If you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you will know that I have a bit of an affinity for statement jewelry. So when my friends at Harriet Grey agreed to send something over for me to host a giveaway, I was super excited to see what it would be. When I opened the package yesterday, I laid my eyes on the most vibrant, gorgeous and beautifully handcrafted necklace I've seen in a long time!

Needless to say, I wanted to keep it! It took my boyfriend's reminding that it was for my dear readers and not for myself in order for me to reluctantly (and rightfully) give it up to one lucky girl-- but not without quickly throwing it on and having a bit of fun with it to show you how pretty it really is :)

I have a bit of a love affair with this company. First, they are local to my hometown and it's always nice to see someone "make it", coming from a relatively little city. Second, they continuously deliver seriously well made pieces at incredible price points, which is probably what their success is attributed to (remember my green necklace?). And third, they're involved with charity work and are really, really generous souls. What's not to love?

So! Want a shot at owning the necklace? Here's what you have to do:

1) Tell me how you would style this necklace in a comment.

2) Let me know how to reach you to tell you if you win.

Simple!

Of course, the winner will still be at random but I just thought it would be fun to read how you would wear it and it's always beneficial to get fashion inspiration from others.

The contest will end on 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, August 4th 2010. Sorry, only open to Canadian and U.S. residents!

Also, please do check out Shopaganda for a selection of Harriet Grey jewelry available online-- or go straight to their website and communicate with their awesome customer service team to find a retailer near you.

Good Luck!

Wearing: ProperTy t-shirt, Zara pants, H&M clutch, BCBGMAXAZRIA peeptoes, Tom Ford sunnies, Harriet Grey Statement necklace

I couldn't resist the Miles Davis reference that I thought of when I was going through these photos with the blue wall... even though it has nothing to do with my outfit. The colours that do have to do with my outfit, are black and yellow with some tan thrown in for good measure. I haven't been able to get enough of this colour combination recently. Yellow is so unexpected and I feel that it adds a burst of cheerfulness into an otherwise monochromatic outfit.

I will be hosting my first giveaway in a few days! I won't say much now, but let me just say that there is jewelry involved... and I can't imagine a girl that could not do with more jewelry :)

Happy Tuesday!

P.S. I look so tired in these photos... work is taking a toll on me, being the night owl that I am!

Wearing: Kensie silk top, Club Monaco silk shorts, Adia Kibur necklace, Forever 21 floral connector ring, Stuart Weitzman yellow peeptoes, Suzy Shier belt (my first ever waist belt, picked up for $2 over 7 years ago at the mall.. hehe)

Sometimes it takes a relaxed and easy night with girlfriends to remember how necessary it is to put time aside from significant others to interact with other people that you care about. As much as I love my boyfriend, nothing quite compares to a nice dinner with the girls to chat about anything and everything that comes to mind-- especially when your friends are as fabulous and caring as the ones that I have been so blessed by.



This Friday, Joanne and I, along with another friend, did nothing more than have a nice meal at a local restaurant and chat for a few hours... and it was energizing, refreshing and left me happy and satisfied. Of course, photos for the blog came along with it and I dragged Joanne into them for moral support :)











I know that the shorts on my romper totally need to be taken in... shopping on UK sites is so annoying! I order sz 6's on ASOS and they are too snug for my hips... but this sz 6 romper from Miss Selfridges feels about 2 sizes too big!

P.S. I know I`ve been really bad with replying comments... so sorry about that. Not used to waking up at 6 45 for work every morning! Promise I will do it tomorrow!

On Joanne: Aritzia top and shorts, Aldo earrings and shoes, Jacob belt

On Jen: Miss Selfridges headband and romper, Asos ring, purse from Italy, BCBGMAXAZRIA earrings, Stuart Weitzman shoes

Being completely out of the loop, I never knew that 7-11 did a free Slurpee thing on July the 11th of every year. So after finding that out today, of course we had to go check it out, after a morning of church and catching the last of the World Cup!

It so happened that the closest store was the one that I frequented almost every day after school in grades 6 and 7 of elementary school for a candy and Slurpee fix. Therefore it seemed most fitting that I went back there for the photos today. Everything was so much smaller than it seemed 10 years ago!

(Boyfriend insisted that I do this to commemorate the World Cup final today)




No, I did not participate in creating this mural... I graduated several years before 2004 ;).

Wearing: Forever 21 top (thrifted) and earrings, Cacharel skirt (thrifted), Salvatore Ferragamo belt, Calvin Klein pumps, Marni sunglasses

After my wisdom tooth removal on Monday, I moped around the house for 2 days. Even though the recovery went remarkably well (thank God for that), I did absolutely nothing and basically ate one big, continuous, non-stop meal for 48 hours consisting of mashed potatoes with gravy, congee and frozen yogurt (whoever said getting wisdom teeth extracted causes weight loss obviously didn't know what they were talking about).




Yesterday was my first day outside and in spite of lethargic feelings and slightly puffy cheeks, it was so nice to be outdoors dressed in super-casual attire, especially because summer has finally arrived! We were so lucky to hit the park just as the sun was setting.




P.S. I found a job! Actually, two! I actually applied to Zara during my job search but since I was hired for an office job by the time they decided to hire me, my availability decreased considerably so we weren't able to work things out. It's too bad because I think that Inditex Group is such a cool company, but either way, I am super thankful! I will be starting work full time next week for the next 8 weeks.



Wearing: Forever 21 romper (worn as top), Zara high-waisted shorts, Wilfred cardigan, vintage belt, Coach Sandals, Tom Ford sunglasses, earrings from Front and Company

To me, an interesting piece of jewelry does wonders in differentiating a woman from the crowd. Over the last few years, my interest in accessorizing has been increasing and along with it, so has the size of my collection and the size of each individual piece of jewelry that I own as well. In the past, necklaces were used to make my neck look less bare and earrings worn to keep my piercings open. Fast forward to now-- I feel like accessories make or break an entire outfit!

For a student like me, what is great about statement jewelry is that it does not have to be pricey. There are great pieces at lower price points that can look just as expensive as the higher ones, which possess just as much character. The most I have ever spent on a piece of statement jewelry is around $60 and could not be more pleased with how I instantly feel more put together.

My current favourites to wear are big necklaces and oversized cocktail rings (okay, and earrings too, with the occasional bracelet or cuff)-- here are a few picks:

Sun Shaped Ring with Opaque Green Stones - ASOS - ~$20
A massive take on the cocktail ring-- this one covers the whole finger you wear it on plus over half of each finger surrounding it.



Orchid Dual Band Ring - BCBGMAXAZRIA - $28
This gorgeous ring is such a steal! I've completely fallen for it but I haven't been able to find it in Canada-- only on the U.S. website which doesn't ship internationally! :(


Rimma Cluster Ring - Soo Ihn Kim - $135
A more delicate and dainty but still distinguished piece. Reminds me a bit of YSL but the band is so unique!



Green Bibbed Stones Necklace - Harriet Grey - $42
As seen here. Super affordable but I cannot count the amount of times that someone has said that it looks so much more expensive than it is!


Plate Chain Necklace - tuleste market - $250
Such an interesting casual piece to spice up even the plainest of outfits.


FENTON/FALLON for J.Crew Carrington Crystal Bow Necklace - J.CREW - $295
An ultimate statement necklace. Feminine, beautiful and unabashedly audacious all at once. Check out the website for a photo of it on a neck... this one doesn't do it justice.

Do you like statement jewelry? What are your favourites? How bold is too bold?

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My amazingly sweet boyfriend has spoiled me silly (and caused me to gain several pounds along the way) by bringing me to eat my favourite dessert of sticky toffee pudding 3 times this week and taking me out to dinner for "last meals"... because tomorrow I'm getting 3 of my wisdom teeth extracted! Not going to lie-- I am pretty darn scared (might be an understatement). Will be out of commission for several days afterward... but looking forward to recovering and being wisdom teeth free. Any (good) experiences to share?