This Second's Obsession

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this pirate obsession

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Ahoy there me hearties! It be International Talk Like A Pirate Day, one of the major holidays of the year! Ye other be Halloween, obviously.

I be very excited about this, though I be not dressin’ like a pirate, or partyin’ like a pirate. I be not drinkin’ rum because I be slightly ill – it be suddenly very cold in these oceans known as ye British Isles. I be instead drinkin’ ye ‘grog’ that be known to the landlubbers as Earl Grey. It be delicious.

I be practicing me pirate for ye last couple o’weeks, an’ I be picking up ye plastic wall hook we be donated in ye shop yesterday and pretendin’ it be a hook. Arrr. That be mildly amusin’.

Today, I be pretendin’ that I be plannin’ some burnin’ and pillagin’, arr? ARR! An’ I be recievin’ in me inbox ye Etsy Finds newsletter, an’ I be findin’ inspiration to be collectin’ some pirate booty of me own. ARRR!

Firstly I be wantin’ ye Grace O’Malley pirate hat, because it be purple an’ I be ye most purple pirate that be known in ye seven seas. If ye be readin’ this scroll regular, ye be knowing this. If ye be a former landlubber recently recruited to ye voyage, I be recommendin’ ye be checkin’ out ye archives. Yarrr? YARRRR! If ye be not a purple pirate, ye fancy black and gold tricorn be for ye.

Second, I be thinkin’ that ‘Marie Antoinette goes pirate’ be a bonny look, so I be considerin’ these hair combs. But when I be wantin’ t’be a more subtle pirate, I be thinkin’ ye piratical badge be most appropriate, arr. These be especially worth ye pieces of eight.

Pirates with style be readin’ ye Pirate Clothing webpage and be dressin’ accordingly, and be makin’ sure ye be wearin’ earrings. Ye be showin’ off how good they be at huntin’ treasure/fightin’ rich landlubbers/pillagin’ if ye be wearing ye pirate hair jewels. If ye pirate be also a steampunk, ye be likin’ ye pendant. If ye be in a battle where ye be best pretending to be a privateer or a lawful sailor, ye be best keepin’ ye love for ye sea subtle with ye dusk sailing czech glass ring.

If ye be a pirate that be good in the galley, be pesterin’ ye captain to be plunderin’ ye a pirate cupcake t-shirt. Ye be available in various designs an’ be on stickers an’ bags an’ ye aprons. If ye be havin’ a party on board ye ship, be not spendin’ all ye gold on rum (though it be a good investment if ye be not wantin’ t’voyage with angry pirates) , an’ be obtainin’ ye skull an’ crossbones flags for ye cupcakes, an’ be makin’ sure no landlubbers or privateers be joinin’ ye voyage with ye pirate invitations.

If ye be havin’ ye small pirates, ye jolly roger hat be keepin’ them warm on ye seven seas and ye knittin’ needles be useful in case ye pistol be not loaded when ye be boarded by ye Royal Navy.

Arrrrrrrrr. What be ye doin’ for ye International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Be ye not hearin’ of it before? I should be makin’ ye walk the plank…but I be too busy enjoying me ‘grog’.

Earrings For The Unpierced: Part Two

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Read about options for the unpierced in Earrings For The Unpierced: Part One!

The majority of my earrings are screw on. The other options are all too painful or too crappy looking in my opinion, and screw on earrings are as versatile as clips, but without the pain. On the right you can see my mole-y cheek and my fanciest pair of earrings. These are special occasion earrings for three reasons:

1. They are seriously blingin’.
2. They were £8.50, I consider this expensive for jewellery, so I do not want to lose them.
3. One of the screws is broken so it’s like wearing one screw-on and one clip-on earring. Ugh.

I got them in a little craft shop that used to be on my local high street. Unfortunately, it has now closed down. Fortunately, Etsy exists!

The majority of screw-on earrings on Etsy are vintage. As I mentioned before, earrings for the unpierced are rarely made today. These antique Czechoslovakian earrings are from the 1920s and look quite heavy. A great advantage of wearing screw on earrings rather than pierced earrings is that it is possible to wear heavier designs without causing yourself pain. If you don’t like purple, here is a blue and gold tone pair, also Czech. I don’t like wearing gold coloured jewellery myself, but if they were silver coloured I would be all over them! Moving on a decade, this Sterling Silver Mexico Jade set includes bracelet and earrings, and is in an interesting Art Deco style. I think it would look great with a all-black outfit so that the jewellery was the centre of attention. Forward another decade and we have these Juliet Red Crystal earrings, which look to be in excellent condition.

I also love these sweet Teapot earrings, if only they were in silver, along with these Golden Chrysanthemum Earrings. Sigh. I am very tempted by these Pearl and Copper Swirl earrings (love the rhyming name) and the seller has several lovely unpierced earrings in her shop.

For more screw on earrings I recommend you search Etsy and eBay, try Glitzy Secrets for clip-ons, and for magnetic earrings try eBay again.

Alternatively, you can try making your own! Here is a pair that I made myself. I’m really proud of these and I love them. I got the earring findings/backs from a local craft shop but if you don’t have a local craft shop or it doesn’t stock screw-on earring backs, there are plenty of places you can get the findings online (the Two Es – Etsy and eBay – again, for instance).

The design is based on one from the book Creative Beading: Over 60 Original Jewellery Projects and Variations by Juju Vail. I originally picked it up because “Juju” is one of my nicknames. Seriously. I am a complete nerd. The designs in it are pretty and modern, and the instructions are really clear. Projects include earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings and variations are suggested for each of the designs too. I also really like the ideas for weaving large beads out of small beads. It’s a great book and I recommend it whether you are a beginner or more advanced.