September 10, 2013

I Love...Enamel Brooches!

Hi everyone, I'm back from my vacation - a six day road trip to Wisconsin and back. I'm exhausted and drained, but there's no time for that! I have to get right back into work. If you've been following along with me through Instagram (@marissahowes), you'll know that I was posting daily photos of the goings on of my travels. Where I was, what I was doing, and most definitely, what I was buying. 

We went "free styling", meaning we just went wherever the Interstate took us. We travelled along through the smallest towns you could drive through in a matter of minutes. They were beautiful, breathtaking and quiet. There were dilapidated old barns and tonnes of weathered houses that were clearly lived in with love and heaps of history. Sometimes I truly wished I could stay where I was and settle into my own little home on the edge of the woods along with everyone else in those towns. I have never met such kind and lovely people too. It was the perfect place to search for highway garage sales and slow traffic antique stores by the side of the road. 

We stopped at so many, and probably one of my favourites was a an older couple's garage sale. The husband told me his mother used to collect thousands of salt and pepper shakers and he was trying to sell off some. I think he was thrilled I was interested in his family heirloom collection and he offered to dig out more boxes, so I could go through them. We were on a tight schedule then though, so I had to decline. But he was a very sweet man and was happy to talk about his vintage items and demonstrate some of the more complex mechanical salt and pepper shakers. I was in heaven. Before we parted to get back on the road, I purchased a squirrel and nut salt and pepper shaker and a creamsicle-orange enamel floral brooch I found in a box of jewellery. These pieces were bought for the shop, but the history of them and the memories I made while travelling around this past week were incredible and will stay with me forever. Maybe I don't get to hang onto those items personally, however I won't forget digging through other peoples treasures and learning about parts of their lives. That's what I love about vintage. It connects everyone, no matter who you are. Who doesn't love a good story?

Anyway, I'm telling you this now, because that enamel brooch really inspired me to do a jewellery based I Love... blog post. I was thinking, usually my I Love... posts are about home decor or clothing, and I've never done any about jewellery. I don't know why, because when I first started collecting things, my true interest was in jewellery. I was a real vintage jewellery hoarder back in the day. So I guess this is fitting. Here you go. Ten enamel brooch listings from Etsy, inspired by my sweet enamel Wisconsin find.

Enamel all the way! Perhaps my favourite thing about these pieces are how bright and bold they are. If you want to stand out, wear a colourful enamel pin from the Sixites and you can't go wrong. And since they tend to be on the festive side, they're a perfect accessory going into Fall and Winter. I mean, you can't deny that number five would look incredible paired with a simple black cardigan and a glittering holiday dress! And if you're not a brooch-wearing lady, why not stick your hair up in bun and adorn your locks with a custom enamel brooch hair pin. There's an easy DIY right there! I'm all in for a season of enamel brooches. Are you?


Lots of love, as always!

Marissa 
CharmingShop

2 comments:

  1. Your trip sounds like so much fun, I would love to do something similar one day. I adore these but have yet to add one to my collection, the ones I come across thrifting aren't in the best condition but I may have to look past that next time and just get one:)

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    1. I agree! Go for it! Sometimes I don't mind if something is a little roughed up. It just means it has a bit more history to it. A little wear and tear adds some character:)

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