Charming Charlie

My friend Becky asked me to go check out a new store that she'd heard about through a few friends - Charming Charlie.  So we dragged our friend Krystal with us and piled into the car for a short shopping road trip.  Think of a store that sells fashion jewelry. And handbags.  And some inexpensive fashion clothes.  And watches. Oh, I can't forget all the scarves.  All very, very affordable.  It's laid out in color groupings, which makes shopping for anything specific much easier.

Well Accessorized

An overview from the store

Game plans: Always good so you don't go crazy and blow too much money on all the gorgeous/fun/trendy stuff that catches your eye.  I wear a lot of black (and gold) so my main goal was to get pieces with color.  Krystal was looking for layering pieces and Becky wanted to update her professional look.  Jewelry really is a great way to change your look even if you wear a similar style during the week.  It's the best way to take a simple outfit to the next level.
Tip: Bring friends who will be honest with you and know your style & wardrobe preferences; this will help you slim down your purchases less painfully before you get to the register.
Bonus tip (courtesy of Krystal): When shopping for necklaces, wear a shirt that has a neckline similar to the majority of what you wear.  Try on ALL the necklaces in store. You'd hate to get your purchases home only to find out they don't work with your wardrobe!

Part of the haul before thinning to the final purchase (red tags are clearance!)

We spend almost 2 hours in this place, and I could have easily spent more. The only problem is it's in Puyallup, and its the only store in the state.  I hear that they are working on getting online ordering ability established, and hope they do soon because that's save me a trip back down to the south end.

Golden Tidbit:

Snagged these great gold earrings for just $8!! Ladies, I know it's a long way down (and for my PDX gals, there's one in Hillsboro!) but believe me, it's well worth the trip!

Golden Quote: "I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny." ― Coco Chanel

Wedding Guest Etiquitte

It's June and that means that wedding season is in full swing. This means gift buying, attire planning and celebration to be had for close friends and family!

We were lucky enough to attend a wedding of some good friends last night who included this sentiment on the toasting glasses: 



When attending weddings I have my own set of wedding ettiquite rules that I use, which are pretty common sense, but always a good idea to review for the season. 

• What to wear: Since a wedding is a celebration, not something to mourn, black is a color I won't wear.  Red is also on the no-go list; nothing should take attention from the bride & groom, and red pretty much does that (shades of pink and maroon are fine, but bright fire red seems..... inappropriate). I personally believe it goes unsaid that white is a huge and obvious no-no. Unless of course the invite specifies colored attire.
• What to give: If the Bride and groom have registered, I tend to stick to it.  You know they want/need the items since they've taken the time to list them. I have recently seen a rise in the use of a site called Honeyfund.com which allows you to contribute to the couple's honeymoon (airfare, hotel upgrades, excursions, etc) so they can enjoy their first time away as newlyweds.
• How to toast: Try to keep your toast genuine, heartfelt, and to wishing the couple many years of love.  We've all been at the wedding where the embarassing college or pre-couple story cropped up in a toast and it makes the whole room uncomfortable. Keep the sentiment true to your good wishes for the couple, everyone will admire your thoughts.
• Bonus - Social Media:  In today's age of social share everything instantly, the desire to post pictures of the beautiful wedding is overwhelming. Know your couple.  They may want to be the ones to post the first pics of their special day. Conversely, they may provide a wedding day hashtag to encourage posts (example: #smithwedding).  I've even seen wedding pic sharing apps so that all the pictures the guests take are in one place.  If you aren't sure, ask someone in the bridal party.

Golden Tidbit:

Sometimes you need just the right accessory to complete the perfect wedding guest outfit.  I was browsing at H&M last weekend and found a Pyrite necklace that let me to this Etsy beauty. I've been thinking about picking up something like this for a while, so it was pretty perfect timing. For just $25 what a bargain!

Golden Quote: "Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." - Michael Leunig