All That is Silver and Gold

I'm pretty matchy-matchy.

That is to say, I'm the type of girl who has to wear a handbag with gold hardware if I'm wearing gold jewelry. I guess it's the control freak in me; the part of my subconscious that enjoys seeing everything in its place: organized, and "just so." 

But with the emergence of mixed metal mania, I couldn't help but get caught up in the appeal of changing things up a little. Jewelry designers all over have made it so much easier for us to layer our jewelry, in varying colors, textures, and styles and have it all look so chic.

Nowadays, I tend to keep my outfits pretty simple for the office, which is even more reason for me to go a little crazy with my jewelry. I'm still obsessed with midi-rings, so this Summer I made a point of collecting several gold-filled pieces to add to my ridiculous collection of silver. Needless to say, I'm hooked for the foreseeable future...

All rings from Etsy. Custom bracelet: ShopRyanPorter.com.

Summer's End

     As summer comes to a close, I find myself more and more obsessed with the image of me in an oversized sweater, leggings and ankle boots, trampling dead leaves as I frolic around the city.

     I actually don't even own a pair of ankle boots yet; I became inspired while browsing the blog of Courtney Trop. AlwaysJudging is her brainchild, and a beautiful brainchild it is. Courtney is a natural at putting together outfits that are the perfect combo of grunge, minimalistic, and chic, and her bag collection is to die for. She puts emphasis on go-to basics that are a little more luxe than the usual - silk button-up blouses, modal t-shirts - that you can wear repeatedly and incorporate in a variety of styles. She's also really sweet: I follow her on Ig and she is great about answering questions and recommending things. If you haven't checked her blog out, do!

     Anywho, back to Fall fashion ;) My most exciting purchase to date is a pair of Steve Madden Cinch ankle booties, which I bought in burgundy and are on their way to me now! I saw SM was having a 30% promo, plus free shipping and I couldn't pass them up. I love how versatile cut-out booties are; I've seen them paired with everything from skinny jeans to flouncy dresses. Can't wait to wear them!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Let's get right into it: I have a new obsession. I'm almost 98% positive it started on Etsy, as many of my bauble obsessions do. The sparkle and luminescence of Herkimer diamonds caught my eye a few months back, and I haven't gotten over them since. 

Herkimer diamonds are gorgeous crystals that are only found in the mines of Herkimer, New York. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are often used in rings and earrings in their double terminated, pointier shape. Since they are usually much cheaper than actual diamonds, but still stunning, I took it upon myself to seek them out wherever possible, and eventually, acquire some of my own. So far I own a couple of Herk rings, one I bought on Etsy, and one I fought for with another bidder on Ebay (both rings are sterling, yet under $30 each).

I bought a few drilled ones and made knuckle rings and bracelets; check them out in my shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TresLexi

 If you haven't discovered these little beauties yet, you're in for a treat!

Rings 'n Things

As an accessories addict, it's hard for me to miss the latest trends in jewelry. 

For the past year or so, midi rings (aka "over the knuckle rings") have been a huge trend in the fashion world. Believe it or not, I was a fan of this particular look before it was a trend. 

I bought my first midi ring while I was in college, from a woman who was selling sterling silver jewelry on campus under a tent near the student center. I fell in love with the many designs she had, and eventually settled on a ring with a zig-zag pattern, and one with a squarish up and down "U" pattern. She came over to me with a tiny Ankh ring and showed me how awesome it looked perched just above the middle knuckle of my left ring finger. I was instantly enamored. Finally a ring that I could wear on even my knobbiest of fingers!

Since then, I've purchased a few other little rings, most of them from etsy. I've gotten a few sterling rings for around $10 each. (Check out Kriya's adorable pieces; she creates each ring, so you can get whatever size you want.)

With so many options to choose from, I can see why this look has been so big. I can't wait to see what jewelry trends become big this Spring.

Spring Cleaning

It's been almost a year! As usual, I got so caught up in everything else, I neglected my writing. Even my journal is looking kind of dusty.

Anywho... I'm sick of Winter. Sooooo through. I'm tired of wearing a pair of socks on top of my sweater tights, tired of squinting in the wind, tired of dreading every little errand that I have to run out in the cold.

Needless to say, my shopping habits haven't changed much; they've just shifted. Instead of making my monthly runs to Georgetown or the huge Forever 21 on F street or Pentagon City, I've been looking high and low for the things I want online. 

Etsy has been getting a portion of almost every paycheck for the past few months. Ever since I got my second earlobe piercing, I have been scouring sites, looking for cool mismatched earring studs. I'm always excited for a new excuse to buy jewelry!