happy new years!

Now, I am not a go-all-out kind of New Years Eve girl but this year I have been dying for an excuse to wear sequins and sparkles, and what better day to do that than New Years Eve. Here's the outfit I am putting together for our low-key house party:I purchased a similar top from Old Navy in a tank version but this top is equally inexpensive (and on sale) at Ann Taylor Loft. I would also love to pair it with a similar necklace as shown... maybe some layers of long sterling chains. The rhinestone bracelet from Anthropologie has been on my wish list for awhile and I feel like I now have an excuse to buy it (especially with the gift card I received that is burning a hole in my wallet!). I am going to let the bracelet be the statement accessory and plan to pair it with simple diamond stud earrings and an understated sequined double headband. Not a crazy sparkly outfit by any means, but for someone who barely steps out in anything but solid earth tones and black, this is quite the departure!

Happy New Year! See you in 2010!

merry christmas!

Sorry for the long delay in posts but I was busy spending time with family and friends. (I fully intended to post pictures of the presents I made and my wrapping this year but it appears that I blinked and the holiday was over.) I hope you had a wonderful holiday as well, enjoyed with those close to you.

Now that the dust has settled, after the hecticness of the christmas season has come and gone, I get to marvel at all the presents I have received. I have once again received many fantastic things, and have seen a generousness that makes me feel slightly guilty because I am in fact an adult. It is hard to pick a favorite gift but I am most excited about the tools I received. (My dad is grinning proudly as I am likely the only woman he knows that LOVES to receive tools for Christmas.) 5mm letter/ number stamp set- now I can make large monogram pendants! Watch out for these soon on etsy!Circle punches- this will also be very helpful in making my monogram pendants. Now I don't have to buy the circles... I can make them on my own!Dapping set- well, this is just going to be fun to experiment with!

nyc holiday windows

A group of us from work went to NYC on Wednesday to check out the big hitter holiday windows. Of course, we went to see all of the Anthropologie stores, but we also toured the traditional stops as well. No matter what, there is always something inspiring anyone can take away from these windows. Bergdorf's delicate details and craft were inspiring to me this year... maybe it was their use of books that caught my eye or the fact that they went with an Alice in Wonderland theme which I am always a sucker for. Here are some detail highlights...

halloween every day

I love Halloween... and I am not just talking about the festivities on October 31st. Halloween, an amazing jewelry store located at 13th and Pine in Philadelphia, is a must see for any jewelry lover. The selection is amazing. You could literally spend hours going through the tons of cases crammed with jewelry. You can find anything from antique pins, to engagement rings, to basic sterling silver bangles, to chunky bezel set rings, and as all the sales people will tell you, anything you see, or dream of, can be custom-made to suit any of your needs.Two levels of the store are filled with cases set into the structure of the walls and architecture of the space. Every case is themed, anywhere from a case of all antique cameo pins to garden themed charms, forming an almost diorama of sorts.My favorite reason to hit up this store... the replica filigree jewelry in sterling silver... the look and style I love without having to break the bank on the more commonly found gold versions. This time around I walked away with a lion's head necklace... just like I have been looking for ever since I took the trip to the NYC library.

roaring 20s

My dream of having a themed 1920s party is finally coming true! My company's holiday party is taking this theme to the max, with gaming tables, dancing and booze, to celebrate this spectacular decade and our holiday season. I have been rummaging through my personal inspiration dedicated to this time period and I have so many ideas I feel like I might go into 1920s dress-up overload... the drop waisted dresses, the art deco jewelry, the elaborate hairpieces, the cloches, oh my!!!

I desperately want to rewatch the Great Gatsby to gather some more inspiration:

To live in this decade, just for a night... what a treat. I have always dreamed of dressing up and having my photo taken, in an Alfred Cheney Jonhston style:
But I know one thing for certain... I am definitely rocking finger waves. This style is usually only pulled out for red-carpet like events in my life, but I feel this might just be one of those occasions!

update on JKarma

I was very excited to see that 2 of my necklaces are listed on JKarma's website. They look all pretty in their professional photos! (This inspires me to kick my own photography up a notch.)

Or check them out on the website:

http://www.jkarmaboutique.com/shopexd.asp?id=1275

http://www.jkarmaboutique.com/shopexd.asp?id=1276

champagne wishes

I have been loving champagne diamonds lately. (Who can argue with that?!) I love the color and clarity combined with the ultimate sparkle you can only get from a well cut diamond. There has been a strand of teeny rondelle champagne diamonds at my local bead store that I have been dying to come up with an excuse to buy. Sadly, I have not been able to justify the purchase as of yet. In the meantime, I have been substituting with light smoky quartz to capture a similar color in my jewelry. But I would love to work champagne diamonds into my pieces at some point... a girl can dream, can't she?!

I have also been eyeing this beauty for months now on sundance's website (http://www.sundancecatalog.com/):Sundance is my go-to website for jewelry inspiration, especially rings. There may be some off-kilter (and not in a good way) pieces but there are also design dreams in the midst, if you are motivated enough to weed through the selection.