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!!

The "Casual" Look

Have I shared with you my shopping rules?  No, I'm really not a "Rules Girl"...though I really like having systems in place for things!

- Never pay full price.  This means that unless you absolutely, positively have to, look for something cheaper somewhere else...it may take a bit of time, but it's so worth it.  I like shopping at thrift stores (when I have time).

- Only buy what you LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Then when you get home you don't have items in the back of your closet with tags still on them. What a waste of money, IMHO.

- Only buy what looks great on you.  If you feel you look "ok", forget it....you're not going to wear it.

- Don't buy with good intentions, again this is a waste of $$$$$$$ :)

Simple enough, huh?!  Ok, so this is what you get out of it:  you look great all the time.  I'm not patting myself on the back here, but I've had more than one person tell me, "you look 'put together'".  My other secret: I'm not.  I don't pretend to.  I'm soooo human.  I laugh at myself quite often!

Ok so the makings of a great everyday outfit, IMHO.  I love jeans, and I live in them.  Contrary to popular opinion, I do own pants other than jeans, but I really do love them.  It bodes well for me that denim in all forms is wildly back in popularity this season.  Leather too!  I digress.

Tee-shirts are my other love affair.  Remember I said I laugh at myself?  Yeah, I was the one who worked at Ann Taylor and suggested to our clients that they wear a tee shirt with a skirt.  In my defense, I'm not talking about a college tee.  I'm talking about a nice ruched or fitted tee.  But I think that knit fabric is probably the best material in the entire world.

So why am I describing my closet?  Because I'm about as casual as they come.  I own dresses, and skirts (my newest addition was a running skort from Jockey Person to Person.  LOVE IT!!), but I prefer casual clothes.

How does jewelry play into this whole business?  Well I'm glad you asked! ;)  First my rules.  Please take it from me.  I've been in the industry for 7 year (I know, big whoop.  But seriously, I know what I'm talkin' about here.  Don't believe me?  Go talk to any reputable jeweler, and they'll tell you the same thing).

1.  Big girls: please don't wear little pieces of jewelry.  It DOESN'T make you look smaller, it has the opposite effect and makes you look bigger, I'm very sorry to say.  This does mean that when it's your turn for a diamond, go for the 3 carat, not the 1/4 carat ;) (Actually, IMHO EVERY WOMAN should go for the 3 carat...)

2.  Petite women, you can drown in too much, but wearing more than dots in your ears is still a great idea.

     2a.  If you are petite/have a short neck, don't wear big earrings and a big necklace.  So pick one or the other.

     2b.  Big girls can get away with this (hint!). 

3.  To look 'pulled together', wear earrings.  That how to is on Facebook...and will someday (soon!) be a 'how to' here.  Currently, however, here's the link.  Because people typically look at your face, instead of, say, your wrist, wearing earrings helps you to look like you have it together, that polished look.  I even have a friend, though she is stunning, who will wear earrings, but not makeup.  I didn't know this for the LONGEST time!!  :)

So pulling it all together now...So driving to church today, I was not contemplating the beauty of God's creation, or churchy things, but alas was thinking of you, my sweet reader and how to share with you useful and perhaps useless info. :)  I know that times are tough for some folks...for that very reason I have this blog, and sell you jewelry.  Contrary to popular opinion, it's not so that you buy more.  It's so that you are more conscious with your money, and make wise choices.  

One of my newest followings is FlyLady...ahhh...I love her principles (ahem...system?)  One of her greatest pieces of advice is selecting your clothes the night before.  May I also subscribe to you, your jewelry as well?  Yes.  So.  In the picture below, you can see half of the bling I have on.  The other half is on my wrists.  I went with a neutral palette.  Shocker, I know!  But it was all laid out, and I was ready to jump into it in the morning!  One trick, I use because I'm tall but slender, with a small face, is that if I wear large earrings, they are better if they are neutral, then I keep that the focus...I had a huge silver bracelet too, but I didn't have huge earrings, huge necklace, huge bracelet.  

Lastly, but certainly not last,  I am all about saving you money.  You should know that.  I'm a frugal-ista! :D  In September, Park Lane is giving you $100 in jewelry totally free for referring a guy or gal to join Park Lane.  How 'bout that?!  That's pretty dandy!  Who do you know who has been wanting to work from home?  Who do you know who LOVES jewelry?  Who do you know who needs a job?  Who do you know who hates their job?  The DL for starting (you can refer yourself even).  It takes $5 and a party to start, and you can be anywhere in the United States or Mexico.  For the $5, you get $1000 in jewelry.  The only catch is, we want people who are committed to building a business.  Other than that, no catch.  Please email their name and phone #, and I'll do the rest.  You'll want to take advantage of this though, because usually the referral reward is $50 - a great deal but certainly not $100!!!

Oh, by the way, the poll is still open...please be sure to vote.  Although, from the looks of it, no one wants to see reviews, or combos...no eggs please :)

And please refer your friends, at least to follow the blog, and facebook.

What To Wear

One of my favorite tv shows, though I haven't watched it in sometime and can be too much to watch it all the time, is TLC's What Not to Wear.  I have my own spin - What to Wear.

Here are my opinions on fashion, then I'll address what bling to sport with your new dress.

Unless you have:

- been on What Not to Wear (or a similar show)

- have found yourself on peopleofwalmart.com

- your husband/boyfriend/bff tell you your clothes don't look good on you

- (regardless of what people think) is too small for you

I feel you can wear pretty much anything.  That being said, let's move on to your accessories.

I have been accused of believing there is no such thing as too much jewelry (there are worse things to be accused of...).  While this is slightly true (but mostly of when I wish to get out of jury duty), I do have rules I follow.  I have posted them on my Facebook fan page (Which your should follow, because it's much easier for me to post something real quick than always posting a blog...AND I offer special sales over there too...2 very good reasons to be my FB fan page stalker :))

Rachael's jewelry rules:

1. 1 necklace is fun, but 2 or 3 are better.  Refer to my post on Jewelry for the Non-Obsessed Parts 1 & 2, for how to do that.

2.  1 bracelet is fun but 2 or 3 are better.  This is a cinch...you might start here if layering is a bit overwhelming for you.  Start with a bracelet that matches the necklace you are wearing, and add another bracelet that is exactly the same or matches in color or texture.

3.  Mixing metals: DEFINITELY!  This is easiest in the same necklace/bracelet, but if you want to tie 2 metals together, wear a similar colored top.  Example:  let's say there is a gold necklace you want to wear with a silver bracelet, wear a cool colored top.  The gold necklace will pop. 

You can also wear a gold bracelet and a silver bracelet to tie the two together.

4. Same metal, different colored stones.  Yep, you can do this too.  You can also wear same colored stone, different metal...this can be more tricky to not look like you got dressed in the dark.  For this, I'd stick with the same size stone, or the same color (almost exactly).

For this post we are using a black strapless dress (courtesy of Ann Taylor, $98).  A friend recently wore something similar to a wedding, though her dress had straps.  Either way.  This is a slightly dressier dress, so more is not better when it comes to your bling. 

I suggest the Madame Butterfly necklace, with a pair of pearl earrings (IF you are going to wear everything else.  If not, go with the Madame Butterfly earrings too), and Stand Out bracelet with the Angelina ring.  The Mme Butterfly necklace, Stand Out bracelet, and Angelina ring are all statement pieces.  If you wore the earrings with the necklace, bracelet and ring, it would scream I SELL JEWELRY!!!! hmmm.... ;)  

If you wanted the earrings to match the necklace (I know there are those of you who have to have things matching.  I'd wear a smaller bracelet, such as A La Mode (it is a wider cuff bracelet, but since it's an open weave it gives the illusion of being a smaller bracelet), Bloom (has the flower motif), or First Lady (a simple/not so simple pearl bracelet).  Regardless of whether you wear a large bracelet or a small one, please wear it opposite of your statement ring, this will generally be your left hand, if you are married.

How do I get all that bling, you might be wondering.  We'll I'm glad you asked :)  Remember the customer sale I rave about all the time?  Here's where it comes into play.  You don't have to understand it, just know that I can save you a bundle!  I know it may seem too good to be true, but we've been around for 55 years...we can't mess around with stuff like this and get away with it for so long.

So, our good friend Madame Butterfly is $168, Stand Out bracelet is $138, Angelina is $69, Madame Butterfly earrings are $31. 

Using our sale, you'd pay retail for the earrings, the ring, and the Bloom bracelet = $169

Then you'd get Madame Butterfly for $12 (say what?! yup), Stand Out bracelet for $12 (what?? uh huh), A La Mode for $12 (it retails at $74), and still get another item up to $169 for F-R-E-E.  Truth!  That means you'd get $718 for $205.   

That's 71% OR each piece for 29.28!!

Are you awake now? :)  All jewelry (even the goodies on sale) come with a lifetime, unconditional guarantee...and it'll come right to your door!!  Be sure to get in touch with me to get these great pieces!

It is inevitable I meet a gal who says, "I love jewelry but I don't have anywhere to wear it."  Who says you have to have somewhere to wear it?  I wear my bling to Costco, or the library, or the post office, or the park.  Yeah, I do wear my sparkles to church and every where else, but where in the world do you need to go to wear jewelry?  A gala?  Just throw some stuff on!  You'll be so happy you did!!

Opinions Please!!!

Friends!  I need your opinion about what you'd like to see.  Please vote! :)

For never was a story of more woe, Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

What does Romeo have to do with jewelry?  Well nothing, but Juliet has a lot to do with it!  Read on!  Thank you to my wonderful friend for her beautiful review of one of our pieces.  As a shameless plug for a friend, please hop on over to her blog and be sure to follow the makings of an authoress.

It’s Amanda Nicole again.  (Waving!)  Rachael’s friendly, unpaid, buys the jewelry she writes about reviewer.  (Yes, I need to rethink this whole thing.)  I’m also the friend who doesn’t wear jewelry, and doesn’t exactly like jewelry.  Yet, here I am reviewing the jewelry.
Everyone likes new things.  Or, at least so I am told.  Today’s edition is the Juliet Bracelet.  I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to think of Romeo & Juliet when you see this bracelet.  It has four charms and two “pearls.”  Bear with my art critique here.  This piece is a work of art, and what one person sees might not be what another person sees.  Let’s take each of the four charms separately for our critique.

Juliet Bracelet 

all photos by Amanda Nicole Trisdale

We will start with the key.  It is a lovely key with “LOVE” as the teeth.  I will believe the designer meant that love is the key to unlock any door; be the door bolted shut with compassion or hate.  I find the key a pivotal part of the play, and of this bracelet.  For what is Romeo & Juliet without the moral of the story?

 
Next comes the heart.  It should not be shocking to find a heart on a bracelet based on one of the greatest love stories of all time.  This little charm shows how beautiful and delicate love can be.

 
After the heart we have the cameo.  We can never forget the young beauty who tragically takes her own life for love.  Timeless, ageless in the shadow of our memory, Juliet reminds us that we must seek the better self within us, not the hate that surrounds us.
 

Some might disagree with the inclusion of the symbol of peace on this work.  I would ask them to think about the play.  A love that could overcome hate is a love that brought peace between two families.  Remember the ending of Romeo and Juliet.  Both fathers stand looking down at the bodies of their children.  In that moment, Montague and Capulet realize what their feuding has cost them; their children.  Peace, the final gift of Juliet to her family.  Love, the key to unlock not only someone’s heart, but to unlock peace.  Two symbols by each other on a bracelet, meaningless one without the other.  For can one truly have peace without love?  Or love without peace?
 
So, whether you are like me and bought this lovely piece due to the fact your niece is named after the heroine in a Shakespeare play, are a fan of one of the greatest and longest enduring love stories of all time, or just love a beautiful piece of jewelry, buy the Juliet Bracelet.  Or, seeing as how Christmas is coming up, pick up the bracelet for that woman in your life you have been feuding with. 

For those who don’t like large charms on your wrist, but love the charms on the bracelet, you are in luck.  Park Lane happens to have the same piece in a necklace.  The bracelet is $55.  The necklace is $119.  Rachael can always work in a lovely deal for you.  Talk to Rachael for more details.
“For never was a story of more woe/Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”  The Prince’s eulogy for Juliet and Romeo at the end of the play.

**From Rachael:  Amanda, Thank you so much for this beautiful review of the Juliet bracelet.  I must admit at first I was slightly irritated by the peace symbol on this lovely bracelet, but you helped me to remember the message of Romeo and Juliet.  Photos really don't do this piece justice, it is precious.  If pictures are worth a thousand words, then these lovely words are only half of the story!  Please do be sure to give your love this bracelet!!
(yes, we do have deals!!!)