another hat

you know how people usually ask 'so what do you do'? i have a hard time answering that question. probably because i do too many things (currently working three jobs and running a business)! i'm currently working on narrowing the list of things i do down, but one item on that list has been sadly neglected this last year and i was determined to change that this week. let me introduce you to one of the many hats i wear...

prairie and pearl is my handcrafted jewelry business. i take the small vintage curiosities i dig up at sales and give them a new life as jewelry. for the past year i've only had one item in my Etsy store, but today i am busy working on a whole bunch of new listings! they're not live in the shop yet, but here's a peek...

pony express necklace. vintage postal key return tag with vintage gold tone horse charm.

same but with silver tone vintage horse charm.

1930's Minuet pencil necklace. complete with working pencil lead!

message in a bottle necklace.  vintage watch parts vial with vintage fortune inside (or add your own message).

vintage pen nib necklace. available with double and single chains.

one the fellas might like- vintage pen knife on beefy brass chain.

perfume locket- all natural solid perfume in vintage (NOS) brass locket on copper chain

i hope to have all of these listed by tomorrow, so stop by the prairie & pearl Etsy store and take a look!

introducing- a curated life

i've always loved museums. at one point i even wanted to be a museum curator or a museologist. the closest i've come is volunteering as a docent at the Laramie Plains Museum at the Historic Ivinson Mansion in junior high and high school.

photo: Ivinson Mansion via Laramie Historic Photos

over the holidays, Bill and i visited the Smithsonian's Museum of American History, and while we were there it dawned on me that though i may never work for a museum, i am a curator- of my own life. we are all curators really- if you collect things, decorate your home, save letters or birthday cards, or make photo albums- you're curating your life.

photo: pocketful of pretty's vintage fan collection

it's in that spirit that i'd like to introduce a new weekly feature- a curated life. each week i'll share a collection with you, either one of mine or one of a reader or fellow blogger/shop owner. to start us off, i'm sharing one of my collections...

brooches aren't just fun and beautiful, they're a portable collection! i love wearing mine on my vintage coats especially, but they really make any outfit more interesting and they're an easy way to add a little bit of vintage every day.

want to see more great vintage brooches? my pal Jenny at Frecklewonder is doing a week-long series on her favorite collections and today she's featuring her brooches! apparently great minds think alike! take a look and stick around to explore her site- you'll love it!

now it's your turn- i want to see your collections! send me a message at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com and i'll send you all the details!

happy curating!