9.18.2008

Stroll Down Memory Lane


Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek




WARNING: This post got a little long and rambly. Okay a LOT long. Still rambly. Lots of photos, though. Enjoy however much you're able to get through.



Sometime during the past 4-5 years, I have gone through things in my bedroom (things being jewelry, hair accessories, and the like). I know I didn't get rid of a LOT, but thought I had it somewhat whittled down. After all, the area where I keep the jewelry which I wear on a regular basis really didn't have that much there. I was aware that I had a couple of boxes with some other things that needed some sorting and purging.

I began the process of cleaning up the jewelry, hair accessories, and other oddments so that I could pack. I made it through the hair accoutrement in good time. Then I started in on the jewelry. It was going just fine. Items I wish to keep on one side, items to give away on the other. Then I would pull out a small box, tin, or container of some sort, and go through the items in there. Then a very strange phenomenon occurred. There were more boxes, tins, and other random containers than I realized. There was another . . . and another . . . and yet another. Sorting could no longer be contained on the shelves, so it moved to the bed. In a rather large way.

Okay, say it with me now . . .

OH. MY. GOSH!!!


First shelf area (my shelves are old fruit crates)



Next shelf area



Third shelf area



Spilling over to the bed



And then some


Now, clearly there is more than just jewelry going on here. And some of this is old. Not antique old particularly (except one brooch and earring set), but old as in so-not-my-style-anymore old. These are the oldest. I'm thinking 6th or 7th grade.



While not the next oldest, these definitely get special notice. My sister and I found these at Claire's many, many years ago - before I was married. At the time, we thought they were the ugliest earrings we had ever seen. So we bought them. And shared them. Somehow I have possession of them. It must be her turn, since I think I've had them for the past 20-some years.




There was a time in my life when my best friend and I collected all things COW. This is just a tiny little sampling of the myriad cow items I owned. Some day, I'll show you my cow shoes. They're the best ever.



Lil Orphan Annie cows?!?!?



Even before my obsession with cows, I was a Bugs Bunny fan. And still am. For as long as I can remember. When we moved to Colorado from California (I was 3), I had a talking Bugs Bunny. Sadly, it was the trip from hell and I was car sick and hurled all over poor Bugs. He had to be left on the side of the road. It was a very difficult time for me. I missed old Bugs something dreadful.

Where was I? Oh, right, Bugs has always been a near and dear friend. While I didn't go collection crazy, I did have a few special items. My parents gave me this watch nearly 20 years ago. It needs a battery right now. Otherwise, I'd be wearing it. I even attended the 50th Anniversary Bugs Bunny Film Festival at the Tower Theater in downtown Sacramento with hubs and my parents.




I purchased these at a company craft fair when I worked for Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino (or was it Palo Alto?). They matched a sweater that my mom made which was my most favorite thing to wear in those days. Along with the lovely porcelain earrings, of course. Not only that, I was wearing these earrings with the sweater on October 17, 1989 - the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Funny the things you remember when big events occur.




When we moved back to Colorado, I was making tons of Friendly Plastic earrings. It was the thing to do, I guess. I also sold (well, attempted to sell) some at a local craft mall here. Imagine my surprise to find that I still had some of these. Thought I had passed them along many years ago.




I can't imagine these require any explanation. I had my first Gumby & Pokey when I was about 5. Back before merchandising madness and clay animation. I wore these earrings with a lovely Gumby Green, sleeveless dress.




I was definitely into large earrings at certain times in my life. Here we have two ends of the same LARGE spectrum. The pair on top? They're made from watercolor paper and weigh about as much as a gnat. The pair on the bottom? Holy smokes, are they heavy! Mother of pearl on top with a ton of beads dangling, for a total of about 6" in length. Yeah, let's just hang some bricks off my ears. Maybe they'll stretch out into Dumbo ears.




At a mall in California, there was a lady who sold crafts at a table in the big hallway area. She made these cute lizard earrings and also painted t-shirts to match. I never had a t-shirt (my mom & sister did, though), but the earrings were so bright and colorful (also heavy). It's amazing that my earlobes don't reach my shoulders today.




If you're still with me, this one is kind of sweet. It's a beaded daisy necklace/choker that I made as a young girl. Probably around 5th or 6th grade, I believe. I've done a variety of crafts and art throughout my life. Other than sewing, this is probably one of my earliest wearable projects. At least that I recall. I don't wear it anymore (doubt my neck is the same size), but it's just cute and sweet and lives in my jewelry box.




If you stuck around for this very long walk down memory lane, I hope you'll leave a comment. Like which item was your personal fav, or what on earth is something in one of those group photos, or what is the strangest item you noticed. Or come up with your own comment. Whatever strikes you.

Thank you for participating in the jewelry box tour.


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

All I have to say is: HOLY COW. Hehehe. ;)

I seriously need to go through my jewelry box, too...

tiarastantrums said...

oh my HOLY COW is right - you have so much - do you wear this stuff - I have like 3 pairs of earrings total!

LOVE the bugs watch though!!

Indrani said...

Amazing collection you have there! They are precious, at least the memories they carry are!

Chris said...

Well...I suppose I would have to say the Gumby earrings would be my favorite. Though the cows are pretty cool...

Mamarazzi said...

giiiiiiiiirl! that is a LOT of stuff!

i am going through a major purge myself. it is soooo thereputic. i even blogged about it AND i am having a give away in honor of it.

check it out...you might need some more stuff..tee hee!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Holy crapness! Now that is a collection!! Truth be told, I only have 6 (SIX) pairs of earrings! :)

Jacque Dixon said...

Oh, dear, what to say? What to say?? I think the "holy crapness" kind of covers it! LOL

No, really, I have two words: PURGE. EBAY.
:)
I think you should photograph the earrings, make a special memories scrapbook and sell the earrings on EBay. Someone out there is dying to collect those Gumby and Bugs earrings.
I had a bunch of stuff like that... but, they are so pretty to little girls...

And, did you say "jewelry box"?? Or Jewelry ROOM??

Loved all the photos and a peek into your life!
HUGS!
J

Cecily R said...

First of all, I LOVE the fruit crate shelves.

And secondly, I bet you are totally fun to buy presents for. anyone who has collections like you is FUN FUN to find additions for...so cool!!!

Di said...

I'm Mickey Mouse crazy, so those were my faves!! But WOW!!!!! what a collection!!

Beth said...

I am most impressed with the fact that all your earrings seem to have matches!! Woah! This would never happen in my jewelry box. And the inhalers....nice touch. I'll bet you were a little winded after all that :)

beth

Anonymous said...

It's funny what we can discover about our life eras when we keep all of that. Although I have tried to throw away most of it, I can measure my season by my decor..let's see...duck phase, southwest phase, country phase, native american phase, shabby chic phase. I am curious, do you still have the outfits that go with all of those earings? Would love to see what goes with the "cow over the moon earrings!" Great post.

Anonymous said...

Those Mickey Mouse earrings are great (& probably worth something) I have one of the early 80's watches. LOVE IT.

And the lizard earrings are my 2nd favorite :)

Anonymous said...

I used to have a thing for big crazy earrings as well. I had a LOT of them, but I think you beat me. Love the collection. :)

Jenny said...

Wow. That's a lot of jewelry! I have some, but ALWAYS forget to put it on.

Love the pics! Thanks for sharing =)

Phyllis@Aimless Conversation said...

Good Grief Dianne! How much room does your husband have for his collections in your home?! LOL

That's quite a bit of stuff. I can't imagine still having earrings from that long ago.

In spite of my not keeping everything, we do share a love for quirky jewelry. My favorite earrings (that I do still have and even wear occasionally) is handmade wooden painted pair from FL. They sound a bit ghoulish, but they are pretty cute...a surfboard with a bite out of it paired with a shark eating a surfer. Maybe I should post a pic so everyone won't think me morbid.

I loved your Mickey Mouse ones, although gumby was cute too...oh, and cow collection, no words.

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

What interesting treasures you've re-discovered.

Dawn said...

Wow! I can identify with the cleaning and purging and finding things that you don't even know you had, but Wow! Your jewelery box is like a visual journal of your life - How special!

Anonymous said...

Talk about flashbacks! I had some of those crazy style earrings, but I have long since blotted them out of my memory.

The Bugs Bunny watch is cool though! I do remember my Lucy (from Charlie Brown) watch, and wish I'd never lost it.

Anonymous said...

Wow...this IS a storehouse of memory, not just "fashion" ;). You've suddenly made me remember the Mickey Mouse watch I had in 7th grade...and wish I still owned now :/.

Gosh...Gumby earrings? I'd wear them in a skinny minute!

:)

Anonymous said...

LOVE them! Seems you and I had similar earring tastes. Lol. Only I have elephants--purple ones, paper painted ones, etc.

Tammy said...

Ohhhhh, I'm just a'gigglin' and lovin' your jewelry box tour. It has to be because I'm so so doggone sentimental and probably have an interesting collection of jewelry-with-a-story myself! :-D

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
Garden Glimpses

Katie @ makingthishome.com said...

Laying everything out, reminising, really truly seeing what you have vs. what you love/use/need - now that is a perfect look at your collection.

Sometimes a picture of something or the memory of it are just as important and valuable as the item itself - much like your poor Bugs.
Thanks for sharing this with me!
Katie

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