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Shiny, Delicate, Lovely Things

For those of you who didn’t know me when I was working, it might strike you odd to hear that I love jewelry. After all, I rarely wear it, don’t talk about it much, and in general, don’t buy any. (In fact, the last piece of jewelry I bought was likely before Cookie Monster was born.)

However, that doesn’t mean I don’t like shiny, pretty things. It just means I don’t enjoy Stella & Dot or some of the stuff that is out there (especially at the prices they boast).

I’m picky about my jewelry because quite frankly, even though I may like the look of chunkier pieces or statement necklaces, they are often too heavy for me and cause neck pain. And even I have my limits of “beauty before pain.” The same goes for super long, heavy earrings. They don’t cause me neck pain, but I am endlessly afraid of Glow Worm ripping out a huge hunk of my ear so I tend to stick with either studs or go earring-less.

As a side note, since I rarely wear earrings, my pierced ears sometimes start to close so when I do put in earrings, they swell and hurt. To avoid that, I rub a little bit of tea tree oil on my ear lobes and on the “stick” part of the earrings. Voila! No more swelling!

Anyhow, the other day, I saw my friend, Yuliana, post a quick blurb about a chance to win a necklace that she made and she posted the cutest pic. I was immediately intrigued. Particularly because our kids went to the same preschool for years and I never knew she designed jewelry.

I quickly Googled YSM Designs and stalked my friend’s Etsy store. Before I clicked, I do have a confession to make. I was really worried that I wasn’t going to like Yuliana’s stuff. After all, who knows if friends actually have any talent? But I remembered that I have always found her to be incredibly stylish and effortlessly beautiful so why wouldn’t her creations be?

I was not disappointed.

In fact, I loved her designs so much that my only problem was limiting how many I was putting in my cart. The prices were reasonable ($25-$35 range for most pieces); the pieces delicate, whimsical, and artistic. I bought two (thus far). In gold. And I am not a fan of gold.

But how could I not? These two necklaces are gorgeous and I got them in the mail super quick. They are light, airy, and make me feel so pretty.

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Dandelion necklace

The dandelion necklace is my favorite and just as I had hoped it would be! So light, bouncy, and fun. It makes me feel young and cool and hip and happy.

As for the rose necklace, I didn’t read the description carefully enough so didn’t realize the necklace was really long and ended at my stomach. I hiked up the necklace so you can see the details better. Not sure if I will keep it on the long chain because I’m positive I will get it caught on something and break it which would give me the sads. But the actual charm is beautiful and not at all heavy.

Anyhow, after I pulled the trigger, of course I immediately did two things:

1) I texted a bunch of my friends about YSM Designs and they all gushed, too.

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Rose necklace

2) I FB messaged Yuliana to see if I could feature her on my blog. After all, it’s near the holiday season and maybe you, or someone you know, would love to get a little pretty something.

Plus, there is nothing I love to do more than to support my friends who are busy doing things they love and creating. I try to support my friends and their businesses if and whenever possible. Especially, when they are totally deserving.

Yuliana graciously created the coupon code: MANDARINMAMA2016 for my readers to use. The coupon is for $5 off any $30 purchase. She is also running a sale THIS WEEKEND so the coupon will also layer on top of the sale.

Many of her pieces seem to have only one item in stock so personally, I think it’s better to go to YSM Designs ASAP to make sure you get the piece that you want. No dilly-dallying, okay? If you can’t decide on one, buy two. There’s a coupon. You will not regret it.

*I was not paid or given anything by YSM Designs for this post. All views are my own.

 

Author

Virginia Duan is the entertainment editor for Mochi Magazine," a freelance writer, co-host of the "Brazn Azn" podcast, and an Asian American author who writes stories full of rage and grief with biting humor and glimpses of grace. She spends most of her days plotting her next book or article, shuttling her children about, participating in more group chats than humanly possible, and daydreaming about BTS a totally normal amount.