Covetable Mother-Daughter Jewelry Designs -- Perfect for Mother's Day!

Sea Elise Locals Only @ $275

Since Mother's Day is almost here and summer is upon us, we were inspired to share this jewelry company we discovered which is helmed by a mother-daughter duo. Sea Elise offers unique necklaces, bracelets and earrings which are inspired by the designers' mutual love of the ocean and travel, including having worked in Africa, backpacking in Indonesia and visits to Mexico, Australia and Central America.

We think it's great that the designs are created by a mother-daughter team and are handmade in the USA incorporating natural elements such as wood, bone and geodes mixed with neon pops of color and statement charms.

Atop and below are a few designs we're currently coveting:

Cabo - Wood (from $27.50)

Eleanor $145

Star Struck

Giant Dwarf Starlette Sparkler $18

We were star struck when we spotted these star sparklers. These accessories are beautiful for side swept bangs or as a crown of stars for evening glam.  Bobby pins will never be the same!

 Lucky Magazine's November 2012 issue featured these Giant Dwarf Starlette Sparklers in silver or gold ($18 for one large star or for two smaller stars; $48 or $78 for an entire crown of stars). The felt stars are spangled with actual shards of glass and sterling silver.

The Giant Dwarf designs are inspired by early 20th century hair adornments and each piece is hand-crafted using fine materials  like German glass glitter, reclaimed wool from sweaters & their own line of wool blend felt.  Their web site says the designs are "guaranteed to make any woman feel glamorous whenever worn." To see the complete selection visit Giant Dwarf's web site. 

Jewelery That Rocks

Electric Picks "Centerfold" Bracelet

At a recent event in New York City I was introduced to MJ Barton and was immediately enamored with her armful of amazing bracelets, which, as the designer behind the brand Electric Picks, were all of her own fabulous design.

MJ Barton

I chatted with MJ about her background and Electric Picks, her line of rock-and-roll-inspired jewelry. (Of course, I also had to invest in a couple of bracelets myself, too!)

"I've always made jewelry, ever since I was really young," MJ explained. Besides making jewelry, MJ also loved music, playing piano and guitar for years.

Prior to launching her line, MJ worked as a nonprofit events planner in Miami, but in April 2011, MJ says she had a dream about putting a guitar pick into a bracelet. "I couldn't go back to sleep," she says. "I knew I had to do this!"

When MJ moved to New York, she got to work and launched Electric Picks one year ago this month. Her company quickly took off and continues to grow at an amazing pace. 

Each bracelet is intricately crafted and one of a kind and the guitar picks are all either custom or vintage.  The bracelets have names which are in keeping with their rock-and-roll inspiration, such as this bracelet named for the Guns N' Roses song:

Electric Picks "Every Rose" Bracelet

I also was intrigued with all the spikes and studs that MJ is featuring in her jewelry, which have such a dangerous, edgy look yet are still fun and feminine.

Electric Picks "Tommy Guns"

Electric Picks "Idol"

Check out the entire line at ElectricPicks.com.

Hats Off NYC

Ale Et Ange Baseball Cap as featured in Vogue Magazine

When in New York, snare a hat.  Not just any hat, but a wondrous work of art by Ale et Ange at their NYC pop-up shop located 40 Rivington Street.  Eloise Simonet calls her design partner, Osore Oyagha, "a textile junkie" who has sourced vintage fabrics from locations such as Nigeria to create menswear.

Describing the line, NY Magazine writes, "Although the wares convey a certain international sensibility—Oyagha hails from West London; Simonet, from France—all the clothing is manufactured in New York in limited runs."

This summer, the partners have created a line of locally made baseball caps with unusually and unbelievably beautiful exotic prints.

We saw the hats featured in Vogue magazine and we both flipped for them. Although the hats retail at $175, we consider them a great buy for such a unique piece. Wear one and you'll to make a fashion statement extraordinaire.

A New Spin on Cuff Bracelets

How fabulous is the above-pictured cuff bracelet? It is the work of a super-talented local designer here in SW Florida, and would you believe that the inspiration for this bracelet began with a pile of old LPs at a garage sale? Let us explain.

Kris Isenberg, a former children's birthday party planner and mother of four, says that the inspiration for her jewelry line began in the Spring of 2010 when she had a garage sale, and was left with a stack of vinyl records which did not sell. Just as her husband was about to pack the stack up to take over to Goodwill, Kris said, "Wait, I can do something with those old records!"

After a little research and a lot of experimentation, Kris figured out the perfect formula for transforming old records into fabulous jewelry. By heating, cutting, cooling, sanding and then painting the LPs, Kris creates custom cuffs from old records- yes, the bracelet shown above is actually made from an old LP, as are these other great designs:

Some of Kris' most beloved designs center around a Wonder Woman-theme:

Kris explains that the Wonder Woman cuffs actually have a very inspirational message. "A lot of people give them as gifts to women in their lives who may be in crisis and who need to be reminded of their own inner strength, such as women who may be ill," she explains. "It's a good thing to wear as reminder of the strength a woman has within."

Kris has many more fantastic designs, and each piece is handmade, hand-painted and totally gorgeous. Our Om Bracelet (like the one pictured at the very top of the post) has even been mistaken for vintage Chanel!

The bracelets retail for a very reasonable $25 each. Shop the Lucky Power collection on Etsy here.

Peter Pan Collars: A Grown-Up Look for Any Age

Back in the '50s, Peter Pan collars were all the rage for changing the look of a blouse or dress.  Peter Pan collars recently took the fashion world by storm again when they were featured on the Louis Vuitton runway, where they made a great sensation. These collars can change a mundane dress or shirt into something retro, feminine and fun.

Peter Pan collars are an awesome look for any generation. Here are some case in points.

Recently, Mason Disick's grandma, the Kardashian family matriarch Kris Jenner, wore an exquisite Peter Pan collar with a velvet tie on national television:

 

Meanwhile, the young stars Elle and Dakota Fanning were featured in Vogue wearing similar styles...

...and Pippa Middleton also donned a dress with a Peter Pan collar.

And if you needed any further evidence that Peter Pan collars are au courant for any age group, look no further than Exhibit A below: the ultimate fashionista Victoria Beckham modeled the look in London recently.

This trend isn't limited to just the Peter Pan style, however. In fact, collars of all kinds are cool right now. One fabulous take on the trend is the collar-style necklace. Dannijo makes some unbelievable styles, including this totally over-the-top, handmade crystal-embellished beauty:

We also love the collars made by our favorite local designer here in SW Florida, Dixie's Daughter. We've previously featured their fabulous fasincators on our blog and we are also big fans of these exquisite Chinese brocade collars:

You can just button one of these collars on and change up any look.

Dixie's Daughter's collars can be special-ordered for $25 and up. Dixie's Daughter makes a diversity of collar styles and certainly can custom-make the collar of your dreams; simply send an inquiry to dixiesdaughter@aol.com and let them know we sent you!

Fascinating!

Why are fascinators so fascinating? 

A form of a headpiece, designed to be worn in lieu of a hat, the increasing popularity of fascinators became most apparent at the recent royal wedding. Time Magazine reported that "the millions watching the April 29th Royal Wedding on television cared less about Prince Williams' suit and Kate Middleton's dress than they did the hats atop the attendees heads..." The public was especially intrigued by royal wedding guest Princess Beatrice's outrageous fascinator which spawned its own Facebook fan page.  As further evidence of the fascination with fascinators, Lady GaGa was recently spotted sporting a hot pink one.
 

Fascinators were largely worn by royalty, especially during the reign of Louis XVI.  Then, in the 1970's, master milliners Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy began designing and popularizing them.  In fact Philip Treacy designed the famous Princess Beatrice fascinator.

We're fascinated with fascinators because they add drama, whimsy and style and elevate an outfit to a whole new level. We're fascinated with fascinators because they are like wearing mini works of art.

And we are especially fascinated with the creations made by a local designer here in SW Florida. The company is called Dixie's Daughter and in addition to fascinators, the line extends to clothing and accessories as well.  The fascinators range in price, starting at $75.00, based upon materials and complexity of design.

Here are some of our favorite styles:

We spoke with the designer behind Dixie's Daughter and she gave us some insight into her artistic process: "I choose a base to build on: velvet, silk, tulle, leather, for instance, and layer different elements: sparkling, velvety, shiny, smooth; mixing colors to achieve the perfect effect," she explained. 

"The result I look for is an eye-catching, constantly-changing, and unique work that captivates and charms.  I want to create drama, make the wearer irresistible to watch.  That's the definition of 'fascinator,' isn't it?" 

To order a fascinator from Dixie's Daughter, contact dixiesdaughter@aol.com.

Susan Says: Accessorizing for Charity

While I was at work the other day, I had the good fortune of stopping to admire a necklace and earrings worn by one of my customers.  I thought she probably bought it at a wonderful boutique because of its beauty and complexity of design.

I was overjoyed to learn that the artist who created the necklace, Michelle Levine-Troupp, creates the jewelry for charity, with all proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  

A cancer survivor for over 16 years, Michelle learned first hand what it is to receive a deadly diagnosis.  She vowed to do something to make a difference for children battling cancer and she was strongly moved by the fact that St. Jude's never turns a patient away, even when the patient does not have the financial resources to pay for medical costs.

Made of real gemstones, each of Michelle's pieces is unique, one of a kind, handmade, and not available in any store. All of Michelle's pieces are very reasonably priced, because she only charges enough to cover the costs of the gemstones plus the donation. Michelle's creations won top prize at a recent juried art event in Bonita Springs, Florida and Michelle was profiled in today's Naples Daily News.

We hope that everyone will take a moment to browse her website and make a purchase. Your purchase will directly support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and you'll love wearing Michelle's amazing designs. Visit her web site, uniquedesignsbymichelle.com, to buy now.