New in Plus - Paige Premium Denim

I love jeans. LOVE them. My office allows them on days when we don't have clients coming in, so I try to take advantage of that as often as possible. So imagine my surprise when I find out that Paige Premium Denim, one of the HOTTEST straight sizes jeans lines, has started making plus size jeans. This may be old news to some of you, but what with getting married and going on my honeymoon last month I've been a little out of the loop.

Paige Premium in Plus Sizes! This is c-razy! Interestingly, the jeans are exclusively being sold at Nordstrom.com. The site says they run a little small and you should order them a size up. Right now they are carrying 2 styles, "Mandeville Canyon" and "Las Palmas", both dark-ish rinse bootcut. You can see click on them both below:




The Mandevilles are pictured to the left and sell for $198, while the Las Palmas on the right are $209. It's a steep price to pay for jeans, and the jury is out on whether they are worth it (I am going to have to buy a pair to see).

However, I can't write a denim article without mentioning Svoboda Jeans, the plus size premium denim pioneers. Jessica Svoboda is constantly making new fabulous styles of her premium jeans, and I've got like 4 pairs (and soon to be more). I need to get my hands on the Trouser jeans before they completely sell out, and I love the new Sailor Trousers too!! I've pictured them both below:




The Kate Trousers on the Left are $118 and the Sailor Trousers on the right are $148. And for the sake of full disclosure, Jessica Svoboda is one of my closest friends, however I can testify that the jeans are as good as you've heard.

the structure of spring

La Garçonne (likely the first place I would go shopping upon winning the lottery) posted a short film today entitled Slate, which showcases the architectural features of dresses by H Chalayan, Heimstone and Vena Cava.

LIB reported last month that Heimstone's robe smoking was a disappointment, but I am experiencing extreme lust for Vena Cava's Ezra dress, which appears halfway through the film. Rough-edged layers just might be my theme of the year.

SheFinds.com - Cool Site Spotlight

BeautyPlusPower.com has achieved its success mostly based on word of mouth - you tell a friend, she tells 2 friends.... etc. So I figure that when I find a cool site, I should make sure to spread the word about it too. One of my latest finds is SheFinds.com. She Finds is not a plus size site, rather its a general fashion & trends site. They check out everything from shoes to purses to cosmetics to yes, even the occasional plus size fashion mention! They have a blog and a really fab newsletter and tend to spotlight unique companies you may not have heard of. They also do a lot of sales & coupon updates, which are majorly useful!

Here are some sweet links to features that might be useful to BPP girls:

Bras for big busts: http://shefinds.com/archive_91/bras_for_big_busts/

Plus Size Clothing & Shoe Advice: http://shefinds.com/archive_131/Hard-to-Fit/

Shapewear guide: http://www.shefinds.com/archive_64/Shapewear/

Amethysts!

It has been so long since I last posted that I've almost forgotten how. Valentine's Day and its aftermath have kept me busy, then the indescribable sickness that comes from having fibromyalgia stole most of this last week away from me, keeping me bedridden and much of the time in a deep sleep ( asleep I don't hurt though!). I haven't managed really to get anything new posted on the site, much less make new jewelry (still working on custom orders, too).
The two bracelets here are composed primarily of amethysts, the February birthstone, and I've done something I don't usually do: I've used the same lampwork beads for both bracelets. These lampwork beads are very different from most borosilicate beads; they have different colours and a strange opal-like quality as well without really being opalescent. The colours led to the mixture that you can see in the bracelet above. Large faceted rondelles of pretty blue aquamarine mix well with the amethysts with the addition of the lampwork. And I do love box clasps with stones set in them.
The next amethyst bracelet uses the lampwork beads and dark and light amethysts in faceted nuggets and rounds for a more homogeneous look. Bali and Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver accent the two. They will both be on the Amethyst Bracelets page of the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.
I'm still rushing to catch up, so if you want some information about the amethyst gemstone, where it gets its name, etc. see last year's February post.
Meanwhile, everyone pray for Spring!


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page six

If you're lucky enough to be in Australia (instead of being trapped by blizzard #40 in the Northern Hemisphere), check out The Cloth Issue of map magazine for a short q&a with me. It's also available to read online, and on flickr.

Recent Buys at Westfield Topanga

My recent trip to Westfield Topanga did not leave me empty-handed. In fact, I ended up hauling away quite a large amount of clothing that day. For the sake of my conscience, let's just say that I'm doing my part to stimulate the staggering U.S. economy. Here's some of what I bought:

Above: satin top from Charlotte Russe, pleated cropped pants from H&M, and handbag from Aldo Accessories

Vest and baggy paper bag waist pants from H&M

Floral chiffon top and lace skirt with petticoat from F21. (Apple belt from alloy.com.)

Strapless crochet dress with bubble hem from Charlotte Russe. (I won't wear these gold boots next time I wear the dress, as they visually shorten my legs.) I think it will be fun to layer tights or a striped top under the dress for cooler nights.

Prairie-style floral dress from Nordstrom. The apron silhouette is flattering but somehow reminds me of Little House On The Prairie.

twenty one

...is better than twenty. It's only been a few hours, but I can sense that already. Casanova and Hans Christian Andersen were also born on this date. I wonder if they felt the same way?

Happy birthday to all you Aprilites x

Dreaming of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is one of my favorite gemstones, a member of the beryl family just like my own birthstone, the emerald. Aquamarine comes in a variety of colours, but my favorite is the pure "aquamarine" colour that is a light turquoise blue. Yes, I've been working this weekend, trying to get a bit ready for the March birthstone offerings on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. Of course, bracelets are my favorite! Making aquamarine bracelets is a real joy whether I'm making them with gold or sterling or with or without lampwork beads. The top aquamarine bracelet is a sterling bangle bracelet handmade with Karen Hill Tribes tube beads and one of the huge special aquamarine specimens I ordered from my dealer in Hong Kong. The lampwork beads on either side were made by Lynn Nurge of laffinggull beads.
More special aquamarine beads are in the bracelet below; these came from Thailand and are quite large so that they match the size of the large borosilicate lampwork beads. It's a nice chunky aquamarine bracelet for the person who likes for bracelets to stand out.

The third bracelet illustrates the difference in aquamarines; these are beautiful and quite gemmy, almost crystal clear for the most part with more of a green tint than blue. The lampwork beads by Robin Weber are laced with silver for a really special look.
The earrings both have flower themes - yes, I'm dreaming of spring, the beach in May, long hot summer afternoons by the pool, the smell of fresh-cut grass baking in the summer sun! (Watch, tomorrow the temperature will probably be back below freezing!) By the way, the last piece is an ankle bracelet.



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