Friday's Vegan Accessory: Kalevala Moon Goddess Earrings

I've been coveting these earrings for awhile now. They dangle (in multiple places!), feature an intricate design, and are not too large -- perfect! The Kalevala Moon Goddess Earrings are part of a collection available at Finn Style (yes, they are made in Finland). In addition the pictured small bronze earrings, the collection includes the same earrings in the same size in silver, larger bronze earrings of the same design, and a matching necklace in bronze and silver. The pictured earrings are $90; find them here.

Post-Weekend Vegan Round-up

I've been hoarding a number of items I wanted to post. After spending a lovely weekend at the beach and shopping for cosmetics and related products, and not blogging, I thought a round-up might be in order:

(1) Have a dog? Check out Wagwear (which I found through Daily Candy deals). It has tons of (rather expensive) items -- I think all vegan -- for your doggie. My favorite is the indoor doghouse tee-pee hound lounge, pictured right, which features a removable fleece covered machine-washable sleeping bed; $208. I think Daily Candy is still running its 25% off deal on Wagwear purchases.

(2) Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry. I've been browsing a lot online lately and have come across some interesting independent designers: Diana Warner Studio (includes pieces for brides and bridesmaids!); Pineapple Seed (with its great gold vermeil collection); Alex and Ani (which uses recycled metals); and Liquid Silver (which uses melted-down computer parts to create "slightly goth," according to Ideal Bite, pieces).

(3) In honor of my trip to the beach, a couple interesting bathing suit designers. First, my friend sent me a link to Wreck n' Sew, a San Francisco based designer (also where my friend is based, coincidentally), that makes retro-inspired swimsuits for women that are designed to stay in place. Yay! Also, check out Cala Ossidiana's swimsuits. She offers a variety of one-piece suits that I adore, such as the "Knot-Back Maillot," available in the pictured black, turquoise, and navy. The suit is $295 (eeek, expensive!).

(4) Finally, check out this awesome article from NY Magazine about Lululemon, my favorite yoga clothing brand. I admit, I am a Luluhead -- big time.

Wednesday's Work-Appropriate Bag: Hollywood Intuition Large Satchel

From Target! I've been posting a lot of expensive items lately, so I thought I'd highlight a bag more within my budget. Luckily, Hollywood Intuition recently launched a line of bags and accessories at Target, including this fabulous large satchel that would be perfect as a briefcase. The bag is 16" x 13" x 3.5" and comes in the pictured black and an orange. It is made from polyurethane and has polyester lining. The only feature about it I'm not in love with is that it closes with a magnetic clasp, not a top zipper. The satchel is $26.99; find the black here and the orange here.

Also, they aren't exactly work appropriate, but I really enjoy these matching faux-leather bracelets, pictured right.

Friday's Vegan Accessory: Zulugrass Bracelets

These bracelets are available through One Village Gifts, which advertises itself as "unique treasurers for socially conscious shoppers." It collects and sells goods made by predominately women artisans from around the world: "Many of our artists are women who are producing handcrafted goods based on cultural traditions. . . . These women are given the opportunity to find independence from a life of poverty, gain self worth, and develop self-confidence."

Sounds good to me. And I particularly love the line of zulugrass bracelets from Kenya and Tanzania - natural grass beads dyed in over 200 rich color combinations are mixed with Czech glass beads to create intricate bracelets. The bracelet is available in the pictured purple hydrangea, pink maua, spring grass, blue angani, and new bud. Pair it with a full suit to add a pop of color. The bracelets are $24.95; find them here.

Friday's Vegan Accessory: Prismera Design's Posies Collection

Earlier this week, Prismera Design -- from which I have purchased some really great jewerly that I wear all the time -- sent me an email introducing their new eco collection, Posies. According to the email, it's an extension of their Flora & Folim collection. The Posies collection is a small line of post earrings, made from stainless steel and sterling silver, that each capture a "sweet little blossom." My favorite is the cherry blossom (pictured).

Each pair of earrings is $42. For a limited time, Prismera Design is offering a special deal: from now until June 20, if you purchase of 2 pairs of post earrings from the Posies collection you'll receive a free delicate sterling silver necklace (worth $36). And here's a discount good for the entire site: MAYNEWS09 is the code, 15% is the discount, works through end of May. Find the entire Posies collection here.

Friday's Vegan Accessory: Turquoise Jewerly

Lauren by Ralph Lauren's summer collection, via Nordstrom, includes a bunch of matching earrings and necklaces made from turquoise beads set alongside gold-tone metal. I love it all.

My favorite earrings are the left pictured "gypsy" hoop earrings. They are a perfect in 1" diameter -- large enough to make an impression, but not so overly huge that they become de facto unprofessional. $38; find them here. For something slightly longer, try the turquoise chandelier earrings. $48; here.

The earrings pair fantastically with the "illusion" beaded necklace pictured right. I really like the interspersing of the colored glass beads with the matching turquoise beads. The necklace is 36" long -- great for wrapping into a double-strand. $58; find it here. For something all turquoise like the earrings, I also like the chunky turquoise necklace. $198 (it contains a lot of turquoise and is a long 34.5"); here.

Friday's Vegan Accessory: Not Quite Dangly Earrings

When it comes to jewerly, I find I wear earrings almost every day. I really enjoy long, dangly, intricate earrings. But the professional guidebook declares such extravagances as wearing fabulous pieces of art un-professional. Sometimes I throw caution to the wind, tell myself that I will not mold to the traditionally masculine workplace, and wear the earrings anyhow. Other times, however, I submit and put in some simple studs.

As such, I have been searching for a compromise between my desired dangly and simple studs. I found a few on the website Charm & Chain, an online jewelry boutique based out of downtown Manhattan which brings together emerging and established jewelry designers. Though I almost skipped over them at first, I am becoming more and more intrigued by tuleste market's hexagon chainmail earrings, which, coincidentally are marketed as a combination of dangly and stud. They are available in silver, gold, rose gold, and gunmetal finishes (the gunmetal is pictured right). $95 a pair; find the gunmental here, and the other finishes here.

I'm also drawn to House of Harlow's simple gold medallion earrings (pictured left). Not quite studs, but I think the smallish disks will land close enough to the earlobes to deem the earrings conservative-enough. The geometric etchings bring a bit of flair to the earrings. Perfect to go with a basic black suit. They are $35; here. Also, somewhat similar to these are Soixante Neuf's gladiator disk earrings, which I mention because they are on sale: originally $245, now $135 for the gunmetal (here) and $125 for the rose gold (here).

Finally, for a simple take on the not quite (really) dangly, but not quite stud earrings, check out By Boe's gold cube earring (pictured right). There is something transfixing about the simple, delicate loop accented with the cubes at the end. They are $35; find them here. By Boe makes a similar emerald-colored earrings; here.

Friday's Accessory: Kir Collection Tassel Jewelry

I'm really into dreaming about (rather than owning, because it is prohibitively expensive, at least for me) some pieces from the KIR Jewelry Collection -- which I believe was recently nationally launched, though don't quote or cite me on that. KIR Jewerly was founded in 2001 by Kirsten Anne Boedecker and Jennifer Klein. The jewelry is handmade in Bali (the next foreign travel location on my must-get-to list!) and is inspired by Balanise culture, tradition and craft. It is available online through Goldyn.

My favorite pieces are the Station Necklace paired with the Tassel Pendant (pictured together) along with the matching Tassel Earrings (also pictured). Each piece is made from sterling silver with 18kt yellow gold contrast. The necklace is $671, the pendant is $374, and the $292. Yes, rather expensive. But I am quite taken by the combination -- a bit different, yet still professional; I picture the pieces with a black pant suit.

Friday's Accessory: Prismera Jewelry

Since 2004, designer Laura Su has been crafting affordable jewelry I adore under the company name "Prismera Design." Intricate, delicate, yet solid -- her pieces are perfect for the office and great for evening and weekend wear. My favorite is the Embrace Ring (large) in the bronze ($66 for the bronze; $76 for silver; find it here). Wear it with the Embrace Hoop Necklace ($80 for the bronze; $90 for the silver; here).

Nordstrom Jewelry Sale

Lately, I'm really into jewelry. I tend to wear dark pant suits with uninteresting blouses and shirts to work, so I like to spruce up my outfits with jewelry. Also, though I try to locate interesting items, vegan professional clothing is not always the most trendy or stylish; I find it much easier to add a piece of jewelry or an accessory than to search endlessly for a vegan version of a certain non-vegan style I like. And, as a bonus, an outfit "styled up" with jewelry can be easily "dressed down" / made more conservative by simply ditching the jewelry during that certain court appearance or meeting.

Nordstrom currently has selections from its line of jewelry on sale, some pieces as much as 60% off, such as this metal cuff (pictured left). The cuff is 2.5 inches wide, which makes it large and chunky, but not too large in my opinion. It is made from gold and hematite plated bronze. Originally $98, it is on sale for $38.90.

I also like these elongated teardrop earrings (pictured right). They drop about 2 inches and are 1 inch wide at their widest. They are made from bronze, which my ears can withstand, but I know some other ears react poorly to this metal. Originally $48, they are also 60% off at $18.90.

Finally, Nordstrom's version of the cubic zirconia earrings are on sale at 25% off. I don't do diamonds, but occasionally like a little bling with the cubic zirconia. These have sterling silver posts. The 0.5ct are on sale for $29.90 (originally $42) and the 1.0ct are on sale for $31.90 (originally $44).

Vegan Selections From Kenneth Cole Sale

Kenneth Cole is promoting its post-holiday season sale under the catchphrase: "free for all (more or less)." I'm not a huge fan of the sales tactic, but the quantity of clothing on sale, some of which is vegan, makes up for the maxim. A few selections for women (men's clothing is on sale too, but each sale item only is available in one or two sizes; you can browse men's sale clothing here).

1) Satin Trench Coat (pictured right in the black): my favorite feature of this coat is the extra-wide collar. The coat is 58% cotton, 40% polyester, and 2% polyurethane. My second favorite feature of the coat (well, possibly my first favorite) is the price. The coat originally was $248. It is on sale in black for $179.98 and in cobalt for $129.97 (small is the only color available in cobalt). Best of all, 50% is taken off the markdown price at checkout, making the black coat $89.99 and the cobalt coat $64.99.

2) Long Sleeve Turtleneck (pictured left in the violet): I love, love, love turtlenecks, especially when they are on sale. This turtleneck is lightweight and slightly stretchy. It is made from 92% cotton and 8% spandex, and comes in violet, aqua (a light blue), lipstick (a fiery red), and black. Originally $78, it is on sale for $49.99. After 50% is taken off the markdown price, it is $24.99.

3) Gold Leaf Design Brooch (pictured right): I think this brooch would look fabulous on a black or grey suit or perhaps on a peacoat (vegan, of course). My feeling about brooches and suits and younger professionals is that if the brooch doesn't look like you took it from your great-grandmother's jewelry box, you're good to go. I especially like that the design of this brooch is a bit sea-life infused. The brooch is made from "white metal" with gold colored plating. It originally was $48, is on sale for $29.98, and after the 50% is taken off, is $14.99, which I think is an appropriate price for such a suit accessory.

New Year's Jewelry Splurge

Happy New Year! To start off the money-saving New Year right, I'm not about to splurge on anything, but if I was (and actually had enough splurge money) or if I had someone to buy an ultra-expensive gift for (and, again, actually had enough money) . . . I would get these matching sea urchin earrings and ring by South Carolina-based jewelry designer Jane Pope (earrings left, ring right). They are made from 14k gold. The earrings are $690 and the ring is $980 (as I said -- super splurge -- though pretty to look at). The earrings are available here; the ring is available here. Since this post is in la-la-money land, I might even throw in this molten necklace ($440) or sea sponge necklace ($560), both also designed by Jane Pope. All the jewelry is via the Diani boutique website.

Super Cool Reusable Coffee Cup Sleeve

This awesome wooden cuff doubles as a coffee cup sleeve (see picture at right). According to the designer, contexture design, the cuff was created based on a typical paper take-out coffee cup (i.e. Starbucks). It comes in 4 different wood colors; my favorite is the rosewood. The cuff would be slightly more awesome if it wasn't an outrageous $68 . . . someday Starbucks will start charging for its little sleeves and then the wooden cuff might become a cost-saving necessity. Until then, if you can spare $68 and are an avid coffee drinker, the cuff might be a good buy for the environment, although bringing your own travel mug might be even better.

I browsed a bit for a cheaper version, but all I found was this wood cuff made by cero designs (pictured left in my favorite rosewood). It too comes in 4 different wood colors, and also in 2" or 2.5" sizes. However, it's not designed to double as a coffee sleeve and even though it's 10% off, it's still $66.50.

The second cuff is available through the website A+R Global Design, which has some very unique jewelry for sale, such as this porcelain medallion ($80). Click here for all their jewelry.

Little Black Vegan Dress -- And Some Snakes To Match

Language is offering this Antipodium "Crowd Pleaser" dress (pictured right) on sale. Language is one of my favorite websites because it brings together clothing from designers around the world. Granted, some of the clothing is a bit pricey, but Language also has good sales. This black dress is perfect for parties. With its long-ish short sleeves and just above the knee length, I might say you can wear it to work, perhaps with a cardigan; however, it's 100% viscose jersey material may make it a bit too "curve-hugging." The dress originally was $285; it is on sale for $145.

Also via Language, I really like this Iosselliani "3-snake" ring (pictured left). I know it's not really work appropriate at all, but sometimes you have to buy something for yourself (or a friend) that is not work-related. The ring is made from sterling silver with sapphire (the first snake has sapphire eyes and three rhinestones down the back of its head), rhinestone (the middle snake is fully encrusted with rhinestones), and ruby (the third snake has a ruby stone atop its head and sapphire eyes). The ring is $410 (maybe it will be put on sale in the future?).

Robert Lee Morris Jewelry Offer

Years and years ago, I bought a necklace and matching earrings designed by Robert Lee Morris. Since then, I've been receiving his holiday offers and other discounts. The holiday offer this year is: 20% off any purchase from December 11 - December 14. You must present the card if you are to make a purchase at one of his stores (or maybe say you lost the card?) or you can enter the code Holiday08 at checkout for online purchases.

Robert Lee Morris makes "jewelry as wearable art." Some of the sterling silver jewelry is semi-affordable, which is exciting. A few of my favorites:

Double Dagger Heart Pendant from the Charms Collection (pictured left): when I saw this, I thought of Twilight. I especially like the two linear heart charms. The website doesn't specify what the black cord is made of, so I would check into that -- some of Tiffany's black cords are silk. The pendant is $350; it made from sterling silver.

Open Round Hoops from the Mandala Collection (pictured right): these hoops measure 2 1/8" in diameter, which is small enough to look professional and conservative, yet I think large enough to be noticed. The hoops are $250; they are made from sterling silver. The hoops match this Two-Tone Multi-Piece Pendant beautifully. The pendant is made from sterling silver and 18K gold, and, thus, is out of the semi-reasonable price-range at $1,475.

Triple Plate Earrings from the Stegosaurus Collection (pictured left): I love the stacked look of these earrings. I also like that they are 1 1/2" in length, which makes them acceptable to wear to work. The earrings are $250; they are made from sterling silver with 14K gold posts. They would look gorgeous with this Large Shifted Plate Cuff (sterling silver; $795).

Nordstrom's "December Accessories 2008"

Last night I received Nordstrom's "December Accessories 2008" catalog. As expected, it is filled with items made from leather and the occasional diamonds (I don't do diamonds). I did notice a couple interesting vegan items though:

Maxx New York "Monte Carlo shopper" (pictured right in all available colors). I love this medium-sized "shopper" handbag, especially its zebra-print lining and interior pockets for iPhone, etc. It's made of PVC and comes in saffron, pink, electric blue, and teal. It's $145.

Lois Hill "Skyscraper" tiered necklace and matching "Skyscraper" cutout fishhook earrings (pictured together left). Love, love, love the combo. The necklace is 16" long with a 1" extension and drops about 3". The earrings are drop about 1 4/5". Both are made from sterling silver. The necklace is $398 and the earrings are $174.

Michael Kors "Rectangle" bracelet watch (pictured right in the silver). I usually like my watches to have at least 4 numbers on them, but I really like the placements of the three-eye chronograph and date window on this one that I am willing to get past the fact that it only has 1 number (12) on it. It is made from stainless steel and is $225. It also comes in gold-plated stainless steel; that version is $250 and is available here.

On the subject of watches, I also like this Marc by Marc Jacobs bauble ring watch pendant necklace (pictured left in the black). Amazingly, the ring watch pendant has 4 numbers! It also comes in a white version, available here. Both are made from stainless steel and crystal, and are $200.

Love This Necklace

I get the feeling that Anthropologie mails its target customers promotional material every few weeks. Flipping through the last book I received, I fell in love with this stained glass necklace (pictured left in all four colors available -- green, grey, purple, yellow). My favorite colors are the purple and green. I think the necklace would look great accenting a suit worn with a shell, under a collared shirt, or with a classic black dress . . . so, apparently, I think the necklace would look good with almost every office-appropriate outfit. At $42, the necklace isn't not too, too outrageously priced.

I'm also intrigued by Anthropologie's advertising technique of placing the necklaces on snow.