Black Lives Matter

As my children grow older and their needs change, I'm constantly reevaluating my entrepreneurial endeavors. I rarely find time to blog.

When COVID-19 happened, the children's needs multiplied. My husband's last day of work was March 13th. Day by day I've found it harder and harder to maintain an online presence. Sales have crashed. The price of materials have gone up considerably. Etsy is now charging advertising fees. 

Oh how I wish that was the last thing I had to complain about. Just when I thought things couldn't get much worse, the murder of George Floyd happened. It was heartbreaking to discuss it with my boys. My teenage daughter was up until all hours of the night for days, enraged. She returned from protests even more distraught.

Normally I wouldn't take my blog to such a deep, dark place but I simply cannot remain silent. I've been listening, praying, asking God for healing and forgiveness, learning, and in many ways trying to unlearn.

For starters, I'll be donating 100% from the sale of this dress to the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. Additionally, I'll donate 10% of all sales from instagram and my vintage Etsy shop now through Juneteenth (June 19th).

To purchase the dress please comment on my Instagram post or send a direct message.

 There's so much more I need to do, to make the most of the time God has given me, but I must start somewhere. Won't you join me? Thank you for your support and taking the time to read.

100 Engravable Ideas That'll Make Her Cry

Nothing says I love you like a thoughtfully chosen, engraved keepsake. Stumped on just what to say? I've compiled a list of unique engravable pet names, phrases, quotes, dates and more to help you find the right words to say. Share what you chose in the comments! 

Click on the pictures to purchase the engravables shown from my online Stella & Dot boutique!

https://www.stelladot.com/sites/modernjewelry

 

Nicknames

1. Unusual name only you call your loved one, like Mimi or Auntie

2. Term of endearment - Sweetie, Honey, Pooky, Babe, Muffin
3. Number in birth order

4. Mama Bear, saurus, shark

5. Mother of Dragons

6. Chaos Coordinator

Matching Necklaces

7. Peanut Butter, Jelly

8. Peas, Carrots

9. Chips, Salsa
10. Milk, Cookies

11. Big Sister, Little Sister

Mark an Occasion or Date

12. Wedding anniversary

13. A date of remembrance

14. Graduation year

15. Year they were born

16. Coordinates of birthplace, where of where you met, your wedding

17. Bridesmaid/Maid of Honor/Flower Girl

18. I Still Do

19. Oh Happy Day

20. Gotcha day

Hobby Inspired

21. Ride or Die

22. Baller

23. Cat Mom

24. Fur Mama

25. Plant Lady

26. Outdoorsy, Indoorsy

27. Pokemon username or social media handle

28. Cereal Killer

29. 26.2

30. Army Wife

31. I'd rather be golfing

32. I Need More Space

33. Stargazer

34. Sports # or team name

Movie, Play & TV Quotes

35. MFEO

36. Just Keep Swimming

37. Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

38. There's No Place Like Home

39. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

40. To Infinity, and Beyond!

41. Go ahead, make my day!

42. Take that, you filthy animal!

43. Thank You for Being a Friend

44. Nailed It

45. No Day But Today

46. Passionately Smashin' Every Expectation

47. Character from their favorite show that they most embody

Book Quotes

48. Oh the Places You'll Go!

49. I'll Eat You Up, I Love You So

50. You are Your Best Thing

51. So It Goes

52. I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship

53. Team Slytherin

Lyrics

54. I Love You a Bushel & a Peck

55. Living on a prayer

56. You are my sunshine

57. Just Breathe

58. It is Well with My Soul

59. Just a Small Town Girl

60. Don't Dream It, Be It!

61. Can't Touch This

Faith Inspired

62. Favorite Bible verse

63. Be Still

64. Love Never Fails

65. Blessed

66. Chosen

67. Child of the King

68. Forgiven

69. Saved by Grace

70. For This Child I Prayed

71. Thankful

72. Faith Over Fear

Words of Encouragement

73. Fighter, Survivor

74. I Think I Can

75. One Day at a Time

76. Believe

77. Brave

Empowering Words

78. Legend

79. Boss

80. Fearless

81. Redeemed

Reminders

82. Be Kind

83. Choose Love

84. Loved

85. Dream

86. Be the Change

87. Carpe Diem

88. I love you to the moon & back

Humor

89. Not Today Satan

90. Not a Hugger

91. My Circus, My Monkeys

92. Stay Salty

93. Happy Little Accident

94. Bless Your Heart

95. Feed me tacos and tell me I'm pretty

96. Bees Knees

97. Fries Before Guys

98. Go Ask Your Dad

99. Hot Mess

100. *You're

Don't forget to pick up an engravable for yourself!

 https://www.stelladot.com/sites/modernjewelry

My Latest Obsession: Stella & Dot

The cat's out of the bag, I'm officially an independent Stella & Dot stylist!

In case you missed my last blog post, Chloe + Isabel announced the closing of it's doors. It took me a little time to move on and jump in to the next thing, but one day of friend of mine said, "Melanie, you've just got to do it, what are you waiting for?" That same day I started proudly talking about my new love and I'm now 100% fully immersed in Stella & Dot. I'm not gonna lie, I am completely obsessed! Come see why:

The Jewelry

I mean I'm a jewelry girl, are you a jewelry girl? I come from a long line of jewelry loving people. Even my Daddy wore jewelry. I love how eclectic Stella & Dot jewelry is. They've got all my moods covered from casual chic Monday to ride or die Saturday. My first head over heels piece so far is this rose gold necklace called "Fleur", gasp! I can't get over the $59 price tag, what a steal!

Apparel, Accessories, Handbags + More

I'd be happy with just the jewelry. But when you find a company with the style you're going for and then realize they've got your whole look covered, your heart skips a beat. Scroll back through my blog and you'll see this collaboration was meant to be.

9 out of 10 people I tell I'm moving to Stella & Dot say, "I love their handbags!" Naturally, I had to see for myself. I picked up the gorgeous "Crisscross Hobo" from the sale section. It's so perfect! Flat bottom, comfortable strap, pocket inside, pocket outside, neutral. You need this!

PS The glasses are S&D, too! Very lightweight, comfortable and stylish.

Value

Disclaimer: Almost 40 year old me is still somewhat stuck in the 90s. Remember when gas was 99 cents a gallon? Sometimes I still think I can run to JcPenny and find the perfect pair of earrings for my mom for $10. Those were the days, but let's get real! We were all shrouded in polyester and our jewelry looked like Barbies. My point is times have changed, thankfully! 2019 me wants ethically sourced, timeless jewelry that is not mass produced, and you get what you pay for. I think the value at Stella & Dot is exceptional given our in house, unique designs.

Speaking of value, our engravables are top notch and very reasonably priced. Hurry up and get this "Signature Engravable Hexagon Necklace" before it sells out like it's rose gold counterpart. It's super luxe. I was pleasantly surprised it was engraved and shipped the next day!

Value Added

There's so much more to it than a great product. To get back the "why" I do this, ultimately I value my time with family above all else. It's incredibly refreshing to find a company that empowers me to support my family by providing all that I need to successfully run a business from home. I realize a lot of women reading this are thinking about branching out into the world of entrepreneurship, but it's really quite scary. Why not let Stella & Dot assume some of that risk for you?

What will that mean for those of you coming along as customers? You can support my small business, but have all the benefits of shopping a stable, reputable, successful brand. I know you'll enjoy the fast and furious shipping and ease of returns and replacements. Did I mention killer host rewards and Style Club offers? We are going to have so much fun.

Community

And it IS fun! Is there anything better than shopping with friends? In my 3 years with Chloe + Isabel I learned that what keeps you going, gives meaning to what you do is not what you do but who you do it with. I am so happy I've found a new home in Stella & Dot.

Won't you come along with me? It just wouldn't be the same without you! Come check out my new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Melanies-Style-Lounge-106340404041143/

Please use it as a jumping off point to shop, find my VIP community, reach out to me and learn more about Stella & Dot.

See you there!

Goodbye C+I - The End of an Era

On July 1, 2019 executive chairwoman Connie Tang announced the closure of Chloe + Isabel July 31, 2019 to it's community of merchandisers. The news came as a shock to our community. While the company put forth great effort towards growth and development, this nearly 8 year old jewelry empire simply could not achieve the trajectory necessary to withstand these hard economic times.

To say I will miss Chloe + Isabel is an understatement. When I began in May of 2016 I could not have imagined how far this journey would take me. I traveled to Montreal, Paris! But the real joy has been in the everyday conversations, sharing of ideas and inspiration with like minded women, and making of lifelong friends. I will treasure these jewels for a lifetime!

Be sure to shop your C+I wishlist before it's too late! Whether you've had your eye on the most recent Riviera Maya collection or have a mile long list you've created over the years, take advantage of the markdowns.

And please know that every purchase, every word of encouragement, every time you volunteered to host, to help, all of the shared pictures, every gesture big or small means more to me than words can say. This might be goodbye to C+I but I hope you'll follow me to the next adventure! It just wouldn't be the same without you.

Summer Sandal Trends 2019

It's officially bare foot, I mean sandal season here in sunny Southern California. Summer is arguably everyone's favorite season: long days, vacation, sunshine, fireworks, beaches, floats, berries, barbecues, what's not to love?

Summer shoes are no exception. I love all the things! Move over booties, our toes are ready to see some sun! Let's check out the latest shoe trends for summer.

But first, let me let you in on a little secret: summer shoes trends really don't change. Still, it wouldn't be any fun to ignore the latest trends in color, textiles, and embellishments. So I've put together a mix of both of haute must-haves and timeless classics, keeping in mind made to last brands. Click on any picture to shop my affiliate links.

Flip Flops

Talk about timeless, nothing says summer like a pair of Rainbow flip flops. Grab these in classic tan (yellow) bamboo, lavender or pink. If you haven't tried this famous footwear founded in Laguna Beach, take this California girl's advice and try some!

 

T-Strap

On to flip flop's fashionable friend, the t-strap. When you must have something between your toes, reach for the brand know for high quality craftsmanship, Havaianas. 

Slides

Perhaps your toes prefer more freedom, enter slides.

I'm going to ignore those throwback slides you're seeing everywhere because honestly, I can't wait to see them leave. If you don't know what I'm talking about it rhymes with Lirkenstocks and the 90s can keep them.

 

 

Speaking of throwbacks, I should warn you, Crocs and Teva are returning. I'm speechless. Moving on.

Strappy Sandals

Are your feet not so sure they are ready for summer? Get a little more coverage (and flair) with these festival ready flats. These are more or less gladiator sandals, timeless!

Huarache

Festival season might be over, but peep toe woven huarache season is not. I vote for white, probably the hottest shoe color this summer. Aren't these perfect to go with your button down linen dresses and jumpers?

If you are looking for something a little more 2019, check these out.

D'orsay

You'll also need something sophisticated to pair with your new favorite paper bag styles.

  

Espadrilles

Soludos really knows how to espadrille. How cute is this stripe?! 

Platforms 

SO excited for this trend because 1. Height and 2. Comfort. This version is like espadrilles more serious older sister.

Big straps are haute and I'm pretty okay with that.

Stacked Heels

Admittedly this post has been a little monotone til now, but purposefully. That's the trend! But I was also saving the most fun for last.

This really is the perfect category for branching out and trying trends. Check out the chunk on this heel! And the color, swoon!

I can't ignore pink either (bossy pink as Pantone calls it), or the cutouts on this pair. If you need something a little fancier to wear with your LBD, please wear these so I can live vicariously through you.

Finally, some pom poms, because why not. Seize the long summer days!

Which is headed for your shopping cart? Comment below, shopping is always more fun with friends!

Handbags Trends to Match Your Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2019

The last week before school got out I took advantage of some time alone and some shopping. I found some really cute clothes! I had less luck finding a fun summer bag. I guess you could say after 16 straight years of carrying around a bag full of "just in case" for the kids, I'm ready for something...impractical! Trusty internet, you never fail me.

I am really loving this year's trend in all things straw! The textures, shapes, and adornments give me that throw-back, vintage vibe. What that translates to is timeless, and that's the kind of wardrobe staple I'm looking for.

To me, straw sounds perfect for everything from a casual dinner out (tacos!) to a bike ride/stroll on the beach. It's the perfect neutral whether you a capsule gal or a colorful, eclectic style maven. I think you know what I'm tacoin' about, hehe.

Now on to shopping! Click on any picture and follow my affiliate links to get shop along. There's so much to pick from! I can't wait to see what catches your eye. Leave a comment with your favorite!

How cute are these small crossbody bags?

The tassels, eek!

And these embroidered clutches definitely make me smile.

I saw something like this next one in the store and it's probably why I can't get straw out of my mind. I'm glad I have the option to buy it online, I know it won't be there if I go back (Marshalls). The size is nice, the tassels are bright, and it zips!

Straw if fun but I'm not set on it. I'm digging this boho, macrame/crocheted nylon option.

So...the price is so good I ordered one in the process of writing this post. It comes in white, too, which is really haute this summer.

I'm all about a clutch but if you need a handle, I love this option.

I mean, I'm not opposed to cotton, either. If the idea of straw makes you itchy check out this 100% cotton option from Grace & Lace.

I mean clearly I've gone down a rabbit hole at this point but I simply could not leave out the fun acrylic styles I came across because, well look at them!

Click here to find Green, Multicolor, Tortoise, Pearl, Blue, Pink, Glitter, Silver or Marigold.

And with that little detour I fell hard for and carted this bamboo purse from Vince Camuto. 

I know it's not practical but I'm not taking it to work. I like that it sits flat. And if it doesn't work out, Amazon Prime has such easy returns.

Last, check out this kind of a hybrid of all the above. I'm dying over the patterns on the inserts!

You can choose from hummingbird, tropical or lemon. You can even buy the inserts separately and use them with the acrylic style! (Just be sure the sizes match).

So what do you think? Are you sold on "straw"? Which is your favorite?

Happy Amazon shopping!