Jewelry Designer - Alex and Vina

Handmade Finds are the best...especially when they come from your neighborhood and are serious quality at affordable prices.  Meet Alex and Vina, my favorite local designer of the week!

Assymetrical Heart Pendant Necklace, $16

Alex and Vina's jewelry is handmade and vintage-inspired, with each season bringing a new collection inspired by a different era with a modern twist.

Grey Lace Agate and Crystal Feather Earrings, only $16

Natural Feathers make each design one-of-a-kind!

Vintage Key and Crystals Necklace, $18

Vintage Key as a pendant from the 1920s...timeless!

Raw Brass Tear Earrings, only $8!

Nickel-free!

Black agate stone ring, $20

Natural Stones!

Black Agate Stone Necklace, $28

Natural Stone and Crystals on antique gold colored chain.

Yellow and Peach Crystals Feather Earrings, $12

Machine-cut crystals and natural pebbles!

Our 1st Professional Photo Shoot!

Last Minute Bride, a southern California pop-up bridal shop, hosted their 2nd event at The Wedding Pantry in Tustin and Better Than Naked was there donning vintage bridal duds!  2 of our favorite fashionistas came out and played with us, and Smita of Smita Photography was there to capture the fun.  Allowed to play at the historic event venue The McCharles House, check out the pictures Smita snapped and shared with us:

 

Smita is available for Engagement Pics, Wedding Photography, Pregnancy shots, Kids Portraits, and more!  Her enthusiastic energy behind the lens envelops the area around, producing images rich with color and emotion.  Can you tell we are on Cloud 9?!  Go to our Facebook Page to see the rest!

The Old Ridge Route

By the time Monday came around, I was in desperate need of some shopping. Unlike most women in the City of "Angels," I do not enjoy day-long shopping sprees at the Beverly Center, Colorado Street, Melrose Ave., or any other over-priced shopping areas LA has to offer. Instead, I enjoy leaving the city and traveling a mere 50-60 miles North to the mountains, where vintage and antique shopping is patiently waiting.For many years I've wanted to check out View Larger Map">Old Ridge Route Antiques in Lebec, CA. Having traveled up and down that part of the 5 Fwy my whole life, I walked in with high expectations...and left on Cloud 9 (hours later).
I got sucked into the $1 jewelry box the second I walked in the door, where I scored great sterling silver necklace charms, old pins and a gorgeous pair of faux gold cuff links - which my husband claimed before I could even finish cleaning them.
After I left my thrifty finds with owner Paula Clevenger, I made my way through the huge layout of antique furniture sets that were in impeccable condition. If you are in the market for a vintage vanity set, well...this is your place! I believe the most expensive vanity I found was $200, and all of them are complete with a stool and mirror! If I didn't already have one, I would have come home with two!
After browsing through antique beaded handbags, vintage toys and dolls, household items and many more goodies, I made a final stop to the $.50 picture box. For some reason I was drawn to a picture of a woman who wrote on the back of her photo that it is "horrid" and to "destroy it."

I can't help but think that maybe I should obey her wishes that weren't met all these years and destroy it; or, if I should be selfish and keep it alive, in spite that she wanted it destroyed decades ago. What would you do?

Of the items I walked out with, I'd have to say that my favorite find of the day was my latest home decor project - 1950s pictures of Rome, Italy. Each photo includes a detailed description of the sites on the back in pencil, by the photographer I'm assuming. Having traveled to Rome a few years ago, the connection was immediate to the pictures. And the passion and interest in each description motivates me to keep those pictures alive.

family costume jewelry

this weekend i had the lucky pleasure of looking at, holding, photographing, and trying on my brother-in-laws mother's vintage costume jewelry. my sis-in-law, a full supporter of my vintage obsession and creator of many awesome things, had this beautiful gold jewelry box sitting out on their kitchen table. she invited me to take a peek at what it had to offer inside...and wow! what a sight! just the jewelry box alone was such a beautiful vintage piece, with a delicate design and gold hardware with pull-out drawers all lined with black velvet and featured a gorgeous black and gold design at the top interior. so after i finished admiring that for a while, i finally started examining its contents, piece by piece.

there were necklaces of all sizes and colors and from different eras! faux pearl strands, a matching crystal necklace and bracelet with a beautiful chain clasp, faux floral diamond brooch with matching earrings, bright retro purple necklaces and earrings, a large amber ring, a faux yellow diamond, and many more pairs of earrings, brooches, bracelets and necklaces!

my sweet niece will be inheriting these beauties one day in the very far future, and today i saw her in a gorgeous matching earring and bracelet ensemble from that box that was a delicate, heavier white metal (seemed from probably 30s/40s) with a feminine pink and blue floral design. it was so awesome to see someone young appreciate and know the value of that jewelry and to wear it with such pride!
the photos i took of some of the jewelry was taken from my camera phone, so unfortunately a lot of them did not come out and those that did don't give any justice to the true beauty of these pieces. but i'm sure all the vintage divas can appreciate it!