Charmed, I'm sure.

I love charm necklaces for some reason. Charm bracelets are not my thing, but I always want another charm to put on a long chain around my neck.

These are a few I am coveting as of late:



I used to hate lockets when I was younger- I just felt they were a little too quaint for me. But now I love anything vintage, or vintage inspired; vintage stuff looks like it has a story, as though it had a life before I came upon it. These are a few lockets I want:



Aren't they adorable? Just lovely.

I do have a few cute charms. check them out. Sorry about the poor photography....

My mom gave me this Italian horn charm and this S. I tend to wear them together, I like a few charms hanging from one long chain.




I don't know how old this charm is or where I got it. I think I found it in a box of tangled junk jewelry. I love how simple it is. Since it is hard to tell, the silver etching is a flower.



I got this one in Newport in a store called "Green Envy." The charm is made 100% from recycled materials, including the little pictures. Great idea, right? One side says, " Life is too short, eat dessert first." The other side says, "Some days require cookies." And the pictures, since you can barely tell, are of little kids with those cookies and dessert!




I love how some celebrities, like the Olsen twins will hang a pocket watch on a long necklace like a charm. I usually notice they wear it tangled up with other necklaces, like pearls. I need to first get a long enough chain to do this, as this pocket watch is pretty big. If the chain is too short and the watch is sitting too high up on my chest, it would look ridiculous.





Gotten any charms of your own? Good stories about how you got the jewelry? Share!

The Neon trend

Neons (and the eighties in general) are back in a big way. Just look at this evidence:

Charlotte Russe:



Urban Outfitters:






Topshop:




I love me some trendy neon as much as the next girl, but I know full well that a trend like this will go as fast as it came. So what are you to do when you still want to get in on the fun without spending a lot of money on stuff you might hate in a few months?

My way of getting in on this trend cheaply and without a whole lot of commitment was with my nails. Take a look:



Now I know neon green fingertips are not for everyone, but that is the beauty of nail polish, it doesn't last all that long. As soon as you are sick of it, it is time to take it off anyway.

If you like these colors and want to find a bottle of your own these are the names to look for:
OPI La Paz-itively Hot (hot pink on toes)
China Glaze In the Lime Light (neon green on fingers)

The thing with crazy nail colors like this is that nails should be kept short. Fun colors can look great, but if the nail is long it can start to look... overwhelming.

Normally I try to buy OPI exclusively. It just seems to last the longest and the color stays true. Plus, OPI contains no DBP, Toluene or formaldehyde. But, OPI didn't have a neon green (that I could find at Sephora, anyway) so I found this China Glaze version at Sally Beauty.

What color(s) are you wearing on your fingers and toes? Are you into the neon trend?

With a little piping....

I am now convinced that by simply outlining, one can make anything look "sporty." I read on the Glamour blogs that piping was going to be on everything this year, and so far it has.

Check these out from Topshop:



and this cute little bathing suit from Anthropologie:

And this stuff from Charlotte Russe:





The first three items from Charlotte Russe would actually make for a good outfit for the office if worn with a blazer to make the top more work-appropriate.

But notice how the piping gives it all a sporty edge?

Other than the obvious work out gear, I could only find one item in my wardrobe that had piping on it:



I love this purse. I found it at TJ Maxx for $12. It is real leather and well made. It is an oversized clutch and can fit almost anything I stuff into it. And it works with a lot of outfits I already have. Plus it is right on trend with the contrasting piping all around the edge! All the qualifications of a great buy.

Are you into the piped look? Already own a lot of stuff with piping? Tell me all about it! :)

I am blushing

I know they are modeling Armani underwear here, but who is actually noticing that itty bitty swatch of fabric?

dollface

This is a new model on the scene- Lindsey Wixson. Troy Jensen, makeup artist to the stars, blogged about her recently, saying she reminds him of a young Angelina Jolie. Doesn't she look like a lifesize doll??? So pretty in such a unique way. Troy did her makeup so that she would look like she barely had any on at all, so she didn't look like she was trying too hard or anything. I think he did a phenomenal job.

My scarves

So I said I would post about the scarves I own- which are all pretty much gifts, except one.

This one was given to me by my mom- I think she figured I might need it as a shawl for a more formal event, but I tend to wrap it around more casually.


This one was a gift from my sister- I usually tie it to a brown purse.


This was another gift from my mom- it is from India. It is pretty thick so I will only be using it in the winter. But the colors are so vibrant, it will really jazz up an otherwise simple outfit.


This scarf is from Amalfi in Italy. It was given to my mom as a gift, and she passed it on to me.


This is the only one that was not a gift. I got it on one of my first trips to NYC. I bought it at the United Nations and it is from India.


This was yet another gift from my mom, and it was given to her before that. This one is from France. It is pretty heavy so it is reserved for use in colder months.



Since some of the scarves have "mature" patterns I try to wear them with simple tops in white, black or gray (men's undershirts are a favorite) and with "younger looking" jewelry to balance out the look.

What do you think?

The newest addition

A reader (thank you, K @ blog goggles!) asked that I post a photo of my new Topshop purse, and I finally got around to taking that picture. Here it is!