Hoops are hot!

Agonizing over what to get the hard-to-shop-for women on your list? As a jewelry buyer, I'm often asked what's hot. The easy answer this year: hoops.


Hoop earrings are everywhere, and they're extremely popular for holiday 2007, according to Modern Jeweler. For the conservative career gal, small, diamond or pearl-studded hoops are the way to go. For the glamour gal--think J.Lo--big, dramatic hoops are in style. Two I like:


Tiffany Atlas diamond hoops, $3500 http://www.tiffany.com/.







Moon River Pearls' black freshwater pearl hoops, $59, http://www.moonriverpearls.com

Trendy Color to Wear Now

Rich rusts are in for fall...good news for most women, who can wear the color with ease. To get the look, try a head to toe ensemble in apricot or curry...think a vivid orange dress or skinny jeans and a turtleneck, or add a hint of spice with an orange suede belt or apricot patent leather bag.

Orange not your thing? Try a splash of sass with carnelian jewelry, like these oversize hoops from MoonRiverPearls.com. Or go to my other favorite site, Zappos.com, and pick up some cute orange ankle booties.

Frustrating!

This month's issue of W magazine has a compelling headline: Diamonds, Rubies and Pearls to Die For! I was going to check out the spread and report on my favorite pieces, but, guess what? I couldn't find the article after five long minutes of trying.

Why, why why must magazines spread their table of contents over several pages and then bury them randomly throughout the first 5o or so pages of the issue?

I'll tell you why, to force you to look at the ads.

I'd spend a lot more time reading the magazine if I could actually find what I was looking for. As it turned out, I got so frustrated, I tossed the entire thing in the bin.

More Fun than an Advent Calendar

Want to have some fun this holiday season? Need to get a break from all the shopping, wrapping, cleaning, card writing, baking, cooking, school plays, office swaps, etc. etc.? Check out http://moonriverpearls.com/product.aspx?id=978 daily now through Christmas. Every morning, the head buyer for this delicious pearl jewelry store posts a new piece of jewelry that the company offers for half price! The jewelry changes daily, and once the day is over, so is the sale for that particular item. Prices are already low, so you can buy for the women on your list and still have money left to treat yourself a few times.

This is my favorite site tied with Zappos. Shipping is free, returns are guaranteed, and you get a free gift with $150 purchase. Fun!