Coffee Break: Skinny Diamond Bracelet

76 Comments

1. Very pretty! I normally go for modern chunky, but this delicate treatment of diamonds feels understated and current.

   TJ. Does anyone own the Elie Tahari Gwyneth wool vneck sheath dress? Or have tried it on? What do you think about quality and fit? Is the sizing like Jcrew? Or does it run small like Theory? Thanks in advance!

   1. I’d say the sizing is like J. Crew. The fit is very different though. J. Crew tends to run too straight-cut for me, while Elie Tahari fits my bust and butt without being baggy in the middle

2. Looking for suggestions for scoop neck shells.

   I have broad shoulders and a smallish chest so crew necks and v-necks don’t work.

   1. There were a couple in the Ann Taylor sale this morning!

   2. I like the seamless tees from WHBM.

3. Very pretty but I find that plated items tarnish quickly. Any way to regilt costume jewelry?

   1. Hold on.. this is $385 regular and it isn’t even gold?

      1. Six thousand dollars?!?!?! It’s not even leath-uh!

         1. I love that movie!

      2. Right? It seems that everything is plated now.

      3. its got diamonds on it though, so that doesn’t seem too outrageous.

         1. Yes, but diamonds of that size on costume jewelry tend to be very low-quality. Diamonds like that are cheap– notice for jewelry like this they never disclose the C’s– likely because these are the rejects for fine jewelry.

   2. I like delicate jewelry and ordered the “friendship bracelet” style from Monica Vinader that was in the NAS. It looked like a little child’s bracelet from Claires. Totally bendable and weird color for rose gold. This one looks even thinner. I can’t imagine how cheap it must look in person.

4. There’s such a thing as a business-attire-appropriate shark tooth necklace, right? Asking for a friend.

   1. Definitely.

      http://www.iconery.com/products/maya-brenner-14k-gold-silver-shark-tooth-necklace?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&gclid=Cj0KEQjw2ua8BRDeusOkl5qth4QBEiQA8BpQcEAvszyd_AWj1E7COU5bCcOD-ano5HgGvwhq-Vhu4l8aAj8G8P8HAQ&variant=16599057157

      1. Yassss.

         1. I mean, my “friend” says “yasss.”

            1. *snort*

      2. That’s $150 dollars? My goodness

   2. Yes. Gogo Jewelry probably has some. I’m not a huge fan, but I’ve got several pieces of her’s that my mom has given me, including the rattlesnake jawbone pendants because “she thought it was appropriate for a lawyer” (thanks, mom), and they are work-appropriately interesting.

      1. Ohmigod I just found my new favorite jewelry store. I LOVE creepy but understated fine jewelry.

         1. Check out Modern Relic online – lots of creepy fine jewelry

5. Tomorrow I have a very important client meeting. I pushed through for the analysis, prepared the printouts, meeting logistics etc. and taking the first train tomorrow to go to client site.
   I try on my killer outfit, but I look “nice” (for lack of a better word, the dress hugs my hips without being bodycon but I can tell my figure). I am cursing myself for having gained the freshman 15 at my new job. It is too late to go and buy an outfit and I tried everything else in my closet.
   Probably no one would notice that I gained few pounds, but the sight of my bosom will haunt me throughout the meeting.
   Superficial, yes, but had to tell someone.
   I should have known better than indulging in all these late night dinners while working.
   Time to get back on the wagon
   P.S. Other than that, I am liking Europe very much and my transition was hard but worth it. The nightmarish weeks prior to me leaving my previous job are now a far memory

   1. Yay Houda! I’m so glad things are working out for you :).

   2. Houda! We missed you! Don’t be harsh on yourself, your clothes still fit, just a little more snug. And be kind – that body and brain helped you crush it at your new job!

   3. If I’m reading this correctly, you are used to dressing modestly and will be uncomfortable since this outfit is more form fitting? From the way you describe it, most people wouldn’t notice it at all since many people have their clothes tailored to be more nipped and form fitting to purposely show their figure. It will look as though you are donning your power outfit! I don’t mean to belittle your discomfort – just to point out that few people are likely to notice it in a negative way, if any. Also, if your concern is your chest area, is there a formal enough scarf that will go with your outfit? I have a large check and when I want to detract from it I will wear a bright scarf to cover the whole area up. I’m glad to hear your job is going so well!

      1. Thanks, I know it is in my head. I have been going by all my life trying to dress modestly so people would focus on my intellect. Having moved into a less judgmental culture, I do still have to adjust.
         the meeting went very well and I know no one didn’t even notice what I was wearing.
         Oh and I ended up wearing “the skirt” in black and realized that it is one of the best purchases ever made thanks to this community. I will definitely be buying more of these. And ya I’m flat as a board, I can get away with almost anything up top.

   4. I’m in the same boat. I tend to prefer my work clothes be on the more conservative side, and I’ve slowly put on a few pounds this year, making a lot of my clothes more form-fitting than usual. Everything feels just a bit tighter and less comfortable than it used to. My reality check was my weigh-in at the doctor’s office yesterday. Time to dial back the indulgent foods and get back to swimming and ballet class for me!

      On the plus side, I’m sure we’re the only ones who really notice!

6. Is there a dream gift you would ask for? Both halves of the couple like to travel, are fun and down to earth. They live in an apartment in a major city and may be moving, so portable/packable is key. Registry is looking a bit bare and I’m happy to do cash but would love to hear your ideas! I thought about a custom quilt (don’t know what color, so eliminated), a travel pushpin map, GC to fancy restaurant, but would love to hear some other ideas

   1. Really great luggage?

      1. I love this idea and thought of it too – the thing is, I’m not sure if they already have great luggage or not. Is it gauche to ask? Would a TUMI gift card be ok – I wouldn’t want to pick a color, etc, that they don’t like

         1. Honestly, if you’re going to do a gift card and you’re fine giving cash, why not just give cash? Who knows if Tumi is their preferred high-end brand, or maybe they’d rather get slightly cheaper luggage but get a bigger set. I don’t know. I just don’t really see the point of gift cards except for people who aren’t comfortable giving cash.

            1. Excellent point, thank you

         2. I’m engaged and wouldn’t mind if somebody asked “hey, I was thinking about getting you X thing as a wedding gift! Would that be something you would enjoy?” And then I could say “Great!” or “Actually, we’ve got that thing covered!” YMMV, of course, depending on whether your friends would give you a straight answer.

            And really, cash is the gift that everybody loves. Maybe with a note that says “For X thing or whatever other special thing strikes your fancy!”

      2. Ooh, like from Joe Versus the Volcano?

   2. Cash.

   3. GoPro or a small, good camera?

   4. oops! See my comment below

   5. If they have a bare registry, it’s because they want cash.

   6. I like giving gift certificates to a theater/series. For example, in Chicago you can give a certificate to exchange for any Steppenwolf production or in other cities, Broadway in xx. That provides a special experience for the couple. If you can pair that with a restaurant gift certificate, it’s a nice night out.

   7. Cash + This (if you want something more personal and travel related). I like to add something small and personal to my cash gifts. There’s also a USA scratch map if they travel more in the US than abroad.
      http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/scratch-map

   8. A haptic lab quilt – they have constellation and city quilts, it’d be easy to personalize. We received one personal to us and love it.

   9. What about custom textiles – a woven blanket or hand knit cashmere blanket

7. If you know where they are going on their honeymoon and if it is foreign, why not give them cash but in the foreign currency. We did this for my brother – we are US-based and they went traveling throughout Europe – and tucked the Euros into his and hers leather passport covers. We did a variety of bills so they could use them as soon as they landed for a taxi, snacks, and then wrote in the card how we hoped they’d tell us of their adventures. (We knew they didn’t have passport covers, but also considered nice leather luggage tags to go with the ‘travel’ theme even though it was still technically cash.) We liked this better than the honeyfunds, which as you know take a portion of the check and we worried would be difficult for them to access.

   1. I LOOOOVE this idea. Thank you!

      1. Along those lines, we received a gift certificate to a renowned restaurant at our honeymoon destination – very sweet, and we loved the experience.

   2. This is genius. I’m going to tuck this idea away for future reference!

   3. This is a really cool idea! I have started buying monogrammed leather passport holders as gifts and so far they’ve been a big hit. Love the foreign currency idea.

   4. I love the look of passport covers, but I used to have one and the agents would always make me remove the passport when I went through customs. I don’t find them that practical in daily life.

      1. I agree they’re not very practical. Also make damn sure you know whether the bride is changing her name before getting anything monogrammed. My BFF got a bunch of stuff in the monogram of her “new” name… except she was keeping her name but just hadn’t widely publicized that fact. And if she is changing her name, for a monogram you have to know if she’s keeping her middle or taking her maiden as her middle. Weddings and monograms don’t mix, IMO.

      2. They’re not practical for travel but I bought one when I lived in a place where I always had to carry my passport with me because I didn’t want it getting bashed up (it was new at the time and was my first 10-year one)

   5. Two words: Gene. Yuss.

   6. Haha, thanks everyone! It was my mom’s idea initially! It also erased the headache of them trying to cash their checks and get Euros on a Sunday when they left Monday morning or exchange at the airport!

      I agree, monograms are a touchy subject so we got one black leather one and one blue leather one from Tumi (they could monogram it later if they wanted) with no writing on them. To avoid the monogram, you could always have it as Mr. and Mrs. or His and Hers or just do two non-gendered colors like we did. As I said we also considered luggage tags.

      1. I would love luggage tags — big ones to help identify our bags at the baggage claim. I’ve found passport covers to be super impractical because you always have to take the passport of the cover to actually use it.

      2. Yes to the foreign currency to use on honeymoon – someone did this for us and it was awesome not to have to worry about exchanging $ right away. It was a close family member so they told us in advance the gift would be in CAD so we knew not to run around trying to exchange before departure.

8. I just got a mega bill from Nordstrom because of my crazy NAS shoppping that led to a ton of returns. So, how do I handle that? It’s not due for a couple of weeks, so will they automatically adjust the amount due once they receive all of the returns?

   And how long do the returns usually take? I sent off my first batch on Saturday and haven’t received an email yet.

   1. They probably won’t send you an updated bill, but if you pay online, you will see that the balance is lower once the returns have processed. Most stores take about a week to process returns once they receive them.

      1. Nordstrom often takes longer, in my personal experience and in that of other commenters here. If there are late fees and/or interest charges at stake, can you pay in full and get a credit/refund later?

      2. If you don’t pay online, you can call the number on the card and get an updated balance the day (or a day before) you are going to pay the bill.

   2. If possible go to the store and return in person. The returns will be processed much faster and should act to reduce your amount owed on your credit card before the bill comes due in a couple of weeks.

9. For the past week I have been extremely unproductive because I start getting congested, having a runny nose and having my eyes get itchy and swollen around midafternoon. No changes in my routine, though my office furniture was replaced around the time this started. I feel fine when I go to work in the morning. I don’t usually have allergies, but could I be allergic to my office? And if I am, what do I do? (Not thrilled about taking allergy meds daily.) I can’t compare symptoms out of the office because I have not had a day off in a month. (Which is also why I have not been able to see a doctor.)

   1. Try to leave your office door open as much as possible, including over-night. Also, running a fan 24/7 for awhile will help, if it is the new furniture. When we got new desks, I have this reaction too until the “new” smell went away

      1. Thanks, will give it a try. This is miserable.

      2. New furniture can offgas for quite some time depending on the chemicals used. Not sure allergy meds would help with this. If it continues I would discuss with your doctor. as mentioned above better ventilation may help. I’ve read that plants can also be helpful for dealing with indoor air pollution. But if you are chemically sensitive you may want to ask for the return of the old furniture or for new furniture that meets greenguard standards for indoor air quality.

   2. I had this issue when I lived in a small apartement in Manhattan. There were roache’s that I was allergeic to. Dad found out and bought me a new apartement. See if there are roaches at work and get the manageing partner to get rid of them or move office’s. That should do it. YAY!

10. Anyone bought or would like to search for me for something around $10 (up to $15) in the NAS that seems food (if not, I’ll probably buy socks or underwear…). I am on a shopping ban but want to spend my notes…

    1. That seems good, not food…

11. Paging KT – I hope you might be reading tonight. Earlier today I commented that I was supposed about your GWTW post, but I want to say that I reread the thread and am impressed by your approach and openness to all the ideas people shared. I think you showed real grace and you’re right, what’s so wonderful about this blog is that it’s a safe space. I just wanted to let you know that I did not intend to hurt you with my post and I apologize if I did that.

    1. Thank you, and thank you to everyone who participated in what I thought was a really great discussion.

       And no apology necessary!

12. I made a mistake and am trying to fix it. Needed to reserve airplane flight and didn’t which is bad for my kid. Now the price is $1000+ (normally $400) which I can’t afford and am trying to find other options. Priceline has a link that you click where you don’t know the exact time of the flight or airline for cheap – say $540. But I keep clicking and it says not available. How does priceline work? Are those cheap flights really available or is priceline just trying to get an airline to bid the route at the stated price?

    Any other ideas for cheap prices? Do I just go down the list to orbitz, expedia? I am really having a hard time today. help me hike, Thanks

    1. When’s the flight? What are the destinations? How does this have to do with being a mom, whether good or bad?

       Have you checked hotwire? the individual airline websites? southwest?

       Can you move around the days or times?

       Take a deep breath. Airline tickets are enough to drive anyone crazy. This will work out.

    2. I have some ideas (I’m super cheap so always try to find work arounds) —

       1. put out the word to see if you know anyone who works at Delta/knows someone with a family/friend airline pass.
       2. do you have any miles you can use?
       3. have you tried /are you able to do flexible dates AND/OR flexible airports? for example, I’m in LA and have done OC in a pinch and it is NBD for me. If you are more remote, that’s a problem.
       4. southwest – wanna get away
       5. I can’t answer your ? specifically but definitely see what “last minute flights” those companies are offering or special deals. sign up for emails if you have to. Get an expedia or travelocity account.
       6. last resort: train? you don’t specify how long this flight is or what it is for. i’m sure it is not as bad for your kid as you think. take a deep breath. we all make mistakes & they are meaningless later on. I’m sure you are a great mom!

    3. The name your own price thing is real – but sounds like they’re not going accept the price you put in. You may need to go higher.

    4. Different airline and/or airport (if possible, depends what the kid really needs to do).

       Points- see if family members or friends have them. Transfer fees can be a lot but probably not $600 depending where you’re trying to go.

    5. Apply for a capital one venture or a barclays arrival plus card. buy the 1k flight with the card, and then meet the minimum spend requirements with your regular spending. when you get the 40,000 point bonus, redeem it against the flight charge. 600$ sucks but it doesn’t suck as much as 1000$.

    6. Well I’m no longer a bad mom. (Backstory is that it’s an event on Monday afternoon where had to be there so not flexible with time/date. Flying Sunday afternoon.) Got good $525 deal on hotwire. United Airlines. Arriving at 10:30pm both ways but that is expected whenever flying from one coast to another. One stop each way, less than two hour layovers, both legs with stop in the midwest. Assuming no flights cancelled because of mid-west thunderstorms (which affects every traveler every summer) timing should work.

       Thanks to the hive for the help.

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