Drop-dead gorgeous jewelry alert!!

Recently I stopped by one of my favorite Portland stores, Adorn, where I came upon a new jewelry line and fell in love. They had these beautifully simplistic yet artistic silver- and gold-toned bracelets repurposed from things like old sink faucets and brass door handles.

Through the magical world of the Internet, I tracked down the source of the beauty to an artist named Kine from Kenya, who crafts his wearable art in the slums of Kibera and sells through a New York-based shop called Soko. Here's a small sampling of the gorgeousness, but please click here for his full collection!

The shop that distributes these beautiful pieces, Soko, has a really amazing mission. In their words, they were "founded on the belief that innovation can empower women, can connect markets, and can foster opportunities that change lives."

Soko works with artisans in developing countries, helping them not only to distribute their work but also training them in economic skills to succeed in their businesses. 

In addition to Kine, Soko stocks pieces from a variety of different artisans. Here's a peek at some of the others' work: 

Aren't they beautiful??! I highly suggest  checking out the rest of the wares at shopsoko.com! And for your first purchase, you can get 20% by joining their mailing list. At the top of my wishlist? This bracelet set, this single-bar ring, and this flat-topped oval ring. I'm all about the simple statement jewelry! Which are your favorites?

All dressed up and nowhere to go...

Sorry for the recent radio silence; life has gotten away from me a bit. Several (and by several I mean 8) of my good friends are getting married this summer, so weekends have been full of bridal showers, bachelorettes, and the weddings themselves.

I'm in three of them, so my outfits are planned for those, but I've been on the hunt for wedding guest gear for the other 3. I've come across several options that I'll share later, but I also found some fun options that, while not appropriate for my events, would be really fun to rock somewhere.

I'm loving on this simple maxi dress. Paired with a slicked-back pony, futuristic jewelry, and killer heels, I'd feel like a total badass.

It's hard to see from this image, but dress #2 is covered in Picasso-esque line drawings of faces. I kept with the cartoon-y feel by adding polka-dot pumps and clutch plus tassel earrings, but modernized the outfit with the hairstyle.

I'm so in love with how the left dress has a punk edge despite the floral motif, so a braided mohawk seemed appropriate. Adding in one of my current favorite trends (ear jackets), some strappy metallic heels, and a striped clutch takes this floral dress from cute to rebellious.

I adore the unexpected color palette of the next dress; I would never think to pair baby blue, citrus yellow, maroon, and black, but the pattern makes it all work. I love the scallop detail on these heels (they come in pink and gold, too!), and the hairstyle is deceptively easy!

Lastly, we have a set of colorful dresses. The intricate lace of the top left dress gets repeated in the clutch and shoes, so I topped it off with simple pearl earrings and a romantic hairdo. 

Next, the silhouette and floral pattern of the other blue dress makes it a show-stopper on its own, so I kept the accessories and hairstyle simple. 

Likewise, the bottom left dress has such a modern, striking cut that simple hair, shoes, and accessories seemed the best match.

Not to be outdone, the dramatic ruffle of the bottom right dress makes such a statement that no jewelry is really required except some simple earrings. To emphasize the color of the dress I added coral heels and clutch, and I think this would look great on a redhead!

Which outfit would you be most likely to rock?