My First Tommy Bahama Necklace Purchase and Review

I have walked into the Tommy Bahama store in Crabtree Valley Mall for years wishing I could afford their beautiful beach themed jewelry. Usually it is very much out of my bargain budget of how much I will pay for costume jewelry. The prices can range from $50.00 and up.

In January, I was on a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and I stopped into the Tangers Outlet that has a Tommy Bahama Outlet store. The outlet store was having a 50% off sale Wow! I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Interesting fact about the regular Tommy Bahama stores: They do NOT do markdowns.


This amazing bib style necklace is a statement piece composed of very shiny gold tone and rhinestone sprinkled sea life pendants. The pendants in the shapes of pieces of coral, shells, round shapes with the imprint of sand (?) and other random faux pearls and plastic beads.

It is a little over 18 inches long stretched out. The center pendant (the shell) is an inch long. The extender is 3 inches long with a crystal bead at the end.  Near the lobster clasp is a tiny tag with the initials TB.

This is a back view of the necklace with the clear faceted plastic bead. Side note: My necklace stand is not covered in lint. It is actually the sun reflecting off the velvet cloth on the stand. So annoying. LOL!

I really love this necklace. I will get a LOT of wear out of it. The quality of the piece is impressive. I don't think the gold tone will faint or turn. The rhinestones have a lot of sparkle and are attached very securely. The pendants have a lot of detail and dimension.

A couple of  close up views of the pendants. It is gorgeous! Definitely a standout piece in my collection.

There are only two downsides to the necklace: it is slightly heavy on the neck after wearing it for a while and the pendant do jingle jangle a bit when you move around.  While this is not very annoying, it is a lesson learned from here out to shake a necklace to hear if it will be noisy and feel how comfortable the weight will be around the neck.

I could not believe I was finally able to buy something from this expensive "resort wear and beach home lifestyle" store. This necklace was in an end of the season markdown at a Tommy Bahama outlet store. You might not find this exact piece but I have a link to the store's website at the beginning of this post.

There is no way I would pay $68.00 for a piece of costume jewelry. I was lucky to get this 50% off plus tax. Yes I think the necklace is worth the sale piece. I love the quality and the design of Tommy Bahama jewelry but I am can find similar pieces Versona.  Tommy Bahama is a bit better quality, designs and materials but the price is not what I am willing to pay.

I love it when I get jewelry bags with the purchase of jewelry. Anything that will help me keep my vast jewelry collection organized is appreciated. It was just a thin cloth drawstring bag.

Finally this is a back view of the necklace. It has a nice good quality gold tone finish.

My inner mermaid was definitely drawn to this beach themed jewelry. I am inspired to see if I could make a necklace like this from pieces I can gather from the beach and craft stores.

I have not only a beautiful statement necklace, I have a source of inspiration.


Please let me know what you think of this necklace.

thomasinawords@gmail.com

@ThomasinaWords - Twitter


 Thank you so much for reading my post.


Thomasina

Statement Necklace of the Day - Forever 21 Salmon and Rhinestones

Today's Necklace of the Day is the second necklace I got from Forever 21 for the wonderful  sale price of $2.99.

It has salmon color beads surrounded by clear rhinestones in a shiny gold tone setting. It looks like a more expensive piece of jewelry. I think this can be defined as a bib style statement necklace.


The regular price was $17.80(!). Let me be honest, there is NO WAY I would have paid that much for this necklace. I try to pay as little as possible for Forever 21 jewelry because it is usually not the best quality and it is nonreturnable. It is cheap fun fast fashion.

I am impressed with how good this piece looks but I know to be EXTRA careful with Forever 21 jewelry because if it is dropped chances are, it will definitely break.

Here are so nice close up pictures  of the necklace courtesy of my "new" Nikon Coolpix L120 camera. Love this point and shoot camera I found at a local pawn shop. I got a little Canon camera too. I will do a blogpost about the camera very soon.

 

This necklace has a LOT of shine and sparkle. It has a gold tone chain and  the standard lobster clasp. I will definitely get a lot of wear out of this piece. I still cannot believe it was only $2.99. You cannot make this necklace yourself with supplies from a craft store for this amount of money. I was in the right place at the right time to find these two necklaces marked way down in price.

It is totally worth it to frequently browse your favorite stores and find out when they do their regular markdowns and seasonal markdowns. I do not believe in buying anything for regular price if I don't have to.

I don't know if you can find these exact necklaces but you may be able to find something similar in a store near you.

Here is the link to the other $2.99 Forever 21 necklace I bought on the same day.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Marilyn Monroe Christmas Ornament

 

 

I know Christmas was last month but during the first couple of weeks in January, you can get really good deals on discounted Christmas decorations. Plus it's Marilyn Monroe! LOL!

 

On a beach trip to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, I was browsing the clearance shelf in the Christmas Mouse at Barefoot Landing, and there she was. I was so excited.

 

This is probably the first time I have ever seen a Marilyn ornament like this before. The photo is surrounded by silver  is actually really good clear quality.  It seems to be printed (not glued) onto the center of the ornament.

 

The sides and back of the piece are a very pretty frosted dark pink and red color mixture with two stacked letters" M"in white.  It is topped by a silver shiny mesh bow and string for hanging on the tree.

 

The ornament is a 2012 Official Licensed Product from Museum Masters International. I guess this is not official Estate of Marilyn Monroe merchandise? It was regular priced $11.50 and I got it for $5.00.

 

Christmas in January? I actually enjoy Christmas "stuff"  a lot more when it not the hectic

stressful Christmas season.

 

Here is a link to another Marilyn Monroe post on my blog. Enjoy!

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Thomasina

 

Necklace of the Day - Forever 21 White and Gold Statement Necklace

Hello Everyone!

I have missed you all so much. Now that I have wifi at home (Praise God! LOL!), I will be blogging a lot more often.


I walked into Forever 21 and found two statement necklaces on sale for $2.99 each. Keeping check on your favorite stores' clearance racks on a regular basis will totally pay off when you get first dibs on the new markdowns.

This is the necklace composed of white plastic beads set in a goldtone setting and chain with a lobster clasp.

When I first saw this necklace on the sales rack, I immediately thought "That is very sixties inspired" and I did not like it. But since it was marked down from $12.80 to only $2.99, I decided I had to get it and I would make it work.

You never know how something looks until you try it on. I just threw this necklace on with a solid long sleeved top and was instantly amazed by how amazing it looked. It was a perfect accent of white that brightened up the dark color of the top.

This piece is totally worth $2.99 but I would never pay $12.80 for this necklace. I once paid regular price for a Forever 21 necklace but regretted that when I dropped the necklace and the pendant pieces broke off. Thank goodness for Gorilla glue. LOL!

I will be blogging about the other necklace I was lucky to get on the same day. It is my favorite of the two statement necklaces.


Thank you so much for reading. I missed writing blogs so much. I have new cameras so my pictures should be a lot better quality.


I am so excited about my plans for my blog.


I will be talking to you again soon.


Thomasina

Statement Necklace of the Day - Burnished Silver and Crystals

 

If you have been reading my blog for a well, you know I love statement necklaces. This Charlotte Russe  piece was one of their buy two necklaces for $10 deals.

 

This necklace has a lot going on: mesh metal, rhinestones, and fringe. Even with all of those elements, this accessory is still "simple" in design because of it's neutral burnished silver color.

 

When I wear it, it hangs down to about the middle of my chest but it thankfully is not very heavy. My favorite way to wear this is with a casual white T-shirt.

 

  

 

When I first saw this on the display rack, I honestly did not know if I would like it. After I tried it on (well held it up to me in front of a mirror) I decided I could give it a try especially because of the excellent $5 price.

 

 

Here is another post  I wrote about a statement necklace.

 

Thank you for reading my post!

 

More blogs with pictures from my new cameras to come.

 

Take Care!

 

Thomasina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Necklace of the Day -Express Choker Necklace - White Black Gold with Sparkle

Lately Express has been marking down their jewelry more frequently. This is incredibly good news since Express rarely marks down their (in my opinion) very expensive costume jewelry.

The choker in today's blog is a wonderful signature necklace that I will carry into the Fall season to brighten up the darker colors of the season. I am really not a fan of the cooler seasons of the year so little touches like this to my wardrobe to take my mind off this time of the year is greatly appreciated.

 

 

Mixed media best describes the style of this necklace: gold toned chain, black and white fabric thick threads (or cord?) clear rhinestones in gold settings, another row of goldtone chain, faux pearls and finally a row of faceted white plastic diamond shaped beads.

 

I have always loved the quality of Express jewelry. As you can see from the picture, there is a lot of attention to detail and the materials are really good quality. It is not heavy on the neck like some signature necklaces can be. Since it is a neutral toned piece, I will be able to wear this with most of my wardrobe.

 

I got such a GREAT deal when I bought this necklace. The regular price was $39.90. It was marked down to $9.99 and I got it for 30% off for $6.99 plus tax. Awesome!

Check out a Rue21 choker necklace with a row of cranberry colored beads along the bottom.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Life is Mermazing!

I LOVE  this mermazing mermaid cosmetic or travel bag. I was walking around H&M and spotted this zippered pouch was just thrown across a rack.

The beautiful sparkly glitter turquoise color and fish scale pattern caught my eye and you know I LOVE that it has a mermaid themed design.

This is a picture of the back view of the pouch. It is tall about the length of my hand and could probably hold about four midsized product containers. The price was $4.99. It is made from vinyl. Not too thin material so it should hold up to a bit of wear and tear.

As I was standing in line at H&M, I saw a small black  purse sized umbrella for $7.99. The hunt for a new full sized umbrella was a lot more difficult than it should have been. I finally found one at Kmart. I will keep the bigger umbrella in my car and take the small black one in my purse or work tote bag ( I got from H&M a while back and it has been an amazing purchase for $10.00).

In October, a H&M will be opening in my local mall, I am so excited. One thing I love about H&M is I can find clothes I can wear to work not just trendy things for going out to a club. I cannot wait!

Here is a previous post about H&M.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina





 

Earrings Of The Day: Express Silver Chandelier

I was walking in the mall yesterday and saw a 20% off sign in front of the Express store. These earrings were regularly priced at $19.90 and I was lucky to get them for 20% off $7.99. Love Express' jewelry but it is sooooo over priced and is rarely marked down.

 

 

Here is a close up pic of the earrings. Beautiful cut out detail that reminds me of snowflakes. The earrings are a very shiny silvertone. Very light weight and comfortable to wear.

 

Here is a previous jewelry blog. 

 

More jewelry posts coming soon.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Thomasina

 

H &M Rhinestone Ring and Tips For Bargin Shopping

Rhinestone ring from H&M. A bargain for just $3.00! This picture does not do this ring justice - the rhinestones have a LOT of sparkle. The ring is actually well made too.

 

 

Hello! Long time no see. I have missed talking to everyone so much. A lot has happened in the last couple of months. New job (Praise God!) busy schedule, and computer problems. But I got through it all (wiser and stronger) and now I'm back on schedule.

 

 

 

Three dollars is so much better than the $7.95 regular price. LOL!

 

I ALWAYS go straight to the back of the store to the sales and clearance racks or shelves when I go into any store every time I go shopping. You never know what wonderful things you will find. Early in the day is best most of the time before things are picked over but I have found things late at night that were a new mark down or a return.

 

Take the time to go through everything on the display. Sometimes stuff is buried because the rack is messy or buried on purpose because someone is coming back for it later.

 

I don't like paying regular price for anything so I don't mind making the effort to watch something go down in price before I buy it. Especially since so much of the clothing and accessories are made of cheap materials anyway.

 

What are some of your bargain tips? Comment below.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Thomasina

 

Mermaid Standing In The Bright Sunlight

 

These pictures are a much better view of the Mermaid statue I got a little while back from The Christmas Tree Shops in this post.

 

 

 

 

She is a beauty. I think she has a very serene peaceful smile.

 

 

 

Nice details with the shells entwined in her long hair.



 

This is a back view of the pieces. Honestly I am really not a fan of the "distressed" chipped away look. I wish it was a solid white finish.

 

 

 

 

Side view. She is about a bit over a foot tall.

 

 

 

Closeup of her tail scales. In my previous post, you can see the iridescent effect on the inside of the clam shell better in those pictures.

 

 

Back view of the clam shell on a coral reef. Tiny clam shells and even a pretty pearl in front of the base.

 

 

Close up of the base.

 

 

 

I got really lucky to walk into The Christmas Tree Shops store and find this gorgeous mermaid. None of the mermaid pieces they had displayed since have been remotely as nice as this one.

 

It was so exciting to add this to my tiny mermaid collection. Usually I never see mermaid things when I am shopping so this was a great find.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Thomasina

 

 

Sketchpad and Sketchbook for Only $1.99 Review

Every once in a while you are in the right place at the right time for an unbelievable

amazing deal at Michaels Arts and Crafts store.

This sketchpad and hard back bound sketchbook was only $1.99! Woo Hoo!

The regular price was $7.99 and even that is not bad for good quality paper art supples. Every artist knows how expensive good quality art supplies can be.

No joke this was a great value. LOL! I was browsing the clearance section (every store I visit, I always walk to the back to look at the markdowns first) and I saw stacks of these sketchpads on the shelf. They did not have a price tag. I walked over to the price scanner and the price on the screen said $1.99.

You know what happen next. I load up a hand basket and headed to the checkout  lane. 

I was content with being lucky enough to stock up on inexpensive art supplies but I was even more thrilled that the sketchpads are a good weight paper (65lb) and a very pale beige.

This is the embossed logo on the back of the sketch book. 

The front of the sketchpad. The paper is very smooth. I drew on it with pencil and was happy with the results.

Hopefully you will be able to find this item on clearance at your local store. I have walked around in Michaels several times many days and come up empty handed finding a good sale on something I needed.

Always look at the clearance shelf, you never know what you will find.

Tell me about a bargin you found at Michaels.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Dollar Tree Beach Items From Myrtle Beach

The Dollar Tree Stores are awesome for finding all kinds of inexpensive items. From home decor to frozen food this store will help you survive on a very tight budget .

This past Saturday, I went down to Myrtle Beach for a fast fun day trip getaway.

I was so happy to see find more beachy items to decorate my home. A Surf's Up sign and a gorgeous hulu dancer.

The sign is lightweight material with glitter  letters but it is not flimsy. I love the graphic design. For only a dollar, this sign is a steal compared to the crazy high prices of beach items in the beach shops down at the beach.

The hulu dancer is a hanging party decoration. Her facial features are really well done. I can be very picky about faces in art I buy. 

As I am not a fan of the cold months, I decided to be proactive and make the inside of my house as much like a relaxing warm beach retreat as I can.

When I came home, I went to my local Dollar Tree store, only hulu girl plates were available and no beach signs.

Things do tend to sell out quickly. 

Of course always check the quality of the items - some things are so cheaply made they are not worth paying a dollar for. 

When I look at the two signs paired together on my door, they make me smile, relax and think of the beach.

What is your favorite thing to buy at the Dollar Tree?

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Walmart 50 cent Clearance Haul

Get ready to be scrolling for a while because I got quite a few things from two Walmart clearance shopping carts. I walk into the store and right near the front door were two shopping carts with a sign on them that said "50 cent" . I drove right in and found a lot of cool items.

Settle down and grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate and enjoy :)

Let me explain.... No way am I a fan of this boy band. I did at one point think Harry was a cutie. I'm over that now. But I could not turn down a journal and a cool rhinestone pen for only 50 cents. I will buy a journal with a cover that I don't like because I can just cover it up with a picture of what I do like. It is my own custom cover.

Sidenote: This journal set was regular priced at $9.99 - not worth it because I just barely opened it and the pages separated from the spine. Poor quality glue holding the pages to the spine. The pen writes in black very smoothly so that is a plus.

For use on my journal covers, journal pages, greeting cards or an art piece. This is so me. I feel like I am in the right place at the right time when I find things that relate to who I am as an artist.

When I picked this up out of the pile of clearance stuff, I thought what will I use this for? I use it to draw circles (a mermaid in a water globe). This actually makes drawing quick circles really easy.

These stickers make me happy just like a little kid. When I reach a goal or need encouragement, I will pop one of these stickers on a journal entry or a note and it makes me smile and work harder to reach my goals.

Silver sequins. Can't beat the 50 cents price for this amount of product.

A kit to attack bling and athletic theme stickers to a T shirt. I will probably use this to play around with on a shirt to wear around the house. Good deal for 50 cents.

Of course this is the BEST find of the entire haul. Digging deep down in the shopping cart that had all the 50 cent clearance items piled in, I found a beautiful poseable mermaid sticker. Whenever I find a mermaid and I wasn't looking for a mermaid, I always view this as a sign to keep working on my mermaid novel. She is adorable with the water bubbles and the shell.

Back view of the mermaid sticker.

These beautiful gold letters were not 50 cents, they were 9 cents! It is because they are from Christmas. Excellent!

Back view of the gold sticker package.

Wands anyone?

Not a Harry Potter wand but it is a girly cute wand. I taped this to a pen. Maybe I will tape it to my wall for decoration or to a bulletin board.

I almost cheered when I saw these cool beach stickers. This was the first time I ever saw such authentic looking sand stickers. Being a beach girl this was right up my alley. Can't wait to use these.

Glittery stickers are fun. These adhered to the page very well.

Puffy stickers for 50 cents is a really good deal. The princess them is really sweet. I will use these on the outside of my journals or on greeting cards.

I'm not really into these characters not being a fan of horror movies or cartoons. Big fan of Buffy and Angel though. I thought I would give these a try because they were kinda cute and 50 cents.

 

Usually the little notepads like this are useless in a real write notes or reminders on but these are actually really nice fainted pictures of the Disney Princess. Ariel is here so that made me happy. Mermaids represent!

What these are for exactly, I really don't understand. Pockets for pages inside your binder or notebook on the paper itself. What is this good for? I am just going to use this as decoration in my journals. I like the graphic. It reminds of the 70s graphic designs.

While not my favorite actor for the role of Superman - Henry Cavill was perfect in The Tudors. Tom Welling was perfect as Clark Kent on Smallville and Brandon Routh was a great Superman in a terrible Superman movie.

These are really cool stickers and they don't look like the actor for Man of Steel so that was a plus too. LOL!

I was excited to find two of these findings. Simple task to design a quick DIY for a new pair of earrings. Just attach pieces of jewelry from my jewelry parts stash and french hooks.

Here's a great bargin: a sequined applique for only 50 cents. I was very happy to find this bargain.

I see how this can be used for decoration on a shirt but I think I will use it to decorate the front of a pair of denim shorts or the back pockets of a part of jeans.

A cool single sheet of paper featuring a colorful picture of a galaxy. I see this as a wall art or cover for a journal.

At first, I did not know what these were then I saw the string. This a type of hanging decoration for parties. I might hang one of these in my office and use the rest as covers for journals. I will recover a journal if I don't like the cover with anything: tearout from a magazine, a picture or any graphics I find. Repurpose and Reuse!

Favor boxes and a table decoration  - all for 50 cents. I might display the table decoration on a table just for fun and I could use the boxes for gift boxes or tear them apart for use as covers for journal books.

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost!

Thomasina

If you have questions, please contact me at thomasinawords@gmail.com or comment below.