Bound Together by Love

Welcome to another review by Amanda Nicole.  (Howdy, everyone!)  Once more, I do not get paid.  I do not get the jewelry for free.  I don’t get anything from this, except the joy of spending my husband’s money on Park Lane Jewelry.  (He’s less than happy, but I can tell you what the family is getting for Christmas!)  The following review is my true and honest opinion.  Rachael is not involved in the review process.  Thank you FTC for understanding I am following the law here.

Today’s review: Indulge Necklace

Okay, does that need words?  Yeah, because this is a review!  The Indulge necklace is a two heart necklace.  The larger heart lies at the base of the neck.  Two inches up on the left lies the next small heart.  There seems a Spanish/Southwest influence to this piece.  I’m not sure where they came up with the name.  I can think of a few better names.  I think you’re supposed to think you are indulging yourself while wearing this lovely piece.  Perhaps they are trying to say indulge yourself in love.  Maybe the artist wants to indulge  I have given up trying to understand where artists come up with the names for their work.  Instead, let’s take a closer look at this beautiful necklace. you in love, which doesn’t make sense.

You’ll notice the red crystal is surrounded by lots of little crystals.  I’m sure I’ve seen this design before.  I just can’t remember what painting I was looking at.  Or was it at a show of royal jewels?  Oh well, it isn’t important.  What goes around comes around.  This definitely has a Spanish Royal feel to it.  I could see Queen Isabella wearing something like this as she waved goodbye to Columbus.  (“Bye!  Bring me back chocolate!”)  I think this would work great with an outfit that has a Spanish/Southwestern feel to it.  This would be the piece I would wear to go to a salsa.

The deep red works well for the heart.  After all, isn’t that the color of love?  The crystals allow the piece to shine and sparkle.  Isn’t the heart supposed to shine?  Especially a heart in love?  The Austrian crystals are like those around us that we love.  Their love helps us sparkle when they are near.  Our heart shines by itself, but the addition of their love truly brings out that shine.  The Indulge Necklace does just that, reminding the world of the shining heart within the woman who wears it and her friends and family.

The second heart is smaller by a lot.  It has only one row of crystals surrounding the red crystal in the middle.  Does this take away from the second heart?  No, I think the designer was trying to send a subtle message.  If you ask me, the designer added the second heart to remind us that we can never truly shine on our own.  We must have the love of others.  While their hearts do not look as big as ours when someone is looking at us straight on, the hearts are just as large.  It is just a simple case of depth.  Two trees can look different sizes when they are not side by side.  I think that is what the designer was going for here.  (Or, I am just gonna be a romantic and put this idea out there for the artist to go “Yeah, sure, that was my plan!”)

The chain may throw some people off.  It is rather heavy and leans towards chainmaille in my opinion.  At first, I was not sure about the chain.  Another glance told a different story.  The Indulge Necklace is not just one heart, but two.  Both hearts are attached to the chain links so the hearts cannot move.  Isn’t that love, though?  A chain binding two hearts together?  Each stays separate, yet they are tied by a bond that outlasts time?  When you think about it, the chain works better than any other design I could think of for the piece.

Buy the Indulge Necklace for the special woman in your life.  She doesn’t have to be your wife.  (Hold on, girls, before you attack me.  I think that anger will quickly melt away in to“awe, sweet idea, Amanda Nicole.”)  Think of your mother, guys.  She’s done an awful lot for you over the years.  It was her love that saw you from birth to today.  Your mother’s love deserves recognition.  What better way to recognize that love than a necklace with two hearts and a card to tell her you will always be her little boy?  Write these words down: “Mom, just as these two hearts are forever joined together with a chain, so a mother’s love forever joins her with her son.  No matter how far away I may be, it is your love people see in me.  Thank you for all the love you have given me; making me in to the man I am today.  Love, (Your Name)”

Fathers, what about that little girl in pigtails and her mother’s shoes and makeup?  That little girl you remember sitting in your lap sleeping with her head on your shoulder?  The one running up to you as you come home from work?  The one you just dropped off at college in August?  Yeah, same girl you swear was wearing pigtails she walked towards the dorms?  Or that little girl holding her favorite teddy bear while wearing her mother’s pearls?  The one standing in a white dress and a veil draped over her hair?  Why not give her the Indulge Necklace as a gift of your love?  Trust me when I say my favorite ring (the one the photographer thought was my engagement ring at the wedding) is the one my daddy gave me.  Daddy & his little girl have a special bond.  Give her the Indulge Necklace this Christmas or for her birthday as a way for Daddy’s little girl to always have a piece of you close.  Believe me when you ask a woman about her favorite jewelry she will always include something special her father gave her.

I’m sure Rachael has some other ideas about the subject.  She seems to be big on buying jewelry for yourself.  I think she’s missing the point on the Indulge.  (Ducking so Rachael can’t hurt me!)  Seriously, at $149 (plus tax and S&H) the necklace isn’t that bad of a price.  Rachael always has sales.  And you needed to buy a lot of Christmas presents.  Do you want to be that guy trying to figure out what to get his mother, wife or daughter on Christmas Eve as the mall is closing?  Okay, stupid question.  You guys always like waiting until the last moment.  You are just waiting for the best price.  I get it.  Still, give Rachael a call or email her today for help shopping for the women in your life.  She’ll mention a guarantee that if they don’t like it, you can return it.  But that won’t happen with this piece; especially when you print this blog up, grunt and go “Read!  Me mean this!” in some form of grunt.

I mentioned one of my last orders in the Juliet review.  Let me tell you of another order I bought lately.  Three (3) pieces of jewelry valued at $315 for a mere $104.  That’s not too shabby.  (For you guys, that is less than the cost of Madden 11 and StarCraft 2.)  Rachael is always running deals.  Talk to Rachael today by emailing her rpparklane@gmail.com.

On a personal note, you’ll notice a nice little poll that has been going on here at Sparkly Jewels.  Do me a favor?  Vote for anything but more reviews.  Your only other option is to feed the reviewer.  I do quite well on comments.  Comments keep me healthy and happy.  Comments are free to feed.  I’m not asking for much.  What did you think of the review?  Do you own the Indulge Necklace?  Did you buy it after reading this?  What did you think?  Come on, people!  Feed the reviewer!

Your blog is yours again, Rachael.  Do tell us about the bonus item deal, or any other deals you have going at the moment.

WOW!  Amanda, you have such a knack for words - absolutely beautiful!!!!

This necklace, I've included in the 12 Days of Christmas gift giving deal...you can get 12 gifts for someone special (mom, grandma, sis, wife, daughter).  You're receiving $860 in jewelry for only $200.  When you think about each piece coming with a lifetime warranty, it's a gift that keeps giving.  I recently heard from a client that she had purchased a necklace for Christmas, and it broke THAT NIGHT!  She took it back to the store she had purchased it from, and they wouldn't return it or exchange it or give her store credit.  She was out $100.  I hear stories like this nearly everyday.  When you purchase with Park Lane, you don't have to pay extra for the unconditional guarantee - it comes free of charge.  Isn't that peace of mind???

I hate to sound cliche, but don't put off waiting until the last minute.  Be sure to get your order in as soon as possible.

The 12 Days of Christmas gift giving starts on Dec 13th.  To avoid paying rush delivery, order before November 22nd.  If you place 2 or more 12 Days orders, I'll foot the shipping!!

Ladies, you can also send me your honey's contact info, and I'll put a bug in his ear

MacGyver of Jewelry

What does 1 bracelet, 1 pin, and 2 long necklaces have in common?  I'll give you a minute...a world of possibilities!  

I am a MacGyver at heart!  If I can find multiple uses for one item, I'm IN LOVE!  The first item that comes to my head is a product Arbonne sells called Skin Conditioning Oil (if you don't have an Arbonne consultant, you can use mine!) - it's amazing - it's great for acne, burns, bug bites, owies, in grown hairs, etc.   My hubby calls it "Windex"...do you remember "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"?  Yeah!  That's this product.  But if I can use one item for multiple uses I'm in heaven!

So, I got to thinking, "I'm sure there are more ways to use a necklace, bracelet, etc."  Sure enough...there is.  Park Lane was so ingenuous to create the Remix Extender.  If you don't have this in your armory, you need it.  You've been forewarned.  If you don't have the Remix Extender, you can use a bracelet, but this handy little guy will add miles to your wardrobe.

1.  It's a bracelet.  Awesome.  But you can hang charms (think enhancers...) from it.

2.  It's an extender...this means that you can attach necklaces to it so you have a fuller or longer necklace (totally depends on your use) which equals more mileage less $$$$.

For this 'tutorial', you'll want a few long necklaces (about 60-80 inches long), a pin, and a bracelet or extender.  If you use a bracelet from your jewelry closet, I'd suggest finding one with the biggest, sturdiest clasp you can find.  Do not use a chintzy spring ring clasp.  You'll be cursing if you do.  Trust me here.

Grab the items and lay them out like this:

Fold your long necklace (Fashion-able) into thirds, with the clasp on one end...we are going to hide it.  

Take the Remix Extender lobster clasp and hook it through/around the loops on the left hand side, and secure it closed.

Open your pin (Bugs and flowers are in.  This cute pin is soooo sparkly.  I wish you were here in my living room to see it.  It is a hostess only item, and worth EVERY PENNY!).  Loop the right hand side of Fashion-able over the pin, and the ring of Remix, put it around your neck, and secure.  Be careful not to poke yourself! :)

Voila!

Variation #1: Fashion-able wrapped 3 times around the neck, and staggered to three layers.  Pin the pin through the chain to keep from moving.

Variation #2:  Use a pretty bracelet (Coronado) as part of the necklace.  Fashion-able was unclasped.  I clasped Coronado to one side, then wrapped Fashion-able around my neck, then closed it on the other side.  Presto!

You can try it with pearls too!  (Jolie, in place of Fashion-able).  

Add Verona added to Remix and Jolie, because there is not a clasp on Jolie.  This creates a fuller, longer necklace than using Fashion-able and Remix.

Using Remix as a chain with Verona, and Signature enhancer (light enough to use as a charm on your bracelet too!!)

Imagine the possibilities!!!

I'd love to read what you think!  Do you have some more uses for these fun pieces?  Please email them to me!

Fall 2010 Jewelry Trends

From scouring high and low...looking at what other designers are doing...I present to you the upcoming fall jewelry trends.
Continuing from the spring, and even fall of last year: layering.  This is good news girls!


New Trends:

Gold Jewelry:  Can I poo poo selling your gold?  K, I'm gonna.  Keep your gold, and mix it with a few new pieces to revitalize your wardrobe. 
If you don't have any gold jewelry, now is the time to buy!  You can mix the gold and silver tones together for a very modern look!
Also on the gold strain, is Egyptian.  The Egyptians were well known for their exotic jewelry, and their extreme wealth.  Cleopatra even went as far as to dissolve a pearl in wine to show her extreme wealth.

Statement necklaces as IN!  In a nutshell, the bib type is going to be seen a lot this season.  Good news for those of you who aren't "in" to layering, one big bold necklace is sure to fit the bill.

Bold earrings:  bigger is better when it comes to the bling on the lobes.  However, it's best to not wear big earrings with a big necklace if you are petite.  Bigger gals, however, are able to pull this off!

Flower Power:  this will be a carry over, but in greater proportion to the spring motifs. 

Chainmaille:  yes, my friends, it's back!  This season we really have a huge mix of jewelry styles.  It makes for a very well rounded wardrobe.

Remember the $100 deal!  Refer a friend to start Park Lane, and you'll get $100 FREE in jewelry in September!!

Layered Necklaces for the Non-Obsessed Part 2 (and news)

I can't really justify 2 separate postings, but I am very excited about the newly released fall jewelry!
I've been clicking away at my keyboard, and trying to figure out what exactly these look like in real life. You see, part of the issue is that jewelry doesn't photograph well. All those intricate facets...places for light to hide and reflect is so complex for our amazing eyes to pick up on those subtle nuances. The good news is that the kind photo editing dept at JBPL does not do lots of editing on the pictures. What this means to us is that we may not get the best picture in the catalog, but we will be blown away when the jewelry arrives on our doorstep! Would you rather be wowed when you buy, or receive? I'll go with receive (and wear, for that matter).

Watch for some fuuuuuun things coming up from this blog! You really ought to subscribe. :)

So, layering for the non-obsessed. If you recall in our last post we talked about layering with a black necklace we call "Fashion-able". It's one of the most versatile pieces you can have in your jewelry wardrobe. The 2 most versatile piece is "Shannel". Shannel is the same length as Fashion-able - about 48". Shannel comes in gold or silver tones (they are gold plated!), with faux pearls, in a tin-cup style necklace.

Pearls are classic. They are elegant. Pearls can be dressed up, or dressed down. If June Cleaver wore pearls while vacuuming, they are good enough for me. Actually, please don't wear your fine jewelry while doing any house work, unless of course it comes with an unconditional guarantee. Pearls look stunning on a woman of any age! You can't go wrong with pearls.

So we start with Shannel and Beloved (a trio of heart-shaped, cubic zirconias (not chintzy teenie bopper cz's - these are high quality cz's!)). Shannel is tripled, and frames Beloved.


See Beloved all by itself? There are sometimes a pendant needs to be solo, and sometimes it needs to be dressed up!
Please pardon the crazy pictures. I've been having some issues with my camera...
Remember Fashion-able? Pair it with Shannel for a very classic, and chic look!
Verona (the thick silver cable chain...doubled) + Shannel

Verona and Shannel again...Shannel is longer and staggered.


Here is a picture from a recent fair. You can see a few necklace combinations. It's not brain surgery to layer your necklaces.



And thrown in for good measure...Shannel as a bracelet!


A few tips to layering:
- Pick 1-2 colors to start with. Select your necklaces based on those 2 colors. Don't worry about texture. You can pick metal, or stone; either one is perfectly fine. Mixing metals has been 'in' for quite a few seasons now, and is no longer considered a faux pas. In this example, I selected two necklaces in the same color family: they both have silver metal. The "Nina" necklace has pearls and rose quartz. The stone combination lends itself to be more earthy in my opinion. I like the juxtaposition between the glitzy of "Heidi" (the quatrefoil necklace with Swarovski crystals) with "Nina" (please pardon the poor picture). I also like "Love Story" with "Nina" for a more earthy look.

- Juxtapose two necklaces. IE: pearls and turquoise. Turquoise, is one of the hottest stones and colors this season. Are you in heaven? I am! Turquoise can also be a tricky stone to layer because of it's hard, cool texture. Because of the cracks and crevasses, it is visually a harder stone, even if it's texturally a smooth stone. If you wanted to play it safe, layer turquoise with a textural silver chain. If you want to be daring, and edgy, pair turquoise with pearls, either freshwater or cultured are fine. In the picture below, you can see a fresh take on this perspective.
I hope you've enjoyed this mini boot jewelry boot camp (if you're this far, I'm assuming you've survived!) Go play with your jewelry; how else are you going to know what looks good together? When in doubt, carry yourself with confidence! You are a lovely woman of God; wear what you like! Be proud of yourself!!
I'd love to hear what you've put together. Please feel free to leave a comment below. The next posting will feature 3 necklaces. Whew! We'll get through this together! I promise to hold your hand the whole way. :)