CHARM IT! Custom Charm Bracelets for Girls {GIVEAWAY}

As a kid, one of my favorite pastimes was playing dress up. There was something thrilling about playing the part of someone else, living a life some place new, or going on a brilliant adventure. My sister’s and I used our imaginations quite often. Sometimes we were pirates, sometimes princesses. Sometimes we were teachers in front of a classroom or chefs commanding a bakery.



One play act I loved to indulge was being a grown up. I would stock an old wallet with paper, pretending they were dollars or credit cards, and carefully step into an old dress of my moms. I’d spend the morning toting around a baby doll, shopping, driving and doing all of the fun things I imagined “big girls” did. If I wanted to get really fancy, I’d throw on some large pieces of costume jewelry, dulled with age.



The only problem with this kind of make-believe is that none of these things were mine. I had many years to go before I had proper jewelry, high heels and (lawdy) a credit card. As the mom of two daughters, I watch my girls use their imaginations to dress up in all the same ways I used to. And despite the best of momma’s hand-me-downs, what they truly desire is a “piece of flair” all their own.



Well, the secret wishes of every young girl have finally been answered with CHARM IT!



CHARM IT! is the original, detachable charm jewelry brand for girls. These pieces of jewelry are designed with kids in mind, so they are durable and bright. I think my favorite part is that these necklaces and bracelets are customizable. Instead of play-acting with someone else’s clothes or jewelry, young fashionistas can now create a wearable piece of art that perfectly reflects their hobbies, likes, personalities and accomplishments.



Each of my girls had a chance to create their own bracelet. We hopped online and headed to the CHARM IT! website, where we perused all the fun charms. The website is super user friendly and easy to navigate (which is important when you have two little girls eager to design their very own pieces of jewelry!). Each girl wanted a charm with their initial. From there, I was intrigued by how their individual personalities came out by their choices.



Chica wanted the “I Lost a Tooth” charm, since she lost her first tooth last month. That was a very big accomplishment for her and she wanted to mark the milestone with a charm. I loved that this option was available! She also loves Hello Kitty, so we chose a HK charm as well. And true to her sensitive, sweetheart, Chica also chose the “Love Letter” charm and the “Bee Happy” charm. Her bracelet perfect encapsulates every part of her personality!



Bug, on the other hand, is totally glam. This girl loves to have her nails done, so she opted for a “Glitter Nail Polish” charm and “Rainbow Sunglasses” charm. If you’ve met Bug, you know how this is so her. When she’s not chasing glam, she’s chasing treats, so she couldn’t imagine a charm bracelet WITHOUT a Cupcake charm. And lastly, Bug looks up to her big sister a lot, so she chose “Love Letter” as her last charm, just like Chica.



I love that CHARM IT! bracelets are a fun way to mark milestones and give girls a little ownership of their likes and hobbies. It’s great, too, that you can keep adding charms as they grow, customizing as their interests change. Buying a new charm is the perfect little gift to add to a birthday or holiday gift!


The fabulous people at CHARM IT! want to give one of my fabulous readers a chance to win their very own customized charm bracelet! One winner will have a chance out pick out 5 charms of their choice from the website as well as a bracelet.



HOW FUN IS THAT?

Good luck and happy winning!

You can connect with CHARM IT! on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and the web.

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Fall Fashion 2012: Accessories

    

I love this week's topic, because it's one that I semi-comprehend.

ACCESSORIZE!

It's that simple: take something from eh to WOW with one or two choice pieces. For anyone who is looking to rework their wardrobe because they can't spend the money on new clothes, scaling back and buying a few accessories can really amp up the ol' closet.

And you all have met my closet. If you need some refreshers, you can read about pants, tops and shoes. In those Fall Fashion posts, you'll see the eh, the bad and the ugly of my wardrobe.

But we're going to work on it.

Accessories have come a long way in the past 20 years.   I think back fondly to my 3rd grade class picture. I made an attempt to unearth it, which was unsuccessful. But when I do, you can rest assured I will share. You see, that year, I was the epitome of early 90's accessorizing: a blue felt vest over a yellow turtleneck with a chunky headband pulling back my hair. 

Did I mention that the neck of said turtleneck was bedazzled with alternating silver and gold studs? 

THAT I BEDAZZLED MYSELF?

It is one of my prouder fashion moments.

I'm not sure if the Bedazzler will make it past my Style Panelists, who have a strict yet chic standard. I'm super excited for what they have to say this week, because I'd like to think I'm in on some of these trends (scarves are my BFF's, people).  

Get ready, because accessories this Fall are all about BOLD. 

BOLD STATEMENTS, people.

Read on.

"Accessories are a GREAT way to wake up your wardrobe.  I think scarves will be big again this fall.  You can transform a white-t with a bright scarf.  Wake up a black tee with a pop of color or bold print scarf.  Belts, necklaces . . .they all work. . .just remember you are not a chandelier. . .add bling with a light hand."


"Yes! You can refresh your wardrobe with new accessories like scarves, statement jewelry, and more. I personally love the bold statement necklaces that have become a fixture in every store. The best advice I have is to pick one bold piece and keep everything else simple. Like a great dress doesn’t require much in the way of accessories, but dressing up jeans and a basic tee with a fun cardigan, scarf, and great earrings can take your outfit from boring and basic to amazing."




"Statement jewelry is still a big trend, and every girl needs a few fashion scarves in her winter wardrobe. A scarf can dress up any old tee-shirt and jeans and make you look stylish and on trend. Don’t be afraid to layer a scarf over a necklace either!"




"Accessories are always a great way to experiment with trends, add a little color to an outfit or update a classic look. Must have accessories for fall: a bib necklace or two, wide belts, a chunky boyfriend watch, and a lightweight long scarf or pashmina preferably with fringe. Accessories should accent an outfit, not steal the show, so only wear one or two statement accessories at a time. This is where Chanel’s saying, Take off the last thing you put on, applies. For example if you’re wearing a scarf you don’t need big earrings or a necklace at all, a watch will suffice. Both gold and silver are in, so go with whatever suits your skin tone or current outfit. Some mixing of metals is ok, experiment with this trend using a 3 or 4 mix and match bracelets and a watch. You can do a watch on the left and the bracelets on the right.  If you like big earrings I say go for it! Just don’t wear a lot of other jewelry. It’s all about smart choices! There are many ways to wear a scarf, a very thorough tutorial for a long pashmina style scarf can be found here."



"This Fall, in the accessories world, size DOES matter.  Big, chunky jewelry is a big trend at the moment.  Costume jewelry is a great way to breath new life into your closet.  Pair your new on-trend pieces with the classics in your closet and no one will know the kids have kept you from mall dressing rooms for awhile.  This season’s choice of metal is Argentum, better known as silver.  Silver is classically popular and continues to be this Fall with beautiful, large pieces making an appearance.  Go bold and choose combination necklaces featuring stones and silver.  We are noticing oversized totes everywhere as well, perfect for stuffing with all of your essentials.  Another important look this Fall is anything that frames your face.  This could be lace detailing at the top of your blouse, faux animal print scarves or large necklaces.  Just remember to go small with earrings when framing your face with a stand out scarf or necklace.  The overall theme seems to be to go big!  Large bags, rich embellishments and anything to frame your beautiful face!"




"I'm OBSESSED with accessories. My go to accessories....

Statement necklaces are the perfect way to add character to your wardrobe. I have at least 6!  Think about it: a black cardigan, white tank and jeans. Blah. But, add a bright orange chunky necklace... and WOW! 

Scarves - same thing as a statement necklace. Adds a bit of pop to an otherwise boring outfit. And scarves are so cheap - hit up Old Navy, Target, Forever 21 and browse those clearance racks. 

And the hottest trend this fall? Menswear watches. A big gold bracelet watch (Well, get a women's menswear-inspired watch, so you don't like like an 80s rapper) is on every stylish wrist. Not even joking! Michael Kors has great ones that you should start hinting at for a Christmas now!"

~~~~~

Go make a statement!

Have your Style Say: What do you think of the advice?
What accessories do you need to add to your "Must Have"?
What trends are you inspired to try?


Share a comment!


Check back next week when we get glam with ACCESSORIES! To catch up on the past Fall Fashion 2012 posts, you can read them here.