Category Archives: Brooch

VPOD: Vintage 1940s Crab Moonstone Pin and Feeling Crabby


vintage 1940s crab moonstone pin

vintage 1940s crab moonstone pin

Feeling crabby? Not me. Not today. The sun is shining and I’m heading home to visit family tomorrow. But like you, I’ve been known to wake up on the wrong side of the bed occasionally. And if you’re not careful and nip it in the bud that crabby feeling can last all day.

But what’s so great is that we get to control our moods. That’s right. YOU are in charge of your moods.

Look, you can’t control the weather. You can’t control  control interest rates. You can’t control if he’ll love you back. But you can control how you feel at any moment.

Wanna feel crabby all day? Go ahead. But life’s a lot more fun when you’re looking at glasses that are half full. So try these quick mood enhancers the next time you’re in a crabby mood:

* Smile and Laugh. Yep, studies show that changing your expression can change your mood and research has also shown that when you laugh, your body releases neurochemicals that improve your mood. (Four-year-olds smile and laugh about 400 times a day. The average adult?  Only about 14 times a day. Something to think about…)

* Listen to Music. Music can stimulate your brain waves and stimulate your body to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood. Plus singing at the top of your lungs when no one can hear you just feels good!

* Exercise. Move that body! You’ll breath deep, sweat out toxins and release endorphins like crazy.

* Cheer Up Someone Else. That’s right. Get out of your own head and make it about someone else. Compliment someone. Thank someone. Let the frazzled mother with three kids and only one item go in front of you at the checkout. Tell that kid in the army uniform that you appreciate his service. It’s hard to stay crabby and irritable when you spread good cheer.

Plus the only time crabby is beautiful is if it looks likes today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1940s crab pin, with its moonstone belly and rhinestones, is featured in Warman’s Costume Jewelry Figurals.

It’s a chic crustacean for a both crabby and not-so-crabby vintage fashionistas!

Available at Decatique Studios.

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

Written on April 26, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1940s, Brooch, costume jewelry, Pins, vintage, Vintage Jewelry
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VPOD: Vintage 1930s Trifari Bat Brooch by Alfred Phillipe


vintage 1930s trifari bat brooch

During my loft-living days about a decade ago, I had a VERY close encounter with a bat  that resulted in a full round of rabies shots for both me and my daughter to the tune of $10,000. So while you might think I’d have good reason to hate these creatures, in actuality, I’m quite concerned for them.

An emerging disease in the last few years known as White-Nose Syndrome is responsible for an over 70% decline in bat populations in the Northeast and it’s affected one species, the little brown bat, to such an extent that scientists expect it to disappear from the region completely in the next 20 years.

Why should you give a hoot about the only flying mammal on the planet?

Well, for one thing, their pest control services are estimated to be worth anywhere from $3.7 to $53 billion dollars a year! But with such huge losses in the bat population from White-Nose Syndrome, scientists estimate between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects are no longer on bats’ dinner menus and may need to killed by pesticides instead. And this, of course, could have far-reaching implications for our eco-system.

So while we should all support bat conservation efforts, we should leave the actual work to the professionals and only come close to a bat ourselves when it’s a jeweled version like today’s VPOD.

This 1930s bat pin was designed by Alfred Philllipe for Trifari as part of the Ming series, which used molded jade as a focal point.

It’s a beautiful bat find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from Vintage Luxury.

(Facts via GardenNews.biz)

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

Written on April 6, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1930s, Brooch, costume jewelry, Eco, Pins, Trifari, vintage, vintage clothing
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VPOD HI/LO: March of the Vintage Penguin Pins


vintage 1950s boucher penguin pin vintage rhinestone and enamel penguin pin

Though penguins live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere and aren’t found in the United States, that didn’t stop Americans from celebrating National Penguin Awareness Day yesterday. That’s right, yesterday was a designated day to celebrate penguins!

If you’re sorry to have missed it because you love penguins’ cute little waddles and their stylish tuxedo coloring, there’s no need to wait another 364 days to reconsider their plight.

After all, these little guys and gals are facing huge survival challenges every day due to overfishing, the acidification of the ocean and climate change. Just this past year, five penguin species in South America and New Zealand were bestowed protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

And while yesterday’s event encouraged us to celebrate the penguins’ plight by dressing in black-and-white, replacing our dekstop wallpaper with penguin pictures and watching the animated film Happy Feet, I’m sure the penguins would much prefer that you check out and support the penguin research, conservation and rescue programs compiled by Dyan deNapoli, the Penguin Lady.

In addition, you can always don a fantastic vintage penguin pin like today’s VPODs. This HI/LO presentation includes two very similar vintage penguin pins with widely disparate prices. Can you identify the HI and the LO?

Either one is a penguin-lovin’ find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from Gaspee Sales at Ruby Lane and from Hawaii Beads on eBay.

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

Written on January 21, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1950s, Brooch, costume jewelry, Pins, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing
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VPOD: Vintage Bee Pins


vintage 1980s ruby and diamond bee pin vintage 1970s diamon and 18k gold bee pin

Do you like fruits and vegetables? If so, then you better like honeybees, too. These little guys are responsible for pollinating 90 food crops that make up one out of every three bites of food on our tables.

So you can understand why scientists are so upset to see bees disappearing at an alarming rate due to what is being called Colony Collapse Disorder.  The reason for the sudden disappearance of the bees is still a mystery, one that is explored in a new documentary that is being touted as perhaps the most important documentary since An Inconvenient Truth.

Filmed in the US, Australia, Europe and Asia and narrated by Ellen Page, The Vanishing of the Bees follows two commercial beekeepers as they strive to keep their bees healthy. More importantly it explores the deeper meaning between these creatures, man and Mother Nature. Watch the fascinating trailer and then sign up to be notified when the film shows in your area. It releases, quite appropriately, on August 22, which is National Honeybee Day.

In the meantime, why not show your support for the bees with one of today’s VPODs. They pack quite a sting with their diamonds, rubies, and 18k gold.

And they’re a great way to share the buzz about the bees for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Beladora.

(Sign up to receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. | Disclosure: Zuburbia is a Beladora affiliate.)

Written on May 14, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in 1970s, 1980s, Brooch, Eco, Green, jewelry, Uncategorized, vintage
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VPOD: Vintage Miriam Haskell Brooch Bling



Just as scarves are a way for fashionistas to dip their toes into vintage clothing waters, brooches are a way to enter the world of costume jewelry. And with out First Lady, Michelle Obama, leading the way with both contemporary and vintage pins on her cardigans and dresses, it’s easy to see why the online edition of Express NightOut reports that a Neiman Marcus spokeswoman has seen a recent increase in brooch buying.

But there’s no need to walk into a department store with so many outstanding vintage versions available at all price ranges. Today’s VPOD features a signed piece by the legend, Miriam Haskell, with faux coral stones and one center rhinestone.

It’s just one fine example of brooch bling for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Jewel Diva.
Discovered at TheFind.com.

(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.)

Written on June 23, 2009 by Mary Kincaid in Brooch, jewelry, Miriam Haskell
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