Tell me how you store your stud earrings

The better part of three years ago, I wrote a post called How I store my stud earrings in which I shared a dead simple (and incredibly budget friendly) way to organize your (pierced ear style) stud and similar smaller sized earrings.

Then as now, I adore and stand behind that storage method, but as time as gone on and my stud earring collection has grown all the more (thanks in no small part to Claire's continuing, much to my delight, to expand their selection of nickel-free earring options - now, if we could only convince them to produce other types of nickel-free jewelry, like necklaces and bracelets, too! But I digress...), I've found that that approach doesn't really work for me anymore.

At least not if I'm trying to corral all of my stud earrings onto one single piece of material (too heavy/cumbersome, hard to store folded neatly in a small drawer in our en suite powder room, etc).

Last year I decided to go hunting for an alternative solution and hoped that I had found it in earring books, which I bought a few of from an overseas seller on eBay (they're virtually, if not entirely, identical looking to these ones that are available for about the same price on Amazon). I'd known about these types of handy storage books for a few years now and had really, really been itching to give them a go.

While they do certainly work well (especially for tiny sized, not-too-bulky earrings) and look pretty when lined up on a shelf, counter, dresser top or the like, if, like me, your earring collection consists of several dozen pairs, it can be tricky to organize them in the long term in a way that works well for you - or so I’ve found.

Often when I bought a new pair, I'd have to spend quite a lot of time rearranging my earrings as I like to keep similar styles together so as to easy find the ones I’m looking for when putting an outfit together (this is especially important with my collection spaced out across multiple books) and this hassle (relatively speaking, of course) just isn’t doing it for me.

I'm not talking down this storage method, or my previous one, in the slightest and both will work particularly nicely if your collection is on the small to moderate side, as well as if you're not as dead set on having them all continually perfectly arranged by themed/colour/etc in earring books at all times.



{Not only are they often lightweight and comfortable to wear, but stud style earrings frequently channel a fabulous vintage look and are ideal for yesteryear fashion fans. As such, I've amassed quite a collection of store bought and handmade (by me) pairs of the years and now need your help to find the perfect small space storage solution for them. Vintage image source.}


For now, most of mine remain in books, but this method is just not working as well as I'd like (first world problems, believe me I know ;)) and so I'm once again on the hunt for a suitable storage solution for my stud and similar styles of earrings.

A couple of points that are shaping my search are the fact that space is of an absolute premium in our little home and I need something that will take up a ton of room, as well as that, ideally, I want it to be a method that allows for new pairs to easily be added without having to spend time rearranging a lot of the existing ones over and over again.

I'm not opposed to a wall hanging solution either and have been wondering lately if such an approach (assuming the earrings were easy to get on and off, even in the middle of the board/whatever they were displayed on) might be the way to go.

Before I plunk down any more money and/or bust out the craft supplies though, I wanted to ask all of you, my lovely readers, how you store your own stud earring collection.

Plastic divided craft containers (a possible contender for my needs)? Cute trinket trays (I think my collection is too big for that to be my main storage solution)? Earring trees/similar display methods? Attached to sturdy strips of ribbon/twill/canvas? Something else entirely?

Please do tell, I'd love to hear your own approaches as well as any ideas you might have and will keep you informed as time goes on as to what I opt to decide to use (assuming I hit on the right storage method for my current needs, that is).

Many thanks in advance for your impute, my fellow earring fans!

What to play blog tag with me?

If I were to assign a theme to this month, it would most definitely be "catching up". When I took a few days off (from blogging) earlier in February, I made a list of things that I wanted to try and devote some time to catching up on. That inventory included no less than twenty eight different online activities – and twelve “real world” ones – that I planned to focus a percentage of my time on. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get completely up to speed on such a tall stack of projects, commitments, interests, etc, but so far I have made noticeable strides towards brining several of these areas up-to-date.

As to be expected, some areas have required more time than I’d initially suspected. With others however, I was able to take care of much quicker than I’d initially suspected (and a few haven’t even been touched yet, but I will get to them sooner or later!). Along the way, as certain “catch-up” jobs were checked off my list, others (that I’d either forgotten about or which emerged through the process of working on different tasks) popped up and are now goals for the next few weeks (and months).

I plan to keep pushing myself quite hard (but not, I hope, too hard) to catch-up on various tasks over the last few days of February. When the first of March rolls around, I’m going to revise my list and readjust where I’m spending my time, as necessary (and will be spending more visiting other people’s wonderful blogs again). I’m finding that having a working list like this is really helping me feel less like I’m falling hopelessly behind on everything I want to accomplish online (and to a less extent, off-line, too) – a sensation that had been plaguing me for years, I came to realize this month.

All work and no play however, is bound to burn anyone out! (And, let’s face it, even when you enjoy writing most of them, anytime you reply to more than four hundred different emails in less than three weeks, that constitutes work!) So I thought that I’d put my goal (perhaps the largest one on my list) of reaching "inbox zero" on hold for a few moments and have fun answering some questions that I was tagged with, by the immensely sweet Nicolette of Simply Colette, all the way back at the start of last October.

If you’ve not had the great pleasure of visiting Nicolette yet, I highly recommend you zip by her site. It’s a treasure trove of beautiful and imaginative images, inspiring ideas and terrific writing from one of the loveliest souls I’ve met online.

Today’s game of blog tag consists of answering five questions (the replies for which sound like the makings of a fantastic party or evening in with friends), so I’m going to do just that – followed by a list of ten other bloggers who are welcome to carry on this enjoyable post, if they’d like (as always, anyone who reads this post is welcome to keep the meme going themselves, even if I don’t specifically tag you).


Tag, I’m it!


{Two adorable children run gleefully after one another down a street in New York, perhaps engaged in their game of tag, in this snapshot from 1942. Vintage photo via epicharmus’ Flickr stream.}


What books are on your favourite shelf?
As a lifelong bookworm and very avid reader, this question is always tricky for me to answer concisely for there is such an overabundance of books that I consider to be true favourites. However, if I stick to the parameters of the question and base my answers of off books that I actually own a copy of (and thus have on my bookshelf) at the moment, a roundup of my favourites would have to include the following (which I think lend credence to my deeply eclectic tastes).




-Forties Fashion: From Siren Suits to the New Look by Jonathan Walford (Without a doubt, this is the most in-depth, well researched, engagingly written book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading on the subject of fashion and the impact that clothing had on the world during the 1940s. If I could only have one title on my shelf about clothing from the forties, hands down, this image laden book would be it.)




-Collected Poems 1947-1997 Allen Ginsberg (Legend, master, artist, historian, inspiration, Allen Ginsberg was all these things and countless more. His work, at times avant-garde, at others hauntingly ageless, was one of my first introductions to the world of The Beat Generation writers as child, and remains to this day a beloved favourite of mine.)




-Pattern: Using Pattern to Create Sophisticated, Show Stopping Interiors by Tricia Guild (While I can see their appeal, I’ve never been a fan of stark white, minimally furnished rooms – even if my husband fancies them! Give me colour, depth, artistry, soul and intrigue on – and between the – the walls of a home and I’m a happy interior design camper. No other book I’ve encountered thus far brings so much beauty, vibrancy and allure into the rooms it highlights – all the while melding a menagerie of design styles and decades together – as this beguiling title does. From the moment you pick up this hefty book with its flocked flower pattern bedecked cover, you know you’re in a massive treat - and each page that follows confirms and exceeds that expectation.)




-French Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Babbles by Kaari Meng (Whether you love to create your own jewelry or wear the works of others, this book – by celebrated jewelry artesian owner of the famed Hollywood store French General - is an absolute must for those who adore shabby chic, French provincial, Victorian and vintage styles. Aside from being easy to follow and well explained, each project is presented against a backdrop of the incredibly pretty little treasures, turning the images into scrapbook-like works of charming, timelessly wonderful art in and of themselves.)




-The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics (While my fashion preferences veer towards the 1940s and 50s, my taste in music encompasses groups and artists from every era, and like many people, I’m a massive fan of the Beatles. From their early bubble gum tunes to the soul-gripping songs like "Let It Be", and everything in between, there is so much to adore and extract inspiration from in the Beatles’s work. This book is a thrill for the senses. Each pair of pages highlights one of the many songs from the Beatles' vast catalog, coupled with a mod era illustration that promises to evoke memories (even if you weren’t alive during the 1960s) and help you fall even further in love with the Fab Four.)


What DVDs are on your favourite shelf?
Truth be told, we really do not own many DVDs. We tend to watch our movies at the theatre, on TV or via services like zip.ca (a Canadian site that's similar to NetFlicks), so my answers come from the “shelf of life” rather than the literal spot on our little TV stand where our teensy DVD collection residess.

Five fantastic movies that I would recommend everybody watches at least once in their lifetime, and each of which has impacted me deeply for various reasons, are:




The Pianist (2002)




La Dolce Vita (1960)



The Secret Life of Words (2005) (I saw this movie last year for the first time and must say it was the most stirring and touching film I watched in 2009. In my opinion it truly should have been an Oscar nominee – if not a winner - in two categories: best actress [Sarah Polley] and best film.)




8MM (1999)




The Illusionist (2006)


What are your two favourite cookbooks?
It’s impossible for me to narrow down this epically diverse category into two all-time favourites. For as long as I can recall, I’ve adored reading and learning from cookery and gastronomy related books. I read them with the fervour and intensity that many do novels, and value the wisdom and inspiration that comes from cookbooks no end. To that extent, I would say two of my perpetual favourite cookbooks are:



-Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros (For me cookbooks have always been about so much more than just recipes on paper. What endears me to a title that devotes itself to the realm of food is the writer’s ability to draw me into their kitchen, their relationship with what they eat and prepare for their family, and their admiration for culinary ingredients. Few writers have mastered the skill of transmitting this information – nor presented it so exquisitely beautifully – as Tessa Kiros does in this visually lyrical tome of recipes gathered from her diverse travels around the globe.)




-The Silver Spoon (The use of the word "tome" is often applied liberally to books of all kind, but this classic Italian masterpiece (first published in 1950) truly qualifies for that prestigious title. Overflowing with more than 2000 recipes from every corner of Italy, this book jumps right to the point, filling each page with an average of two or three different recipes, from those that almost verge on being ostentatious to the most humble of “cucina povera” dishes. If you’re serious about cooking, eating, and getting to be know the world of Italian food, The Silver Spoon is worthy of a spot on your kitchen counter and bookshelf alike – it certainly has one on mine :-))


Select 1-3 recipes you would cook for your guests

{Nothing like the joy of whipping up a wonderful meal for a group of dear friends! Vintage image from 1948 of a woman hard at work baking bread from the pages of the Life Magazine photo archives.}


As some of you may know, cooking is a profound passion of mine and there are few things in this world I gather pleasure from more than preparing a meal for those dear to me. Given that many of us are still trapped in the throes of winter, I would invite every one of my dear readers over for a warming, relaxed weekend lunch, during which I’d feed you my Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup, Balderson Cheddar and Fresh Thyme Country Biscuits, and Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean and Bosc Pear Bread Pudding for dessert.


What will be drinking that’s available?

{It would be so marvellously lovely to partake in afternoon tea with all you! Glamorous vintage image from ∆Sabine Davis∆’s Flickr stream.}

Sticking with the theme of ensuring we’re all toasty, I’d heat as many kettlefuls of water as needed and lay out a spread of teas and tisanes for all of us to pick and choose from. Naturally I'd ensure they were served with a selection of honeys, sugars, milk, cream, soy milk, cinnamon sticks, and citrus slices.


Tag, you’re it!


{Though this photo which hails from 1901 is technically more on the antique side, I thought it was too preciously adorable not to include in this post centred around playing tag. Image from jflangjr’s Flickr stream.}


A Vintage Chic

Just a Happy Housewife

The Frog’s Eyebrows

A Chock-Full of Rants and Raves from a Thirty-Something Mama

Roses R Red

The Art of Living Beautifully

Random Thoughts of a Very Boring Girl

Rue and Hyssop

It’s All Make-Believe, Isn’t It?

Madeleine’s Wunderkammer

I should note that if you want to carry on this game of tag, there are no real rules. I answered the same questions that Nicolette had on her blog, but you could change them up if you wanted. Please let me know if you keep this game going, I’d love to read your replies!


Thank you very much for this delightfully enjoyable tag, Nicolette dear! It was oodles of fun to escape from more mundane activities this evening and share some of my favourite books, films and recipes with my treasured readers.

Following up on two hairstyling product questions

A few days ago I posted about the fact that my brand new, never before used set of hot rollers was acting oddly. Upon plugging it in for the first time, it began to smell quite noticeably and even emitted a tiny whiff of smoke! Apprehensive to continue heating up the set, I turned it off immediately and consulted my deeply knowledgeable readership about hot to proceed instead. Many of you offer up terrific ideas and help (including finding a contact number for the company for me), which I greatly appreciate.

I took all of your suggestions to heart and, armed with our fire extinguisher – lest the worst should happen, I tried heating up my hot roller set again (in a less draft prone part of my apartment, in case the smoke had actually been a puff of steam the first time around), and while I didn’t see in any smoke, after just a couple minutes a harsh chemical scent became instantly noticeable. I turned the set off and decided right then and there that’s its going back.

The odour that was produced just doesn’t seem normal to me, it almost smells like the rollers themselves are burning, though when I touched one, it hadn’t even gotten very warm yet (the instructions said to heat up the set for ten minutes, it was plugged in for all of about two). Yes indeed, the hot rollers are getting tucked back in their box and returned to Shoppers the very next time I need to head over there. Hopefully the next set of hot rollers I try out with work like sans any such issues!

Delving a bit further back, in September I wrote about my perpetually ongoing quest to find plastic and/or entirely nickel free bobby pins (as I’m immensely allergic to nickel). Then as with this past week, I was touched deeply to receive a slew of very helpful suggestions and ideas as to where to look for such a product (which oddly, does not seem to be mass marketed these days).

At least two of my wonderful readers provided me with eBay links to packages of plastic bobby pins (one vintage, one modern) that were listed at the time, and I’m thrilled to report that I was able to bring one of them home. (The other auction had ended before I got to it and my messages to the seller, to see if they possibly had other packages, went unanswered.)

The package of plastic bobby pins I got from eBay hails from the 1950s and contains a handful of pink plastic bobby pins that are a bit shorter and wider than the usual metal varieties. These points don’t detract from their effectiveness in the least though, and I’m happy to say they work like a charm.


{The eBay auction photo for the first set of vintage plastic bobby pins that I won there after turning to you guys for help. I love both them – and the delightfully cute backing they came on – so very much. Huge thanks for helping me find these!}

Through my own ongoing search I’ve also found another pack on eBay, which I just won a few days ago (they haven't arrived yet). These plastic hair grips are vintage as well, though they appear to be black and a little longer than the pink ones. They weren’t the cheapest things ever, but as with the other plastic vintage bobby pins I already have, I figure if I treat them with kid gloves, they should last me quite a while.

However, bobby pins by their very nature are rarely the longest lasting of items, so I’m going to keep searching eBay, etsy and elsewhere frequently for other packages (modern or vintage) of plastic grips. Having found some now though, I can’t begin to tell you how much happier my sensitive skin is! Finally I can put up my hair and not have the knowledge looming in the back of my mind that I’m going to develop a rash (contact dermatitis, to be exact). I have a number of “challenges” when it comes to styling my hair (insanely sensitive skin that makes using almost any hairstyling product impossible, my nickel allergy, super fine/thin hair, etc), but being able to banish one of them from my mind is a huge relief.

Thank you again so very much to all those who helped me in my search to find plastic bobby pins and to those who provided your very useful impute about the hot roller set. You’re all the best, and I love knowing that if and when future hair related quandaries pop up, I can turn to you!

Wishing you each a marvelous weekend – and many happy hair days of your own!

Is this normal? Question about new hot roller set

Hi my wonderful dears, just a quick question as the mister and I are heading out momentarily. I’ve been getting ready (hair, make-up, etc) to go and decided that I want to add a dose of curl to my (naturally) straight-as-an-arrow hair, so, after reading the instruction pamphlet and removing any packaging, I decided to plug in a new set of hair rollers that I recently picked up at Shoppers Drug Mart (a Canadian drug store chain).

I’d been wanting a set for ages, especially since I know some of you vintage loving gals have spoken highly of the merits of hot rollers. So having saved up enough “Shoppers Optimum” bonus points from prior purchases to be able to get a set for free (it took ages to save enough!), I recently grabbed the only version (“Solutions” by Vidal Sassoon) that the (fairly large) location I was at had on the shelf. (I couldn’t find an image of the exact model I have online, but did come across this one which looks extrememly similar.)

Today I plugged my set in for the first time and had barely had it on for two minutes when I began to notice a smell (sort of chemically) emanating from the unit. It wasn’t overpowering or enough for my husband, who was in another room, to detect from where he was, but I could definitely smell something (and not just that “hot” metallic smell that curling and flat irons sometimes get while they’re heating up). A few seconds later I thought I saw a teeny whiff of smoke, so I immediately unplugged the unit. As far as I can see it (the unit) looks entirely normal and it certainly did not feel overly warm (the instructions said to plug it in for ten minutes before using and there’s no way I’d had it on for any more than three minutes), so I was a bit baffled as to why it might smell.

I’ve never owned a set of hot rollers before and have no prior experience with them, so my question to all of you who’ve used this kind of styling product is, is it normal for your hot roller unit to smell the first time you plug it and heat it up?


{Just longing for soft vintage curls like the ones Ann Sothern sports here, I’m not trying to start a five alarm blaze with my new hot roller set! Gorgeous image via Myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream.}


As we’ve got to get going in a matter of minutes, I just turned off and unplugged the unit and figured I’d ask my question before attempting to heat up the set of hot rollers up a second time. (I looked all over the box and through the instructions, but could not find a 1-800 number anywhere to call and ask the manufacturer directly.)

I don’t want to risk starting a fire, so before I try turning my hot roller set on again, is it normal for them to emit a bit of an odour the first time or do I have a defective unit that should be returned?

Huge thanks in advance for your thoughts and insight on this matter, everyone. I hope you’re each having a marvelous Sunday evening!