Saturday, December 15, 2012

My trip to the Bead Factory


Beads Factory
810 Maple Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 624-2121



I had been wanting to make a trip to the Beads Factory  which is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Where I live, there just aren't very many bead stores. The few we have don't offer the same variety as well as low prices as different stores I have found in Los Angeles. With that being said, the less than 2 hour drive to LA is always worth it to me!


I was too distracted by the millions of beads all around me to remember to take some pictures of the store, so I "borrowed" some pics to give you an idea of what the store looks like





As soon as I walked into this store, I was in Heaven, yet, completely overwhelmed at the same time. Right when I walked in, I realized that this store was going to be more overwhelming than I imagined. Given the fact that I had just finished dealing with LA traffic, you could say that "overwhelmed" is a great adjetive to describe parts of my day. I didn't know where to start. The checkout area was to my right; to the left, a separate room with beads; straight ahead, the big ass store that awaited me. Not to mention the walls filled with beads from top to bottom. I had a couple of things that I had been specifically meaning to find/restock on, but other than those few things, I was there to find new, unique things. (which I did!)

Once I had a couple of minutes to figure out the layout of the merchandise, I was feeling a little more confident about where the heck to start. Yes, this is the "Bead Factory", but as you may have guessed, there is more than beads. Even the selection of different chains they have to choose from is amazing. Chunky chains, somewhat chunky chains, delicate chains, unique fancy chains. I have never seen so many chains in my life!  They even have tons of feathers to choose from.






A glimpse inside.... 
With this angle, you see a majority of the store...but yes, there is more! To the left of where this picture was taken, there is a separate room with more merchandise.  To the right is a huge, endless wall filled with all sorts of different beads. Pendants and charms can be found in the middle aisles.














Before I went to this store, I read reviews on Yelp, which warned me not to expect the friendliest staff in the world. Those reviews were correct. The employees are not outright rude, you just have to pull some teeth sometimes to get the help you need.




Parking                                                                                            

 Another important tidbit. There is a parking garage across the street which has roof parking. I paid $5 and was parked there close to three hours. It was so easy, I just parked and off I went. For a minute I debated if I should attempt street parking, but those hopes were quickly dashed by reality. Ha, street parking in downtown LA? Maybe on a brave day.  I recommend just going for the parking garage, but to each his own.

So, to anyone who has never visited this store and lives in Southern CA, I highly recommend a trip to this store!



With that being said, happy beading.



Saturday, December 8, 2012

New blog for my jewelry- Molly Jean Jewelry

Please check out my new blog for my jewelry, www.mollyjeanjewelry.blogspot.com

Pride and Pearls has been fun, but I don't really update it much anymore. My free time is spent working on jewelry, so I figured if I am going to be blogging, I will focus on the new one. Thanks for checking it out!




Here are some pictures of some of my pieces:


Pink Spike Necklace

Spike necklace- Hot pink spikes on a gunmetal chain. $15.00
https://www.etsy.com/listing/117421612/pink-spike-necklace





Silver spike necklace on black chain
https://www.etsy.com/listing/114765371/silver-spike-necklace-on-black-chain?ref=v1_other_2
Silver Spike necklace featuring Spike covered in rhinestones







Red and black hoop earrings

These red and black earrings are eye catching. Love these! Right now only $5.00    https://www.etsy.com/listing/117556774/red-and-black-hoop-earrings





Beaded and wirewrapped bracelet
Wire-wrapped bracelet   https://www.etsy.com/listing/110059970/beaded-and-wirewrapped-bracelet



and much more!

Saturday, September 22, 2012

2 Broke Girls necklace

 

 

Caroline's Necklace from Two Broke Girls:  How To



About, oh 6 months ago, I said I would do a tutorial on how to do Caroline's necklace. I'm not much of a vlogger and tutorials written can be pretty lengthy, so I've been putting it off. I will do a short and sweet run through of how to do this necklace and include certain youtube links that will teach you the techniques needed.


               


                                              Close up picture- below is one I made a few months ago

                                

This necklace does take a while to make and certain parts can be a bit tedious. With that being said, take your time making it because you want all the sets of pearls to be equal in length. You also want to make sure that the circles you make with the eyepins don't come out sloppy.


Let's get to it...to make this necklace

You will need:

1. Chain of your preference. This is a statement necklace and with the amount of pearls you will be hanging from it, you don't want to select a dainty chain that won't be able to support the pearls, so keep that in mind.


2. Gold Eyepins   

              You can find these at any arts and crafts store, such as Michael's.


3. Gold Headpins

                                                     

4. Two different sizes of pearls

        Larger pearls sit on top with the smaller pearls hanging below. Ivory or white pearls, whichever your prefer. I like to have brighter pearls for this necklace so I choose white.


5.  Jewelry clasp/closure piece.  

  I recommend using a toggle for this necklace

6.  Round nose pliers 


                                      

 7.  Chain nosed pliers   





8.  Gold split jump rings



You will also need to watch this youtube video in order to know how to create the sets of pearls. You will need to know how to create circles using round nosed pliers, which is why I am including this youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCBJnOeXwds

After watching this video and practicing a few times, you should have an idea of how to make the circles.

You are going to take your smaller pearls and put all of those onto the headpins. I make 18 sets of pearls when I do this necklace. You are then going to cut some of the wire off of the remaining headpin and form a circle, (which you learned how to do in the youtube video) which will attach to the eyepin. You will take your larger pearls and put those on the eyepins. You will connect the small pearl that is on the eyepin to the larger pearl on the headpin by making circles with the wire.




       Cut a piece of chain, approx 12 inches long
       Cut a second piece of chain, approx 10 inches long

   Take two split gold jump rings and attach your chain to the jump rings, making a 2 layer necklace.

   You should have the shorter chain on top, longer chain on bottom.

   Once this is done, start attaching the pearls to the chain. Start from the center and work your way outwards, making sure each side is matching up.


        I did my best to explain this with just words. Maybe one day I will post my own video. Until then, good luck with your necklace!



ps- if you haven't made jewelry before you will find this necklace challenging. Let me know in comments or email if you need more help.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Current loves



Neons

Who doesn't love bright colors during summertime? I was so tired of black and gray everywhere, even though I love black and gray- it is just so refreshing to see pops of color again! I am especially loving the neon jewelry and handbags. I am in love with the hotpink handbag in the picture below. Don't be afraid to try neons this summer, this is a fun trend.  If you aren't sure about purchasing a pair of neon pumps or a bright dress why not a cute neon clutch or handbag? Or, for a fun DIY project, you could purchase a neon spray paint from Michael's or a Home Depot type store and spray paint some of your own jewelry.










Spikes



I haven't been under a rock or anything, I am aware that the Spike trend has been going strong for a while now. However, over the past 6 months or so I can't seem to get enough of them! I think what I'm drawn to with spikes is they are edgy/punk rockish but they can be mixed beautifully with more feminime pieces, such as crystals.  Not only are they fun with jewelry, but spike studs add a fun element to purses/handbags as well as shoes (think Converse). 



                                 




Here is a great DIY tutorial from the blog B Headed from back in December on how to stud your own Converse http://bheaded.com/2011/12/14/how-to-stud-your-converse-at-home/. Great blog that I recommend checking out!



  To try to get my love for spikes out of my system, I decided to make my own necklace incorporating them. I love the way the spikes look next to the crystal beads.  This necklace looks great with so many different things- from dresses to a tank and jeans.


 

      Take a look around my Etsy store, more things to come soon!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/105311683/sophisticated-edge-featuring-a-25-mm




The Ring manicure

           

This is a fun little trend. I haven't tried it though.



Like every season, there are several new takes on trends to be discussed- but these are just the trends that I am really into right now! 



What are your favorite trends right now? 

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Outfit of the day: Happy Easter

Simple. Pretty black dress with pearl necklace, ring, and pink clutch.
Clutch: GUESS 
Dress: Target!  









                   This picture doesnt' do them justice- gold ankle strap wedges








                  Pearl necklace handmade by myself
http://www.etsy.com/listing/96303936/2-broke-girlstwo-broke-girls-carolines?ref=v1_other_2



                                               hot pink gel nails with glitter. Gel nails are a great way to get your nails stronger and healthier and they last at least 2 weeks, sometimes longer.  I do not miss acrylic nails at all!



Saturday, March 31, 2012

2 Broke Girls: Caroline's Necklace

Who makes the original two broke girls necklace? I don't know...but I make my own versions! 
 
 
Caroline's Necklace: Two Broke Girls







The only new show this year that I have grown to love is 2 Broke Girls.  2 Broke Girls is a quirky comedy about two best friends who are struggling to get by while they pursue their dream of starting a cupcake business. One of the main characters, Caroline, wears the most adorable double strand pearl necklace in almost every scene. I fell in love with this necklace as quickly as I fell in love with the show, so I had to make a necklace for myself. I get so many compliments on this whenever I wear it, I have started to get requests from friends as well as strangers for a Caroline Necklace of their own.










                             Caroline's Necklace- my version


https://www.etsy.com/listing/112774110/2-broke-girls-necklace



      
























This necklace wasn't just fun to make, but it is such a great inspiration piece. There are so many different things you could do to make different versions of this necklace (different chain, different color/size pearls) and either way it would still be adorable.

 I promise to have a tutorial on this necklace posted in the near future!  Are there any pieces of jewelry you've been lusting after?



If you don't want to make this necklace and would rather buy one ready to go, then visit my etsy shop for one :   https://www.etsy.com/listing/112774110/2-broke-girls-necklace





Most recent version I made:Pinned Image




Caroline Collier: Deux filles Broke
Collana di Caroline: Due ragazze Broke
Кэролайн ожерелья: два Broke девушки
 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

New perfumes

It has been almost two months since I last posted, I have missed being on here!

Anyways, I recently stumbled upon a few new perfumes I thought I would share. With summer quickly approaching, I had to include these 2 perfumes because not only do they smell lovely, but they are perfect for Spring and Summer.

The first one is a new spin on a classic: Light Blue Dreaming in Portofino. This is an updated version of Light Blue, which was launched in 2001. You might be wondering what makes this new version different than the original. The best way I know to describe it is there is more of a floral scent as well as a musk tone. It is still very fresh and light.


The second perfume is new altogether, it is Candy by Prada. I first loved this scent when I came across a sample in a magazine. The main notes for this perfume are caramel and musk. It is a darker, richer perfume. All it takes is one spray and you are good to go, anything more than one or two sprays and it is way too strong.



So these are some of my new favorites. To see the list of my all time favorites, refer to this post from last year http://www.prideandpearls.com/2011/02/favorite-perfumes.html

Let me know if you come across any new scents that are worth trying!              

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Birthday weekend in Solvang, CA





These are pictures taken with my phone from a recent trip of wine tasting and shopping to Solvang, CA. Such a cute town with scenic drives to vineyards nearby. The first two images are actually from Wiki just to show better pictures of what this town looks like during the day.














                      From my Iphone...









  As we were driving to a vineyard we randomly drove past this chapel. I had to take a picture, such a storybook Country Chapel.













                                      Saint Ines Mission- very beautiful



























               Old Cemetery. Reading about the history made it even more interesting.











































































                                                        One of my favorite shots






As you can see, the Courtyard area is beautiful. The weather was gorgeous that day so it added to the beauty.






    On to what I found shopping wise...I have been in such an accessory mood lately, more than ever. Accessories are great. You can use them over and over. Unlike clothing, you don't really have to worry about accessories getting stained or not fitting right. What I am saying is, accessories are fun and easy! If you want to buy a gift for someone who maybe doesn't seem like much of a shopper or who is the type of person who doesn't like trying on clothes- I recommend finding them some cute accessories. Some that can be worn daily and then some random fun pieces. I found a bracelet and several rings.









The bracelet and rings are from different shops throughout the main shopping area. All were for great prices!



 








 


















This display is obviously getting overwhelmed...








     Something about this elephant ring. I love the red back and the red rhinestones. So charming.




Bracelet again.





And that is that...I recommend visiting Solvang if you have the opportunity. It was a nice change from trips to LA or the Bay area.