Showstoppers Week

The necklace at the upper left features a sandcast silver naja with a high-quality turquoise accent. The six large coins are antique Morgan dollars which range in age from 1883 to 1901. The beads are handmade from vintage Mercury dimes - two dimes are domed and soldered together to form each bead. This piece is ideal for men or women.

The squash blossom necklace at the lower right is the most incredible piece that has ever crossed my path in person. This is the creation of Tonya June Rafael, an incredible Navajo artist. When I saw it, I immediately knew it was her work. I follow her on Facebook and purchased a much more modest necklace and a pendant bail three years ago at the Heard Museum Indian Market. Mother loved it so much she bought it from me and sadly it went missing, along with about 20 additional pieces from her collection. This past year I went back to her booth to see if she had another for sale but she did not. I think I will ask her if she can make one for me next year.

I was able to find this same squash blossom necklace on the artist's Instagram page, the post was from 2019 so she must have created it that year. The attention to detail is simply amazing, I cannot imagine how long it took to create. It is available for sale to the right person!

Except for a Southwest Style cuff bracelet made in India, all of the other pieces I posted this past week were Native American except for this 1986 Art Deco revival cuff bracelet by Alfred Durante, who designed for Cartier in the 1950s before striking out on his own. I learned that the FM on the hallmark stood for Franklin Mint. This piece is a far cry from the collector plates, etc. that Franklin Mint is known for!

The postings I did make helped with my sales because I sold three pieces each on eBay and Poshmark, five pieces of jewelry and one shirt. One piece of note is this very unique vintage belt buckle from Mexico. It is currently on its way to New York City.

Another Poshmark sale was this highly decorated cuff bracelet by Navajo artist Glen Willie. I am always happy when cuff bracelets find a home because they are challenging to match up with someone who not only loves them but that fit them well.

A final highlight is this adorable little Zuni owl pin. I thought this would sell quickly but it took a bit for it to find its next home.

Unfortunately though, the huge buffalo cuff bracelet is going to be stampeding back to Mount Prospect. I was on pins and needles hoping the buyer would like it because it was an expensive piece. I had given him a $300 discount and as I always do, paid to ship it to him. He left positive feedback and I was so relieved that he liked it. But then two days later he said it was broken and wanted to return it. I have a "no returns" policy due to the nature of selling vintage items but on eBay, all the buyer has to do is say an item is broken and they can return it. I had no choice but to accept the return and on top of it, had to pay $21.00 for a return shipping label. I was afraid to have it sent to Scottsdale in case it did not arrive before we leave so I sent it to Mount Prospect. But then I realized that I cannot have it repaired while I am there so I will probably need to wait until we come back in November to do the repair. This is a big bummer because I will likely miss out on offering it during the holiday season. But overall I cannot complain about the online jewelry sales because the vast majority of people are thrilled with their purchases. 

Sunday was Mother's Day and understandably it was a difficult day. It was my deadline to complete the estate sale paperwork for the week so I had to buckle down all day to get it accomplished. Kuochun and I did take a short break and run out to Costco for gas and a few food items. We walked down the snack aisle and I noticed huge bags of Ruffles regular potato chips on sale for only $4.99. I avoid seed oils whenever possible so I do not eat Ruffles anymore but I did buy one bag in Mother's honor. I also recalled that Mother's best friend Barbara said on her last day she would eat Ruffles potato chips. She was always worried about her weight. Barbara abruptly passed from cancer several years ago and I am sure she did not get the chance so I hope she and Mother were eating Ruffles all day long up in heaven.

We received a $50 coupon off a $100 purchase at Tommy Bahama this week and it includes their restaurants. There is one in North Scottsdale at the fancy outdoor shopping center, Kierland Commons. I always wanted to take Mother there, she loved buying Tommy Bahama clothing for Dad but we never had the chance. The coupon was addressed to her or current resident so it felt like a sign. Kuochun and I are planning to go sometime before we head out of town. We are in the midst of a couple of hot days and then it is supposed to cool down so there should be a good weather day next week. They are famous for their coconut shrimp and I noticed a couple of entrees on the menu that Kuochun would like. I think along with a dessert and a non-alcoholic drink we can get to $100.

I have not been up to posting a tribute to Mother yet but Rachel did post one to Instagram on Mother's Day. I thought I would share it here. Mother told me often that the day I was born was the happiest day of her life because for the first time she had a real blood relative. I am beyond grateful that the birth mother decided to go through with the pregnancy, that my grandparents chose her and that later in life she was able to connect and even have a great relationship with some members of her birth family. The photo that Rachel chose is a classic, this is my profile picture on Facebook and I use portions of it on the C'est La Brie's website as well. I like to say that my hair and eyebrows basically look the same 55 years later.

"I haven’t posted that my beautiful Mama passed away in January because I know she would have hated the attention. She deserves to be celebrated today. Her dream was to have her own blood relatives since she always felt a missing link being adopted. Don’t get me wrong, she hit the lottery and had the most loving and wonderful adoptive parents, they were my favorite people on earth. But my sister @cestlabries and I were her pride a joy. We were her biggest joy in life. As I decorate my new house I think about how much she would have loved to collaborate with me on this. Miss you Mummy! Hope you are in the spirit world with Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and all your fun friends that went before you. 😪❤️
#mothersday #missmymomsomuch #mominheaven❤️"