In a Little Dream

It's almost blasphemy, but if somebody offered to buy me a no-price-limit gift, instead of jewelry, I might choose one of these pieces from the Traveler series by the artist duo of Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz...

Snowglobes:




Prints:

Friday Favorites: All in the Details

Gold Lace Bracelet by Hagar Satat, $60 each




Alex Sepkus Ruby and Sapphire Ball Pendant, $2,615.00




Carved Blue Onyx Ring, $440




Antique Gold and Enamel Oval Earrings, $245





Raspberry Pin, modeled after a 1900 Faberge Design, $85

Oh, Stacy

Last night, I plugged in the Christmas lights, lit some candles, put on my glasses and settled in with the kitties to watch a DVR'd episode of TLC's Fashionably Late with Stacy London. It was a meditative experience. Also, highly cringe-inducing. Don't get me wrong; I love Ms. London. I love her slob-to-style maven Cinderella story, and I adore her snooty biting wit opposite Clinton Kelly on What Not to Wear. But, as I explained to my BF last night, it seems some executive told Miz L to be "warmer" or "generous" or "more relatable" and that somehow translates on the small screen as needy and clingy. She was oozing desperation throughout the show. Between the shoe wall and fully stocked bar, the set itself felt like person screaming "LOVE ME!" She was handing out drinks to the audience (possibly the only good idea they came up with), and fawning over guest Rebecca Romijn.

It was painful. I'll probably be tuning in next week.


Face I made frequently during the show

One of her more worthwhile segments involved up-and-coming designers, including Kimberly McDonald, who had such lovely jewelry that I dropped the remote and ran to the computer to get a better look. Unfortunately, McDonald has a very small online presence limited to a basic website for her line, called Rockras, along with some contact info and locations. Jewelers! Get an online store! People want to know the cost of your items with having to track them down in Texas or something!

I get the idea of luxury jewelry, I do. But if you aren't yet an established luxury name, it seems like the bigger the presence you have out there, the better. Eh. Maybe that's just me.

Anyhow, here are some of her lovely pieces:




UPDATED: The deal is, I knew she had a previous show called Shut Up! with Stacy London as many of your kind comments pointed out. The problem is thus:
1. The show was only on for one episode and it was almost the exact same thing as Fashionably Late w/ SL.
2. It had been the subject of much ridicule around our house, to the point that my original post on this subject ran two pages in Word. I couldn't do that to you people.

Seriously?

Weren't they bad enough already?
As seen in Neiman Marcus' Big 100 catalog, with these puppies clocking in at #36.

Inspiration Strikes

Found some old pictures from last year's trip to Storm King Art Center. For me, it was a school trip staple growing up; there's not much to do upstate. It was BF's first time. I hadn't been there in years, so we were both pretty impressed...




Philippa Roberts Square Wood Necklace, $84









Dana Kellin Beaded Oval Kyanite Earring, $124









Silver Seasons Bamboo Pin, $82









Carnelian Heron Ring, $495
(The Calder sculpture has always reminded me of a bird.)

Our Little Venture

Look how blase Mr. Hipster cat is

A few years ago, BF and I could be readily identified as hipsters. We lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and sulked down Bedford Ave with the best of them.

Even before we met, the seeds had been planted. He's older than me by about eight years, so he was hunting thrift stores while I was still being chaperoned by my parents to PG-13 movies. I caught up in college. In our own little orbits, we amassed piles of clothing. I have a closet brimming with vintage dresses. He has tupperwares bursting with tees. For almost a years, our hallway has been lined with about seven or eight bags. Stuff that doesn't fit or just doesn't get worn. Finally, this weekend, we got our act together.

BF and I are now the proud purveyors of a little ebay store called UrbanvintageNYC.
I've managed to get five things in to the store so far, and I'm pretty proud of the results. Why the shameless self-promotion, you ask? Because, my lovelies, I'll be posting jewelry soon! Keep an eye out...

Charmed, I'm Sure

First off, hope everybody had a lovely holiday! Mine was full of baseball. Okay! Enough about that.

Charm bracelets have always held a certain, er, charm, for me. I love the idea of monumenting a life though jewelry in such a literal way.

Two things I will not discuss in this post:
1. Mariah Carey's album Charmbracelet
2. Those (and I'm sorry if I am offending anyone here) AWFUL Italian charm bracelet with the the cheesy flat links.



Over the years, these bracelets have had starring roles in many jewelry trends. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion among the European noble classes. Later on, soldiers returning home after World War II brought home trinkets made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting to give to loved ones. American teenagers in the 1950s and early 1960s collected charms to record the events in their lives.

I'm not sure why these fell so far out of mainstream fashion; the bracelets are such a unique and expressive type of jewelry--of which there is not nearly enough out there.

Here's what I would put on mine:

Cable Link "Kate" 14k Gold Bracelet, $395
Love is Blind 14k Gold Charm, $90
Gamble and Weep 14k Gold Charm, $140
Fortune Cookie 14k Gold Charm, $200
Hour Glass with White Sand 14k Gold Charm, $275
Lovebirds 14k Gold Charm, $120



A charm bracelet is also a great gift; you'll never be stumped for a present after you give the starter chain. C.H.A.R.M, the site where all the above charms were sold, has a lot of wonderful new and vintage charms. It's a little expensive, but charm bracelets are traditionally known as investment pieces. Hopefully the wearer will hold on to it for a long time.


Some pre-made vintage versions:


German Glass Bracelet, $65 (1950's)



Napier Lucite "Moonglow" Fruit Bracelet




Souvenir NY Necklace, composed of vintage charms

And an interesting modern version: