Good news if you’re based in Lincolnshire. Rok Chix has a new stockist in Sleaford:
Wilkinson’s Jewellers
The Little Time House
13 Southgate
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 7SU
There’s a selection of Rok Chix pieces in store already, so if you’re in the area do go and have a butchers (and say ‘hi’ to the lovely Peta Wilkinson, the store’s owner).
And for those who are nowhere near Sleaford, there’s always the good old online option (rokchix.com).
This year, delicious handmade silver and gemstone jewellery designer Rok Chix has something a little different for hopeless romantics and passion addicts on Valentine’s Day. Instead of the usual heart-shaped tokens of affection, our Silver Soul Mate Necklace is a simple statement of true love.
Our unique and seriously funky necklace features a simple sterling silver tag emblazoned with the world Soul Mate along with two fabulous twinkling little sapphire gems – one pink and one blue (or two of each colour if you prefer) – all hanging from a classic 50cm sterling silver chain.
It’s the perfect way to show how much you adore the object of your affection (and to show the world you’re adored, too). Price: £55
There again, for old-fashioned girls who like the romance of the conventional hearts and flower approach, the Rok Chix Silver Rose Heart Necklace is a charming take on an old favourite. It features a large, sterling silver heart pendant with vintage rose pattern and a mouthwatering pink ruby gemstone as a symbol of love and passion, again hanging from a classic 50cm sterling silver chain. Price: £65
Alternatively, for that flush of first love, our Silver Sweet Necklace is designed for little girls (and big ones) who are made of sugar and spice and all things nice. A sterling silver tag declares your sweetness to the world, stamped as it is with the word Sweet, while a cute little pink rose quartz heart charm piles on the romance. It’s enough to make you go ahhhhhh.
All are made right here in the UK by designer/maker Christine Morgan in her Brighton studio and available from rokchix.com (see Smitten collection for these and other seriously romantic baubles).
Whoah. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks at Rok Chix mansions, with Christmas orders coming in thick and fast. I’ve been working my tiny fingers to the bone (okay, slight exaggeration, but I do have tiny little fingers…) and will most likely continue to do so for another week. Then it’s Chriiiiiiiiiistmaaaas.
Talking of which, time is running out for the all-important Chrissie pressie shopping, so to make up for the past two blog-free weeks here are a few more gems of inspiration, should you still be looking for gift ideas. And to give credit where credit’s due, some have come courtesy of Grazia (thanks ladies), which published a fab gift guide last week.
So first up, Barbie by Louboutin. I know. What a fabulous idea. Net-a-porter.com is selling the iconic dollies all togged up by Mr L, but the first one in the collection of three - the carburglar Barbie (think Emma Peel from The Avengers, all black and leather-clad) is already sold out. In other words, if this is the perfect present for someone you know, you’re too late. But check in with the website for the next two Barbies (and for some new stock of the first, with any luck).
Next – and this one is in stock (well, at least it is while I write) – is something all girls need, a Womder Woman lunch box. I’d use this as a handbag, it’s so cute. Buy it from amazon.co.uk for a recession-Christmas-friendly £7.79.
If it’s cute you’re after, you’ll love the Bambi-themed hot water bottle from coxandcox.co.uk – perfect for a snuggle on a cold January night (£6 - bargain). And for the man in your life, a great, quirky stocking filler is this soldiers egg cup from pedlars.co.uk (£9.95).
Finally, what girl doesn’t need a pair of cashmere slippers? After all that present hunting, you deserve a treat, and these are just perfect. Purple ballet pumps in 100 percent pure cashmere with little pink drawstrings and insoles (from oliverbonas.com, priced £59). To die for.
Of course there’s still time to buy some of my own lovely baubles – last ordering day at rokchix.com is Saturday 19th. And don’t worry about my fingers, they can rest up on Christmas Day.
Now the temperature has dropped (well finally… I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get a proper winter), it’s time to dig out those big thick gloves and furry boots that you stashed at the back of your wardrobe last spring. And of course no Christmas would be complete without unwrapping the odd scarf or woolie hat under the tree on Christmas morning (it’s what grannies are for, after all).
But this year, I’m dreaming of getting a pair of earmuffs. Yes, earmuffs. They keep your ears lovely and warm – and they don’t give you nasty helmet hair (I mean, just how cold does it have to get before looking like a nit with stick-to-your-head hair is okay?).
This winter, Monsoon has a fab range of earmuffs which I’m rather loving a lot. Forget your expensive quilted sheepskin earmuffs (yes, I know Uggs are desirable, but have you seen the price of them???). These babies come in different colours and textures (including faux leopardskin) and cost just £16. I’m torn between the hearts and stripes earmuffs, the knitted Fairisle earmuffs and this rather luxurious looking lurex cross hatch tonal pair…
They’re perfect for keeping your ears warm and toasty, especially during the obligatory Christmas Day post-lunch walk (and you won’t look like a flat head afterwards). Check them out at http://www.monsoon.co.uk/icat/acczearmuffs Better than a boring old beanie any day.
If you don’t buy - or receive - bath and body products for Christmas, then you’re breaking an ancient law. Well, what would Christmas be like without a basket of Body Shop smellies from your mum, or your gift of lavender lovelies that you bought for your gran? Right. It would be downright dismal.
There again, if you’re fed up of the usual predictable bath salts and gimmicky soaps, there are loads of inspirational brands out there that aren’t quite household names (well, not yet perhaps, and probably not in the UK). One of my favourites that falls into this category is Korres, a Greek line of natural beauty products that has its roots in Athens’ first homeopathic pharmacy. But don’t let that put you off.
Today, the name Korres conjures up gorgeous beauty concoctions containing ingredients such as wild rose, honey, yoghurt, pomegranate, plum and all manner of herbs. And if you’re into the natural thing, Korres beauty products contain 95-100 percent naturally-sourced ingredients – which is about as natural as it gets unless you make your own.
And they’ve got something for everyone.
For your mum, try the Wild Rose Set, with wild rose cream, serum and rose mask. For your best mate who loves going abroad, the Holiday in Greece Kit is perfect (aloe and soapwort shampoo, basil lemon showergel, basil lemon body milk, guava showergel, guava body butter).
Your teenage niece would love the Vanilla Plum Little Pouch, with vanilla plum showergel, body butter and lip butter, and there’s even something for your dad or the man in your life: the Men’s Kit, which contains absinthe shave cream, marigold and ginseng aftershave balm, magnesium and wheat shampoo, juniper and rum shower gel and ruscus and chestnut eye cream (no, we don’t know what ruscus is either). Well, makes a change from Old Spice.
And for yourself? With all that socialising on the cards you’re almost definitely going to need the Party Survival Kit, with wild rose cream, evening primrose eye cream, guava body butter, guava showergel, milk proteins emulsion and refreshing gum.
So that’s everyone smelling fabulous on Christmas Day sorted then. Result.
Fans of old rockers The Rolling Stones will be pleased to hear that daddy’s little girl has done good. Well, with that pedigree, Jade Jagger could hardly be one of life’s failures, could she? In fact, she’s made a huge name for herself as a jewellery designer to the rich and famous.
And now she’s opening her own shop in Notting Hill (where else?). Pop over to the opening tomorrow and you could rub shoulders with the coolest of London’s cool – and you’ll get a first-hand glimpse at JJ’s fabulous jewels, all skulls and dazzling gems, gorgeous!
Of course if you don’t live in London you can get an idea of what’ll be on display in the shop by visiting JJ’s website, jadejagger.co.uk. You can even get a look at Ms Jagger herself, nekkid as the day she was born, lying on a fabulous tropical beach.
Jade, honeybun, if this photo is anything to go by, you’ve certainly got the body to die for. Just don’t start a trend with this nude business, okay? I mean, for some of us jewellery designers who don’t look like you, it wouldn’t do much for our sales and marketing.
What I’m trying to say is, don’t expect anything similar on rokchix.com. For one thing, the pebbles on my local Brighton beachare far too uncomfortable to romp around on au naturel…
With just under a calendar month left before Christmas Day (hurrah!), if you haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet, you’re probably thinking, what’s the rush, you’ve got loads of time. But don’t be fooled. The next few weeks will flash by and before you know oit there’ll be just a couple of shopping days before the big event, and there you’ll be, stressed out and panicking like mad over what to buy your nearest and dearest. Trust me, I’ve been there.
If it’s inspiration you’re after, I’m going to aim to put some your way over the next few weeks. And I won’t just be suggesting my own gorgeous gifts (though if you want to impress someone with a gift of fabulous jewellery, you know where to come… oh okay then, rokchix.com). For starters, here’s something I’m crazy in love with - it’s a new website I’ve just found that’s aimed squarely at pooch lovers. It’s an American store, but it looks like they have a UK base because you can buy direct from the website - prices are displayed in pounds (they also have some UK stores that stock their products too).
Called Fuzzy Nation, the website has all manner of fab pooch-inspired gifts, including cuddly dog toys (but not like anything you’ve seen before, honest), bags, jewellery and other accessories.
Here’s a taster, it’s a purse in the shape of a pug (they call them wristlets), made in a floral material and an absolute bargain at £11.99. Totally bonkers and totally gorgeous. If you know someone who’s mad about mutts, this is the place to shop. In fact, I feel a credit card moment coming on right now…
Got a suggestion for shopping inspiration? Email me at christine@rokchix.com and if I like it, I’ll write about it…
Flipping heck, I can’t keep up with these celebrities turning their hands to jewellery design. Now it’s Alicia Keys’ turn to launch a jewellery collection in the US.
Working with jewellery designer Gisele Theriault, Alicia has come up with a collection of silver and gemstone pieces – and here’s the interesting bit, they all feature inscriptions of poetry by the Japanese author Masaru Emoto (yes, I had to look him up).
Now Emoto is best known for his idea that, if you direct words or thoughts at water droplets as they turn to ice, the ice crystals will be either beautiful or ugly (depending on what you said or thought). Hmmm.
Who knows, perhaps if you write something beautiful on a piece of jewellery, the person who wears it will be (or feel) beautiful too? I think that’s what Alicia’s trying to get at, since she’s reported to have said about her collection that their purpose is “to give people beautiful, unique pieces with messages that ignite them to find the best within”.
You’ll be able to see for yourself when the website selling Alicia’s pieces – which will cost between $85 and $2,500 – goes live (for future reference, it’s thebarbersdaughters.com).
I’m fascinated with the idea of putting words on jewellery myself – see my silver, gem and natural silk Positive Affirmations necklaces and bracelets on notonthehighstreet.com (bracelet pictured below).
And in 2010 there’ll be more (including some particularly funky Valentine’s Day jewels) – news coming soon.
Seems like only yesterday when I was talking about celebrities designing jewellery, specifically Courtney Cox and her husband David Arquette (who have designed a gorgeous butterfly range for Satya Jewelry in aid of a children’s charity). And now, guess who’s joined the party? Only Brad and Angelina, that’s who.
It’s not enough for the gorgeous twosome to have full-time acting careers and six kids (which itself must be challenging, even with the help of nannies-R-us). No, our Brangelina are strutting their stuff in Courtney and David’s footsteps – then hiking it up a notch or two. Never a couple to be outdone by anyone, I imagine, Brad and Ange are working with world-famous posh jeweller Asprey to produce a collection of gold jewellery and silver accessories. And true to sometimes scary Ange style, the motif of the range is rumoured to be a snake (ha, take that butterfly-girl Courtney). Look out for the Pitt-Jolie pieces in your local Asprey store (London, New York, Beverley Hills, Tokyo and Dubai…. what, no Merthyr Tydfil?) this week.
You’ll have to save your pennies if you want to buy into the Brangelina jewellery dream though. The cheapest piece in the range, so rumours have it, will be a $525 silver baby spoon. There again, it does have a snake-wrapped handle (hmm, way to prepare a baby for a world of weirdness, eh?).
But I’m being churlish. What I’ve seen of the range, I rather like - it’s a bit quirky and a bit mad, just my type of thing. And net proceeds from the sales of the Brangelina range will go to a charity co-founded by Ange, called the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which raises funds to help children who have been the victims of war and natural disasters.
Fair enough then.
NEWS UPDATE: Rok Chix features on fab jewellery website myflashtrash.com, which is also home to cool designers such as Patricia Nicolas, Naomi Sheppard, vivi+vivi and Silver Service.
Run by model and actress Amber Atherton – whose motto is Let Jewellery Be Your Statement (amen to that, we say) – Flash Trash was set up in October 2008 to give unique jewellery designers a platform to display their creativity and sell their pieces online to savvy, fashion-forward consumers. All the jewellery on the website – just like on rokchix.com – is hand made, which is a conscious attempt to offer something more than the generic, mass-produced accessories found all over the high street.
As Amber says, ‘After all, just because you want to be fashionable, doesn’t mean you need to follow the herd.’
Way to go, Amber. I coudn’t have put it better myself.
Check out the Rok Chix range on myflashtrash.com.