TGIF and Vintage Necklace Update

Here's a vintage necklace that I repurposed last night. It was an inexpensive necklace that I picked up at a thrift store for fifty cents - one of the sixties styles with three rows of beads. I took it apart and made a beautiful pair of earrings from two of the larger beads and some of the end caps, a simple little bracelet and a one-strand eighteen inch necklace. I have tons of beads left that I can use for other projects or to fashion earrings for friends!

Here's my big tip for you gals that like to dabble in making your own jewelry. Well, actually, I have two great tips.
1. Always look at thrift stores for inexpensive beaded necklaces. Often times you can pick them up to use for the beads at a much less expensive cost than buying new beading materials at Michaels or some other craft store.
2. I saved my BEST tip for last. I've made jewelry for years now and can't believe that I just thought of this a few months ago - at least for personal jewelry that I will be wearing myself. Please notice in the necklace picture the larger than normal clasp and ring! What a huge timesaver and convenience this is in the morning as I get ready for work! It's so easy to fasten my own necklaces now! Why didn't I think of that earlier?

I've really found that putting on a pair of earrings and matching necklace can quickly and inexpensively "dress up" a simple outfit. I think these, for example, would look beautiful with a white blouse (I'm loving the Coldwater Creek no iron line) and pair of slacks. Now, I don't know that I would wear all three pieces above together but I think wearing the earrings and bracelet or the earrings and necklace would be a really sharp look!

Really glad that today is Friday! We're staying in town this weekend so I have tons of housework to catch up on. That's the bad news. But the good news is that I always feel so much better (and in control) when the house is all clean and neat. A special treat for my husband and I is getting up on Saturday morning and going to a local restaurant for breakfast. It's not expensive at all, and it is just a great time to chat and plan out our weekend. We've missed the past few weekends because of travel, but I have a feeling we'll go out tomorrow morning.