costume jewelry – piddlin'

A few birthdays back {I have officially stopped counting}, my thoughtful fiancé, took me on a birthday piddlin’ trip through the Atlanta area.

At the time, I had been sucked into- embarrassingly enough- a show on the CW called The Vampire Diaries which films in + around a small town outside of Atlanta; Covington, GA. If it sounds familiar, it is also where the pilot episode of late 70s-early 80s tv favorite, Dukes of Hazard (1979-1985) was filmed. While I have many fond memories of this particular road trip with my beau, among the highlights are these spectacular “ear bobs”, as my Granny Mabel used to call them.

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One month from our wedding, I was still dreaming of wearing a fabulous pair of heirloom-worthy earrings, though I had nothing particular beyond that in mind nor any clue how or where they could be found.

When I saw these Art Deco sparklers in a case at one of the antique shops in Covington, it was fate. I asked to see them, only so I could better read their tag. While I prepared to be heartbroken at what I assumed would certainly be a three digit price, I found the pair were surprisingly affordable {$23!!}. Although they were clip-on + lacking the original clip padding, I decided these were meant to be + simply could not be left behind.
I wore them to our wedding reception the following month + they were just the finishing touch to my attire that night to make me feel the part!

Never did I dream that all those clip-on earrings I played dress up with in my childhood were preparing me for this occasion.

I toyed with the idea of wearing them on several occasions since then, but it never felt right–until one night recently at The Met Opera at The Lincoln Center in NYC. The event was a unique opportunity to see some of the finest ballet dancers in our country on stage with American Ballet Theater dancing in Alexei Ratmansky’s Sleeping Beauty.
For the occasion, I knew my ensemble had to be feminine + flawless, as this would be the ultimate night at the ballet for me to date-truly an evening I have only ever dreamed of! When taking in a ballet, I prefer to dress the part + wear a ballet inspired outfit; I chose a pastel pink, pleated midi skirt + paired it with a favorite white lace tank, black velvet ankle strap sandals + a leopard print clutch.

As I took in the sights of this grand venue, from the gold railings to the crushed red velvet drapes, wall coverings + seats, I was awestruck by the glamorous Art Deco sconces all aglow + the twinkling “Sputnik” chandeliers reminiscent of another time while at once demanding all the attention of an art exhibit inside the atrium as well as inside the theater. It was uncanny the way my fun costume jewelry fit right in with the grand ambiance of this extraordinary evening!