The End of the Year

Have you missed me?  I have missed you too.  It has been a crazy and wonderful past few months.  Blogs have taken a backseat to processing inventory but if you have been in the shop you have forgiven me.  Our store is so lovely and brimming with yummy pieces to wear.

Lindsay has been busy posting stuff to the website.  Frustratingly for her she has had to mark it “sold” almost as quickly as she has put it up.  Do you appreciate how torturous our jobs are?  We spend months getting an item ready only to have it sell and then we have to start all over.  Trust me, it is a lot easier when you sell something like designer jewelry that is new and you sell a ring and you can just pull out its replica from the drawer and put the copy out.  A lot easier, and a lot less interesting!

We are enjoying a few quiet days while we prepare for 2012.  Can you believe it?  2012 sounds so damn futuristic!  Why am I not traveling to work in my hovercraft?!

So what do you want for 2012?  I just ask for more of the same.  The health and happiness of my family and the joy of the hunt for interesting and lovely jewelry at work.  2011 gave me not only a new baby but a new shop to work in.  I just want time to enjoy it.  I want to share with you my favorite toast.  In Spanish we say “Salud, Pesetas y Amor: y el tiempo para disfrutarlo”.  So when midnight arrives on New Year’s Eve you can say that or the translation: “Health, Money and Love: and the time to enjoy them”.  I think that sums it up nicely, don’t you?

- Cristina

Proust Questionnaire: Melissa

I feel a bit like the proverbial groundhog that just popped out of its burrow to quest for spring.  It has been several weeks without blogging but here I am and I am not going to miss a beat from now on! (brave, heedless and probably untrue words, but hey- they sound good!)

So I return to the Proust Questionnaire with Melissa as my target.  She, as you well know, is a gemologist at Past Era and expecting a little baby boy in February.  Mel is an intriguing mixture:very child-like yet with a practical turn of mind.  She talks about Disneyworld with unbridled enthusiasm and chomps on candy all day long yet can astonish with her wordly wisdom.  

She chose a ring she loves to represent her but I couldn’t talk her into channeling it.  *sigh* Please read on for her answers!

What is your favorite virtue? Integrity

 What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being surrounded by loved ones.

 What is your current state of mind? Dreamy

What is your greatest fear? Being alone.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Indecisiveness

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty

What is your greatest extravagance? Cars.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Chastity

What is it that you most dislike? Insects.

On what occasion do you lie? To protect the people I care about.

What do you dislike the most about your appearance? My graying hair.

What is the quality you most like in a man? Sensitivity.

In a woman? Sanity.

In your friends? Loyalty.

What is your favorite occupation? Researching.

What is your favorite color? Blue

Your favorite flower? Daisies.

Your favorite author? Honey I haven’t read enough!  Margaret Mitchell.

Your favorite hero/heroine? Susan B. Anthony

Which words of phrases do you most overuse? “Worse things have happened.” “It is what it is.”

What historical figure so you most identify with? I don’t know that I do…

What or who is the greatest love of your life? I should say Ken but I want to say my whole family.

What living person do you most admire? My dad.

When and where were you happiest? The south of France seven years ago.

Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to be athletic; you know, be picked first for the team!

What do you consider your greatest achievement? I’m going to be having a family soon.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I would be decisive.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing what would it be? Bananas Foster.

If you could change one thing about your family what would it be? I would have brothers or sisters. A larger family.

What is your most treasured possession? My photographs.

What is your chief characteristic? I don’t thing I have anything uniquely identifying. Patience.

What is your favorite name? Marie.

What is your greatest regret? I don’t have any regrets because everything that has happened has made me who I am today.

Past Era featured on The Red Vault's blog!

Victorian Revival Sapphire, Diamond and Blue Enamel Cluster Ring, c.1940

If you have been a fan of Past Era for very long, then you probably know that we are members of the Houston Antique Dealers Association (known as HADA). Every fall, we head to the convention center with some of our most tasty pieces.  The Red Vault has just featured us on their blog in their coverage of this year’s HADA show, which starts later this month.

Click here to read the article!

We're Open!

It’s true, it’s finally happened…our new doors are open!

Please come visit our new shop and play with some of our new sparkles.  We will help you beat the heat with chilled drinks, cold a/c and fresh new jewelry.

Our new location is:

3433 West Alabama

Houston, Texas 77027

713.621.3433

Hours: Tues - Sat, 10 - 6

We have moved! Whoo hoo!

This is just a tantalizing glimpse of our new location.  Note that Hildi is sitting at her desk IN FRONT OF A WINDOW.  With trees outside!  Oh bliss!  Everything is coming along swimmingly.  We would love to tell you to pop right over right away but we still have a few more things to iron out.  So please be patient- and keep your fingers crossed- we hope to be able to greet you presently.