I’ve been thinking lately of how fortunate I am to have such a large family. We’ve had our share of disagreements, and our ups and downs, like any other family, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We are always there to support each other, and we all try to be the type of people that would make our parents proud. 

 In reflecting back on the past generations, I keep wishing that I had one little memento from one of my grandparents or great grandparents. Nothing extraordinary...a lucky penny, favorite book, any trinket that was special to them. I was very lucky to have found some soup bowls and small dessert plates at an auction that were from my great uncle’s restaurant in Dayton, Ohio called Kuntz’s Cafe. With a little more searching I was also able to purchase a coin from my grandfather’s restaurant called The Forum, in the same city. So, that is my memento that I will pass along for the generations to come. 

 With one of my daughters  engaged, and two of my nieces getting married this year, and my many cousins and their children getting married and starting their families, I’ve been imagining how wonderful it would be to have my mothers or grandmothers wedding dress. We were all baptized in the same dress, all eight of us! My love for things remembered and preserving a little piece of the past is what started me on my venture to create jewelry from antique and vintage buttons. 

 My memories of times shared with my parents and grandparents, and reminiscing about  family has inspired me to develop a new line of wedding jewelry. The buttons used on the jewelry in this collection date back to the late 1800’s-early 1900’s and who knows, maybe one of them came from a blouse or jacket worn by my grandma! In creating these pieces I’m taking a small piece of history and preserving it. When someone purchases a one-of-kind piece from the collection, they are also purchasing an heirloom piece that can be passed down for generations to come. Starting a new tradition combining Something Old, Something New’....