25 Years Later

"Never go to your high school reunion pregnant or they will think that is all you have done since you graduated."
~ Erma Bombeck

Is there life after high school? Yes, it seems that there is!

Paul and I are off enjoying our 25th class reunion this weekend (yes, we graduated together). We had a wonderful night last night at a local bar, and so many more people I was not expecting to see showed up! Tonight we are getting ready for a little more formal affair with a few new faces popping up, including some of our teachers from back in the day. There will be more food, fun and fondness and I hear there will be an awesome slide show with all the 80s music we loved.

It is a funny thing to see the people that you spent your formative high school years all grown up.

We have all changed. Our hair is a little gray around the edges, or missing completely. We have gained a few pounds and added lines. We have kids and special pets and jobs that take us far and wide. We have traveled and lived a lot of life in these past 25 years. We had much to share and much to celebrate and reminisce about.


Remember this dress?

And these shoes?

Well, they look pretty smokin' hot. I can't promise that I look like that model, but I am going to rock it out, even if I might be the most dressed up person there (fashion tip from me: it is always better to be overdressed, than underdressed.)

And this is the necklace that I whipped up just today to wear with it. (To be fair, the pieces have been sitting on my table for more than a week, I just completed it today, lest you think that I can pull something like this out of thin air. I can't. ;-).

It didn't turn out exactly as I had in mind. The toggle clasp was supposed to sit in front, but it flips around because of the weight of the beads, but that is okay. I still like it! I wanted it to be a bit edgy, and a little mysterious and in neutral tones that will work with everything, but especially the fire engine red of this dress.

I used some dark chocolate faceted glass beads that remind me of smoky quartz, silver daisy spacers, rope twist jump rings in my favorite love knot shape, upcycled chain from various defunct necklaces, some cool cone ends that I picked up at my friend Michelle's store, Beadalotta (I wanted to make cool earrings with these, so now I need to go back and buy more!). But the best part is the Green Girl Studios pewter heart and key toggle clasp and the incredible Basha bead that I picked up from my friend Andrew at the Bead & Button show. The flash in that Basha bead is incredible and will be a perfect touch for the red dress.(If you haven't seen what he has, you must go see them now. And they are worth every penny. I promise!)

I think that no matter what I will feel strong and sexy and confident in this dress, those shoes and that bling. So I am calling this necklace "Unlocking Inner Confidence."

Oh, and before I forget, we have winners! That's right! Winners - plural! I had so much fun reading all your sweet thoughts on what it means to 'live what you love' that I decided that there would be three winners, each receiving one of the limited edition 'simple truths' pendants from the cover of Stringing.

And the random winners who told us what it means to 'live what you love'...

CraftyHope who said, "To me, this means simply to work, play, and go about the tasks of life doing what truly makes you happy. I hope to be there someday."

Eleanor Snare who said, "'Live what you love' means a lot to me. Being a young student, I've only ever worked in boring, under-paid, dead end retail jobs for nearly the last 10 years. In September I graduate from my MA with a dissertation about a subject I love (fashion) and have just been offered a full time job as an online editor. The offer of the job has proved to me that all through my studies, when I've been writing and editing and doing lots of work for free and because I loved it, everything I've done has been worth it. Hard work has paid off - and will continue to pay off as I continue to do everything I love doing, but with the added security of a wage to help along the way. It'll mean I can experiment more with my jewellery making hobbies, as I will have the funds (and still some time) to do it, and allow me space in which I can do things like approach magazines and shops about my work. So 'live what you love' means just that - do everything, everyday, that you enjoy - but also that doing things you love will eventually pay off and improve your life for the better."

Cristi Baxter Clothier who said, "To me "live what you love" means that you are doing what makes your heart feel good and leaves you at peace at the end of each day."

Congrats ladies! Please email me at enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com with your mailing address for your prize!

And stay tuned next week. My birthday is coming and I feel some more giveaways coming on!