As readers of this column know, I’m always trying to expand my fashion horizons and try something new. With the inclusion of shoes in the column last week, I decided why not take it up a notch and try jewelery? I knew I needed a piece that would stand out, but not so outrageous that I’d ostracize girls who didn’t feel like wearing giant feathers around their neck. As a proud Canadian, I was thrilled to stumble upon Brooklyn Designs, a high-quality line done by fellow Canadian Brooke Mosher, and her Golden Shadow earrings!

These babies are made from hammered 14kt gold-filled hoops and feature gorgeous Swarovski crystal briolettes. If you’ve never seen a Swarovski crystal in real life, expect a whole lot of beautiful sparkle. Measuring 2.5 inches in length, the Golden Shadow earrings will definitely be seen, but aren’t going to weigh you down. In fact, I can’t even feel them when I wear them!

Ever since receiving these in the mail, I’ve found myself wearing them constantly. It doesn’t matter if I’m sporting jeans and a tee for class or a fancy dress for drinks with my ladies – the Golden Shadow hoops totally fit the bill. They really are the epitome of versatile jewelery.

Since last week I had a suggestion to show a more formal evening outfit, I decided to do one up for a wedding!

Click on the picture for all the shopping deets!

Even though we’re focusing on the earrings, you’ll need a nice, fancy dress. This one features a pleated “cape” front and is super forgiving. Since the color is so stunning, I went with nude pumps (which I hope everyone owns)! The suede, magenta evening clutch is a bit unexpected, but I think it’s lovely. The muted shade is very “fall” and surprisingly doesn’t compete for attention. You’re going to want to show off the earrings, so take a hint from Jennifer Garner and twist back the front sections of you hair and secure with bobby pins. Best part about this hairstyle: it’s super easy,  but very elegant. Finish off with a pendant on a gold-tone chain and the Golden Shadow earrings!

And now for a more casual, daytime approach.

Click on the picture for all the shopping deets!

Even though these earrings are suited for a fancy outfit, you can use them to dress up any plain one! This is basically my self-imposed school uniform: jeans, a simple shirt and sneakers. The suede messenger is the color of fall: mustard. It goes shockingly well with the bright blue Chucks and can be used in more sophisticated settings too (a meeting with a prof perhaps?). Like I said for the first outfit, you want to show these babies off, so they pair great with a ponytail. Again, the only other jewels you’re going to want are a pendant on a gold chain so they don’t compete. Slip on the Golden Shadows are you’re good to go!

And if you’re still hesitant, here’s a picture of me sporting the earrings. This gives you a really good idea of what they actually look like on!

I hope you like these earrings as much as I do. Like I said, they’re available from Brooklyn Designs for $89. The high-quality materials and craftsmanship of her pieces is just wonderful, so treat yourself to a pair!

[I want it, I need it, I can’t live without it. There are so many things on store shelves and racks right now that we want to take home and hang in our closets. Things that are so cute, everyone should know about them. We’ll share ‘em with you here (because we’re that nice), but as far as actually getting them goes….well, you’re on your own with that one.]

I love things that sparkle, so it’s obvious that I am head over heels in love with these rings from Myra Elizabeth. Made-to-order with bands of sterling silver and authentic Swarovski crystals and pearls, these beauties will surely outshine anything within a mile radius. They instantly add glamour to any outfit and, with so many clusters of different colors and combinations, there’s at least 3 that make me weak in the knees.

I would seriously rock one on every finger!

Each ring comes with a friendship poem and is already gift-wrapped, making them really cute presents for birthdays, Christmas, or, you know, me.

Myra Elizabeth also makes necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. All are made of high quality materials and are crafted into gorgeous pieces. Just like the rings, there is a great variety to choose from. I always knew I needed a little more bling in my life, and Myra delivers.

Come to mama, Ms. Myra.

For the next two weeks while battling with my insurance company about their obligation to pay for a new one, I was completely phoneless. And surprisingly, I found that while not being able to call my roommate or receive text messages from my BFF was disheartening, the most annoying thing about not having a phone was that I never knew what f*cking time it was. During my time of mandatory cell abstinence, I commented on this fact to my mother. Her response was thought-provoking.

“Why don’t you get a watch?”

A watch? The last time I had a watch, I was in sixth grade. It was a gift from my parents for my twelfth birthday and on the face was an image of Elmo whose arms ticked away the minutes. At the time, I thought it was the sh*t and all my ladyfriends agreed, but when the leather straps crumbled the following summer I was pretty well over it and I’ve never felt the need to get a new one, Elmo-themed or otherwise.

Which leads me to ask the question, are watches obsolete? In this age when everyone has a phone that they have on their person more or less at all times, is there really a need for watches? The only people I can think of who do have watches are people like my mom and grandma who grew up in the Dark Ages before Verizon existed, and even they have the option of telling time with their phones. It would seem that their insistence on wearing watches stems from a deep-seated habit of looking at their wrist when someone asks the time as opposed to rooting in their pockets.

So what purpose, then, do watches serve? Are they merely nostalgic relics of a simpler time? Or are they still relevant in some way? While ruminating on this topic, I noticed a very interesting trend; in every high-fashion magazine I read, at least 1/5 of the advertisements I saw were for watches. And not Elmo watches either – we’re talking gold and tiger’s eye Gucci, platinum and Swarovski crystal Patek Philippe, white leather and diamond Fendi, all costing thousands of dollars.

Which led me to construct this theory – watches have become the ultimate status symbol. Think about it: watches are essentially frivolous, somewhat rare, and even the least fashion-savvy individuals recognize that a watch is an accessory that commands respect. People who wear watches are people who have places to be and things to do. People who wear watches are people who own furniture and never have to ask their parents to help out with the rent. People who wear watches subtly but proudly sport them on their wrist as a testament to their status as Grown-Ups.

At the age of 22, I will fully admit that I have not reached the Watch Wearing stage of life. But at least I now have something to aspire to.