Review: Chloe + Isabel Jewelry

Disclosure:  I received pieces of Chloe + Isabel jewelry, of my own choosing, from an authorized merchandiser, in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own!

As you know, I have reviewed quite a few different direct marketing products on my blog.  From Lularoe to Jamberry to Younique, you know I'm willing to give something a try, and let you know what I think.  I know that you're going to see good sellers and bad sellers out there for everything, but if you're a shopper like me, the endgame has to be a solidly good product.

So when a fellow blogger reached out to ask me to review some Chloe + Isabel jewelry, I was game!  As it so happens, Karen is gem.  I stalk her Instagram pics, and she and I share a love for all things Kate Spade.  In the end, I decided that while I love statement pieces, I wanted to come away with two looks that would work for both the office and casual fun.

First up, I chose a silver look, Pavé Curved Bar Stud Earrings and Modern Mosaic Y-Necklace.  I really loved the curved earrings and Y-necklace, because both felt like very modern shapes/picks!  I also learned that jewelry is hard to photograph, so I've included some snapshots and links.

I have already worn these (okay, ALL of the pieces) multiple times!  The Y-necklace can be worn tucked under your shirt (kind of sexy, like you don't know where the bling ends) or over.  I think it does a great job of adding subtle interest.  It's kind of a thin chain, but that's because the style is delicate.  The other pieces are heavier.  And the earrings, like I said, they make me feel trendy.  I wore them both to work and to a Sunday lunch with my friend.

I think Chloe + Isabel stud earrings, in particular, are my new favorite jewelry.  I love the earring backs (they're like little cylinders) because they stay put.  The quality is great too; I think they're better than the earrings that I bought at Kate Spade outlet, so you're getting a good value!

For my second look, I went with gold tones, that I could mix & match: the Geovista Stud Duo Earrings and Geovista Open Cuff Set.

This set looked really cool to me, and I like that I could pair the earrings with the bracelets.  The bracelets looked good both with my other jewelry and on their own; in fact, these were the pieces that my husband noticed and complimented, wondering if they were new!  Again, the geo pattern and open cuffs are on-trend.  I was impressed by the durability of these too.  I really do keep comparing the quality of Chloe + Isabel to that I've seen at Kate Spade, but that's what it reminds me of.

Also worth noting, I have another pair of Chloe + Isabel earrings that I purchased at a pop-up party that a friend held at her house.  I didn't feel very connected to the Merchandiser, so I bought a little pair of earrings mainly because they matched my engagement ring quite nicely.  They have a lot of pieces that would be great bridesmaid gifts, or bridal jewelry.

Studs with my engagement/wedding bands

As you may have gathered, I find Chloe + Isabel jewelry to be good quality, and good value for the price.  My older pair of earrings have held up better over time than items I got at a different company's jewelry party, so I think that Chloe + Isabel is doing a great job both with styles and quality.  They are definitely not cheap; you're going to be paying J. Crew prices.  This isn't Claire's,   you're meant to wear these for for longer, and they're higher calibre.  There's also new stuff every season

I'm actually planning to purchase more items from Karen in the future (which I don't always do, after a review), because I now have my eye on some other things... including convertible necklaces (it's like a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1!) and these new hair accessories.  I'm happy to support a fellow grad school girl, after all!

Have you tried any Chloe + Isabel pieces?

Disclosure:  I received pieces of Chloe + Isabel jewelry, of my own choosing, from an authorized merchandiser, in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own!

Butcher & Bee Nashville

I know multiple people who have chosen/want to have homes in both Charleston and Nashville, and I was wondering why those two cities made such a natural connection.  I mean, there's a direct Southwest flight now, which is awesome, but when you see restaurants like Husk and Butcher & Bee open their second location in Nashville, of all places, it made me wonder.  Was it all Sean Brock's idea?  Or is it that Charleston brings the water, coast, and beautiful historic buildings, and Nashville brings the grittier country, musical element?

Obviously, I've digressed.  But when Dan and I were looking for a date night dinner, and Butcher & Bee popped up as an option, we snagged the reservation and hoofed it to East Nashville.

We easily found on-street parking, but finding the building was a little harder.  It's kind of non-descript, unless you're standing across the street to see the oversized name painted on the wall.  For reference, it's next door to Fat Bottom's current location, ahead of their move to the Nations.  Use your GPS and you'll find it!

Inside, the decor and concept is on-trend.  Definitely hipster vibes, use of metal and wood, open kitchen... it's not unique for Nashville, but it's still pleasing and inviting.  It's kind of dark too, which transports you from the hot summer daylight.

The Butcher & Bee menu is chock full of Mezze dishes, and the menu is tailored to be local.  We decided to do all shared plates, which we've enjoyed doing lately.  The funny part is, we were able to agree on 100% of our choices within minutes!  I told him this is why we're married.

I ordered a delicious cocktail (the Rosé O'Donnell, with rosé wine, aperol, strawberry rhubarb jam, and grapefuit... it's like they made it just for me) and we kicked off with some plates.

First up, we had the whipped feta, hummus, and bacon-wrapped dates.  The whipped feta, served with fermented honey and black pepper, was so good that I want to try to make a version at home.  The waitress hinted that cream cheese was involved.  Holy cow.  We scooped it up with warm pita bread until it was gone.  The other dishes were also delish, but we couldn't stop raving about the whipped feta.

Next up, we had house fries.  Dan didn't love their homemade ketchup (he's a Heinz man, via Pittsburgh), but the fries were the perfect crispy potatoes.  They also tasted good in the hummus.

Following the fries, we had the brisket meatballs, served with lime yogurt, pickled red onion, and Dream Weaver sauce.  I have no idea what Dream Weaver sauce is, but it was HOT.  LOL.  The meatballs were good and moist, pretty good.  I probably wouldn't order them again because there were other things on the menu that I enjoyed more.

By the time we got to the chorizo gnocchi, we were starting to slow down.  The sauce is a spicy tomato sugo, and the gnocchi are definitely ricotta vs. potato in density and texture.  At least, that's what we tasted!  It was delicious, and very dense.  I can't imagine someone eating this by themselves, as sharing it we barely tackled it.

So at this point, we were full.  Stuffed.  Done.  And then the server asked if we want dessert, and she started listing the options.  We were like, well, that banana pie sounds wonderful.

Vanilla wafer crust.  Banana pudding-style filling.  Homemade marshmallow layered on top.  Toasted.  Served on top of a pool of chocolate.  Holy sh*t.   It was so rich and good.  It was the kind of thing that you just keep shoveling into your mouth, while moaning how full you are and how you couldn't possibly finish it.  Or at least, that's what we did.

I took two photos, as evidence of its awesome-ness.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Butcher & Bee.  I'd definitely come back for drinks and dessert, and some small plates too.  It's definitely the kind of place to eat socially, sharing, and indulging in some local flavors.  Not everything was something I'd have again, but some of the things we tried I still find myself drooling over now.  It's a great choice if you're in East Nashville.

Sunday Lately: Completing, Visiting, Repeating, Writing, Scheduling

Happy Sunday!  Here's what I'm up to lately...

I posted my floral arrangement on Instagram a week ago... and it's still going strong!
Photo on right is a week after the left pic, the flowers just keep opening up.

COMPLETING...
Work has been a little hectic lately, as I accepted a new role while handing off my old role.  It's been about four weeks, so it feels like the new stuff is in full swing.  So I'm completing all of my old projects, and starting the new ones.  Not to mention I've been doing a little freelance writing/event planning on the side, since student loans kick in this month!

VISITING...
I'll be visiting D.C. starting this Saturday, so you probably won't hear from me next Sunday!  I'll be back at Continental Congress for DAR.  See last year's post for more about our annual D.C. convention!

REPEATING...
The same "cocktail" over and over in this summer heat.  I just mix lemonade and chilled rosé wine, like a classy broad.  Cheers!

WRITING...
Blog posts!  Writing them ahead of time because I have that travel coming up soon, so I won't have as much time to post or write.  There's a lot of food posts, because those are the things I take photos of most, but that won't hurt any feeling, right?  Dan and I have been trying out restaurants in the Nashville are that we haven't before, making time for more dates.  Makes us happy all-around.

SCHEDULING...
I went ahead and made dinner reservations, two months in advance, for our 1st wedding anniversary on August 1st!  It probably wasn't necessary to do it this early, but I didn't want to forget and make them too late to get in.  We're going back to Red Pony Restaurant, where we had our wedding meal with our friends and family, and I had a LOT of champagne.  I think I need to get some cupcakes from our wedding cake folks too, for dessert.

Throwback photo to our wedding

• On the Blog:  Epic meal at St. Elmo Steak House, because I wanted to be Ron Swanson.
• On Twitter:  I watched Ali Wong's Netflix comedy special, and now I officially love her.
• On Instagram:  This bagel breakfast sammie from Bare Naked Bagel in Nashville will make you hungry.
• On Pinterest:  Pinned this beautiful maxi dress for summer like a shirtdress only maxi!

What are you up to this Sunday?

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe. We e-hang out every Sunday, sharing a small glimpse into the last week of life in our own worlds.