Anjolee Review and Drop Pendant Necklace Giveaway! {Closed}

Happy Friday, everyone!  I have something special for you today.  Not to disappoint you, but it's not more mint clothing. It's even better. Anjolee jewelers contacted me about reviewing their website, and as a special bonus has provided me with a replica of their Four Prong Graduated Diamond Drop Pendant to give to one of my readers!

Anjolee is based in San Diego and has been operating since 1977, first selling to retail stores and more recently expanding their online business.  The overall goal of the company is to maintain competitive prices, while making the internet shopping experience “surpass shopping in a store”. 

There are several ways that Anjolee accomplishes this; first and foremost, the selection available online is incredible and includes everything from bracelets to diamond engagement rings, and “red carpet diamond necklaces”.  I know a lot of us are thrifty spenders, and another unique thing about Anjolee is that virtually all the jewelry is customizable, so there is something for every budget.

The website also includes an extensive but easy to navigate diamond education section that covers everything from cut, color and polish to quality standards, metal options and setting types.

Customer service is available 5 days a week via phone and 7 days a week via email.  There is a 30-day return policy that includes custom jewelry, and Anjolee has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.  And all the diamonds that Anjolee sells are certified conflict free!

With all that said, time to take a look at some sparklies!

3-prong Riviera Diamond Necklace

Riviera Necklace

Gemstone and Diamond Drop Earrings

Diamond Earrings

Classic Sparkle Diamond Engagement Ring

Engagement Rings

Gorgeous, right? 

The Giveaway

Anjolee custom made a replica of the Four Prong Graduated Diamond Drop Pendant (style no. SP871) in high quality CZ and silver for me to give away to one of you!

The necklace is even more beautiful in person, and the workmanship is very well done.  I had a hard time capturing the sparkle of the CZs (you know my mad photography skillz), but the facets are sharp and the pendant really shimmers.

To enter:

1. Be a public follower of Mini Me Style via Google Friend Connect

2. Visit Anjolee’s website and take a look around, then come back here and leave a comment telling me what your favorite piece of jewelry is. 

This giveaway will close on Thursday, July 5^th at midnight EST and the winner will be drawn and announced on Friday the 6^th!

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a great weekend!

~MM

Acadmically Inclined: Simply Sarah

Good morning!  I'm excited to introduce my dear friend Sarah from Simply Sarah for this week's Academically Inclined post. 


Why hello!  I'm Sarah from Simply Sarah, and I am so excited to be participating in Bonnie's Academically Inclined series today!  A great deal of my blog focuses around my professional/business casual outfits so this series fits perfectly for me!  I work in academia, on a college campus, so I am very aware of the limitations and restrictions that can be placed upon women working in education.  I thought I'd put together a few Q&A, and show you examples of outfits I've worn to work on both professional and "Casual Friday" days!  Thanks to Bonnie for letting me guest post! Stop on by to Simply Sarah to say hi, and I have a Workin' Girl series as well you should check out!

First off I'll start by adding this clip which I think is absolutely hilarious (and is about the work that I do):

So What the Heck Do I ACTUALLY Do?

I work in Student Activities at a college university.  My job entails overseeing the 300+ student clubs and organizations on campus, sitting on the town board to facilitate community relations with the college, planning leadership workshops and series, bringing speakers to campus, and planning major events (just contracted Alec Baldwin!)  It is a blast but a large time commitment given that I work many late night events (often until 2 or 3am!), but the benefits are rewarding.  While a lot of people think my job is just fun and event planning, there is a lot of work that is involved.

What's My Dress Code? How Does It Define My Style?

Here are a few examples of work outfits I've put together to showcase my professional, yet personal, style

My office is a very professional environment where many women wear skirts and suits daily, and jeans/casual wear (business casual only) are limited to Casual Fridays.  There are days that I love this because I like getting dressed up, and I've always believe that you dress for the job you WANT, not the job you HAVE, so putting effort into my appearance helps me feel more in control and work mode :-)  

We can't wear shorts, or sneakers, either. In the summer we can go with more casual outfits, including sandals if we like, but in general it's not really supported.  You don't see many women in open toe shoes either but I try to rock them when I can ...

What Do I Wear on Casual Days and/or Days I'm NOT Working?

\

Overall I'm still able to express myself in my environment, but I have to be conscious of the things I wear even on casual days. Since I'm young, and I work with students, when I dress down people DO confuse me with students!

Thanks to Bonnie for letting me guest post - 

makes sure to stop by and say HI!

My First Peplum

I heart peplum.  A little bit Kate Middleton, a little bit old Hollywood glamour.  But only on other people, I thought. This is a trend I was very nervous about trying.  I'm short and pear-shaped, and ruffles around the lower middle section can be very dangerous indeed. So when I found this ModCloth peplum top with ruffles that hit well above the badonkadonk, I couldn't pass it up!

Top: Modcloth (here)

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: BCBG girls

Bag: Gap (old) 

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy and Transatlantic Blonde for What I Wore Wednesday! 

Have you worn or would you wear peplum? 
Happy Wednesday, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of the Academically Inclined series!
~MM

Vegas Recap

I'm running off to deal with the "real world" that I was successfully able to ignore for the last 72 hours, but wanted to give a quick recap of Vegas.  It was an amazing, albeit short vacation with friends, that included (thanks to the amazing sweet-talking abilities of a couple of them) an upgrade to a penthouse suite at Paris and private villa by the pool!  And alpacas.  I hope you have a great week, and we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. ~MM

Alpaca farm on the way

Hoover Dam

Paris, Las Vegas

Room with a view

Pool Time

Some ceiling somewhere

New York, New York

Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

Dress - Target! It has pockets.

Shark Reef

Rawwwr

Bellagio fountains

Shorts: Free People
Top: Stradivarius 

Vegas Bound

¡¡¡It's Friday!!!  Today I'm headed to Las Vegas with the Mr. and a group of dear friends to celebrate a birthday. One of theirs, not mine. I am in denial and ceased to have birthdays in my late 20's.

Because nothing says a special time with friends like a weekend you'll barely remember.

I had a really hard time packing for this trip.  Vegas is brutal in the summer. The weather people are predicting approximately one bazillion degrees the entire time we're there.

I picked up this dress on clearance at Old Navy about a month ago for $9.75.  I really like the light fabric, handkerchief hemline, halter top neckline, and that it can be dressed up or down. It doesn't wrinkle easily either, so it's perfect for shoving into a suitcase last-minute, which is typically always how I pack.

Dress: Old Navy

Belt: Target

I hope you have a great weekend!  Any exciting plans? 


We're back late Monday night, so I'll see you all Tuesday morning. 


~MM

Academically Inclined: Julie from The Tiny Librarian

Good morning everyone!  Today I'm guest posting over at Simply Sarah, and am giving a recap of several ways to wear my pleated mint skirt.  I know, I know. I need to step away from the mint.  An intervention may be in order, but it's going to be ugly.  Lots of crying and swearing. Swing by and give Sarah some love - she is a great friend and has ninja thrifting abilities.

I'm also thrilled to present Julie from The Tiny Librarian who is kicking off the Academically Inclined series!  So without further ado, I turn the floor over to Julie who shares how she stays stylish and professional in her job as an elementary school librarian.

"I am excited to be a part of Mini Me Style's Academically Inclined to highlight stylish, work appropriate outfits!  For this series, I chose two looks: a very professional look and a casual school day look.  I work at an elementary school where the majority of teachers and staff are women so it is fun to see everyone's style shine through in their work attire.  The everyday dress code at work would be described as "casual professional."  Though there are no written restrictions; shorts, low cut tops, t-shirts, and beach flip flops are not appropriate, but I believe those are the standard restrictions for most schools and businesses, unless the business is a snowball stand.  :)

The first professional look features one of my favorite wrap dresses from BCBG and a pair of cognac multi-strap low heel sandals. I typically wear dresses for presentations at work, meetings, and any work or school related events that merit a bit more professional look than a day with at school with the kids!  This colorful, zigzag print dress also was my "go to" dress for graduate school presentations, conferences, etc.  I have now dubbed it my "lucky" dress, because of the success it has brought me and the compliments I have received while wearing it.  :)  I have had this dress for a few years, and I love the way it fits and feels.  I decided to put my hair in a loose bun and embrace the librarian stereotype. :)  Also, the weather was quite windy, which explains why my hair was blowing in my face.

Wrap dress: BCBG (old)

Multi-strap sandals: Aldo

Beaded bracelet: Banana Republic (old)

Gold and wooden bead drop earring (Azby’s, NOLA boutique)

The second look is my casual everyday school look featuring a knit top and {sassy} jean skirt with a ruffled hem (and oversized gold buttons!) from Anthropologie, as well as some low heel gold wedges and gold metallic flower gladiator sandals, which I love.  This skirt is a favorite of my students, especially the girls who say that it's "super cute" and "very pretty."  You never know what to expect from the kids, but there is no doubt they will definitely let you know when you look nice...or not so nice! :)  Nothing but brutal honesty out of the mouths of babes!  My husband and I had fun with this photo shoot, and I decided to try a "hushing librarian" pose for fun, but I (and Sooper) had difficulty suppressing the giggles!  As you can see, the "hushing librarian" is quite different from my actual demeanor as a modern librarian who embraces active learning.

Pink knit ruched top: Anthropologie

Sassy jean skirt with ruffled hem: Anthropologie (old)

Gold metallic wedges: Bandolino

Gold metallic flower sandals: Gap (very old, but my favorite sandals!)

Pearl and gold earrings and necklace: The Limited

Bangles: H & M

Personally, I enjoy getting dressed and looking stylish for work by selecting a look each day based on my mood, the weather, and the schedule of events/activities for the day.  I would describe my professional style as a combination of feminine, preppy, and boho chic on a budget.  Typically, I wear pretty printed skirts, sweaters, knit tops, blouses, dresses, and flat or low-heel sandals.  I do wear long pants occasionally but love the femininity and the light, airy feeling of dresses and skirts much more (especially in the NOLA heat).  Hope you enjoy Mini Me Style’s Academically Inclined Series.  I am honored to be featured in her very stylish blog and defy the librarian stereotypes!"

~Thank you for reading, and make sure to visit Julie at The Tiny Librarian to see all the fabulous looks she puts together on a regular basis! MM

Lace High-Low dress

I stopped by the mall yesterday to get a couple hair clips, and walked out with this ensemble instead.  Oops.

(Gather hair to one side and divide into two sections.  Double knot those two sections and secure with a rubber band right below the knots.)

Dress: H&M

Necklace: J.Crew via ebay

Belt: Express (old) 

Shoes: H&M

The Mr.'s reaction? "You are wearing a mullet".  (Says the guy that wandered around most of last weekend in cutoff denim shorts and a Coors Light t-shirt. But he was installing a chandelier in the bathroom for me, so we'll cut him some slack.)

I know I said no more green/mint this week.  My pinky swears are apparently empty and meaningless.

Today I'm also linking up with The Pleated Poppy for "What I Wore Wednesday"!



Make sure to check back tomorrow for the first in the "Academically Inclined" Series!

This post is all over the place. I like bicycles. Squirrel!

What do you think of the high-low trend? Love it or leave it? 


Have a great day everyone! 


~MM

Mint Colorblocking

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thanks to all who linked up their maxi skirts and dresses last week, and submissions are open through this Thursday night!

This is the last green/mint I'll wear for at least a week. Pinky swear.

Created a super messy bun by braiding hair up the back, securing in a top knot with a rubber band and bobby pins, and wrapping a braided section of hair around the bun.

Linking up with the "Bloggers do it Better" Mint and Coral Challenge! Take a look at all the gorgeous looks other bloggers have put together with these colors. 


Skirt: ModCloth
Top: Lulu's (old)
Bag: The Limited Cutout Clutch
Shoes: Jessica Simpson Calie

Style to the Max(i) Link Up

Good morning, and welcome to the Style to the Max(i) Link Up!

I've been kind of at a loss as to what to do with this maxi skirt.  Yes friends, you heard me right. This article of clothing was designed, marketed and sold as a skirt. But being the creative too-lazy-to-get-it-altered 5' person that I am, I instead decided to belt it and try wearing it as a dress. I don't know if the fact that when worn above the bra line it still almost reaches the ground on me is just sad, or means I get more flexible use out if it.  At any rate, this is what I came up with.

Skirt worn as dress: Old Navy
Belt: F21
Wedges: Aeropostale (old)
Bag: Guess (old)
Hat - so old I have no idea where it came from

I can't wait to see how you've all styled your maxi skirts and dresses!

Rules:

1. Link to your specific (new) blog post, not your blog's main page.

2. Link back to Mini Me Style in your blog post

Be sure to check out all the great looks that your fellow bloggers put together!

Have a great day, everyone. :)

~MM