Earrings of the Day - Aeropostale Chandelier Style

I love chandelier style earrings. These Aerpostale are definitely sparkly statement pieces for your ears. Some prefer to save this type of bold style of earrings for evening wear or dressy occasions. I throw caution to the wind when I accessorize and wear any type of jewelry I own anytime I want to. LOL!

The simple lightweight plastic beads surrounded by the pale gold-tone setting with french wire hooks put these earrings in my more "classic" category of my jewelry collection. They go with every single thing in my wardrobe whether dressed up or very casual. I am the kind of girl to wear these earrings out on a date and also wear them with a sweatshirt while running errands. I try to not let my vast "faux bling" collection gather dust and instead be well used often.

My attitude of not restricting myself when it come to what and when I wear my costume jewelry pieces comes from having such a huge varied collection. I don't want to have wasted time and definitely not my money therefore I make a point of wearing something different everyday.

This is an extreme close up view courtesy of my Canon Poweshot A2300 HD that I got at a pawn shop for $20 something dollars. It is a very easy to use point and shoot camera. The A2300 HD is an older Canon model but I also brought the more recent Canon Powershot ELPH 170IS camera.

Now we get to the  markdown sales price part of my blog post. I purchased the earrings for $2.99 with an extra percentage off. A very small price for a very pretty piece of fun jewelry.

The earrings from the back. Very simple. I was impressed with the quality of the earring: no obvious glue showing, assembled very well with decent materials. I love very inexpensive jewelry but I really hate bad quality and poorly made costume jewelry.

No I would not pay $11.00 the regular price for these earrings. I am always shocked at the markup on the prices of costume jewelry. It is totally worth it to wait patiently for things to go on sale.

 You might not be able to find these exact pair of earrings at Aeropostale but you might find something similar.

Here is a post about a pair of chandelier earrings from Express.

Thank you for reading my post!

Thomasina

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

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

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

 

A Necklace Becomes A Bracelet - Quick DIY

A $2.00 Rue21 necklace becomes...

a brand new bracelet!

I redesigned this necklace into a bracelet by simply shortening the chains on both sides.  

Lay the necklace across your wrist and gauge how loose or tight you want the bracelet to be.

Using my jewelry pliers to open the links to remove the excess chain then reattach the lobster clasp and the jump ring to the chain ends.

You now have a new bracelet!

It only took about 5 minutes to complete this super quick DIY. 

The necklace was so inexpensive, I had to buy more than one (LOL!). Layering the two necklaces was an idea at first but I thought of the matching jewelry suites from the 1950s and 1960s and got inspired to make a bracelet.

Do you ever give your jewelry a makeover? Tell me all about it in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Thomasina

Tattoo necklace With A Heart - Rue 21

I love fashion and accessories from the 1990s so I got so excited that I was able to finally buy a tattoo necklace at Rue21. For some reason way back when, I never had a necklace like this.

If you have been reading my blog, you know I love a bargain when shopping for costume jewelry. This cute little necklace was on markdown for only $2.00.

At first when I saw it I was thinking I did not really like it but it really grew on me. The iridescent heart is a sweet accent to the stretchy black plastic woven cording.

This piece would look really cool with a T-shirt or a button down shirt. You just stretch it over your head to put it on since there is not a clasp closure.

The ceramic clam shell dish was on clearance at Target for about $2.00.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Necklace Of The Day Rue21 Charm Necklace

I love a bargain especially when I shop for costume  jewelry. Rue 21 has weekly markdowns on their clothes and accessories.  

Today's necklace is a double chain multimedia  charm necklace. I got this fun piece for only $2.00. 

A close up picture of the heart and turquiose bead. 

This necklace reminds me of  the charm bracelets that I make from odds and ends of  I take apart or broken pieces of    

jewelry. 

I can imagine each individual charm as having a story or meaning.

Have fun with your accessories. Take them apart and create your own unique piece.

Another post about a necklace is here.

Thank you for reading my post!

Thomasina

Necklace Of The Day - Pale Turquoise Flowers

Pale turquoise plastic bead three pendant necklace with rhinestone accents and on a goldtone chain. Lobster claw closure.

I often find the best marked down prices on costume jewelry at Rue 21. This statement piece was only $2.00. Love this!  I could not make this necklace myself for $2.00. The materials alone would be a lot more than $2.00.

Nicely designed piece with a good weigh to it. The color reminds of the color palettes from the 1960s.

Thank you for reading!

Thomasina

Necklace of the Day - Rue 21 Cranberry Antique Gold

This necklace is one of my favorite recent purchases from Rue 21.This costume jewelry piece is antique goldtone chain with cranberry colored beads. 

It reminds me of detailed colorful ornate jewelry from India which I absolutely love.

The low price of $5.00 (regular price $9.99 50% off ) right on budget.

The earrings have been in my collection for years and I actually love their much loved worn tarnished look.

Thank you for reading my post!

Thomasina

A Bracelet That Will Become A Necklace

Bracelet from Versona - green glass beads between two goldtone chains

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I love a bargin especially when it comes to costume jewelry.

I got this pretty bracelet for only $1.99. 

Another reason I love markdown price is that I make jewelry and I know I could not make this piece for such a small amount of money. The materials alone would cost more than just two dollars.

Why am I turning a bracelet I really like into a necklace? Because the green glass beads scratched my skin when I wore it. The beads are faceted and the points are sharp.

I was so bummed. This was the first time in all my years of wearing costume jewelry that this has ever happened. This was also the first time I've had a problem with Versona jewelry.

No problem. I will turn costume jewelry "lemons" into lemonade by attaching two separate pieces of chain to either side of the bracelet after removing the clasp. 

An instant "necklace" made from pieces of goldtone chain I recycled from old broken necklaces. The stones will not touch my bare skin so the scratchy problem will be solved. 

Lesson learned: Try on and really feel surfaces of the piece to see if it will feel smooth and comfortable if it will be worn on bare skin.

Have you had trouble with any costume jewelry purchases lately? I want to hear your stories. Please comment below.

Thanks for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

DIY Necklace Display - Basket Weave Placemat

I am using this basket weave wall hanging "thingie" to hang my many necklaces on. Yes, I looks a bit crazy. Yes, I have a LOT of necklaces from Rue 21 (their $2.00 sale on necklaces is the Best). 

But believe it or not, my necklaces are on display, organized and they do not become tangled.

Since I can see the different pieces, I don't forget what I have. 

This DIY is just repurposing something I already had. The loops and spaces in the basket weave are perfect for attaching the jewelry display cards.

My dream is to have glass cases like at a store to display my costume jewelry. Until then, whenever I see something I can hook onto, drape across, etc. I will repurpose that item into a DIY jewelry display. 

Comment down below if you have any more inexpensive or free jewelry display ideas.

Thank you for reading my blogpost! 

Thomasina

If you have questions or comments, you can also email me at Thomasinawords@gmail.com

Express Jewelry Clearance Haul

Here are the items I was lucky enough to find on the almost non existent jewelry clearance sale rack at Express.

Maybe this is a once a year event but their jewelry rarely goes on any type of sale or markdown much less at clearance prices. 

I love the dainty elegant sparkly bracelets and earrings I got. Express has beautiful good quality costume jewelry but it is very overpriced. Everything was priced at $5.99 and then 50% off. 

Gold tone with rhinestones circle black cord with gold beads bracelet. 

Love the gold beads. They add an extra finishing touch. 

This is a very tiny letter "T" goldtone with rhinestones chain bracelet. 

A goldtone rhinestone very small star bracelet with a sky blue cord with gold accent beads. 

This "V" goldtone rhinestone gold chain necklace looks so much better when I put it on. I was kinda unsure about the design of the piece in the store but loved the price. 

I am so glad I got it. "Goes with anything"   simple tiny sized necklace. I love my big statement necklaces but this is a nice change.

Love this infinity or the number 8 necklace. My favorite symbol and number. Anyone remember the School House Rock song with the little girl skating on the pond? Love the song!

The last piece is a faceted plastic bead bracelet with a beautiful thin rhinestone cross.

Part of the cool thing about buying jewelry at Express is getting your purchases put into these mess drawstring small bags. 

Another nice "display" item is the actual card the jewelry is attached to. It is a thick paper that feels like suede.

Of course this nice packaging adds to the high regular price of the items.

It was so exciting after browsing in Express for ages to finally be able to buy something. 

Express jewelry is made from very good quality materials. Love the design of most   of the jewelry but it is usually way out of my price range.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

If you have questions or comments, you can also email me at Thomasina8@gmail.com