Get Your Hands On Some DEAD THINGS

Guess what, bitches?! It’s October. Which means I should spend the entire month talking only about spooky fashion, right? Because I don’t do that enough already.

Well, here’s a special one for ya. A longtime reader of CWPL, Miss Sarah Moeding, got in touch with me a few weeks ago because SCORE, her beautiful, hand-crafted jewelry is now available for sale on her Etsy site. Guess what it’s called?

Dead Things By Sarah.

I mean, COME ON. Not only are her pieces perfect for yours truly on a year round basis, they also happen to be seasonally appropriate for those of you looking to delicately tap into your dark side.

And that’s just it. These pieces manage to stay delicate and pretty, without sacrificing their edge. I played around with a couple pieces to see how they would look with my favorite color – black, as well as with some more feminine ensembles too, just to demonstrate the versatility of her work. As she describes it, her aesthetic is “Victorian Hunting Lodge”. If that doesn’t drive home the juxtaposition, I’m not sure what will.

She made her first bone brooch from some mink skeletons her sister gave her for Christmas in 2009 and has always been fascinated and collected “dead things”. Her sister remains supportive of her hobby and to this day collects bones for Sarah and thinks of her when she sees dead stuff… (I really like this since my family has the same special connection with me. They LOVE it …ahem).

So anyway, Sarah began by making the pieces mostly for herself and for her friends, but as she tells it, “only in the last couple of months have I started to branch out into making earrings and necklaces, and selling them to the public. It’s exciting, the response has been resoundingly positive and supportive, and I took part in a craft fair mid-August that found me selling about a dozen pieces in less than a few hours.”

Fuck yeah! If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know I’m all for supporting talented, hot babes in their creative endeavors. Sounds like Sarah’s is really taking off. Must be in part because her unique pieces “straddle the line of being pretty and even ornate, but also somewhat masculine in form and feeling.”

Aside from that balance in her work, I also really love the uniqueness of her jewelry. I mean, come on. My mink bone is from my very own little mink! No need to share this little guy or gals curvature with anyone else. All mine!

If you want to really GO FOR IT when placing your order – she also offers gift wrapping for like, major cheap. Which is TOTALLY worth it because look, just look (genuine, bonafide, Texas armadillo skull not included):

(genuine, bonafide, Texas armadillo skull not included)

Now how cute is that? And that is a box you can keep forever. Even if you buy a piece for yourself, I vote you still go for the gift wrap. You won’t be sorry when you get this little package in the mail that is so evidently prepared with care and artistry. I know that I was really gleeful as I unwrapped my goodies and I have no doubt you will be too.

There are a ton of ways to get in touch with Sarah and places to check out/purchase her treasures:

She has a really great selection of pictures showcasing her work on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/objetsdelamort

Ready to buy? Etsy site is where it’s at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeadThingsbySarah

Questions? Custom Orders? Fan Mail? Email a girl: deadthingsbysarah@gmail.com

And let the countdown begin … 30 days to Halloween! Send me all your spooky post ideas. Please and thank you.

Oh and a very special thank you to Sarah! I fucking love my readers … Now go check out her steez stat.

xoxo,

Lou

Hey – You Want To Win Some MYKITA MYLON Glasses?

When I first met my best friend Jessica (you may also know her as JRa, Jess, JJ, etc), I had no idea that fashion in the optical world was such a ‘thing’. I thought expensive sunglasses were ridiculous and people that wore glasses, well, I just didn’t think much of the fact that they had been needing to pick out an accessory that I myself had been able to ignore my entire life.

Me and Jessica – the early days (RIP Murder – my fishy)

After three years of bosom buddiness though, that’s all changed. I’ve helped her a number of times at Optik PDX, the small, beautifully designed, startup shop she helped bring into existence along the hip stretch of Mississippi that also houses Mississippi Studios, Miss Delta, Interurban, etc. etc.

She played a major role in introducing me to my adorable, glasses-wearing boyfriend (who, btw, shelled out for a surprise pair of the most amazing Barton Perriera sunglasses for me about a year ago, which ended up convincing me spendy shades were a worthy investment).

And, she has no problem pointing out the countless, COUNTLESS, number of glasses she herself has designed all around Portland. There is no shortage of people with fashionable eyewear in this town let me tell you. Check out the Optik PDX Facebook page to see some of them!

So yeah. I am surrounded by glasses now. Never saw myself in this situation, but that’s the way the cookie crumbled. And these days I’m up on Mississippi way more than I ever used to be and I’m always stopping in to see her and to say hi to the amazingly genial Dr. Ezra, and oh yeah to help myself to a nice cold Widmer, which they keep fully stocked in the back room for their customers to enjoy while perusing all the fabulous frames.

The Optik team looking all sorts of precious. 

Inside the boutique

This isn’t just your typical adoration post even though I do indeed love her and Optik PDX to death. I actually have something really rad to tell you about! Let me get to the point. Aside from setting people up with all their optical needs, they also throw a killer party.

This Thursday is no exception. Please watch the video below where super smart people make 3D stuff using plastic and lasers. There is this glasses line, MYKITA MYLON, that is made like this.

Jess looking hot in the Mylon line

They’re bendy! They’re strong! They come in the most incredible colors and are like, super crazy hip. And this Thursday, Optik PDX is having a trunk show to showcase all the sexy steez. But oh wait there’s more, they’re also having a contest where you could actually win a pair! It’s an Instagram contest obviously, but that just means it’s super easy to enter.

Hello, beautiful frames

I’ll be posting the Instagram contest rules later today or tomorrow so watch for those. And if you live in Portland, do yourself a favor and head over to Optik PDX  this Thursday, September 12 (TOMRROW!). The party goes from 1:00 – 7:00 pm and will feature a photo booth, free beer, beautiful people, and a whole host of cool glasses to fawn over.

See you there babies!

xoxo,

Lou

Fashionable Friends: JIMI EDITION!!!

THIS PICTURE folks. This picture illustrates why it has taken me so long to write this post about one of my most fashionable female friends… she is way too fun a drinking partner! That bitch. After beginning my informal interview at Valentines downtown, we headed to the Eastside to check out one of her favorites, the legendary Lloyd Allen Sr. (never been? It’s worth your while.) at the Blue Diamond on Sandy Blvd. where the above pictured drinks were consumed and from where I took a Radio Cab to a different bar and then to a loft party and then to my bed where I woke up the next morning realizing I had lost the notebook in which I had recorded what I had remembered to be an EPIC conversation.

However, never fear. The notebook was found, waiting patiently for me in the loft where I had left it. Right under this ass poster at the Pizza Friday offices (check them out):

God damn miracle. Therefore we are now finally able to proceed and I can gush with proper notation over one of my most fashionable, talented, and fucking awesome friends here in Portland, Miss Jimi Pop. About fucking time, I know.

To really get at the heart of it … one of the things I love most about Jimi is that she is so, so, so fucking cool, like, painfully cool, and yet still, one of the sweetest, most unassuming friends I have. Unlike me, her cool quotient is off the charts, but even though I don’t front a seriously kick ass local Portland band, or have an effortless sense of style that translates into second-hand retail sales, or make and successfully sell my own jewelry line, or have epic hair … ok wait, I do have epic hair, but even though I am lacking in all those other areas that would earn me textbook cool points, Jimi never makes me feel like anything less than her equal. If you live in a place like Portland, where “cool” reigns supreme, I’m sure you understand how rare and endearing a characteristic this is in a person of her caliber.

Ok, so meet Jimi:

Ugh I know. I’ve written about her before a few times on this blog. Like, there was that one time I wrote about her because even though I’ve gotten really used to her being a blonde, she used to have babe-tastic raven black locks:

Yeah, sorry, she’s totally taken too. By that handsome boy rocking some serious liner on the left, who acts as 1/6 of their band, Thanks. This is a primarily a fashion blog, but what fits better with fashion than rock n’ roll? Correct answer: not much.

The reviews are in … from me, Willamette Week, and the Portland Mercury … Thanks churns out some seriously growly, sexy, soulful music. They’ll soon be recording a full length album, but in the meantime, their EP, Silver Scars Will Be Our Constellations, is available on iTunes for less than $6. So, I mean, I’d check it out if I were you. They also play around Portland pretty frequently and put on a killer live show, so if you’re in the area, follow them on Facebook for upcoming events. Totally worth your while. They’re mega talented and also ALL SO ATTRACTIVE. It’s dumb.

According to Jimi (omg I’m pulling notes from my once lost notebook! so exciting), she was always obsessed with R&B music – I have Mariah Carey and Boy II Men scrawled down so let’s go with that – and always wanted to be the girl doing runs in the background of said R&B.

And then … well then … I can’t really tell what happens! See for yourself …

I mean, write your own story here people, and I’ll skip to the point in my notes where it clearly says she has a moment of revelation, exclaiming: “I was sitting in my car and I was like ‘Fuck that! I can sing!”

She goes on to tell me that not only did she realize she had a set of pipes, but she could also write. And since you’ve already gone and listened to the Thanks EP, you know how right she was about that.

Beyond Jimi’s talent, can I also point out the notable camaraderie inherent in this band? It’s tempting to assign Jimi a Gwen Stefani, front-woman stigma, however in this band, it’s anything but. They really actually truly all love each other and pull their weight and when they’re up there on stage your eye is equally drawn to all of them at any given moment. Someday I’ll write fashion profiles on each of them, but for now, let’s get back to Jimi and her fashion steez.

It’s enviable. Mostly because it seems so effortless. Bitch. Some people just got “It”, right?

You want any of these items? Cause they’re totally waiting for you to buy them from her leased space down at Red Fox Vintage’s newest location on Woodstock.

Guess ankle booties/banana republic oatmeal sweater/dooney & bourke bucket backpack/vintage Abercrombie boyfriend jeans!!!

“Uhhhmazing vintage Wilson’s leather front zipper pencil skirt/lady sized authentic fatigues. I might not be able to sell these… Space 36! Red Fox on Woodstock.” – Jimi

Otello Pele thigh length leather vest/Mexico muscle crop tank/classic flannel

She excitedly mentioned to me over happy hour the other day that in her first week leasing this space, she had sold enough to cover her share of the rent AND make a profit. This obviously has something to do with the fact that, as she explains to me, she was born under a “Thrifting Star”. She’s always getting lucky and finding awesome goods. Clearly.

She also has a system she follows when searching for the racks at everyone’s go-to spot Goodwill (or as Jimi calls it, the Mothership): “I start in the shoes, then I move on to the bags, then the dresses, and then I’m warmed up enough to fuck with the shirts and stuff.” But she doesn’t do pants because … wait, I can tell you why, because trying on pants sucks. I mean you actually have to try them on most of the time and screw that. I fucking hate trying on pants, which is why I keep going back to buy the same pair in different colors and variations from Urban Outfitter. I don’t really know if that’s why she doesn’t thrift the slacks section, but it’s universally true enough that I’m going with it.

Oh and guess what, I’ve tried Jimi’s “system” and I am not born under a thrifting star. I know. It’s totally shocking. I never find shit. And I get impatient right around the “bags” part, which is why I collect books instead of clothes. Luckily, now that she has her own leased space, I can just go buy the stuff she picks out. Beats Internet window shopping, which is ALL I do these days. Then I decide to think about a purchase over drinks and next thing you know all the money set aside for clothes is spent on whiskey shots and tacos or something and … this is why I only write about other people’s fashion. Moving along …

The day we met for our interview she had just found these gems at Little Edie’s Five and Dime on N. Williams. Pretty perfect condition of course.

And she had tie-dyed her own shirt.

Oh and that jewelry? She made that. Her very own Old Tiger and Peach line. The name is a Charles Bukowski reference, so you know, that’s also hot.

I will take a crystal pendant please and I’ve always been a sucker for the geometric drop necklace too.

All her jewelry is available on her Etsy site HERE and also at Rad Summer  on Burnside if you’re a local.

So – as you can see – Jimi does a lot of cool shit. And has great style. And is a great drinking partner. And is a totally rad girl. It was a no-brainer profile. I’m thankful she’s in Portland and not tromping around being ultra cool in New York or something.

I’m also thankful for Thanks. I’m excited to see where their future takes them – and I think it will be somewhere wonderful and exotic – so best see them now while you can still get all close and personal up in their shit.

And I think because she’s so nice to look at we’ll just end with some pretty photos! K? K. xoxo, Lou

Modeling for Sturnelle Collection – Photo by Em Bolles (you’ve read about her, right?)

Dressed as Prince … I know, right?

And finally being very Portland and very pretty with my FAVORITE GIRL NIKKI! Hi Nikki! We miss you.

 

 

Preview: Fashionable Friends

You know who doesn’t have problems changing their hair? My friend, Jimi. She went from black to blonde with nary an eyelash bat. See below.

Oh yeah, she also fronts an amazing local Portland band, Thanks, and makes totally swoon-worthy jewelry, and has some seriously killer style. She is all around awesome and lucky for you, she’s my friend so I can definitely drag her to happy hour this Friday and make her tell me all about all the things that I just know will give you a seriously hurtin’ girl-crush.

Honestly, one of the first times we ever sat down for drinks together, we talked about sending an old dildo to my mean ass old apartment neighbor. I love her. You will too. Watch for this next week. ❤

I know. She still looks amazing … what a bitch.

xoxo, Lou

 

Break for: Portland Steez

It’s Jordan. She’s my style muse again. Whether it looks like she just woke up behind a couch the morning after her own house party(see here) or whether she’s all pretty pretty to get drunk with me … she looks fucking adorable. And oh so very Portland.

Later on, we’re going to a party where her ex-boyfriend will be, which means when I snap her picture tonight, she’s going to look like a hot hussy! Can’t wait.

Happy Friday everyone!

xoxo, Lou

Nail Steez

I’ve always talked about giving my Master’s Degree the middle finger and going back to school for a third time to become a nail tech. In today’s fashion world, that isn’t all that crazy since some jerks are making bank (I’m assuming this) doing crazy ass nail art for celebrities and fashion shows and shit.

Nail art is all over IG …

And my personal have: Nail Swag

You don’t have to do totally crazy shit though for your nails to look steezy. And with shellac options now, it’s so much more practical to spend money and time to get elaborate and have fun. My friend Jessica is notorious for her nail steez.

Friendship nails – cute!!!

I took this picture on Kentucky Derby day. No big deal.

I myself have a hard time committing to polish that lasts two weeks. I’ve had shellac maybe 4 times, which is why I want to give a shout to my girls who keep me so entertained manicure after manicure. It’s rare to see them with a naked nail. And to all those crazy ass nail art people out there making a name for themselves.

I’m also really hungover so if this post makes no sense I apologize. Just look at the pictures.

xoxo, Lou

Fashionably Late

See what I did there? So, a couple of Saturdays back, maybe a few at this point since I’ve been hardcore sick and hardcore procrastinating, I spent the day with my lovely friend, Miss Emily Bolles. She recently started an Etsy endeavor (now on virb.com) to house and sell her own personal picks for best vintage pieces around Portland.

It was a no brainer to help her model some of these timeless pieces, which you can find for sale on her website at: http://sturnellecollection.virb.com/

Here’s a little preview of me showing you what you can buy there.

Pretty obsessed with this amazing crop top:

Vintage 100% cotton cream colored crop tank $32

Also awesome: Women’s vintage pastel blue lambswool/angora rabbit hair sweater by Marnie West $52

Did I mention it’s lambswool/angora rabbit hair? So soft, such a pretty blue. Wear this one on a date to the shake shack.

To the point: Women’s vintage Hathaway blue and white vertical striped long-sleeved button-up collard shirt $38

And so on and so forth. But before I show you more of her aesthetic, I wanted to talk about the woman behind the scenes – buyer, photographer, …awesome, awesome drinking buddy.

When I met Em Bolles she had a job seating the visitor elite at Portland’s trendy Clyde Common by night and was a babe-a-licious substitute teacher by day – something she still does in between gigs at another new Portland hotspot, Tasty and Alder, and between her time slangin vintage goods for Sturnelle Collection.

The name Sturnelle comes from the latin “Sturnelle Neglecta” meaning Western Meadowlark aka Portland’s state bird. But don’t you dare get all put a bird on this midwestern girl. She’s from Wisconsin (Midwest represent) and has had a love of birds since she was a little girl. So there.

The name perfectly embodies a personal flare and the state she now calls home. It’s also the place she finds the clothing to stock the virtual shelves of Sturnelle Collection.

Palace on SE 34th, Rock n’ Rose on E. Burnside, Magpie on SW 9th, and Good ol’ Goodwill, rank as some of her favorite places to find quality vintage goods that she’s able to repurpose, alongside modern day fashion picks, into relevant looks that, as she says, “won’t cost you a shit ton”.

Vintage Red Eugene Rodier stretch pencil skirt $40 

Two months after leaving her job at Clyde Common, Emily realized she had more time to devote to creative pursuits such as fashion and photography.

“I got into vintage clothing because of the history, because of the place it takes you when you look at it. Sometimes this can be hard to incorporate into a modern day wardrobe so for me it was a question of, how do I appreciate these clothes? How do I fit this history into now?”

She also admits that the photography involved in showcasing the clothes was a large part of her decision to pursue an online shop.

“Learning to take photos of people – that’s a huge part of it. How do I turn the clothes into a story that the pictures tell?”

What’s not a huge part of it?

“The shopping!” She laughs. “The shopping is probably my least favorite part of it even though I do think I’m good at picking things out.”

Vintage Pendleton dark blue and grey pinstripe high-waisted 100% wool pencil skirt $50 

Vintage silk dark brown pure silk button-up long-sleeved blouse $38

I asked her to give me three words to describe Sturnelle Collection. Her hesitation proved demure as she launched into a confident list:

“Classic, Quality, and Fresh.”

Looking at her collection, these adjectives certainly do seem to lend an ongoing theme only bolstered by her residence in Portland. Not only does she have access to incredible vintage clothing stores, she also has connections that sometimes lend themselves to amazing photography locations, like The Cleaners event space at the Ace Hotel , where we had our photo shoot on an unnaturally nice, summer-like day in the midst of Portland winter.

The Cleaners

Let there be light!

Buying her model lunch xoxo

Working with her on a professional level is easy and fun. She’s low stress about her shoots and really seems to work with what she’s got at any given moment. The day consisted of lunch from Clyde Common (which also occupies space next to the Ace Hotel), Stumptown coffee galore (um yep, also right there … this is a really hip block), and plenty of loud ass hip hop to keep us motivated.

At one point, she dragged me to try some shots outside, and yeah, I said it was unusually warm, but it wasn’t that warm and she had no qualms about asking me to double bra and tape my nipples, which yeah I did … all for this top:

Women’s vintage navy blue sleeveless flawy top $28 This top was comfortable as fuck.

Which can I just say was totally worth it because look at that wall. It was perfect! Perfectly urban too as I was surrounded by like, bum pee and old Wendy’s bags, but that’s what made the day so extra fun. The girl has a knack for finding spots and an adventurous side that leads her to them.

I don’t get the sense Emily is in any hurry to abandon all her days  jobs to focus on Sturnelle, but watching her work, I don’t get the sense she needs to. She has an ease about her business sense that allows her to indulge in the creative pursuit while still holding down jobs that pay the bills … a skill many young people today strive for. And with clothes as cute as hers, she doesn’t need much more than that.

Oh … and did I mention she provides stuff for the menfolks as well?

Men’s vintage Arrow Bradstreet vertical white and blue striped button-up collared dress shirt $40

At this point, I think we should enjoy a few more photos before I tell you where you can stalk this babe on all the social media sites.

Remember my jewelry post? And remember when I mentioned Emily has connections? Well check out her custom BLTN necklace and try not to hate her too much for owning such a gorgeous gem.

Ew – she encouraged me to try fried oysters. I didn’t die. Or barf. In fact it was quite good.

Ok – so do you want to know where to stalk her now???

Here’s where you can buy her steez: http://sturnellecollection.virb.com/

Here’s where you can go “Like”  her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SturnelleCollection?fref=ts

Instagram, of course: @sturnellecollection

And here is where you can look at her fashion porn: http://sturnellecollection.tumblr.com/

My next Portland fashion showcase is the really really beautiful babe that has done most of my tattoos, Olivia Britz. Did I mention she’s a babe? See ya next time for that and until then – go stalk Sturnelle.

xoxo, Lou

Break For: Portland Steez

The photo shoot for Sturnelle Collection this last weekend was awesome and I can’t wait to share the post with you. If you can’t wait and want first dibs on all her cute stuff, visit the Facebook page to take a gander. Give her a “Like” while you’re there too, because she’s got some way cute vintage stuff happening that you won’t want to miss. Sturnelle Collection Facebook Page.

Also, while I work on that post, can we just enjoy this Portland Fashion Moment together? This is one of my best homegirls, headed to brunch in her .. I don’t know. Her pajamas? Half PJ’s/half street clothes? Whatever it is it still works because it’s Portland and because she’s a hot babe. We call this Hangover Hotness. Also we call this fucking hysterical and plain awesome. Needless to say, it was an awesome party.

Enjoy and see you again real soon. xoxo, Lou

Portland Focus: Sturnelle Collection

In addition to helping me pick out some shoes, I wanted to give you a heads up on some Portland-specific fashion happenings. Tomorrow morning I’ll be helping my beautiful friend Emily take photographs of some very rad vintage clothing from her Sturnelle Collection. Check out her Etsy here and her Tumblr here.

The fact that I am waking up before 10 on a Saturday to help her with this shows how great I think her style choices are. In addition to possessing a solid aesthetic, she is crazy knowledgeable about fabrics, which a lot of the time makes me feel like I have a lot to learn. Luckily she’s my friend and can teach me. I win!

Check out her stuff and watch for my profile piece next week on her style and her burgeoning business.

 

BTW that scarf is totally for sale. 

See ya next week, babes!

xoxo, Lou

Ass Kicking Jewelry

Recently, ok fine, it’s been awhile now, but in the last 6 months, my girl Mae asked for some help finding jewelry with an edge. I initially began my research on the web, but there is so much mother fucking jewelry out there that it became impossible for me to narrow down selections to anything meaningful.

Enter Instagram.

Following my friends on Instagram is pretty great of course, but I actually find I use it more for shopping and/or ‘Cool Hunting’. I have discovered more brands and rad styles from Instagram than I could have ever hoped from the web, no doubt on account of its categorizing abilities and hopping from one babe wearing a hot pair of shoes to all of her friends who are also giving shout outs to the small boutiques and DIYselfers, or even large chains, that are churning out the fashions they sport in all their “selfies”.

My Mae recently just started an Instagram account, so the links and images I’m about to post will be super easy for her to track down and ‘Follow’ – same for all of you! From there it’s just a matter of jumping around through the network to find more styles you like –  a stupidly crazy fun time suck for sure.

PAMELA LOVE  @PAMELALOVENYC

This is not cheap jewelry. But it is hot. And I can absolutely see Mae falling in love with it. A lot of it also offers an “edgier” concept than a lot of the crystal and quartz floating around these days:

Who doesn’t want a Pentagram ring? I know I do. ($100)

Or maybe you’d rather blow your load on the $575 Southwestern Cuff?

Ugh if I had $225 I would definitely be buying this Daggar Rosary. And then I would definitely be mixing it up some days like this sexy broad:

Or for a mere $80 you can go with a simple Sahara Ring, that is all purpose and great for mixing in with other funkier pieces.

Either way, with Pamela Love, you’re going to look great and have fun because her pieces are edgy, nature inspired, and quality as fuuuck.

Moving along than, shall we…

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER aka BLTN @bltnjewelry

Stones and gems and crystals abound these days and this little outfit has a unique way of throwing them onto the tiniest cutest studs, in addition to some other fun stuff.

I’m sorry I keep throwing expensive stuff at you. Let’s just assume these are more intended for inspiration, unless you’re lucky ass can actually afford this shit.

But how cute are these $242 Pink Tourmaline Studs? So cute. I know.

Or maybe mix it up, literally, with these mismatched studs, which I happen to quite like and not as steep at $94.

There are non-stone earrings too and the rest of their offerings get a little tribal, in a way I’m not always sure I could pull off, but in a way that I want to watch other people try:

$138 Setting Sun Earrings

$186 Diamond Drop Necklace

Cute, right?

Ok, finally on to some more affordable shit…

MOON METAL @MOONMETAL

A perfect example of finding tiny shops that I would most likely never otherwise hear of … Moon Metal Jewelry. Sounds hippie dippie, right? And it kind of is, but in an affordable, trendy way. There are probably a trillion shops in Portland selling similar shit. Or in whatever town you’re reading this in. Let’s see what’s cool:

Arrowheads

M X Gold Arrowhead Necklace … $28.

Almost bought this Rosary Necklace last night …

But then remembered that could be $26 spent to go see my best friend in London. Or $26 to go somewhere tropical. Or, or, or. …

There are also a lot of tusks and teeth on there. Guess this is still cool and an easy way to toughen stuff up a bit. Or as I said earlier – crystals. Are. Everywhere.

And I like them nowhere better than I do here:

BARBARA C. PELLEGRINO @BARBARACPELLEGRINO bcpjewelry.com

Everything she makes is in a very limited quantity, which is where she really uses Instagram to her advantage and why you should follow her for those moments you see something you love and then notice it says underneath the picture “only 3!”:

Follow her. You’ll be pumped you did.

This next one is non-Instagram still I think, but should maybe be Instagram ON soon, because it’s so great and local for us Portlanders and made by a super sexpot, bombshell lady friend of mine, Miss Jimi Pop. I see her stuff on all of our friends and am always totally smitten with her pieces:

OLD TIGER oldtigerandpeach.tumblr.com

One of my favorite things about her most recent pieces are the chains. They’re the perfect length to sit right in that sweet spot between your boobs and usually interspersed with great geometric shapes that add something simple, but significant:

Go to her blog and email her for inquiries.

And lastly, another Instagram gem, check out VIDAKUSH @vidakush, for some serious fun:

Fuck Off Ring Set $50

Bow Ring and Diamond Ring, both $12 … which means that might not be long for this world, but whatever, they’re cute.

Plus, they just want you to throw a bunch of shit on anyway…

Jordan – are you totally getting on that 90’s revival up there??

So, I’m tired now. That’s all I can give. I hope it was enough. There is cute jewelry all around us these days. And you can pay hundreds of dollars, or $12, depending on what you’re going for, but I’m telling you, Instagram is a phenomenal way to find it, especially if you want to avoid the web or just get some good ideas.

If you have additional spots you like to shop and find jewelry, throw them on here under the comments so we can all go stalk their products and waste more time shopping!

xoxo, Lou

PS – will someone please explain body chains to me?