Let’s organize our jewels…

The New Year is a great time to get your closet in order and organize your dressing area. Here are a few ideas to help keep your accessories neatly organized and ready to wear.

If you have a free surface in your dressing area, use it to make a pretty display of your jewelry…

Tiered trays work nicely for earrings, hairclips and bows. The top tier is a safe place for smaller, delicate pieces.

Trinket trays are perfect for your bracelets, bangles and watches. Group them and line them up in neat rows. This way, you can see what you have and it’s easier to choose an interesting assortment by mixing and matching.

For your necklaces, find some pretty hooks and a small mannequin. Hang your pendant necklaces on the hooks and give your statement pieces proper billing by displaying them on the mannequin. Even if you’re not wearing them every day, it’s still fun to see them.

Keep your handbags and clutches together on a shelf with dividers so they’re not flopping over onto each other. They should be grouped by size and color. Selecting the right handbag for your outfit is easy when you can see all your choices.

Now that you have your vanity area organized, you can “shop” your private collection and be on your way looking perfectly accessorized It’s that simple!

The Girl’s Guide to Gasparilla

Ahoy! The pirates will be arriving soon and the Gasparilla festivities will be getting under way. That being the case, there are certain things a girl should know…

Get your beauty sleep. The fun starts early and ends late on Gasparilla.

Playing along with the pirate theme is a big part of the fun. Decide whether you’re going to wear a Gasparilla shirt or maybe bold pirate stripes. You can even go as the pirate captain in a ruffled white button down over skinny jeans.

Once you have your pirate top + cute jeans combo, add a few treasures to finish the outfit. A pirate belt buckle, a chunky pirate ring or dangling crown earrings are fun extras.  You can add a preppy twist with hand painted skull earrings in pink or green.

You’ll do a lot of walking on parade day so wear comfortable shoes.

And finally, carry an umbrella. There’s always the chance of rain, and you’ll be glad you have it if one of those pirates gets too friendly… Arrrgh!

What to Wear: New Year’s Eve

Now that you’re finished with all the shopping, wrapping, mailing, decorating and cooking, it’s time to think about New Year’s Eve. Once you have your plans in place, you can start deciding what you’re going to wear. Maybe you’re going to a swanky party in Manhattan… maybe you’re jetting off to Jamaica for the week…. or maybe you’re celebrating the New Year on the slopes in Aspen.

Whatever your plans, this really is the night to “turn up the volume” and have fun with your outfit. Wear your highest heels, put on your chandelier earrings and grab that cute little clutch you just had to have.  For a night in New York, we’d choose black because it’s always elegant and always right. We’d show off our sun kissed skin in Jamaica with vibrant colors and a breezy tunic dress. How about a beautiful fur vest and buttery soft leather pants dressed up with a wrist full of bangles for Aspen? And finally, if your perfect place to be is at home with someone special, get cozy in pajamas and add some fun jewelry. If you happen to have marabou feather topped kitten heels, put those on too!

Best wishes for a Happy New Year from all your friends at DKM.

Holiday Gifts for Mother-In-Laws

This is one gift that you really want to get right.  She’s equal to your Mother on the family tree but  picking out a gift for her is not the same as picking out a gift for your own Mom.  Maybe it’s because you didn’t grow up borrowing her cashmere sweaters or playing “dress up”  in her closet.  Maybe it’s because her style is different than your  Mom’s. If your not sure what to get her, here are a few ideas that we think are the perfect mix of personal and thoughtful for your Mother-In-Law. They might be perfect for your Mom too!
1. Big Buddha Pearl Bag with cosmetic pouch & Bobbi Brown Lipstick 2. The Accidental Bestseller & fun reading glasses from DKM 3. Silk scarf from DKM with variety of brooches 4. DKM pearl necklace 5. Great candles and cute Pine Cone Hill robes from DKM 6. Adorable Pine Cone Hill pajamas from DKM

Let’s hear it for the Boys

What to get your guy?
Don’t repeat last year’s forgettable shirts and such, just take a look at our favorite picks. For your Dad, a special brother or the man of your dreams, give a gift they will still remember next December.

1. Brooks Brothers Glen Plaid Lambswool Scarf.  2. Men’s Bean Boot by L.L. Bean. 3. Montblanc Fountain Pen.  4. Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Collection.  5. Uniform Wares’ 200 Series Calendar Wristwatch. 6. Collegiate Silk Ties.  7. Ralph Lauren Glen Plaid 4-Piece DOF Set.  8. Skull Crossbones Flask/Collegiate Flask.  9. Bottle of Maker’s Mark.  10. Pura Vida Bracelets. 11. Tommy Bahama Board Shorts. 12. J.C. Newman Cigars. 13. Peterbrooke Chocolate Covered Popcorn Drum. 14. Self Adhesive Custom Monogram Wax Seals. 15. Saks Alligator Belt. 16. Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion (Hardcover) 17. Prestige Flat Card Stationary

What to Wear for a Fashionable Flight Home

Heading home for the holidays is always stressful, especially after deciding what you need to bring home from your already crammed dorm room closet.  Wearing a heavy necklace or earrings is not very airport security friendly and  should be saved for all those holiday parties you’ll be attending.  If you want to wear earrings, studs are best. We recommend a simple leather wrap bracelet stacked with a watch so you can keep track of time before your flight! As far as an outfit goes, keep it simple with a tank and leggings paired with a chunky sweater and scarf. Layers are best for heading home to Florida, since our sunny weather usually doesn’t require a sweater!

What to wear to your neighborhood holiday party…

These parties seem to have a relaxed, friendly vibe.  Pair a loose-fitting top with dress pants and a festive shoe. Add a pair of drop earrings, grab a cute clutch and you are ready to mingle!

Don’t forget your covered dish….

1 can quartered artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup of mayonnaise

Blend all 3 ingredients together. Pour into baking dish and bake at *350 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Carr’s water crackers.

Flowers in Brooklyn

I am always fascinated by a little shop around the corner.
Remember the bookstore Meg Ryan owned in the movie “You’ve Got Mail”?  I came across the flower shop version in Brooklyn yesterday. Stem Fg specializes in cut seasonal flowers and unlike most flower shops in my home state of Florida, the flowers were not refrigerated in giant coolers.
With the front door open to let in the cool fall air,  fresh cut stems danced in vases throught the space. The result was a most intoxicating fragrance. Subtle and sweet with a quiet sophistication, the beautiful flowers at Stem Fg created a perfume that will never be duplicated.

Faux Fur Real

This holiday season as the temperature dips, enjoy one of our favorite trends, faux fur.  Guiltless and easy on the wallet, go faux and have the extra cash to buy a little winter warmth for someone in need.

American Express Small Business Saturday

Created by American Express, Small Business Saturday gives holiday shoppers a great reason to shop local on the day after Black Friday.  Register your American Express card on their website and receive a $25.00 credit on your next statement when you shop local on 11/26/11.

Small business is a major contributor to our economy. It is estimated that small business represents 92% of the businesses in Tampa’s Hillsborough county.  Small Business Saturday  also allows local retailers the opportunity to offer discounts and special promotions to customers. Check out this Small Business Saturday story from Tampa’s NBC Channel 8 featuring DKM Accessories and a local toy store.