Favorite {Photo} Friday! #21 & a Contest!

Happy Halloween! I've been waiting for this day to show you this Favorite Photo! I can't believe I've been doing this for 21 weeks now! Thanks to Stella for the idea, it's so much fun! :)


This photo is from Halloween 2005. Our friends Donna and Mo threw an amazing Halloween party in their to-die-for Italian villa; here I am with my dear friend and then-co-worker, Debbie. At the time I had long blondish hair, but everyone at the party told me I should cut off all my hair and dye it red because they loved the wig on me. I'd been looking for a change anyway, so I called up the lovely Trisha, another co-worker whose "normal" (meaning not in Italy) job was as a hair stylist. We held our consultation in the hair-color aisle of the Base Exchange and decided on a blend of two colors. The next day I was a redhead with short hair and I haven't looked back since! I hadn't told anyone (besides Jason and Trisha) that I was even considering it, so everyone was completely shocked--I still remember walking into work and everyone totally flipping out, ha ha! People didn't even recognize me!

The great thing about becoming a redhead in Italy (or Europe in general) is that they wear a lot of crazy shades of red hair, from flame orange to deep burgundy, and I got to try them all out without people looking at me like I was crazy! :) I went brighter in the summer and darker in the fall and winter. When it got closer to us coming back to the States I started going towards more natural shades, which I think I'll stick with for a while. :) A lot of people are surprised when they compliment me on my haircolor and I tell them it's from a bottle; my coloring lends itself to red hair, I guess. My Grandma Lois is a redhead (and was a "Beautician" as they used to call themselves) so she was thrilled to finally have a redheaded grandchild, ha ha! When we're seen together people say, "Oh, she got your red hair!" and we just laugh and say, "Yep!"

When I look back at photos from when I had long blonde hair I feel like I'm looking at a different person; I feel more like myself as a redhead! People ask Jason if I have that famous redhead personality and he smirks at me and says, "Oh, she's grown into it!" Ha ha, my funny guy. :P

And now, the contest: the first person to correctly guess what I was in the above photo will win one of my bamboo pendant necklaces! Like this one or this one:


Swirls belongs to Sooz and Art belongs to Katie so it won't be either of these but now you know what I'm talking about. :) AND, just to be fair and fun and since it's Halloween and I want to give away treats and get as many comments as possible, I'll give another pendant away to a random person who posts a comment (on this post) and has their name pulled from a hat. Post a comment between now and, oh, say Sunday evening, and you just may be a lucky winner!

Since a couple of people e-mailed me to let me know they'd be stalking my etsy, I thought I'd let you know I've been having photography problems because I'm an insane perfectionist and I haven't been able to get the shot the way I want it. But here are a couple shots I can live with so I'll just post them here!

I have two sets in white/off-white:

And one set in dark green/brown/blue/plum:

The pendant is about 1 3/4" by 1/2" and the chain is 20", long enough to go over a sweater or turtleneck. :) They're very delicate and pretty, and handmade by me with freshwater pearls wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire onto a fine silver handmade and hammered "frame." The earrings are sterling silver hooks with wire-wrapped pearl drops. Each set of necklace and earrings is $45... e-mail me at createbeautydaily(at)gmail.com to order, first come first served, and please specify which color you'd like. :)

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Update: Heather was the first to correctly guess my costume! Great job, Heather, I should have known that you'd know it right away! :) Everyone else continue to comment and I'll draw names on Sunday evening! :)