Organized Jewels

A lot of people have plush, luxurious ways to store their jewelry. Some are leather, some have special dividers for rings and earrings and bracelets. I am a little, out of the box...or in the box...

The TACKLE BOX!

That's right y'all! I organize all my jewelry in a three-level plastic Snapware tackle box from Target! Just hear me out: 

1. It's spacious

2. It's well organized

3. The small spaces for bait and hooks are ideal for earrings

4. It's clear

5. I can see EVERYTHING

6. It's super portable

What's bad about any of the above answers? Nothing! All my necklaces lay on one of the longer layers, and the bracelets have the same thing. On the top level, there are 2 dividers, each with 3 spaces for hooks or bait or earrings that can be taken out (presumably to be cleaned) and organized!

How do you store your jewelry? Have you thought about a box like mine? It's totally worth to conversion!!

xxKatie

Pink Sorbet Jewels!

After a long week last week, I paid the wonderful ladies over at Pink Sorbet a visit! I just love going into their store, it's beautiful and bright (and HUGE) and always fully-stocked! I saw the #1 and #2 dresses I would LOVE to have this season in there and lusted away. Instead though, I spotted a bracelet on their facebook page that I decided would be a much more realistic purchase. 

The bracelet that I snagged is in the top row, column two with the gold hook and eye closure. LOOOOVE IT! I grabbed that for myself (a little treat after a week that kicked my boo-tay) that didn't break the bank. I stayed and chatted with the lovely ladies about how my Lilly store at home had flooded (so sad--sending out Crab love!!) with all the monsoon rain and about how much I loved the fall line. I told them who I was and they recognized me from here--so much fun! I had a great time and had to show you all the fab bracelet I bought! I believe they just got a lot of this jewelry in, so I'm sure they're still got a lot of it on their hands for any of my USC/Columbia readers!

xxKatie

UPDATE: Nashelle Necklaces

I was looking at the website for a local store (at home) and found these adorable necklaces:

Just the darling charm is $25! How cute?

I love that little whale, summery, fun and nautical!

I've never been big on luck or superstition, but this horseshoe is so much fun for anyone at USC. Our biggest, greenest, prettiest, most historic area of campus is called "the Horseshoe" because it's shaped that way. The buildings are gorgeous and I swear this area alone seals the deal for some prospective families!

Here are two of the charms: the stamped initial charm and the anchor. Both of these are very Annapolis! The stamped charms were SO popular in my high school, and it was funny to see them combined with anything else. I really like the shade of gold and how its not SUPER shiny. It's still very pretty and feminine!

Here are some of the other designs. I'm a big fan of the starfish one and the open circle!

You can buy NASHELLE jewelry at Nordstoms, some local stores (like where I found these), and online! Happy shopping! 

xxKatie

UPDATE 9:39 PM: The necklaces are by a company called Nashelle!! I'm sorry for misleading you all! The website is here!!!

J. Crew Jewelry

Today I wore the J. Crew Symphony Crystal necklace and received so many compliments on it!

I wore a simple black tank (from Wal Mart actually) and a white J. Crew basic skirt with white Jacks. I haven't had a reaction like all the comments I got today in a very long time! People LOVED this necklace. It ties in the back and it hung very well with the neckline of my tank. I was thinking about wearing gold Jacks with it, but this morning I got up and couldn't seem to find them (curse you 8am classes everyday!) anywhere in my closet or around my room. 

My mom actually gave me this necklace for my birthday after we went shopping one day in a MASSIVE outlet mall about half and hour away from my house. I really liked the necklace when I first saw it in the store, but it was something ridiculous like $65 initially. Around my birthday, it went on sale for $30 with an extra 30% off at the outlet. I think the J. Crew outlet is great and I tend to buy more from the outlet than the regular store. Given, all the clothes you do really need to try on, but the accessories are great. Just this summer, I got a great pair of starfish pave earrings that are so much fun:

In my house, we're pretty big on starfish. I think all us girls have at least two pairs of starfish earrings (accrued over the years...my sister found the first pair in Rehoboth Beach, then my mom got a pair at a store here, and I followed suit with my Fornash earrings, then we all got these and recently my mom got a Fornash starfish pearl bracelet...yep I told you, we enjoy starfish). I think these earrings were $20 with an extra 30% off and we even grabbed up more to give as gifts.

Anyone else have any J. Crew jewelry? I clearly love mine!

xxKatie

"The Dailies"

I've gotten a few requests and comments about the jewelry that I wear everyday. I don't wear much jewelry, but I do wear a few things each and everyday. From the top down:

I wear this exact necklace everyday. No joke, that is my exact monogram, cRa and I have the Basch Sterling Sliver Script Monogram Pendant. I wear it on a round silver snake chain that I got from a local silver jeweler. I get tons of questions on this necklace when I feature it on my Polyvore. A jeweler that eventually ended up closing its doors sold me mine, but a company called Basch are the ones who actually make the necklaces. Since all the work is custom, it takes a little bit to get to you, but for as much as I wear mine, it's so worth it. You can actually buy them on QVC.com if you search "Basch" in the box. 

I got this ring for my High School graduation from my parents and I wear it everyday on my right hand ring finger. I was hesitant to wear it because I knew I'd be sick if something happened, but then again why have nice, pretty jewelry if you can't wear it! It's tough to see, but it has 4 pink sapphires around the sides. I like to have the 2 brightest ones facing out (and I actually get particular if someone takes my ring off that it gets put back the right way!)!

Everyday I also wear earrings unless my ears hurt from the last pair. I don't have sensitive ears at all, but sometimes junky earrings get me. I often wear a pair of pearl earrings or silver pearls. If they get switched out, then I wear fake diamond studs or a specific pair to match what I'm wearing (Elsa Peretti silver hearts, black pearls, etc.). One of my favorite pairs of earrings is actually from Claire's and they're pearls with teeny tiny cubic zirconias on top of the pearls. They're so tiny and delicate that people always think they're real. Very classy for Claire's, I know, kinda ridiculous! 

Do you ever wear some things everyday? Got any great wedding/engagement rings to show off?! I'd love to see!!

xxKatie 

Gift Giving

I meant to post a few days ago (really awhile ago...) about what we got my dad for Father's Day. Oops...a few days late on that for sure! I was reminded to write about it because I saw the gift by all the stuff he was traveling with. I just found out that he ended up (proudly) wearing the tie that we got him from Lilly:

We had so many cute options to choose from, but since I'm a totally a pink girl, we picked out this for him! I love Lilly ties for guys of any age. They're so popular with the boys at school. I'd even say that the bowties might be more popular!

Also, a few days ago was my Momma's birthday! Yayyy! We got her the Tiffany Elsa Peretti Open Wave Lariat Necklace! If any of you remember, this is the same special necklace I got for my 18th birthday. My mom loves it so much that we decided she needed one for herself too!

I went to go check it out online, but it was "no longer available". Cue heart sinking and stomach lurching. I immediately call the closest T&CO to my house and ask what the deal was. Well not only did Tiffany have the BEST customer sales representative I've ever dealt with besides Apple, but she entered a system-wide search to see who had this necklace still possibly in stock. That includes ALL of their overseas stores too. After running a search for me, she called me back and told me that she could get one, but she wasn't sure where it would be from but I gave her all the necessary information anyway. Well just two days ago the wonderfully perfect necklace arrived and will be all ready for a birthday presentation when my Mom returns from the beach!

I love giving gifts to people! I always enjoy making gift baskets or finding the perfect gift for someone especially when you know its unexpected, special, and something they wouldn't normally get for themselves!

xxKatie

Fornash VS. KEP Designs

Hello all! I hope that your week is going well and enjoying the start to the weekend! As usual, I'm working and resting and reading (I just started The Tenth Circle by Jodi) and daydreaming of my roadtrip back to school! Today while I was at work, I saw these beauties that we just ordered from Fornash:

...and...

The clovers are about the size of a quarter and very cute! There is no clasp so you have to struggle a little bit to get a double strand effect. There are 6 different color choices to match most outfits! Get this though, the price: $38. I couldn't believe it, I was literally floored. They are 39'' and have only one long size. They are enamel and gold plating (I think).

However, I've also been seeing these KEP Design necklaces for the last few summers:

(Perfect combo for any Auburn fan!) Here are two strings of the necklaces by KEP Designs. Unfortunately the zoom function on the KEP website prevented me from linking any pictures to my site, but you get the idea. The KEP necklaces are 42'' long with a clasp making a double strand look easy to attain. They come in a very very wide array of colors and two sizes. They cost $130 for the long version and $100 for the short version. The flowers are about the size of a dime and are a bit sturdier than the Fornash clovers (I'm using the terms flowers and clovers per what the respective websites called them).

It is a very interesting debate going on between to preppy jewelry makers! Certainly both companies also design other pieces. Fornash in my opinion is little bit more costume-y while KEP is a bit more upscale since they have more precious pieces. Both make very cute designs, and I can say from experience that they both sell extremely well! They both are really copying the real designer: Van Cleef and Arpels at the end of the day, however both brands are much more accessible for everyday wear in my opinion. What do you think? Who has better designs? Does it matter who came first?

I'm not quite sure I even know the answers!!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Summer Shifts!

June 4 by letsbepreppy featuring Longchamp bags

Today I wore one of my delightful Lilly summer shifts! I got this one for Christmas and I absolutely love it!  It is so comfy and the slub material so perfect for a summer shift. As I was putting together this polyvore set, I actually came across a Basch monogram necklace with my exact monogram...how weird right?! On the QVC website where you can purchase them, I found this picture:

How CRAZY is that?! My exact monogram is cRa! I couldn't get over the coincidence, so that is the necklace that I will be featuring in the rest of my polyvore sets! Also today, before I got dressed for work in that fabulous dress, I tried my Southern Tide Channel Marker Tee for the first time. 

Besides the adorable model, you can check out the shirt that I got. It is SO soft and I wasn't even expecting it. On the back of the tee there are two channel markers and since I live in such a nautical city, I couldn't help but love it!

I hope you guys are all breaking out your own comfy tees and summer shift dresses!!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Work for Memorial Day Weekend

Hi all! Today I'm working a bit later at the store since it's Memorial Day weekend! I am super excited, except it looks very stormy and we had SO much rain last night. Here's my outfit for work:

May 28 by letsbepreppy featuring Longchamp bags

I'm not a big believer in "the rules" as far as clothing goes, but even if I was I'd be breaking the white pants rule about 24 hours early! (Big deal...) I've already worn these pants at school and it was fine! I'm loving my Murfee Scarf and my Fornash earrings. How great are they!? I love that they're pink and silver too! I was kind of surprised when I got them and they were as big as they are, but they're such a fun addition to any outfit! (I would definitely pick up a pair!) These are the ones I have:

I'm a major fan of the white and crystal combo:

Look at the new styles they have too:

Pink and green, always a hit!

Green and blue are such a good beachy combo! These also come in gold versions too. And at first I thought they were a different shape, but if you look at them to the side (tilt your head) they're just turned!!

Enjoy Memorial Day weekend everyone!!

xxKatie

Engagement! (This might be a teeny bit obnoxious...)

So my friend Mary Claire and I were shopping yesterday in forever21 (yes, this ridiculousness started in f21) and were inspired about engagement rings. We kept trying on huge ones and were determining what our favorite ones were (which mostly included the rings that still had their crystals glued in them...) and what our favorite shapes were. Naturally we both brought up Tiffany since it is too much fun to look them up and dream! Also, Sweet Home Alabama (a personal favorite of mine...) was on TV on TNT and we watched it together and reminisced about weddings and planning and all that stuff. Absolutely adorbs (and horribly unrealistic, I'm well aware):

When I got home from shopping, I got home and popped on the T&CO website just for fun to see which ones were my favorites. I narrowed it down to these babies:

Tiffany Novo

Round Brilliant Square Cut

Round Brilliant with Bead Set

Now I know that this is a little obnoxious (and people are probably reading like "GIRL PLEASE YOU NEED A MAN FIRST") but a girl can dream, can't she? This is all in good fun-they're just too fun to look at!

xxKatie

Adorable Ads

For my sisters Confirmation on Saturday, I was her official sponsor. She gave me a beautiful silver bracelet cuff with my monogram on it! I absolutely love it and I was trying to find it online, but had no such luck. It's from a local jeweler here and so I was looking at their website and came across their advertisements. Please look at them they are SO cute:

There is a rotating loop on the site and this is the first photo.

This was the second one on the site. They just keep getting cuter!

This was the last one, and it's my personal favorite. Since Annapolis is so historic, you know this is true!! I just love these advertisements and had to share them with everyone! The fact that it's hinting at a wedding is wonderful too, and I LOVE the three-string pearls that the model is wearing. Quite the classy, preppy ad if you ask me!

xxKatie

3:18 PM Edit: The jeweler is Tilghman Company--how could I forget that?! I'm so silly sometimes!

Outfit of the Day: Spring Session

So today I really liked my outfit and I thought I would share it since I haven't done an OOTD post recently!

April 6 by letsbepreppy featuring Jack Rogers sandals

It was basic, but I thought that it was very fun and very weather appropriate! The cuff is from A. Tierney and I actually won it in KAG's cuff giveaway! It was the first time I wore it and the pink matched the palm tree on my polo perfectly. (I hope I'm not the only semi-OCD person who matches the logo to the outfit...) and then I tied in the gold from my graduation ring--which I'm trying to wear more!--and the gold from the bracelet with gold Jack's! My mom also used to make belts that are very similar to the Hadley Pollett ones, and the one I wore today she actually made. It is green, pink and black with a black enamel bamboo ring. I broke out the 5'' J. Crew shorts today too and it was perfect! I didn't even need a sweatshirt or anything since it was so nice out!!

What are some of your spring essentials? Is anyone having good weather? I know we are for sure!!!

xxKatie

Current Desire

So as you all know, I'm at college. While not having your entire wardrobe at your discretion, you remember the things you really love. Not to mention, the weather here is a bit silly, with yesterday being chilly and torrential downpour and today's sunny and 80 degrees! Since I haven't been at home, I've realized how much I try different jewelry on with clothes. Normally each day, I wear simple post earrings (generally pearls, silver pearls, faint pink pearls or pearl/diamond combo studs) and one of two silver bracelets given to me as gifts as a reminder of my fam. Recently, I've been looking at other types of earrings and I've decided that my two top choices are from KEP Designs (ahh who doesn't love them) and Fornash (a hometown-ish brand)!! My mom has a wonderful pair of diamond starfish earrings from a tiny boutique from here in Columbia! Ever since she got those, I've been looking for similar ones myself. Another family friend has a pair of starfish earrings that have pink diamonds and they're beautiful! I love these KEP Design starfish (however, they're WAY above budget):

These earrings are so fabulous! We sold some KEP floral earrings and necklaces (a cheaper version of Van Cleef and Arpels) and they sold out as fast as we could restock them! KEP Designs are always fabulous! There's another size that I think are ideal for jewelry wear-ers like me who like small earrings for just around $120!

Next on my list are two pairs from Fornash. Fornash has a great little store right in Georgetown that is full of preppy pink and green trinkets!

And this great combo in pink too!

These pink and white starries run just around $45, much better than the $400 KEP ones! How cute would any of these pairs be with a black turtle neck (a piece in my winter collection that I can't live without) and jeans or a crew neck and flats? These starries will definitely be on my Christmas list for '09...is that bad I'm already starting a list!

What jewelry do you wear all the time? Is there something (besides a wedding ring...) that you seem to wear all the time?

xxKatie

PS. Aren't you guys just loving the new Blogger features for posting?! I know I am!

My Graduation Gift

My parents gave me my graduation gift like the night before my graduation, but it wasn’t the right size. They gave me a gold and pearl Pandora ring (that I actually posted about when I got back from spring break…funny story: my mom didn’t really like it because she thought “I was hitting her over the head” by saying how much I liked it, so in turn, I deleted the post.) and I absolutely love it! It has 4 teeny tiny pink sapphires in the sides of the “crown”. When we were in Phoenix, the saleswoman told me that it was part of Pandora’s princess collection. How fab? Well, anyway, mother had ordered a size 7, which I’m guessing is like typical ring size. The 7 easily fell off my hand though, causing a slight wearability problem. It fit on the middle finger of the hand I write with, and even that finger has a huge knuckle that it fit over. Needless to say, I needed a much smaller size, so we headed back over to Smyth to get a new one. After ordering the size 6 (and being properly fitted) it finally arrived a few days ago!

I’m still getting used to wearing a ring, and I tend to fidget taking it on and off and on and off. It does turn fairly often, so I find myself turning it back because of the texture (you can see the little balls on the photo). Also, to take the close up pictures (pardon the hair, my mom seemed a little grossed out, but I didn’t think twice about it) I used the digital macro setting on my camera for the first time! I upgraded my camera around Christmas time and I still am not sure how everything works yet! It took incredibly clear VERY close up photos of the ring. I decided to take the picture ON my hand because you can see the pink sapphires the best. Who even knew that sapphires could come in any color besides blue?! Well, they come in the fabulous shade of pink too!

Ever get any special graduation gifts? This is definitely one I’ll remember!

xxKatie

Monogram Jewelry

So, awhile ago I expressed interest of buying a necklace of my monogram. I was inspired actually by Cat Deely, the host of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox. She was wearing a lacy gold necklace and it got me wondering if you could do that with a monogram. I kept the idea to myself and kept looking. My mom, sister, and I went to go visit one of my great aunts in New York and took a quick trip to Park Slope. We were looking around the stores there and we came across this little quiet shop. We browsed and then I saw a lacy monogrammed necklace. It was gorgeous...and over $400. Totally out of my price range. I told my mom that I really liked it and she thought that a jeweler in our area would be able to do it. I didn't think too much of it until my mom brought it up when we got back home.
We looked into it at the small store and the saleswoman pulled out a catalog. There were all kinds of customized items like lapel pins, cufflinks, bracelets and necklaces. We finally flipped to the back of the catalog and there was the necklace I was looking for! There were two options and about seven different sizes per option. The first was traditional "interlocking script" that is typical monogram script. The second option was a circular design where all of your initials fit into a circle. This looked a bit too much like what you see on bath and golf towels so my mom and I went with the script. We decided on a $75 dollar, silver size and the woman told us that she would call us once the necklace was ready.
That order took so long because, I think, they had to create a custom mold for my necklace. My own monogram is "cRa" ("C" for Catherine, and yes, I do go by Katie. I don't know why exactly my parents went with this approach...). There were many loops in my initials and places where they could interlock, so I was excited. We got the necklace back and at first I, honestly, wasn't thrilled. I thought that the letters were too hard to decipher and I was just like "ehhh...". I have since begun to wear this necklace all the time. It's about the size of a quarter and falls right in the middle of my clavicle.
My mom said that she thought last night was the first time she'd seen me wear it! I couldn't believe it! I LOVE this necklace now because it is so different. No one really knows what it is until I tell them its my monogram and then I get so many compliments. I think the fact that it's hidden makes it special. No one else I know or have ever seen, besides Cat Deely, has a necklace similar to mine. This is definitely a cool buy and great for the holidays!

xxKatie