Celebrity Icing Features Favorite Looks for the Winter Olympics

Of course, all of the 1200 torchbearers are celebrities for at least a few minutes, while they participate in the relay. Many of them are already famous in Canada as well, if not the whole world. Everyone knows Wayne Gretzky, but not everyone will be familiar with Sam Sullivan – Vancouver’s former mayor.

Vancouver, British Columbia, is often referred to as ‘Hollywood North’ so it sort of makes sense that they’ve invited 15 international celebrities to carry the Olympic torch during the relay. These celebrities include everyone from the Hollywood governator Arnold Schwarzenegger to Bollywood superstar Akshay Tumar.

Carrot Tops Arnold Schwarzenegger Turn at the Torch Relay

In what could have been a serious international incident, a man dressed up as an organic carrot swooped in and stole the torch away from Schwarzenegger during the relay.

What you didn’t see that on the news? Just kidding, it’s just a funny spoof. He did get mobbed by fans however and it raised some concerns about security…

Shania Twain Fireside Singalong

Canadian singer Shania Twain ran through her home town of Timmins, Ontario with the torch. Here’s Shania singing cover songs by the fire during her visit back home to Canada.

Fashion Inspired By The Olympics

Make your own fashion statement inspired by the torchbearers and put on a white leisure suit, a knitted cap (‘toque’ in Canadian), and red mittens. This must have been super fun for the participants who ran their part of the relay during the summer!

Or, just buy some red mittens – (hurry, they are going fast) – $10 at Hudson Bay Company, Zellers, and Home Outfitters, but they don’t seem to be selling the mittens online.  They are the most popular clothing item from the games by far, and the money goes straight to Canadian athletes. If you’re not in Vancouver, people are selling them at Amazon.com for $50. I’ve also found a website called buyredmittenscanada.ca that sells to US and International shoppers – and it looks like you can bid on the them. Note: These sellers are not affiliated with the Olympics and Celebrity Icing is not in any way endorsing or guaranteeing their legitimacy – please check them out for yourself!

You can choose from a wide variety of souvenirs online at hbc.com (Hudson Bay Company), like this cute charm bracelet ($185).

Or, you can let the style inspire you and buy yourself a similar sterling silver bracelet for half the price ($90).

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

This week we continue our features on star sign inspired style.

Scorpios are born between October 24 and November 21.

According to circles of light.com, Scorpios have “piercing eyes, sexual magnetism” and are “secretive… and exciting”. They are also “great leaders… well spoken and charming.”

Julia Roberts

At first impression Julia Roberts seems like a nice person (and she probably is) but there is something else in her eyes and her mannerisms that hints that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. She is either much smarter than she seems or a lot more ruthless – definitely, she is more mysterious than popular opinion gives her credit for.

Hammered fine silver and crystal earrings at etsy.com.

Chris Noth

Perhaps Chris Noth is more like Mr. Big than we think? Sexual magnetism and charm are both traits of the scorpio…

18K yellow gold wedding ring with blue sapphires. Masculine yet luxurious – just like Chris Noth’s suits.

Lisa Bonet

Lisa Bonet is definitely a mystery – she seems to resurface every few years in movies alongside big names such as Mickey Rourke (in 1987 Rourke was considered a big name), Will Smith, and John Cusack – only to disappear again – drawing some conjecture that she is perhaps difficult to work with?

Yet, if you grew up watching her as Denise Huxtable like I did, you can’t help but like Lisa Bonet – she seems like an old friend or cool older sister.

Most recently she appeared in two episodes of the TV series Life on Mars.

20 mm Hoops 14K Yellow Gold

Joaquin Phoenix

The epitome of a scorpio.

Theo Fennell scorpion ring – the perfect gift for a scorpio if you have around $8,600 British pounds…

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

I’m due to have my baby very soon so I guess I have babies on the brain more than usual.

Should Babies Wear Jewelry?

Some cultures seem to prefer jewelry on their children very young (bracelets, earrings). My mom bought all of her girl grandchildren tiny engraved bracelets when they were born – not sure if this is  German thing or just a personal predilection – she also buys child-size silver cutlery for all the kids…

This week we feature baby bracelets:

I also know other people who are passionately against the whole concept of adorning their precious little ones in precious metals.

Of course, if you are going to string your baby with bling make sure it is safe.

Always observe the age guidelines for jewelry – most of it is not practical for children under 3 (it is only worn during a photo session or special ceremony like a christening and then kept as a keepsake or heirloom). For specific information about recalls, please refer to ConsumerReports.org. Here are some basic guidelines:

• Don’t leave children unattended (this includes naptime, bedtime)
• Purchase jewelry from a reputable jewelry store (you get what you pay for).
• Be suspicious of any jewelry purchased from a vending machine or dollar/discount store.
• Watch for small pieces and jewels that might detach (choking hazards).
• ”Breakaway” clasps or weak elastic is the best choice for all jewelry worn around a child’s neck (or better yet, just avoid this jewelry until the child is older).
• Ask the store to confirm what metals are contained in the jewelry. Good jewelry stores (online included) will provide this information on their websites.

Guaranteed Goodies

For example, the Danforth Diamond website informs you that their 14K Yellow Gold Baby Girl charm is made from Harmony Recycled Metals (and you receive a Certificate of Authenticity with your purchase).

Charm The Little One

A great gift idea for a little girl – buy her a charm bracelet. You can buy her charms for years to come, making gift shopping easy! She may not be able to wear it right away, but it can grow along with her – the charms you select while she grows up can symbolize milestones in her life (shoes for first steps or ballet shoes for first dance recital, for example). It’s also a nice way to show your commitment to be in this little girl’s life – perfect for divorced dads, distant grandparents, or mom’s best friend!

Traditional Baby

The Gingham Grasshopper offers bracelets that are like the bracelets babies used to get at the hospital, only much fancier. The bracelet pictured below is made from .925 Sterling Silver and freshwater pearls (read their safety issues link for their guarantee).

Yummy Mummy

Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Jewels – are actually for mom, but baby gets to chew on them when teething.

Here’s one of Celebrity Icing’s favorite celebs, Milla Jovohovich, a fan of Dr. Bloom’s jewels.

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

The fifth installment in our astrology series!

Give Your Accessories Some Star Power

If your birthday falls between July 23 and August 22 you are a LEO just like some of Celebrity Icing’s favorite stars: Amelia Earhart, Zelda Fitzgerald, Mick Jagger, Dustin Hoffman, and my friend Darcy! (Happy Birthday Darcy!)

This week we will look at some classic Leos from the black and white era of film…

According to astrology-online.com, Leos are “the most dominant, spontaneously creative and extrovert[ed] of all the zodiacal characters” (astrology-online.com).

Clara Bow

The characters played by silent film star Clara Bow fit this description perfectly: a real ‘go-getter’ who would always get her man. According to a fansite, she “was the first actress who visibly flaunted her sex appeal” and has become “an icon of sexual freedom for women everywhere” (clarabow.net).

Note that Ms. Bow didn’t feel the need to wear showy jewelry to get attention – her natural charisma and confident poise would have been enough. Instead she wears a simple gold watch and a yellow gold link bracelet.

Myrna Loy

Another favorite of mine, Myrna Loy is best known for her role as Nora Charles in the Thin Man movies.

Here’s a glimpse of her wilder side. The picture is from an early role in the movie “Across the Pacific”. Note this famous Leo’s wild mane – perfect for a lioness. Hair like this is the only accessory you need (and I should know, trust me!) Perhaps a flower tucked behind your ear is a nice touch; otherwise, simple gold earrings would be enough.

Her most famous roles cast her as a perfect wife – her response to this was “Some perfect wife I am,” she said, referring to her typecasting. “I’ve been married four times, divorced four times, have no children, and can’t boil an egg.” (wikepedia.org)

Happy Birthday Leos!

Here are some gift ideas for the Leos in your life.

Amber or yellow stones are always a favorite of the feline friendly…

The Tiger Eye stone traditionally belongs to Capricorns, but also suits Leos.

It also reportedly helps you gain personal empowerment and courage (not that most Leos need help in those areas). Here’s the perfect gift for the stylish Leo man in your life:

Charm Your Leo

A sweet tiger will charm your Leo.

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Well it was bound to happen – given the cupcake images I use and the name of this blog, so let’s get it over with! 

My favorite cupcake jewelry and accessories

A sweet treat under any Christmas tree (or any other time for that matter). 

Pretty Please, With a Cherry on Top

 

This cute little cupcake is handmade. The ‘cherry on top’ is a tiny swarovski crystal. You can order this sweet pendant and necklace directly from the artist, Natasha Puffer, from  her website by clicking on the photo above.

Cupcake Cutie

How sweet is this? The perfect cupcake baking outfit. 

Jessie Steele Audrey Bib Apron, Pumpkin Cupcakes

Customized Cupcake

You can order a charming custom cupcake charm (or half a dozen!?) from Jessica & Susan Partain at Inedible Jewelry. You get to pick your cake flavor and frosting. You can also add sprinkles, a cherry, or even make special requests. 

Here’s a witty hostess gift for the holidays… 

Or a cute charm for the coffee lover close to your heart…

Uh, You Got Some Cupcake on Your Shirt

Har har. Okay this shirt is really cute. It says pirate, it says cupcake, it says ‘hey I’m a tasty pirate’. I bought a different version for my husband not too long ago and it’s the first shirt I grab when I’m raiding his t-shirt drawer. His response is “ARRRRRR” of course!

Cupcakes that are Craft-alicious

I scoured the Internet for some cupcake crafts and here is my favorite find: 

Some craftsters did a cupcake swap and some of the tasty results were a cupcake coin purse, cupcake candles and a cupcake cookbook (above) all made by a very talented person going by the name eye_on_sparrow. Click on the photo to see the rest of the crafts. 

Get Some Taste

And now that I’ve made you crave cupcakes I thought I better include a recipe. Here is one that caught my attention – it’s a recipe for no-bake raspberry cupcakes submitted by William (Uncle Bill) Anatooskin on recipezaar.com. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think I’m going to have to, it looks so tasty! 

 

And for all things cupcake there are blogs dedicated to this very topic, called ‘Cupcakes Take the Cake‘ and ‘Cupcake Bites’. You can visit these blogs for even more cupcake information… 

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Well, it’s November and my city is officially drizzly, wet, and cloudy. This is my only excuse for why I got sucked into watching one of the shopping TV channels more than once this week.

I’ve never ordered anything and I’m not usually interested in the products – what I am drawn to is the back story behind the celebrities flogging their wares. I like to watch them closely as they chat with the shopping host. I like to listen to the little anecdotes they throw in about their personal lives.

Luckily I write for this blog so I can tell my husband I’m doing research for an article when he catches me. And, luckily he would only read this blog if it was about software, gadgets or design-related stuff so he’ll never find out about my guilty pleasure.

Most recently I’ve seen Joan Rivers, Suzanne Somers, and an intriguing chicken roaster (not all at the same time, of course).

This led me to wonder about what other celebrity-branded jewelry is out there. Here is what I’ve found so far and what I think:

Suzanne Somers

Suzanne Somers’ most famous product has got to be the thighmaster (which she still sells, by the way). However she has branded so many different things that her website is almost as well-stocked as your local Walmart. She sells fitness equipment, supplements, books, skin care, a teeth whitening system… she even has her own line of pasta! Imagine if she had hooked up with Gene Simmons: what a merchandising match made in heaven – they might have taken over the entire world.

Here is an example of her jewelry.

Rhodium Cross Pendant

To be fair, she does offer some jewelry that is less offensive, but this one just jumped out at me.

Rhodium is also used to build catalytic converters – too bad this bit of Rhodium escaped from the car manufacturer.

If you bought this cross after seeing it on a shopping show, don’t fret, I completely understand. While I was watching her, she addressed the camera spoke to us directly. She instructed us to order now and then stared intensely into our eyes. I watched, hypnotized, as the number of sales rolled up and the bauble she was selling sold out right in front of my eyes. Only then did I let the breath that I was holding out, smug that I had escaped purchasing earrings and a matching gold necklace for almost two hundred dollars.

Joan Rivers

When I saw Joan Rivers on the shopping channel it kind of looked like the host was afraid of her, and probably with good reason. Joan Rivers would just speak right over the host on topics not entirely related to the products on hand. She seemed a bit impatient, like she was late for another appointment – and, possibly, a bit out of it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was going on and this mystery kept my attention for a very long time.

Photo Watch

This is a watch offered in the Joan Rivers collection.

Because every crazy cat lady wants to bring photos of all of her ‘children’ with her when she is taken away to the hospital.

It also helps recluses keep track of when their favorite programs are coming on TV.

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is considered a super producer in the music industry. He is also the lead singer and drummer of N.E.R.D.

Charming N.E.R.D.

Last January, Pharrell came out with a jewelry line. I thought his stuff was pretty nice until I found out that they were selling for up to $621,000. Now I’m just wondering which of my single friends I should set him up with!

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie named her jewelry line House of Harlow, after her daughter and there are some interesting pieces in her line.

This is not one of them.

Leather Cuff

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

If Suzanne Somers and Gene Simmons had married their merchandising and licensing empires, they could have spawned commercial mastermind super twins like these two.

Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James

The twins teamed up with one of their favorite jewelers to create a line of jewelry for their brand Elizabeth and James.

Just in case you didn’t watch them grow up on TV, here is further proof that Mary-Kate and Ashley are just not regular, ordinary people.

If they had grown up like plain old you and me, they would know that you can buy jewelry exactly like this from most street vendors, carnies, and flea market vendors in pretty much every city in North America.

I’m not saying I don’t like it, just that I’m not willing to spend more than twenty bucks on it.

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Outside the voting station in her hometown Wasilla, Alaska this morning, Sarah Palin spoke of “the historic import of a campaign that will end with the election of the first black president or the first woman vice president.” (wcsh6.com)

Whether you voted for the winner or not, there is no denying that this is an important page in the history of the United States of America.

Let’s put it into perspective:

In a 2005 testimony at the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Harry J. Holzer reported that “the earnings of black men are 20-25% lower than those of white men.”

Meanwhile, data from a 2005 United Nations Human Development Report showed that a woman’s annual income was 37% lower than a man’s.

No matter what your gender or color, this is a day to remember. This is a country whose reputation has suffered internationally. Now, the people who make up this country are suffering financially. But here is something that everyone can take pride in.

You can commemorate this historical moment with an heirloom that you can pass down to generations. Some ideas:

For the Republicans…

For the Democrats…

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Don’t Be Afraid To Accessorize On Halloween

Get your inspiration from these celebrities!

 

I’m not sure if Ice-T (below) is supposed to be a 70′s pirate, a boxer, a pimp, or just Hugh Hefner but whatever he is, his skull and cross bones necklace is pretty cool!

 

 

Make Your Special Event Even More Memorable

Make your Halloween a night she’ll always remember by giving her a gift that alludes to her costume. Was your first date on Halloween? Or maybe you met at a Halloween party?

Let’s face facts boys, the reality is she has probably put a lot of thought into her Halloween costume while you are probably going to throw something together at the last minute. Why not show her you appreciate the effort and thank her for making you the guy with the hottest girl at the Halloween party? 

Here are some ideas, if you know what her costume is going to be this Halloween so you can surprise her with a gift. 

Gift Ideas

Is she going as a Queen Bee?                    

 

Bee-utiful

 A princess?

Little Bo Peep?

Or, maybe it’s your little girl’s first Halloween party?

   

Little Lady

And just so the guys don’t feel left out…

 

 

This gift suits his costume to a ‘tee’. 

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Heavy Stuff

Ringless in Seattle‘s response to my September 19 post “Is it Wrong to Take off the Ring?” was that a) he doesn’t like wearing jewelry, b) he doesn’t like typing with a ring c) maybe a lighter ring would help. 

I mean… how heavy could it be? I would recommend that he gives his ring a chance – wear it for one week and then decide if it’s still too heavy. People all over the world wear rings around the clock so unless you have a medical condition of some sort or just extremely weak fingers – it’s no excuse. Unless your ring looks like this of course! 

Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels Auction October 1st, 2008

Last week on October 1st, a big crew of Hip Hop stars auctioned off their jewelry. Buyers had the choice of donating their purchases to the Smithsonian’s hip hop archive; otherwise, proceeds will go to the Russell Simmons’ coalition of nonprofit organizations. 

According to the staff at liveauctioneers.com, “This is the first time that hip hop jewelry will be presented within the auction setting, as glittering cultural artifacts woven into hip hop’s colorful legacy.” Pretty cool, hey? Interesting to look at but a bit too big and bold for you? Remember, your jewelry can still tell the world who you are:  your beliefs, your interests and your family.

Let Your Bling Sing

Whether it’s a religious symbol or your birthstone or a charm that shows where you have travelled or what your hobbies are, jewelry is a personal statement.

 

The Charm that Rings a Bell

I have a ‘I love to wrestle’ charm that I bought from a street vendor in Memphis. It always reminds me of the fun road trip that took me from Washington DC down through Memphis and then up to Oklahoma City and along route 66 to California. I thought it was funny at the time (I’d already had a few drinks on Beale Street) and now I wear it when I’m feeling cheeky. 

One last note about Ringless in Seattle. It’s obvious what my opinion is about the whole ring thing but I guess what really matters is how his wife feels about it. If she’s okay with her husband going ringless unless its a special occasion then that’s good enough for me.

Tweet This Post Delicious Digg This Post Stumble This Post