Category Archives: ACCESSORIES
MARC BY MARC JACOBS BAG REVIEW
I have 2 bags from MARC BY MARC JACOBS. The first bag I got, I used for a year straight and the bag looks almost brand new. It’s made of nylon which makes it easy to clean by using a little soap and water on a cloth. The leather handles have remained strong with little to no sign of use. My second bag has been a bit of a disappointment. It’s made of genuine leather. I’ve been using it for 7 months straight since receiving it during the 2011 holiday season. The handles on the satchel started to show signs of wear in its 6 month of use. I’m almost afraid to use it anymore because the gold is wearing away so quickly. Maybe it’s the color I chose or the type of handle that is on this bag. All I know is I love it but I’m reconsidering my next bag purchase from this brand.
First Marc By Marc Jacobs bag purchase. Made of Nylon and leather. After 1 year of use, the bag almost looks brand new.
Marc by Marc Jacobs genuine gold leather satchel.
After 7 months of use, this handle as well as the other handle is losing its gold leather color.
CASUAL EVERYDAY JEWELRY
KAUAI KASUAL is undergoing website design but the jewelry store is open. Inventory is small at this time but new styles will be added weekly. An official grand opening will feature all of Kauai Kasual’s content.
2012 JEWELRY
My favorite bracelets for this year so far has been shell bangles and leather wrap bracelets. I’m very happy with my most current gold bangle by an OAHU artist, MISHA HAWAII. I was very lucky to find it in one of my favorite stores on KAUAI because there were only 2 bangles to choose from. Unlike ones I’ve had in the past, this one is sturdy, has the perfect thickness, it’s hammered to perfection, and it hasn’t tarnished where its been torched closed after many uses at the beach.
The ultimate leather wrap bracelet is made by CHAN LUU. I’ve been following her line of apparel, scarves and jewelry ever since she came to Kauai last December for a trunk show held at SAND PEOPLE. She brought over a huge selection of merchandise. I’m also enjoying DIY leather wrap bracelets because they are so cheap, wearable in the water and can be banged around without much damage. Chan Luu bracelets are expensive and made with genuine quality leathers, beads, metals, threads and clasps, so I baby them more than I do a DIY piece.
These pieces, paired with my pieces from last year are very causal, laid back and wearable for almost everyday of the week.
GOLD BANGLE
CHAN LUU LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS
DIY LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS
THE SAK CASUAL CLASSIC
Just in time for summer, I found a great deal on THE SAK CLASSIC CROCHET MINI CROSS BODY BAG. It’s been a real long time since I spent so little on a bag. For me, this will not be an everyday bag but I have been enjoying it on trips to the mall as a pop of color against a neutral outfit.
BEACHY ACCESSORY
I’ll be working a surfing event that’s coming up at the end of the month. To accessorize my favorite watch, I purchased a bracelet set from AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS. The look is simple, beachy and fun. For information on the watch that I’m wearing, use this LINK.
SUNGLASSES AT THE BEACH
It’s tempting to wear your favorite high end designer sunglasses to the beach but don’t do it. I learned the hard way recently that even if you are super good about caring for your sunglasses, accidents do happen. You can read the write up I did on my lost pair of SALVATORE FERRAGAMO shades at the beach HERE. Do instead, invest in a less expensive polarized pair of shades. Polarized sunglasses are the best at the beach because your view of the ocean and surroundings are much more clear and colorful. I love looking at the ocean and seeing fish swimming around and the jagged reef from where I’m standing on shore. You don’t get that kind of view with regular sunglasses. The cheapest polarized pair of sunglasses that I have owned were from FILTRATE EYEWEAR. Prices range from $50-$60 and all styles are polarized. The only problem I ran into was the corner of the lenses began to delaminate on one side after owning it for 1 year. Another member of my family purchased a pair of Filtrate sunglasses at the same time as me and ran into the same problem. That was approximately a year and a half ago and I’ve heard that the company would be looking into the problem and fixing it since they had other customers with the same experience. Currently I’m using ELECTRIC BSG POLARIZED sunglasses. It’s a brand that I trust and have been using for years. This particular Electric pair that I’m using now is my first polarized style from the company. When you visit their website, you can choose 3 different levels of polarization. Visit ELECTRICVISUAL.COM for more information.
LEAVE YOUR HIGH END DESIGNER PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AT HOME
DO BRING A POLARIZED PAIR OF SUNGLASSES TO THE BEACH INSTEAD
ELECTRIC BSG POLARIZED SUNGLASSES
A GREAT BAG (LOUIS VUITTON)
Almost 5 years ago, I visited Kauai’s neighboring island of OAHU and purchased my first Louis Vuitton item in the ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER. One month later, I visited my sister in MAUAI, Kauai’s other neighboring island. It’s a little farther away from Kauai than Oahu. It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there from Kauai. During my visit, I purchased the accessory to go along with my first purchase from the SHOPS AT WAILEA. After almost 5 years of use, mostly during evening events and nice dinners, the bag and card carrier is in excellent condition. You can’t tell from these pictures but there is some signs of wear on the handle due to many uses. I love getting a quality item at a great discount. Unfortunately there is no such thing as sales at Louis Vuitton. However, for the price I paid and the number of years I’ve had it and the future use I will get out of it, it was well worth the money. I can’t remember the official style name for each item but I’ve included the style number and description off my original receipts.
M51900 RECITAL AND M61733 PTE CARTES SIMPLE
It is a very small bag but it carries everything I need for an evening out including the card carrier, a camera, a smart phone, a small lip gloss, a small compact eye shadow and a small hand sanitizer.
CHAN LUU JEWELRY
CHAN LUU has an amazing collection of high end DIY jewelry. Her collection has pieces made up of high quality leather, semi precious stones, colored cotton cord, crystals, precious pearls and many more. Her pieces are very pricey but so worth the money. Purchases that are made in a store can be returned at any time if there is a defect of any sort. A friend of mine lost one of her semi precious stones in her MIX WRAP BRACELET and she was able to return it to the store and have it fixed by Chan Luu at no cost to her. If ordered through Chan Luu’s online store, there’s a guarantee of a replacement or full refund if your jewelry is incorrect or defective in any way. I’ve included a video featuring the spring/summer 2012 collection.
SPROUT WATCHES
SPROUT makes eco-friendly watches for men and women that I think are very unique and affordable. Prices start at $30 and go on up to $80. There are different styles and colors to choose from including tyvek, corn resin bracelets, organic cotton and fish leather. My interest immediately went to the FISH LEATHER style because the dial face is fairly plain and medium in size, giving all of the attention to the fish leather which is soft on top and durable on the bottom and the color of the leather is a tone that is neutral making it a daytime piece that would compliment a casual outfit very nicely. These retail for $65 at SPROUT.COM
JEWELRY AND HANDBAG CLOSET ORGANIZER
During the year, I organize the closets in my home several times. Prior to Christmas, I always minimize as much as possible to get everyones closets ready for new clothes, fashion accessories and any other item they may receive as gifts from family and friends. Using closet organizers help me a lot to maximize the space of each closet especially the small ones. I found 2 closet organizers from KOHLS for organizing jewelry and handbags. The jewelry organizer could also be used for organizing hair pins and clips. Both can be hung in the closet with it’s single hook that goes easily over any closet rod. Click the link under each image for more information.
WHITMOR HANGING JEWELRY ORGANIZER $29.99
