gURL Power - my favorite accessories website!

There is nothing that excites me more than successful women.  That probably sounds a bit creepy, but it is totally true.  I voraciously follow the careers of women that I admire such as Melanie Cook (female entertainment attorney extraordinaire) and Chief Justice of California, Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye.  I’ve been fortunate enough to meet both of these women and soak up their awesomeness in person. 

While perusing the latest issue of Forbes, I came across a blurb about two fashionistas that started my favorite website for buying unique and trendy accessories at killer prices.  Daniella Yacobovsky and Amy Jain are the masterminds beheld Baublebar.com, the site that sources jewelry from high-end designers and sells it for a steal.  I am officially a fan of these two Harvard Business School grads.  Because of their genius, there is no need to wait till the end of the season for your favorite necklaces from Athropology, J.Crew, and Banana Republic to go on sale.  If you are into any of the latest accessory trends (e.g. rose gold, statement necklaces, or preppy monograms) I guarantee you will find something on this site you’ll love.  Even if you aren't in the mood to shop for yourself, these accessories make the perfect gift.  You can get semi-personalized necklaces for bridesmaids or earrings to go with bridal party dresses.  Check out these pics of some of my favorite choices.  Subject yourself to their emails and get $10 off your first purchase!  

Hitting the Thrift Store Jackpot

The other day I was wandering around a thrift shop killing time and looking for nothing in particular.  I browsed rack after rack and found a few cute designer skirts, but nothing that was really worth buying.  My annual New Year’s resolution is to stop buying clothes just because I can get a good deal (unless, of course, I can get a really, really good deal), and strictly to buy pieces that I just can’t live without.  As I was walking toward the exit empty handed, I got distracted by something shiny.  A pair of gold stack heels caught my eye.  I examined the specimen with scrutiny—the top of the almond-toe pump had a woven metallic pattern with a thin gold platform and gold piping.  They were in great condition, and just like any metallic shoes, these really do go with everything.

I held my breath as I flipped them over to see if they were my size.  At this point I was already in deep and head over heels for them (ok, yeah, that was a terrible pun).  They might as well have said “eureka!” on the bottom of the soles because they were stamped with those two magic words, “vero cuoio.”  Translation: REAL LEATHER.  It's the stamp of the trade organization of Italian tanneries, indicating Italian-made leather was the material used to construct the sole.  In the current world of cheap, trendy, and disposable, I found quality metallic pumps in my size—I experienced the gold rush.

I just had to get over the fact that these shoes belonged to someone else first.  This thought alone totally weirded me out until I contemplated all the gross places my bare feet have been…Venice beach, sweaty dance studio floors, and of course, that time in college when I lost my flip flop at a foam party then walked the whole way home.  In the grand scheme of things, a lightly-worn “pre-owned” pair of fancy shoes isn’t that big of a deal. 

If you aren’t lucky enough to find your own pot of gold at the end of the thrift store rainbow, here is my pick for the best vero cuio pair of metallic pumps (JCrew Everly Mirror Metallic Pumps).  They are a significantly more than the mere fifteen buck bargain I found, but they pretty much go with everything.  You can pair these with skinny pants (of every color), pencil skirts, and even flouncy dresses.  Give your nude heels a break because these too go with every color and pattern!

My Favorite Warm Weather Winter Look

This is such an L.A. thing to say, but yesterday I actually went to the beach.  It was over eighty degrees outside and it is the end of January.  Although I can’t complain about the unseasonably warm weather, it does put a damper on the joy of bundling up in cozy cashmere sweaters or accessorizing with fun winter hats and colorful scarves.  Even though it feels like summer, it just doesn’t seem right to bust out the sandals and sun dresses, so to keep things seasonal, yet temperature appropriate, I’ve been really into pairing black shorts with tights. 

The black on black keeps winter colors at play without sweating to death.  It seemed like the perfect option for many of my evening outings in the past couple months (e.g. with an ugly Christmas sweater for a theme party, with a sparkly shirt for a concert or trendy dinner).  My favorite somewhat casual paring is with a chambray button down and a bohemian, lightweight scarf.  If I’m feeling particularly hipster, I’ll add a fierce red lip or knit cap.  To make the shorts dressy, I usually wear black booties or sassy metallic pumps. 

For those of you who are adverse to shorts (I am generally one of these people), black tights with black shoes makes the look slimming overall.  I tried on quite a few pairs of black shorts before finding the right ones, but this look is best with a “fancier” black pair, so look for something with dressy details or a heavier fabric.  

The Statement Necklace – Taking an Outfit from Drab to Fab

Usually my favorite part of the day is getting dressed in the morning because I love the challenge of putting together something interesting to wear.  I really don’t do it for anyone other than myself because I work in the type of environment where track pants are totally acceptable.  It almost seems like shoes are optional and t-shirts are the standard uniform.  It doesn’t matter to me that 95% of my meetings are on a conference call, putting on something fun or unexpected keeps me entertained.

Yesterday I had a serious case of the Mondays, but I didn’t want to dress the way I felt.  I reached for a boring plaid shift dress and thought to myself that I could get dressed on autopilot and accessorize in a totally predictable, put together manner (i.e. dress + neutral cardigan + skinny belt over cardigan + nude pumps), but instead I thought, why not do something totally unexpected and accessorize with a colorful, modern statement necklace and a neon yellow cardigan.  I was totally impressed by the way these unexpected pieces worked together.  

Any boring or neutral dress that is sitting in the back of your closet can be revitalized by a bright bubble necklace, collar necklace, or other statement piece.  The one I chose was embellished with all sorts of bright colors and a little bit of bling.  Any necklace that may look too over-the-top on its own is probably perfect to transform a basic dress or top!

Here are a few that I totally love: 

For a great bargain, try etsy!