Beautiful Barbarela: Affordable Statement Necklaces

Beautiful Barbarella by divadebbi 

Matthew Williamson empire waist a line dress / Giuseppe Zanotti open toe booties / Giuseppe Zanotti leather handbag / Necklace / Gucci fragrance / 


One of the nicest things about my Polyvore obsession, is all of the fantastic women I have gotten to "know" over the last year.  Their talents are abundant and so are their hearts.

It's particularly fun, when as a result of the their work on Polyvore, they have the opportunity to launch new career directions.

Such is the case with my friend Barberela from Bulgaria (click on her name to see her beautiful sets). This past year she launched an on line jewelry website, Barbarela Jewerly. I couldn't be happier for her! 

When you create a Polyvore set, you get to choose every element of the design.  When I was looking for something to embellish, this already ambitious Matthew Williamson dress, I was excited to find Barbarela Jewelry available to include.

Statement necklaces are definitely having a moment...there is nothing that will zshush a tee shirt or simple sheath faster:

Above are two stunners, the top from Lanvin and the bottom from J.Crew.  The only caveat is that they can range from hundreds to thousands...a lot of faux bling for the buck, and a trend du jour to boot.

Compare that to Barbarela's beautiful necklaces above, which range from $30-$50 and everything ships for free.

I also am crazy about her embellished leather braided bracelets that are in the $15-$20 range:

So next time you are looking for a lot of looking for the latest looks in fantastically priced fashion jewelry, please consider visiting Barbarela Jewelry.

I'm all about Girl Power and I love nothing more than to see my friends achieve their dreams...

xox,
DD

Aerin's World

Aerin's World by divadebbi

 

Last year, lovely Aerin Lauder, Grandaugther of Estee, launched her own cosmetics line. Her personal asethetic is a more natural beauty, reflected in the soft colors in her palettes and tawny bronzers. 

 

An immediate success, Aerin is now taking her brand a step further, as she ventures into retailing with her first store, Aerin Southampton.   Filled with the perfect "something somethings" to wear to a cocktail party, bring to your hostess, or slip over your lips,the shop embodies a slice of Aerin's beautiful but relaxed lifestyle.

 

My dear friend Q.  was invited with a select group of bloggers to see the store and enjoy a delightful day at Aerin's summer home, formerly belonging to her beloved Grandmother Estee.

 

Tag along and see how the other 0.5% live... I'd settle for the birdhouse.

 

Happy Fourth Y'all!!!

 

 

xox

DD

 

Shades of Blue

Today by divadebbi 

I have written often about my friend Stacey Bewkes, who writes the award winning lifestyle blog Quintessence.  Stacey's eye is unerring and her prose is pitch perfect. I adore this stylish Minx!

Every morning with coffee, I read about her latest globe trotting adventure. Stacey has been a past online contributor to Connecticut Cottages and Gardens.  Her first print article and photos appear in their June issue. It highlights the "blue trend" in interiors that she first noticed in Paris this January at the Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off.  I look forward to reading it.

As soon as I spied this stack of gorgeous Limoge porcelain cups by Marie Daage,

I was inspired to create a Polyvore set featuring them. Interestingly, many of my sets that Polyvore, retailers, cosmetic brands and designers have chosen to highlight and promote have featured photographs from Quintessence.

Thank you for bringing out the best in me Q. and congratulations on CCG!

xox,

DD

Quintessence - My New Daily Beauty Ritual

To the dismay of my Mother Joan,  despite all her gentle tutoring, my thumb remains brown, in fact, it is acid etched.  Whenever she visits, she re-pots, prunes and waters  my plants and orchids, trying to will them back to life...to no avail.  Some years back, I received a gorgeous tome on orchids.  The cover was certainly lovely, so I plopped it on top of some of the decorative books that are nestled under a coffee table in my living room.  Last weekend, we went through our usual ritual.  When I noticed her rapture, reading the orchid book, I insisted she take it home... where it belongs.

Next up on the pile, was a book I purchased in April of 1987  at Sotheby's. I had the good fortune to attend one of the preview parties, for the extraordinary auction of the Dutchess of Windsor's  jewels.  I  sat mesmerized leafing through this spectacular catalog of avant-garde jewels and objects, that chronicled the love affair of the Duke and Duchess. This uniquely beautiful collection  reflected the best of quality and design from both Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.  The French it seems,  always appreciated style and welcomed the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor, as if they were their own.  All of this is a round about way, of telling you about a gorgeous Lifestyle Blog called Quintessence-Living with Style and Substance,  written by Stacey Bewkes, who I recently had the pleasure of meeting through my friend Linda Levy.