It’s Music Video Monday!

When I was little, I thought this song was about rain. You know, the tears of a cloud. The idea of a sad cloud’s tears raining down on the earth appealed to Little Olivia.

I was so disappointed when I finally figured out that Smokey was talking about the tears of a clown, but seeing this necklace brought back fond memories of listening to oldies with my dad.

Linda Lee Johnson Tears of the Cloud Necklace, $2,300 at barneys.com.

Some may say, “What’s that name supposed to be? This necklace isn’t even blue!”

But let me tell you something: Linda Lee Johnson knew exactly what she was doing when she named this beautiful citrine necklace “Tears of the Cloud.” Doesn’t it remind you of the sun’s hazy rays shining through the last drops of a spring storm?

This necklace looks like Linda Lee Johnson was able to preserve some of those lemon drops of rain and string them on necklace to remind us of spring days.

A necklace of sun-tinted raindrops: the sort of necklace that Little Olivia would have worn in her dreams.

Nostalgically,
Big Olivia

My friendship with Janea is already paying off.

Thanks to Janea’s monthly calendar of trunk shows in the Orange County area, I now have the inside scoop on all of the hottest jewelry events in the OC! Gotta love connections.

Lori Lori Vintage Haskell Style Necklace, $250 at lorilori.com.

This weekend’s offering is Lori Lori Jewelry. Lori Gincig, the designer, loves vintage jewelry. She was inspired to begin creating jewelry that took the classic feel of vintage jewelry and combined it with a contemporary edge.

Designer Lori Gincig, with her Pomeranian Marty, her Chihuahua Francesca, and her husband Marck.

And you just have to love that her company logo includes a picture of her beloved 12-year-old Pomeranian, Monty.

Lori Lori is having a trunk show at Brea Mall in Brea, CA. It will be held from 11am to 4pm in the Jewelry Department at Nordstrom.

YAAAY!! Trunk sale!!!

Giddily,
Olivia

I told you yesterday about how excited I am about spring, and especially about the floral jewelry that it seems to inspire.

Well, I’ve found a designer that feels exactly the same way that I do, and it shows in her work.

Meet Lydia Courteille. She resides in the fashion capital of the world: Paris, France. And she has a shop in the most fashionable of fashion districts.

I love the former antique dealer’s fanciful take on the many things that inspire her: flora, fauna, antiques. I particularly love her Secret Garden collection. It’s such a beautiful interpretation of a springtime garden. I imagine that wearing one of her creations must feel like being bathed in sunlight and kissed by the morning dew.

She has several more impressive jewelry collections (I particularly enjoy her Cabinet of Curiosities) that definitely merit your perusal. And she still deals in antiques — her collection is quite impressive.

Lydia Courteille is a talented woman with an extraordinary gift for capturing the soul of an item and then interpreting it in her own fanciful way. I hope to see more of her creations soon!

Rosily,
Olivia

Spring has sprung!

It’s sunny, but I’m freezing because the wind is blowing like it’s never blown before. My nose is running 24/7 (many thanks, seasonal allergies and high pollen count!). My car is constantly dirty from the intermittent rain and aforementioned high pollen count. Worst of all, I have to get up one hour earlier than I’m used to.

And, yet, somehow, I love spring!!

I love the deceptively cold sunshine! I love the pitter-patter of raindrops on my filthy windshield! I… don’t love the loss of an hour of sleep (once a year, I grant you, but still!), but I love how late it stays light out!

But, most of all, I love seeing flower buds poking out of trees and bushes and previously barren garden rows.

And the earth isn’t the only thing sprouting blooms!

Tiziana Vigano Rosebud Earrings, $1,400 at barneys.com.

These pink gold earrings are rosy enough to invoke thoughts of sun-kissed gardens, but their construction is super-modern! Spring has never been so hip!

With a Spring in Her Step,
Olivia

Some people call it a stereotype, but I call it the truth: we Asians love saving money.

Few things thrill us more than sales prices. We love to buy in bulk. My parents weren’t very demonstrative or given to displays of affections while I was growing up — they endured my high school graduation with expressionless faces and were genuinely puzzled when I asked them why they didn’t bring the camera — but I often had to endure their crowing exultations and ear-to-ear beaming when they bought ten giant packs of toilet paper on sale at Costco or when they found apples for less than a dollar a pound at the Mexican market.

The advent of the internet has been both a blessing and a curse to my sales-lovin’ peoples. On the internet there are sales galore. You’re almost guaranteed never to pay full price for anything ever again.

However, there’s also the fear that we’ll miss out on the best deal because we either bought too soon or bought at Amazon just before the same item was posted for less at Overstock.

So of course it was an Asian who thought of ShoppingNotes.

Meng-You Yang created ShoppingNotes as a tool for internet shoppers to get what they wanted to buy at the price that they wanted to pay.

ShoppingNotes works like so: you find something you want to buy, paste the URL into ShoppingNotes, and then provide an e-mail address at which to get alerts. From there, ShoppingNotes tracks each and every price change and sends updates on the price to your e-mail. Once it hits the perfect price, you can click the link to buy!

You can also track the same product on several different sites so that you make sure you’re getting the very best deal!

ShoppingNotes works with any website: you can use it to get the best deals on electronics, books, and, of course, jewelry!

Their motto is, “Never miss a sale again!” I know I won’t.

Sold,
Olivia

It’s Music Video Monday!

This week’s vid (Muse’s song Starlight) was inspired by the muse of starlight.

Well, specifically, it was inspired by this adorable star lariat necklace by Tiffany & Co..

Tiffany & Co. Star Lariat, $250 at tiffany.com.

Lariat necklaces are the hottest new trend. What is a lariat necklace, you ask? Well, “lariat” is really just a fancy way of saying “lasso,” but “lariat” sounds fancier and more jewelry-appropriate. I mean, would you buy a “lasso” necklace? You might as well call it a “noose” — you can imagine the dismal sales, right?

Anyway, a lariat necklace is simply one that loops around the neck and somehow ties in the front: whether it’s a long strand that you can loop through, or whether there is a metal ring to tie it through (like the one I’ve featured above). You can tighten or loosen it to your liking, which means that you can play with it until you get the length you like!

I love the stars on this whimsical version; what a wonderful reminder to reach for the stars in everything you do!

And, with this lariat, all you’ll catch is somebody’s eye.

Tied Up,
Olivia

I love the smell of eyelash glue in the evening.

The only thing I love more than getting all dressed up for a night out is getting all dressed up for a night in… Nordstrom!!

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a party hosted by Nordstrom and Lucky Magazine celebrating the launch of Kate Spade Jewelry.

Already famous for their fabulous bags and shoes, the label has just launched a new line of jewelry as colorful and cheer-inducing as their other accessories!

Megan Hickerson, Lucky event manager and hostess extraordinaire!

Our emcee for the evening was Megan Hickerson, Lucky Magazine’s event manager. She guided us through the evening while announcing to passers-by that all Kate Spade Jewelry would be 25% off for the duration of the event (I know, what a steal, right?).

Nordstrom was abuzz with jewelry lovers in their favorite LBDs.

There was a DJ spinning some great music, and there was a throng of women buzzing over the jewelry — some in the requisite LBD, others just passing through, attracted by the hubbub (like my old friend Dione! “This is perfect; I’m getting married in two months and I need some wedding jewelry!”).

The cookies were almost as sweet as the jewelry deals.

There were also some complimentary light refreshments (sugar cookies and water — the cookies were yum) to sustain us through our shopping frenzy.

But the best part of the evening was the styling. OH, the styling.

The LBDs were as varied as the women wearing them, but the Lucky stylists were not daunted in the least. They chose pieces from the new collection to complement each unique dress, and the results were a rainbow of style and color!

Everyone wanted to play the model for the fabulous photographers — except me, Nervous Nellie.

I was styled by Erin, who put me in a combination of items from the “Petite Fleur” and “Park and Lex” lines. Initially, I felt a little awkward — I’d never been “styled” before, and I’d certainly never been shot by a professional photographer. But Erin put me at ease right away by taking the very necklace she was wearing and putting it on me. “Isn’t it fabulous?” she gushed. The jewelry lover in me took over and we spent the next few minutes adding pieces and oohing and aahing over the results.

The fabulous Chris Hatcher, who has shot fabulous women like Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba — and me!

Then, Erin left me in the capable hands of the photographers, Chris Hatcher and Vanessa Stump. They were consummate professionals, used to dealing with photoshoot virgins like me. They told me where and how to stand, how to hold my hands, where to look — I was so nervous about the shoot, but now I can’t wait to see the pictures!

After I had my fifteen minutes of fame (actually, it was probably closer to five), I had the pleasure of meeting Janea Olton, the regional merchandiser for Nordstrom. As the regional merchandiser, Janea has the inside scoop on all of upcoming trunk shows and sales in the area! I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!

L to R: Janea Olton (Regional Merchandiser for Nordstrom), Christ Hatcher (Photographer), Vanessa Stump (Photographer), and Megan Hickerson (Event Manager for Lucky Magazine).

And I knew from looking at her that she was a kindred spirit and jewelry fanatic. She must have felt the same way because she immediately told me about an upcoming trunk show for Michele watches (*drool*) and another one for H. Stern (*double drool*).

What a fabulous event! What a fun way to introduce this new line of jewelry! Well played, Kate Spade. Well played.

Rhyming in Her Enthusiasm,
Olivia

It has been a long time since I’ve been able to attend a good jewelry event.

The last one I went to was WooMeOver’s weblaunch. It was a ton of fun, but it’s been a while, now, and I need another good jewelry-related party to get my bling on (dancers get their groove on. I have decided that we Woobies get our bling on).

Thank God for my faithful friend Donna the Sales Hound, who vigilantly trolls the internet in search of fashion deals and events.

She sent me a link to Lucky on the Lookout, which is Lucky magazine’s website dedicated to finding great deals, promotions, and events on the web. Donna specifically wanted me to see the Kate Spade New York’s Little Black Dress Event.

Kate Spade Petite Fleur Cat Brooch, $125 at katespade.com.

Show up to the event in your favorite LBD (Little Black Dress, for those of you not in the know), and a Lucky Shopping Expert will style you for a fabulous photo on their Style Spotter set!

What a great way to get acquainted with Kate Spade’s new line of jewelry!

The event is at the South Coast Plaza Nordstrom in Costa Mesa, CA, from 6pm to 8pm. Click here for more information or to register for the event. And if you’re going, I’d love to meet you, so drop me a line!

I can’t wait to get styled!!

All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go,
Olivia

I think I’m in love.

Ippolita Malachite Deco Earring, $435 at ruelala.com.

I love the deep green of these fabulous malachite earrings! I mean, can you think of anything more sultry to wear with a slinky cocktail dress?

But I can’t really afford them, and there’s only one pair left! This can only mean one thing: SOME OTHER GIRL IS GOING TO GET MY EARRINGS!!! And that makes me turn green — with envy. DARN YOU, ECONOMIC DOWNTURN!!! >:-o

But I have to admit it: I’m totally hooked on Rue La La. They’ve also got a Dolce & Gabbana boutique going on right now, and it is off the hook!!

I’m completely addicted to checking out every boutique, and checking what boutiques are coming up (Elie Tahari, Waterford, BCBG Max Azria, Anlo, and Victorinox, in case you were curious).

But, in the meantime, I hope that some girl out there enjoys wearing my earrings.

Enviously,
Olivia

Don’t you just love a good sale?

I love the prices, but hate the long lines, crowded aisles, and messy piles that have been pawed at more than Paris Hilton.

If only there was a tidier way.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Rue La La.

Rue La La is, in its own words: “an exclusive, invitation-only online destination where Members discover premier-brand, private sale Boutiques, each open for just a brief window of time.”

Basically, the way it works is like so: each “boutique” is an online collection of items in a certain brand (for example, there’s going to be a Dolce & Gabbana boutique opening soon) at can’t-be-beat sale prices. But each boutique is only open for two days, so you don’t have time to worry about buyer’s remorse!

The brands featured on Rue La La are all high-quality, reputable brands, and the sale prices made my jaw drop. I mean, a Betsey Johnson jacket for $99 (50% off)? Unbelievable!

Quantities are limited, which means that items do sell out, but the great news is that it’s a members-only site, so you’re not competing with every shopaholic in the world for that last Elie Tahari cocktail dress.

And they listen to their members: your feedback helps to determine which brands Rue La La will feature in their boutiques! What a unique opportunity to shape a store to your very liking!

My friend Hyo invited me to become a member, and, once I joined, I immediately began drooling when I saw that Rue La La will be opening an Ippolita boutique today. You can bet that I’ll be waiting, coffee mug in hand, for this boutique to open!

As tempted as I am to beef up my odds at getting the pieces I want, I’m going to be a good girl and share the wealth with you. If you want in, leave a comment with your e-mail address or e-mail me and I’ll send you an invitation.

I can’t believe I’m going to share my Ippolita finds with all of you. Well, at least I don’t have to put up with you elbowing me in the back while I look for the perfect piece.

Exclusively,
Olivia