Monday 25 July 2011

New discovery alert: Know Your Onions


In amongst all the dainty charms and slinky jewels its nice to throw on a chunky statement piece once in awhile and Brit brand Know Your Onions certainly does chunky. Crafted in resin and finished in either an ivory or slate finish the collection includes floral brooches, bangles made to be stacked and cute pendants. I love the fun motifs including Victoriana keys and pocket watches and bangles inscribed with peppy phrases. It's also really lovely to find a brand that's "designed, modeled and made in England", kinda makes you feel all patriotic.

Find Know Your Onions online or in various independent stockists nationwide, check their site for a full list.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Demi Lovato stacks up the jewels


Teen popster Demi Lovato has a great sense of style and certainly isn't shy about throwing on an accessory or six. At an LA event last night Demi added interest and sparkle to her simple LBD with a treasure trove of jewels. The stand-out piece was the chunky cross pendant.

I tracked down this copy on one of my favourite sites, folksy.com.


You can pick up some beautiful, handmade and bespoke pieces here and there's some great bargains to be found, this chunky pendant is only £22. Take your style notes from Demi by teaming with a hit of bright nail polish and a stack of bangles to stop the look veering too far into goth territory.

Copy Rochelle's statement necklace



The gorgeous Rochelle from The Saturdays knows how to work an accessory. She teamed her simple bandage dress with this amazing necklace at a theatre do last night. The crisp white dress is immediatly transformed from overt sexiness to boho glam with the beaded creation. She's continued the theme with a couple of string and bead bracelets in bright colours. I've found these copycat pieces, wear yours with a white frock like Rochelle or team with a simple vest and jeans to take you from day to night.

Dorothy Perkins Turquoise Bead Chain Collar £5 (in the sale)

Anton Heunis Disc Crystal Brooch Necklace at my wardrobe.com £295

Oasis Seed Bead Choker at asos.com £16


Absolutely Marvelous




Amongst the bustling restaurants of London's Fitzrovia nestles a tiny pink emporium, Be Marvelous Jewellery. Established by jeweler William Robert Lee in summer 2010 this gorgeous little shop houses some real finds. William started out at Covent Garden Market in 2004 creating and selling his own handmade and bespoke pieces. His jewels are vibrant, colourful and packed with natural gems and semi-precious stones in silver settings. Since moving to his shop on Goodge Street William has continued to create his own pieces (he makes all his work at the shop in between serving customers) whilst stocking a huge selection of costume and vintage pieces from as little as £5. From hefty enamel pendants to delicate glass beads there's something for all tastes. Many a lunchbreak have I spent at Be Marvelous, William is constantly updating his stock and always serves with a smile and advice plus it's fascinating to sneek a glance at him at work.

On my last trip I picked up this delicate feather pendant from the store's costume stock. The two gold feathers hang on a string of tiny aqua beads leading up to a fine gold cable chain. One thing I love about this piece is the length of the chain. I love a long, chest-length pendant, they dress up a simple top instantly and make more of a statement than a shorter length. The combination of gold and aqua in this necklace make it perfect for summer, in short I love it.


Check out William's website at: www.bemarvelousjewellery.com and his shop at 38 Goodge Street, London, W1T 2QW

'She's got the whole world in her hands...'


How cute is this pendant from Accessorize? As I mentioned in my previous post, one thing Accessorize does splendily is quirky charms. I have a whole collection from the Effiel Tower to a teeny bicycle. This Around the Globe necklace (£9) will be perfect when I go on my travels this September. Find it in store or online at accessorize.com

Accessorize me


I don't think I can walk past a branch of Accessorize without going in. Since there is a rather good one at Liverpool Street Station (the hub of my daily commute) this means most days don't pass without a trip inside this Aladdin's cave. From their trademark quirky charm necklaces to their on- trend collections like this summer's '70's' pieces, they are probably my number one high street stop.
Last week I stopped by the Liverpool St branch to pass the time whilst my train was stuck somewhere outside of Hackney. Intending to pick up some bargains in their summer sale I instead was distracted by these two beauties. I love the aqua blue of the Jemima Faceted ring (£10), how summery and pretty will this look once the sunshine hits? The Phoenix Bird ring (£6) is also become a new a favourite. A bit rock star but kept pretty by the delicate engraved detail, I love the unusual slanted angle. By the way the nail colour I'm sporting is Revlon One Perfect Coral, a gorgeous summer shade, especially perfect with the silver of the Phoenix ring.
Whilst I was distracted by the non-sale items, Accessorize does have a rather good sale at the moment. It's been on for awhile so the stock is dwindling but there's still some good bargains to be found. Check their website: accessorize.com

And so the obsession began...



I remember when I was little, one of my favourite games was rummaging through my mother's velvet lined jewellery box. It was stuffed full with glittering treasures, silver and gold trails and trinkets would spill out onto the dresser and by the time I had finished cocktail rings would adorn every finger and thumb. Years later I was given custody of some of these childhood treasures. My favourite was a dusty brown quartz ring nestled in a gold leafy shell. Costume jewellery, so of no monetary value but once belonging to my grandmother it has become my go to accessory. For any important meeting, interview, event it's the first thing that goes on, usually sitting comfortably on my right middle finger. It doesn't even have to be a special occasion, it's my glittery comfort blanket. So this ring was the treasure that opened the floodgates and since then my obsession with jewels has spilled spectacularly into my day to day life. It is my firm belief that accessories maketh the outfit. You could be wearing battered blue jeans and a grey tee but slip on a chunky ring or a statement necklace and immediately the style balance is tilted from scruff to chic elegance. So that's the story from the beginning...