October 27 - November 2, 2013

I'm doubling up this weekend with a second posting. I am now finally up-to-date again. As my jewellery boxes are emptying, I realized it's time to be current once again.
 I love Hallowe'en - from the little tykelets to the teenagers, love the costumes, love the parents dressed up on the sidewalk. Once dins is over, my husband holds down the fort and I meander through the neighbourhood, checking out the pumpkins and Hallowe'en displays, saying howdy to friends and getting a bit of chocolate now and again. There were a lot of soggy costumes out there this rainy Hallowe'en but it didn't dim those intrepid treat-or-treaters - hurray!  

I debated whether to polish this old brooch or not years ago, but I have yet to polish it. I love it just the way it is. A miniature tambourine (no, it doesn't jingle) and a beautiful piece of mother of pearl. A favourite.

A friend recently came back from a toot in Scotland, her camera brimming over with photos of that beautiful country. She brought this back for me. I do love the sound of bagpipes. As a kid, watching the Toronto Santa Claus Parade roll by, bundled up from the cold, it always stirred me when the pipers marched by in their kilts, playing that wonderful soulful music.

Another childhood pin. I don't recall whether it had been a Sunday School pin or a school one. The company who made it - David C. Cook Publishing made a lot of different pins back then; they're now classed as vintage - yikers!

Muriel was a funny, charming lady, with button brown eyes and a long smile. A good friend gave me her beautiful cameo brooch. I love cameos and I loved his Mom, Muriel.

This brooch garners a lot of praise when I wear it. It has life to it, the bird caught in a split second of movement. It's another one of these - I've had the brooch for a long time and I think you really should have it instead - type of gift. A lovely gift.

When I left BGM, my old work place in Toronto, a friend gave me 2 brooches - the scary mask one that I wore months ago and this one that he made for me that has 2 of my favourite things - the Eiffel Tower and a bird. A one-of-a-kind brooch. Like, like, like it lots.

This is my other cat brooch that I bought in England from a store "Katz" back in the early eighties. There is a quality that a black and white cat has that is unique to that colour combo. This one looks pretty dapper and has that je ne sais pas quality.

October 20 - October 26, 2013

It's a sing-a-long:
I love Paris in the springtime,
I love Paris in the fall,
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles, 
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.

I love Paris every moment,
Every moment of the year,
I love Paris, why, oh why do I love Paris,
Because my love is near.

This week's brooches are all tourist Eiffel Tower brooches. Two of them came from our trips there, and the rest are from friends who know of my penchant for them. My first sighting of these brooches occurred on the Broadview bus in Toronto when I was a teenager - a student had one on her kilt. And I immediately knew I had to find this brooch. Years later, I now have seven, a few look identical except for teeny differences. I love them all.

My bedside lamp was my Mom's last lamp. It's not my style but it was her's, but I've Heatherized it by attaching these brooches on the shade. Here they are in situ. Please note, there's still lots of room for more of them. Hint, hint.

And of course, here's the seven Eiffels. And yes, I've walked up it - twice.

October 13 - October 19, 2013

I know, unbelievable, I'm posting twice this weekend (actually, it's 45 minutes before Monday, so technically it's still the weekend).This week was the second half of my holidays, did some day toots, some sitting in the sunshine rug hooking, wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable - I could get used to this.
Here's 7 more....

A little chrysanthemum brooch. Because of the open spaces between the swirling petals, the flower looks different - depending on the colour of the top that you're wearing - a nice effect.

Was this my pin as a kid, or a sibling's? Don't recall. But I ended up with it. Not being a water baby, beginner suits me to a T. 

My friend's Mom, Noreen, was a stylish lady. Always well dressed from head to toe. I love it that I have one of her brooches.

A perfect brooch to wear in the autumn - a fiery red to match the blaze of colour in the trees. And it's in a leaf shape too.

This brooch was made at a workshop. This is my third bendy lady brooch. I must have been humming a tune from the disco era (OMG !) cause look at those shoulders; they're tres padded.

I don't know what part of the Scottish attire this clan pin would be worn on, something wooly and tartan I hope. It's a substantial brooch and feels good to wear - maybe it's tweaking my Scottish blood. Don't you just love the kitty and the inscription. Check it out on Goggle.

This autumn, we ( well, mostly my husband; 30 lbs was my contribution), cooked 120 lbs of Cortland apples into applesauce. We filled up our half-size freezer, and proceeded to add containers to 2 other neighbourhood freezers. Thank you kind friends. Oh, and the brooch... I don't have many wooden brooches. I'm glad the artist left the stem and leaf natural wood. It's a cheerful brooch.

October 6 - October 12, 2013

Hooray, don't you love holidays! Took a toot up North to see friends, and family, and other wild creatures, but alas, no Moose were to be seen. I didn't want them strolling across the highway, just being their majestic selves standing in a lake munching on some vegetation would do nicely. I did get to see what a bear did to a bird feeder - yikes! Don't worry, no birds were hurt in the encounter.
Here's 7 more brooches - I must have been in a silvery mood this week.

Although I like this brooch, it makes me think of sewing, and my uncanny "ability" of knotting thread, sadly, not only at the end of a length of thread. And how often I misplace my rug hooking scissors - I use them often to snip ends of wool when I'm hooking - they snuggle into the couch, slide to the floor, Moggy (the cat) sneaks them closer to her as she likes to bite them, I take them with me when I have to get something and then forget them....and on and on.

Bought this along the River Thames in London at a kiosk when I was just a dewy-eyed bride (is there such a thing?). I remember sticking to my guns because I liked the round flag but the kiosk lady thought the rectangular one was nicer and I should buy that one instead.

This snowflake brooch has a magnetic pin back so not only can you wear it on your clothing but during the time I've been sitting in front of the computer typing this blog I have attached it to a myriad of things (not the computer). A brooch with play value - perfect.

Just imagine, a winter leaf that bursts into a shower of sparkles. Wouldn't that be magical, especially on a snowy day.

Found this up North in a bin of "oldish" brooches. Couldn't resist. I particularly like the cone shape. Cone shape you cry - it's a circle. Well yes, it is a circle but it comes out, up into a cone shape with the tip at the centre of the circle - comprend? 

A favourite, and look, it's not silver. I love this brooch, the soft colours of the petals and the different coloured faceted glass. It looks like a freshly picked bouquet from the garden.

When in Red Deer, Alberta this summer, the 3 of us drove west to the mountains for the day. Just up the Banff/Jasper highway from where we turned on (the highway I mean) is a tourist shop and motel. We looked about and then memory flooded in. We had stayed there 21 years ago when our son was almost 2. And now the 3 of us were here again. A new brooch to mark the occasion was in order so we went into the tourist trap (I mean store) and agreed on this brooch. Haida inspired/pewter/ all good.

September 27 - October 5, 2013

How I miss cycling. After my bike "incident" (may the car driver have 2 flat tires every morn) 3 weeks ago, I thought by now I'd be enjoying the sunny trees and cooler temps. Alas, still hurt'ums. Every time I go into the garage, the bike bell does a little tinkle, OK, not really, but I look longingly at my bike. Sigh......
Well, on to happier things - here's the next 7 brooches.

You gotta like green to like this brooch. It's mildly over the top, bought it when I was on holidays a few years back for very little (that's my excuse), some days I like it, and some days it's way too green (and I love the colour green).

A great find at a second-hand store near Lake Erie. A lovely old silver-enamelled pin. Thank you to whoever donated it to that store.

A travelling friend brought this back from Sweden - Rtennesmed, Sweden (as marked on the back). It's been a favourite brooch of mine for many years. 

This was my husband's grandma's brooch who lived to be 102 - everyone called her Gan. She's been long gone but I think of her when I wear this - she was a very late-Victorian lady. I used to wear it all the time on a winter coat but a few "pile the coats on the bed" winter parties and the brooch got bent and broke. It's back in one piece, but the temptation is still to put it on a coat - maybe a fall jacket this time.

The coils running along the sides of this old pin are a wonderful design element - it gives movement to an otherwise plain (but twinkly) brooch. A few of the square orange glass pieces are missing, but hey, it was an old brooch when I bought it. It's a bit tricky placing it on clothing, but when I get it in the right direction and position, it looks fab.

Yes, I should have worn it in the Spring when seeds are going into the ground rather than harvesting them, but long ago I lost the centre silver dangly, and finally, I now have got around to prowling through the jewellery boxes to see what might fit in the space. Pluses to new addition: 1. It's sterling silver to match the rest. 2. It is a flower so it fits with gardening. 3. It's small enough. 4. It didn't have a home i.e. it wasn't attached to anything.......  But 5. It just doesn't look like it belongs, the search is back on. 

Another surprise gift - a big brown clay kitty. Looks like a silhouette of one of my cats as they sit in the windows, looking at the birds and swishing their tails.
A contented cat - always a good thing.

September 22 - September 28, 2013

Hooray! Autumn has arrived - my favourite season. It's early days yet but the leaves do have tinges of red and yellow. And although I heartily dislike having to shed my sandals for socks and shoes, I must say I have a goodly array of colourful, striped, and patterned socks to help brighten up the shorter days.
Here's the week's brooches.

This is the last of my London Underground pins that I bought on my honeymoon way waaaaay back in 1983. What a wonderful name for a subway stop - Elephant & Castle.

My work boss gave me this brooch - it had been her grandmother's - Marguerite. I wonder if she wore this as an X or a cross. Since I find it hard to place a brooch straight, I wore it on a rakish angle, since I couldn't achieve either.

Even though I wore brooches off and on as a kid (and this being one of those brooches), there isn't a single photo with me wearing one. Granted, I was number 4 in the conga line, and by then, no doubt, the charm of photographing the wee me wasn't as appealing. 

This was Aunt Molly's brooch, a work bud's Auntie, who was a teacher and travelled quite a bit from her native Newfoundland. It was chosen for me because it was made in France - the land of my Eiffel Tower.

A friend is a talented fibre artist and just for fun made a few of these flower brooches. I was the happy recipient of one of them.

Do you know the difference between a three-leaf clover and a shamrock? I don't, but since I have some Irish blood flowing through my veins, it's a shamrock to me - a pretty twinkly one.

Felix the Cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat - that's the only piece of the theme song I remember (did you sing along)? Felix - a childhood favourite cartoon, but the brooch, though now battered, I bought in my twenties. The brooch looks like it's been in a few bar room tussles, but I couldn't say.

September 15 - September 21, 2013

I've started a new culinary experience out of necessity. The only same meal we have is the Sunday one. It's a no worry, no fuss, easy on the budget, leftovers for Monday lunch type of dins. I make pesto, enjoy the garlicy basily numness during the summer and freeze tons for that breath of summer in the cold frosty winter. We have pasta, sometimes with pesto, sometimes adding grilled eggplant, and fresh cherry tomatoes from our driveway garden. The tomatoes were going gung-ho and then they went kaputs. We forgot to buy some local ch. toms so I picked a bunch of green cherry tomatoes from our plants (and who doesn't love fried green tomatoes). Cut those little guys in half  and sauteed them with some mushrooms and onions and tossed them with the pesto into the pasta - tres tasty.

Look, surprise, 7 more brooches.

Looks like an Easter basket to me, maybe from Avon - do they sell brooches? Shortly after I was given this, the pin at the back broke. A number of years later and I'm doing a blog, and I have to resurrect a few brooches that need a bit of tender loving care. Thank heavens for goop or glue galore or whatever it's called, it has worked, it's wearable again.

I've never seen Fred Astaire in a sparkly bow tie like this but I think of him all the same. My feet start a-tapping when I wear this.

OK, who gave me all these Texas pins? Well, here's the Texas flag - hope you like it.

I've had this heart on that chain for many years. I've had that metal bow pin with an empty loop for many years. Duh - put them together and voila, me like.

How sad you cry, a one-eyed turtle. Wipe the tears away, this brooch has had a long and happy life. This is one of my childhood pins, in pretty good shape for a well loved and used brooch from the fifties. Back then, we had little turtles for pets - Lulu and Pokey. They lived in a small plastic home that had a ramp curving out of the water with a palm tree at the top. If there's anyone from that time reading this, you know exactly what these "homes" looked like. Lulu and Pokey were held and admired by many kids, and surprisingly I remember and love them still.

Quel surprise, un autre photo de vacance dans la jolie ville de Parie.

This was a hat pin that I never wore. I wear a number of hats in the winter - I love wearing hats, but I'm not a hat pin wearer, so I cut off the long pin stem, and attached a pin back. Voila, now it's a pretty flower brooch.