how i found my wedding jewelry

Blingy bling bling

Thursday is bling-day here at JGM headquarters -- I just decided that right now -- and in keeping with tradition, let's talk wedding jewelry.

Brides approach the idea of wedding-specific baubles differently. Some brides wear only heirlooms, some break the bank on ten pieces of Graff (take a few minutes to explore their "important stones" page. You're welcome), and if you're a celebrity, Neil Lane designs your ring and then spends the next six months talking to every news outlet on the planet about why it's so special.

Neil and I had a falling out a few years ago over a shipment of canary diamonds, so I'm going the something-borrowed, something-faux route for my own gems. And like Coco Chanel advocated, a lady should always remove one piece of jewelry before she leaves her home. Less is more, kids. Ergo, I'll be dazzling in just two pieces (at the moment): earrings and a bracelet.

My wonderful mother, who has exquisite taste (hence why I "borrow" so many of her pieces), will be lending me her vintage diamond and pearl bracelet. It's very art-nouveau and I like the idea that there's history behind it. Pictures, unfortunately, will have to wait until after the wedding day, but it is very pretty, trust.

And since I'm wearing my hair up, I knew I wanted earrings that were dangly, delicate and very sparkly. You can check out my Pinterest page to see some of my inspiration. Unfortunately, pieces made out of real diamonds were going to set me (cough Mike) back a few more Benjamins than I was willing to spend. And until I get my standing invitation to the Met Ball, I think blowing 3 million on diamonds is just a little bit ... gauche, right?  Even though Mike does inform me that, by the technical definition, we are no long in the recession. Three cheers for positive growth!

Luckily, costume jewelry is plentiful in this great city of mine. And if I can't tell the difference between cubic zirconia and the real deal, then you probably can't either. So if anyone asks at the wedding, yes these are real diamonds and, what's that in my pocket? Oh, it's an invite to Anna's table at the ball. #kthanksbye.

So where did I find my earrings? MyHabit, which makes purchasing online frighteningly easy, since it stores your credit information AND has free shipping. Previous impulse purchases there have included these, lots from here aaaaaaand these. Last week, they were having a sale on Kenneth Jay Lane, to which I was first introduced as wee freshman at Trinity. Preppy girls love KJL. And I have to admit, his stuff is very cool and the price point isn't terrible. The MyHabit sale was specifically all CZ pieces, which was pretty perfect, considering what I was looking for.

The earrings arrived last night and won the approval of all. All meaning Mike (is it weird that he saw them? I think not because all jewelry kind of looks the same to him) and our friend Eliza, who just flew back from China just to see them. Well, that and watch our friend Nana Meriwether become the new Miss Usa. Go Sidwell!

Anyway, I think they're perfect and they were an absolute bargain compared to some of the other designs I was exploring. The anal-retentive side of me is just excited to cross one more thing off the wedding to-do list.