Positively gifted, Charmed arms by Alex and Ani

If you are looking for a present for that special lady in your life, Alex and Ani is perfect.  They make great gifts for your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, teachers and basically any lady in your life.  They have so many beautiful options to pick from and the prices are affordable.  They have become the hottest trend in jewelry and arm candy over the passed few years with an almost cult like following. 

    Alex and Ani jewelry is made from recycled parts and scraps. Working with local mills and refineries this allows them to have limitless options.  The brand is best known for their charm bangles, with prices ranging from $28 to $78. All of  their products are made and manufactured in America from sustainable materials derived from Eco-friendly processes. What is not to love about this amazing brand. 

You can pick from a wide variety of designs and styles. They have dangling charms, sliding charms, wraps, and beaded bracelets. There are  different metals, colors and materials like the leather braided wraps, crystals as well as different color and metal beads.  I love to mix metals and add some pops of color with their different beaded options. I also love mixing my favorite symbols from feathers to Asian designs or pieces that have personal meaning to me. 

Above are some of my antique gold tone and rose gold tone pieces. These are just some of my favorites that get the most wear. I love the entire Vintage sixty-six line.  I own almost all of the designs from this collection. I have several wraps and my favorite is the rose gold gypsy wrap. They have colored versions of this same style in pink, blue and white. I also love the feather wrap,  feathers have a personal meaning to me since my father passed away 14 years ago. Butterflies are meaningful to me also, they are reminders of my grandmothers, one whom I never met that passed away before I was born and the other I lost months after my father. The butterfly charm is delicate and beautiful it makes a great addition to any collection.  Many women and girls have different items or symbols they love or collect, and Alex and Ani is sure to have something for everyone.  Every bracelet comes with a card that will describe the meaning of the charm.  I have a book that I keep mine in with a ring and my jeweler punches a hole in every card so I can keep them all together.  

My very first Alex and Ani was a gift from my mom. I use to visit the jewelry store often and had a full Pandora bracelet which I had upgraded to a bangle style but never really wore it much and had gotten more into handmade unique pieces. I was out of the loop for the new trends in jewelry. My mom found these new bracelets and told me the jeweler told her they had just come out in our area and were becoming a huge hit with the ladies. I have always loved to stack bracelets and love bangles so my mom knew I would surely love these. She got me a Buddha because I love Asian symbols and statues, the Buddha and Foo dogs being two of my favorites. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get more I couldn't have just one. I received a Visa gift card for Christmas from my in laws so I hit our local jewelry store, JMR jewelers and got myself the silver FSU, feather and M charms. That started my collection. Over the next few months I got a few from my husband for Valentine's Day, and then decided I wanted to start getting some gold and colors.

I soon started buying them as gifts for everyone, from my daughters teachers, my mom and mother in law, friends, my girls and my aunts.  The cost is between $28 to $60 depending on the style. These make affordable gifts and there are so many options from styles and designs you can't go wrong. 

Before long I had a huge collection growing and not enough arm space to wear them all. I love how it looks to stack a few with my watch or with some string colored bracelets or handmade pieces I own.  I don't really ever wear a full arm stack like pictured here only with certain looks or for my posts.  To me six is a good amount on one arm, but I enjoy playing mixing and matching metals, beads, colors and styles. The best part is they all look amazing together.  Check out their website or Instagram page for some inspiration on stacking, and mixing them up. They have some amazing photos and so many have some amazing stacks.  (link to Instagram here and to website below with where to shop)

Alex and Ani Instagram

I have a necklace, two spoon rings and a couple of the new stackable charm rings that look like the bangles but for your fingers. I also have two sliders that have the charm but it doesn't dangle it slides on the wire bracelet instead. I really like this option when stacking so you can have a couple wraps, a couple sliders and then a few charms to balance out the look. I am currently collecting the colored bracelets. I love the beaded and crystal pieces they have released recently. I also love some of their new charm designs but for me I have the old Hand of Fatima so I am not going to get the new design even though I love it, I have thought of selling some of my older designs that they have since come out with a new design I like better, but not going to get doubles. I do have two silver feathers I got one as a gift from my hubby, the other I was sent from a friend since I didn't have the receipts I was unable to exchange so I just kept them both because I love feathers and my kids wear them also, so it works out. I also have the feather wrap, the feather charm, the feather quill and the feather plume style bracelets.  I have basically all the feather styles, even have the God speed one with the eye and two feathers.  

Here I was playing with the bracelets we had out on my night stand. I keep an antler jewelry holder on my night stand and a ring holder where I place my most worn pieces nightly before bed or I have one in my bathroom for before showering. When they aren't being worn often I have little bags I keep a couple in together on my dressing table with all my jewelry. I am always trying to alternate and change out pieces to wear ones I haven't worn recently or I also have to go and find them in my daughter's rooms also. It's funny cause my 16 year old is always stealing my clothes, jewelry, and shoes. We wear the same exact size right now so she is always taking what she wants. We had a deal she would wear them and return them where she found them but this never happens. I don't mind just sometimes I get frustrated when I have something I want to wear and search all over but can't find it then I see it in her closet or hamper lol. 

Hope you enjoyed my collection of Alex and Ani favorites. I will be sharing more often in my daily posts or in prior posts you will see some of my other styles. I have been lucky to receive most of mine as gifts from my hubby, mom or other family and friends. I have once on a whim gone out to buy one for myself before my anniversary and cruise then the ones I got with my gift card last Christmas.  These are the perfect gifts for that special someone and trust me you can't go wrong. Most jewelers will allow an exchange in case they have the same style or want to trade out for something different I am not sure about the Alex and Ani site I have only ordered from them once recently for gifts for Christmas because of sales they had that the local stores didn't have. We also have an Alex and Ani store locally but I haven't been there, it's a little ways from my home but have been told it's a candy store for Alex and Ani lovers or collectors. 

Will add links below to the ones I have pictured along with some I didn't wear today for my photos that I also own and will be sure to do a post featuring some of the rings and other pieces I own soon. Have a happy Sunday. I am excited that I am off work for three weeks after tomorrow. Yay. Have my Botox treatment on Tuesday and an infusion on Thursday, then my little one has her class holiday party and being a room mom I am going to go to hand deliver the gift from the class and parents. I actually got her a bracelet from our family and last year got her first grade teacher the bee charm. She loved it and I know her new teacher will love the one I got because she has a few I have seen her wear to school. 

My Sunday Funday tee, we cleaned out my closet and my little ones clothes, along with toys to drop off today at a local women's shelter. Feels great to give to others especially this time of the year. 

Almost forgot wanted to share the Victoria Secret free tote with $75 purchase from the fashion show. I was amazed I thought I was going to be adding another duffle, tote or canvas over night bag to my large collection of free VS bags but this was a pleasant surprise and just in time for concert and festival season. I wear back pack style totes when we go to concerts and music festivals with my sunblock, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, small wallet, poncho and Sand Cloud towel, was planning to use my new tie dye tote by Sand Cloud but was worried with the lighter colors may get dirty if it gets muddy but this bag is perfection. Love it. 

Been getting my sales and using all my free coupons and deals from VS and BBW also. Got my $8 and $2.50 candles and hand soap stocked up again from Bath and Body Works, got some gift sets buy two get two free from VS and they had some amazing sales on their bras and panties the last two weeks. Love the holidays for stocking up but then they have the huge semi annual sale right after which is when I usually get myself stuff. Off to browse Craigslist looking for a gun safe for my husband, a vanity or desk for my youngest, a night stand for my oldest and a tall French dresser for myself. 

Have a great week. If I am missing for a few days after Tuesday, I will be recovering from my Botox and infusion treatments. I'm a strong woman so I won't be down for long especially with the holidays so close. Still have some last minute gifts and baking to finish up. Xoxo. ✌️😘💋

Where to shop and some of my collection or favorites:

Alex and Ani Website