August 2012
31 posts
243. travelling seeds
I’m not sure wether there was something in the water back when we were in highschool, but my friends have got it all - the itch. Somehow, we’ve all wandered the world, often living thousands of miles away. Today is -yet again- a day of saying goodbye, this time to Charlotte, who will enlighten Geneva with her presence. She’ll be taking these Sucupira seeds from Brazil with...
242. oh dear! too late!
Who doesn’t love Alice in Wonderland? The tale by Lewis Carroll has inspired so many over the years - a pair of earrings couldn’t be left out. Even though just about any of the characters was a possibility, designers Zoe & Morgan chose the white rabbit for their hangers. I guess they’ll remember their owner Cara to hurry up - don’t be late!
241. upside down
The most beautiful stories can sometimes be found the closest to home. Even though we live in the same city and have loads of friends in common, I’ve never met Lies Wambacq, the designer of this beautiful pair of earrings. I did, however, fall instantly in love with her silversmithing qualities. The way she combines old and new, shapes and metals - stunning. Lucky Noortje, because this pair...
240. Delft blue
Another beautiful pair of earrings by one of my former guestbloggers today. Tine found this pair on the website of Framboos Jewels. Everybody seems to be making their own juwelry these days - a trend I can only applaud - and these beautiful Delft blue cups are definitely a keeper. She can come over for a coffee anytime!
239. everybody famous
My little absence here got a name today, because after months of hard work, the first television steps of my workplace de chinezen became a fact. Our firstborn is called iedereen beroemd, a tribute to Andy Warhols five minutes of fame. A good reason to take these cute earrings out of my closet, I quite like their colors and textures…
238. cowgirl
During my holiday I introduced you to some friends who liked to share their earrings and stories with you. When I asked each of them a story, a lot of them came up with more than one - so it would be a waste not to share them with you! Like these boots which Phebe got in Tunesia. Sometimes there’s just no better way to describe a pair of earrings than ‘they’re just so...
237. royal colors
Some of her earrings, my mom has had for over twenty years - and they have become true classics over the years. I love the fact that they don’t seem to age or go out of style. Kudos to Wouters & Hendrix, yet again, for their timeless gold in this pair. You might think my mom owns stock shares of their company - but I guess they’re just a perfect match…
236. hectic but natural
Days have been hectic around here, so I must admit the daily updates come with some delay. No sign of giving up though - with some 130 earrings to go - I’m still confident I’ll make it. My mom found this pair of earrings in a shop called H2O in Leuven. I quite love the natural colors, they make the easiest jewels to combine…
235. golden style
When I was about ten years old, my parents took my brother and me to beautiful Senegal. I remember dozens of children chasing our jeep, just so we would give them our pens, candy or lighters, and stepping into tiny villages in the middle of nowhere and finding a television and a case of Coca-Cola. This beautiful pair of earrings was made by the Peul or Fula people - I don’t think...
234. now dance
We’ve all played with beads before, but I never got to the level of designer Fabienne Morel of Brokenfab. Her pieces, which she calls ‘discobeading’, have a tribal vibe in a modern jacket - I must say I absolutely adore them. This Swiss lady is mainly a fabric designer but took up her love for beading to make jewelry - a career change I can only applaud…
233. ella-ella-ella
Another upside to the summer is everybody coming back from their holidays with a happy mind and loads of stories to share. My aunt and her family made a roadtrip through America, and she came back with these cute umbrellas for my mom. She found them in New York, the city of cities if you ask me… Let it rain!
232. sticks and stones
As my parents both studied geography, I always spotted some worldly items in our house. I was most intrigued by my mom’s stone collection. The bright and colorful combination of all those minerals, fossils and crystals never ceased to draw my attention. I guess my mom’s love for shiny stones seeped into her jewelry as well, in this pair by Wouters & Hendrix…
231. sunshine on your ears
The weekend has been nothing less than hot, but fortunately this happened to be the one weekend I had access to a private pool - bliss! A weekend with my boyfriend’s family brought me to lovely Voeren, and there I spotted these dandelion-like earrings on his cousin Olivia. She found them at Forever 21 - perfect for the sunny weather!
230. shush!
You’d think I would have seen all my mom’s earrings by now, snooping through her drawers in search for more input for this blog - well, apparently not. Every now and then I find a pair I even forgot existed, and most of the time, I adore them all over again. Same thing for these earrings made by Machteld Heylen, and their clear message: “SST!”. Love.
229. small sports
Scandinavia seems to follow my fascination with miniature people. The previous pair of earrings with small people hanging from them came from Stockholm; these jogging and rollerskating specimens were found in Designtorget, Oslo. I love the fact that I could choose two figurines out of twenty, combining my own pair. Didn’t make it any easier though…
228. grease lightning
New cities always bring uncharted territories, and Oslo proved to have some lovely shops. If only for the amazing name, I immediatly loved Ruth 66 and its owner Ruth. The small ‘butikk’ covered the most kitsch I’ve seen in my life, but in the most endearing way. When I saw these lightnings, I was struck. I’m ready to bolt the night away!
227. run for gold
I sometimes wonder wether some earrings even need an explanation why they’re so special or beautiful to me. In my opinion, this lady kind of speaks for herself. The designers of N2 found their inspiration in the magical world of circus. They make me think of the little puppets we used to make in kindergarten - nothing but good vibes!
226. four generations
I’m not usually one for gold and pearls, but every now and then the nostalgia hits me. The mere fact that these pearl earrings used to belong to my great-grandmother, does the trick. She lived to be almost a hundred years old - I can only hope that runs in the family. As she used to be my mom’s godmother, I understand why she keeps a close eye on these beauties…
225. back in town
To all stories comes an end, so I’m back home after a refreshing holiday. As hoped, Norway brought peace and quiet, loads of nature and a dash of Scandinavian design. In the souvenir shop of the stave church of Heddal I found these silver moose antlers. As there’s no road we passed without the ‘moose crossing’ signs, I just couldn’t resist. Ah, Norge…
224. Patricia
My first time in London, I ended up at Spitalfields market where I bought these earrings. I remember thinking that if I ever moved here, I’d want to live in this neighborhood. Two years ago I moved to London for a while, and lived 15 minutes away from the place that made me fall in love with the city. One of my earrings is broken, but I will always keep them as a reminder.
223. Marijs
For some earrings you can remember the exact day you wore them. I found these earrings at a little market in Leuven and they didn’t cost me more than 3 euros. They stood by me during my first internship interview. I got the internship and later on a job at the company. More than two years later, times have changed and I don’t wear them that often anymore. Same as with my job,...
222. Joanna
My sister was 9 when she picked out her first earrings. I remember the lady of the piercing shop saying cheesy things like “Your ears are like flowers, the studs we’ll shoot will be the hearts”. Well, it didn’t really comfort my sister. After the ‘shooting’ she was so overwhelmed, she had to lie down on the floor. Needless to say, she never returned for a third or fourth piercing…
221. Charlotte
These earrings were made by the Miao Tribe in South-East China, Himalaya. This tribe is matriachal and men have no decision-making power whatsoever. The women can have several men and decide each night with whom they will sleep. The tribe is very famous for its silver jewelry. The Miao-men stay home to make the jewelry whereas the women are the economic brains behind the business. Girl power!
220. Anna-Belle
I don’t really like lables. One word is so little to describe something or someone that surely consists out of so much more. Yet, sometimes, one word can say a lot. I consist out of many words: dreamer, coffee, runner, blogger, gypsy. But maybe that last one does say an awful lot about me. I am most like these feathers; free as a bird, following the wind.
219. Cara
Saying that I love flea markets is an understatement. These earrings I bought at the flea market of Grimbergen. I found two pairs of earrings in a handbag and I was instantly in love with these wings. Two euro, the man asked for it! And I got a second pair for free, quite the bargain. They give such a nice shape to your ears, almost like elf ears…
218. Josephine
When it comes to earrings, Laura and I are quite the opposites. I always have the strange feeling that decorating my ears just doesn’t match my outfit. Once in a while though I find an exception that confirms the rule, and this pair from Zanzibar is one of those. But if I come across a pair I can’t resist, I just buy them for Laura. Now that’s what I call a complementary friendship!
217. Annelies
I’m getting married in September, which asks for quite some preparations. Everything is ready and all the invitations are sent, but I still need to find some earrings and a necklace! Maybe I’ll find something made by Nico Taeymans. These earrings are of his hand and I just love them. I got them from my best friends for my birthday and they go with every outfit and every mood…
216. Lieselot & Heleen
Every year in May, there’s a world festival in our hometown Leuven. This year we went and we both bought a pair of earrings - Lieselot two fishes and Heleen two frogs. We both liked each others earrings as well, so with Laura’s love for asymmetry in mind, we thought: let’s switch! Now we each have a frog and a fish. Double pleasure!
215. Delfien
At the age of sixteen I got the chance to help a friend with her jewelry collection, Bearable Lightness. We were sitting together and working on some new designs and after some trial and errors this was the result. A simple silver earring inspired by Greek architecture. A variant of this design was even sold in some stores!
214. Hannelore
Last year my birthday came with a special surprise. One of my best friends Charlotte studied in Sevilla for a year, and flew back to Belgium especially for my birthday. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and I saw Charlotte standing in front of me. She brought these earrings for me as a gift, so every time I wear them, I think back to opening that door…
213. Loes
Many years ago my mother found a little bracelet in a hotel in Lichtaart. She had it made into one earring, as there was not enough bracelet for a pair, and even more important, my mom only had one ear pierced. On special occasions, I still like to wear this earring - alone, because that’s how it was meant to be worn…
