She's Stacked

Although I hate the expressions "arm party" and "arm candy," I love the look of a heavily decorated wrist.  But as I lamented before, cute bracelets can be pretty pricey.  That's why I am currently obsessed with making my own bracelets a la Honestly, WTF.  Love this blog.  And love these bracelets.  Above you'll see a DIY braided hex nut bracelet, braided bead bracelet, and my favorite, two double wrapped bracelets.  Each took less than 10 minutes to make.  I followed all directions, but used embroidery thread for the wrapped bracelets because that's what I had on hand.  I'm working on a bunch of more colorful ones.  I'm telling you...obsessed.

I Hate Birds

But I'm really feelin' feathers lately. And yes I hate birds - I find them dangerous, creepy, and weird. Anyway, feathers, or rather, interpretations of feathers, have been catching my eye. Take this necklace from Jewelmint, for example:I also like this little headband. Felt feathers - maybe a little too adorable, but still...something to consider.
And finally, this iphone case. Hot.

That's a Wrap

Except for a watch my wrists are typically bare. But I couldn't resist a La Mer Collection wrap watch, on sale at Ideeli a little while ago. I snagged this for about half off.

I really love the wrapped look. Wish I could afford a Chan Luu wrap bracelet, but I don't have $200 lying around...

So pretty. The good news is, there are tons of look alikes out there. Like this one from Blu Bijou-

And this one from Ettika. Both available at Max & Chloe.

So Cute It Hurts

I love In God We Trust. You know this. I wasn't living in New York when their Ludlow Street location closed and it's probably a good thing because I'd have gone into a mini mourning. I love how Shana Tabor meshes sassy, snippy, and unrefined with prim, proper, and tailored. Well, maybe more on the sassy and snippy side. Anyway, did I mention how Fab is slowly becoming my most favorite thing ever? IGWT is featured on the site this weekend, and I just have to snatch up a sweet nothings necklace - I never bought one, but have been lusting after them for a while. I'm trying to decide between "bless this mess" and "really f*ckin' cute". The latter could be taken in a couple ways; this phrase often runs through my head after someone does something obnoxious or stupid. But if thinking of the necklace as a reference to myself, I'm probably more of a mess than cute these days, and will undoubtedly be even more so after baby comes. So we'll see. I'll sleep on it.

No Fuss Jewelry!

I got an invitation to Kate Bosworth's Jewelmint months ago. I've seen the site featured in Lucky, InStyle, and People Stylewatch but never pounced. This is how it works. Membership is free until you buy something. In the meantime, you take a little quiz and the site recommends pieces for you that are new every month. Once you buy something, you're officially a member and have the option to buy a $29.95 piece of jewelry once a month. You can opt out and your card won't be charged, as long as you decide by the 6th. You can also just cancel your membership anytime. I have had my eye on these earrings for a while now.

They were sold out for a few days, which was sad, then suddenly they were re-stocked. That totally hooked me, ugh. I noticed this ring yesterday:

This morning, I got an email saying they were on sale for a set, basically buy one get one. So I pounced. $15 a pop ain't bad, and both are so great for summer. According to Kate Bosworth, the ring has longevity. I forgot to mention that the site gives you all sorts of style tips. You also get a credit (free jewelry) when someone you recommends signs up and buys something. We'll see how long my membership with them lasts. I'm pretty happy for now, though. If you want in, please let me know, and I'll send an invite. The pieces on the site are really eye-catching, and the site makes styling easy. And the prices certainly don't break the bank.

Rings and Things

I have been obsessed with rings lately. I picked up this Amrita Singh Jitney ring from Hautelook - it was a steal. I had a $10 credit for some reason (new member?) and it was only $12. I paid around $10 after tax and shipping were calculated.

I also got this Erica Annenberg cosmic twosome ring. As seen on Jessica Alba and that bitchy chick from 90210, Erica Annenberg's double rings are super chic. Some are cheesy (i.e. the ones with an excess of crystals or words) but I love my plain one. I've gotten many compliments.

Currently, I have my eye on this BJ by Bijules ring at Urban Outfitters. Bijules rings are fabulous, but they are also fabulously expensive. This mini curved bar ring is on sale at Urban Outfitters for $120. Still expensive, which is why I am not buying it. I'll probably just wait for Bijules to have a sale on Gilt. Or a 20% off email from Urban. We'll see.

Rock Craft

My buddy told me about this Rock and Shop market in Raleigh this past weekend. It was pretty cool - reminded me of Brooklyn! I barely bought anything. My one purchase was a good one, though:

It'll be a perfect prop for the photobooth at our wedding.

There was a lot of talent at the market, and my two favorite artists that I can't afford both made really pretty jewelry: Haden Designs and bec.

check them out!

Brooklyn Flea

If you live in Brooklyn, make sure you stop by the Brooklyn Flea Winter Pop-Up Market this Saturday or Sunday. I believe this weekend is the last pop-up opportunity, but the regular Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene resumes the weekend after. I got these pretty little earrings and quirky whistle necklace from Blue Canary Vintage a few weeks ago. I love the Pop-Up Market, sad to see it go. But I believe many of the same vendors (which by the way, are not all antiques and furniture) will be in Fort Greene often if not regularly. Don't quote me on that though. Both are worth checking out.

Reasons I'm Eating Lots of Pasta This Week

I got paid last Thursday and money is already tight. I've been bad lately, charging lots of stuff, being happy about it, then realizing the trouble I'm in later. But man...the stuff I've bought is cute. I was never interested in fashion and designers until I lived in New York. While I can't afford everything I want, I definitely treat myself to things here and there, and sometimes a little too much.

My latest favorite purchases have been a Marc by Marc Jacobs watch from eluxury - 30% off! I've gotten many compliments already. Also, these cute, and I see it, essential, wedges from Ann Taylor Loft. On sale for $40. Next these prescription Ray-Bans, from Cohen's. They were essentially already paid for. I have a flex spending account at work, to which I elected $156. After my insurance benefit, they cost $153, and I've already submitted the receipt and been reimbursed. If you've ever thought about getting Rx sunglasses, DO IT. They're awesome and have made my life so much easier. And clearer! Last, I got this adorable jumper from the Steven Alan outlet on 82nd and Amsterdam. I saw it on the shop girl, loved it, and had to buy one for myself. I got it in charcoal. It was on sale for - wait for it - 80% off!

Just so you know, I've showed some restraint. I went to a Vera Wang Lavender sample sale and tried on, but didn't buy. And, I opted for the Ray-Bans in lieu of an absolutely fantastic pair of Tom Fords which were almost $400. Sadly, I can't really think of any more instances of abstinence. But look, I'm pretty excellent at bargain shopping. Looks like I'll be poor for the next week or so. I need to get really awesome at sewing and knitting my own clothes so this madness can end.