2.16.15 Bling it on!

I love my fine jewelry pieces and enjoy wearing them.  The great thing about diamond or pearl stud earrings, or a simple classic pendant is that they really do go with everything. But, fine jewelry is an investment - and for me - not something I buy on impulse.  Fortunately, there is a lot of great costume jewelry out there, ranging from simple to statement, at price points that make it easy to give in when the mood strikes.

As I've written before, I work primarily from home, and wear my mom uniform most days.  However, I do have occasions to get more dressed up - and that's always fun.  This past weekend was one of those times.  It was a great weekend.  My daughter is home from college on a break, and we went out to dinner and to the ballet on Saturday night.  I was in the mood for some big bling - so I chose these costume pieces that are bigger and flashier than any fine jewelry I could afford.

Photo credit: Girls Day Out

This pendant - the Great Gatsby Mia - from Amy Schilling is one of my favorites.  It is SO SPARKLY, just putting it on makes me feel happy and festive.  Amy is another of the great jewelry designers I discovered through my friend Hillary, and her Chick's Picks shows.  I'm happy to report that you don't have to live in Virginia to shop with Amy at one of the many shows where she sells her wares; you can just click through to her Etsy Shop, Girls Day Out, and see all her wonderful pieces.

Even though it has a lot of flash, this piece looks equally great with dressy clothes for Saturday night, or with a black top, jeans and cute flat shoes.

Late last summer I was with my daughter at Nordstrom's anniversary sale. I wasn't really shopping for me - we were outfitting the girl to send her off to college in the cold weather.  Good thing we did - she's living just outside of Boston with 6+ feet of snow!

In any case, we wandered past the jewelry counter anyway (because I always do) and  I happened to be wearing the necklace - with a tee and jeans.The saleswoman noticed it and asked where I got it - I told her - and if I had earrings to go with it?  I said I didn't have "matching" earrings, but had plenty of things that worked well. She was not dissuaded, and said "you have to look at these!"

Photo credit: Nordstrom

Score one for mom!  These Nadri crystal drops were marked down to $19.99.  How could I pass them up, right?  We can all use a little more sparkle in our lives, and earrings just don't take up that much space. Honestly, I probably spend more than that on coffee some weeks.

So, I say, bling it on!

Until next time.