For months, nay, years even before my 13th birthday, I knew exactly what I wanted as my gift when that milestone day finally arrived: to get my ears pierced. My parents wouldn't allow me to do so before then and I'd secretly dreamed for as long as I could recall of the right of passage that would be that big day. Naturally when my 13th birthday did finally arrive, I beelined it down to the local Claire's and got my ears pierced.
I beamed with joy looking in the mirror at the small pair of "sleeper" studs that the young woman at Claire's had shot through my lobes with that high pressure piercing gun. If the experience hurt, I didn't feel it at all. I was far too hopped up on excitement and joy. In quick succession over the next four years, I would get - and still have - three more holes in each ear. Making up, I'm the first to admit, in doing so for having to wait (unlike most of my friends and schoolmates) so long to get my first piercing and also because I've always adored the look of multiple holes in each ear.
Even with my pesky nickel allergy, I've been able to find and make some great, safe earrings over the years and wear a pretty pair in my lowest hole (the one I got on my 13th birthday) nearly every day of the year, very much including for the outfit shoots that we do here for my blog (simple studs usually call the other holes home).
Earrings are one of my favourite accessories ever and I adore that now my Etsy shop gives me the perfect place to sell those (vintage) ones that I come across, but know I can't safely wear myself due to the possible prescience of nickel in them. In general though, I've long been fascinated with this truly timeless accessory and was thrilled with my lovely friends over at Schiffer Publishing recently asked me if I'd like to do a giveaway for one of their marvelous books called (fittingly, I thought) I Love Those Earrings.
This expansive tomb is the most thorough work I've ever seen on the history, lore, social purposes, culture roles, and beauty of the humble earrings. Authors Jane Merrill and Chris Filstrup do a superb job of taking the reader through not only the history of earrings, but their own experiences with collecting these tiny works of jewelry, all the while highlighting their writing with scores of prints of famous works of art involving earrings, illustrations, and photographs.
This book traces the roots of earrings back to their earliest forms and continues that history right up to some of the best and most sought after modern designers. An engaging, eloquently written read that I couldn't put down, I Love Those Earrings is a must for any costume jewelry, vintage, antique, historical costume, or fine jewelry fan - especially since it's size (dimensionally, I mean) and hardcover make it an excellent choice for a coffee table book.
In addition to kindly sending me a copy to review, Schiffer has generously offered to send a copy of I Love Those Earrings to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader. This contest is open to readers worldwide and believe me, you'll want to enter - this is by far one of the most enjoyable, fascinating jewelry related books I've ever read and I can't imagine any fellow fellow of such not adoring this book as much as I did.
How to Enter
There are eight ways to enter this giveaway. You are welcome to do however many of these seven things as you like.
Please leave a separate comment for each method of entry that you do so as to increase your odds of winning. Single comments that list multiple forms of entry can only be counted as one entry, so again, please leave a different comment for each method that you enter with (thank you!).
1. Leave a comment below letting me know what your favourite pair of earrings that you own or, if you don't sport earrings, that you have ever seen is.
2. Follow Schiffer Books on Twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway, linking to Schiffer Books’ Twitter account and using the hashtag #ILoveThoseEarrings in your tweet.
4. Like Schiffer Books on Facebook.
5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.
6. Sign up for Schiffer Publishing's mailing list.
7. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, linking to both Schiffer Books and this post when you do.
8. Follow (or be an existing follower) of Chronically Vintage on YouTube.
Giveaway Details:
As mentioned above, this giveaway is open to participants worldwide. It will run from today's date (August 6, 2015) until Friday August 14, 2015 at 11:59 PST. The winner will receive one copy of the book I Love Those Earrings, which will be mailed to them directly from Schiffer Publishing.
I will draw the winning comment using a random number generator and announce the winner on Facebook and/or Twitter shortly after the giveaway has wrapped up. If such information is readily available on, the winner will also be contacted directly via email or Facebook private message. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me.
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It's been a long, long time since I first got my ears pierced back on my 13th birthday, I still get excited each time I buy or create a new pair of earrings for myself and felt a similar thrill as I read, and found myself thoroughly captivating, by I Love Those Earrings from Schiffer Publishing.
And speaking of birthdays, today's just happens to be Tony's (we'll be celebrating it, much like mine last month, together once he gets back in September from working in the States this summer), so I thought that I would share in the festive spirit of such with all of you by starting this fun book giveaway today on August 6th.
Best of luck to everyone who enters this giveaway and many sincere thanks to Schiffer publishing for teaming up with my blog for another stellar book giveaway!
