***UPDATED with Memory Vase prices.  Scroll Down!***

Is anything more satisfying than giving a thoughtful, unique, and meaningful gift to someone you love?  Or the happy, astonished look on that person’s face when they ask, “How in the world did you think of it?”

Of course, gifts like that are hard to find.  You can search and search, apply massive amounts of energy, and still not find something spectacular.  Ultimately, finding a fabulous gift takes a bit of luck… which is why we’re over the moon that we’ve got two of them at Zina next week!

First, Natalie from our popular line Adore by Natalie will be in-store from 1PM-5PM on Saturday, March 20th.  She’ll be taking orders for pieces of her unique Gemstone Story Collection.  All pieces from the collection are custom made- special combinations of gemstones that tell a story.  Just take a look at this pendant:

It features a large aquamarine briolette with beautifully faceted sapphire, ruby, and citrine accents.  So what’s the story?  Well, maybe the woman who created it chose aquamarine because she was married in March, then accented it with her birthstone as well as her husband’s and their baby’s.

Or maybe she chose aquamarine like the clear sea at Cabo where she loves to vacation, sapphire because it reminds her of her father’s eyes, ruby like her sassiest dress, and citrine like the fresh taste of her favorite cocktail.  It’s her story!  And she can tell it any way she likes.

So come in and create jewelry with the combination of gems that tells your story- or the story of someone you love.

Adore by Natalie Gemstone Story Collection (L to R): Pendant with Aquamarine - Sapphire - Ruby - Citrine, Necklace with Turquoise - Pink Tourmaline - Ruby - Amethyst -Emerald - Citrine - Peridot

As a special offer 3/20-3/27 ONLY, Zina will give you 20% OFF your order of Gemstone Story jewelry.  Order anytime from 3/20/10-3/27/10 and receive 20% Off.  (Orders must be placed between 3/20/10 and 3/27/10 to qualify for this discount.)

But that’s not all we have for you!  We’re also offering Jenny Gaynor’s Memory Vases.  You may have seen them featured in InStyle Weddings and other publications.  But if they’re brand new to you, are you in for a treat!  Jenny Gaynor takes your photographs and artfully transfers them to a recycled glass vase- creating a one-of-a-kind modern heirloom in the process.

Can you imagine a more thoughtful Mother’s Day, graduation, or wedding gift?  And what an amazing way to put all your old photos to use!  Check out the options below:

L to R: Mini Vase ($150), Medium Vase ($500), Small Vase ($450), Large Vase ($550)

So bring a CD of your photos into the store and place your order with one of our consultants.  Don’t have a CD?  No problem!  Bring the photos themselves, and we’ll take care of it for you.  And as a special treat, Zina will give you 20% OFF orders for Jenny Gaynor vases as long as they are placed between 3/20/10 and 3/27/10.  (Orders must be placed between 3/20/10 and 3/27/10 to qualify for this discount.)

And if you’re not in the LA area but want to order one of these amazing gift items, just call our retail store at 310/ 286-2206.  We will be delighted to assist you!

Our Retail Store Hours:

Monday-Saturday   10:00am - 5:30pm Pacific

from seattletimes.com

Visual interest is the whole goal of style, and there’s a lot of ways to achieve it.  Sometimes it’s an unusual color or pattern or an attention-getting accessory.  But you can also create interest with texture.  Reese’s dress has so much happening in that department- beading, lace, illusion - but it’s united with the quintessential sophisticate’s color of choice.  Wearing black shows she’s seriously chic, but the fresh details and pretty, cap-sleeve silhouette keep the whole look youthful.  Bravo!

The Moral of the Story: Black doesn’t have to be boring.  There’s a reason it’s the perennial formal fave!  Just keep it interesting with great fabrics and details.

Who Should Channel Reese This Year: Anna Kendrick.  The Up in the Air nominee has been hit or miss on the red carpet, thanks to her tendency to pick busy frocks that overwhelm her petite frame.  Reese’s gown projects the gravitas of a serious actress with a fresh, age-appropriate appeal.

from about.com

Shimmery metallics were big that year.  (Remember Charlize Theron’s golden look when she picked up the Best Actress Oscar?)  And many ladies have walked the red carpet in bias-cut, 30s inspired silhouettes.  But Julianne gets credit for getting the look absolutely right.  Fit is always a challenge when dealing with the bias, and this gown skims her body perfectly.  The color is lovely on her gorgeous complexion, and the embellishments give this deceptively simple dress some couture oomph.  The whole look oozes sultry sophistication.

The Moral Of The Story: You can’t improve on a classic.  When in doubt, stick with timeless shades and quality fabrics.  Keep your accessories simple and look like a cool, confident star.

Who Should Channel Julianne This Year: Vera Farmiga would rock this look.  It hits the perfect balance between “sexy starlet” and “wise woman of the world.”

from Showbiz.com

Now, this was a divisive dress.  Seriously, just googling “J Lo Oscar dress 2001″ is like opening Pandora’s box.  Personally, it’s my favorite Jennifer look ever.  Even though I normally find fault with anything remotely see-through (as do the Oscar broadcasters, seeing as they kept the camera pointedly fixed above her collar bones), I think adding a sheer element is fabulous when it’s done right.  And she definitely did it right!

I love the classic shape and the hard-to-pull-off color, which happens to be great with her complexion.  The neckline is so couture, and the top is just sheer enough to keep everyone guessing.  It winks at the overt sex appeal that’s so much a part of her image, so it’s a fabulous, fun, self-aware touch.

The Moral of the Story: Always be true to yourself!  Queen Elizabeth’s favorite ball gown is very different from J Lo’s, and that’s as it should be.

Who Should Channel Jennifer This Year: Carey Mulligan has been lighting up the red carpet with her savvy mix of freshness and sophistication.  I’d love to see her add in a dash of Jennifer’s sex appeal!

from InStyle.com

Renee was both a vision and a visionary years before the white evening gown craze hit the red carpet.  She chose the perfect, pearly shade to complement her complexion, and the shape is to-die-for.  I love the way this dress skims and maximizes her Bridget Jones-era curves.  She has never looked better.

The Moral of the Story: Never hide!  When it’s your big night, pick a fabulous, stand-out-from-the-crowd shade and flaunt it.

Who Should Channel Renee This Year: Mo’Nique.  In her Golden Globes and SAG Awards gowns, she showed a flair for glamorous, Old Hollywood silhouettes.  I bet we’ll see her in something va-va-voom-marvelous for her golden moment Sunday night.

from EW.com

Just as it took a masterful painter like Picasso to break all the rules and boldly usher in the heyday of modern art, only an advanced, creative fashionista like Sharon could wear an unconventional look with such aplomb.  This fresh approach to formal wear is so chic that I can easily forgive her for later crimes against style.

The button-down (purportedly belonging to her then-husband) is a delightfully original touch- reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, and the sumptuous violet skirt by Vera Wang firmly grounds her outfit in the world of black tie.  A stunning bracelet and gorgeous red lips complete the look with perfect simplicity.

The Moral of the Story: Provided you can pull it off with panache, it’s gloriously stylish to look so free and easy.  And really, is there anything lovelier than a great white shirt?

Who Should Channel Sharon This Year: Meryl Streep.  She’d have to adjust the look to suit her body, but I’d love to see Meryl combine her bohemian sensibility with the confident finesse of Sharon’s ensemble.

So that must be what put us in the mood for some brilliant Spring color of our own.  We’ve spent this week adding dozens of new Zina shirt styles to our web collection.  Here’s a few of the many we’ve added:

Abigale Shirts L to R: Lime, Twilight Pink, Royal Purple, and Three Alarm Red

L to R: Origami Blush, Reed Royal Blue, Reed Emerald, Reed Marigold

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Zina Apparel, it’s a highly unique collection known for brilliant color and top quality fabric like Thai Silk.  Truly, at least once a day someone’s over the moon for it, telling us that they’ve never seen clothes like ours.

Of course, that’s no accident.  Zina spent many years designing and ordering her own clothes because she wasn’t inspired by the things she found in stores.  When she finally started making her clothes for others, she quickly realized how many people share her desire for cool, colorful, couture clothing.  Most of our pieces are “one size fits most,” which means the opportunities for individual styling abound!  And much of it features an Asian flair, thanks to Zina’s many trips to Southeast Asia.

Here, it’s easier if I show you.  In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to create something with two of our sexiest pieces of jewelry: the Baroque Pearls bracelet and the Corkscrew earrings.

So starting with those pieces, I put together a collection that says, “Happy, Happy Valentine’s Day” to me!  Check it out below:

I’m not saying I want all of the things pictured there.  No, I tend to keep things simple- even on THE holiday dedicated to excess.  But that’s how I want to feel this Valentine’s: fun, carefree, and pampered.  And wherever and however you’re spending the day, I hope you feel that way, too.

I’m loving this shot for a couple of reasons:

A) She’s a plus-sized woman who looks glamorous and stylish.  Yes, she’s clad in head-to-toe black, but she isn’t hiding.  The flattering V-neck, cool textural details, fierce shoes, and statement jewelry express a fabulous, fashionable point-of-view.  A great role model for plus-sized dressing everywhere!

B) She looks confident, happy, and fun.  (See “not hiding” above.)  When was the last time you saw a starlet of any size projecting this much full-hearted joy on a magazine cover?  More, please!

Now compare that to the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair:

Much has been said about its stunning lack of racial diversity, and as far as I’m concerned, every bit of that criticism is valid.  Most glaringly absent is Gabourey Sidibe.  I have mixed feelings about her film, but if such a widely praised, Oscar nominated performance isn’t enough to make her part of the “New Hollywood,” what is?

The ladies on this cover (lovely and talented as they are), are not only the same race but also fall within the same narrow age and weight ranges.  Beyond that- with all due respect to Annie Leibovitz- this photo projects the same tired, ethereal wanness that bores me to tears!  Can someone please smile?  You know smiling, right?  The universally recognized sign of good will?

This is hardly “New Hollywood.”  Try “Miss America 1951.”  When your vision of diversity is including equal sprinklings of pretty young blondes, brunettes, and red heads, you’re not representing America (or Hollywood) as it is today.

A simple comparison of the two magazine covers really says it better than I can, though.  People know modern and confident when they see it!

Now, far be it from me to ever imply food isn’t important, (believe me, I think food is really, really important), but I appreciate Jaime at The Fashionable Housewife taking on the question of style.  Because what’s the point of slaving away in the kitchen if you can’t look cool and collected during the game?  That’s like the icing on the cake, right?  Making everyone think you can whip up a feast without batting an eye?

Taking Jaime’s thoughts into account, I think I’ll be sporting something like this:

That’s a model from a shoot we did for our Painters Shirt, but her look meets many Super Bowl style requirements.  Casual?  Check.  Chic?  Check.  Tailored enough to look pulled together yet loose-fitting enough to allow comfortable snacking?  Check!!!

So what about you?  Have you given much thought to how you’ll dress for the game?  And don’t you feel that while we’re obsessing over what to serve our hungry masses, we ought to give just a few moments to making ourselves look chic, confident, and stylish?