PP's 6.5-7mm multicolour freshwater strand

Everybody is correct. Think of small impulse purchases as draining your coffers. Think of your wonderful strand receding into the distance, as your coffers leak.

I put my unconsummated-impulse-$$$ into a BigFund cut-crystal-powder jar. I watch it grow. (Mostly. Sometimes I watch appliances gobble it up like pacman. Still, that's better than having no wiggle room; I'm not griping).

I think you'll either get bored with the idea of your BigPurchase, and have money to spend guilt free, or succeed and get those Goldens.

whatever you do, tell yourself "Yes!"; don't tell yourself "No" or you'll feel deprived and sad. I mean, tell yourself "yea! Yes, I'm saving! My dream is getting closer!" Not "No, I'm not treating myself to a goodie :-(".
 

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Haha lol Lisa I like your yes theory. I don't think I'll ever get bored of the idea of a golden strand: magical little balls of gold retrieved from the deepest darkest oceans, around my neck... haha I know I'm romanticising it just a little bit....
 
Just a little bit :D

Know what else? I'm giving myself a pep talk, more than anyone else :rolleyes:

(Big hug, thank you for laughing! )

Notice my powder jar is empty? It isn't really, the fund is just very small; also, USA dollars just aren't as pretty as UK paper. I think gold nuggets would be pretty, don't you?
 
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Now who could say no to a gold nugget! You know, I've never seen a US dollar...your coins are called quarters right? As a sideline, Lisa that jar is so pretty!
 
Thank you again, Moonpie. :D It's one of my favorite cut crystal pieces, with a music box in the lid! The box was frozen when I bought it, but taking it apart and reassembling it fixed that. (I could never do that again)

Little bell shaped pearls will replace the bells, to look more like lily of the valley.

your romanticism is well-founded - spell-binding.
 
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Lisa C I love your wish fund jar ... you are so right, it needs pearl "lilies of the valley" someday : )
 
Moonpie - you are making the right move. I, like many others, bought too many average fun pieces that I enjoyed for a few years... now I never ever wear them. Waste of money. And believe me it all adds up... 100$ here 300$ there..over a year or two... I could have bought one very nice strand.

As others have noted you are on the right track ! Stay strong !
Go for quality. The best you can afford. And you need to set a reasonable limit on each purchase. There is no end to the amount of money that can be spent on a strand...well ..there probably is but it's really damn high lol So make a list and start saving !



Lisa !! OMG I love that crystal jar !! How gorgeous ! I have a 'stash' in a drawer that I drop my coins into... Australia has a 2$ coin and it's about the size of a nickel. Those little rascals add up fast !! I empty out my handbag every few days and pick out the 'gold' coins ( 1$ coins as well) and drop them into a little zip up satin bag. But it's no where near as wonderful as your 'stash' container !! And you fixed the music box ... truly impressed am I (sounds like Yoda) . Well done!
 
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You guys, thank you for your enthusiasm! I'm delighted you like my treasure. I went through a period when I collected American Brilliant glass...anyway I'll get the pearls drooping elegantly and take a pic.

Kath, yes, the scented body talc had gummed up the mechanism. I have a hard time believing I actually tackled taking it apart, but I figured it was already not working... I ought to replace the mechanism cover; it's celluloid(?) and absorbed the scent of the powder. Does anyone have a remedy for that?
 
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Lisa C, if the celluloid piece is loose and separate from the mechanism now ... I would try burying it an a bowl of baking soda for a couple of days or weeks to absorb the smell ... it's a guess on my part, but as you said, if it's already "broke" you don't have much too loose. Perhaps someone else will have a better technical solution :) My daughter went to grad school in Pittsburgh.
 
Oh Lisa, I love your little glass jar. I would so attach a couple of pearls to the lid.
 
lisa c - You've received great advice (take it from one who knows) and save up for the dream strand. I too love your crystal savings box!
 
image.jpgCathyKeshi,Thanks for the suggestion! (I fixed the music box mechanism and it works)
The leftover talc fragrance is one I particularly dislike, so I don't store anything in it that I want to keep. I'd love to get rid of that odor so I can enjoy the bowl 100%.

hi Red, agreed! I think tiny bell shaped pearls would match the graceful design better than the remaining bell. Another thought I had was a bell cap jewelry finding or something along those lines. I like pearls better.

hi Patty, the closest I can come to identifying the tune is Lily Marlene. ? I didn't write down any patent numbers and it doesn't identify the tune like new music boxes do. The lid says something German...oops, poor memory - it's stamped as above pictured. Needs re-plating.

thanks for the conversation, you guys!
Sorry about that photo, I can't seem to control the placement or size.
 
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Pkin, thanks for your encouragement! Lack of funds currently is having the (contradictory) positive effect that I have time to mull - what is my dream strand? I'm not quite sure...
 
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CathyK- what graduate school? I hope she liked Pittsburgh. I've been here 25yrs and I love it!
 
Lisa C ... University of Pittsburgh, Masters in Library & Information Sciences :) She spent a year in Pittsburgh, and we loved the city, despite thinking it one of the worst cities to drive in we've ever been in ... all those bridges, tunnels and hills to circle round LOL. Mostly what we saw was the inside of our daughter's apartment, the inside of the grocery store, under her car hood, inside WalMart, inside whatever restaurant we ate at and then ... the inside of our car for the long drives back and forth, as we live all the way EAST in PA LOL. The joys of being a good parent ... worth every minute :)
 
How about the Cathedral of Learning?

yeah, you saw the Parents version, lol. Driving around the city did give me palpitations, for sure. I love Mass-Transit (except for the usual downsides) for stress-free navigation of the city.
 
Lisa C, my favorite part of Pittsburgh was a Spanish restaurant named Mallorca ... oh, my :) Yes, the parents' year long guided tour of Pittsburgh ... I didn't even get up the incline LOL
 
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