6 Jewelry Must-Haves This Season

This fashion trends post was brought to you by Jess Cammerman.

I believe every outfit is improved with the perfect jewelry; therefore, I’m happily presenting some of this year’s favorites. Pursuing and possessing just the right bling is a responsibility that comes with a great deal of pleasure! So, let’s take a look at six top trends . . . jewelry ‘must haves’ this season . . .


1.  Large Hoop Earrings - The larger the better! Hoop earrings add just the right touch to your favorite outfit, especially with hair pulled away from the face, say in a high ponytail. Skinnier hoops tend to appear feminine and lively, while dramatic hoops can be bold and enticing. These modern (yet timeless) additions look fantastic with both casual and formal designs.

2. Simple Diamond Studs - For those days when you prefer something slightly more subtle (or when you feel like wearing your hair down), a pair of gorgeous diamond stud earrings from Michael Hill look great with any outfit. Create a look that’s feminine, elegant, and full of sparkle, and wear them anytime . . . day or night. Diamond studs in gold and silver will complement your other jewelry; the ideal touch; studs are simply lovely!

3. Menswear-Inspired Watches - One of my favorite trends this season is the menswear watch. This hot new craze lends itself to combinations with other accessories… a little drama and practicality combined. Jewelry worn with the watch can offset the masculine touch, particularly feminine accessories. Look for a watch with a large face, enhanced by a leather or metallic wristband.

4. A Turquoise Necklace - An eye-catching turquoise necklace looks fantastic with many popular styles this season. From amazing rose gold, to off-white tops and dresses, the aqua-blue just seems to have it (and say it) all! Whether you choose to combine the necklace with a basic tee-shirt and jeans, or with an ethnic-print dress, turquoise makes an exotic statement. Perfect for almost any occasion, a silver and turquoise necklace, pendant, or choker adds drama and finesse.

5. Pearls - Pearls are a seasonal trend that never goes out of style. Sophisticated and tasteful, pearls can be worn with a little black dress or a soft-pink cashmere sweater. Innocent and sweet, classic pearls provide an eye-catching addition to many of this year’s fashion highlights. Pair the pearls with vintage styles, and allow your image to stand forever in time!

6.  Short Necklaces and Lockets - And speaking of throw-back looks, a lovely vintage locket will add understated femininity to any outfit, while adding updated inspiration to scoop-necked tops. Any short pendant, or necklace, that features a small silver or gold trinket is the perfect piece of jewelry to blend with many of today’s exciting fashion choices.


A statement necklace, men’s-watch, and alluring earring-set make the ideal additions to any jewelry ‘must-have’ list this season. You may also decide to add some metallic cuffs, right-hand rings, and long layered-necklaces to the inventory . . . after all this is the year when everything goes, and isn’t it all about having fun?!

2013 Holiday Fashion Gift Guide on 3G2S

Product samples of some of the items featured below were provided to facilitate this gift guide.  All opinions expressed are our own.

1.  Dollie & me Matching Outfits  ($25.00 - $50.00) - Designed for girls who wear sizes 2T thru size 12 and their 18" doll, Dollie & Me is a favorite brand to many young girls.  The matching outfits, usually sold in sets, are a unique way to increase the fun and to enhance the bond between a girl and her 18" doll.  This matching "My Three Roses" Baby Doll Dress with Leggings Set is just one example of the 120+ matching outfit sets currently being offered by Dollie & Me.  The outfit designs are fun-loving, stylish, and bold, but also built for comfort.  A Dollie & Me matching outfit set would be the perfect gift for a girl who is receiving a new or even her very first 18" doll this Holiday.  In addition to casual dresses and legging sets, Dollie & Me also offers matching special occasion and Holiday dresses, as well as matching pajamas.  All doll outfits fit most 18" dolls, including American Girl dolls.

You can learn more about Dollie & Me fashions by visiting www.dollieme.com.  This brand is also sold by select retailers, such as Zulily, Sears, and Kohl's.

2.  RUUM Moto Jackets for Boys and Girls  ($59.50 - $69.50) - Moto jackets and boots are one of the most prominent trends this fall for men, women, boys, and girls.  RUUM American Kid's Wear is on-trend as usual and is currently offering the Boy's Motorcycle Jacket for both toddlers and grade school age boys, the Toddler Girls LG Moto Jacket, and the Girl's Hooded Moto Jacket (not shown).  One of these faux leather jackets would make the perfect gift for a child who enjoys looking stylish just as much as he or she loves playing their favorite video game.

To learn more about these kids moto jackets, visit www.ruum.com.  Be sure to also read all about our RUUM store visit.

3. Mialisia Jewelry  ($12.00 - $78.00) - Mialisia is a new jewelry brand that launched in 2013.  What makes this patent-pending jewelry unique is that its entire line of necklaces is interchangeable.  You can take any one necklace and turn it into a completely different style necklace, a bracelet, a belt, or combine it with other necklaces to create a brand new statement.  The number of possibilities only end where the stylist within wants it to end.  To complete every look, Mialisia also offers coordinating earrings and rings.  This jewelry would be the perfect gift for the woman who loves to change her look often.  Since this will be the first Holiday season Mialisia Jewelry has been available, she will likely to be the first among her friends to wear it, thus reinforcing her trendsetter status.

You can learn more about Mialisia interchangeable jewelry by reading our review and by visiting ohmy.mialisia.com and www.ohmymia.com.

4.  Cole Haan City Chukka Boot for Girls  ($67.95) - Also available for walkers and toddlers, this City Chukka Boot for little girls by Cole Haan is available in size 12 to 24 months up to a girls size 2.  What little girl could resist a shoe with pink laces that glitters all over?  The style of the City Chukka Boot is sure to delight any young lady.  The non-slip soles and the quality of Cole Haan will please her parents as well.  These boots would be the perfect gift for a little fashionista who needs something special to wear during the Holidays and would also be just the thing to bring new life to any fall or winter outfits that have begun to get dull.

You can find the Cole Haan City Chukka Boot in Black Glitter or Navy Glitter at Nordstrom.com.

5.  Limited Edition Justice YOYO Retractable Bling Initial Lip Gloss  ($8.00 - $10.00) - YOYO Lip Gloss is offering a limited edition line of lip glosses at Justice that makes beauty crossover to fashion for tween girls.  In addition to the fun sparkling initials and designs, what makes these lip glosses unique is their retractable design.  Simply fasten the crystal adorned clip onto a belt, pocket, backpack, or handbag.  This allows the lip gloss to stay handy, but never be lost due to the retractable line that attaches the lip gloss to the yo yo clip.  This scented lip gloss is colorless, so it is perfect for a tween who is still too young for makeup.  In addition to initials, the YOYO lip gloss is also available in other fun designs, such as a peace symbol.  Scents include Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Grape, and more.  These limited edition lip glosses can be purchased at www.shopjustice.com and at your local Justice store.

To learn more about YOYO Lip Gloss, visit www.yoyolipgloss.com.

6.  Hand-woven Guatemalan Headband  ($25.00) - If you love to give gifts that give or know someone who loves to receive them, then this vibrantly colored hand-woven headband from the World Vision Catalog might be perfect for someone on your list.  Although sized for an adult, this soft cotton headband also works for a child.  The pleated style allows it to be worn as a narrow or a wide headband.  The proceeds from this tax deductible gift will be combined with others to fund programs around the world, such as child protection, clean water, and disaster response, just to name a few.

To learn more about this hand-woven headband and the causes behind the World Vision Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvision.org.

7.  Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit  ($15.00) - This 3.5" x 2" x 2" zippered pouch hold 17 essentials to make you prepared for a wide array of emergencies.  Shown in Cherry Red with a Chinese Symbol zipper pull, this kit is one of 10 styles available in the Good Luck Minimergency Kit collection (because who couldn't use a little extra good luck?), just one of many collections of emergency kits available for women, men, girls, moms, teachers, and more.  This particular kit contains lip balm, hair spray, a wrapped tampon, clear nail polish, breath freshener, nail polish remover, pain reliever, an emery board, an adhesive bandage, earring backs, clear elastics, a safety pin, a sewing/mending kit, Shemergency® tape, stain remover, a deodorant towelette, and dental floss.  These kits would make unique and thoughtful gifts for a teacher, a co-worker, or stocking stuffers for family members.  Refills for the various kits are also available for purchase.

To learn more about this and the many other Minimergency Kits available, visit www.pinchprovisions.com.


More unique fashion gift ideas will be added to this Holiday Gift Guide through December.  Remember to check back often and to follow @_Karen on Twitter to keep up with what's new!

DIY Candy Corn Flower Cuff Bracelet & More Easy Halloween Crafts to Try From Tori Spelling #StarburstCandyCorn

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Starburst. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Creating crafts involving candy is something I have done in the past for Halloween and Christmas, such as gingerbread or haunted houses and candy wreaths, all things I had created as something fun for our children.  Now having seen some of Tori Spellings elegant Halloween candy crafts, I no longer only associate candy crafts with children.  I must admit I was amazed at the creativity behind Tori's DIY decor, desserts, and party favors, all made with Starburst Candy Corn.  In addition to the candy corn bracelet craft I tried, below are some of my favorites of Tori's Halloween crafts . . .

Starburst Candy Corn Mum Balls, Napkin Rings, Place Cards, Party Favors, and Photo Frame

Not only are these creations elegant, but they are all very easy to make.  How cute would that candy corn photo frame look displaying a photo of your costumed child or pet from a past Halloween?

Starburst Candy Corn 'Boo' Door Hanger

In addition to the crafty items above, Tori also created some Halloween jewelry.  I decided to try my hand at making her 'Bewitching Bangle.'  It really could not have been any easier to make.  The most difficult part was selecting the perfect pieces of Starburst Candy Corn.  This bracelet was also inexpensive to make.  I just needed a metal cuff bracelet ($5 at Walmart), one gem, and one metal bead.  The metal bead was not actually part of Tori's design, but I prefer a little metal in my jewelry.

Today's Project:  Easy Candy Corn Flower Cuff Bracelet

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

20 Starburst Candy Corn (5 yellow, 5 pink or red, and 10 orange)

1 metal cuff bracelet

1 metal bead

1 clear gem

hot glue gun

Step 1.  Choose your pieces of candy corn in advance, avoiding any that are broken or have blemishes.  Then lay them out with their points towards the center in a circular pattern as shown in the photo above.

Step 2.  Using your hot glue gun, glue the candy pieces from Layer #1 to the top center of the bracelet.

Step 3.  Glue the candy pieces from Layer #2 on top of the first layer, positioning the tips of the candy as close as possible and making sure to position the pieces so that you can still see each piece from Layer #1.

Step 4.  Glue the candy pieces from Layer #3 on top of the second layer, making sure to position the pieces so that you can still see each piece from Layer #2.

Step 5.  Put a dot of hot glue at the center of your flower and immediately push the metal bead into place.

Step 6.  Put a dot of glue at the center of the metal bead and immediately push the gem into place.

That's it!  Could that have been any easier?  I was pretty pleased with how this project turned out.  Even my husband, who never notices anything I wear (especially jewelry), thought the bracelet was pretty cool looking.

The results of our project . . . 

This and any of Tori's Tasty Tips For Halloween Entertaining would make fun projects for a girls' night-in!  Personally, I think these colors would look beautiful during the spring and summer seasons too.  If you agree, you might want to buy some extra bags of Starburst Candy Corn to keep aside before they're gone for the season!  Which of Tori's crafty Halloween ideas would you try first?

Shop 'n' Share: Petal Edge Tank and Owl Ring from OASAP

I was offered an opportunity to checkout an online clothing and accessory site I had never heard of before. That site was an online boutique called OASAP.com.  The first thing I noticed about this site was that a lot of the clothing was one size fits all.  This usually means that the clothes are made for people with a thinner build, so I was curious about whether I would find something to fit my size XL (and sometimes XXL) body.  The other thing I noticed right away was that OASAP offers free shipping to everywhere in the world where they deliver.

The women's clothing, handbags, and jewelry on OASAP are just my style and it took me forever to spend the credit they had provided to me so that I could experience shopping on their site.  I finally settled on two items . . . this Petal Edge Cutout Loose Blouse and the Retro Cute Owl Ring.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

This loose-cut blouse looked so huge on the model, but this is how the size XL looks on me.  I do not have a large chest at all and it just fits me in the arm holes and across the back.  I love it though because it hides my not-so-flat belly very well.  This top also comes in Black and in Ivory, but I am very happy with the Watermelon Red I chose.  This color is perfect for my coloring.  I also think the top cutout layer over the sheer bottom layer is very pretty and feminine. This top sells for $51.00.  It is well worth it if you make sure that you choose the correct size.  I would recommend the XL for someone who takes either a size Large or goes between a size Large and X-Large.  I would not recommend this top for anyone who is larger in the chest area.  I am a 36A, if that helps you at all.

I rarely wear costume jewelry because I am often too busy to remember to take my jewelry off before I wash my hands or to hop in the shower, but I could not resist this owl ring for just $8.00.  I chose the silver colored metal, but it also comes in a coppery color.  This ring was a risk because it was One Size Fits All.  Now having tried it, I would say it is about a ring size of 6 or 6.5.  Owls are such a huge trend right now, so I am happy this owl ring fits on my ring finger.

If you have the time (because you will spend hours browsing) visit OASAP.com to see what other cute items they have.  You can even save items to your wishlist so you can come back to them later.  I had a pair of Wonder Women canvas sneakers saved on my wishlist, but they ended up selling out.  I'll know next time not to wait!


Thank you to OASAP for providing a store credit for me to shop and share my experience with my readers.