Let the Birdcage Sing...In Your Home

Is there anyone out there that doesn’t love a good, decorative birdcage?  What is it about a birdcage that conjures images of princesses held hostage by an old witches or shabby chic cottages in the woods or by the seas? Whether made of reed, wood or metal, and placed on a side table, or hung in a sun or guest room, their whimsy always makes me smile as if I’d found a little treasure hidden somewhere.

I’ve always wanted a birdcage or two (although minus that actual inhabitant) to display around my house, but sadly, when I do find them in Pottery Barn catalogs and antique stores, they always cost an arm and a leg for something that is purely decorative.

Recently though, while scouring Arhaus in Harbor East for deals during their President’s Day weekend sale, I came across not one, but two, adorable birdcages! One was mediumish size and the other small, both made of the same reed material and painted the same shade of blue-grey. The best part--they were both marked down from $56 and $42 respectively, to only $5 each! Let me repeat--$10 total for two birdcages. The only problem with one was that the screws had come out of the bottom and needed to be replaced, but the store even had the screws taped to the price tag.

I scooped them up (or, more pointedly, my boyfriend carted them around the store for me while I continued to peruse) and now they are the finishing touch to my guest room!

Here is where they found their home in my home (my guest room to be exact)!

Give Your Dogs a Rest: Flats Are In!

Wasn't it great when flats started popping up all over the place a few years ago.  This is one trend I will be happy to keep around for, oh, let's say...forever!  Finally, stylish women had a choice somewhere between heels (and I'm not talking about your mom's 2" "heels" here - let's be honest), sneakers and flip-flops.

At 5'2", you'll rarely find me out of heels, unless of course it's the weekend and I'm running errands or to the gym.  Don't get me wrong - I love me a good pair of flats, but inevitably whenever I'm wearing flats I always get the same response from most people. "Wow, I didn't realize you were this short." 

That being said, I'm always on the hunt for a good shoe steal.  Luckily, I can squeeze into a size 5 1/2 or also find 6 1/2 that fit me.  So, occasionally, when the steal fits, I snatch it up!

On a recent perusal of South Moon Under in Harbor East, I came across two adorable pairs of flats that I think will serve me well in the office and for weekend brunch excursions.

The first pair are these adorable leopard print, open toe flat with a giant pink satin bow on each toe by Libby Edelman.  I admit, when I first saw the bows, I thought "just a little too girly for me," but they are growing on me!  They give the shoes that little bit of whimsy that I like in my wardrobe.  The original price on these flats was $59.95.  When I found them they were marked down to $29.99, not too shabby.  But, wait!  It doesn't stop there.  That day, South Moon Under was offering an additional 30% off all sale items, so I snagged these shoes for $20. 



 Also sitting there on the sale rack was this pair of metallic silver flats with a pointed toe and a flat bow across the toe by Report.  I zeroed in on these immediately.  Perfect for work or dinner on a Friday night!  Original price: $69.95.  Sale price: $35.  With an additional 30% off, I got these for $24.40, making my grand total at South Moon Under for flats that day a little more than $44! 

Neck Candy on a Budget

I will be the first to tell you that I am not a big jewelry person. I’d like to think it’s because I prefer a more streamlined look, but in reality, I think I’m just lazy. Most times I just don’t feel like choosing different jewelry pieces to go along with my outfit and I also am not very confident in matching jewelry that looks good with my clothes.

You’ll most often see me with the same timeless pieces: a signet ring, which I wear on my left ring finger, a gold “knot” ring I wear on my picky (both of which were given to me by my parents), and a delicate, round, gold disc stamped with a “C” on a gold chain.

So, when I do buy a new piece of jewelry, it had better be a great find at a great price. The last three necklaces I purchased fit this description to a T. The first necklace is quirky and fun and I unearthed it last summer on a sale rack at Aldo at The Gallery downtown. It has three charms on a medium-length, delicate, gold chain: a gold anchor wrapped in rope, a gold skull and a rough piece of turquoise. I love that at first glance the necklace is light, feminine and pretty, but upon closer inspection contains charms that are decidedly not feminine. Perhaps this necklace works for me because it is different than one might expect. I love the juxtaposition of wearing this necklace with a delicate blouse or simple sundress. And, of course, I love the look of surprise on people’s faces when they go to compliment me on the necklace only to look closer and see that’s is a little different than expected. Classic with a twist!  Best part (as always) is that it was only $5. 

This past holiday season I had my eye on a pair of silver necklaces with cubic zirconium detail from South Moon Under. Both necklaces had a silver snake pendant hanging on long, silver chains – one in a figure eight  shape and the other in an exaggerated “S” shape. I am generally not a big fan of the price point/quality combination of the pieces at SMU. Indeed, when I found these two necklaces, priced at $58 and $52 respectively, I questioned whether the price really fit the quality. Still, they were different, a little bit “dark” and edgy, the perfect accompaniment to a polished and classy outfit giving it a bit of the unexpected. So, I did what I always do in these situations – I began the wait.

This is the best photo I could find of both necklaces.

This is more detailed shot. 

I probably would have been disappointed if either necklace had come into my life and never gone on sale.  Maybe they are just too unique to forget quickly. Luckily for me, I’ll never have to find out because a month ago I stopped in South Moon Under to check on a pair of red pants (previously mentioned) I had been watching and Voila! - all their holiday jewelry was on sale. Although I did not see either necklace in the jewelry case, the helpful staff gladly checked their system, made a call and had one of the necklaces shipped from another store directly to me at no extra cost. The best part? The necklace was on sale from $52 to $28 and with the extra 30% they were offering that day I got my necklace for $19! Sure enough, I got the exact reaction I was hoping for the first time I wore it.

The last necklace I purchased came from Poppy and Stella in Fell's Point. Recently expanded to include the building directly next door, they now offer more clothes, jewelry and accessories to accompany their fantastic selection of shoes. Normally, their items can be a little pricey, so imagine my joyful surprise to find the necklace below for only $32!

Not only do I like the aqua, green and yellow stones all together in this piece, but the necklace also perfectly matches two cardigans I already own. So, I tried both on with a black dress to let the necklace shine on it's own. Which color combo do you prefer? Yellow or aqua?