"Ruffing" It June 09 2014, 0 Comments

Mom finds inspiration for her vintage jewelry designs from traveling, reading, conversations, and things in her daily life…one of which is our dog, Pete. Pete is a 2 year old yellow Labrador with lots of energy, a very high jump, great digging abilities, and love for my mom. Mom insisted upon never wanting a dog after our last one passed away, my dad persisted and insisted, until finally mom broke down and got a lab puppy. After many sleepless nights, vacuuming the carpets over and over again, viewing scratched doors in every room, and constantly wiping off the water that Pete drags around the hardwood...against all odds, mom and Pete have become friends. More than friends…she absolutely adores him, which is likely heightened by her empty nest. You will find her on an afternoon sitting in her jewelry room, wiring vintage lockets to old pearls and adding crystals to pocket watches, while Pete sleeps on the ground beside her. It took time, but mom and Pete learned to like each other, so much so that when we bring our 10 month old son over to their house, they make sure that Pete will be ok with it!

Even though he has literally destroyed many parts of our house, mom has repaired it in a way that has made it beautiful…painting new colors over scratched doorways, adding character to wood floors, giving carpets a vintage feel, and allowing for colorful flowers to bloom in the garden. Without Pete, his story and his growing up in our home, she never would have been able to make it as lovely. Similar to the vintage treasures she finds and makes new again in shimmering necklaces, bright earrings, and vintage chic bracelets, mom has made our house new again. But now it has a story. Each of her pieces has a story, a history, whether it be from the 1920’s flapper era, to the 1960’s type writers age, to the modern chic woman, wearing a piece of her jewelry is like reading a storybook. This week, Mom has added silver dog vintage pieces to pearls and turquoise to honor her best friend, and to remember that pets give us energy, give us love, and help narrate the story of our homes and lives.