Nikki B. Bracelet Giveaway!

I am so excited to share this fabulous giveaway with Jolie Jouel readers! When Favery contacted me about working together to give my readers an exclusive chance at winning some jewelry, I jumped at the chance.  Favery is an online jewelry community offering their jewelry-loving members limited collections of designer pieces at discounted prices. Unique jewelry at great prices?  This is exactly the kind of thing I am always on the lookout for to share with you guys!

You have a chance to win two dainty, beaded, Nikki B. bracelets like the ones I am wearing below. These bracelets are the perfect layering pieces for summer. The best part? They're so easy to put on. I often find that beaded bracelets are often tricky to put on by yourself, never tightening easily or evenly. These bracelets glide on with ease and the satiny cord slides easily and stays in place.  

Follow this one easy step to enter for your chance to win two Nikki B. beaded bracelets:

1.  Check out favery.com and sign up to be a member of Favery's stylish jewelry community. 

Favery will randomly select a winner, to be announced here next Monday, from the new members who sign up by clicking through the link provided above. 

Contest closes Friday August 9th at 6pm EST. Good luck! 

*Contest open to American and Canadian readers*

About Nikki B.

Nikki created her line of jewelry in 1998 in New York City and was named “Queen Bead” by American Vogue as one of the first designers to make beads fashionable. Her designs have been coveted by stores such as Paul Smith, Harvey Nichols, Colette and Barneys to name a few. 

Today, the nikki-b collection is handmade in Chile, where designer Nikki Butler has lived for the past 7 years.  Rural women hand craft each piece and are given fair pay and inspiring work. Over the years, Nikki has lived in Paris, Spain, New York and Chile, each place giving her unique inspiration for her collection. Travel remains an integral part of her life, bringing new experiences that are reflected in her designs. 

Mother's Day Gift Guide

What to give the woman who has given the world to you? Something special! I've tried to come up with some indulgent, girly, and luxe gift ideas for Mom. You know, something she might not buy herself but would love and enjoy.  Consider her hobbies, decorating style, and personal style when shopping for her special gift.  Is she into golf or gardening or cooking?  Or maybe the gift she would like the most is some time with you. Mani/pedi anyone?

1. Spring scarf, Chapters Indigo 

2. Botanical Rose iPhone 5 Case, Rifle Paper Co.

3. Moby Measuring Cups, Anthropologie

4. Phone Wallet, Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent

5. Apron, Anthropologie

6. Coasters, Anthropologie

7. Fancy Bottle Opener, Anthropologie

8. Friendship Heart Bracelets, Gorjana

9. Gold Coin Purse, Kate Spade

10. Manicure/Pedicure mother-daughter date

11. Gardenalia: Creating The Stylish Garden, Chapters Indigo

12. I Heart U Ring Set, Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry

13. Hope Pink Golf Balls, Wilson

14. Double Heart Necklace, Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry

15. Bread Bin, Anthropologie

Line Lust: Kitsch

I am obsessed with pretty, soft hair ties and delicate jewelry. Kitsch does both of these things to perfection! Their hair ties come in fun patterns, colors, and textures. My favorites are the tie-dyed and ombre hair ties that can be doubled as fun bracelets. They also have a jewelry line and I am specifically drawn to the delicate necklace and earring sets sold on fun Polaroid cards. This little evil eye is the perfect everyday piece. I wish all of my necklaces were this length. As a fairly small person, I often find that even "short" necklaces are a bit too long for me, hitting awkwardly at my shirt neckline (instead of delicately below my collar bone).

Hair ties c/o Kitsch / All Eyes On You necklace c/o Kitsch / First knuckle ring, Catbird / Druzy bracelet and Ombre bead bracelet by me! 

You can get your own hair ties and jewelry from Kitsch on their website or at Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Free People or find your local retail locations here.

Get the Look: Easter Ready

Planning on dressing up for Easter this weekend? Why not try this pretty look! With blush ruffles and a show stopping arm party, you'll be the belle of your Easter dinner.

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1. Sweet Valentine Dress, Free People

2. Rhinestone + Chain bracelet, Piperlime

3. Rhinestone bracelet, Delia's

4. Chain bracelet, Piperlime

5. Heart charm bracelet, J.Crew

6. Bow ring, Max & Chloe

Jewelry for a Cause: Mae Movement

I love when two of my favourite things come together. In this case, jewelry and a good cause. Allow me to introduce you to Mae Movement and the stunning Nepalese-made bracelets for a good cause.  

Mae Movement began in 2011 when mother-daughter team, Haley and Dee Cairo, started selling their Nepalese bracelets. The two discovered the bracelets while on vacation in Florida and brought them back as gifts for friends. Soon everybody wanted some! After doing a lot of research on the bracelets, and where they come from, Dee and Haley started to buy them in small quantities. With the demand increasing, they started to buy more at a time and before they knew it, they had a created a nice little business on the side. 

But Mae Movement is more than just selling pretty arm candy. It gives the Nepalese women who make the bracelets a sustainable living and encourages others to make their own positive movements as well.  These little bracelets are very special, each one is hand crocheted by a women artisan in the Katmandu Valley of Nepal. The Bracelet’s take up to an hour to make and range in thousands of colors, finishes and pattern’s. The bracelets are made with Czech and Japanese glass beads that are crocheted into intricate patterns.  

Nepal, like many other countries today, has a high rate of Human Trafficking. It is unsafe for women and their children to travel for their work. The women who make bracelets are able to safely bead from their homes, on their sunny rooftop decks with their friends and family. When Haley and Dee purchase the bracelets the women are given a fair wage that enables them to live a more sustainable life, where they can provide for their families. The more bracelets sold, the more young women can be trained to learn this trade and provide a way of escape from poverty and enslavement.

Visit maemovement.com to buy your bracelet (perfect for a summer arm party!) and feel good while doing it!

 

A little more about Human Trafficking

Ever year between 10,000-15,000 girls are tricked or sold into slavery, either as domestic, factory or sex workers. The girls are valued at extremely low costs, comparable to animals, usually between $600 and $1,000 dollars depending on age and beauty. Some of these girls are sold as young as 7 years of age. Living conditions for these girls is horrid. They are imprisoned in rooms and cages. Beaten, starved, and raped until their will is broken. More than half of these girls are HIV positive and do not receive any health care. If girls are not sold they are often expected to work in areas of hard physical labor. They are lucky if they make 50 cents a day. By purchasing a Nepalese Mae Movement Bracelet you can help these women and children create a better life than one plagued by this tragedy.

Get the Look: City Cool Arm Party

pc: Sincerely Jules

Looking to add and edgy cool arm party to your everyday look? We have you covered with how you can recreate the look above. This look is heavy on mixed metals, spikes, and interesting shapes. Get the look now!

 

1. Vita Fede, Mini Titan Crystal Bracelet

2. Vita Fede, Titan Gold Bracelet

3. Shashi, Delicate Swarovski Bracelet

4. Jennifer Zeuner, Evil Eye Bracelet

5. Gabriela Artigas, Pyramid Cuff

6. Michael Kors, Oversized Watch   

Would you rock this look?

Do or Don't? Serious Hand Bling

Where do you stand on bracelets with large pieces that rest on the top of the hand? Is this hand-focused look totally fashion-forward or simply weird? Sound off in the comments below!

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Vote!

Get the Look: Classic Gold Stack

I found this image on Pinterest last night and fell in love with how striking yet uncomplicated it is. A good stack seems easy to create, but often times it can end up looking messy.  I decided to try to recreate this look with pieces I've found around the 'net. If you're interested in recreating this classic gold look, keep reading!

1. Gold bangle - Marc by Marc Jacobs

2. Brown leather watch - Michael Kors

3. Gold charm bracelet - Gorjana

4. Tiny heart bangle - Rings and Tings

DIY Friday: Sparkly Ombre Bracelet for Fall

This DIY is inspired by my friend Lauren who made a similar version of this bracelet for herself with bright beads. Her bracelet inspired me to make a sparkly ombre bracelet in colors that are perfect for the Fall. Or if you're a mermaid.

I actually have more of these beads and would be happy to sell a few of these bracelets to use up the leftovers. Email me if you're interested in buying your own Sparkly Ombre Bracelet!

You will need:
- 12-14 sparkly beads in various colors
- flat nose pliers
- snips
- 2 crimps
- 2 crimp covers
- 2 horseshoe shaped wire guards
- 1 clasp
- 1 jump ring
- beading wire

Step 1:
Thread one end of your wire through the crimp, the guard, and out the other side of the crimp.

Step 2:
Loop the end of the wire back through the crimp for extra hold. Squeeze the crimp shut, cut off the excess wire, and cover with a crimp cover.

Step 3:
Sort out the order of your beads and lay them out. I choose to fade from light to dark.

Step 4:

Start stringing them on!

Step 5:
Repeat the same crimping steps to finish off the bracelet as you did to start it (steps 1 - 2) but this time slip your clasp on to the wire guard before going back through the crimp.

Step 6:
Be sure to leave approximately the length of one bead between the last bead and your crimp cover. If you do this too tightly, the beads will look beautiful all in a row, but wont have room to bend and curve around your wrist.  Giving the beads "one bead length" to move into the round bracelet shape is imperative! 

Step 7:
Attach a jump ring to the other end of the bracelet and close it off.

The finale:

No time to DIY your own? Email me to purchase this one! It's the perfect accessory for Fall :)

This or That: Tassel Vs. Gem

I love bracelets with a little extra flair. Whether it be a fun charm that dangles off onto the wrist or a flirty tassel that swishes as you move, I love a little something extra on the wrist.  When it comes to bracelet flair, which do you prefer: the tassel or the gem?

Both bracelets Lauren Elan. Tassel, Rhys. Gem, Briah.
Tell me, which one do you prefer? Both are so gorgeous, it's going to be a tough choice!

What's in My Bag, Baby?

I love them, you love them, we all love them - a What's in My bag post! I am always curious as to what other stylish and practical ladies carry around with them on a day to day basis.  So I thought, why not share my necessities with you guys? I for one carry too much...as you'll soon see.  But if it weren't for the heavy books, I'd probably be doing ok...and have fewer shoulder aches. But this girl needs her books.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my Coach Cambridge Zip Top Tote.  I got this tote two years after seeing Karla Deras from Karla's Closet model it here.

 Isn't she lovely?  And here is what she's filled with:

1. A pretty notebook: A necessity for any writer. You never know when you're going to get a brilliant idea.

2. Dr.Hauschka Melissa Day Cream: This cream smells divine - like lemon meringue pie. It claims to meet the needs of sensitive combination skin conditions. Rich in Lemon balm, combined with other extracts of medicinal herbs to soothe irritable, reddened skin, keep oily zones clear and matte while helping the skin to retain moisture in dry areas, the balancing Melissa Day Cream refines the skin and leaves the complexion soft and even. I believe it does.

3. Card case: My beloved Urban Outfitters card case (my wallet) has garnered me more compliments and copy cats over the year than imaginable.

4. Revlon lip care: My two favorite lippies of the moment. ColorBurst Lip Butter in Gumdrop and ColorBurst Lipstick in Plum

5. Way too many emergency bracelets.  You never know.  [Misels from Lauren Elan, a bunch of silver ones from me, and a few Purple Paparazzi stackers]

6. Roll on perfume: This isn't my everyday scent (I usually wear Miss Dior or Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb) but Pink Sugar is a roll on perfume that's sweet and powdery and perfect for throwing in your bag.

7. Benjamin Moore paint chip: We just bought a new house and are in the throws of painting and decorating. I keep this paint chip with me as I shop around for interior furniture.

8. Cell phone: Yes, I am one of the last few people on planet earth with a BlackBerry. I have the white torch and while I love some features (the key pad) I loathe others (the sub-par camera and fewer app options).

9. Current book: I am a big reader so I don't like to go off places without a book in my bag. You know, in case I get stuck in line somewhere. Or need to avoid chatting to strangers.

10. Coffee cup: I am also a big coffee drinker. I must admit, this isn't always in my bag, but if I am headed to a coffee shop to do some writing, I try to remember to bring this along.

11. Nail polishes: One of the few items in my bag I rarely use while out and about. I am not quite sure why they're in there, but I always carry at least one shade of nailpolish with me.  Loving Essie's Mob Square right now. It's the perfect bright pink for summer.

12. A scarf: Yes, even in the summer I carry a scarf with me. You never know when the air-conditioner is going to start blasting or when your outfit will need a little extra flair. Loving this lightweight white, black, and grey tie-dyed number for spring.

13. Sunglasses: I always have one or two pairs with me. Pictured here: Spy's Dallas aviators. So cool.

DIY Friday: Bead & Chain bracelet

It's been awhile since my last DIY Friday post. We're due! This time I took the DIY down to the wrist. I've seen so many pretty spring bracelets lately, that I was inspired to create my own.  So if you're feeling crafty, keep reading and try this easy-peasy DIY out for yourself!

Let me know if you simply like this DIY or if you're going to go all out and try it! I had no idea that my nail polish and beads were matching until I starting taking the photos. What a happy coincidence!

Designer Spotlight: Frieda and Nellie

Friendship bracelets collide with old school glamour in the Frieda and Nellie jewelry collection. Combining campy friendship bracelets with vintage jewelry give these fun, brightly colored bracelets a modern look with a vintage feel.

Meet the designers, New York City based best friends, Stacy Herzog and Sarah Reid. After traveling to Ecuador in late 2009, the duo were inspired by the diverse array of intricate knotted friendship bracelets they saw. Inspired by their travels, they began to hand make bright detailed knotted friendship style bracelets and combined them with pieces from their grandmothers’ vintage jewelry collections. Frieda and Nellie is named in honor of the designer’s glamorous and creative grannies (<--love this!)

Here are a few of my favorite designs!

Head on over to their site, www.friedaandnellie.com, for more!