Hello Hauteness

I am very excited to write this post because I have the pleasure of spotlighting my good friend Meredith Budwin and her fabulous jewelry line, Merah.  For years Meredith struggled with a nickel allergy that made it hard to find stylish, trendy earrings that did not irritate her skin.  I remember that she always wore the same pair of classic diamond studs because it was the only earring she could wear because the posts were solid gold.  Imagine if all of the earrings you wore had to be made of solid gold.  It would get a little expensive, right?

Well after some time spent researching the market for 100% nickel-free earrings and finding nothing, Mere made the brave decision to quit her job and open an affordable online boutique to cater to other stylish women with the same problem.  And this is how Merah was born.

All of Merah’s styles are on hypoallergenic earring hooks made from a metallic element that is 100% nickel-free without any impurities, similar to solid gold, but for a fraction of the price. Unlike other metals commonly used in “hypoallergenic” earrings, this element is commonly used in medical implants due to its nonreactive nature.  Pretty smart discovery on Meredith’s part if you ask me.  The feedback she’s received from customers has been overwhelming.

“The response to Merah has been incredible – countless women have shared their stories with us,” said Meredith. “Before Merah, some of our customers had simply stopped wearing earrings altogether while others opted to suffer through a few uncomfortable hours of wearing earrings for special occasions. I love being able to tell women with sensitive ears that there is a pain-free and affordable option now.”

In addition to the usual Merah baubles, I am also thrilled to announce that just last week Merah introduced a beyond fabulous designer collection featuring styles from none other than BonBon by Micah Yancey.  You can now choose from 13 one-of-a-kind BonBon designs with hypoallergenic hooks!  Love.  It.

So whether you’re an allergy sufferer or not, be sure to check out the chic styles at www.ShopMerah.com.  Merah offers up 45 styles ranging in price from $20 to $98 with free domestic shipping.  You can’t beat that!

Kudos to Meredith for making a company out of problem for which she couldn’t find a solution.  I’m very proud of her and of Merah!

Be sure to follow Merah on Facebook and Twitter for special discounts and announcements.

So, do you guys remember the post I did on City Siren Creations back in December?  If you don’t, go back and read it…then go buy one of Jena’s pieces here.  I’m not kidding.  Do it.

Jena modeling my favorite style, The Muse.

Why am I spouting off shopping orders to you, you might ask?  Well, after recovering from my November/December spending, I finally ordered The Muse from City Siren a few weeks ago.  I had been wanting it since I met up with Jena in NYC to talk about her pieces and first put it’s fabulousness around my neck, but I was on a spending freeze   I figure it’s a good thing that I waited though, because I really thought about what style and color I wanted before I purchased (at least that’s what I’m telling myself).

After ordering The Muse in Cranberry, I figured it would be a while before I got it.  Afterall, Jena custom knits each piece, so I thought it would take her a few weeks.  Nope.  Within a week she was emailing me to tell me it was complete and ready to ship.  Oh. My. God.  That’s what I call service!

So color me happy when I got a soft USPS bag delivered to my desk first thing Friday morning and found my warmer inside!  It was love at first sight!  I automatically knew I had ordered the right color for me.  The Cranberry is a deep, yummy red that will look good next to my pale skin and dark hair.  Win!

Oh, and the yarn felt super soft and fluffy as soon as I wrapped it around my neck.  As someone who has an obsession with scarves and loves the cozy feeling of something around my neck, nothing beat the sensation of burying myself in this luscious piece.  Love. It.

Not to mention, I was leaving for NYC that evening so it arrived at the perfect time.  While I’ll definitely wear it in Texas, The Muse was certainly designed for the cold weather of the Northeast.  And considering I’m spending a lot of time up there visiting a certain cute New Yorker, I know it was a smart buy.

Needless to say, I’m VERY happy with what I got for my money.  Jena creates beautiful, quality pieces in record time and is a fellow blunt, hardcore Texas longhorn woman…so of course I heart heart her and her designs!

Seriously.  Check out City Siren Creations.  Guys, this is a great idea for gaining creative gift points with your favorite lady on Valentine’s Day.  Just sayin’…

(Photo credits go to Rich who was nice enough to cater to his fashion blogger girlfriend who just HAD to get pics in the snow wearing her new warmer.)

I’m like a child.  I’m constantly distracted by shiny objects.  I am at the point where I can’t even have a conversation without going off on a tangent (there are shiny objects of all kinds afterall, even in conversation and thought processing).

This holiday I am literally distracted by all that is glittering in the stores.  From shoes to scarves to makeup, sequins and glitter are all the rage. Inspired by this emphasis on shininess and the excitement that surrounds the holiday season, I found some of my favorite shiny objects currently available and thought I’d share them with you.

While I love a classic sequin dress for the holidays (a sequin black LBD is a staple for any girl’s closet), my preference for adding a little glitter to my wardrobe is via accessorizing.  That way you add a little flash without blinding a room full of people.  The clutches above are a fabulous way to sparkle, as well as hats like the one below or even a pair of Tom’s.

Ladies, are you sitting down?  Ugg is looking to up their ante in the male market with their line of Muggs (that’s right, Muggs=Man Uggs) and guess who they chose to be their spokesperson?  Ok, the title of this post kinda gives it away, but…it’s Tom Brady!

The New England Patriots quarterback, also known Mr. Giselle Bundchen, will be featured in ad campaigns for the Australian shoe line starting in the Fall of 2011.  While I think he’s pretty and all, he doesn’t really do it for me, but I know lots of ladies who would love to see his face in more magazine ads.

Guys, what do you think?  Does this make you want to buy Uggs or do you take the same stance as my boyfriend and think Mr. Brady is a bit less manly for his new endorsement deal?

I am lucky enough to have some really fabulous friends…who in turn, have some really fabulous friends.  One particular friend, the one-and-only Brittney, introduced me to her friend Jena via email last month because she creates gorgeous knit pieces.  All I had to do is click on the link Brittney sent me to Jena’s Etsy site, City Siren Creations, and I was hooked.  I immediately made a lunch date with this creative little designer while I was in New York.

I met up with Jena for lunch at Dean and Deluca where we talked crochet, New York, dating, and our love of Texas.  She is a fellow Texas Longhorn from none other than the small town of Mason, TX.  Since Mason is only an hour or so away from where my Dad lives, I was excited to find myself sitting across the table from a Texas girl in New York City.  Jena moved to NYC just over 2 years ago to pursue a career using her theater and dance degree.  She has since found some film work while maintaining a full-time job and also teaching herself to crochet.  Awesome huh?!

After learning the art of crochet back in July, Jena was inspired by her love of Etsy to open up a shop and sell her amazing knit pieces.  While oftentimes handmade knitwear can look, well, granny-like, Jena’s main goal is to keep it simple and chic.  She doesn’t do fancy, overly complicated designs because she doesn’t want you to look like you’re wearing a doily.  And she achieves it perfectly!

When we met she brought along three of her designs so I could see, touch, feel, and of course, try on.  All of these things I did while looking at her in awe of what she has taught herself to do in less than 6 months.  Each piece is beautifully made and stylish while providing unbelievable warmth.  She currently has six designs on her site and you can choose your yarn color from the palette below of 27 colors.  So many options!!!

One word sums up her designs for me:  cozy.  Putting each of these on made me feel cozy, girly, and chic all at once.  Need I say more???

Check out the little fashion show we had right in the middle of Dean & Deluca:

Jena’s pieces are truly unique and special.  I highly recommend that if you’re looking for something different to give to a lady in your life, consider visiting City Siren Creations on Etsy.  Not only will you be giving a one-of-a-kind gift, you’ll be supporting a talented young designer.  I personally am currently trying to decide which color I’m going to order The Muse in (the one I’m wearing in the center pics).

Thanks for taking the time to meet with me Jena!  And of course a special thanks to Brittney for turning me on to this wonderful designer!