Project Jewelry Overhaul

Akin to the spring cleaning that I do with my apartment and clothing, I have neglected to detoxify my accessories for a few years. There is something about being thirty in 2012 that has me determined to establish my personal style. I have to thank Jess from New Girl for helping me embrace the sexiness of being thirty. Side note: Zooey Deschanel is my clothing idol! While watching the latest episode, I decided to begin the purging of my twenties. This weekend I spent a full afternoon of trying on jewelry and said goodbye to a large number of pieces.

Jewelry frame before the overhaul. What a mess.

I took a look at my jewelry collection and realized that I have a number of pieces that are neutral enough to get me through all seasons, but there are a few items that just didn’t belong in 2012. Granted, most of the items were my favorite, they just didn’t compliment the direction I am going with my style this year.

Jewelry box formerly known as organized.

How I organized my jewelry

Step 1: I collected all stray pieces of jewelry. Being a mom, there were earrings in my purse, on the kitchen table, in the bathroom; jewelry was everywhere.

Step 2: I sorted all my accessories by type to get a good look at my collection and try things on look.

Step 3: I trashed pieces that I have not worn in a year, and stored the items that I want to keep for the fall in a jewelry box.

Step 4: I upcycled a picture frame and turned it into a jewelry frame to display my newly organized jewelry as art on a feature wall in my bedroom. Having my jewelry displayed also helps me while getting dressed. I love being able to grab and try on pieces for ideas of what to wear without digging through a box to find matching sets. I made the jewelry frame in the before and after pictures. Check out http://www.vivodeco.com if you’re interested. 🙂

Back to the Project: Jewelry Overhaul..

Step 5: My next step is to check current magazines for spring/summer ideas and inspiration. I check all types of magazines for my inspiration; home and garden, fashion, sports, whatever I can get my hands on. Because I love shopping, Lucky Magazine was my first stop.

The trends that I like for the coming warm weather include items with tribal touches, sorbet colors, floral accents, anything in white, large earrings, and stacked bracelets.

Spring Fever

Step 6: Plans are to check out spring festivals to find unique jewelry pieces and maybe check out some thrift stores or consignment shops. I will definitely visit Greene Street Consignment Shop in Manayunk, located in the former Banana Republic store. Every time my husband and I are eating out at Han Dynasty Manayunk it is a must to check out the windows at Greene Street to see the new items. It’s unfortunate that they are closed when I am in the neighborhood, but I have a visit scheduled on my calendar for next weekend.

The final results after a few hours of hard work and letting go.

After my jewelry haul.
This frame is almost 42 inches! My husband calls it my jewelry flat screen.

There is a nice amount of space in the bottom right corner that I have a mission of filling with my festival finds. Any suggestions on great places to find unique accessories, please let me know.