My Take - Lizzie Fortunato Necklace

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My Picks - Delicate Necklaces for $50 and Under!

As I've said before, I've been craving more understated jewelry.  I love a statement necklace, but most of the time I just want something that isn't so in-your-face, something that is meaningful to me.  Here are some current favorites that I've found while shopping around (all are $50 or under)!

1. Gorjana - $45  /  2. BaubleBar - $28  /  3. BaubleBar - $28 (I LOVE this one!)

4. BaubleBar - $38  /  5. BaubleBar - $34  /  6. BaubleBar - $26

7. BaubleBar - $26  /  8. BaubleBar - $30  /  9. BaubleBar - $28

10. Ann Taylor - $40  /  11. BaubleBar - $34  /  12. Anthropologie - $32

13. BaubleBar - $32  /  14. Marc by Marc Jacobs - $47  /  15. Anthropologie - $38

16. Gorjana - $45  /  17. Rebecca Minkoff - $48  /  18. Gorjana - $50

19. Gorjana - $38.50  /  20. Urban Outfitters - $18 

21. Rachel Roy RACHEL - $24  /  22. Alexis Bittar - $48

My Take - Chanel Spring 2014 Necklace

The very large pearl neck pieces shown on the Chanel Spring 2014 runway were pretty bold and cool take on traditional pearl necklaces (they were made to resemble headphones).  Then I ran across this little number that has the same vibe, but in a a more subtle, wearable way.

Anthropologie double pearl necklace - $48

Review - oNecklace name necklace

Disclosure: I received a necklace for purposes of review. All opinions are my own.

Recently oNecklace reached out and asked if I would review one of their necklaces and of course I said yes!  I selected the 24K Gold plated Alegro name necklace ($48.95).  I decided to get my daughter's name for a fun twist on the name necklace, plus I can pass it along to her at some point.  It arrived in a lovely box and I must say I am super impressed at the quality.

I've mentioned before how I'm gravitating towards simpler jewelry and this fits the bill, it makes a statement in a very subtle way (without lots of sparkles and dangles).  ONecklace has a lot of different options including monogram necklaces in both silver and gold plate at really great prices (and free shipping).  You can even use their preview tool to see exactly how your name or monogram will look!  Head over and check them out, any of the necklaces would be a great Valentine's Day gift!  You can get 10% off your order with the code GIFT.

Blue Nile Necklace Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received a necklace for purposes of review. All opinions are my own.

Recently, Blue Nile contacted me to do a review and giveaway for one of their pieces of jewelry as part of their "Get One, Give One" campaign, and I jumped on it.  I mean I remember when I purchased my wedding band from them over 9 years ago(!).  Their quality is top notch.  I had a choice of a few pieces but decided that the Branch Necklace in sterling silver was perfect!

I love how delicate and pretty it is.  It's perfect for everyday wear!  I have really been moving away from bold "statement" necklaces and more towards smaller, simpler, more understated pieces and this fits the bill.

Make sure you check out Blue Nile's other jewelry goodies, there's really something for everyone!

Like I said before, they gave me one of these beautiful necklaces to give away to my readers!  Just enter with the rafflecopter below.  Open to USA and Canada only. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Take - Lanvin Message Necklace

Lanvin Necklaces - Happy / Beyond / Love / Cool

Bottom (clockwise from top left) - Happy Necklace / Ooh La La Necklace / Love Pendant  / Voila Necklace / Love Necklace / Hello Bracelet (in case necklaces aren't your thing)

My Take - Balenciaga Cuff Bracelet

I love the shape and style of the Balenciaga cuff.  I thought these two picks from F21 created the same vibe. And you save $400+  Score!

Balenciaga Cuff / Top F21 cuff / Bottom F21 cuff

My Take - Givenchy Shark Tooth Necklace

I really have gone on and on about the darn Givenchy Shark Tooth necklaces, even after a year I'm still smitten.  But hey dropping $1K or even $500 on one of them is completely out of the question.  So time to find some budget friendly alternatives...

1. Karmaloop necklace - $10.95

2. Vince Camuto necklace - $78

3.  Heather Hawkins necklace - $150

4.  Hardcouture necklace - $18.95

5.  Fashionology necklace - $38

6.  Vince Camuto necklace - $39

7.  Vince Camuto necklace - $58

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links

My Take - Rochas Fall 2013

One day my best friend emailed me about how much she loved this necklace from Rochas Fall 2013 runway show.  I quickly did a search and came up with some much more affordable alternatives.  I really love this necklace because it's easily dressed up or down, so versatile.  Enjoy!

1.  J.Crew - $98

2.  Givenchy - $75

3.  BaubleBar - $34 

4.  Charter Club - $48

5.  Blu Bijoux - $32

6.  Ann Taylor - $75

7.  J.Crew Factory - $32.50

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links

Runway image via Fashionising.com

Recent Purchases

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend!  I watched a lot of Olympic action (mixed in with a few episodes of Hoarders - why do I do that?  It's usually upsetting and I just don't know why I torture myself).  Anyway did you catch any of the women's gymnastics last night?  My heart was breaking for Jordyn Wieber.  Of course that's what makes the Olympics compelling, the highs and the lows - really it's all about the competitor's stories. 

Moving on, I wanted to share a few purchases that I made while I was m.i.a.  A little background, I have a rather strict budget and generally I don't make a lot of extraneous purchases.  Certainly not like the pre-kid and working full time days when I had a lot more wiggle room in the "wants" part of the budget.  Ahhh, memories.  Well, I had just signed up to BaubleBar (when you sign up you get a $10 credit!  So if you haven't signed up yet head on over and do it!).  My friend emailed me a blog post (which I can't find so I can't give a proper shout out) that featured this skull bracelet from BaubleBar!

Colorful Cranium Wrap bracelet

Aren't they so cute?  And at $20 each not too bad, but remember I had a $10 credit so it would only be $10! Sold!  I got the blue and silver one second from the bottom. And I love it!

I also had a $25 Amazon gift card burning a hole in my pocket so I (finally) got the Alexander McQueen book from the Savage Beauty exhibit at The Met.  Let me just say this is one gorgeous book, worth every penny (which was only $6.50 after using my gift card)!

I'm seeing a bit of a skull trend here...hmmm.

I'd say all of this was $16.50 well spent! 

Images via BaubleBar and Amazon respectively

This or That - Skull Bracelets

Alexander McQueen Twin Skull Bracelet

or

Jules Smith Skull Cuff

Alexander McQueen Enamel Skull Bangle

or

Metal Skull Stretch Bracelet (top)

Tarina Tarantino Horus Bracelet (middle)

Tarina Tarantino Momento Mori Skull Bead Bracelet (bottom)

Love This! - Dannijo Umbilical Bracelet

I'm in love with these bracelets, which are a collaboration between blogger Leandra Medine (Manrepeller.com) and designers Danielle and Jodie Snyder of Dannijo.  How fun are these?

$98 available here

Images via Dannijo.com

Love This! - Givenchy Shark Tooth Necklace

Ever since I first laid eyes on this necklace from Givenchy's Spring 2012 collection, I've been obsessed.  It's comically large, yet totally cool.  Unfortunately it's $960 (eek).  What do you think?  Would you wear it?

Image via Style.com

Picture I took from April 2012 Bazaar

Via Coolspotters.com

Happy Weekend!

I don't know about you, but I'm so happy today is Friday.  Can you believe next Thursday is Thanksgiving?  This is going to be a quick post because I'm getting ready for a big weekend involving family and friends.  That's what I love about this time of year!

How fab are these necklaces from Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi?  They are pricey, but I can dream, can't I?

Necklaces by Giles & Brother

On an unrelated note, I just found out that one of my friends (and former co-workers) had some photographs of her paintings purchased by NBC and were used on the new show "Prime Suspect".  It was on one of the episodes that aired in September so I missed it, but how cool is that?  Go and check out her work at her Etsy store Petrocy Studios - she's a super talented artist, knitter and jewelry maker.  Here are some favorites of mine from her store.

 

Have a great weekend!

Love This! - Winter Kate & House of Harlow

Who out there isn't a fan (even just a little bit) of Nicole Ritchie's Boho style?  I know I am.  I really like her House of Harlow jewelry line (here's a post of me wearing my fave House of Harlow necklace).  Here are some of my picks from the jewelry line right now:

Earrings by House Of Harlow
Bracelets by House Of Harlow

I've only ever really paid attention to the jewelry, but I must admit the leopard shoes caught my eye this time around.  They are just gorgeous, don't you agree?

Boots by House Of Harlow
Flats by House Of Harlow

I've also been smitten with her Winter Kate line of clothing since it came out, particularly the Kimono tops/cardigans.  They are a bit out of my budget right now, but they are great to look at.  Here are my Winter Kate Kimono cardigan picks:

Cardigans by Winter Kate
Casual Jackets by Winter Kate

What are your thoughts?  Are you a fan?

Home Shopping Fun! - Joan Rivers jewelry on QVC (on sale)

Sometimes you forget about good ol' Joan's line of jewelry, accessories and clothing on QVC.  In my opinion you can thank Joan for the bevy of celeb lines on the home shopping networks.  Her line was really one of the first and it's been incredibly successful, it allowed her to sort of "reinvent" herself after the falling out with Johnny Carson and her talk show went off the air (not to mention the suicide of her husband).  Heavy stuff right?  Love her or hate her she has managed to hang in there year after year and her tongue is as sharp as ever (but her face almost unrecognizable, please Joan stop with the surgery).  A side note, when my Mom and I were in London in 1998 we actually ran into her on Portobello Road buying vintage jewelry as inspiration for her line.  I was too shy to say hello, but my Mom chatted with her a bit and she could not have been sweeter. 

Anyway, the point of all of this is that there are some good deals on her jewelry to be had over at QVC.  Check out my picks!

Graduated Faceted Bead 30"Necklace - $24.96 (sale)

Hammered Bezel & Stone Stretch Bracelet - $23.23 (sale)

Crystal Cut-Out Rose Pin - $23.93 (sale)

Chic & Simple Chain Link 36" Necklace - $21.75 (sale) - the clear version of this looks amazing!

Faceted Teardrop 16" Necklace - $19.83 (sale)

"As Is" Look of Agate 18" Necklace - $22.11 (sale)

Socialite Swag 16" Necklace - $19.80 (sale)

"As Is" Celebrity Roast Faceted Stretch Bracelet - $14.08 (sale)

"As Is" Bold Fresh Stretch Bracelet - $10.11 (sale)

"As Is" Pretty Petal Flower Earrings - $10.95 (sale)

"As Is" Faceted Mixed Bead 30" Necklace - $16.72 (sale)

From what I understand, if anything says "As Is" that means that it's a sample, return or something that was shown on air, it's not in the original packaging, not in original condition (whatever that means).  The trade off is that the prices are much lower.

Images via QVC.com

Belle Noel Jewelry - on sale!

In my endless search for all things Kardashian - ha, just kidding, seriously, I know it's been a little heavy on the Kardashian front around here, but I swear it's a coincidence.  Okay, I am protesting a bit too much.  Anyway, I really like the shopping site RevolveClothing.com and as I was poking around the site last week, seeing what was on sale, I ran across some jewelry by Belle Noel that caught my eye because - 1) it was gorgeous and 2) the sale prices are so right!  I clicked through to the whole collection and much to my surprise it was designed by Kim Kardashian in partnership with Pascal Mouwad.  How have I not heard of this (I mean seriously, we hear about everything else they do)?  Here are my picks to click!

Honey Hexagon Ring - $18(sale)

My personal favorite - Resin Stone and Pave Necklace in gold - $24 (sale)

Honey Hexagon Pendant in Palladium - $9(sale)

Ivory Resin Pave Butterfly Ring in Palladium - $14(sale)

Butterfly Pendant in Gold - $17(sale)

Honey Hexagon Pendant in Gold/Ivory/Black - $17(sale)

Honey Hexagon Stud Earrings in Gold - $13(sale)

Clear Pave Honey Hexagon Locket in Gold - $24(sale)

Chiffon Braided Necklace in Leopard - $33(sale)

Images via RevolveClothing.com