Fashion Love of the Week: Origami Owl personalized jewelry

Growing up, I had an obsession with personalized jewelry. Anything with a giant, glittering “K” dangling from it had to be mine. In college, I wore a black Laverne & Shirley-inspired sweater with a hot pink “K” on it. I really thought it was something! Drenched in dazzling initials and sea life charm bracelets, (totally went through a manatee phase) I was the Mr. T of personalized charm jewelry, and proud of it. All of those things are neatly tucked away in a jewelry box, possibly making an appearance at my next garage sale. I have matured a bit, and my taste in jewelry and fashion is a bit more refined. I am still an advocate for self-expression, and I am usually the first person to try a crazy hair dye trend or blinding neon lipstick.

When I discovered Origami Owl, a custom jewelry company started by a 15 year old girl named Bella who was trying to find a way to save money for a car, I was really intrigued and I definitely wanted to see what the buzz was about. Bella obviously got her car and a bit more that she expected. Origami Owl now can be seen all over social media with thousands of Independent Designers who host "Jewelry Bars" in homes across America. It is sort of like Build-A-Bear, but for ladies with a flair for cool jewelry.

The process of building your jewelry is thrilling. The first step is picking out tiny charms that will be placed inside of your “Living Locket”. Think of it as a porthole containing all things about you, like your love for ice cream, dogs, yours and your family birthstones, and holidays of the year. Once you pick your favorite charms, the next step is choosing your locket style. I definitely recommend the large locket that is about the size of a quarter with the crystal bling around the edge. The piece really stands out and serves as the “window” into your charmed life. You can fit about 7 to 12 charms in the larger size. I figure I’ll probably want to add more charms to the necklace later on, so I wanted to leave some wiggle room.

The third step in creating your locket is choosing a chain. What I love about the 32 inch chain is that it doesn't get caught in my hair – the #1 reason why I sometimes avoid wearing necklaces. I can fit it right over my head with no problems. There are several metal colors to choose from, the rose gold being extremely gorgeous and will be on my list for my next Origami Owl locket.

The 4th and 5th steps are optional. You may place a back plate inside of your locket that includes an inspirational word like “Believe” or “Family”. I am hoping that the option to have that word personalized will be available, so that someone like me can have their own name imprinted on the plate itself! The final option to completing your necklace is adding a dangle. The dangle charms add that extra kick to your locket and I can’t imagine my necklace without my gold Victorian key dangle! I’ve got my eye on the coral rose and purple crystal dangle charms to add to my collection. What’s fun is that when I design my next piece, I’ll be able to interchange the dangle charms with other pieces so it never looks like I’m wearing the same necklace.

So, I decided to become a hostess and have an Owl Origami Jewelry Bar at my home in a few weeks. Our theme will be Halloween and I cannot wait to see the seasonal charms that Owl Origami will debut for this year. Being a hostess means I am able to earn free jewelry, receive discounts and rewards and just host an awesome party for the gals! I think having the product in front of you while you pick out your charms is a better experience than shopping online, so if you have the space and are able to gather your friends and family, hosting a Jewelry Bar sounds like an awesome opportunity to share fashion and fun with your loved ones.

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Candice Martin-Vega to set up your Jewelry Bar date and time: candycharms4u@yahoo.com ( 408 ) 316-7694
If you're out of the area or hosting a party is too much hassle, Candice is still available to help you get your Owl Origami necklace started at http://candycharms.origamiowl.com/

Keep in mind that the holidays are just around the corner and Origami Owl would make an excellent gift! I receive compliments everywhere I go when I wear mine.

So what do you think, readers? What are your thoughts about Origami Owl? Weigh in below in our comment section.

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Disclaimer: Yahoo Shopping was not compensated for reviewing Origami Owl products.