Football game or fun earrings

Anyone else super excited about LSU's win against Auburn Saturday?

Yea, me either. That was too close for comfort.

And as you know that particular game gets harder and harder for me to watch, sit through, or enjoy with each passing year. I like those Auburn Tigers, but I love my LSU Tigers a bit more.

If you are still excited about LSU's win or if you just like some fun, costume earrings that happen to be purple and gold, these might be up your alley!

They are awesome on! They are clip but very comfortable! They could be converted if you'd like, however.

I'll conclude with this : "Happy Football Season!" That seems to cover all the bases...

Black onyx mourning jewelry

I seem to love Victorian mourning pieces of jewelry. There's something about black onyx that I love. It's so rich looking.

I hate calling it "mourning" jewelry, even though that's what it is. I opt to call it The Onyx Collection. It seems less morbid.

I have more in my stash, but these pieces are a beautiful start to my onyx collection for sale!

Gold filled tassel earrings

Hey there! I wanted to showcase some jewelry that I have before I deliver my baby. I've got about 6 weeks left, and I have no idea what my life will look like thereafter. So, I figured, I'd better try to sell some pieces now!

I love these earrings. I've had them a while and recently got them repaired. They are gold filled with beautiful etching designs. Of course, I love jewelry that moves, and these tassel earrings are wonderful on! 

The grand opening

I've been a very busy girl. Pardon my absence.

The grand opening went so well. Thank you to all of you that came to support little ol me. The store looked incredible, and I've said it many times, but I'm so glad that my inventory is surrounded with such elegant decor. Shannon has got some good taste; I'm just glad she's asked me to be a small part of her adventure.

I told you she had good taste. So go check out the inventory at LD Interiors in Southdowns Village on Perkins Road. I'll be putting new stuff in often. Hope to get some good feed back from you! 

The French

Bonjour! I'm excited to show you these French pieces! And they both happen to be silver! I thought they went well together. 

The Eiffel Tower never gets old to me. Wouldn't this be awesome with some sterling bangles?

This weekend, I went to the mall to get my birthday present...a month early. I know what you're thinking. I wanted to wear some of my new clothes during my birthday month. Duh.

I decided to go to Forever 21, so I could get the most amount of clothes for my money. I got some great fall pieces, and I noticed that I came away with the same "look" to all of them: very French. {I'm saving my J.Crew shopping trip for when my mom comes to town.}

Unfortunately, I can not afford the fabulous clothes that I see on pinterest. I don't even pin them, for my heart grows ill with covetousness. But just this once, here's a sneak peak of what I've been missing. 

Though, there is some hope. Do you know what I hear about the French? I hear they have an uncanny way of putting things together whether it be food, drink, clothing, or accessories. My mom likes to tell the story of our friend, {la} Michele: she came to the states for a month with one purse, an orange purse. An orange purse! It somehow matched everything. And how do they mix those prints the way they do? 

I will try to find my inner French girl...I won't have to dig deep with my maiden name being Bolotte. I will find her and be creative on a budget. 

Oh, and I will wear French inspired jewelry to prove it. 

LSU game day gems

Now, it's LSU's turn for a jewelry post. 

Purple 1950s earrings converted to pierced. Quite the statement, I would say. 

For a more subtle approach, this "L" gold filled leaf necklace is stunning. 

These mock-fleur de lis, 1970s brass earrings are so fun. 

And just because it's pretty, I threw in this Victorian onyx gold filled pendant with a seed pearl. 

Enjoy this 2011 College Football Season! Yes, it deserves to be capitalized.

Hot and cold

I love milk glass, so when I saw these earrings, I knew they had to be a part of my collection.

I thought they were so summer-y, and I love the contrast of the white with the brass. 

Thinking further, I thought that I could manipulate these into being a great addition to a winter white outfit. 

In this August heat, please bear with me as I show you the following images from j.crew.com. 

I apologize for the over-eager attitude towards fall and winter. I have somehow managed to take summer looking, milk glass earrings and make them a must-have for the {non}approaching winter. 

Ahhhh, but doesn't J.Crew's coziness and some fabulous earrings make life better. Even in this heat...

Fall....where are you?

Fall is just around the corner. I feel like it can't get here soon enough.

To inspire your fall wardrobe, I have paired classic pieces from any woman's closet with some statement jewelry from my collection.

Think of it as my fall uniform. This is how I like to live: crisp, white shirt, awesome fitting jeans, boots, and fantastic, one of a kind jewelry.

And last but not least:

If you're as ready for October as I am....this one's for you. 

Gorgeous gold filled

I rarely keep old jewelry in the Cherche' collection for myself. I've kept maybe 3 or 4 pieces since I started this little hobby almost two years ago. 

Often, I am tempted to keep them, but at the end of the day, I'd rather see it go. I'm always curious to see who likes what; who buys for whom. This piece is no exception. 

I am tempted to keep it, but I'd rather see who really wants it. Isn't this Victorian piece just stunning?

It's show-stopping. It's one of my most favorite finds. 

A jewelry company

I've been neglecting the Cherche' blog lately, but I have been doing some ground work when it comes to my inventory. I'm getting repairs done and hope to showcase some of the progress soon.

Until then, I'd like to show you a designer I'm loving right now. It's a contemporary company called Bounkit. Check it out. Let me know what you think! I think it's awesome!

Blue

"America! America! God shed His grace on thee."

Boy, did God pour out His splendor on our country.

And I'll pour out my slendid blue jewelry finds today! Not nearly the same thing, but you get the picture: I love my country. I love my jewelry.

White

For a old fashioned 4th of July, try these white earrings.

My new interest

Clearly, I've been behind on blogging about jewelry. I've hit a wall lately. I'm always inspired by beautiful jewelry and beautiful things, but for some reason Cherche' has been put on the back burner. I hope to bring it a little more to the forefront of my life here soon.

Like I said, I'm inspired by beautiful things. You can probably assume that pintrest is my new interest. You are correct. Even Andrew has come across some old pieces of jewelry. He, like me, is learning all about jewelry and the history and the design.

I leave you with a few images from his and my pintrest. Enjoy.

A professional photographer makes all the difference

It's true. Having a sister who is a photographer doesn't hurt. I'm so glad she snapped some of these photos from last week's show. Many of you expressed interest in the show but weren't able to attend. Take heart! I plan on doing another show in the Baton Rouge area again soon. It was very impromptu this last time. I promise to be more intentional for the next. 

Take a look at some of the collection. You may recognize many of these images from previous posts. Here they are again. 

Remember Miss Sally? These were her "scatter pins" that were popular in the 1950s. I made them into french hooks for pierced ears. 

This was the "backward necklace" that Andrew photographed a few weeks back. This is a very old piece, early 1900s with a paste stone set in gold filled. 

My inspiration for a write-up I'm doing. More on that later. 

This piece may get the most attention. I know why: it's gorgeous.

Small 14k pendants. Will be getting the chains soon. I realize people would like to buy the piece "ready to wear." Those 14k chains can be pricy for me, but I will bite the bullet and do it. 

Gold filled love knot pendant; love knots have unintentionally become a staple in my collection. 

A 1960s piece: mother of pearl leaves with 14k hooks. 

White gold filled with emerald. 

1950s turquoise studs set in 14k gold. From an estate in Arizona. 

A show stopper! 1920s art deco 14k white gold with diamonds and 2 sapphire stones! It was a stick pin converted into a pendant.  

Maybe it's because I just watched Oprah interview Ralph Lauren this afternoon, but I think this "good photography" thing has a lot to do with the picture ol' Ralph Lipschitz {original name} paints in his story telling, brand identity, and persona. His creation of classic style is genius, but good photography tells such a beautiful story. His ads are inspiring. I'm inspired by beautiful things. Who isn't, really? 

Sometimes you need a morale booster; a success story to keep you going. I know my husband needs inspiring on daily basis to create something wonderful. I need it too. 

Bottom line: don't give up. I tell myself that. I tell my husband that. And I know I'll tell my kids that. You know, I was thinking of the changes in life: the paramount events and how parents watch their kids graduate from kindergarden and make the sports team, or not, and so on. But no one really talks about the progress of the 20-something year old: the successful dinner party, the 2nd wedding anniversary celebration, the nutritional supper you cooked for your husband, recovering from the bad day at work. They all sound trivial, but it's those things that matter in our life, and sometimes we need encouragement. We need encouragement to keep going. 

So let's keep going.