FREAK-ING-OUT 2009

On the last day of this year, 2009, I have to say I am TRULY BeYoNd FLABBERGASTED that we had an AMAZING 14 YEAR RECORD DECEMBER!!!!! -- in THIS economy???  losing the last shopping Saturday before Christmas to massive snow???

ANTHILL FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS -- YOU SOOO ROCK!!!

Thank you chandelier makers/creators/restorers. Thank you estate jewelry lovers.  Thank you fellow vintage jewelry passionates.  Thank you crystal mavens.  Thank you re-use, recycle, recreate visionaries.
And of course, THANK YOU SO MUCH to my lovely Kay necklace collectors!!

It has been so much fun, and I hope we can make 2010 as REMARKABLE as 2009 has been.

HUGE HUGS and GRATITUDE.

~ ~ ~  Please be safe this New Year's Eve!! ~ ~ ~

Waxing Nostalgic

12/30/09

It was a long time ago that I made this. 

And just now it struck a cord in me as I passed it in my archives. 

I never repeated a design like it.

I don't know why. 

Maybe 2010 will have me revisit the look?







Signed Kay Adams, A0505
Pop Collection, Sold

Martha Knows

12/29/09

As Martha Stewart would say --

"It's a good thing."






















Signed Kay Adams, A1879
Bitz Collection, Sold

BOOYAH!

12/28/09

Complete booyah-ness.
























Signed Kay Adams, L1905
Juice Collection, Sold

The Duchess in Anthill?

12/27/09

I stay way too backlogged blogging on my fabulous customers!!

I've been wanting to blog on Susan for a long time, but half the time when a bunch of us crazy girls are all in Anthill together, there is so much creative energy and we all get so hyper and giddy and frenzied, I even forget to pull out my camera!!

Well not this time, NO SIR!! When I saw Duchess Susan (I think she may be Sarah Ferguson's sister??) come into Anthill, I had that camera POISED, FOCUSED and READY to ROLL!

Here she's got on a stack of two necklace beauties, plus an element or two from former Kay pieces she's bought in the past! SMART!!

Susan knows how to create new pieces by repositioning and recreating with all the removable elements from her collection of Kay's -- and that's the idea!!!

It's the gift that keeps on giving -- so indeed, be creative like Susan and let it give to you a new way every day!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Duchess Susan! ☺











Click here for more Susan blog fun!

Signed Kay Adams, A1604, A1672
Both from the Lore Collection, Sold

Particularly Pretty

12/26/09

Very lightweight antique celluloid former brooch.

Looks like platinum. (Can you believe celluloid? --- it's a marvel in it's own right . . . )

Amazing in person.

Come see it!! ☺


Signed Kay Adams, A1859
Bitz Collection, $85

HOLLY JOLLY JOY JOY

12/25/09!!!


Have a a good ole fashioned heapin'
helpin' of HAPPINESS and HAM today!




MeRRy CHrIStMaS!!

In Hopes that Saint Nicolas

12/24/09

. . . soon would be there!


Almost there peeps!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!



















Signed Kay Adams, A1883
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, $130, Sold

The Reason

12/23/09


For the season.























Signed Kay Adams, A1817
Lore Collection, $295, Sold

Teeniest Tinyiest Cutest Christmas Tree

12/22/09

1950's salvaged perfection.


Glittered and pearled, just as it existed in the day . . .


Hung from dreamy blue zircon crystals with four twinkling vintage green aurora dangles.


CHRISTMAS CHARM! :)














Signed Kay Adams, A1894
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, $65, Sold

Minimal Yum

12/21/09

This is a one side of an threaded screw style hat pin.

The epitome of art deco.

Probably around 75 years old.

Made of two-tone celluloid and old rhinestones.

Minimalist, yet distinctively yummy.

Signed Kay Adams, A1843

Bitz Collection, $55

Caribbean Trees?

12/20/09

More trees!!!!!!!!!!

But THESE trees are on faceted turquoise, giving a little
funky island twinkle to your Christmas cheer!!









Signed Kay Adams, A1733
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, Sold

Guaranteed to Make YOU Smile! =D

12/19/09

I HAD TO, HAD TO, HAD TO blog on Gaby today.

See, we have been hit with a HUGE SNOW STORM on the east coast -- about 12 inches in my neck of the woods!!

And guess what day this is?  Saturday -- as in, THE LAST SATURDAY TO SHOP BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!

So guess who's city came to a grinding halt?  Well, hundreds of them --INCLUDING OURS, and accordingly our usually quite lively little chock-a-block antique shop.

BOO! That made me sad.

BUT!!!!!!!  There's always a bright side.  And today it's Gaby!

Gaby makes me HAPPY!

Thus I am blogging on her CRAZY, HAPPY, FUNNY, LOVELY SELF!

Her latest Kay necklace was Christmas trees, and ain't she just the bee's -- I mean tree's -- knees in it??

Gaby, you makes us laugh EVERYTIME you come in!


YOU ARE THE BEST!!!  Thank you for being a BEAUTIFUL BALL OF ENERGY.  Thank you for *ALWAYS* making us smile.  AND THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU!! 

Have a SUPER DUPER VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!   

Signed Kay Adams, A1732
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, Sold

Jingle Bells

12/18/09

JINGLE
ALL
THE
WAY!!!


(Jingle in spirit, 'cause there's actually no bells on this funny Christmas bunny).

















Signed Kay Adams, A1736
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, Sold

Pearly

12/17/09

A luscious medallion of pearls hang
beneath a decadent chain of pearls.

It's so very . . .

Pearly.



















Signed Kay Adams, A1705
Strike Collection, $65

The Santa Claus'es ARE IN TOWN!!

12/16/09

I bet you may not have known that Santa is a quintuplet!!

Yes it's true!!  That's the secret to how so much can get done on Christmas Eve!!

And every year all the Santa siblings come to Carytown -- Anthill specifically -- to hang out amid all the irresistible sparkle . . . and twinkle . . . and glittering JOoLS!!

Shhhh -- did you know that the Santas do alot of their shopping in Anthill?? 

Of course, when I see all these Santa brothers together, I can't resist making a necklace to commemorate their festive visits -- and then --- Jackie couldn't resist the commemorative necklace!!

Funny how things work out like that!

Merry Christmas Jackie!!

☻









Signed Kay Adams, A1755
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, Sold

Pearls and Gold

12/15/09

Pearls and gold.

Classic.






















Signed Kay Adams, A1860
Posh Collection, $210, Sold

Lit Up Like a Christmas Tree!

12/14/09

B.A.'s sunny smile . . .
it's LIT UP like those decorated Christmas trees she's wearing around her neck! ☺

And I couldn't be more proud than to see her enjoying it so!!

Our facebooking expresses
the ~~glee-fest~~
perfectly!! . . . .





THANK YOU B.A.!!

I LOVE IT ON YOU!

HAVE THE MERRIEST OF CHRISTMAS'es!!

(and be sure to wear it every July also, so you can
celebrate the proverbial "Christmas in July" hoopla!!)





Signed Kay Adams, A0862
XmaS YearRouNd Collection, Sold 

Bar None

12/13/09

And then it dawns on you that an old gold-filled tiebar with hand engraved initials and gracefully scrolled edges could be completely elegant as a necklace.



Signed Kay Adams, A1827
Bitz Collection, $75

Littlest Customer, Biggest Necklace

12/12/09

Does she know how to wear it, or what????

This diminutive wonder ain't nothin' but a half-pint and she can pull off some of the most COLOSSALeST COOLeST necklaces -- with more savoir-faire FLAIR -- than you can imagine!!

And she's also an EXPERT stack-attacker.

She KNOWS what to combine and layer to make new looks
and necklaces at will.

Smart, beautiful and tiny -- let's just all be jealous together!!!

Love ya, Little Donna. You and your family
have a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!





In the above photo, Little Donna
is stacking two of her fab pieces:

A1572 and A1482
Both from the Juice Collection






Former blogs on this cutie:
Where For Art Thou, Juliet
Now That's Hot

Illustrating a Wilde Point

12/11/09

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.
Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is.

It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want.

Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist."

    ~ Oscar Wilde













Signed Kay Adams, A1810
Juice Collection, $495

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!

12/10/09


CrAzY, WiLD, WoNderFuL, FLOSSY!


I dare ya!!




















Signed Kay Adams, L1747
Juice Collection, Sold

Beautifully Distressed

12/09/09

I'd say more, but the title covers it.

Signed Kay Adams, A1765
Joy Collection, $115, Sold

Factoring Polynamials

12/08/09

Adorability factor?

High.

Wearability factor?

Daily.

Enjoyability factor?

Ooohh Yeah.














Signed Kay Adams, A1656
Lux Collection, $155, Sold

Christmas -- It's In the Air!!!!!

12/07/09

Bbbbrrrrrrrr, shhivvverrr . . .

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.

It's getting close, people!!!!









Signed Kay Adams, A1734
XMaS YeaRouNd! Collection, $195, Sold

Like Mother, Like Daughter

12/06/09

I feel a kindred spirit with these two, because they remind me of my Mother and I.

This is Elizabeth and her daughter Carla. I've blogged on Elizabeth before and mentioned I would be thrilled to be just like her when I grow up. She's so in touch with her playful little inner-child, it's CoNtAGIoUs!!

And Carla has the same exact spirit! She's the molecular scientist PhD turned Scientific Seamstress --that is to say, pattern-maker and designer extraordinaire with a major following!! Check her out (she does doll patterns to drool for -- which brings us back to that fabulous inner-child connection again!!)

I don't always get to see Carla when they come by, as Carla lives in Maryland, but on this recent visit, Carla got to come too! And true to that beautiful mother-daughterness, each found the perfect Kay necklace. :)

Elizabeth, being the fashion plate she is, is STACKING TWO KAYS!! (ain't she the bomb??) And Carla is sporting a completely beautiful and wearable three-piece Kay that fits her to a tee!! And btw, they are both wearing Carla's tops!!

I love this picture of you two!! It makes me smile! ♥☻♥


Signed Kay Adams, A1634 & A1642
Joy and Lux Collections, Sold

Speaking of ♥'s . . .

12/05/09



Still diggin' those ♥'s!



Notice the Peter Max style ♥ in the center. I think it's my favorite ♥ ever!


Notice the art nouveau silver relief ♥ on the right. That's my second favorite ♥!!


Notice the engraved initials on the small golden ♥.  Now that's what I call a sweet ♥!










Signed Kay Adams, A1775
Blast Collection, $255, Sold

H♥arts!

12/04/09


Eye ♥ ♥'s!























Signed Kay Adams, A1773
Blast Collection, Sold

LIFT OFF!

12/03/09

World, SHE HAS LAUNCHED!!!

This is a great friend of mine, with a HEART as big as PLANET EARTH, and with TALENT THE SIZE TO MATCH!!

She has launched her long awaited photography website, and I truly, TRULY recommend you check her work out. It is nothing short of breathtaking.
I put some thumbnails below to show the scope, diversity and precision of her imagery. You are in for a treat!!

Kim, I love your beautiful self. I'll never forget meeting you and Gordon in Anthill many years ago, and I've saved that sweet card you wrote after your visit, to this day.

You are a special creature and my world is richer for knowing you. Congrats on your site!!


Oh, and btw, that's a Kay that Kim is wearing, of course.
She has LOTS of Kays -- L-O-T-S!!! :))

Now, FEAST YOUR EYES ON THESE, then go pick a custom pack of her cards!!! :))

kimleedesigns.zenfolio.com or flickr.com/photos/kimleedesigns