Spotlight: Vandiva Fashion Jewelry

If your feeling a bit low after the long winter, here's a little something to cheer you up. Vandiva is a wonderful jewelry shop on Etsy run by a mother, Angelika, and her daughter, Vanessa.

At first look, I was amazed by all the yummy gemstones. They look good enough to eat, especially this Easter Gemstone Necklace that reminds me of jelly beans! Perfect with Easter just around the corner.

Vandiva has a variety of styles for all tastes. One of my absolute favorites is this one.

A prehistoric fossil that looks oh, so modern. A natural moment in time, preserved for an eternity.

Vandiva also has a whimsical side. This mink fur ring comes in both pink and black and is so much fun!

Angelika, a professional language translator by day, is a woman of many talents. Aside from the gorgeous jewelry at Vandiva, Angelika also has another shop devoted to handbags and clutches. Ma Belle Cherie offers beautiful clutches in contemporary patterns, as well as some in leather, or covered in tiny handmade fabric flowers. They are a stunning addition to an everyday outfit or even a wedding or bridesmaid gown.

I hope you stop by Vandiva and Ma Belle Cherie and pick up something beautiful for yourself or a friend.

**Vandiva and Ma Bell Cherie are fellow members of the Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET)- a collective of devoted top-quality jewelry designers on Etsy. Other items from JET members can be found on Etsy by using the search term JETTEAM at the top of Etsy's home page.

Things I Love: Gold Jewelry

We are nearing spring time and, for the new season, I have been adding something very different to my jewelry collection. Gold.


Now, I'm typically one of those people that swear they like nothing but silver jewelry. I can't explain my addiction to gold jewelry lately, except maybe that the winter has been long and I'm yearning for warmth and sunshine.

Gold Paisley Pendant Necklace with Pearl Accent

Many of my new pieces are done with gold filled and gold plated elements, mixed with pearls, glass, or other metals.

Gold Leaf Earrings

A common accent color among these pieces is a soft spa blue. I love the look and adding a bit of something blue gives it a fresh, light aspect. I think many of these pieces would look great on a bride or her bridesmaids for an elegant contemporary wedding.

Gold Leaf Pendant Necklace




Butterfly Verde Filigree and Gold Double Necklace layered with

Vintage Inspired Gold Filigree Bluebird Necklace

Filigree is also another latest obsession of mine. In some pieces, I've combined gold filigree and antique brass to which I've given a verdigris patina.

Gold and Verde Filigree Necklace with Crystal Tear Drop

The color combination is to-die-for! Look how the verdigris patina jumps off the gold chain. Am I the only one drooling right now?

Butterfly Verde Filigree and Gold Double Necklace

Matte Gold Leaf and Green Quartz Nugget Necklace

I've also combined gold with some semiprecious stones. I love the juxtaposition of gold, with it's elegant allure, against the natural semiprecious stone.

Amazonite and Gold Bauble Necklace

All of the gold jewelry you see here is presently available in my shop, LittleBrownBird on Etsy.

Winter Wonderpup!

My poor puppy! Welcome to winter in Illinois, Maizy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It's Christmas! Hope your holiday is filled with joy and candy canes. And if your family is anything like mine on Christmas, those candy canes had better be garnishing a bottomless peppermint martooni!

Maizy's first Christmas

Maizy and I, and her new little stuffed reindeer, wish a very merry Christmas to you and yours. Try not to kill each other.

Things I Love: Vintage Elegance

I have started to list some vintage items in my shop. Things that I have special memories from my childhood, many items dating from the 1940's, 50's, 60's, and 70's that I'm sure will find new life in a new home.

This item, already sold, is a gorgeous Seth Thomas chime clock.

I have just listed a set of two beautiful vintage crystal hurricane lamps. They date back to the 1940's and have been in my family since that time. They put out a soft light that adds the most interesting ambience to the room with their etched shades and prism crystals dangling below.

I sure hope they find a loving home!

I have many vintage items that will start appearing in my shop, Little Brown Bird, including jewelry, housewares, home decor, and fashion items. Keep checking back or subscribe to my shop feed to get updates as they occur. (Shop feed button is in the right column of my shop home page)

Things I Love: Wearable By Design

Have a look at Wearable By Design, stunning silver handmade jewelry by Jennifer Smith-Righter of Redwood City, California. Jenn's designs have long been a favorite of mine. She has the most beautiful organic creations juxtaposed with the beauty of mechanical objects. Some of her designs are mind-blowingly intricate.

Jenn was also kind enough to contribute to my holiday cookie recipe collection on my food blog, All Up in My Kitchen. Please check out her favorite cookie recipe for Cream Wafers.

cookie recipe

A Walk in the Park: "The Fen"

This morning, Maizy and I took a walk across the street to the nature preserve. Small by most standards, The Fen sprawls on for acres and is surprisingly vast when you start to trek through it. A place where natural mineral springs bubble up from under the earth at random points among the soft rolling hills and valleys. Where the sky is wide open and the prairie grass stands six feet tall.

And it's all in my back yard! A short walk past town homes, condo buildings and the water filtration plant lies this beautiful, peaceful, untouched native prairie. Yes, I said prairie. This is Illinois after all.

(please click on the pictures below for a closer look)



Maizy and I walked along a short paved path surrounded by trees, winding through the park up to the entrance to the nature preserve. Although we couldn't go down into the valley of the preserve because dogs are not allowed there ( I will leave that for another day by myself), we were able to walk the path around the perimeter, meeting several other dogs and their owners along the way. The view is magnificent!

It was perfect weather with nothing but big blue sky, a good breeze, and temps in high fifties. Normally, I would consider that a chilly morning, but the sun shining on our faces and the brisk walk was more than enough to warm us. Maizy, only a mere eight inches tall or so, had to stay close behind my feet at times so as not to get lost in the tall grass. But she had a blast furiously chasing down every fallen leaf that blew past.

This area is part of a network of nature preserves that Illinois has designated as natural, native prairie land. The program hopes to save these areas in their perfect and natural prairie state, just as it would have been hundreds of years ago. The soft, rolling hills sway with six foot high grass, cat tails, and bubbling streams.

I'm fortunate to live so close to this prize while still considering myself a city girl. I just hope the weather stays nice a bit longer so we can enjoy more hikes like today. And I just really wanted to share it with all of you!

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