Finding a Pharoah...in South Dakota?

   This week the title of my blog post is fairly obvious.  Despite my addiction to metaphors, I simply named this essay after the necklace I’m wearing in the above pictures.  Ever since I was quite young I’ve been fascinated by the Ancient Egyptians.  I remember one of my favorite books growing up was, “The Egypt Game,” by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.  I also recall this tale inspiring me to sculpt a decent sized King Tut mask out of clay while in art class.  I spent quite a few hours precariously painting tiny details on that piece, despite my shaky hands.  In addition, during that time of my life I acquired a rather decent sized jewelry collection featuring various hieroglyphics, scarabs, and images of Egyptian Gods.  I’m fairly certain if I dug deep enough through my parents’ home I would be able to unearth several of these buried treasures.

   Not so long ago I was reminded of my forgotten passion for Ancient Egypt when I came across a 1970’s pharaoh mask pendant necklace on Etsy.  I gasped as soon as I saw it.  It was huge, it was gold, it was gaudy, and I had to have it!  The first time I put it on I felt a comforting nostalgia wash over me.  "Ahhh"…things were right with the world again.  One necklace inspired me to pick up a passion long pushed aside.  Maybe it wasn’t too late to get that cartouche tattoo I’d wanted since high school.  Bah!...who am I kidding?  If I had gotten every tattoo I’d wanted since high school I’d be covered in cartouches, ankhs, Gustav Klimt ladies, Art Deco designs, dragons, henna, mandalas, Picasso doves, Hello Kitty, and a giant Cocteau Twins band logo.  Yes, I would be a walking dorm room wall.  Considering all of this, perhaps it’s good my issues with permanency always got in the way.  

   Returning to the subject of finding treasures, I think it’s accurate to state that lately I’ve experienced a revival of many old interests.  The most notable one being my passion for art.  While putting on my Egyptian themed necklace made me feel like the, “old Rayna,” nothing has felt more comfortable than returning to my creative interests.  I must admit I’m absolutely addicted to taking photography portraits and digitally altering them.  I almost enjoy doing this more than glamour shots.  “What?!” you ask.  Yes, it’s true.  While I still intend to maintain the, “fashion,” aspect of this blog…because let’s face it I have WAY too many clothes to quit now…I'm pleased to be branching out into a more artistic realm of photography.  If I was perfectly honest the blog, “Little House Of Haute,” has never really been about fashion.  It’s more of a platform for this antisocial freak show to vent about her boring life and what she wore at the coffee shop.  However now that I’ve regained the confidence to create art again, I feel this blog may get a lot more interesting.  Now one can read about my dull happenings while looking at my periodically bizarre creations that may seem to belong in a freak show.  I anticipate some of these pictures will have to make my coffee shop stories more interesting…right?

   I guess I couldn’t help but use one of my beloved metaphors after all.  “Finding a Pharoah…in South Dakota?” has very little to do with the necklace I’m wearing in these pictures.  I believe it has more in common with uncovering the, "ancient," artist inside of me who has been lying in wait for the opportunity to become rediscovered.  I’m excited, and a little nervous, to reveal that I’ve finally found her and it’s become apparent that this mummy isn’t going back into its tomb. 

-r.