S T A T E M E N T N E C K L A C E S

                I’ve got to start this series off with something very near and dear to my heart, jewelry. I do as stated in my last post own a horrifyingly large collection of statement necklaces, and 98% of the time they are what I base my entire outfit around, and I seriously wear one, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I mean, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with a statement necklace, and I often find that it adds a lovely finish to what ends up being a very polished outfit. Here, I’ll be “revealing” my top tips on choosing the perfect statement necklace, where I like to buy them, how much I generally spend, and of course, how I like to style them! I hope you enjoy!

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PERFECT FIRST STATEMENT NECKLACE

                Ever been in Charming Charlie or Francesca’s? What about the jewelry department of a big department store like Macy’s or Kohl’s? It’s damn overwhelming. I know, I’ve been there. There are almost too many options, too many colors and styles. Large pendants, small pendants, rhinestones, beads, metal, acrylic HOW IS A GIRL SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE? Here’s my thing, ALWAYS choose the one your eye is first drawn to, it was drawn there for a reason. You’ll wear that one the most, it just make sense. That being said if you’ve never ventured into any of these places, and never felt the need to own a statement piece then I’ve got some tips to help you conquer your fear of the jewelry department and come out looking like you belong on the cover of vogue; work those jewels, girl!

                Generally the first time a woman goes shopping for a statement necklace it’s for a specific outfit. She’s going to a wedding, or a party she has her dress… but NOTHING to go with it (we’ve all been there). This is often when she suddenly thinks, “Hmmm, I’ve never tried a statement piece before, but maybe, just MAYBE with this dress, I could pull it off.” UNTIL she reaches the jewelry department and walks around up and down the fixtures staring at them, completely confused. Here are my tips for her:

·       For the first necklace you’re looking to purchase, try and stick to necklaces with just metal tones and clear stones/ gems. This is versatile, and you’ll get more wear out of it after the event that you’re attending wearing that beautiful outfit. You’ll also wear it more because it isn’t so ‘outgoing’. It’ll attract just the right amount of attention without feeling like you could stop traffic with it on.

·         If you must have a bit of color, BRING A PICTURE (or even better the actual dress/ shirt/ outfit)! You’ll be able to better narrow down your choices if you’ve got a specific color in mind! Also you can keep the colors relatively similar, again so as to not shock the general public with your new found fashion sense.

·         If you’re in a store with a consultant, ASK FOR HELP! They’ve been hired to work specifically with jewelry and I mean usually you can tell by looking at them, if they’ve got their shit together in the fashion department. Ask their opinion, or check and see if they’ve got any advice, it is more than likely they know what product they have and what is popular, and sometimes if you’re lucky they’ll have something they haven’t yet had the chance to put out yet but they may show it to you anyway.

·         If you’re unwilling to ask, go for simple, and use this guide:

This will guide you on finding the perfect necklace for the cut of your blouse/ top/ dress, whatever. That way you won’t look completely silly, if you haven’t followed the rest of my rules thus far.

HOW TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION

                Now that you’ve attended that wedding, and wooed all of your distant relative with how stylish you’ve become, because of your new bling; it’s time to step up your game a little bit. It may be a good idea to purchase statement pieces only when you’ve got a specific outfit that could use a little flair (instead of all willy nilly, with reckless abandon like some would accuse yours truly of…). This way you can make a purchase with the confidence that you’ll wear it at least once. There are a certain number of things that you can consider when you begin to add to your collection. If you’ve got a specific top or dress, find a piece that has that color, with at least one other. Another option, go for a complimentary color, preferably only one, but hey girl, you do you (color wheel for your reference, you’re welcome.)

That way neither the necklace nor the top/ dress are overwhelmed. I mean these sound elementary, but I’m speaking here to the really unadventurous.

                BUT there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with going into a shop and buying a piece even if you haven’t got anything in mind to wear with it. After curating a large enough collection, I often wing it while I’m in the store, and match it with things in my closet when I get home. However for someone who is looking to add to their collection, a useful tip, think of the colors you wear most often. Then go for things in that color family, or a complimentary color (use the color wheel; again, you’re welcome, no problem at all.) I GET IT THOUGH, sometimes you’re drawn to something, and often times, that’ll be your most worn piece, and you WILL find things that you own that match it, even if you can’t think of them while you’re standing in awe staring at the beauty hanging on the shelf in front of you.

                Another option, is to build up your basic collection first, silver, gold, rose gold (sometimes necessary although, not my favorite), a pearl-esque collar, something acrylic tortoise is always useful, some with rhinestones, some with just plain chain. Then once you’ve got your basics covered you can go for something a bit more adventurous, and use the rules from above… and maybe even that color wheel too.

STATEMENT NECKLACES RETAILERS AND COSTS

                Where are the best places to buy statement necklaces? Here’s the thing people, this is costume jewelry. It’s not something you need to spend lots and lots of money on, because I hate to break it to you but, it isn’t going to last nearly as long as those pearls you inherited from granny. This jewelry is to polish off an outfit, it doesn’t need to be name brand, and no matter what you pay, they generally look the same.

                I find that specialty stores like Charming Charlie and Francesca’s are good for jewelry if you’re really into it, they’ve got more “outgoing” pieces, most of which are not for the faint of heart. Department stores like Kohl’s, Macy’s and Target often offer the same quality jewelry for less money, and I mean if you’re really not looking to spend much, I also know Walmart has a fairly large selection for around $10, I believe. If you’re really dedicated to jewelry (ahem, me) you can look to online retailers, like BaubleBar or Stella and Dot which happen to be quite expensive, but slightly better quality. I suppose it all just depends on your level of interest.

                At all of the places (aside from Walmart) you’re looking at a price range of anywhere from $13, which would be typical of Target, to as much as $40 or $50 for something from BaubleBar. This stuff is not cheap, but guess what, I AM. I am very CHEAP. Normally I cannot justify spending more than $10 on something I know won’t last super long (although I do take VERY good care of my jewelry because I find it important so mine actually does last a long time), I’ve found a few ways to score all of the jewelry and gems of your dreams for a fraction of the cost, and I am going to share them with you.

·         Shop the jewelry clearance! NO ONE will know if you’ve got last winter’s necklace on once you take the tag off of it. And guess what, you can style it so many ways that you could wear it for years and years and never wear it the same way twice, if you were determined enough.

·         This one is a bit funny, LOOK for the broken things! You can often get money off of the original price, or even better, the clearance price, if you opt to buy the broken one and then fix it yourself at home. Because... GUESS WHAT those little jump rings holding that $15 necklace together… yeah, they sell those at craft store in a box of 40 for about $4.50. Invest in a box of jump rings and the world is your oyster when it comes to jewelry.

·         Shop during sales, most jewelry shops that sell only accessories hold % off sales, and also give out coupons. Use these to your advantage, young grasshopper.

·         Buy things online, amazon and eBay have people who sell only jewelry, that often look like the expensive pieces but are a fraction of the actual price. Etsy has a selection of people who make jewelry too, and then you’d potentially have something that is one of a kind!

·         Lastly, MAKE YOUR OWN SHIT! You can go to any craft store and buy all of the things necessary to make a beautiful statement necklace and as long as you’ve got hands and a pair (or two) of pliers I promise, it is possible.

HOW I STYLE STATEMENT NECKLACES

                I wear a statement necklace EVERY DAY, with almost no exceptions. I’ve made up some pretty fantastic outfits, and some not so great ones. I think fashion and style is about experimenting to find out what looks good for you, which colors and styles work best. While I am constantly looking to try new outfits and styles, I do have some favorites that I’d like to feature here.

The good ol’ preppy layered look, with a bit of sparkle is my go to.

Dressing up a graphic T-shirt is easily done with a statement necklace.

If you’re feeling adventurous layering the necklaces themselves is a viable option too.

All black outfits with colorful statement necklaces, because “more is more and less is a bore” (Thanks, Iris).

Colors on colors is something I’m not afraid of, sometimes you’ve just got to be the conversation piece.

OK! Well I hope you’ve enjoyed, maybe even feel a bit inspired? Who knows, stranger things have happened. Look around next week for the next post in my series, I will be excited to share!

                                                                                                                                                Cheers! xoxo

B L O G S E R I E S

Hey there! Guess what?! I’ve decided to start a series on this charming little blog. It’s all about something I’m secretly passionate about, fashion. I’ve got a subtle obsession with fashion that not many people know about, generally I just look put together, and people recognize that… but have NO CLUE about the effort I actually put into thinking the way I present myself to the lovely general public. I’m excited to share what I hope will be helpful tips and tricks and just general lessons I’ve learned, and I hope you enjoy the sarcastic spin I put on them, as it wouldn’t be a blog post written by me without it.

So what exactly is MY style? I’ve adopted a (I hate this term) “mish mosh” of styles, formed and shaped them, taken specific elements and molded those into my own personal style. It’s hard to describe, but I would have to say, or what the Buzzfeed quiz I took before this told me to say, is that I’ve got a preppy classic style with modern twists (of course, this is the 21^st century people!). I do have a disgustingly large collection of collared shirts, and those little sweaters that the wasps trot around the country club in, but I also have an even larger (slightly sickening, if you ask my mother…) collection of statement necklaces, because hey, life’s boring if you aren’t making a statement… and if you’re making a statement, let it be a sparkly one!

I generally use my style and fashion to portray my personality in a way I may not always so willing to do. If you’ve met me then you know that I am not always the most outgoing person, but I like to use my clothing and accessories to show that I do I have a personality, and it’s not necessarily the drab one that I may be presenting at the moment (think back to the bitch face post..). I like to make an impression on someone without even having to say something, and I think I do a fairly good job of that using my clothing and accessories. But to understand why I do this, is to understand why so many like myself are obsessed with fashion, sometimes, you’ve just got to get out there and allow your presentation and style speak for you, before you even say anything. Surprise people a bit by being well dressed but also well mannered, of course! I just find that fashion can really change your attitude, it can make you feel better about yourself, the way you look and feel and it also changes the way people look at you (we live in an egotistical society with high beauty standards, sorry), but being fashionable for people like “us” is so much more, it is something we devote time to, and really enjoy it.

In this series I’d like to cover some of my favorite fashion advice, trends, list my personal essentials, and even give some controversial (oh, sassy!) tips that I really love. Ideally I’d like to prove why a “passion for fashion” is something that shouldn’t be overlooked as silly, or unimportant. I hope for those of you interested in this type of thing, you follow along and enjoy my posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them!!

                                                                                                                                                Cheers!! xoxo

5 T H I N G S A B O U T R E T A I L

Hello! Welcome to my blog. Are you looking for anything special today? No? Ok, let me know if I can help you find anything. Great. Yes, I work in retail; yes, I say this dozens of times every shift; yes, it gets old. Working in retail is an interesting experience, and most either love it or they hate it, but regardless of how you feel, you’ve learned some very specific things about yourself AND the way the world works from your experience. Here’s my list of a few things I have learned from my retail working experience. (NOTE: this is not to offend anyone, just to give you a good laugh. If you ARE offended by any of this… maybe you should go take a look in the mirror, because you’re most likely the customer I am talking about.)

#1 There’s always at least one coupon queen, and she expects all sales associates to be MAGIC.

You know them as soon as they walk into the store. They head straight for the sale items, and expect to save so much that you’ve got to pay them at the end of their shopping excursion. For some reason this person thinks that you’ve got some kind of magical code to make all of their expired coupons and discounts work, and they immediately get irate when you try to explain to them that the coupon is two weeks old. My favorite is when they say “Well, you used to accept expired coupons.” Sorry, I don’t know what we USED to do, I just know what we do now, and that, my friend, is throw away expired coupons because we do not accept them. Or when they say “You’ve seen me in here a million times, don’t you have a coupon I can use?” When they show up to the store with nothing and still expect to get money off their purchase. No, because that would be against the rules, and I will not lose my job so you can save $2.60 on a shirt you probably don’t need. Bring your coupon next time, because I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.

#2 There is no need for an attitude.

Sometimes customers come in, and when I deliver my little “Welcome to the store…” speech, choose to ignore me. It’s not like I’m not being loud enough, they are just willfully ignoring me. Other times people come in and are very short, when really I’m just trying to be friendly. Here’s the thing, you don’t want my help, or you don’t want to be bothered while you’re shopping or you’re just looking? Fine- I totally get it, I hate when an associate hovers over me while I am shopping, but If it pains you to even say hello back when someone says it to you first, or you feel like the only way to get the message across that you’re just looking is to give the associate attitude, then you’re doing it wrong. I get paid to be nice to you, but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be nice to you otherwise! This is the real kicker though, in reality, it is ALWAYS that rude person that ends up needing help in the end, either they need a different size or can’t reach the shirt they want and then have to ask for my help. THAT is the sweetest part, when they’ve got to ask for help after not giving me the time of day. But here’s a tip- I’ll be WAY more willing than I already am to help you, if you’re nice to me from the very start. So there’s a thing you should probably think about, grumpy pants.

#3 A lull in customers will allow you to discover new skills, you never knew you had.

No matter where you work, there will eventually be a time where there’s a lull in customers, and that is prime time for you and your coworkers. You’ll most likely learn that you can dance or sing. Well maybe you can’t, but you can try. And while your store isn’t busy is when you’ll figure it out. I mean you’ve heard all of the songs that play over and over and over again. You know them by heart now, and will most likely catch yourself singing them outside of work, and find yourself horrified. Maybe you’ll unintentionally make up a dance routine to the entire soundtrack of your store, or maybe you’ll start to make up things as you go, a little improv dance routine every now and again. This will also be the time when you find out which of your coworkers could make it to the America’s Got Talent finale and which would fall flat at auditions. This is the great thing about working in retail, you will have a chance to bond with your coworkers, and aside from fulfilling your associate duties, and you’ll be able to have fun too.

#4 You will have that customer service face down pat.

We aren’t all exactly happy go lucky and bubbly all the time. Well hello, we get paid to help customers, and who wants to deal with someone grumpy? Not me, so why would I make the people I am helping deal with someone grumpy? Even if I am not having the best day, it is super important to make the customer want to come back to your store, so you’ve got to charm the shit out of them. The only way you can do that, is sometimes to put on the ol’ customer service face and yes ma’am them to death (I mean except for the coupon queen, sorry, not sorry). You’ll be able to let anyone down in the nicest friendliest way possible though, when their coupon doesn’t work, or you don’t have the size they need. Along with this you will because a good problem solver, suggesting something else to try and making them forget about whatever they initially wanted, before having to call another store to see if they’ve got it.

#5 In reality helping people, is really worthwhile.

Working in retail is actually a very fulfilling job. Going above and beyond to make someone happy, or going out of your way to find something for someone, really is worth it. As much as I could complain about the silly things people do while I am at work, I really do enjoy helping people, because I know how much I’d appreciate it if someone did it for me. Here’s a secret, normally it isn’t even that much extra effort, but it still seems that way to the customer, and they appreciate it that much more. Being kind to someone and helping them is your job as a sales associate, and if you aren’t going to take it seriously, then why do it at all? Yes it’s always good to have a good laugh at the end of the day about the crazy people that come in and expect crazy unrealistic things from you, but it’s also worth it to think about whose day you could have maybe made just that little bit better by being nice to them and such while they were out shopping.

So that’s it for this week, I hope you’ve enjoyed, maybe laughed, maybe cried (hopefully not), maybe realized you need to be a bit nicer to certain people who just work at the stores that you shop at? I don’t know.  Hope you’ve enjoyed!

                                                                                                                                                                Cheers!! xoxo

P L A N N I N G

                I have recently read an article published by Boston Consulting Group, a worldwide consulting firm, about the importance of planning. Management consulting is a field centered on planning and execution of said plan. So it only seems fitting that they would release an article featuring 20 quotes to change your mind about planning.

                I am all about having a plan, I love making plans and knowing exactly what I am doing. I personally feel that this will be how I am most successful, if I’ve got a plan and know exactly what I’ve got to do to make my goals come to fruition. Like many I’ve got the good ol’ 5 year plan, and I’d like to stick as closely to it as possible, of course. However, when I really, really think about it, this idea begs me to ask the question, what would happen if I just let it go, and threw it into the wind? Most often the people who strike it big are often hard workers, but have no real end in sight. They never plan to become the CEO of their own million dollar brand, but chances arise, and they take them; leading them to success. It’s interesting to me because I feel that I am most likely the person who would pass up an opportunity because it didn’t fit into my plan clearly. And now that I’ve just said that, I feel a bit stupid. On the other side of the coin, I do see how plans are necessary (obviously), because without a plan those million dollar CEO’s wouldn’t have been able to continue their success. You can’t just be all willy-nilly with your business decisions and still expect to be successful, it takes a plan with careful yet flexible execution.

                I guess my real question here is, is it worth the risk to stray off your original path? I know everyone has to make their own judgement, and do what is best for them. I also suppose it has to do with how much risk you’re willing to take, and what you consider a big enough reward. I don’t really know whether I would ever consider abandoning my plans for the future, or just flexing them a bit. I’d have to see. I’d love to see what anyone else has to say on this, if you’ve got some input, let me hear it! AND YES, I know you can’t control your own future, I am just talking about shaping it up a bit. I’ve linked the article at the bottom, if you’d like to read it, but that’s all for now! Have a good one!

                                                                                                                                                                Cheers!! xoxo

https://ormondrankin.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/20-quotes-the-importance-of-planning/