Another Emmie

Above photo courtesy of Ell and Emm

his post is long overdue, but I wanted to post this after I received my replacement order. After I ordered my first Ell and Emm piece- the Emmie necklace in Tri Color, I didn't think I would be ordering anymore. Although very unique and nice, I thought it was a bit expensive for what it was. Then, Jenn (owner of Ell and Emm) posted this photo (shown above) on her Instagram and I was intrigued. I desperately wanted it. It was $2 more than my previous Emmie at $45.50USD + $5.99 shipping to Canada, but I pre-ordered it anyway. I pre-ordered it on January 25 and it was shipped on February 7. Shipping was pretty quick- I got it on February 12. However, upon close inspection I realized that 3 of the pink stones had chips on the corners. I was very disappointed as I was hoping to wear this on Valentine's Day. I really thought hard about whether to just keep it or return it (I normally don't like doing returns), but I thought the flaws were too big to ignore. I ended up returning it and Jenn sent me another necklace. I finally got a new one this Tuesday and it's perfect. Thank goodness!

This was the initial necklace I got.
I loved it upon first seeing it. 

The colour combination is to die for!

However, upon close inspection you can see that there is chipping on the corners.

Look how pretty it is on!

I had to pay for the return shipping and Jenn reimbursed me for it pretty quickly, but it was for the shipping cost that she had listed on her Etsy site for $5.99. When I mailed it back it cost me $7.90 so I had to pay a bit out of pocket. That was a bit annoying, but I'm happy to say that Jenn was really nice about the whole thing and the replacement piece was in perfect condition. She even stuck a 'Fragile, handle with care' sticker on the new package. Jenn has recently opened an online store so you can check it out here. I'm eyeing the Ellie Ombre Necklace…

Emmie necklace

y Emmie necklace came in the mail today. I ordered it on December 15 and it was shipped out on December 18. I think because of the holiday schedule it got to me later than it would have.

So for those of you who are considering purchasing this necklace from Jenn's Etsy store here are my initial thoughts. She will be restocking on January 7, but if you follow her on Instagram- @jenn5716 she posts what pieces she will be listing. You have to act fast if you want to get anything from her because she sells out fast!

Inside the box (shown at the top of this post in white) included a card and a business-
sized card.

The back of the card had this sweet note from Jenn.

This was on the back of her business-size card. It's basically a care card on how you
should take care of your necklace.

And here she is- the Emmie necklace in Tri Color. She makes them in lots of different
colours.

The necklace is tied with a black ribbon. The necklace also came with a velvet
drawstring pouch to store the necklace in.

Here's a close-up. I think she colours the stones with nailpolish? I'm not sure.
But you can definitely tell when you inspect them closely that the coloured stones are
painted.

Here's a quick photo that I took of myself wearing the necklace. I know it's winter, but
I thought the necklace would look great with my green silk tank. The green colour picks
up on the green of the necklace.

I also tried it on with my heart J Crew sweater. I like how it overlaps the collar on
this sweater.

Another shot taken with my SLR camera.

So I really do like this necklace and I plan on wearing it with casual outfits, but it can definitely be dressed up. I just think it looks better with a plainer outfit. The only thing that I didn't like is the weight of this necklace. It's not very heavy and the quality of the stones look like something you can buy at a H&M or Forever 21. I'm not saying it should be a super heavy necklace, but it didn't feel expensive… It was close to $50CAD so I would have expected the materials to be a bit better. HOWEVER, that being said, I think it's totally unique and I love how it looks like with something I pulled quickly from my closet.

Bling bling for the new year

finally ordered 3 things that have been on my wishlist for a while now- the Emmie necklace from EllandEmm, the Original Cuff and the Original Acid Cuff necklace from HRH Collection. Yes, they are all bold pieces, but I think these would look great styled over a simple top. I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival so that I can play around with how I would style them with items in my closet. I'll be sure to post photos of the different looks I come up with.

The Emmie necklace in Tri-Color, $43.50USD.
Jenn always sells out of her jewelry once she posts them on her Etsy site so you kind
of have to get whatever is available and FAST. I've seen her other Emmie necklaces
that come in different colours and I'm glad I waited until this particular colour became
available. It's so unique and I'm sure it'll be a conversation starter.
She has noted that she will restock some pieces on January 7 so please check out her
Etsy site. 

The Original Cuff necklace, $50USD.
I've been ogling this necklace ever since I've seen Alex (shown above) wearing it
on her YouTube channel and on her blog. I finally caved and ordered it.

The Original Acid Cuff necklace, $50USD.
The silver version of the Original Cuff. I love the turquoise suede tie.

All photos were taken from their respective sites.

What I've been up to…

een a busy little bee this month because I've been doing so many preparations for Christmas- making my own Advent Calendar for my son; shooting our family Christmas portrait; making our annual calendar and designing our family Christmas cards. I've also been doing a lot of shopping and going to parties.
If you don't follow me on Instagram yet please do- @Cujo931. I usually post what I'm up to there daily. I'm addicted to it!

Shopping at Old Navy. Was debating whether to get this leopard-print cardigan, but
passed on it. 

My OOTD last week.
Top is from Wilfred by Aritzia, jeans are from Paige Denim, bubble necklace is a
J Crew-inspired necklace from eBay.

I had a gift certificate from Club Monaco that I was saving until I lost my pregnancy
weight. I was eyeing this Reva coat…

I took the plunge and got it. I initially bought it on sale for 30% off the original
$299 sale price, down from $398. But the day after I got it I received an email
from the Club Monaco newsletter that they were having a 40% sale off the sale
price. I ended up returning it and repurchasing it for 40% off. Yes!
(FYI: Club Monaco has a policy of not doing price adjustments on sale items, but
the salesgirl I dealt with allowed me to do a return and repurchase)

The faux-fur collar is removable.

The coat is a bit wrinkled, but I adore it.

I'm loving my makeup here.

I happened to go in Gap to check out their sales and I came across this sequined
clutch. I missed out on the Zara sequined clutch that all the fashion bloggers have
been sporting so when I saw this I couldn't pass on it. The Zara clutch is a gold colour
and this is obviously not gold, but I still like it. I think it'll go with a lot of items in my
closet. It's hard to capture the true colour of the clutch. Here, the sequins are pointing
up and it gives it a completely different look than the shot below.

Here the sequins are pointing down. The clutch looks more silver here.
I love how this clutch has a strap. I don't think the Zara one did…
I got this for 20% off 39.99?

Here I am holding it. It kind of looks purple in certain lighting.

Surprisingly it fits a ton of stuff. I can fit my huge Kate Spade wallet plus many
more.

This will be great to carry around with me when I don't want to carry a huge purse.

Last Thursday I stopped by Indigo (one of my favourite stores) to kill some time
with the family. It is a bookstore, but they have a fantastic home/gift section.
I came across this Botanicals Labels and Stickers book by Rifle Paper Co. I have
one of their other labels and stickers book and I always use it when I gift wrap because
it really makes the package that much nicer. I ended up purchasing this and I can't
wait to gift wrap!

This is the Cath Kidston 2013 agenda.
Although I loved it I already have a Kate Spade agenda and I buy the refills every year.

The lovely frames and display cases at Indigo.

They also had a shelf with ombré book covers of classic titles. Such a pretty way
to display books, no?

Lots of stocking stuffers out too. They had colourful enamel bangles and other
knick knacks. 

Voluspa candles.
The packaging on Voluspa candles are exquisite. I had to stop
myself from getting these because I had already made several candle purchases
from Bath & Body Works.

One thing to note is that I rarely buy home goods from Indigo for full retail price.
They always have sales and if you wait you can get things for 30-50% off.

Indigo is holding a contest now on Instagram where if you hastag #MagicalHoliday
on one of your instagram pics with something relating to the theme "Christmas
Morning" you have a chance of winning a $100 gift card. This was my entry.
Fingers crossed!

Lastly, I'm starting to restock my Etsy store. It's just so time consuming to take photos
of all the pieces, but that is my New Year's resolution this year.

Arm candy

y Oia Jules order came in today. I've been eagerly waiting its arrival since I placed an order for them last week via Style/Stalk- a discount shopping site that is curated by some well-known stylemakers. You can also purchase Oia Jules jewelry through Etsy.

I purchased 3 bracelets- the chunky gold chain link bracelet with faceted aquamarine quartz; the gold chain link and pavé ball bracelet; and the textured gold link bracelet with gold pavé skull charm. I bought each bracelet for $36 + $7 flat shipping rate to Canada.

I thought the bracelet on the far left (with the aquamarine quartz) would be a lot heavier, but it's very light.
I'm not sure if that's a good thing. Maybe it feels cheap? But it's still very pretty. I can't wait to layer
these bracelets with other bracelets in my jewelry collection. I wouldn't necessarily wear these
3 pieces altogether. I just took a snapshot of them all on my wrist.

Here are some other bracelets that I've purchased within the past month and a half.
The top bracelets are by Expression from The Bay. I think I got 3 for $11?  The pink bracelet
below that is from J. Crew. I bought this for $22 a couple of days ago.

Goodbye 2010, hello 2011!

appy New Year's Eve everyone!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun night tonight. I wish I can say that I'm getting all dolled up to go to a swanky party to ring in the new year, but I'll be enjoying a quiet night at home with my family. There's nowhere else I'd rather be :-)

2010 was a big year for me because I turned the big 3-0. I'm usually not a big resolutions person because I never follow through with it, but I feel like making one for 2011. Here goes!

1. I want to be more spontaneous. Both my husband and I are pretty practical (him more than I). Everything we do is planned out to a tee. I remember telling my husband the other day that one of the best times I had was when I was going through a tough time at work and he called me up and said to me, "Why don't you go home and pack your bags. We are going away for the weekend." He whisked me off to a ski resort a few hours away from the city and it was one of the most fun I've had. This was before we had the baby so we can't really do that anymore, but then again, why not???

2. I want to be more romantic. My husband and I have been married 4 years now. I know that isn't a long time, but already we are like an old married couple. We do the same things every weekend and even on birthdays we go to the mall and pick out our gifts. We didn't do that before, but lately everything is so... blah. I want to plan something special for Valentine's Day in 2011. I don't remember the last time I did something special for my man.

3. I want to read more. I used to read books all the time. This was a looooong time ago. I feel like my brain has gotten stupider (is that even a word???) because I just don't read. Even bringing a book with me for my commute in to work would be the first step.

That is it for now. There's a lot more I want to do in 2011, but I narrowed it down to 3 so that I can actually accomplish these goals. Wish me luck!

BTW, I got my print that I ordered for my shoe shelf. I'm a little disappointed in how it arrived because it wasn't packaged very well. My print was a little bent at the top. Also, the colours were a lot more subtle in person than what I saw online. Also, the illustration looked kind of pixelated- like it was enlarged from the original. I'm being very picky here. It's just that when you don't get what you are expecting it's always a little disheartening.

Look how the colours in the illustration is so washed out.

The background was supposed to be a pink, but frankly it just looks white.

Here's another angle.

Maybe for those of you who are thinking of ordering from this seller, choose a print with more contrasting/vibrant colours?

On a side note, see my ring/earring tray. The peach cocktail ring is my latest addition. I got it from Forever 21 for $3.80! I have another jewelry case on my vanity dresser so don't think these are the only rings/earrings I have!