About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Earrings

"Ear piercing is one of the oldest known forms of body modification, with artistic and written references from cultures around the world dating back to early history. One of the early signs of earrings worn by males are from the walls of Perspolis in ancient Persia, the carved images of the soldiers from various parts of the Persian Empire which are displayed on some of the surviving walls of the palace showing the soldiers wearing an ear ring." from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earring
There are many different types of pierced earrings: studs, hoops, dangles, slaves, huggys, threads, and needles. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 30 years old. Why? I wasn't really "into" earrings because I wore my hair very long and you couldn't see my ears anyway. So, why bother? But I decided to treat myself on my 30th birthday so away I went to the mall and got some little gold studs put in. I was hooked (pardon the pun) immediately! I chose to have regular removable earrings, but my daughter has had permanent ones put in her ears (4 on each earlobe). Over the years I've had quite the collection. Remember seeing your grandmother or mother wear cameos? Or those oversize button things from the 80's?

Because I just had my hair done today, I was conscious of what earrings I could wear with this length. It's not too much shorter than before but I wanted to make sure I could wear all kinds from my little cubic zirconia studs to the longest dangly ones in my collection. When I got home, I went through my earrings and took a few photos of some of my favourites.



These are the oldest ones I own. I bought them at an
old local Robinson's store when my older daughter was
16 and working there. They cost $2.00 and I wear them
around the house with a t-shirt. (oh, pants too)




A couple of years ago, my sister and I went to a craft fair in my little
village. I didn't see anything I wanted to buy,but just as we were leaving,
we noticed a sort of business convention going on next door
and it was open to the public. We popped in and, voila! These were
handmade and for sale - $8.00! Good deal!
I've worn them a lot and always have people comment on them.



I bought these crystal hearts at a home-based Fifth Avenue party
about 6 or 7 years ago. They're perfect for a bit of sparkle with jeans
and a nice top. Cost: $40.00


I bought these green crystal earrings to wear on one of the
dressy evenings on an Alaska cruise. Cost: $45.00 Cdn.


While in Italy during the fall of '06, I found a lovely brown wrap sweater
in a tiny shop in Positano. When I went to pay for it, I spotted
these earrings which I knew would be perfect with it.
They're brown Swarovzki crystals and pearls.
Cost: 45 Euros = about $75.00 Cdn

Finally, this pair called to me from the window of a jewellry shop
in Taormina, Sicily. I went over to take a look and they said, "Buy us!"
So in I went and looked at them more closely.
They're mother-of-pearl and sterling silver - gorgeous!
Cost: If I remember correctly, around 90 Euros = around $150.00 Cdn

In Amalfi, I purchased a beaded necklace and earrings set - one of a kind by a local artisan - that I love to wear with basic black. The various colours really show up against the black. It was probably the equivalent of around $250.00 Cdn but I felt the set was well worth it. When I was in Wales, I bought a pair of faux gold hoops and faux silver embossed hoops.

I have to say that right now my favourite earrings of all are these.My daughter Jaclyn gave them to me for Christmas this year and because I'm aware of her financial situation, I know just what a sacrifice it was for her to buy these for me. They're opals set in sterling silver and she told me that she'd gone looking for opal earrings to go with the opal and diamond ring her Dad had given me years ago. These earrings are precious to me, not so much for their monetary value, but for the thought and sentiment that went into the giving.

It just goes to show that you don't need to spend a fortune on earrings to look good. Mine range in price from absolutely cheap to medium expensive a pair but no matter which ones I choose to wear, they make me feel feminine and pretty. Each pair has a history, a story of how they came to be in my possession. They finish off an outfit be it shorts and top to weed the garden or formal gown for a dressy affair. I don't feel dressed without them.

14 comments:

Smalltown RN said...

I love earrings...oh boy do I love earrings...actually I love jewlery and my hubby has been spoiling me rotten with some beautiful diamonds as of late....but like you I like to wear all kinds, from the big hoops, to dangling, to studs...you name it....I think I tend to wear dangling or hoops more often as I have a very long neck...anyhow....I have boxes and containers full of earrings...and yours are lovely....

Janice Thomson said...

These are lovely Leslie. I love the
silver and mother-of-pearl - they are indeed gorgeous. I finally weeded most of mine out since I no longer work.

Casdok said...

What good taste you have! Love them!

Claire said...

What beautiful earrings. My favourite are the silver and mother-of-pearl ones.

Liz Hinds said...

Oh, yes, I should wear mine more often. I tend to forget or run of time to find a matching pair!

What a fabulous present from jaclyn. It's always the thoughtful gifts that mean most, isn't it?
I shall wear some to walk George this afternoon!

Leslie: said...

Wear your fancy jewelry ALL the time, I say. Why wait for a special occasion? It might never come.

Jo said...

Leslie, great post! Well, you know me and earrings. I love sexy earrings. And you/re right, why wait for a special occasion to wear them?

These are beautiful.

Gledwood said...

me and my "drag queen taste" I like the green crystal ones and the square and bottom mother or pearl stylee ones... hi i know I've said hello here before, but I was out saying hi to some new people who've come to my blog and you were all over their comments

so I just thought I should say an extra special hello!

Leslie: said...

Hi gledwood and welcome to my blog! I've seen you "around" some of the other blogs, too, so will pop over to yours to say Hi.

jmb said...

I got my ears pierced for my 40th birthday. A kind of a celebration of not being over the hill!

These are all lovely Leslie and all have special meaning for you.

You should start the earring meme where we all share our earrings although I don't know that mine would be as interesting as yours.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Wow! What a wonderful collection! We weren't far different - I had my ears pierced when I was 28 - and I do love spotting and collecting earrings now. The pair Jaclyn bought you are just beautiful.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

What a beautiful collection. Yes Liz is right, I really should wear mine more often.

What I love is that you can remember who they came from and when and the sentiment.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annie in Austin said...

What a cool post, Leslie! I love the long, green dangling crystals.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose