. Maybe I'm overeager; maybe I'm passionate. Is there a difference?
I thanked her again, and asked if I could keep in touch. She said, "Of course."
After that, I was re-energized. I was so glad that I pushed through the aggravation, heat, and head ache, and allowed myself to be lead by what was clearly the Lord's Hand.
By then, it was starting to get to be suppertime, and during this entire trip home, I mainly ate by myself or got takeout. It was sort of nice. I decided on overpriced Chinese, so to P.F.Chang's I went. I ate my lettuce wraps and lo mein in front of the TV, almost forgetting about my fortune cookie at the end of my TV dinner meal. But when I opened my fortune, this is what it read:
You can't make this stuff up. I guess the Lord is showing me the vision I am to have all while being diligent. This day, unbelievably enough, had both of those things that I'm working towards.
A.Lee: the jewelry connoisseur
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Andrew always loves to see what junk finds I bring home.
He's so embarrassed, but here's what happened the other night:
I have such a supportive husband, who drinks Bud and rummages through my finds. Love him.
The fanciest baby toy I've ever seen!
Monday, August 2, 2010
This was once a baby girl's rattle ring! It's gold-filled and has a small diamond in the center. I tested it myself. I put it on a chain, and in my opinion, is quite a beautiful necklace!
{SOLD}
Geaux chic!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
For LSU tailgating, "geaux" chic with these vintage doilies! I have a total of 5!
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