My Brooch Collection

Hi guys!

Today I thought I'd take you behind the scenes and give you a peek at...

I collect fun, quirky and novelty accessories, from handbags to jewellery. I don't know when my love for quirky accessories first started, but it was over a decade ago. My collections aren't huge, but are growing all the time and one of my favourites is my brooch collection.

My brooch collection is made up of about twenty-three pieces, but at one time it was much larger. (I regularly declutter and pass on pieces I get tired of). I own a variety of modern and vintage brooches, most are quirky designs but I have a few more traditional pieces, too. None of them cost a lot of money, but I love them just the same.

Here's a closer look at my collection...

These three resin brooches are all from Cath Kidston, and I've had them since last Autumn. I love fun, novelty accessories like these three, and I definitely wear them more than any of the others in my collection. They look so cute with many of my dresses, and they're so well made for the £6 (each) they cost me. I can't decide if the strawberries or the toadstool is my favourite.

These three woodland pins were also from Cath Kidston and came as a set of three. They were available an A/W or two ago but I managed to snap them up on sale from an outlet store. I love foxes and have done since I was little, so I couldn't leave without them, and I'm glad I didn't because they make lovely finishing touches to a lot of my Autumn and Winter outfits.

These four are also by Cath Kidston; I have a bit of a Cath Kidston addiction, as you've probably noticed by now! (I own dozens of CK things from jewellery to travel accessories, notebooks and kitchenware. I actually blogged about my collection last year, which you can read here, although my collection has grown since then).

The three metal pins were a birthday present from one of my sisters a couple of years ago; I particularly love wearing the little robin during the festive season. The little wooden blue tit is about a year old, and from the AW13 collection. They're all so cute.

These three brooches are all vintage pieces that I picked up in Camden's indoor Lock Market several years ago. The two green brooches were from a stall specialising in vintage jewellery, and I think the pink one was from a vintage shop called Berty and Gerty. I bought a few others on that trip, but eventually let go of them during a clear out. Unfortunately, the two brooches on the ends have each lost a gem now and are looking a little worse for wear, but I haven't got the heart to throw them out.

I won these three novelty brooches from a giveaway Rachel ran on her blog last year, along with a box full of amazing little goodies. I think Rachel actually made these three in to brooches herself! She's a woman after my own heart; I was obsessed with Sylvanian Families when I was little and I even talked about wanting to turn some in to jewellery! Great minds think alike! I still need to learn how to make jewellery so I can give it a shot. I was also a big fan of My Little Pony growing up, so these three immediately won me over! They're so fun and add a sense of humour to any outfit.

The cameo brooch, featuring Flower from Disney's Bambi was bought from Etsy, but I can't remember which Etsy shop I bought it from. Just as well, really, because it wasn't well made, and I wouldn't have recommended them to you. There's a lot of glue showing on the back where the pin was poorly attached, although thankfully it's not noticeable once it's pinned to my clothes.

The pretty pink bird is another piece I won; I recently won it from Char's giveaway, and it was lovely to unwrap the polka dot paper to find it inside. It's beautiful and so unlike any other brooch I own.

I used to have a bit of a thing for owls, until the fashion world suddenly went owl crazy a couple of years ago and I got bored of seeing the same boring designs everywhere I turned. I still love the feathered kind, but owl accessories can be a bit hit and miss with me these days. The owl brooch on the left was bought when the craze began, either from Topshop or Accessorize; I forget which, and the owl on the right was a present from my Mum, possibly from last Christmas.

These two are both vintage pieces that were passed on to me from family members. My Mum thrifted the pearl brooch a few years ago, and I forget what the story was behind it, but it's a mid-century piece. 

The cute little lizard belonged to my Nan, and it was given to me when she died eleven years ago. I don't know how old it is, or where it came from, but I suspect it's just a costume piece. It's sad that I don't even remember her wearing it or know how she came to own it; we didn't have a close grandmother-granddaughter relationship since we didn't live close by for regular visits, I was extremely shy and she was quite reserved. Still, it's one of those pieces of jewellery I cherish because it belonged to her. I think it's a really cute brooch, but I'm too scared to wear it in case it falls off my clothes and I lose it.

And finally, this little red corsage was made and given to me by my Mum. She made it one Christmas and it only took her an hour or two! I wish I knew how to make things like this!

And that's my little brooch collection. It may be small, but it's sure to grow steadily as time goes on. I'm always on the look-out for awesome new designs to add to my dressing table.

So, why do I love brooches?

I love wearing brooches because they're such an effortless form of accessorizing and easily finish off a variety of outfits, while helping to keep cardigans in place over dresses on blustery days. At one time I wouldn't be seen dead in a brooch because 'only old ladies wore brooches!' (-said teenage me), but today there are plenty of fun, fashionable designs for the younger audience which prove that brooches needn't be frumpy. 

What about you; do you wear brooches, or would you rather die than be seen wearing one?

Have you got a collection to rival mine?