Guest Blog: Souvenirs de la Reine: Charmed, I’m Sure

Keep Shopping & Keep Making Memories,
The Antiques Diva™

(seen right making memories while shopping with La Reine at NYC’s GreenFlea)

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Dear Diva Readers,

The past few months everyone has been wearing long, swingy, charm necklaces. You’ve seen them: crystals dangling, sparkly keys glittering, little hearts and suitcases tinkling. I’ve priced them: they’re either scary expensive or so cheap and plasticky I’d never wear them. So I’ve created my own charm necklaces and found a way to re-live mes souvenirs.

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/S02Bn-56MgI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/DSgmorZSDpI/s400/platinum+with+crystal+earring.jpg” border=”0″ />A while back I shared with the Antiques Diva the gorgeous vintage platinum necklace sprinkled with diamonds (only $100!) that I scored at the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show in Chicago. And recently, on a visit to Omaha, I rifled through a tangle of discounted jewelry piled in an ashtray at le Marche and found a very long simple 1930’s gold chain.

Now I simply had to style them up – Diva Style!

When I moved away from Paris, my friend Rebecca of Chic Shopping Paris gifted me a pair of dangling earrings she made from antique Baccarat crystals she had found at brocantes. Sadly, in one of many moves I lost one of the earrings (actually it’s the movers fault – they lost one!) Et voila! The lone earring now swings enticingly from the platinum neck chain.

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/S02BnkhDA_I/AAAAAAAAD_Q/_L0r6afxdZ8/s400/gold+with+kroner.jpg” border=”0″ />After leaving Paris we moved on to Copenhagen. When we moved on once again, this time returning to the USA, left in my coat pockets were handfuls of Danish kroner, useful for buying a paper or coffee when I was out walking my dog Mignette. Several of the kroner have holes in the center (they come that way: I didn’t have to drill). Brilliant! 3 kroner now dangle from my gold neck chain reminding me of the years I lived in Denmark as an expat.

The ideas are endless!

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/S02BoZJLrdI/AAAAAAAAD_g/GpC5dKFBMDc/s400/souvenir+charms.jpg” border=”0″ />What about the silver quatrefoil key to the door of my beautiful apartment in Paris? The giant Baccarat crystal I found at a Paris brocante? The ivory Chinese good luck charm I bought at an antique shop in Singapore? A seashell picked up on the beach in Sanibel? The fleur-de-lys and tassel earrings I picked up at The Greenflea in NYC?

I can easily swap out one souvenir for another. These souvenirs are no longer hidden in my drawers and tucked away in my memories. They’re displayed, talked about, and loved. And best of all, they make me look fabulous. Some things can’t be bought. Like memories.

Until Next Time,
La Reine
(otherwise known as “Moi” on the She’s Shopping Now blog)

Can’t get enough of these great ideas of La Reine’s? Visit her blog for more fun posts like this one! And while you’re at it, follow her travels on Twitter!