Friday Favories...Jewelry!

So this week I'm skipping out on our "fab five" group b/c I wanted to dedicate a whole post to my most recent project...

a frame to display my jewelry!

I actually made this over 6 months ago, but just over the weekend finally sorted my jewelry and attached some hardware so I could actually hang it up.  This fun little project cost me less than $10 to make--I found the fun vintage frame at one of my favorite consignment shops, bought a roll of screen from Lowes (which I will use the rest to repair my screen door!) and attached it to the back of the frame w/my staple gun!  To hang the necklaces and such I bought a little bag of earring hooks from a craft store and stuck those through the back of the screen. 

Those of you who know me well may be surprised to hear that this is something I like so much...I am a very plain-jane kind of girl.  The only "accessories" I wear regularly are my wedding rings and hubs' grandmother's ring and a pair of earrings.  But ever since I was a little girl I have loved jewelry.  When my mom would get catalogs in the mail I would get out my scissors and cut out the pictures of rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets and keep them in a little box...I just love all things sparkly and feminine and vintage!  

But I just don't wear much of it.  That is why this project is so wonderful!  Instead of letting everything get all jumbled together in a jewelry box, I can neatly organize it and also have it on display.  And I still get to enjoy it even if I don't wear it. 

I do want to show you some of my favorite pieces, mostly things that came from my grandmothers:

I absolutely adore those tiny little rose earrings!  They are hand panted on ivory--my great-grandmother got them while in Alaska.  A few of the other earrings on here are also ivory but these are my favorite.  I actually never wear them but I think they're just gorgeous.  

I love the little horn-player pin too.  This was from my granny.  I don't think it is a real pearl, but I love how the little face is painted on.  The hat is made of some kind of fur...not really sure what.

And the tiny red and blue hearts towards the right are turquoise that my mom gave to me.  I think they are so sweet. : )

The tiny gold balls in the center of this picture were the first piece of jewelry that my Pappy ever gave to my Granny, and when I got my ears pierced she passed them on to me. Just simple and precious!

I think this love of jewelry definitely runs in my family.  My maternal grandmother had an enormous collection of...well...enormous clip on earrings!  lol.  They were so big and extravagant that she used them instead of ornaments to decorate her Christmas tree!  We still have most of those as well and I'll have to add some of them to my little display here.  : )

I just love this new display!  I smile everytime I walk by it : )  Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry??