From the category archives:

Bling on a Budget

Vintage Bling Still Shines Bright

August 4, 2011

in Bling on a Budget,Bling Queen,Everyday Bling,Training Bling

The kind gentlemen who own the Vintage Martini boutique in downtown Carrollton, TX allowed me to preview new inventory before it made its way to the store. Whether you are in search of clothes, jewelry, shoes, hats or handbags, they have wide array of amazing vintage items. Don’t worry… I only bought one necklace, so there’s plenty of goodies waiting on you.

Vintage Martini vintage pink dress with crystals

Vintage pink dress with crystals at Vintage Martini

Take a look at this insanely cool Chado Ralph Rucci jacket over a pink and orange beaded vintage gown. The jacket still has the original Neiman Marcus tag for $18K.

Chado Ralph Rucci jacket

Chado Ralph Rucci jacket originally sold for $18K

Luckily for my wallet, these Jimmy Choo crystal sandals were not my size. *sigh*

Jimmy Choo crystal sandals

Jimmy Choo crystal sandals

I wish my coffee table looked like this… covered in jewels from Kenneth Jay Lane, Givenchy, Stephen Dweck and more. Naturally, I spent most of my time around this table. I have been in search of a bold gold necklace and found a beautiful, hammered, 80s-inspired one. Love it!

Table of jewelry at Vintage Martini
My new gold necklace from Vintage Martini
Vintage Martini ring

I have a huge noggin’ and tons of hair, so I am rarely able to wear hats. That doesn’t stop me from looking and dreaming though. I have never seen so many stunning feathered and embellished hats in one place! I tried to convince Elissa from @DressCourage to buy a Christian Dior hat covered in fiery feathers of orange and red. (Still working on her)

Feathered and embellished hats at Vintage Martini

I can’t believe it’s taken so long for me to get into vintage shopping. I had so much fun! If you are in the Dallas area, take some time to see for yourself. Follow Vintage Martini on Twitter at @VintageMartini1.

Tagged as: fur, hats, jewelry, vintage, Vintage Martini

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Bling Abounds at BCBG

July 22, 2011

in Bling on a Budget,Bling Queen,Everyday Bling

BCBG Rhinestone Knot necklace

BCBG Rhinestone Knot necklace $168 (Sold out online, may still be available in stores)

My secret to stand-out style is statement jewelry pieces. I have two uniforms — a knit top and jeans or an LBD — and both rely on a few well-placed conversation-starter pieces. “Statement” pieces are nothing new of course, but I just can’t get enough of them.

When accessorizing with statement jewelry, I suggest choosing one focus for each jewelry zone.

  • Tiara Town (head and neck): If I wear a large necklace, then the earrings will be small and not matchy-matchy. If I wear large shoulder-duster earrings, then I forgo the necklace altogether. Note: If you actually wear a tiara in public (rare but I have), then you might as well wear the whole she-bang. Why not? :)
  • Jewelry Joints (fingers and wrist): If I wear large rings or multiple rings, I keep it simple on the wrist or forgo bracelets entirely. If I am stacking bracelets for an arm party, I will choose just one ring on that hand.

There are many statement jewelry options these days, and some of my favorites are at BCBG. With a gift certificate lingering in my wallet since Christmas, I recently took a trip to the BCBG store in NorthPark Center mall in Dallas, TX. I showed more restraint that I would have liked, but not as much as I should have… I came home with both the Rhinestone Knot necklace and the Fringe Collar necklace. Here are some of the blingy lovelies we visited at BCBG.

BCBG Fringe Collar necklace

BCBG Fringe Collar necklace $88 (Sold out online, may still be available in stores)

BCBG Three-Finger ring

BCBG Three-Finger ring (Sold out online, may still be available in stores)

BCBG crystal knuckle-ring clutch

BCBG crystal knuckle-ring clutch $118 (Sold out online, may still be available in stores)

BCBG insider notes: All jewelry sales are final. Good to remember before taking the plunge. Also, if you see a piece that is sold out online, check the site periodically or call the stores. It takes some time and research, but I have tracked down some sold out pieces by being persistent.

Tagged as: BCBG, earrings, jewelry, necklaces, NorthPark Center, NorthPark Mall

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Crown Me Already by OPI

July 18, 2011

I’ve always had this secret – let’s call it a “feeling” – that I am a queen who was unjustly dethroned and will one day be crowned again. I even have a collection of tiaras, training size to Miss America, in my closet to attest to this fact. You can then imagine my delight that [...]

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Heavy Metal: Sally Hansen Gunmetal Polish

September 8, 2010

Metsy & I are always on the hunt for the perfect nail colors to complement our ever-growing collection of cocktail rings. One afternoon while out running errands, we came across this slightly-rocker, decidedly chic take on the grey trend for this season. I picked up the bottle and was mesmerized by the fabulicious combo of [...]

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My Not-So-Secret Discount Jewelry Place

September 4, 2010

For trendy jewelry, I prefer not to spend a small fortune. We all know that Target has great, inexpensive jewelry lines, and here in Dallas, we also have Sam Moon for cheaper jewelry. But it’s good to have an out-of-the-way discount treasure trove that no one knows about. I’m about to share one … Once [...]

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Fellow Blingista: Renée Rouleau

September 3, 2010

Last night, Shannon and I attended the F2 TALK with Renée Rouleau (pronounced roo-LOW) held by The Fashionistas. Not only is Renée a trusted skin care expert and celebrity esthetician… she wears bling! While she was detailing her top 5 skin care myths, tips for handling brown spots and acne, answering Q&A and much much more, [...]

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Z Gallerie Accessories Fun

August 24, 2010

Tonight we went to Z Gallerie in Uptown Dallas. My fave accessories store and tons of bling items! Here’s a taste… Here is the “Quadrato” bath container set that went home with Shannon tonight! ($99.95 for the 4 piece set) The “Bling” (that’s literally what they are called) hurricanes are $99.95 for the 10″ and [...]

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Can Skulls Be Dainty? Mawi Red Teardrop Skull Earrings

August 20, 2010

The Red Teardrop Skull earrings by Mawi are a fab way for a rocker-chic fashionista to work in this Fall’s ladylike jewelry trend. At first glance, these are pretty classic earrings featuring pearls, CZs and crystals… but then up close… boom!… you see small silver skulls at the top of the red crystal drops. In [...]

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Multi-Colored Sequins: Marc Jacobs Tweed Sequin Stam Satchel

August 16, 2010

Last year, I was in love with the multi-colored sequin handbags from Miu Miu, so I am happy to see the pretty pretty Tweed Sequin Stam Satchel from Marc Jacobs. I admit that I prefer the rectangular shape of other Sequin Tweed handbags in the collection, but the Stam Satchel does not have the leather [...]

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Swarovski Autumn/Winter 2010-2011: Hyacinth Blue Pendant

August 9, 2010

The new Swarovski collection is amazing… and no, it’s not just because I am in love with all things Swarovski. Creative Director Nathalie Colin was “inspired by Nordic landscapes, icy horizons and frozen expanses” for the Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 collection. (See the collection overview.) Doesn’t the Hyacinth Blue Pendant look like a sparkling block of ice [...]

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