Awesome Accessories - The Statement Necklace

Accessories are the fashion flare on our outfits. An accessory can do more to pull an outfit together and give it a bit of sass than spending a mint on certain labels or brands. I am not against brands. Being a thrift shopper, I have actually found my hands going towards high end labels at my favorite second hand stores, because I have been educated by following other bloggers as to what is a good quality, well made piece. However, I have oodles of clothes that are not high end. After all, when I do shop at regular retail stores I usually find myself back at Kohl's, Penney's or Christopher and Banks. What I have found, however, is that my cheaper selections can actually look more high end by pairing them with great accessories. 

Today I want to take a look at statement necklaces. This will be an ongoing series over the course of several accessory posts to show you what is available in the necklace category and how one statement piece differs from another. There are so many options available, sometimes it is hard to know what piece to wear with what outfit. 

For this post I will be looking at short statement necklaces that are made with beads and metal. 

A statement piece does what it says. It makes a statement. Often the statement is bold, an exclamation of "Look at me! Aren't I pretty?" Statement pieces can also be unique, whether it be the arrangement of the materials involved or the colors. 

The above necklace is more simple, but simplicity can also be a statement. The uniqueness of this piece is found in its shell, stone, metal and wood beads and in the rawhide used to hang it around the neck. 

Sometimes during the heat of the summer I will get a rash wherever I have metal against my skin. I have a nickel allergy, so usually stick to silver or gold, but I love cheap costume jewelry. Having a rawhide chain rather than a metal one, can alleviate some of those issues. 

Isn't this one fun? I love all the silver circles, the way it dangles and the way it shimmers. This piece can be worn with just about any color and really dresses up and outfit. 

Most of these statement necklaces have an adjustable clasp in the back so you can make the necklace a little bit longer or shorter depending on your outfit and your preference. 

I have this necklace in two or three different colors. I know! I have a jewelry fetish, just like some people have purse and/or shoe fetishes. Ha, ha. I just love the way the beads cascade downward, reminiscent of a waterfall. 

I love everything about this one. The color of the beads, the strings of bling, and the chains all give it a more expensive feel. It almost looks like something a princess would wear! Here is a pic from when I wore this for a recent blog post. You can see the whole post here.  

Finally, this last one is just layers of fun. I love the color, the differing sizes of beads and even the way it feels when I run my fingers over it. 

What sorts of short statement necklaces do you have? Do you have just one special piece that you love to wear for special occasions or are you like me and have hooks full? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

Adding a special statement piece can serve so many functions for your outfit. It can add color, pizzazz and texture. It can draw attention away from problem areas and put the focus on your neck and face. A lovely statement necklace can make you feel and look more confident and vibrant. 

Thanks for hanging out on the blog today. I appreciate all your support. Check back next week for more fashion fun. Have a great weekend. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Shopping for Statements:

Black multi - Venus - $19.00

Sage - Modcloth - $5.99

Blue - Chico's - $34.99

Crystal - Francesca's - $20.98

Light pink - Charming Charlie - $10.00

Linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge , Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Laurie of Vanity and Me, 

Chasing Away the Winter Blues - Week 3

I have been talking about chasing away the winter blues this month. January can be a long, cold and typically overcast month here in the mid west. As I discussed the last few weeks, wearing bright colors and getting out to do something fun can be two "blues" chasers. This week I wanted to take another look at color, but approach it from a more spiritual aspect.

For those of you who follow my Faith page on the blog, you know that I am a Christ follower and what some would term a Bible thumper, not to be confused with Thumper, the rabbit from Bambi fame. I am a supporter of intelligent design, believing that an almighty God crafted us and the world we live on, from nothingness. This being said, I am not here to preach at you or convert you to my way of thinking, but to share with you a fashion idea that makes perfect sense to me. 

Think about the colors in nature. Green grass, red cardinals, purple flowers, yellow sun and blue skies. Since these things were put into place by an intelligent creator for our benefit and pleasure wouldn't it also make sense that color and how we wear it can affect our mood and outlook, as well as affect how other people perceive us.

For this outfit, I was dreaming of blues skies, blue seas and gentle warm breezes. 

Cobalt blue is really in right now, so when I spied these ankle pants in my dresser I joyfully pulled them out! That made me remember my cobalt suede heels. I wore these in this Denim Days post from back in the summer. In keeping with the blue theme, I lightened up the sweater and scarf near my face.

My younger daughter gave me this pretty scarf for Christmas. The button up cardigan was from Kohl's last year. The three strand gold and bling necklace was thrifted.

To add a bit more interest to the outfit, I added the snakeskin clutch. I think it adds a fun contrast to the "same color" theme of the outfit. 

I hope you enjoyed this post on another way to chase away those winter blues. What is your favorite color out in nature? Have you ever tried to incorporate that color into an outfit? How did it make you feel? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below or leave me a comment on my Facebook page. 

Thanks for following along. Check back on Thursday to see who my Beautiful Blogger is for this month.

Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Shopping Options:

Cobalt ankle pants - JCPenney - $48.00

Cobalt heels - DSW - $39.95

Light blue sweater - Lord & Taylor - $59.95 (cashmere on clearance!)

Light blue scarf - Target - $14.99

Snakeskin bag - Charming Charlie - $22.00

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style,  Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Carrie of Curly Crafty Mom. Friday linking up with JoLynne in the Fashion Friday Link Up, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style.

Chasing Away the Winter Blues - Week 1

January can be a difficult month for many people. The days following the busyness of the holidays can be cold, dark and conducive to illness, depression and fear. How do I know this? Because I am a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Probably more of us suffer from it than even realize. With the lack of sunshine during the shorter days of winter, especially in the north we can become reclusive, emotional and even fearful. I have already experienced that descent into darkness this year and I still find myself asking, "Why am I feeling this way?" However, now that I am aware of the issue, and have been for several years now, I can reassure myself, "This too, shall pass!"

There are numerous things that I, or you can do if you suffer with mild SAD syndrome. If your case is really severe you may need to see your practitioner who might prescribe light therapy or mild anti-depressants. I need to get my light out and put it to use! I find there are other things that help me through these gray days. Exercise is very important, if you can get out of bed! Eating well is also a plus, if you can pull yourself away from the carbs that your body craves during this syndrome. Another thing that I try to do is up the color factor in the outfits I pick our for each day. Thus, the outfit for today's post!

Once again I am taking my own pictures, so the quality is not great. Thank you for bearing with me as I continue to learn about taking my own photos. One of the issues I noticed is that when I try to focus my camera, I am not standing there to be the focal point for the lens. A good friend suggested I get a card board cut out of someone like Johnny Depp and have it be my stand in. Ha, ha. 

As you can see I opted for light pink. The bright color, not only reflects light up into my face, but makes me feel like spring might not be too far away. Seeing as it is winter, I layered a lighter pink long sleeve tee underneath and added an orange marled sweater vest over top. 

I added a multicolored scarf to add interest and texture to the outfit. The scarf with its orange and pink floral pattern drew together the pink of the blouse and the orange of the sweater.

I also had this silver and bead necklace that coordinated with the yellow green in the scarf.

I decided on a pair of dark brown jeans. I like the way these colors compliment each other. The dark brown still keeps me connected to the winter season, but the bright colors on top lighten up my whole visage. 

Because my pants are a little bit short I opted for dark brown ankle boots to elongate the leg and keep the eye from noticing the shortness of the pants. 

The thing I like about this pair of shoes is the elastic inserts on the back of the ankle. It makes getting into the shoes easy and it also avoids that cutting feeling that some stiff leather or non leather ankle boots can give.

To keep the colors bright I decided on my Lush Meadow colored bag. You can see it has a few defects like a missing rivet and a little wear on the bottom. But overall it is a lovely bag and makes a statement all on its own.

Next week I will share another idea for chasing away the winter blues. I hope you enjoyed today's post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Check back on Thursday for this month's perfect piece.

Have a great day.

Due to time constraints I am not including any shopping options in this post. If you ever have any questions as to where you can find a particular item, please leave me a comment in the comments section below and I will do my best to find something similar and let you know where to find it. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style and JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up.