As we start to think about what to do for Savannah's upcoming birthday, my ideas of a My Little Pony or Cars party, which she had talked about a few months earlier are out the window, as she has drifted away from these two shows and is now a fan of Hello Kitty and Barbie. With these two new show favorites, she is into jewelry, as the merchandise for these older children shows include necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. My husband and I are still going back and forth about getting the girls' ears pieced. My mom did mine when I was a child, but I don't like wearing earrings. And, my husband's mom let his older sister choose when she was 12 yrs. old if she wanted to get her ears pierced or not.
What are your thoughts on jewelry for little ones? If seems like just yesterday that I had to stop wearing necklaces and bracelets, as the girls were too young and would pull at them. I didn't want to have my favorite pieces broken or chewed on during the teething months. But, now that the girls are older, I have found myself pulling out and putting on necklaces when we go out. And, the girls are taking notice and telling me "so pretty," as they follow up with "Can I have one?" I guess this is another milestone that you go through with girls -- playing dress up and wearing costume jewelry. If only I could stop time and enjoy them being little a little bit longer. We take their early years for granted and find ourselves wishing they would grow up and be less dependent on us, but when we finally notice this happening, we then wish for them to be little again. :-(
Like I said, Savannah's 4th birthday is fast approaching, and that means we have to start thinking about gifts to give her. What do you give a four year old? She just got a lot of toys from Santa, so she really doesn't need any more. After talking about it further, my husband and I decided that we would buy her a few pieces of jewelry -- maybe a bracelet and necklace set. When I started looking in stores for jewelry for children, I was not impressed with the quality available. Either the pieces looked too tacky, or where too expensive for basic cubic zirconia pieces that looked like they would break easily. And, because this would be Savannah's first experience with "real" jewelry and not the costume $1-$3 bracelets and necklaces with beads on a chinsey string, I also wanted to make sure the jewelry was well made, with a child in mind. Seeing that I couldn't find anything in stores, I took ot the Internet in hopes to find a better selection of kid-friendly jewelry.
My search led me to Chanteur Designs, which was happy to see was created by a father, with his inspiration being his daughter. Alexander singer found himself in the same boat as I in his search for kid-friendly jewelry for his daughter. When he saw that their were limited options and the quality was poor, he took it upon himself to start creating top-quality kid-friendly jewelry that was not only safe, but fashionable for his daughter. He never expected to become a jewelry designer, but like many mom and dad entrepreneurs I have spotlighted over the years, their products are developed out of necessity and usually take off and grow into a successful business.
Since becoming a jewelry designer and creating these beautiful pieces for his daughter, Alexander Singer has found a partnership with Swarovski Crystal, who have become his branding partner. If you know anything about jewelry, then you having Swarovski Crystal take interest in your product line is great, but having them become an branding partner is impressive, and makes you sit up and take notice of this jewelry line. Hats off to Alexander Singer on his collection, and for putting smiles on not only his daughter's face, but also my girls', when they open a box from Chanteur Designs and pull out a beautiful bracelet, bangle, or pair of earrings.
Alexander was kind enough to send along his Pink Heart Bangle Set on a Clay Base for my girls and I to review.
This striking bangle radiates a magnificent shine. The bangle is sterling silver with a 14k yellow gold plating. The outlined heart is filled with pink Swarovski crystals set on a clay base, creating a very impressive appearance. Lead and nickel free.
As soon as Savannah saw the white box, like any girly girl, she knew what it was. :-) But, was it for me, his sister or for her? I told her she would have to wait until her Daddy came home to see. The wait killed her, as she paced the hall for almost an hour, before taking a seat on the couch. Six o'clock could not come fast enough. But, when my husband finally made it home, she rushed to him, so that she could see what was in the white box.
I had the girls take a seat on the floor and handed Savannah the white box. She had the biggest grin on her face as she opened the lid and took the black leather pouch (included with every purchase) out of the box. When she finally saw the Pink Heart Bangle, her big brown eyes twinkled just like the pink Swarovski Crystals on the bangle from Chanteur Designs. She asked her Daddy to put the bangle on her wrist. I could see my husband tearing up as he clasped the bracelet around her wrist, as he could see what I see every day...that they are no longer our little girls, and are growing up. Thankfully, he doesn't have to worry about boys and dating just yet. But, just knowing that they will be asking for jewelry in addition to toys and clothes, really makes us realize that time doesn't slow down, and that we have to cherish every moment with them.
We sat together admiring Savannah's new Pink Heart Bangle with pink Swarovski Crystals from Chanteur Designs. I was just waiting for Bella to ask where her bracelet was. And, when she asked, my husband said that for her 3rd birthday in November, he would get her a pretty bangle just like Savannah's. He never expected her to follow up by saying, "But mine with my sparkles, right Daddy?" I guess the need to out do one another has already started, too. :-)
When the time comes to pick out just the right bracelet from Chanteur Designs for Bella's birthday gift, she will have a hard decision to make as all the bracelets available are simply stunning. I can it now...Bella will be asking for one of each, while Savannah will start her wish list for Santa early with additional bangles and bracelets from Chanteur Designs top on her list. Just look at some of the pieces Alexander Singer has created and offers through his online store, Chanteur Designs:
As for pricing, you will not break the bank when purchasing a piece from this kid-friendly jewelry line. Earrings range from $33.95-$49.99, bracelets are between $35.99- $44.99 and bangles range from $42.95-$54.99. And, once you see the quality of each each piece up close, you see why Swarovski Crystal became a branding partner and why so many customers return to buy additional pieces. I am so lucky to have found a kid-friendly jewelry collection to shop, and having it be started by a dad makes it even better, as you know that I love support fellow mom and dad entrepreneurs. If you have a princess in your life who is growing up and showing interest in jewelry, why not surprise her this Easter, for her upcoming birthday or just because with a piece from Chanteur Designs? Her eyes will twinkle just like the Swarovski Crystals that make up the piece you pick out just for her. And, she will cherish it, as she proudly wears her "big girl" jewelry around, making a point to show it off to all that will take notice...just like Savannah has been doing. :-)
Click here to visit Chanteur Designs and see the beautiful kid-friendly jewelry available - http://www.chanteurdesigns.com/. And, if you are a first time customers, make sure you use coupon code "New5" to save 5% off your first order. Shipping is only $4.99 worldwide.
Stay up-to-date on new product additions, news and special offers by following Chanteur Designs on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
I think jewelry for kids is alright as it is age appropiate and not too adult and also safe. These pieces look really cute and something that I would like to see a little girl wearing.
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