Shop Update: Spring Has Arrived!

The official start of Spring is just a few short weeks away :) Word on the street is that coral is the hot color of the season. I've always been a fan of this shade ~ it looks especially great when paired with light blue, white or even yellow. I am excited to announce that a couple of favorites will be making their way back to my shop this week. If I have a trademark piece, it would have to be the ever popular Miriam necklace. Grab her quick before she is gone! Also, the pretty Valerie necklace has returned due to popular demand :) Below is a sample of what I currently have to offer in coral. Keep your eye on my shop this Spring, as you will surely see some new pieces in this fabulous shade!

Miriam Necklace, $40

Valerie Necklace, $25 Miriam's Sister Necklace, $48 Maude Earrings, $18

Worth Checking Out ~ Mikarose.com

A great thing about the blogosphere is how you learn so much just from a few minutes worth of surfing blogs of interest to you. For me those minutes could easily turn into hours if I allowed myself to sit in front of the ‘puter and peruse until my heart’s content. But I digress . . . You may recall the Purple Earrings giveaway that was hosted by Natalie a few weeks back? That giveaway has now ended, but currently Natalie is hosting a giveaway for a $60 gift certificate to Mikarose.com. I had never heard of this site, but when I heard a gift certificate for 60 bucks was the prize, I jumped on it! After all, it’s good to be on the receiving end of a giveaway too!

Alexia dress in brown, $39.99

I was pleasantly surprised to see that most items on the site are priced at $40 or less. I easily found many things to love. The company specializes in dresses that are “modest, elegant and fashionable”. In other words, they would probably not be a favorite of Paris Hilton, but that’s totally fine by me!

If you pop on over to Natalie’s blog by 11/16 at midnight, you can enter the contest, too.

I think a piece of DOB jewelry would look fabulous with any one of the pieces found on Mikarose! ;)

Let's Play Dress Up

Who doesn't love to get dolled up for a night on the town?! I don't often get the chance to anymore, but that doesn't mean that I can't dream. With Fall wedding and Homecoming dance season in full swing, I thought I'd put together this little get-up featuring one of my latest creations. I love blue and brown together. You can find all these goodies (except for the dress), on Etsy! Details on where to shop can be found beneath the mosaic:

Mori Lee Strapless Homecoming Dress, $149;

Peacock Clutch Purse in Teal and Gold Silk Brocade Antique Brass Frame,$75, from Clutch That!;

Cascade Teal Brooch, $6, from Cravestation;

Dayanara Faux Lariat, $65, from Dreamin' of Beadin'

Accessorize!

The other day I was thinking back to my pre-jewelry making days. I had to laugh, because at that time, my personal collection was pretty small. I’ve loved jewelry for as long as I can remember, but there was a time when I wore the same pieces day in and day out. How boring! In fact, I still have the hammered Sterling Silver pendant on a chain that I wore around my neck every single day. It’s simple and pretty, but nothing spectacular. The same can be said for the hoop earrings that I would wear with it. I think at the time I kept things simple because I didn’t realize how fun it is to accessorize with jewelry. Eventually I acquired more and more pieces, and learned how to change my look up a little. Part of the fun of dressing each day is picking out a different necklace to wear. I love earrings too, but the necklace is my statement maker, since it doesn’t get hidden by my hair. Soon I started to get compliments from people. The look in their eyes told me they were both impressed and maybe even a bit envious that they didn’t own anything so unique and one of a kind. I can be having a bad hair day, my pants might feel too snug, or I might have a zit on my chin, but a stunning necklace can detract from all of that. I love hearing all the “ooohs” and “aaaahhhs” when I wear a new piece of jewelry to work. I’m not the snappiest dresser, so I don’t get nearly as many compliments on my clothes as I do my jewelry. But that’s OK with me. Let me show you an example of how you can dress up your look with pieces from my shop:

Take this basic brown dress. It’s perfect for the office environment, but it needs a little something, don’t you think?! "Grand Haven", Silver leaf jasper and Silver Necklace, $38, in complimentary earth tones.

"Simple Girl", $18. Long necklaces are hotter than ever, and this piece suits the dress perfectly.

"Solar Eclipse", $40. Brass necklace with Citrine nugget pendant. Stunning!

Shop Update ~ New Bridal Pieces

As promised, I've added some unique jewelry to my shop that is just perfect for a bride. Take a look at "Sabine", which are three coordinating pieces that are inspired by vintage romance, with a little French twist thrown in ;) Each features lovely Ivory Satin nugget pearls that are nicely sized at 10mm each. My obsession of the moment is pearls and brass together ~ I think they make a spectacular pair.

Earrings ~ $22

Bracelet ~ $32 Necklace ~ $20

These pieces would look awesome with this dress, which comes from Jones New York. The name of it is "Let's Elope" ~ love that! Soooo perfect for a beach or garden wedding. Who says you must have a big poufy gown? I love its simple elegance. At only $105 (on sale), it's ideal for the bride on a budget!

Let's Go Shopping!

A fellow Etsian runs a daily feature on her very popular blog where she showcases a complete outfit, coordinating accessories and all ~ (her requirements are that two of the four items must come from Etsy). Pretty cool, eh?? She has asked for submissions from her readers, so a while ago I gave it a shot and came up with my own little virtual ensemble. Well, seeing that it's been a few weeks and I've heard nothing back, I'm quite sure my little ditty went into the rejection pile. So, for what it's worth, I'm posting it on my own blog . . . because I think it's cute, dammit. See below, and let me know what you think, please:

Heather grey jersey shirred V-neck dress by linQ; "La Fleur" necklace by Beau and Stella on Etsy (also available in Silver plated); The "Katherine" bag by BDoodles on Etsy; "Davon" sandals by Nine West;

It's the perfect outfit for a day of shopping, I think!

Wardrobe Dilemma ~ What to Wear???

I have a fun outing coming up this Friday evening , which naturally calls for the purchase of a brand new outfit. Multiple trips to various retailers have turned up nada. With only two days to go, I am beginning to panic. It’s not that there’s nothing cute to be found, it’s just that nothing looks cute on me or fits like it should. SIGH . . . what’s a girl to do???? A quick virtual shopping trip turned out the following get up’s. Each is completely different from the next in terms of style but I like something about each one. Here is what I would wear if : 1. Price was not an issue ~ I’m not looking to drop a lot of coin here. 2. I was a size 2 ~ LOL!!! I usually don’t do dresses, but I like this one from Jones New York. It’s conservative without being frumpy ~ perfect! I think it might be a little too formal for the occasion though. Crisp white jeans and a silky top ~ kinda dressy/casual. Did I mention that white clothing and I don’t get along well??? Let’s move on, shall we? I love this flouncy skirt from Anthropologie ~ it’s perfect for a night of dancing. I’ll put this on the back burner for now . . .

This colorful top from Banana Republic is a winner ~ it is bright, flowy and comfy looking. It would look great with a skirt, or jeans, or crop pants. I can see one of my very own creations in place of that fabulous multi-layered necklace.

Stylewatch: Michelle Obama

I’ve got my eye on the new First Lady. In fact, I don’t believe the White House has seen such a maven of style and elegance since the days of Camelot. After seeing Michelle Obama on PBS the other night, I am completely captivated. She looked as stunning as ever in a tea length, emerald green sleeveless dress (pictured).

The dress was designed by Kai Milla, who is the wife of Stevie Wonder and who also previewed her Spring 2008 collection on "Oprah" last year. Michelle “O” is the epitome of good taste, in my opinion. Her wardrobe choices are conservative, yet feminine. She is not afraid to wear bold colors, or to showcase her statuesque and very womanly figure. She can pull off the sleeveless look like no other.

It may seem trite to be evaluating the superficial aspects of such a smart, powerful and highly educated woman. On the other hand, I think it is very refreshing to have this woman as a role model for women and girls. She proves that you can be a mom, a career woman, and a wife and look super fabulous in any of those roles. Yes, I realize she has many resources that most of us do not. Still, I think her look is something most of us could emulate if we choose to, and that gives us all something to strive for.

Playing Dress Up

I've been adding some glitzy new pieces to my shop, just in time for the holidays when there are plenty of parties to attend. I do miss the days of getting all glammed up ~ these days it seems that most of the holiday functions we go to are more of the casual sort. That doesn't mean I can't dream, right?! While surfing on Nordstrom's website, I found some lovely cocktail dresses that would pair up perfectly with some of my very own creations.

May I make a few suggestions:

This silk grey/black/champagne number would look even more stunning with my "Dirty Martini" earrings.

For you daring souls, a Robert Rodriguez Backless knit dress in black, with my "Starry Night" necklace.

Electric Blue pleated charmeuse dress with the "High Maintenance" copper crystal and silver necklace.

It's fun to play dress up :)

Enjoy your holiday festivities, and don't forget to pick up a new piece of jewelry that you can sparkle and shine in!