design crush: dream studio tour

To some, this studio may look familiar. That is because it is the headquarters for Pink Loves Brown, a Chicago based stationary line designed by Nicole, of the popular design blog, Making It Lovely (home of these great photos).

I will cut to the chase and admit that I have a huge design/career crush on Nicole. Her lifestyle in Chicago incorporates a successful business and a house worth blogging about- two things that I hope to one day achieve on a similar level. I have the business part started, but my own jewelry studio is "cute, but no cigar" to this amazing 150 square foot workspace. Can you believe that all of this wonderful resides in a spare bedroom of an Oak Park bungalow?

Moral of the story?
1.) It can be done.
2.) I have some work to do.

Just the right shade of blush for the walls.

Nicole installed these bamboo floors herself!

I. Adore. These. Shelves.

FYI: My packing station has some explaining to do.

Genius! I have this same shoe caddy from Target.

no paint artwork in 15 minutes

Simple white canvases above my bed.

I never really thought too much about these canvases until my cousin mentioned they were his favorite pieces of art in my apartment.

"Art?"

What was once an unsuccessful attempt to make jewelry displays later became an inexpensive way to fill the space above my bed. Nevertheless, I will accept the compliment and now I am excited to share this simple no paint project (read: apartment friendly).


I bought two $22 primed canvases from Blick, a spool of textured charcoal thread, and a foot of charcoal starched linen-like fabric. I cut the gray fabric into 14-18 leaves for each canvas and cut a small slit in the center of each leaf to make room for the thread.

Then, I wound the thread across the canvas front to back about 12-20 times, threading leaves as I went. Once I was out of thread or liked how it looked, I cut the end and knotted it to the first thread. Done.

Can this even count as a project? Seriously?

There are a million ways this could be evolved into even more elaborate artwork. If anyone tries this project, please send me a picture to post!

off the chain update: love from portugal

[Soc Chic Giveaway winners]

Daniela in Lisboa, Portugal wearing her new Jess LC necklace.

I mentioned last month that thanks to our efforts "out and about" on the internet, we have seen a big spike in international Jess LC orders and fans. Most recently we added Australia and Portugal to the list.

We always ask our international customers to take a picture of themselves wearing their new Jess LC jewels in their hometown. Daniela of Lisboa, Portugal was happy to supply us with some amazing photos of her sporting her new Southport Cluster Necklace with a stunning backdrop of land and sea.

All I can say is:

First - Thank you Daniela for the great pictures!

Second - Mind if I come and stay for a while? Lisboa sure beats Chicago this time of year!

Such a cutie!

My view of Lake Michigan doesn't hold a candle to this breathtaking sight.

Thanks again, my dear!

soc chic all week: GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Drum roll please. At long last we have the winners of the Soc Chic All Week Giveaway. The lucky ladies from the seven awesome participating blogs are listed below. Winners will be emailed today regarding final details.


But for the 822 people who commented and did not snag a lovely Soc Chic necklace we have a special thank you for participating -

For the next two days (Monday 3/9 and Tuesday 3/10) we have FREE SHIPPING on ALL Jess LC jewelry

This special shipping rate applies to all US shipping- no code needed, it will automatically take affect at checkout.

The Soc Chic All Week Winners:

Coco + Kelly : Match Made in Heaven Necklace - Patricia of PVE Design
La Dolce Vita : Silver Lining Necklace - Angela F.
Delight by Design : Good Intention Necklace - Amanda M.
Heart of Light : Falling Star Necklace - Elizabeth B.
Blah Blah Blahg : Commenter’s Choice - Laura
Design Lovely : Lucky in Bed Necklace - Kit of That Unreliable Girl
The City Sage : Pink Lemonade Necklace - Grace of Poetic Home

Also props for Miss B at The Bright Side Project for getting featured on DailyCandy.com!

weekly post its- my favorite house tour

This week I am going to devote the entire Post It to the Lincoln Park home images from Summer of Summer Thornton Design via Apartment Therapy. I found this slide show months ago, and it remains my absolute favorite. Check out photos below to see why I adore Summer's space so much.

And the best part is her place is only 700 square feet!

end of the week exfoliation

Another week comes to an end. I have to admit, this week's exfoliation item didn't get picked right away. I looked in my usual spots (kitchen, closet) and eventually came upon this woven belt which I have used the last two or three years. Last summer I wore it more out of necessity than choice. The weave has worn and stretched and it was not a high quality belt to begin with.

So this summer, I won't put up with mediocre. No need to keep it since I have another belt that will function just as well. Adios!

studio 1423: fresh in the shop

The pieces from this week's sneak peek are now up on Studio 1423. Check them out. Our inspiration was the colors saffron and aqua. We used a mix of died white jade and vintage beads reworked to create a new, modern look. All pieces are made with either sterling silver or 14k gold-filled metal and cost less than $50.

Spring has finally arrived!

White Jade and Mustard Vintage Bead Necklace

White Jade and Aqua Vintage Bead Necklace

Vintage Glass and Gold Necklace

Turquoise and Sterling Necklace

PS- Don't forget to comment on our One Week All Chic Soc Chic giveaway - tomorrow the winners will be picked! (And a huge shout out to all that commented already.)