Wecome To Living In Costa Rica ...Your Homecoming Includes A Shakedown At Customs!

Go HERE for part one of this humorous series about our move to Costa Rica:

Part Two

We were standing in the heat, about a mile from the airport, on hot sticky tarmac with half a dozen Costa Ricans, also called Ticos as they refer to themselves, unloading our ten thousand bags and cats, rattling in Spanish, which to this day I still cannot speak or understand...except for a few choice words. It was probably a good thing at this point on the hot tarmac that I didn't know how to swear in Spanish.

Ticos generally don't like cats and are terrified of them thinking of them the way Americans think of rodents...which I never really 'got' the entire time I was there. So having to handle ours, even in kennels, was something to be discussed, debated endlessly, feared, but eventually accomplished. Look at these faces! How could anyone be afraid of these oversized plush toys?

Latin American is not known for its timliness or efficiency and just because they tell you Costa Rica is not really a third world country any more, you really shouldn't believe them. At best it is a second world country with serious issues around timliness among other agonizing cultural traits that just didn't mix with my North American JAQ expectations...I know gotta learn the local fare, but at that moment I still hadn't become anywhere near local.

Getting our belongings and pets ready to head off for immigration and customs was something out of a Keystone Cops movie and I was literally terrified to let my babies go without me. Just loading everything on the truck took over an hour! And by the time we were reunited with them it was another hour at least. We were put into a van clinging to the family jewels which our hosts wanted to liberate from us and take on the truck with the rest of our luggage. Since that wasn't an option we lugged the heavy bags to the terminal and awaited the arrival of cats and luggage...and waited, and waited!

I've learned through my years of travels there are several phrases I needed to memorize in the native language of whatever country I was in and 'Where is the bathroom' was always the first and most important. Donde esta el banos? Simple right? Wrong! I could not remember how to say this little tiny sentence. When I did finally get something like it out of my mouth the guys looked at me like I was from Mars. You don't get to go potty until after you go through customs. They didn't know Tiny Bladder and that I was permanently damaged from holding it in and now about 7 hours later still praying for intervention by the pee angels. I knew it would be hopeless to beg as they were unsympathetic and my Spanish was non-existent anyway. Still probably a very good thing I was unable to swear in Spanish. So my next best move was to ask for a wheel chair because it was easier to hold it in sitting.

Once again who woulda thunk we still had hours to go before I could pee and we could leave the airport! The terminal was almost empty, a total blessing. The dog was with us on the leash and no one said a thing about it except anyone who saw him wanted to pet him and of course he ate it up! He was more interested in marking the entire airport, so unlike me, he peed his way to customs in every corner on each and every chair leg and trash can. I was hoping no one was looking and wanted to drop my pants and squat at one point on the nearest kiosk but bad luck seemed to follow at every corner. My Tico escort was glued to me with no escape possible.


Our adventure in full swing, we had the unfortunate luck of being the ONLY ones going through customs at the hour we entered the country and the agents were bored and needed something to do to justify their having jobs. So they nearly strip searched us! Everyone of our 25 bags, two knap sacks, purses, fanny packs and pockets were emptied. Ooos and Ahhhhs aside, they were convinced we were theives and smugglers and the jewelry was contraband, so they confiscated it...ALL OF IT! Well, not all of it. They didin't get the stuff in the kennels. So fearful and superstitious about cats, they backed off and wouldn't go near them even to peer into the kennels. And that was good because in those cozy kennels was all the gold.

A cacphony of hysteria broke out. I started crying and wailing because that was the only way I could get their attention, the cats were howling and mewling as only cats can do, Winston was barking non-stop and Bryana stood there stunned and silent. We spent hours and hours trying to explain that the jewelry was ours and not stolen, but the customs agents were not interested nor did they understand us. I got angry, I got funny, I got hysterical, I waved my hands around like a manic in an asylum, I started threatening, I swore...in English, I pleaded, begged and tried bribery offering them each some jewelry for their wives...to no avail. Although this is not me in the video, it sure as heck coulda been...except for the Chinese part. And I bet she can't swear in Spanish either...



Someone who spoke Spanglish finally arrived and after hours of cajoling and begging, pleading and finally greased palms for the lot we came away with our things, our jewels, our pets and no dignity...and I STILL had to pee! But HELL, we were in paradise...right?


End of part two. Stay tuned, part three coming in a couple days.

Some photos "Courtesy of CostaRicaPhotos.com"
Thanks to all other internet sites whose photos I have used. Too many to mention. These are my cats tho'!

A Golden Moment of Time...

I'm sure you've noticed the price of gold lately, flirting with $1,000 an ounce again and even tempting some analysts to say it will hit $2,000 an ounce by the end of the year! Do you follow the gold price? If you don't already and would like to, I like Kitco.com for its live streaming charts 24/7 and lots of other great information.

If you haven't already stashed some away under your mattress or in your cookie jar you still have a chance to invest in gold bullion or awesome collectible gold jewelry which is also a wonderful way to protect your hard won earnings and your grand children's inheritance. And by the way, it's also obviously fun to wear! Check out this fantastic solid 14K gold vintage Swiss watch bracelet studded with diamonds and emeralds. A heavy chunk of gold went toward the custom design and elegant craftsmanship adding up to about 1 1/2 ounces.

Vintage 14K Gold Emerald Diamond Geneva Swiss Ladies Watch Bracelet

Would you like to know more about this gorgeous piece of jewelry? Click the picture or the link and have a look at the details on our Posh Adornment website or in our Posh Adornment Etsy store. We have other solid gold items for sale...and of course you'll find lots of great antique and vintage jewelry that glitters and makes you smile and isn't solid gold.

While I'm thinking about it, do you know the difference between Gold Filled, Rolled Gold, Gold Plated, Gold Vermeil, Tombak and Pinchbeck and the other gold simulants? Interested in discovering the wealth of information on alternates to solid gold? You can read about Gold and Gold Simulants in our article on the same subject on our website.

And by the way, stay tuned for part two of our adventures in Costa Rica!

Cameos Are Forever, Birthdays Come Once A Year!

It was Bryana's birthday a few days ago, and I'm a little late wishing her a Happy Birthday...but then again, she missed her due date by a couple days so I guess we're even. She is the co-founder of our Posh Adornment website and our Posh Adornment store on Etsy even though you don't see her much. She is the main support staff and holds all these many things we do together with her amazingly capable ability to do anything and everything. I don't tell her often enough, but she's really incredible!

Bryana is my first daughter... my only daughter and she's been a peach from day one...actually from before day one. Before the beginning Bryana was the perfect baby in utero and the perfect shopper. After she was born she slept through the night from the beginning, awoke with a gurgle and a smile and loved pretty clothes and jewelry from the git go. Always fashion forward and having great flair, she loved hats and set trends even as a youngun'. She began life at the mall...well, she began life a little before the mall but she spent her earliest days nesting in her nice little warm, dark place in my belly AND at the mall. There was one day in particular at the mall that has sealed itself indelibly into my memory when I was about 5 months pregnant.

It was cold and I was dressed for winter. Never liking panty hose or tights I struggled to get my maternity tights on twisting in ways that my swollen body would not allow and swearing as they kept twisting back on me so I had to continually yank and pull until they went all the way up. And then when they were all the way up, they weren't really all the way up. Because my belly wasn't yet big enough to fill out the kangaroo pouch at the top of the panty hose, they kept going beyond all the way up to the very top of my head. If I had been clever I could have wrapped a rubber band around the top of my head and used them as a cocoon or used them as part of my bank robber disguise but I wasn't that smart in those days.

But I was sort of smart and thought best thing to do was to roll the waistband down to just under my bra and pin them to the bottom of my bra to help them stay up. This was a mistake!

Bryana and I were shopping that day, me in my nifty maternity corduroy jumper, high fashionable winter boots, fur coat and rolled up or down panty hose pinned precariously to my bra. With every step I took the tights were pulling and threatening mutiny and I was left wondering if the girls would tumble out from the bottom of my bra and find a new home in the top of my rolled down panty hose or burst out the top of my bra and find no home at all! And to help matters along Bryana was looking around too checking everything out and making ready for when she could shop on her own. With every twist of her head my rolled panty hose shifted and twisted in sympathy and unison.

It was fortunate for me that I was standing in front of The Gap when the crisis happened. The ripping, whirring sound, the snapping and shussing when the delicate fabric of the tights ripped through the pins and at the speed of light, kept rolling down only to stop at my knees in a morbidly tight tourniquet of elastic and terror instantly disabling me and preventing me from moving with anything like a normal gait. I was finally a mermaid with essentially a tail and two feet attached. All I could do was stand there because when I attempted to walk my feet moved in tiny little circles and the rest of me tilted, threatening to fall flat on my face. Bryana, in the meantime was sqirming and wiggling, trying to get a look at it all from the inside out! You see her face here as she clings with every breath of life to the zip line in the tree tops in Costa Rica? That is not a smile, it is the look of abject terror. That is what my face looked like that fateful day at the mall and it must have stuck permanently in Bryana's memory banks and comes out in similar mortifying situations.

Back at the mall 25 years ago, you might be wondering why I felt it was fortunate to be at The Gap rather than say, in front of Barney's Coffee or a shoe store, no? I was mortified and managed to mince-waddle my way into the store where there were only young, skinny girls were working and begged them to let me use their bathroom. "I'm sorry we don't have public restrooms. There's a public bathroom on the bottom level of the mall." It was this comment where I began to perfect my red-nailed maniacal banshee routine you can read about in my story of my son's birthday here. After explaining my plight and actually lifting my skirt to show them what happened, one scrawny young thing took sympathy on me and helped me roll myself, flipper and all into their back dressing room where I was able to rescue myself. Shoving the girls back in their holding chamber and reattaching the cursed tights in a different and much more comfortable manner, I bought a baby outfit for Bryana and happily exited the mall for the day and went home.

In my haphazard and eccentric life there was always a reward for surviving incidents like these. My then husband and father of my child had a knack of coming up with the best ever jewelry that took away much of the pain and helped me forget my travails. I received this truly astounding, huge cameo which has always been one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and one I have never seen duplicated anywhere, ever. It measures 2 1/2" tall by 2" wide and is beyond fabulicious. Incredible detail and a gilded silver frame. It's also not for sale...soooorrrry!

But if you like cameos these beauties ARE for sale and can be found at our website Posh Adornment or at our site on Etsy.com under the same name, Posh Adornment. Just click the link to read more about them and while you're there have a look around, browse and enjoy our new site!

This is a large and very fine pin or pendant Cameo Of The Goddess Flora set in 14K white gold filigree.

These beautiful earrings are made from the lava of Mt. Vesuvius and are beautifully hand carved Victorian Cameos Of The Goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom. Set in finely detailed brass engravings and for pierced ears.

This is an Art Nouveau Moon Face Lady's Head Czech Cameo Pendant set in brass with an oak leaf ornamentation. Very beautiful, rare and unusual.

And a final HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY BRYANA. Love, mom

The Bells Are Ringing...Is There a Wedding in Your Life This Year?

Are there wedding bells ringing for you or someone you know this year? Are you ready to tie the knot, get hitched, bite the dust and exclaim undying love and devotion forever for your sweetheart? If so, have you found that all important dress, chosen your flowers and caterer, decided upon a location and most important of all...decided on what jewelry you will wear? Are you in a quandry, not quite sure how your dream will unfold? If you haven't made all your plans yet and imminent panic has struck, have no fear! We at Posh Adornment have a great direction to point you toward! How about going VINTAGE or ANTIQUE?!

Not only will you be able to reuse and recycle freeing your conscience and saving your bank account, but best of all, you'll be able to take advantage of the most gorgeous dresses and jewelry available and much that is no longer made or made with the kind of quality and detail that they used in the 'good old days'. Now, I'm not suggesting a vintage or antique dress to help save the silk worms or reusing your aunt Josie's polyester flowers! But there are tons of ways to romanticize your wedding, save a little money if that's your thing...or not, get exactly the perfect dress that will make you feel like a princess and that perfect necklace to make you feel like a queen. Have a look at some of the fabulous antique and vintage dresses and jewelry I have featured here for some new ideas to add to your wedding brew! And while you're looking, remember the mother of the bride, the groom and of course your brides maid's gifts!

When I got married sometime just after the dinosaurs roamed I wore a beautiful antique Civil War wedding dress which I would love to show you but unfortunately our house was victim to a flood a few years ago and we lost many of our valuables and photos :-( so I can't show you my dress...but it looked something like this antebellum styled Oleg Cassini silk beauty featured on Etsy by Eclecticas. Wow, this one would even have fit me then! It was very romantic and my hair was swept up in a curly, whispy do! And best of all, I wore this fabulous sterling silver Art Deco marcasite necklace with matching earrings from Germany, studded with a fabulous genuine amethyst and I was fit to be a queen. The necklace was one of many pieces of amazing jewelry my husband (now my ex, but who knew then?) gave to me. At least he had great taste! (You gotta look on the bright side.)


What about one of these incredible dresses below for your special day? There's genuine antique and antique / vintage style. Etsy has a wealth of goodies and I didn't have to look very far to find these. I'm sure if you search the internet there are more, so have fun with it.

An elegant Vintage Wedding Dress featured by Little Town on Etsy.


Pair the stunning dress above with our fabulous antique, LOOOONG Edwardian Rock Crystal necklace and wrap it three times for a knockout look!

Do you prefer a simpler, more sedate or mo-dern look? This unusual Edwardian Great Gatsby antique linen dress offered by Neatcurios is stunning and a marvelous twist on the more decorative wedding dress, offering a lovely pallete for any jewelry you might want to add.

How about pairing that amazing Gatsby dress with this feminine Art Nouveau Pink Sapphire Glass Czech necklace?

Or... for a more contemporary look, visualize the Gatsby dress with this eye popping necklace of Large Natural Amethyst Royal Purple and Gold Beads? Just be careful when your eyes pop to keep track of where they might roll! :-)

Are you a die hard romantic whose gotta have lace, fantasy and the top dog most feminine antique dress around? If so look at these two amazing antiques. First, is the most divine and quintesential Victorian silk wedding dress replete with hand made lace and the perfect look! Offererd by fadedrosevintage.

Accessorize this outstanding dress with an outstanding piece of Victorian jewelry, our Victorian Porcelain Protrait Cameo Necklace a 2die4, great find from the mid 1800s.

And look at this remarkable, romantic Edwardian Gauze wedding dress offered by myfavoritevintage. Totally hand made and so cool for a hot summer wedding!

Wear that summery gauze dress with our stunning Edwardian Rock Crystal Necklace long and languid or doubled or try it with a deep heart throb red Antique Art Deco Natural Faceted Cherry Amber Necklace for a marvelous, different look!

And last but not least, for those of you wanting something intensely romantic and very different, here's a beautiful vintage Gone With The Wind inspired dress from ForeverClassique. Pair this with our Art Deco Topaz Vauxhall Glass Festoon Necklace for a smashing summer wedding look that will make all your friends envious!

For some it's about the dress and for others it's the flowers or the location. For us, it's all about the jewelry of course. Remember the mother of the bride, the groom who needs a wedding band and studs, your bride's maids gifts and have a look at what we have to offer in vintage and antique jewelry at our Posh Adornment! website or at our Etsy Posh Adornment store.

For more great wedding day ideas for Etsians and non-Etsians alike, check out the Indie Wedding Guide where you'll find a complete directory of vintage wedding suppliers, contests, and lots of relevant and helpful information for your big day!

I hope this has been an enlightening and helpful article as well as enjoyable. It's always fun to look at gorgeous dresses and jewelry! Congratulations if it's your big day coming up. We'd love to see what you choose to wear, so send your photos to poshadornment@yahoo.com and I'll post them on our blog!

And REMEMBER! This gorgeous jewelry is not just for weddings. You can wear it every day! :-)

OMG It's SNOWING in Atlanta!

Well I'll be darned! It's March 1st and it's been in the 60's here all week but go figure! It's snowing here now! Comin' down like cats and dogs ...or should I say like groundhogs! We thought Puxatony Phil had lost his marbles this year when he saw his shadow predicting that we'd have another 6 weeks of winter, but sure as shootin' he's one smart ground HOG! Come to think of it I do remember the winter blizzard of 1993 which happened here in late March. Oh that was a great story that perhaps I'll revisit one day and put on the blog for y'all to have a good laugh over.

We're not going out in this yukky wet mess a combination of snow, sleet and rain, a.k.a. snaining and I'm busy getting ready to list a few more fabulous goodies today. Here's a quick peak at what's coming! But you can always find our items in either of our shops ... on our website Posh Adornment or in our Posh Adornment store on Etsy.

Think wedding, brides, and gorgeous vintage style when you think about these pieces...or just think about wearing them everyday. Can't miss jewelry! Enjoy!

RARE Antique Edwardian Clear Faceted Rock Crystal Vintage Necklace

Feminine Edwardian Amethyst Glass Festoon Swag Necklace

Stunning Amethyst Glass Gold Filled Vintage Drop Earrings

VALENTINES DAY IS NOT MY THING

Ordinarily I prefer to do my loving spontaneously, on days I feel good about, towards those I love at any moment in time and not be directed to a commercial moment to express my love and affection.

I don't like those boxes of 'guess what's in me' chocolates in red hearts or the pressure of having to wonder who will give me a Valentine card or remember me. Or who I have to remember!

Today I have food poisoning for Valentines Day! It was the tainted steak from last night that did me in, so my heart was in my mouth all day ...so to say, and lovin' was not on my mind.

At one point half way between my cuppa tea and the porcelain goddess I remembered it was Valentines Day. I actually stopped throwing up long enough to laugh out loud, envisioning myself and wondering who could possibly love me like this, with hair standing out every which way from my head, sitting there naked as a jail bird with my head crammed in the garbage pail?

And then the door to the bathroom wafted open and in came my beloved, and then a second beloved, and a third and so on so before I knew it I had 9 of my fuzzy boo boos crowding around wondering what the heck I was doing in there!

I have rescued cats and a few dogs, even a praying mantis and above and beyond any day of the year, these are my friends and my lovies. Oh, I know, I have my loving kids, my mom, and once upon a time ago there was my ex and a string of others, ho hum ... and gag, there were those ever present chocolates leaking nougat cream and cheap booze, but no one, nothing, has ever fulfilled that unconditional place in my heart, even if it is in my mouth today, better than my pets.

Without further ado, and in honor of my heart and theirs, here they are...not all of them ... just a few for today. Oscar is up top and of course he is with the JEWELRY because this is a jewelry blog ...right? It's a very nice old Zuni needlepoint ring in sterling silver set with natural turquoise. And there's Pearle, Oscar's mom. She thinks she's a chicken and loves our oven roaster. She's also Zoe's mom and Daphne's mom and you can see them posing like little show girls on a gray satin blanket. Just imagine the tiaras on their heads and little glasses of mint juleps.

And this is Maggie, my special angel cat, and Pearl's sister ...looking very contemplative. I wanted to do a post for you today about Scottish Agate jewelry but other things got in the way, things of a belly aching kind... It's great to express my love and appreciation for my critters openly because really, on a day like today, they are the ONLY ones who would have me exactly as I am without any complaints or judgements.

Even our Corgi Winston, the herding dog who thinks all the cats are cows and has been running them around for 10 years, sat faithfully by my side while I groaned and moaned bowing down to the to the microbes that siezed my gut. And he, faithful bud that he is, sat by keeping me company all day long without complaint.

My best friends and no chocolate required! The Scottish Agate is coming, so stay tuned!