misosouper, a shopping blog

Because these lovely paper blooms will last for all eternity(-ish).

Yes, I know these white ceramic guns have been around, been featured, been done; but I haven’t recently encounted any other vase that would make your corner-store Valentine’s Day carnations look as sexy.

A couple of years ago, I saw a nattily dressed man walking down the street in NYC, talking feverishly into his banana cell phone holder.

Reader, I loved him.

If a woman wears black pearls, then I usually love her style.  Black pearl girls are usually dramatic dressers, who know tradition but willingly subvert it.  Their clothes usually have an air of the Victorian, the Goth; and it follows that they have a scarab or a snake somewhere on their person.  They like heels, but cagey, tottering ones; and jeans, but tight, dark ones.  They’re not afraid to mix metals, wearing gold, silver, and even brass and pewter jangling together as one.  Their hair is ridiculously long, or ridiculously short.

These black pearl studs are a good place to start.  They are dark, but iridescently so, and can appear violet, indigo, or even deep peacock green in the right light.  If diamonds aren’t her thing (and dudes, take note:  fewer women like diamonds than you think), we’d like to help you out:  score a pair of 7-8mm freshwater black pearl earrings from the lovely Museum Way Pearls by leaving a comment on this post, explaining whether you (or your beloved) are a black pearl girl or a white pearl girl, and why.  One lucky winner will be selected at random.

the fine print:

Comments will be closed and entries will not be accepted after 11:59 pm EST on Saturday, January 31, 2009.  The winner will be selected on Sunday, February 2, 2009, and notified by e-mail.  Results of the giveaway will be announced on Monday, February 3, 2009.  Multiple entries will not be accepted, and previous giveaway winners are not eligible.  Misosouper, a shopping blog reserves the right to disqualify entries that are incomplete, inaccurate, or considered spam.

A necklace as simple as the other is baroque.  (Well, sort of.  Look closely (click the link), and you’ll see how Arielle de Pinto’s designs are actually hand-crocheted from silver and vermeil.)