Jewellery Storage Refresh...

I've been working on a personal project for a few months now - the refresh and re-org of my jewellery collection. My plan was to have it all done and dusted for spring, and I'm absolutely chuffed that I completed it with one day to spare! I have a vast array of costume jewellery that I've amassed over the years (only buying when items are on special, natch) - I guess you could call it part of my persona or my signature. In fact, I never leave the house without something pretty on my bod, although thanks to COVID, it's usually just earrings or bracelets as I'm constantly sanitising/washing my hands. But on the two days every second week that I head into the office, I get dressed up to the nines just like I used to in the old (BC) days. When you have a collection as big as mine, it's VITAL to be organised, so I'm also constantly on the lookout for new and effective ways to store the precious contents. The final piece of this "overhaul" puzzle came just last Thursday when I picked up the rainbow box (below left) from Spotlight, and I've been flat chat ever since cleaning, rearranging and culling all the bits and bobs to get them into their new homes...

The main impetus for the re-org was the fact that I was running out of space for my rings and earrings. The rings were so jammed into the drawers (below) that sometimes I couldn't open them without jiggling the box. I've had these perspex containers for several years (reviewed HERE), and while they provided a nice display, they've been in front of the window for so long that, as you can see, the plastic has dulled (and in some cases turned yellow) from the winter sun that comes streaming in (thankfully!). So, what to do?...

I was searching for another cabinet like the tall one below with 33 drawers, which up until today contained my earrings. But everything I found online looked too much like a toolbox you'd normally keep in the garage. And then I spotted the rainbow box (which has 60 drawers) on the Spotlight website - perfect for my earrings! And it just happened to be on special, so I thanked the Universe for providing the answer, and cleaned up and repurposed the black one for my rings ♥. Problem solved!

I already had the other 5-drawer cabinets for my necklaces and bracelets - also had these for years but they are still in good shape, so I dusted off the spare one I had on the shelf, re-lined the drawers of the old ones with some black non-slip vinyl I found on eBay, and then spent hours untangling everything and setting it all out so it looked pretty ♥. These drawer cabinets are actually for stationery, and Kmart still sells them for $18...

I'm over the moon with this new arrangement - like my wardrobe, everything is sorted according to colour or gold/silver, and I'm especially excited as I now have enough space to dedicate a drawer each to the rose and silver diamante pieces ♥...

So here's the final layout - I have wind out windows that I need to access so it's not entirely perfect, matching or symmetrical, but it works well, I know where everything is and I can find whatever I'm after in a flash. Incidentally, in the bottom right of this pic you can see my Empties tub, which is already overflowing, so expect a post soon ♥...

Stage 2 is to re-line my makeup drawers and sort/cull my lip liners which you can see on the right-hand side of the dressing table, but that won't take long. My lipsticks are stored separately (still the same as HERE), well away from the window so they don't get affected by the extra heat and light, along with my perfumes, the re-org of which will be Stage 3. It's endless lol!...

How do you store your gems?

Take care of you, and keep safe,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: Jewellery Collection Part 1 (Lovisa haul)...

High time I started a series on jewellery hey, especially given it's yet another of my obsessions that's almost surpassed my makeup & perfume passions ♥ Over the months I've been uploading some of my bling rings, and pics of what I wear each day in my EOTD posts, but there seems to be quite a bit of interest (well on Instagram at least) in my overall collection, so I thought I'd put together some examples of  what I have, and how I gradually build my kit of bits and bobs. Just for the record, I have very few pieces of "real" jewellery (i.e. gold, diamonds etc.) - most of the good stuff I had was stolen (including family heirlooms and items of major sentimental value) when my home was burgled many years ago. I've never really recovered from the loss, but I'm endeavouring to heal the scars by gathering together exceptionally pretty (and inexpensive) costume jewellery, and I buy most of it on sale from Lovisa. So here's my latest haul from their current "up to 70% off" extravaganza...

The original price of all of the above items came to $192.88, but I only had to part with $63.00. The beauty of buying repeatedly from the same store is that I end up with items that match, and you know how important that is to me lol! I regularly fall in love with things I see on their racks, but I bide my time until they have a sale, and then I pounce. Sometimes not all pieces of a set are on special at the same time, and that's why I keep going back - eventually, everything gets reduced MASSIVELY in price, so I hold my breath and wait ♥ Below I've selected a few of the above new goodies, and arranged them with the ones I've previously scored so you can see what I'm trying to achieve...

The cognac coloured stretchy glass bead bracelet ($4 instead of $14.99) was to match the necklace from a previous sale, and the Swarovski earrings and ring I picked up not that long ago at a heavily reduced price - so this glam little set was put together from four separate Lovisa sales ♥...

And this green/bronze bead necklace (yes I have a "thing" for glass beads ♥) was to go with the bracelets from an earlier bargain hunt. This was a bonus because at the time I bought the bracelets, I didn't know the necklace was also available, but I loved the colour so much I bought them anyway - it's an unusual shade of green, and goes with quite a few of the tops I have, including some of the more olivey hues. The necklace is a super long one so I can also wrap it around my neck a few times for a different look. Price was $12 instead of $22.99...

Spotted these shell earrings and remembered a necklace/bracelet set I'd snapped up from Millers earlier this year - I reckon they were meant to be together, and especially with a price tag of $4 ♥...

The plaited glass pearl bead necklace and drop earrings were too good to pass up, although I hummed and haahed for quite a while - the necklace is normally $29.99 but had a $10 sticker, and the earrings were $4. They are set in gold, but it's a very pale gold, so I can get away with wearing these with silver settings as well. I already had the Lovisa bracelet and ring from Goldmark in my box of treasures - they're both a little creamy compared to the pure white new arrivals (which is why I was humming and haahing), but not a problem, given they are not next to each other when worn...

The bronze metal "door-knocker" earrings were a $4 gamble that paid off - the necklace was from yet another previous Lovisa sale haul, and I couldn't believe my luck when I spotted the bracelet during a fleeting visit to the store last weekend. While the earrings don't have diamantes like the other two, the base metal is the same colour and ridgy texture, so I'm glad I took the chance that they'd co-ordinate. This set looks particularly striking when worn with cream, white or khaki green...

Fell head over heels for these cute earrings - they were tagged as "semi-precious" but I have my doubts that they're actually turquoise. Still I was attracted to the blue/green/wood/diamante combo, and felt the shape would give this set a bit of a lift with a modern touch ♥ ($4 down from $12.99). BTW I found the sterling silver bangle in a Vinnies store years ago for 5 bucks, and the pendant was a gift my from Dad (it's my birthstone)...

And last but by no means least, adoring bling as I do, I couldn't resist this Swarovski ROCK (an absolute bargain at $8!) - it wasn't to complete any particular set, but it was such a stunner, well I had to have it, and it's the perfect fit for the ring finger on my right hand. Might just be my ultimate bling-ring!

I take my hat off to anyone who photographs sparkly stones successfully - over 100 shots to get these ones, and they still don't do it justice. Looks like glass here, but the facets are beautifully reflective, and it's around 6 carats of in-your-face bedazzlement...

There all sorts of different styles, shapes, materials, textures and colours in my collection - you can count on me for variety, I truly believe it's the spice of life. Part 2 coming soon ♥

Take care of  you,
kats xxx

P.S. Linking this to the always fabulous Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party ♥♥♥