Rocksbox- Box Thirteen

After box twelve, I had high hopes for box thirteen. Kathy N. was my stylist for a second box in a row. I made a request for orange/coral/pink tones to fill a void in my personal jewelry collection and to match much of my spring/summer wardrobe. Last year, I bought a lot of orange! Although they can't make guarantees, R ocksbox has met all of my previous requests.

Unlucky thirteen was the exception.

I wasn't so much upset that Kathy didn't fulfill my request, but I was disappointed that she didn't mention it at all in her note. This makes me think that my feedback wasn't read.

The Melinda Maria Mini Nicole Earrings were an item from my wishlist. They are delicate and have a scooped, bowl-like shape, which you can see from the second picture, which features the back of one earring.

They are a good length, light-weight, and have just a touch of sparkle.

I liked them, but I also own several similar pairs. I'm finding that Rocksbox is excellent for building a jewelry collection, but if you already have a lot, the items tend to get "same-y".

The Soku Double Arrow Cuff, was definitely not similar to anything that I own or have received from Rocksbox.

The cuff is huge and shiny. I felt like Wonder Woman.

Although it's adjustable, I couldn't adjust the bracelet to where it wouldn't pinch. It was too big and awkward.

The Melinda Maria Hunter Necklace in Aqua Onxy was the only item with a bit of color.

I normally gravitate towards anything aqua, but the color in the stone was dull and cloudy.

Box thirteen was a dud. On my feedback, I put in the request for orange/coral/pink again. Let's see if it works this time. I have plenty of those colors in items on my wishlist, so I'm hopeful.

Rocksbox- Box Twelve

I issued a challenge to the stylists at Rocksbox, to fill box twelve with vibrant (non-green) colors. "Kathy N." styled my box and she met the challenge! Also, I was pleased that this box arrived in record time ( four days) and was not stalled in Santa Clarita.

The Kendra Scott Alex Earrings in Amethyst were an item from my wishlist.

I absolutely love the color and glassy texture of these earrings. However, they were larger and heavier than I had anticipated. I only wore them for a few minutes to take a picture, but my ear lobes continued to hurt for the entire morning. Ouch!

The Charlene K Charm Necklace in Fuchsia Quartz is one of the more unusual necklaces that I have received from Rocksbox. It's long and in the picture below, I've looped it in two.

Immediately, I really liked the bright stones. The way that the stones and charms are scattered is uneven on purpose, which I thought looked odd when worn. I like symmetry and this necklace left me feeling unbalanced. It even has a clasp that it doesn't need. When worn, it's not quite long enough to loop in two.

If you've been following my Rocksbox experiment, you know that I've not been a fan of Perry Street jewelry. I checked out the contents of box twelve on the website, before it arrived, and I was disappointed to see that the Perry Street Abby Necklace in Blue was included. I was certain that it wouldn't be a keeper.

I'll admit to being wrong about Perry Street. This necklace was a perfect compliment to many outfits in my wardrobe and I don't already own a statement necklace with blue stones. I wouldn't normally have paired this style necklace with a v-neck tee-shirt, but I picked the shirt for this picture to show-off the colors in the stones. They pop.

I ended up using my monthly and forever spend to purchase the necklace!

I've issued a challenge to the stylists for box thirteen: I want tangerine or coral colored jewelry. Summer is coming and these colors dominate my summer wardrobe. Let's see how they do!

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twin's- Rabbit Fur Coat 10th Anniversary Concert

Ten years ago, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins (Chandra and Leigh), collaborated on one of my all-time favorite albums, Rabbit Fur Coat. Music has a way of marking the important events, eras, and changes in our lives. I remember listening to Rabbit Fur Coat on my first generation Ipod, while working on schedules in the attractions office at Universal Studios. I was still in the Back to the Future building, listening to Jenny, but the BTTF theme music was invading her vocals. My first marriage was starting to crumble, I had an awesome apartment in Pasadena, and I didn't yet know that my mom had cancer. In fact, today, February 4th, marks the eighth anniversary of my mom's death. It's hard to believe how much my life has changed in ten years.

Last Friday night, Dan and I headed to the Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Hollywood for the Rabbit Fur Coat 10th Anniversary Concert. This was my first time attending a concert in a church. At first, I was surprised that the venue allowed Jenny Lewis to play here. Have they listened to her lyrics? A church was a surprising, unusual, and delightful venue choice.

Also delightful, was the program. I've never received a program at a concert, but the theatre lover in me, was all kinds of excited. Cool touch Lewis!

I like surprises, but even more, I like to know what to expect. It makes it easier to plan those bathroom breaks. I'm guessing that people are expected to go pee before coming to church, because the bathroom situation was lacking. Two stalls for women + sold-out enormous church = a patience test. Luckily everyone was so excited to see Jenny, that the chatter kept the line happy. It seemed like everyone else in line had traveled from another state for the show. The enthusiasm was unparalleled.

The seating was general admission, so with the exception of pews that were roped off for VIP's, it was a free-for-all to find a good spot. Dan noticed that the balcony was open, so we rushed up stairs. Here was our view.

The view was good, but the sound was just okay. This is not an ideal concert venue. It's beautiful though. I love the chandeliers.

M. Ward, who produced Rabbit Fur Coat, was the opener. I'm not familiar with his music and since the sound was wonky, it was hard to hear most of the lyrics. The venue worked best with quiet, soft songs.

Speaking of soft, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins kicked off the Rabbit Fur Coat album with an acapella version of Run Devil Run, sung from the back entrance of the church as they walked up the aisle to the stage. They ended the album by exiting the same way, while singing the reprise of Happy. It couldn't have been a better use of the venue to bookend the songs on the album. They did Rabbit Fur Coat in its entirety, with one brief costume change before Lewis sang the title song, alone on stage. M Ward joined in on their cover of The Traveling Wilbury's Handle with Care. The energy in the audience was positively electric.

After the intermission, Lewis continued playing for another hour with a set filled with songs from her solo albums. She played hits like Silver Lining, See Fernando, and Just One of the Guys. She threw in a new, unreleased song, which made the audience go wild. Jenny Lewis has a very loyal and vocal fan base. After nearly every song, several people in the audience would shout out "I love you Jenny" above the applause. At one point, an excited fan managed to get on stage and have a brief conversation, before security hauled her off. Lewis handled it like a pro and was kind to the fan, making everyone love her even more.

My favorite moment of the show came in the second act, when Lewis climbed up on a box and sang The Voyager, the title track from her most recent album. Lewis has the most pure and beautiful voice. I could listen to her sing anything, but then she goes and writes these insanely perfect lyrics. I'm just in awe of her talent. And hey, as a kid, I totally obsessed over The Wizard and Troop Beverly Hills. I know, apples to oranges, but I've been a long time fan of all things Jenny Lewis!