I love to surround myself with things that I love for their beauty and their emotional significance. My decor is built on a collection of items that I was given, bought, or inherited. My collection was started many years ago and includes furniture, paintings, and other items that remind me of my family, friends, and my faith. New decor is added and discarded as my taste changes, but the collection of favorite things remains. One of my favorite items is a frame decorated with vintage jewelry made for me by a friend for my birthday.
As I have mentioned before, I once had a small store of vintage items at a local flea market. The store was great fun and I loved meeting people. One of my friends I met in the store is a remarkable lady who is a teacher, a Reiki instructor, and a creative artist. For several years, I sold on consignment her beautiful frames that she decorated with vintage jewelry. I truly loved her work and told her several times I would be buying one of her pieces in the future. One spring she surprised with the offer to customize one of her frames with my vintage jewelry as a birthday gift. I went through my collection and also called my family for any of their pieces they wished to include. If you are like me, you have special things put away. Even if you don’t wear them, they are loved. I gave my friend jewelry from family and my life – my maternal grandmother, my mother, my sister, my childhood, and even my sister’s mother-in-law. They would be the basis of her design. She filled in with vintage jewelry from her collection.
As a friend of mine remarked when admiring it, this frame is my life.
At the top left corner is a mother-of-pearl bird pin from my sister. Below it is one of my mother’s earrings. On the top right corner is a whale pin from my sister. Below that is a cat pin that was a gift from a friend when I was in my twenties. I wore that pin for decades. Beside that is a circular pin from my sister’s mother-in-law. The silver beads outlining the inside edge of the frame are from a necklace my mother wore in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
In the middle of the left side is a golden locket my mother wore when I was a preschooler. One of my earliest memories is my mother wearing this locket as we went to church. A pin from my high school club is below the locket. My grandmother’s earring is in the bottom edge in the center. As I go around the frame, I am filled with love for so many people I was blessed to know.
I have had the frame in my living room since that birthday in 2009. At first, I went through photos and considered ideas for display in the frame. Then one morning I just knew what it should display. I believe that happiness is a choice we make each day. It’s not about illness and the bad things that happen. We are a given a fresh, new day each morning. What we choose to do with it is a choice. My positive affirmation each morning is “Today I choose Joy”. Now each morning when I enter the living room, I see the framed affirmation on display on a small side table. My family and friends, their love, and my choice for life are all in this display.
Today I choose JOY.
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The frame is lovely and the sentiment is perfect. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle Sunday, Carol.
Thanks!
Hi, Carol
How sweet is this vintage frame. I love vintage jewelry and I have a collection of them. So lovely and so happy you linked this awesome frame at Dishing it and Digging it link party. Your the best.
Thanks!
This frame is so magnificent and must be very precious for you. This is the perfect way to cherish soul for years.
Thanks John
Morning Carol,
Thanks for visiting me this morning………….
Thought I would drop by and check out your blog. I live in Florida too, in the Orlando area.
Love your frame and the sentiment as well. It is so true we do have to choose JOY, don’t we!!
I have a lot of my late Mother-in-laws jewelry and saw a heart made of jewelry before but think
I like it on the frame much better………….one of these days I am gonna get around to
doing that………lol and think it might turn out to be a frame instead.
You have a blessed day hon,
Nellie
God bless, Nellie! Hope you have an awesome week.
Hi Again,
Meant to say thanks, and forgot so just copied and pasted my comment that I left for you on my blog…..
Thank you so much Carol for coming by and for your encouraging comments.
Have a lovely week.
Blessings, Nellie
Hi Carol,
I am in Florida too but down in Davie, near Ft. Lauderdale. I have lots of jewelry that has been in my family and I love this frame idea. Maybe one day I can do a frame with mine. Lovely gift and sentiment.
Hugs,
Bev
Thanks, Bev. I used to live in South Florida and know Davie quite well. Thanks for visiting!
Wow, that is a fabulous frame! Love the bling Carol. Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful frame at DI&DI.
How glorious to encapsulate your life and outlook on life in such a lovely object.
I salute you for both.
Thanks Joanna
Carol, what a clever way to display and enjoy your treasures! “And Today I Choose Joy” is a wonderful say. Thanks for sharing this week and I hope to see you back again.
Thanks Tom
It’s beautiful. What an awesome gift. Stopping by from Amaze Me Monday!
Thanks for the visit!
So many individual treasures…and then a treasure unto itself! The picture frame is wonderful! I love that it was made especially for you, from things that mean a lot to you! It’;s just beautiful!
Thanks, it’s very precious to me.
This is just beautiful love how she worked your pins in the frame what a way to remember everyone thanks for sharing pinning and sharing
Thanks for the pin.
This frame is beautiful and the story behind it even more so. What a lovely way to display the past and a memory of those who you love. A vintage looking piece too. Love it and I thank you for sharing it today at Thankful Heart!
Thanks Michelle
Oh my this is gorgeous!! I love it!!
I hope you’ll add Mommy Monday to your list, we go live Sunday night. 😉
I’ll be proud to participate this Sunday. I am now following you! Thanks for visiting.
What a sweet keepsake and it is so pretty! I used to make vintage button frames so I know how much work goes into it. Your friend did a wonderful job!
Thanks!
What a beautiful way to display vintage jewelry! I’d like to feature your lovely frame at Tuesdays with a Twist! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Thank you so much Marci! I would love that!
How sweet! I love that the frame incorporates so many pieces and memories. What a wonderful keepsake.
Your frame is so lovely and special since it is made with your vintage jewelry and that of your family. It was a truly perfect gift. Thank you for sharing at Vintage Charm. It is inspiring me to make something with my vintage jewelry.
What a cute little picture frame!! And it was the Most Viewed from last weeks Party!! It will be a feature!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Pinned!
Thank you so much for the feature!
Such a pretty frame! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
This is such a wonderful frame! How nice that your friend made this for you. It’s a great idea to have all those family treasures on display where they can be seen and enjoyed.
Oh, I agree. Hiding treasures in boxes and drawers. I used to have lots of little boxes of jewelry from my mother, etc. hidden in a drawer. I much prefer to be able to see them.Have a wonderful day.
Hello Carol. Gosh I love this so much. I’ve been eyeing these sorts of ideas off on Pinterest for years now. You’ve inspired me to actually give it a go. Your version is stunning! I’ve featured this post at A Tray of Bliss today. Thankyou for sharing at my neverending Five Star Frou-Frou Linkup. Love, Mimi xxx
Thanks, Mimi! Have a wonderful week!