Trunk Show Preview

I just got back from a few flea markets in the deep South and came back with fresh treasures to debut at The Candy Shop Vintage Trunk Show in Downtown Charleston's antiques district this Saturday.  Here are a few preview snaps from Instagram of just a few of the new jewels:

 Necklaces from left to right $65, $36 and $36

 Chunky gold link bracelet $60

Ethnic chic earrings.  Silver $35. Gold $50.

 Cute owl pin $45

Rhinestone necklace with multiple gold chains $95.

If you live in Charleston, stop by this Saturday between 1 and 4PM!:

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing all the moms out there a sweet and wonderful mother's day!

Save The Date!

We will be doing our first spring trunk show in just a few weeks at Domicile Real Estate in Charleston, located at 163 King Street in the Antiques District from 1-4PM.  

It's a Trip... Jewelry of MAD MEN, Episode 5

So this past Sunday's MAD MEN episode was all about trips... metaphorical (or rather drug induced) and literal.  Jane and Roger take acid at a dinner party with her therapist which leads them to the realization they aren't in love and need to get a divorce.  Jane certainly exits with flair... flashing her incredible, enormous pearl and rhinestone earrings (or maybe we are to presume they are diamonds - she does warn Roger the divorce will be expensive!) :

 Not to mention her cocktail ring as they take their psychedelic journey together:

 And even her therapist, the hostess, had a great pair of chandelier earrings:

Megan, meanwhile, wears a great, long gold chain link necklace while Don whisked her off on a "business trip," another trip that did not go as planned for the couple... But I loved the pairing of the gold with her bright coral sweater:

See you next week!

Our Favorite Fall 2012 Fashion Trends

You may be thinking about fitting into that teeny bikini (or is that just me, post pregnancy?) but to get your mind off that, I attended the Fashion Group International's Fall Fashion Presentation about Fall 2012 Fashion trends last week. While it often feels like there are more trends than you can keep track of every season, ultimately you pick and choose what you like and what works for you. Here are are Top Three Favorite Trends we loved on the Fall 2012 Runway and what it means for jewelry:

1) BIG Brooches

Tough to wear without looking like an old lady, brooches have been heralded as an upcoming trend year after year.  Still, it's hard to convince anyone under the age of 50 to dust of their grandmother's vintage brooch collection and start sporting them around town... But brooches (not subtle, but HUGE) were rampant in the Fall 2012 collections and looked GREAT (above, a CHANEL crystal brooch adorns and oversize coat).  The BIGGER the BETTER.  At Oscar de La Renta:

And Ralph Lauren (love the feather accents, this can easily be done with a vintage brooch):

2) GOLD, GOLD, GOLD

There's nothing more glam than gold and it seemed to be part of nearly every Fall '12 show, from Ralph Lauren's fanciful gold feathers (above) to Marchesa's drop dead glamourous gold gown that practically melted (below, left) and intricate brocade dress (below, right):

And silky, draping gold was a huge part of the Viktor & Rolf Collection as well:

3) BEJEWELED!

As if someone struck with their luxury bedazzler... jewels adorned jackets, collars, cuffs, buttons and even eyebrows in many of the runway shows, like at MIU MIU (above) and Louis Vuitton (below):

Jewels in the form of crystals were in fact the theme of the entire CHANEL Fall 2012 Collection, from the make-up looks and clothing, to the dramatic jewelry and even the backdrop of the runway itself:

Plan on piling on your rhinestones, cabachon necklaces and cuffs to keep warm this fall!

MAD MEN Season 5

Four episodes deep into Season 5 of MAD MEN and I am totally hooked again. So far this season has been much heavier in terms of themes - Joan separating from her new husband, the emergence of "fat Betty" and her lackluster new life, the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and, as of this past weekend, the complete unravelling of Pete Campbell. The one who actually seems to be doing great is Don and we are starting to wonder if he's finally overcome his personal demons and found real happiness with his new wife Megan. Which leads us to the jewelry... Costume designer Janie Bryant has done an amazing job with this season's jewels.  There has been a mix of the prim, ladylike parures as seen in seasons past, but also bigger, bolder and more fun pieces like Megan's cocktail ring in her now infamous singing scene from the season premier:

 The other young SCDP wife Jane also wears some great oversize tassel earrings:

And for Joan's triumphant post-partem return to the office she wears huge, sparkly clip-ons that would be more suited to an evening out for anyone else, but with her dramatic presence, she pulls it off during the day.  As Rodger Sterling puts it, "Who's looking at that baby with you pushing the stroller?"

The second episode shocked us with Betty's new "look," which stands in sharp contrast to Megan's youth and city style, not to mention beauty.  Still I couldn't help but admire Betty's pendant bracelet as she calls Don to wax on about her cancer scare:

And I loved the fortune teller's dramatic array of cocktail rings and charm bracelets who came to read Betty's tea leaves at lunch:

But Megan once again steals the show with her amazing braided up-do paired with a huge gold statement necklace and gold tassel earrings:

In Episode 3, we see Joan shine with her strategically placed brooch and look stunning and composed even as she realizes her new marriage is crumbling:

And the turquoise cabochon necklace that Peggy's friend Joyce wears on her visit to the office is a cool, era-appropriate piece that is more hip than glam:

And Don's ex-fling who is (literally) haunting him accessorizes with a great coral set and citron dress (you can practically feel the awkwardness in the elevator as she encounters his new wife!):

This past weekend, we saw the wives all wearing fun, flirty jewelry for an evening "out" in the suburbs, each girls jewels seemingly paired with their personalities... Cynthia (left) in her fun, simple pearl drops, Trudy (center) in her matching set and Megan (right) in her sparkly disco-appropriate dangles:

For the boys, trying to land the Jaguar account, they encountered a few "ladies of the night" whose ensembles featured big, fun dramatic earrings:

Even so, they couldn't lure Don into his old habits... We'll see if he can hold out for the rest of the season...  Looking forward to seeing more fabulous vintage jewels and ensembles next week!

A Vintage Inspired Nursery

Well, after a little maternity leave enjoying my new little girl, I am slowly starting to get back to work again, albeit having sacrificed my home office that was dedicated to packaging and shipping jewelry (and moved down the hall to a new room)... What was my home office has morphed into a vintage-inspired nursery, and while is was hard to give up after I began to decorate it for myself, it was recently featured on apartment therapy and you'll see the Candy Shop Vintage aesthetic is strong in the decor:

Daphne, our daughter, loves it!  Sometimes it's worth giving up one thing for another that's even better : )