For the Love of Jewelry
In my opinion, jewelry is one of the most personal and authentic items you can wear. For me, I love jewelry that tells a story and has character. I don’t want to wear it just to compliment an outfit, I wear a piece because it’s another form of expression and the creator of the piece put thought into the beauty as well as the idea of what the piece will exude.  One of my favorite places for finding unique jewelry from unique sellers is Etsy. I’m contemplating going on a big shopping spree for some new jewelry, so I’ve been browsing Etsy pretty hard lately. Here are a few of my favorite Etsy shops with some beautiful and unique jewelry:
Frankie, of Swell Vintage, has a great eye for vintage finds and recreates some beautiful vintage jewelry pieces. All of her jewelry is made from antique parts.  The best part about her jewelry is that it will spruce up any outfit whether it is casual or dressy and would be perfect for any occasion. That and I can see women of all ages wearing her jewelry. My mother as well as I could have appreciation for her pieces, and her shop would be perfect for me  Plus, I love pearls and Frankie incorporates them well with the antique parts for a luxurious feel. Here are a few more of her pieces:
The ladies behind Untamed Menegerie, mother/daughter team Nikki and Penny, create some beautiful pieces that remind me of Gothic New Orleans.  Their delicate pieces are made of acrylic which give birth to hauntingly beautiful silhouettes such as the Melancholy Lashes necklace below:
Another pendant that I’m quite fond of is their “The Sea Be Ours” pendant which showcases a pirate ship:
And an adorable pair of earrings named “Lola”:
For some adorable cocktail jewelry with flair, I’d point you to Galit’s shop. This Israel-based designer’s creations burst with color and unique shapes. I could see wearing her necklaces to a cocktail party, wedding, or even as an everyday piece. And her bridal jewelry is classic and very affordable for a bride or bridal party. Plus, fellas, I think her jewelry would be great gifts :
For rings? I’m a sucker for big cocktail rings and Kimari Jewelry is the right place for me to get them. I love the altered art she uses for her rings and the art is definitely unique. Check out a few that I’m thinking of buying:
And for steampunk jewelry, I really like EDM Designs. Ricky’s steampunk jewelry designs have been featured in Bust magazine as well as Auxilary Magazine.  The creations not like anything else I’ve seen before and while I’m relatively new to the steampunk jewelry scene, I love how striking it is while mixing vintage and futuristic elements. Here are some beautiful creations:
And of course, this doesn’t encompass all of the great jewelry finds on Etsy. That’s one source for jewelry that I could scourge for hours and hours on end alone. My local vintage and antique stores, sample sale sites like Gilt and many other websites across the web have some wonderful jewelry out there. And if you hurry ladies, there’s still the chance for 20% off at Rilee and Lo‘s April Showers Sale which is until 4/24 .  With jewelry from Elizabeth and James, Gorjana, andRachel Leigh to name a few, you can find some great pieces. Just type in the code “SHOWER” at check out.
Giveaway: Free 1 Year Subscription to Marie Claire Magazine
Marie Claire is one of my favorite women’s magazines to read. A good balance of fashion, beauty and and some very in interesting and well-written articles to boot. So I’m excited about this giveaway. In honor of the season finale of Running In Heels, the Shop It To Me blog is giving away 5 free one-year subscriptions to Marie Claire magazine.  It’s simple, all you have to do is go to the Shop It To Me blog, and comment on what you consider to be the greatest office fashion faux-pas.  And for all of us that work in office settings, I know that we can think of more than a few. So be sure to go here and comment for a free subscription.  The winner is announced on May 1st.Â
Real beauty doesn't require makeup or Photoshop according to French Elle
I know, I know, another magazine post, but I had to write about this one. I was actually gearing up to write another beauty post about beauty and pampering products I’ve been into lately, when I saw a link to an article posted on Twitter from Yahoo’s Shine Fashion and Beauty Blog about French Elle’s May 2009 “No Makeup” issue.
Images from Shine at Yahoo
That’s right, Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Charlotte Rampling appear in French Elle with no makeup or Photoshopping.  It’s shot by Peter Lindbergh and the women are already completely gorgeous as is, but I still say it’s a refreshing view from the insanely airbrushed covers on US stands.
And to quote, Shine’s author, Jennifer Romolini, it’s once again a sign that the European mags have taken steps leaps and bounds ahead of their US counterparts:
And, honestly, French Elle’s April ’09 issue is not the first time our women’s mags have been out-classed by the Europeans. Last year–in protest of the serious lack of diversity on catwalks, ads and in women’s magazines–Italian Vogue published an all-black issue featuring models of color from around the world. It sold out in days.
Amen. Let’s also not forget Paris Vogue’s cover with a Black male dressed in woman’s clothes and he was working a full beard.
But I digress.  Would women be open to seeing beauty represented at face value without all of the tricks and manipulation? Or is the escapism and fantasy that we may feel when we look at a dolled up model/actress what we want to see, because hey, it is Elle/Vogue/Bazaar, ya know.
Modelizer: US Vogue May 09 Cover
Photo from Gawker
So it seems the cover of the Vogue May issue traditionally features models has been revealed. Liya Kebede, Natalia Vodianova, Anna Maria Jagodzinska. Isabeli Fontana, Stone, Jourdan Dunn, Raquel Zimmerman, Caroline Trentini, and Natasha Poly are the chosen ones to grace the cover. To tell the truth, I’m not surprised by the choices.
Well, I actually thought maybe Sessilee Lopez might sneak in. Also, I thought Chanel Iman might be included since she has been something of an “It” model for a couple of years now, but she is in the issue in an editorial with her boyfriend:
Photo from The Fashion Spot
However, I am glad that Jourdan Dunn, a rising newcomer, did have a spot on the cover. With the influx of new models, I never really keep up and I do care more about the clothes than the models, in general. However, Jourdan Dunn is the one model that I always look for in shows and editorials because the girl always works it. I believe she has a long and successful career ahead of her. Don’t believe me? Check out this vid:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzVZKwGzrE]
Mag Hag: CS Magazine
Chicago Social magazine is a part of the Modern Luxury magazine group and I can usually find it throughout the city for free in various locations. It’s not a magazine that I keep an eye out for, but I grab it when I think to do so. Well I was looking through last month’s issue, and I found this editorial titled “Hollywood and Divine”. I love the look of the model they used and the editorial that harks back to the 50′s-60′s glamor.  No comment on the blond wig, though. Either way, I thought I would share some of the images:
Just another day…
Over the weekend, I had the great chance to attend a fashion show for the new Liz Claiborne collection, featuring the designer, Isaac Mizrahi. Believe me, this was a pretty big deal since the event was held at a Midwestern mall by our local Carson’s. Usually, they don’t see much excitement, unless you count the once yearly visits from Santa or the Easter Bunny.  My friend, Negrita Linda, told me about the event, so I decided to round up my mother (who remembers him from Target) and check it out.
When my mother and I got there, we saw a long runway surrounded by white chairs. I didn’t RSVP, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get any closer than standing along the outside.  My mother and I saw groups of women standing in line and I asked a nearby assistant what the line was for. She replied that we could stand in line in hopes of being able to sit down and be a part of the fashion show, in case the organizers needed to fill seats. Seeing that I really had nothing to lose, I grabbed my mom’s arm and stood in line.  Well, right before the show, it looked like they definitely needed to fill in some seats and a nice woman escorted us to the 2nd row on the left hand side! Not bad for people that just walked right in.
On to the show: I believe it started a few minutes late, but once things started to move, it was great.  Isaac came out and talked about the looks and his inspiration. He also talked about the woman he designs for “35–no matter if you are actually 25, 15 or 50, the look is for a 35 year-old-woman” and he talked about revitalizing the Liz Claiborne brand. Then he launched into sending out a set of looks. Overall, I believe there were about 17-18 total. He would send out about 6-7 looks, talk for a few minutes and then send out another set.
Before I’d seen any photos of Isaac’s collection for Liz Claiborne, I was not overly excited. Liz Claiborne never moved me as a brand and I thought the updated looks would probably be cute, but nothing to anticipate. Well, seeing the show and being able to see the models wear the looks up close has changed my mind. There were definitely some nice pieces that I could see myself wearing and nothing that would break the bank, either. My personal favorite was the Belted Bateau-Neck Gingham Dress, which is sold for $189 and the finale dress on the runway.
After the runway show, Isaac stuck around for a few minutes for a question and answer session. Many women had questions about the clothing and how it would look on them. One woman asked how she would know if the clothing would be right for her since the models were so thin. Isaac quipped, “Why don’t you try it on for yourself and see”.  He was very warm and funny and gave some great advice for women and clothing in general. We left with a cool goodie bag that included a coupon for the collection, a cute Liz Claiborne journal and a copy of Chicago magazine, who also co-sponsored the event. I’d say, all in all, it wasn’t a shabby way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
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