Be-Jeweled and Be-Dazzled

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I've been thinking a lot about 'balance' these days. I try to find balance in all areas of my life...between my family and my social life, between being busy and finding time to relax, between beauty and modesty. I try to find balance between giving in to my kids and still remaining firm about things that are important, between taking care of others and taking care of myself, between enjoying good food and having self control and between being frugal and splurging on special items. The list can go on and on and everyone who knows me knows I'm not a believer in extremes. There is one exception to this rule though, and that is when it comes to fabulous jewelry. There is no middle road...either your jewels are dazzling or they are duds.

Two such jewelry collections that recently caught my attention are Ivanka Trump's Collection and the less known and more recent 'Style of Jolie' collection by Angelina Jolie. They include pieces that are bold, rich looking and impeccably designed by gorgeous and intelligent women. That in itself is inspirational. Here are my favorites from each collection. Enjoy browsing because these pieces are probably too costly for most people, but don't worry....I will show you similar pieces for under $100. And at the end I put together my own 'collection' of pretty pieces....and the best part? Those are all under $50!

My Favorites From Ivanka's Collection