New Jewelry Retail Website

Hi guys, sorry I've been MIA for a few days now, but it's been for good reason: I've been working extremely hard on this website http://www.bonanza.com/booths/LethalGlam where I'm looking forward to selling my creations! Sometimes I just can't help it and I design jewelry, all types too - bracelets, earrings, and necklaces in various styles, so I decided to try and turn that into a business. I hope everyone enjoys it and here's a quick sneak peek at some of the pieces up for sale:

The shop is definitely at a lower price point and it sticks to the motto I live by where you shouldn't need to have lots of money to look fabulous! I'll be putting up new pieces all the time, there's currently 79 lots up for sale so please check it out. I'll also take commissions for what you'd like to see or custom pieces!

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/LethalGlam

Jessica Simpson Collection Spring Jewelry Line

As you may have read in a previous post from November, I'm a huge fan of the Jessica Simpson Collection because of the attention to detail and sheer ease of casual beauty imbued within each of her pieces. Now, I have stumbled across her new Spring jewelry collection and am absolutely in awe. Rarely is there a new piece of jewelry or style that I adore because, as some of you may already know, I design my own jewelry (and a website selling some items is pending). That being said, it takes a lot to impress me and this time she's hit the nail on the head with a beautiful collection inspired by lace, but not the kind of lace that is actually made of fabric, but rather made of metals like bronze and silver. I find the contrast between that daintiness of the lace design and roughness of the metal to be sheer genius. Her whole collection can be viewed at the Jessica Simpson Collection Website.

I can't even find this bracelet on the Jessica Simpson Collection website, but I found it on Amazon and it's absolutely stunning, definitely a statement piece for a little black dress or summer-inspired outfit. I love the marriage of stamped gold that is made to look like it is completely wire wrapped and the sculpted enamel flowers with pearl appliques. The shape that fans out resembles a golden butterfly emerging beautifully from your wrist.

LOVE LACE GOLD CUFF - Retails for $58 at Amazon.com, link where to buy it posted below

There are a few pairs of earrings in the collection that would pair very well with this piece and they are below. The first pair is what absolutely just caught my eye out of the whole collection first because the organic shape of the metal and delicate curves paired with the drop pearls are phenomenal. I imagine that these would be flattering on everybody since they are not very long or very short, but rather 'just right'. Even the hook of the earring has a pearl detail for a little bit of extra pizzazz.

LOVE LACE GOLD LACE CHANDELIER EARRINGS - Retails for $38 at Amazon.com and JessicaSimpson.com

If you're into long dangle earrings, then this might be right right pair for you because the enamel and metal flowers tie in directly with the cuff, giving an air of elegance and femininity. These are the perfect accessory for a beautiful sunny day (hopefully we'll get a lot of those soon!). With jewelry this beautiful you don't even need to wear rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces all at the same time, you could get away with wearing just a cuff and earrings and be extremely chic.

LOVE LACE GOLD FLOWER DROP EARRINGS - Retails for $25 at Amazon.com and JessicaSimpson.com

If you're dying for the perfect necklace to match the earrings above, her collection has that also. Kudos to Jessica and her team for thinking of everything and pulling off a complete collection that can be worn mixed an matched with separate pieces. 

LOVE LACE GOLD LONG PENDANT - Retails for $48 on JessicaSimpson.com

I can't wait to see her Spring/Summer clothing line because this jewelry collection has definitely gotten my whetted my appetite for her classic feminine beauty style. I love the philosophy of the company to always flatter and enhance natural beauty, it definitely fits my own lifestyle! There's much more to see of the collection so I encourage you to explore her collection further because I can't list all of the beautiful things on here! The jewelry I posted also comes in silver so if you're not a fan of gold then you have the option of going with silver but I personally love the antiquity of the gold.

Xoxo,
Alex

DIY: Make your own braided headband

Want to reuse your old cotton t-shirts and don't know what to do with them? If you feel bad about throwing them out (and you should) you should re-purpose them into braided headbands! You can make these for yourself or give them as gifts to your friends and family, it's a super-cute idea and you'll have unique headbands to match all of your outfits.

What you will need:
- cotton t-shirt that you're willing to cut up or scraps of cotton fabric
- hair elastic (cut to open it up so it is an elastic strand)
- scissors
- needle
- thread

The size that you cut the strips from which you will make your headband should all be the same width in size (I suggest using about an inch in width from your t-shirt cotton material from the bottom of your tee) and cut 3 equal pieces. You should now have 3 round pieces from your t-shirt and you want to cut one side of them so that they double in length and open up from the circle shape into a line. Obviously the thinner the strips, the thinner your headband will be. It's best to start out a little thicker so you have room for error when you're sewing the ends together to close your headband.



Then tie a knot at one end of the strands to secure that side while you braid. Begin to braid with your 3 strands regularly and try to work in a tight braid as it gives a more orderly and beautiful appearance. Tie the other end down when you're done braiding. Measure the size you want the braided part to be, you must now cut one side and sew your hair elastic to the end of the braid. It helps to wrap some thread around the elastic after you have sewn to make it extra secure. Then use a small rectangular piece of the fabric to cover the sewing you just did (because it will not look flattering) and fold it in half so you have a thicker piece, you can either glue this onto the junction between your braid and elastic or you can sew it on (I prefer glue for a seamless finish). Repeat all of this at the other end so that you complete your headband! It's important that you use the elastic to finish off your headband because, unless you're using an elastic fabric for the entire headband, it won't be able to fit snugly against your head and will either fall right off or be too loose. Make sure to measure it to your head before you sew the final side together.

There are many variations of this that you can do, you can consider double or triple braided headbands, you can use various kinds of fabric and mix colors, or you can add rhinestones and jewelry onto your headband when you're done! Just keep in mind that if you want to do double or triple braids, you will want to secure them all together at the back of the braids by using one piece of fabric and elastic. Have fun and play with your accessories, that is what they're for!

Jason Wu for Target Collection Lookbook

From fashion prodigy, Jason Wu, discovered by most of America and the world after Mrs. Obama wore his frothy white gown to the inauguration ball,comes a collection inspired by 'An American Girl in Paris' for his Target debut. It's wonderful that he has decided to collaborate with Target and make clothes that are affordable to everyone, rather than just the Hollywood elite and the President's wife. There are a whopping 53 pieces in his collection and they range in price from $19.99 to $59.99 for apparel and $19.99 to $49.99 for handbags and scarves. You can find these clothes in Target stores and at Target.com from Feb. 5th to March 6th, 2102. This collection has me very interested because I can see myself in a lot of the pieces so I'll definitely be checking it out! Here are the pieces that I personally believe are going to be most successful and their prices:

Sleeveless Top with Sheer Panel in Navy Floral, $26.99 Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral, $29.99 Also Available in Solid Black Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

Textured Pleated-Front Peplum Top in Gold, $32.99 Pleated Skirt in Black, $29.99 Also Available in Navy Floral Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

Long-Sleeve Sheer Blouse in White with Black Ribbon, $34.99 (Available at Target.com only) Also Available in Blush with White Dots Pleated Canvas Skirt in Belize Blue, $29.99 Front-Flap Straw Bag in Cream, $39.99

Poplin Dress in Navy. $39.99

Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

Flared Dress in Cream with Black Patent Belt, $59.99 (available at Target.com only) Also available in Black with Nude Patent Belt

Long-Sleeved Pointelle Sweater in Red, $39.99 Also Available in Belize Blue Pleated Cap-Sleeved Blouse in Red, $26, 99 Also Available in Gold (Available at Target.com only) Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral, $29.99 Also Available in Solid Black

Trench Coat in Black, $54.99 Also Available in Navy 

Long-Sleeved Blouse in Blush, $34.99 Also Available in Solid White (Available at Target.com only) Lace-Printed Straight Skirt in Blush, $29.99

Basics of Jewelry Making

Flat nose pliers, side
cutters and round nose pliers

Do you like fashion jewelry but refuse to pay a lot of money for what you want? Perhaps you're just bored with what you see in stores and what to customize your jewelry to represent your personality. Maybe you were inspired by 'Project Accessory' and want to be the next big jewelry designer. Whatever the case may be, I guarantee you'll be happier with what you've made for yourself because it will be uniquely yours and reflect your personal taste. You need a few tools (which can be found at your neighborhood Blick art store or online), regardless of what you'll be making, to start you off on your projects. These are important in rounding wires, opening spring rings, cutting wires, and much more.


First,  you will need the long flat-nose pliers (has a light blue handle in the picture) which allow you to easily grip wire and bend it without creating nicks and chips in it. Then it is advisable that you purchase a side cutter (has the pink handle in the photo) because, although the flat-nose pliers has some cutting ability, it will not be strong enough to cut thicker wire, nor will it be able to cut wider objects/findings. Finally, you will definitely be needing the round-nose plier if you plan on using any wire to make earrings or bracelet hoops/links and you should consider doing so because it will give your work a polished and finished look (it is the method that makes store jewelry look expensive as opposed to makeshift). An optional but recommended tool is the crimper - it is a tool that allows you to use little crimp beads that will push your wires together at the ends of necklaces and bracelets and press the bead to collapse in a perfect manner but if you get good at it you can also use the flat-nose pliers to do this.

Crimping tool

You should purchase beads that you like and find beautiful, I'm a big fan of Swarovski beads and glass beads, I suggest buying them in 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm sizes, and then you can combine colors that you think are beautiful together. You will need stringing wire to make soft bracelets and necklaces that dangle, I suggest working with sterling silver wire but it tends to be quite pricey so only buy however much you will be needing (measuring helps - so use a measuring tape). For earrings, you will be needing earring hooks, unless you can salvage some from your own jewelry by simply taking off the hanging parts. Make sure you get lots of these because earrings are very simple to make and you can crank out many styles that you like. Keep in mind that all of the products you get should be hypoallergenic, especially if you plan to gift your jewelry to a friend, you never know what can trigger allergies.


Collect jewelry from antique shops and thrift shops, or rummage through your basement or attic for whatever you have laying around that you're unhappy with. My motto is that no piece of jewelry is unsalvageable, anything can be transformed into a piece that is current and stylish. These are the basic tools you need to get started, obviously there are many other things you could purchase, but I recommend starting with these so you're not breaking the bank. All of these tools should cost you $30.00 or less and if something seems to expensive in a store, it probably is. I find that going to designated bead stores actually is a bad idea because they tend to have 'specialty' items and overprice for them. You're better off going to an art store, a hardware store, Wal-Mart, or shopping online (Amazon is perfect for these items). You may want to pick up general findings such as pendants, metal-earring frames, and anything you find interesting. In future posts, I will teach you how to make every piece of jewelry you can imagine, so just get your tools ready and we'll make things together! Here's a sampling of what I can teach you how to make: 

Alex's Rules of Accessorizing

This guide will show you how to turn a pocketful of baubles into jewelry and accessory treasures that you can mix and match with your colorful wardrobe!

Playing with scale
If you're going to wear big or dangly earrings, I suggest not pairing it up with a big necklace or belt because you don't want the jewelry to overpower you. Remember that the focal point should always be yourself and anything that you put on should only accentuate your best features rather than drown you in bling. Sometimes less is more and if you have too many pieces, they will detract attention from one another. Chunky jewelry is definitely fun so don't shy away from big, beautiful cuffs, bold earrings, or wide belts. Remember that the most important aspect of accessorizing is the overall harmony of the pieces and the way they look together and how they accentuate your outfit.

Classical is always in
You can never go wrong with signature pieces like pearl earrings or tennis bracelets, they are as antique as Audrey Hepburn's style but as fresh as anything you see today. These classic pieces are good for anytime of the day or night, including casual day-to-day or formal events. If you have something that means a lot to you, never hesitate to put it on, our accessories tell a story and if they don't reflect your personality, you've missed the point. Don't try to emulate what you see on models and in magazines, something that is trendy one day can just as quickly be untrendy the next. Stick to what you feel good in, what looks good on you, and what you're likely to reach for when you get ready!


Masculine vs. feminine
If you have a man's watch and you think it's too bulky or masculine to wear, think again! Androgynous style is very socially prevalent so you can pair your masculine watch with a couple of feminine bangles and dress it up a little. Also, don't shy away from wearing bow-tie or tie necklaces and oversized scarves, especially if it's in an uber-feminine finish like crystals or silk.

Iconic shapes
We all have necklaces with peace signs, crosses, and various other religious or political symbols. Whether it be letters of a foreign alphabet, heart and star shapes, or Hello Kitty's face plastered on your accessories, remember not to go overboard. A good rule of thumb is to try to keep it to one symbolic show-stopper piece, the way a lead performer would be, and keeping all of your other pieces that day as back-up performers.


Antique and contemporary 

Wearing older jewelry from your grandparents or acquisitions from pawn shops and thrift stores is perfectly great, especially when mixing it with new styles of jewelry. Clashes in culture and time-periods can make for beautiful combinations of accessories. As long as the styles are cohesive and not divisive together, they can be utilized in beautiful ways to amplify your look. Mixing and matching silver with bronze and various colors of gold or pewter also makes for an interesting look, but try not to combine too many kinds of metals together at once. Underneath, you can see various styles of jewelry, some antique, some contemporary, some bronze, pewter, and various shades of silver. There is a cohesiveness between these pieces and they can be mix and matched for numerous looks with teal, brown, or silver scarves/purses and metal-tone belts.

These are merely simple guidelines which aide in the mixing and matching of what we have to create interesting combinations, rather than going out and buying a designated set of accessories for each outfit (which isn't necessarily financially responsible or viable). In the end, it's a matter of personal taste and preference. Some people enjoy matching colors, and others swear against it, as long as you choose colors that are complementary, you will look coordinated, and polished!