Rising Tide Fair Trade Scarves

Click for a close-up. Happy holidays!

Necklaces by Juliet

Don't forget, you can click on any picture to get a better look.

Jewelry by Local Artist Christy Lucius

Bracelets by Linda Levinson

Local designer Linda Levinson's extensive background in fine jewelry and her love of antiques are the key elements to her innovative and classic accessories collection. Each piece is hand-crafted with the greatest attention to detail at Linda's Oak Street studio.

Switchin' Things Up

Paddywax Soy Candles

Just in time for the holidays, the perfect gift for the hosts of the party.

Convertible Totes by Urban Junket

Made from organic and recycled materials, these eco-friendly totes are convertible. Believe it or not, all you have to do is use the snaps to change the tote's shape, as shown above.

Use the big size to carry your laptop, then convert to the smaller bag to run errands or go out and about in the world.

Bora Necklaces

Bora's ceramic work is done by two sisters in Turkey. When they're finished, they send the necklaces to their cousin in Brooklyn, who does the sterling work.

Custom Name Tags by Lotus

Holiday Goodness

The holidays are upon us. Time for something sparkly!

Just in Time for the Holidays: More Rebecca Zemans

Peanut!

Peanut by Lisbeth; Vancouver, Canada.

It's Officially Hat Season!

In Chicago, hat season runs from October through the beginning of May. Seriously, I double-checked with Tom Skilling. ...I'll update this when he calls back.

Luckily, embellish is stocked up with hats from local designer Squasht. With Chicago style, Squasht balances a quirky sensibility with subtle sophisitication. Everything you need to stay warm and look good while doing so.

Eco Secret Garden Treasure Boxes

GeoArt by Cynthia Gale introduces Eco Secret Garden Treasure Boxes, a collection based on the novel.

Lillie & Cohoe: Winter Warmth & Style

Handmade luxury from Canada. ...Hey, be nice to the Canadians.

Brand New Jewelry From Fab Local Designer Rebecca Zemans!

That's right, fab. As in fabulous. Each piece of jewelry is one of a kind because Rebecca employs an ancient tool called the hammer. With every blow, she forges something special.

Strong and delicate, ancient and modern, her designs are contemporary with a classic look. Conceptually, they derive from Rebecca's fascination with biological cells viewed through a microscope and celestial bodies viewed through a telescope. The organic shapes and geological specimens recall both microscopic organisms and patterns found in space. Movement is also a key component as she strives to create comfortable, everyday jewelry that complements and expresses the exceptional qualities of the individual.

GeoArt Bangles

GeoArt bangles by Cynthia Gale. Step into a festive look featuring black and white batik bangles with hand-painted gold, fabrics and other natural materials from Bali, and solids as well.

We're Back!

As CBO of embellish, I apologize for not giving you advance notice that the blog would be taking a few weeks off.

I'm sure many of you out there were left with gaping holes in your day. I can only hope that you were able to find another task that was just as productive as the time you spend here.

I assure you, this will never happen again. Ever. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Cheers,
Scoop Skupien
Chief Box Opener/Chief Blog Officer

Thank You!

Thank you everyone! I believe a good time was had by all who dropped by on Girls Night Out. The party lasted until 9:30 PM. Fun, yet respectful to Thursday.

Now, what you've all been waiting for... embellish is proud to announce the Girls Night Out $100 raffle winner: Deb Elston!

Deb Elston, come on down!

Latico Leather Bags

It's actually a nice shade of eggshell. Trust me.

Update! Turns out, you shouldn't trust me. Apparently, the color is called eggplant, not eggshell.

In my defense, I quote the great Stephen Colbert: "I don't see color."

Girls Night Out

Join us this Wednesday for girls night out at embellish and Stellar26! Grab a friend, grab a drink, grab a snack, and check out our new fall wares.

Each item purchased will earn you a raffle ticket. Two lucky girls will win a $100 gift certificate!

See you this Wednesday, September 23rd from 7-9 PM.

Bud in the Mud

Local designer Roulette 18's bud in the mud. Oxidized sterling silver.

Established in 2003, Chicago-based Roulette 18 is Lyn Pusztai and Rhonda Welbel.

Resin Work by Fenomena

Latico Leather Bags

Latico leather bags in a perfect fall pallet.

The 44th Annual General Von Steuben Day Parade!

Saturday was the 44th running of the General Von Steuben Day Parade. It's a lot like Pamplona, if you replace the bulls with guys in lederhosen.

Above is one of the marching bands, as seen from inside embellish.

More J & I Earrings and Necklaces

J & I Earrings

Handmade peacock pearl earrings set in silver sterling cups. Dress them up, dress them down. Either way, they work.

J & I Necklaces

J & I sterling necklaces; handmade in Philadelphia.

ellu totes

ellu totes, new to embellish, are handmade by a local Chicago designer. While not evident in this photo, one of the best features is the strap, which can be worn two ways. At full length, you can wear it cross-body, or fold it in half to wear over the shoulder.

Rebel Designs Cuffs

These leather and semi-precious stone cuffs were in the same Rebel Designs shipment we received Thursday. Earrings and necklaces came in as well.

Rebel Design Handbags

From Gina Riley's leather collection, we just received wristlets, wallets, and brand new leather and denim clutches. Beautiful leather with an amazing attention to detail; a timeless investment.

Do you remember?

Welcome, my friends, welcome.

Right now, you are experiencing the very first post on the embellish blog! So why not start where it all began? Right? Who's with me?

Therefore, we go back in time to May of 2008. This post-demo picture shows what embellish looked like back when the only things for sale were extension cords, dust, and a slightly used commode.