Pretties for Pennies

Let's take a moment to talk about accessorizing, shall we? "Statement necklace" is a common phrase when this subject comes up. Everywhere you look, gals are busting out pretty, crystal-laden necklaces to jazz up an otherwise ordinary outfit. (In my case, a t-shirt and jeans for everyday … maybe black pants and a plain tee if we're talking about an ordinary work outfit for me.)

Every window in the mall has a necklace-accented outfit gracing its window. The mannequins suck us in with a fashionable look highlighted by one of these statement necklaces, and then we immediately do a 180-degree turn and run out the door after experiencing sticker shock when we see the price on that eye-catching necklace. Call me crazy, but I'm not down with paying more money for a necklace than the rest of an outfit combined. (And while we're being real - I'd totally be able to wear those black pants multiple times in a work week, yet everyone would remember if I wore a particular statement necklace as many times in the given week.)

So ...

Q. What's a gal to do when she's itching to stay on trend, but doesn't have the income to support such an urge?

A. eBay

Yes, THAT eBay. The same eBay we turn to when buying inexpensive cell phone cases, used books and signed sports memorabilia.

Don't believe me? Try searching 'bib necklace free shipping.' TONS of options come up. Another quick tip tip - I always select the 'buy it now' option, too. It seems easier to just spend $4-15 ($10-15 being on the higher end of options) with the click of a button instead of watching an auction bid for four or five days.

One thing you might notice is that several of these necklaces are shipped from sellers in China. Let me tell you from several personal experiences that I've never had a single problem receiving the item I paid for. (I do use PayPal to protect my bank account, and shipping sometimes takes 3-4 weeks.) A common phrase Mr. Cush utters on a pretty regular basis when I come in the house with a handful of mail that contains a small manilla envelope is, "is that another necklace from China?" Yes, Mr. Cush. Yes it is.

(And another point - I'd much rather spend $4-5 on an inexpensive necklace when I'm having a bad day instead of $4-5 on a Blizzard at Dairy Queen or some super-charged Frappucino at Starbucks. "A minute on your lips and a lifetime on your hips" does NOT apply to this kind of therapy!!!)

Here's a look at some of the pretties I'm coveting these days ...

And here's a necklace Mommabear stuffed in our stockings for Christmas that we're all wearing proudly this year (it's gone up to a whopping $13.32 including shipping, but it's still a steal compared to other versions floating around online retail stores)...

I went for 'pattern mixing' on the left and Brittany played it safe on the right.

Am I right or am I right? They're pretty good deals when adding a few statement necklaces to our accessory arsenals! Now if we could all work out the storage situation for all of the pretties we're acquiring ...