My ears wear stories

I promised you 365 days of earrings, so technically, on this leap day I can show you anything. If any designer has ever cured me from earrings, it must be Tatty Devine. I own three necklaces by these lovely ladies, and they each make me happy in a way only earrings tend to do. This lady on a swing was a present from one of my best friends Josephine and I’ve loved it since the moment I laid eyes on it. I love the way she holds my freckle in the cup of her hand while hanging from my neck, she must’ve been made for me…

Who doesn’t love music? That said, it shouldn’t surprise you that I love it enough to hang it on my ears. I’m quite fond of these sol keys (or keys of G) that I found in a little shop in Leuven called Hexagoon. They make their juwelry themselves, and I had to have these cute keys. Music maestro!

These earrings are another pair by France-based designer Katty Verstraeten, whom I’ve told you about before. My mom found these in a little shop in Leuven, before she even knew they were made by the aunt of a good friend of mine. I’m not always such a fan of clip-ons, but these are very elegant, they seem like a perfect match to spice up a simple cocktail dress. 

I totally dig felt, I must admit. I love the texture, I love the feel of it, I love it all. These earrings are super simple, just three felt circles put together by some staples, but the happy colours make them match with any outfit, and spice up any simple jeans combo. They’re the type that make you can’t live without your earrings anymore. Addictive, I tell you…

Today we had the first pinch of spring in town: temperatures with two digits, the smell of fresh flowers and a lovely sunshine. I bought myself some daffodils and opened my windows, to let the fresh air in. The perfect time to hang some color from my ears. These earrings I found in Maastricht are the perfect match. Bring it on!

I don’t always go for the bold statement earrings. Okay, often - but not always. These cute little earrings by Atelier Elf make me happy. If they would’ve been red, they might’ve been cheesy, but the bright green makes them pop. Perfect for a little lovin’ on your ears…

Some days my ears seem to be a walking museum. These earrings have a bit of a Mondrian-esk feel, but they’re actually made by Lanzarote based artist César Manrique, whom I’ve told you about before. These pieces remind me of the beautiful mural he made in his house in Teguise, with the simple lines and the bright colours. He’s welcome to ‘expose’ on my ears any time…

Who doesn’t love Marylin Monroe? These earrings by Atelier Elf are an homage to this lovely actress. Her most famous movie is probably ‘Some Like It Hot’, but the iconic image of her holding her skirt while standing above a subway vent is actually from the movie ‘The Seven Year Itch’. These beauties are a perfect combination of two passions of mine: movies and earrings. 

How I love me some sushi. I can really cherish every bite of good quality sushi, if possible presented in one of those cool wooden boats. I can only guess that designer Carolyn Tillie has the same appreciation for this food from heaven, and I sure love her stylish earrings. The chopsticks were made out of sterling silver, the sushi from Japanese gumball machine toys known as gashapon: delicious! 

I’ve been keeping track: so far there are five pairs of earrings involving birds on this blog. That’s one in ten, I’d call that a theme. I found this variation on the ‘bird in a cage’ in Toulouse, France while visiting my dear friend Josephine who used to live there. Having friends spreading over Europe and rest of the world is a lot of fun, I love visiting them and, ofcourse, bringing myself a little souvenir…

Finding my mom a gift is so easy and pretty hard at the same time. Sure, earrings are always a good bet, but where to find a good pair that meets her high standards? It’s surely not always a question of finding the most expensive ones, I think these only cost me 10 euros. The trick is to change the rings they’re hanging by, I know she likes these much better than the regular hooks. I hope to her, they look like a million bucks now…

Designer Peter Pilotto is quite the rising star. Even though he’s better known for his women’s clothes, he designs jewelry too. Peter and his partner Chistopher De Vos are a nice mix of cultures: Austria, Italy, Belgium and Peru blend together in their designs. These earrings have a similar mix of light textures. I sure hope they keep some time apart for designing more jewelry!

We don’t always have to go big. These little cats were made by belgian designer Nadine Wijnants. Even more, they’re part of her signature logo. After years of designing collections, Nadine now creates jewelry on demand. I love how she calls her store her own little dream factory. Dream on!

I’ve never been into lace when it comes to clothes, but when we’re speaking earrings I’ll gladly make an exeption for Kyoko Hashimoto. This Japanese Australian founded a jewelry studio in Berlin with the lovely name ‘We are all made of stuff’. Her jewelry is very graphic, and I love the geometric shapes. If we’re all made out of stuff, I’d sure like hers to be mine.

Who says earrings have to come in pairs? This design by Azumi and David (A’N’D) comes as a foursome, and you pick which two sizes to wear together. My mom found them at concept store W.A.L.T.E.R, who sadly announced yesterday they have to close due to a rent conflict. An XL shame, if you ask me…

Time for some fun on Valentine’s Day. My friend Lieselot got these jolly earrings from her mom, who got them on a holiday in Spain. I’m always up for some humor hanging from my ears, so it shouldn’t surprise you I quite dig this couple. Love!

These delicious cherries are another design of Elisa Lee, whose earrings I already showed you in the first week of my project. The little branch is made out of silver, the cherries are blown in glass. You just have to love their simplicity, and the happy colours. In other words: the cherry on top!

Now the snow is starting to fade away I’m longing for spring to come. These beautiful daisies made by belgian designer Isabelle Azaïs are a step in the right direction. My mom found them at Beyond Fashion, and I love their simplicity and cheerfulness. You never know, they might help spring come to town…

Last wednesday I went shopping with my friend Josephine in Maastricht, Holland. The trip was a late birthday gift, it’s always nice spending some good old girltalk-time together. I found these hoops in a tiny store filled with earrings. Lately, I find myself taking this blog as an excuse to buy more earrings. Well, all for research, right?!

I absolutely love these origami earrings. They were a gift from my mom, who got them at Access in Antwerp. The funny thing is she got a similar pair as a gift from my aunt. I guess good taste runs in their genes. They’re so light I sometimes grasp my ears with the fear that I’ve lost them. If they weren’t attached to my ears, they’d just fly away…