Jewelry | Shireen's Favorite Things

“Love is in the Air”

What:

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with PANDORA at Brickell City Centre downtown Miami.

Why:

What girl doesn’t LOVE getting jewelry? And what guy doesn’t LOVE gifting it?

It’s kind of a win-win situation when it comes to Valentine’s Day. It’s even better when the baubles are beyond beautiful, collectible-worthy and completely affordable. Hello, PANDORA!

I fell in LOVE with the gem giant at the end of last year working on a blog and TV story together called: “Beautifully Bejeweled.”

Since then, I’ve become an unadulterated fan. Yes, I guess you could say I fell in LOVE. I couldn’t wait for our next collaboration and well, here we are — celebrating Valentine’s Day — with “Love is in the Air.”

And while Pandora jewelry speaks for itself (as an extension of one’s feelings) with precious stones, mixed metals and rose gold goodness, sometimes LOVE isn’t as straightforward.

Over the years, I’ve written a lot of blogs about LOVE. Those experiences have taught me so many things about its diversity and ever-changing meaning.

There’s young LOVE, romantic LOVE, passionate LOVE, family LOVE and self LOVE (the list goes on.) There’s the LOVE of a child, friend, animal and there’s even the kind of LOVE that can be toxic, tumultuous, forbidden and heartbreaking.

No matter the kind of LOVE, it’s all around us and for the most part, it’s uplifting, soulful and unique (because everyone experiences it differently.) I wanted “Love is in the Air” to express that same sentiment.

Pandora jewelry easily captures the emotions of LOVE; whether it’s delicate and new, strong and everlasting or indelibly undefined – it’s all LOVE and it’s all beautiful and worth celebrating.

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at Shireen’s Favorite Things.

Where:

Pandora Brickell City Centre
701 S. Miami Ave, Suite 343b
Miami, Florida 33131
IG: @pandorabrickellcitycentre
FB: Pandora Brickell City Centre
www.pandora.net/en-us

Miami International Mall
1455 NW 107 Avenue, Center Court
Miami, FL 33172
305.471.4713
Ig: pandoramiaintl

When:

Brickell City Centre:
10-9:30 Mon -Sat
12-7pm Sunday

Miami International Mall:
10-9pm Mon – Sat
11-7pm Sunday

There is no remedy for love but to love more.Henry David Thoreau

Shop the three Pandora jewelry looks featured in this blog: 50 Shades of Pink, Pop Art, and Pandora Rose.
Happy shopping and of course, show yourself a little love on Valentine’s Day.

Photographer: James Woodley www.JamesWoodleyPhotography.com
Wardrobe styling: Jackie Kay
dress provided by Neiman Marcus, Fort Lauderdale
Jewelry styling: Pandora located inside Brickell City Centre
Grooming: Odett Hernandez
Digital Editor: Jessie Neft-Swinger
Editor: Matthew “LOVE” Auerbach

Special Thanks to Diaset Cabrera

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Shireen's Favorite Things Brickell City Centre, James Woodley Photography, Jewelry, Nieman Marcus, Pandora

Beautifully Bejeweled

What:

Gorgeous “giftable” jewelry by Pandora at the Brickell City Centre downtown Miami.

Why:

Like most women, I LOVE jewelry, but I’ve never really openly admitted it. I’ve always painted myself as more of a shoe and handbag lover and frankly, it’s because of sheer intimidation.

Either the price tag freaks me out or the man who’s buying it (an ex-husband or boyfriend,) was given some sort of relationship ultimatum, was making up for lost time or they were simply trying to tame the beast (me) after some wrong-doing and well, that’s not the kind of jewelry that evokes happy memories.

Luckily, that was then and this is now…

I’m older, wiser and I don’t need a man to buy me jewelry. What’s more, spending a fortune on beautiful diamonds, pearls (or anything in between) seems so passé this day and age; especially with brands like “Pandora,” which I’ve recently fallen head over heels for. Pandora makes me feel “Beautifully Bejeweled” for so many reasons.

The company, which started in 1982 in Denmark, was a family-run jewelry shop that exploded onto the fashion scene with its charm bracelets. It seemed everyone had one! In fact, their bracelets are still more popular than ever.

The more, the better! You know exactly what I’m talking about if you’re a Pandora lover. Its mass appeal, great quality and affordable pricing made the charm bracelet a fabulous fad that has yet to lose its luster.

Fast forward a few decades later and Pandora has quickly grown into a worldwide jewelry powerhouse, creating spectacular pieces that can make a girl feel special without breaking the bank.

More importantly: as times have changed, Pandora has, too, appealing to the modern woman with jewelry she can gift a friend, sister, mother, daughter, even herself.

The line is built around “collecting,” meaning each new piece you add to your existing jewelry wardrobe will easily fit in, creating a cohesive collection.

The company understands social media, too, using Instagram to shower its fan base with ideas of how to modernize and recreate trends of days gone by. For example: “These aren’t your grandmother’s pearls” or “Cuffs worn with high fashion creativity.”

In our busy lives, it’s the little things that make the difference and Pandora has subtly harnessed those nuanced moments. I love gifting myself jewelry for small reasons: finishing an impossible task, celebrating a private milestone or simply because I can. Man, it feels good to write that.

Don’t miss Deco Drive tonight (at 7:30pm & 11:30pm on Channel 7/FOX,) as Shireen’s Favorite Things is invited inside the Pandora Concept store at Brickell City Centre downtown Miami.

We’ll be exploring great gift ideas for the holidays (asymmetrical earrings, pearls, cuffs and much more,) because every girl deserves to be “Beautifully Bejeweled”.

Where:

The Pandora concept store is located on the 3rd level of Brickell City Centre.
701 S. Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33131

Below is a detailed list of each jewelry look I’m wearing in the blog. Happy shopping and of course, Happy Christmas!

First Look/Pandora’s Rose Gold:
Hearts of PANDORA Necklace ($150/each). This versatile PANDORA Rose™ necklace collier features the classic PANDORA logo on one side and a circle of shimmering stones on the other. Forever PANDORA Earrings, in PANDORA Rose ($70). Sparkling Bow Ring ($70). Hearts of PANDORA Ring ($90). My Princess Tiara, PANDORA Rose ($80).

Second Look/Pandora’s Midnight Blue:
Patterns of Frost, Multi-Colored Crystal Earrings ($75). Patterns of Frost, Multi-Colored Crystal Necklace Pendant ($60). PANDORA ESSENCE COLLECTION Bangle Bracelet ($60). Twinkling Forever Bangle Bracelet ($100). Sterling Silver w/ 14K Gold Clasp Bracelet ($325).

Third Look/Gold/Oxidized/Leather:
Right hand: Entwined Bracelet ($125). 14K Gold Bangle w/ Signature Clasp ($1,295). Timeless Elegance bangle ($100). Left Hand: Oxidized Sterling Silver Barrel Clasp Bracelet ($65). Champagne colored double leather bracelet ($45). Radiant Elegance, 14K Gold Earrings ($200). Lace Botanique Dangle ($150).

IG: @pandorabrickellcitycentre
FB: Pandora Brickell City Centre
www.pandora.net/en-us

Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.Epictetus

Photographer / Tracy Mendy
www.themendyhouse.com
Wardrobe styling: Jackie Kay
dress provided by www.bcbg.com on Lincoln Road, South Beach
Jewelry styling: Pandora located inside Brickell City Centre
Grooming: Odett Hernandez
Digital Editor: Jessie Neft-Swinger
Editor: Matthew “Not your grandmother’s editor” Auerbach

Wednesday, December 21, 2016 Shireen's Favorite Things Brickell, Gifts, Holidays, Jewelry, Pandora, The Mendy House

Reimagining L George Designs

What:

New jewelry pieces by L George Designs

Why:

Being inspired by fall fashion is tough when you live in the tropics, but thanks to Jewelry Designer, Lisa George, I’m finally in the mood. It’s all because of the earthy “Reimagining” of her already popular line, L George Designs.

If you’re not familiar with her creations, Lisa crafts and then creates bold and beautiful pieces from mixed metals, using Swarovski Crystals to accentuate and illuminate necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. I first introduced her last year in a heartfelt blog called “Precious Metals.”

I came to find out we had way more than just fashion in common: illness, recovery, health, love, wellness and a passion for peace in our lives and for our loved ones are all areas we share. Fast forward almost a year later and Lisa is still inspiring me and breathing new life into my everyday fashion game.

This fall, she’s kicking things up a notch by adding exciting new textures to her pieces, including premium-oiled leathers and gorgeous hand-picked natural stones. The new additions are called “The Sedona Collection,” which happens to be one of Lisa’s favorite places on planet earth.

She recently visited Sedona, Arizona and fell head over heels in love with its natural beauty and calming energy. Believe me, I get it: I’m a New Mexico girl and the Southwest holds this magical kind of charm that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. Lisa was so inspired by the desert, she knew she had to incorporate its unbridled earthiness into her Fall 2016 Collection.

I especially love her new cuffs where she combines leather, crystals and chains for what she describes as an “edgy vintage feel.” I also love her statement necklaces, like the green agate I’m wearing in the blog. After putting that bad boy on I was like, “bring it on fall and anything else for that matter.”

That’s the great thing about jewelry, too. You can express the fashioning of the cooler months without wearing heavy clothing; just put on one of Lisa’s statement pieces and viola! You’re all fall’d up and ready to go, minus the tropical sweat. Let’s be honest: us South Florida fashionistas are looking at another three months (at least) before we can even mildly work our boot and sweater weather.

While I love the evolution of L George Designs, I still cling tightly to why Lisa created her line in the first place. She was healing from breast cancer and wanted something to showcase: “The resilience and resourcefulness of women in the face of adversity.” Most of us can identify with her mission, if not in our own way.

Perhaps, though, it’s what comes after all the trials and tribulations that matters most. Growing, changing and “Reimagining” life and all of its infinite possibilities, those things are the true hidden gems and that’s why L George Jewelry is one of my favorite things.

Where:

www.lgeorgedesigns.com

FB: L George Designs, Twitter: @LGeorge_Designs, IG: @lgeorgedesigns

We can’t be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion: cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for the new.Margaret Wheatley

James Woodley Photography
Produced by: Shireen Sandoval
Styling: Jackie Kay
Grooming: Odett Hernandez
Digital Editor: Jessie Neft-Swinger
Editor: Matthew “Vintage” Auerbach

Special thanks to Lisa George

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 Shireen's Favorite Things James Woodley Photography, Jewelry, L George Designs

Precious Metals

Unlike most of my blog topics, “L George Designs” found me; I didn’t find it. I remember the morning like it was yesterday, too, because it was such a bad time in my life. My health was a complete disaster and I had just finished a three-day IVIG infusion to treat my GBS/CIDP. The infusions were dreadful and left me feeling weak, nauseous and frail. I was feeling especially sorry for myself the day I received a box and a note from Reggie Carson.

Reggie (who is a mover and shaker in the fashion biz) had sent me the most beautiful necklace, bracelet and earrings from Lisa George, a new jewelry designer. He explained in his note that the gift was “just because” and he wanted to “pay it forward.” His eloquent words and random act of kindness made me weep. It was just what I needed at such an impossibly difficult time in my life.

I wore the jewelry on television that same night and took a picture of it and sent it to Reggie. Reggie passed it along to Lisa and she immediately noticed that the bracelet was quite big on me, as I had lost a lot of weight during my illness. The next day, she privately messaged me on social media and asked if she could adjust the bracelet to fit me and well, that’s how it all began.

Over the course of the next couple of years, Lisa and I began a friendship based on fashion, but it would turn into something much deeper when I realized the kind of women she was. Lisa is a two-time cancer survivor, who on a really bad day (like the one I described in the beginning of the blog) made her way to a bead store and lost herself for five hours making a necklace.

That’s really not so unusual for a designer, but Lisa had spent years upon years honing her on-air radio hosting skills; making her way to the top of the food chain in her respective career, designing jewelry was the furthest thing from her mind. That day, though, she was captivated by what she was doing: she lost herself in the process, allowing herself an escape from the cold, hard reality of cancer.

Read the rest of the blog at www.WSVN.com or shop the blog jewelry looks at www.lgeorgedesigns.com or the blog wardrobe at www.HintMiami.com.

Twitter: @LGeorge_Designs
Instagram: @lgeorgedesigns
Facebook: L George Designs

Twitter: @HiNTMiami
Instagram: @hintmiami
Facebook: HiNT Miami

Twitter: @ShireenSandoval
IG: @ShireenSandoval
ssandoval@wsvn.com
www.shireensandoval.com

Photographer: James Woodley
Twitter: @BritFloridian
IG: @BritFloridian
www.James-Woodley.com

Styling/Co-Producer/Assist: Jackie Kay
blog ideas: Jackiekay211@yahoo.com

Hair & Make-up: Tabitha Rey
IG: @makeupbytabs
makeupbytabs@yahoo.com

Hair: Jess Stuver
www.zenzensalon.com

Editor: Matthew Auerbach
MattAuerbach@yahoo.com

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Shireen's Favorite Things Hint Miami, James Woodley Photography, Jewelry, L'George Designs

Pieces of Me

I wasn’t always obsessed with butterflies. My fascination with the delicate/mysterious creatures started around the time my blog began (which happened to be when I was recovering from a major illness and some personal tragedies.) In fact, I was touch and go for a long time, struggling with Guillain-barre’ Syndrome, the subsequent IVIG treatments for recovery, the loss of a baby and the heartbreaking end to my marriage.

Back then, my fashion blog wasn’t just about what to wear, it was about how to style and navigate life; focusing on the mind, body and spirit. That’s when my butterflies came to me; more specifically, in my dreams. Matter-of-fact, for more than a month I had the same recurring dream of vomiting dozens and dozens of black butterflies. I actually wrote about it in one of my more popular blogs, “45 Days and Nights of Black Butterflies.”

I can’t lie, the dream scared the crap out of me as I thought it was about death, but after consulting a well-known dream specialist, she informed me that my black butterflies were actually a gift. Apparently, it was a sign of a very rare and powerful transformation. I took the dream in stride and hoped for the best, but then, something magical happened. I began that so-called TRANSFORMATION.

I didn’t know it at the time, but all the “Pieces of Me” that had been ripped apart: my body (which was ravaged by illness,) my heart (which was torn apart from the grief of not being a mother anymore) and my soul (which was empty from the loss of my first true love,) all started the long, slow process/journey of healing. I became a totally different kind of person. A person I didn’t really know anymore, but one I liked a lot better than the person I used to be.

As the months and years went by, I went through different phases of overt kindness, enhanced spirituality and a strong, sophisticated sense of self. I found deeper meaning in the little things I loved about life and relished, even savored, the bigger ones. I drew intense boundaries for my mental health and physical well-being and concentrated on building up my body again, while also learning to accept its limitations.

Read the rest of the blog at www.WSVN.com or shop the jewelry looks at Etsy.com/shop/ginablackart.

Twitter: @GinaBlackArt
Instagram: @GinaBlack_art
FB: Gina Black Art

A special thanks to the Sagamore Hotel
www.SagamoreHotel.com
Twitter: @sagamorehotel
IG: @sagamorehotel

Twitter: @ShireenSandoval
IG: @ShireenSandoval
ssandoval@wsvn.com
www.shireensandoval.com

Photographer: James Woodley
Twitter: @BritFloridian
IG: @BritFloridian
www.James-Woodley.com

Hair & Make-up: Odette Hernandez
Twitter: @Odettehernandz
IG: @Odett_herndz

Styling/Co-Producer/Assist: Jackie Kay
blog ideas: Jackiekay211@yahoo.com

Intern/Assist: Nick Martinez

Editor: Matthew Auerbach
MattAuerbach@yahoo.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2015 Shireen's Favorite Things Gina Black Art, James Woodley Photography, Jewelry, Sagamore Hotel

Shireen's Favorite Things

“Love is in the Air”

Beautifully Bejeweled

Reimagining L George Designs

Precious Metals

Pieces of Me

Recent Tweets

Recent Posts