Chat…Just Because

I’m back, if only for the moment. So much has been going on these past few weeks. Early in May, I chaperoned Madeline’s junior/senior prom. I had so much fun seeing all the young ladies and gentlemen decked out in their finest, completely absorbed in the moment, walking that fine line between teenager and young adult, having not a clue (and probably not giving a second thought) about what awaits them as they make the jump from high school to college or work.

The variety of dresses was mindblowing! It was like watching a designer fashion show right before my eyes. Madeline wore a vintage beaded dress that weighed about 7 pounds!

Believe it or not, my sister found it in a resale shop for $25, and once I had a new zipper put in, we had our original prom dress. It was just the teeniest bit roomy on her, but oh my, I must say, she looked stunning. I know I’m her mom, but still … (Pay no attention to the doorknocker tiara in the photos. Sorry about that!) With all that beadage going on, we decided a simple pair of crystal earrings was all this little number needed. She got so many compliments and had a wonderful time.

She’s basically finished with classes, having taken all of her AP exams and been exempt from the rest for having ‘A’s. Graduation for her is coming up on Memorial Day and then there’s the party in June, plus a quick trip to LA to see where she’ll be living when she attends The American Academy of Dramatic Arts! You’ll see her in films someday, so just remember, you heard it here first.

Elyse is finishing her freshman year and Parker his sophomore year. We’ve attended banquets and awards shows, spring hockey and lacrosse games, and dealt with school projects and activities, and now these two are approaching exams. I know you parents can relate.

I’ve got a few more tidbits to share with you, so please stop on by in the next few days!

New Just Because Jewelry items are now available here! Please check back too, because we’ll be adding more pieces in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your patience and support!

Here is another picture of those Sparkles a-plenty earrings I posted last week. This past Saturday was Winter Dance at the girls’ high school, and Elyse chose to wear them with her LBD (little black dress). She looked lovely! Click on the photo for a closer view.

Check out these simple, but super sparkly Swarovski puffy crystal earrings. Although hard to capture their true color, they are clear crystal with the aurora borealis finish, making them appear bluish in the photo.

I have a similar pair on the Web site under Spring Blush that includes a slightly smaller crystal and a powder rose colored Swarovski pearl. I love the pearl pair, but also wanted a version that I could wear at the office, out to dinner in my dressy jeans and a great sweater or jacket, or with more formal attire. These little beauties fit the bill. They add just the right amount of visual interest on their own too, if you’re not the necklace-wearin’ type. A tiny look that packs a hefty wallop of sparkle! They are $50. If you would like your own pair, please send me an e-mail.

And the ka-yoot pearl earrings from my blog anniversary giveaway go to …

Kaman Sung

Congratulations! I’ll get those beauties in the mail to you right away!

Thanks to all of you who commented. It truly means a lot to me to have such wonderful support.

Thanks to my fellow blogger, Lisa at Serah’s Soaps, I was given my first blog award a few weeks ago: The Lemonade Award. The award is given to people who have shown great attitude or gratitude, and who tend to make lemonade out of life’s lemons. Thank you so much Lisa! I appreciate the honor!

Stop by tomorrow to find out the winner of the pearl earring giveaway! Have a great day!

Yes, it was one year ago today, February 6, when I began writing this blog. I’ve thought about it each day since then, made mental notes about topics I want to address, stayed up many a late night to finish a post, and read all of my comments with great excitement. To celebrate and as a way to again thank my readers for making this such a fun endeavor, I would like to giveaway this versatile pair of pearl earrings. See the tiny sparkle of Swarovski crystal on top? (Click on the photo above for a close up.)

Just leave me a comment below about one thing you were happy to accomplish today.

Enter quickly because the contest ends this Tuesday, Feb. 10 at midnight CST. Winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Thanks again everyone!!!

My random integer generator picked the numbers 1 and 18 for me, so congratulations to my first commentor, Lisa and lucky number 18, Nailah, winners of the prehinite earrings giveaway! Ladies, please e-mail me your addresses and I’ll get you each a pair of those earrings.

Thank you all for submitting your comments! I love reading them and appreciate the support. We should do this again sometime, yes?

So ladies, now that I’ve got you thinking about earrings, please leave me a comment and tell me what kind of earrings you love to wear! I’ll give away TWO sets of the darling Summer-wear earrings, made of faceted prehnite, Bali spacers and sterling silver wires.

Winners will be picked using a random number generator, and comments should be submitted by midnight CT on Sunday, October 12.

These would make a terrific feel-good gift for yourself, just because of course, or would make a sweet holiday gift for a lucky lady. Good luck!

I know some of us are “bracelet women,” and some are “necklace women,” but for those of us who are “earring women,” we can’t get enough.

Earrings are that one little adornment that most of us can wear each and every day without too much effort. They provide everyone who looks at us a glimpse of our personalities and our current state of mind (well, at least our state of mind when we put them on). Hoops, chandeliers, crystals, gemstones, silver, gold, wire, posts, pierced, clip, whimsical, elegant, teeny or gi-normous, we love us some earrings, don’t we?

There are some great earrings available on my site (see the Va Voom party earrings and the sweet Wise Girls set), to get you going.

And if you’re really crazy about earrings, please check back tomorrow for a fun surprise!