Catch up - Shaun Leane talons and hooks from the Tusk collection.

Hey guys, I hope you're all well. 

I've been really busy with wedding planning and working far too much, so I'm sorry that I've neglected the blog somewhat. I've not been neglecting jewellery though, so I've got some bits and bobs to share with you at some point. I've made a few jewellery purchases for the wedding, as well as a couple of costume pieces for everyday. I've not bought anything high-end though as funds are having to be spent wisely at the moment. 

I cannot stop thinking about a pair of earrings that I saw a sales assistant wearing in a shop in Brighton and I can't wait until I can freely spend my money again because I need them in my life. I want both of these pairs to wear for different occasions. They actually sell the smaller ones in a jewellers not too far from me, so I can go and drool over them when I fancy. They will make it on to my birthday wish list later in the year if I've not managed to get them by then (and with the wedding fast approaching I don't think I will have managed before then). 

1. Shaun Leane silver talon earrings. 

2. Shaun Leane silver and rose gold vermeil hook earrings size 1

What else has happened? I've received my wedding present, which I'll show you after the wedding. We've bought my Groom's wedding ring. I'll show you my new snake collection when I've got good enough light to be able to take some photos. 

So, sadly, I think that's it for now. I'm working hard on putting things in place for an exciting future endeavour, which I'll share with you all one day. Fingers crossed for now. 

Have a great evening and I'll write again soon. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. x

Free People - new discovery

Good morning! I've got the day off work today because we're going to the O2 Arena tonight for a good ol' fashioned concert. I've spent the morning listening to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac on vinyl and eating scrambled egg and avocado for breakfast. You could say I am winning, and you'd be right. 

That reminds me, before I get into the reason I'm actually writing this post today, that I added a necklace to the wish list last night... 

Heartbeats by Erica Weiner. It's new and it's 100% me. You can pick various lyrics but of course I want the Fleetwood Mac one. 

Back to the reason I've suddenly had to blog... 

I was just reading on BuzzFeed that Urban Outfitters have reported less of a profit than usual and in that article they mention that they have another store within their ring of brands, and it's called Free People. I may well be behind the times, but I've not seen this company before. Of course the first thing I did was to check out their jewellery section on the website and I am impressed! They actually have fine jewellery [hoorah] instead of just 'not forever' jewellery. So here are some of my favourite picks... [warning, this one is going to have a lot of pictures!]... 

Bhanda stone bracelet // by Adorn // £58 // available in pink or turquoise. I actually cannot pick between the two. I LOVE turquoise [I've mentioned it once or twice before] and I thought "bah, I probably won't like the pink" just as I clicked on the link, but the pink is ALSO beautiful and it turns out that it's made from pink opal. Here they both are... 

What's next...?

Tell me about it cuff // by Nashelle // £128 // available in 'forever' or 'amore'. These are gold fill and made in the US. There are a million + 1 cuffs out there, but there is something quite sweet about this one. I think it might be the pinched ends? 

Loved ring // by Nora Kogan // £128 // available in sterling silver. Yikes, this is pretty expensive for sterling silver, but I had to post it because it's a ring that I've had my eye on for a while but I've only seen it on American sites. It's nice that this website has some lovely American designers. This has a message on side especially for the wearer. Very cute! 

This one made my heart skip a beat. Erica Weiner. IN ENGLAND! I'm still waiting for my Erica Weiner wedding ring to get to me all the way from America, so it's nice to see that she's selling some things over here too - it makes the process a lot quicker! This is one of my favourites. I think I'd have snapped it up already if it came in my size and I only found it 10 minutes ago! 

Herkimer diamond solitaire // by Erica Weiner // £88 !!!! // sterling silver. SWOON. 

Tribal princess hoop // by Studio Lil // £98 // 18K gold plate on sterling silver. These beauties are made in Israel. I've noticed quite a lot of nice jewellery coming out of Israel lately. I got a lovely lace bolero for my wedding from Israel too. I love unusual earrings and these fit the bill. Fit for a princess. 

Making shapes bracelet // by Marida // £48 // 14K gold filled and made in California. I have a personal Pinterest board of geometric shapes. I like things that are shape...y. This bracelet is just wonderful. 

Here comes another absolute GEM from Erica Weiner... 

Gypsy Spark ring // by Erica Weiner // £325 // 14K gold ring with .03 carat diamond. I'm seriously going to have to freeze my bank card in a block of ice. This one has me itching to make a purchase. I wonder if this one can be re-sized... available with black diamond or white diamond. I'd usually prefer the black diamonds but I think the white is stunning. Look at those carved bits! As always with EW jewellery, there's a little story behind the design of this one, so please check out the link. 

Well, I was going to end it there but I thought I'd have another quick look through in case I missed anything and... CATBIRD! They have Catbird! I can see that I'll be stalking Free People a lot. They have this lovely, delicate chain ring which sounds pretty odd but looks really pretty on... 

Tiny gold chain ring // by Catbird // £58 // 14K solid gold // made in New York. 

Right, well, you've heard far too much from me for so early in the morning so I'll leave you for now. I'm listening to Jagwar Ma's album Howlin and looking forward to some Japanese food later at Wagamama. YUM. I'll also be checking out the rest of the Free People website in case they have other amazing bits & bobs. 

Thanks for reading, 

L. 

Cat jewellery

HAPPY MONDAY! 

Please excuse my lack of posts over the weekend, I was out with a migraine. Boo. 

I have a list of things I really, really like. On that list you'll find things like scented candles, scatter cushions, jewellery, scarves, handbags, leather accessories, cosmetics, and perfumes. At the top of that list you'll also find cats and cat-things. My cat ring is dear to me, despite it costing only £16, hence the photograph of it in my profile. I like it because it's subtle, which enables me to wear it daily. My own cat is family to me and who doesn't love cat salt & pepper shakers, cat t-shirts, cat cushions... cat earrings!? Not everyone, you say? Oh... well I do, so here are some of my favourite cat-inspired jewellery pieces.

Silver cat necklace by Katstudio on Etsy. I love its simplicity which is perfect for everyday wear. Yours for £14.12, what a bargain! 

This one is a little pricier at £207.44, but it is made from 14K gold and diamonds! The baby kitten necklace by MichelleChangJewellery, also on Etsy. Subtle but slightly glitzy, this necklace has made its way on to my wish list. Purrrrfection in a necklace [gettit??]. It also comes in white gold, and silver, and cheaper options are available without the diamond eyes for about £35. 

Michelle Chang has so many things in her shop that I've had my eye on for a while, she has snake rings, skull bracelets, and more. One day... 

Next up is the Kitty Cat ring with blue sapphire eyes by Yayoi Forest, via Catbird NYC. Made from 14K rose gold, set with sapphires, and hand made in Brooklyn, New York. $320. Petite and beautiful. 

Another beautiful piece from Catbird is the Choupette necklace in rose gold by Hortense. I've tried to bring myself to blog about the matching earrings but they are SO expensive and sold as individuals, which is really odd to me. I almost bought them before realising that the price was for one! This necklace is more reasonable at $298. 

Here's a cheeky link to my very own cat ring. 

The vintage kitten bangle from Alexis Dove is next. I know, I know, I should be able to write a post without mentioning Alexis or Alex Monroe, but they are my favourites! I have the vintage kitten on a necklace, but as I've already featured some necklaces today, here she is on a bangle. If you're anything like me, then you love a bangle. £90 in sterling silver. 

I can't post the vintage kitten without the vintage cat mum to follow! [prices are based on a 17" chain, also comes in 18" and 21"] Yellow or rose vermeil - £125 and polished silver £100 and for an extra £10 you can have an initial engraved on the base. 

Sterling silver cat ring from Tatty Devine £35 [reduced from £85]. In small, medium, and large. 

And finally, why wouldn't you want a cat hanging from some yarn, around your neck? WHY? Look at this little gem, from Les Nereides. Tout Beau Tout Doux necklace. 105 Euros. [Tout Beau Tout Doux means all beautiful fluffy in French - heart melt]. Made from silk, pearls, rhinestones, and more. Just so. darn. cute. 

That's it for tonight, folks. I need to get some beauty sleep. I did make a purchase this week though that I can't wait to share with you, so I will be back this week when the lighting is a bit better and I can take some good photos. 

Goodnight. Thanks for reading, 

L. x

Mr Gingerbread man - foodie necklace

I thought I'd keep it short today, so here is the necklace that I wore to work. It's one of my favourites and I actually won it from Alex Monroe in a Twitter competition. Here is a link so that you can buy one of your very own [£180] >> LINK and here is the description from Alex Monroe >> 

Yes, you read that correctly, he has 5 black diamonds for eyes and buttons. Cute, huh? He comes in silver or gold vermeil. Finally, here are a couple of my own photographs [the one of me wearing it is from today - please excuse my uniform] and there is also one of Mr Gingerbread man riding his Alex Monroe bicycle! I'll tell you all about the bicycle next time I wear it. 

Do you have any food-inspired jewellery? If so, please comment. If not, please say hi anyway. 

'night folks. 

Thanks for reading. 

L. x

Today's purchase = my first purchase from Notonthehighstreet.com

I just got home from a typical Monday at work and I was pleasantly surprised to find a parcel on the doorstep. It was my new earrings from Lisa Angel [via Notonthehighstreet.com]. I ordered them on the 26th of Feb, they were dispatched on the 28th, and arrived today - not too bad! My first purchase from NOTHS.com and I'm impressed so far. 

Since getting my new pearl studs for Valentine's day I have rediscovered a forgotten love of stud earrings. I've only worn earrings [and dangly ones at that] in my primary holes for many years, neglecting my second set of pierced holes, but last weekend I decided to try earrings in them again. They had healed over a little bit, but I sorted that out [ouch] and I needed a pair of studs to keep them open again. I searched high and low, looking for a tiny pair of studs before discovering Lisa Angel on NOTHS.com. They came in Small, Medium, and Large, so I got the small ones and to be honest, they are still too big for what I wanted them for, so I'll have to begin the search again. I've got my eye on a pair though, so watch this space. 

They came in two lovely illustrated paper bags, inside a jiffy bag, inside a nicely illustrated box. They are listed as "turquoise" and "onyx" [two of my favourite stones] but they feel very light, so I'm not sure what they're actually made of, but they were only £9 a pair, so I'm not feeling cheated. They have sterling silver posts, I believe. 

Anyway, enough of my rambling, here are some photos for you, because that's what you really want. Oh, and I must not forget to do some links for you lovely people. 

Watch out for lots of posts coming up, I've got so many lovely things to show you and I've made plans for future posts, but I don't want to drown you with lots and lots of information, so I'm trying to play it cool. But before I go, I can at least share with you what other jewellery I wore to work today... I wore... 

My favourite earrings from Alexis Dove: Belle Hook Earrings in gold vermeil. Seriously, if you ever only buy one thing from Alexis Dove [which I do not recommend - buy LOTS of things from her instead] then these would be an excellent choice. They are so, so very pretty and I get compliments on them all the time. They are very unusual in their shape but they are just wonderful. I wear mine all the time. This picture is borrowed from Alexis Dove [also link to earrings]. They can be yours for £105. Not my ones though, no, they're mine. 

What else did I wear? Oh yes, I wore this ring, also from Alexis Dove [link]. £90. It's very dainty and pretty. I wore it on my ring finger instead of my engagement ring. 

I wore my usual silver rings too [cat ring and 3 handmade silver bands] and this mushroom necklace from Alex Monroe... 

It doesn't look like it's currently for sale on the Alex Monroe website, but here is a picture of it [it's sterling silver with 18k rose gold plate and 5 x 1mm diamonds on top]. It was about £180, I think. 

So there we have it, I really will go now, but I hope you enjoyed having a look at these lovely, pretty things; thanks for reading. 

L. x

Today I wore...

Amongst other things, today I wore my Alexis Dove Belle Hook Earrings. These were a birthday present from my fiancé this year. They are so delicate and pretty. Made from gold vermeil with seed pearls inside, they are an unusual design for dangly earrings, but that just adds to the appeal for me. 

They also come in silver and with different stones/beads in the middle. At the moment they are being offered in ivory seed pearls (as pictured/mine), pink garnet, and labradorite. 

Here they are (images taken from the Alexis Dove website):

Aren't they just so pretty?

A blog is born (and I buy cat ring)...

>> This is cat ring. Made of sterling silver with a 1.5mm band. Cat ears included. Can be found HERE at Silverado.

So, what’s been happening? Well. On the 1st of June, 2013 (today) I started this awesome new website and blog. I also purchased a new piece of jewellery. Oh yes. Today managed to find a piece of jewellery to combine two of the things I love - jewellery and cats. Introducing THE CAT RING. When, where, how? And the story begins... 

We went to Lewes today for lunch (which actually turned into an early dinner) and I can’t go to Lewes without a visit to Silverado. I looked at lots of lovely things whilst there including pieces by my favourite jewellery designer Alex Monroe (you’ll see a lot about this brand on this blog). I also looked at and tried on rings by Monica Vinader, all of which were stunning. I can’t find pictures of all the rings I tried on but I’ll post pictures of some of them (images taken from Monica Vinader website).

This is the Siren Cocktail Ring. It’s big, it’s beautiful and it’s only £190. It is made from 18ct Gold plated vermeil on sterling silver with an organic shaped multifaceted Aqua Chalcedony. It milkiness of the stone was just beautiful and the ring had a lovely feel to it. Check out the website to have a look at it from different angles - I’m super fussy about settings and this one has a beautiful back. The band is approximately 3mm and comes in sizes K-T. 

This beauty is the Medina Facet Ring. Also made from 18ct Gold plated vermeil on sterling silver but this time set with a green gold quartz. £145. This setting has a closed back which makes the colour look more saturated. The gem stone comes out quite far which makes this ring quite a statement piece. They also had it in black onyx, but I can’t get that selection on the website - possibly sold out? The actual ring is has a nice hammered texture. 

Introducing... the stacking rings. These rings come in various sizes, shapes, and colours and are designed to be worn together in a stack. I held a few of these today (the ones pictured) and they are very delicate and so very sparkly. From left to right we have the Siren stacking set with citrine, then the Siren small stacking with white topaz, and another Siren stacking in Amethyst. Finally there is a stacked set - this particular set doesn’t do it for me, but only because I’m not a fan of wide bands. I also like a combination of metals when stacking. I can’t wait to add one of these to my collection. Here’s a link to the stacking ring collection. 

Whilst in Silverado I also checked out Alexis Dove’s latest pieces. There were four pieces that I actually held/tried on and they were all of a lovely weight and fantastic quality. As a result I’ve actually e-mailed Alexis to ask if she would consider making me a bespoke ring - I’ll keep you updated. Here are the things I looked at... 1) Foxy Ring. 2) Little Owl Ribbon Pendant. 3) Wild Rose Tiny Ring. 4) Wild Rose Large Ring. 

After our lunch/dinner we took a stroll around some of the antique shops in Lewes. I went in to look at some of the jewellery and I was pleasantly surprised. There were beautiful vintage cameos and art deco style rings, ranging from £6 to £165. The owner didn’t know what any of the stones were, which is a shame; I’ll just have to start learning my gems! 

I think that’s enough for my first entry, I don’t want to scare you all off. Come back soon for another entry! 

L. x