5 essentials for your desk at work (guest post)

Thank you to Becky from Wicked Peacock for writing this post!

We’ve all been there. You’re at the office and something unexpected comes up. Whether it’s an important meeting, business lunch, or sporadic evening drinks with the girls you need an at-work spruce up. I’ve put together a desk essentials kit for these mini work emergencies. Here’s what tops my list for a quick transformation!

  • travel size hairspray
  • lipstick in a favorite color
  • tin of mints
  • roll on perfume
  • go-to accessories

A bold necklace can transform even the most basic black dress and make you stand out (in a good way). It’s an easy way to upgrade your look and to transition from a day at the office to an evening event. Here are 3 necklaces from Wicked Peacock I’d love to hide in my desk…

Blue and Green Riverstone Bib Necklace

Double Scalloped Teal Necklace

Enamor Necklace 

Becky is the Director of Digital Marketing for Wicked Peacock, an online accessories marketplace representing independent and emerging designers. You can read more posts by Becky on her personal design and décor blog Pop & Circumstance.

My favorite things: jewelry edition

I love looking at jewelry and buying it and I have a good amount of it, but I find that I usually end up wearing the same few pieces over and over.  But when I want to make a statement or wear something new I wear one of these pieces.  Here’s my favorite jewelry:

1. The necklace with flowers and leaves is a new necklace that I got this year as a Christmas present from a family friend.  It’s from Anthropologie and I love it.

2. For my company holiday party last year, I wanted a necklace with clear beads on it, preferably on a chain that was a mix of silver and gold.  I can never find exactly what I’m looking for when I have something that I made up in my head, but this was the perfect find from Filene’s Basement.

3. This is cute vintage necklace with a heart and key that I bought from Cafe Society a couple years ago.

4. The owl necklace!  A couple years ago, I decided that I wanted an owl necklace.  On one of my excursions to Loehmann’s, I found this perfect owl from Lucky Brand.  My co-workers love it when I wear it. :)

5. I really like this gold bracelet from Banana Republic with I guess what’s supposed to resemble diamonds. I’ve actually only worn it once because I think it’s a little fancy for day-to-day wear, but I really like it and need to wear it more often!

6. This is a gathering of two different variety bracelets from H&M. I like pairing this random grouping of bracelets together when I need to add something to my outfit.

7. There’s one image that has 4 of my favorite pairs of earrings.  Starting on the left, these are earrings my boyfriend bought me for Christmas last year.  He knows I like vintage jewelry and I think he did a great job finding some new earrings that look vintage! I bought the next earrings when I lived in New York when chandelier earrings were big.  I don’t remember where I got them, but I wore them when I went out at night a lot.  My mom got me the next pair of earrings for Christmas last year.  They are a regular go-to.  The pair on the right are black sapphire earrings that were my grandmother’s.

8. Taking clear pictures of rings was harder than I thought, so this is a little hard to see.  On the left is a ring I bought my senior year of high school when I went to France on a school trip.  At the time, my favorite color was red, my favorite number was 11 and I liked stars.  This ring had it all, so I bought it to remember that trip!  The middle is a ring with a pearl in it and the one on the right is a ring with opals.  Both are my mom’s.  I found them at my parent’s house one day and took them! :)

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One-of-a-kind jewelry from Thru Blu

I found out about this brand new independent jewelry line, Thru Blu, through a friend from work the other day.  The designer, Jennylee, has been working in the fashion industry for big brands for awhile in everything from a personal shopper to a buyer and now a designer of unique jewelry, accessories and clothes.  I’m a big fan of the big stones and chains in the jewelry.  Check them out for yourself and buy if you like it because each piece is one-of-a-kind!

the clothing menu boutique closing this weekend!

it’s been a great season achieving one of my 2010 goals opening up an online store.  i learned a lot, met great people, and had fun.  but, it’s time to close it out for now.  don’t worry – this blog isn’t going away – i’ll be back with it in a couple weeks with fresh new posts!

for now, browse the clothing menu boutique, including the sale items, and buy now cause they’ll be gone on monday!

winter sale! support independent designers

looking to support independent designers or to buy something none of your friends have?  shop the clothing menu boutique and browse through the sale items for some great deals.  we only carry limited quantities, so buy now if you like something – thanks!

featured item of the week! circus circles necklace by a.g. ambroult

every week i will be sharing with you on this blog what the featured item of the week is from my shop, the clothing menu boutique.

this week’s featured item is this unique and eye-catching necklace from Boston area designer, Amy, from a.g. ambroult.  the multiple circles on this silver necklace are subtle enough to go with any outfit and different enough to bring on some interest. read more about Amy here and purchase the necklace here. thanks! 

PS – don’t forget to sign-up for the clothing menu boutique newsletter to be the first to know when new designers are added to the shop or when sales start!

holiday gift guide: unique gifts for any woman

want to buy a gift that can’t be found anywhere else?  take a look at this holiday gift guide for unique items from the clothing menu boutique.  and don’t forget – we only carry limited quantities, so if you like it, buy it before it’s gone!

does she like music and going to concerts? buy a tank or tee with attitude from Truth.

does she like getting dressed up for a night of dancing/drinks? buy fun earrings from cuttlefish.

is she an all-american girl? buy a classic top from Fischer Clothing or necklace from a.g. ambroult.

is she an artist or appreciate art? buy a “wearable art” scarf from Pattern Recognitions.

welcome to independent designer a.g. ambroult

last (for now), but not least for you to meet from the clothing menu boutique is independent designer, Amy, for a.g. ambroult.  she is a metalsmith who designs unique necklaces, earrings and rings.  here’s a bit from Amy on her jewelry:

How did you get started creating your accessory line?

Working as a graphic designer just wasn’t cutting it for me. I longed to do something more tactile—paint, garden, craft. Metalsmithing was something I had dabbled in over the years and I finally just decided that I was going to go for it, and see if I could make a business out of playing with metal and fire.

What makes your designs different?

Attention to surface detail. I do a lot of work with texture and patina on my pieces. I love to create contrast between polished and rough, or bright silver and blackened elements. I also try to create interest though hammered and sanded textures.

there are multiple fun pieces from a.g. ambroult in the shop – buy now before they’re sold out!

introducing indie jewelry designer cuttlefish

next from the clothing menu boutique, i want to introduce Lisa, the jewelry designer for cuttlefish.  here’s a little bit from Lisa about her jewelry:

How did you get started creating your accessory line?

My company has a holiday fair each year for people to sell/show off their crafty side.  I had been making my own jewelry for some time and thought I would show the few pieces I had for fun.  I ended up selling all of them and taking over 50 orders for additional jewerly.  It made me think maybe there was a market out there for my work.

What makes your designs different?

My designs can vary in tone from season to season – sometimes I lean towards a certain color palette, sometimes I prefer to create items overly simple, and other times I want to create big, grandioise jewelry, but I try to always take a playful approach to beaded jewelry.  I particularly like to bring in a variety of colors and textures and toy with asymmetry to find new styles and designs I have not seen in other work.

there are multiple earrings and necklaces from cuttlefish in the shop.  go take a look and buy now while shipping is free!

sneak peak at the clothing menu boutique designers

last week i shared the exciting news that the clothing menu is opening up an online store.  well, it opens on monday selling clothes, scarves and jewelry from 5 designers for the launch of the store opening!  i’m not going to release the names yet because you’ll have to check back when the shop is open :).  but here is a little bit about what you’ll find:

- timeless tops from a Brooklyn designer who creates clothes that are made to be worn in different occasions (work, class, dinner, etc.) so you get the most out of what you buy

- trendy tops and a dress from a Calgary designer who makes clothes that look good, but are also comfortable

- earrings, rings, and a necklace from a mom of 2 located in the Boston area who is a metalsmith making interesting pieces of jewelry

- jewelry from a Boston designer who makes colorful unique pieces out of stones, gems, wood, and glass beads

- scarves from a designer based in Montreal who prints images onto the scarves from her own video work and photography

are you excited yet?  i am!  visit on monday to buy from these talented designers and continue reading the blog for more on each of them.