When it comes to jewellery, I like something different. Of-course the high-street is the epitome of quick fashion and is crazed by the press, but what about having something that you won’t spot on hundreds walking down the street? I don’t know about you, but I find high-street jewellery extremely over priced and lacking in quality. Being a former sales assistant for one of the most affluent high-street brands, I know a lot about where the stock comes from. If interested in fashion you would have probably taken a pretty good educated guess that all the jewellery across stores come from near enough the same stockist. Take a look at Topshop for example, the jewellery in there is of exactly the same style and quality as what is sold in Matalan – yet double the price.  I would physically show you but unfortunately Matalan are yet to put their jewellery online; if you haven’t yet noticed, look when you are next in town, it is surprising.

Anyway let me get to the point of this post. There is so many online jewellery boutiques that I have come in contact with since being a blogger, selling individual, quirky designs that are not only cheaper than the high-street, but more personal. The bonus? not everyone will have what you have. All it takes is thinking outside of the box, oh and maybe a slight obsession with scouring the internet for unique bargains.

I thought I would share with you my favourite pieces of jewellery right now, featuring affirmation rings. I have a very sentimental side and live by words such as ‘hope’, ‘dream’ and ‘believe’ and feel positive when wearing them on a piece of jewellery. I received my first affirmation ring when I was fourteen, it was a present from my friend and was bought from Selfridges- the first thing I had owned from Selfridges which also made me more excited. A few years later my God Mother’s daughter, Lucy got sick, her cancer returned and I thought about what I could give her to give her hope. I passed on my affirmation ring to her, something she could wear all the time to help her feel positive. Unfortunately when she passed, we couldn’t find the necklace in her things, so wherever she is now, I hope she has it. Gee, I do get side tracked don’t I?

You can get any word on them really, it is just hunting around for them [generally online]. The ones shown are from Junk Jewels and prices start at a mere £8.00.

I hope you enjoyed my first post
love Jemma Louise
Come over and visit me at  Floral Etiquette

Summer is a time for sunshine, music festivals, and feeling free.  This season, the fashion is no exception.  With an abundance of clothes and accessories to fit the trend, you can be hippie chic in time for the concert next weekend.  I’ve listed some of my favorite pieces for achieving this look on any budget.

1. Feather Earrings – The hottest new accessory for summer, adding them to any outfit instantly gives it a hippie vibe.  For even more of an effect just wear one extra-long feather.
2. Crochet Vest – One of the season’s most fun new trends, it comes in so many styles to choose from.  Long, short, or with fringe, you can find the perfect one for your style.
3. Cutoffs – What hippie look would be complete without jean cutoffs?  Definitely the easiest piece to find, you probably already have a pair in your closet.  They are available in every price range, or be daring and DIY from an old pair of jeans.
4. Sandals – Leather sandals complete the look, personally I’m a fan of the ones with fringe!
5. Maxi Skirt – Nothing says peace and love like a free-flowing skirt.  You can find them in most retail stores now, and many websites offer organic free-trade versions.
6. Woven jewelry – Even if you don’t want to do full-out hippie, adding some woven bracelets to your look is a fun way to incorporate the trend.  Etsy is a great place to find unique handmade bracelets and anklets to compliment any look.

If you liked this post and are interested in more, you can visit my blog, Indigo Impression.

Down here in Aussie land its pretty common to see our surfer type friends rocking there vintage homemade friendship bracelets on a daily basis and until recently i thought it was just a trend i would leave back in the early 90′s when my best friend and i spent hours sitting on the verandah trying to make them just right.

So it has come as a pleasant surprise that they are making a Massive comeback and are seen on the wrists of everyone from Lauren Conrad to Sharon Osbourne and now come adorned with diamonds if we so choose,but its not just friendship bands that make up this revival its all things woven my personal favourite being the hobo bag but you can get everything from a clutch purse to a poncho and it’s set just to get bigger so grab your friends hit the markets and grab your woven goodies!

To read more of my fashion adventures visit http://thecurvygirlsdiary.blogspot.com/

Images courtesy of google.

Back in the  late 1980s and early ’90s , one of the biggest trends, for teenage girls especially, were handmade friendship bracelets. Now in 2011 it seems that these type of bracelets are making a comeback and are better than before. In the past these bracelets were simply made with a variety of embroidery floss strings in as many or few colors of your choosing. There were so many patterns of these bracelets that  you could make and no two bracelets were ever 100% identical to another. The idea was to make a bracelet and give it to your friend but over time it became more popular to make a great bracelet for yourself. These bracelets were suppose to be knotted on your wrist and not taken off. Eventually the strings would break down and fall off on its own but many chose to tie it loose enough to slip on and off of your wrist when wanted.

The friendship bracelets that are popular right now are a bit less homemade than before and some of the current batch of these bracelets do not even really resemble those from the past. Many of the current friendship bracelets are made of metal and have strip at the closure or they are a string bracelet with a metal clasp closure.  Even though these bracelets are not identical to those from the past, the idea behind them to give them to a friend still stands.

The Juicy Couture Embellished Friendship Bracelet is a solid coral or turquoise string bracelet with a gold tone embellishment and stone on the bracelet. The closure for this bracelet is a gold tone chain with clasp. You can wear one or both colors of these bracelets at the same time, or perhaps, buy both and give one to a friend so match one another but still have individuality at the same time.

Click Here To Buy Juicy Couture – Embellished Friendship Bracelet (Turquoise) – Jewelry

The Kris Nations Friendship Bracelet is available in three different colors : Slate, Clementine, and Turquoise. All three of the colors have the same metal bangle bracelet and metal button closure. The variance between these bracelets is the braided string that holds the button. Wear one, two, or all three of these bracelets together.

For More Information or To Buy Kris Nations Friendship Bracelet in Turquoise Click Here

The most traditional friendship bracelets are the Michelle Roy Friendship Bracelets. These handmade bracelets are wide colorful bracelets with detailed weaving. Attached to the bracelets there are either crystals, studs, or crowns. You can easily put on and take off these bracelets and look great when multiple bracelets are worn together, though they can be worn alone and still look great. These bracelets are a often seen on celebrities like Nicole Richie, Miley Cyrus, and Lauren Conrad.

Click Here To Learn More About Michelle Roy Friendship Bracelets

Whether you buy these bracelets for nostalgia, looks, or to give to a friend any of the above friendship bracelets are a perfect choice. Make sure to click any of the above links or pictures to learn more about these bracelets.

A bangle bracelet is the perfect accent piece to your spring and summer 2011 outfits. These bangles will even take you into the fall and winter. Most bracelets are not too trendy and are timeless so chances are you will be bored with the bracelet before it goes out of style. Of course though there are a few bangles that are tied closely to the current Spring and Summer 2011 trends so they will have a shorter wear life than others.

Polka dots are a hot trend right now and the Marc by Marc Jacobs Polka Dot Confetti Cocktail Bangle fits the trend. The great thing about this bracelet is that the polka dots are artistic and the metallic bubble dots will go with an array of outfits. Also available in black.

While I do own a fair amount of yellow gold it is not my favorite, I much prefer rosegold not only because it is less common but because of the great pink hue. The Jules Smith Americana Classic Bangle is a classic bracelet that will never go out of style. It is slightly symmetrical which makes it stand out from other simple circular bangles. This bracelet is available in rosegold ( pictured ) as well as yellow gold and silver. You can wear a mix of all three colors if you would like.

I love cork shoes and when I saw the Kenneth Jay Lane Large Cork Print Bangle I knew that I would want this as well. I love that the bracelet is a realistic cork print since real cork would probably rub away from brushing up to clothing and other objects.

The House of Harlow 1960 Red Cabochon Stone Bangle really pops with the red stones and makes this a great bracelet when you want to dress simply but need a little something to brighten up the outfit.

Stackable bracelets are fun to wear especially when they are all slightly different from one another. Some of my favorites are: Belle Noel Three Stack Bangle in Yellow Gold, Dream Collective Braille Bangles, and CC Skye Womens Bamboo Bangles . All of these bracelet sets are architectural and make a statement.