Sparkle of 4th of July - YOU Determine the Price

Fourth of July is approaching this weekend - why not sparkle, be the center of attention or give a gift that's sure to set off fireworks?

And the best part? YOU determine the price! That's right - on Ex-cessories.com, you have the ability to make an offer on any of our beautiful pieces. We negotiate between you and the seller so everyone walks away happy.

What are you waiting for - check our some independence day bling below or browse our site at www.Ex-cessories.com. 

Coral Earrings - stand out with these unique coral earrings - summer's twist on the classic and bold red: $275
Click here to view. 

Diamond & Sapphire Ring - what girl doesn't want her something blue to be a sapphire? $418 (Pictured Above)
Click here to view. 

Gemstone Bracelet - be the life of the party while you show off your blue topaz, amethyst, garnet, citrine and peridot bracelet: $891
Click here to view. 

Platinum Diamond and Pearl Necklace - what more could a girl ask for? Platinum, diamonds, pearls AND the color blue? $2500
Click here to view. 

What to wear - 4th of July barbeque

Are you looking for something to wear to a casual 4th of July barbeque? The Ex-cessories.com Gals have you covered! We will be posting our 4th of July style / What to wear recommendations all week, so make sure to check back daily! 

Today we have put together a look for the young woman who loves the trendy bohemian casual look.

 

We recommend pairing the Wildfox Couture tee (pictured above), with a pair of cut-off jeans shorts or longer rolled jean shorts (pictured above), gladiator inspired sandals (pictured above) and fun costume jewelry. If you feel extra hippie chic pair the look with a fabulous headband. 

Our picks:

Wildfox Couture tee pictured above on sale on bluefly.com - Click here to purchase. 

Denim shorts pictured above on shopbop.com - Click here to purchase.

Denim short shorts for $16.90 at forever21.com - Click here to purchase. 

Trendy bangle for $35 from Ex-cessories.com. Click here to purchase. 

House of Harlow Diamond Shape Ring in Red for $21. Click here to purchase. 

Splurge on trendy gladiator sandals by Cynthia Vincent. Click here to purchase.  

4th of July Decorations - Sand Candles

Red, white, and blue are the primary 4th of July celebration colors. We recommend decorating your party table with red, white, and blue sand candles. This adds traditional colors to your table without over doing it. 

Sand is available in a variety of colors at most art-supply stores and designing a sand candle is extremely simple and fun! To make a sand candle, fill a clear drinking glass with enough sand so that a votive candle placed on top falls just below the rim. Set the glass inside a clear glass vase or jar. With a funnel, fill the gap between the two containers with layers of colored sand, using enough to reach the rim of the drinking glass. 

Create several candles as a patriotic center piece to coordinate with your china or linens for your outdoor dining! 

American Flag Tart

It is almost the 4th of July and each year we make an American Flag Tart for dessert. This dessert looks great, tastes great, and fits right into the Patriotic holiday spirit. Check out one recipe variation below...

Ingredients:

Makes two 4-by-14-inch tarts
2 recipes Pate Sucree
Creme Fraiche Filling
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup apricot jam, for glazing blueberries
1/2 cup raspberry jam, for glazing raspberries
2 tablespoons water
2 pints red raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1 pint blueberries, picked over

Directions:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a disc of pate sucree 1/8 inch thick to fit a 3 3/4-by-13 1/4-inch fluted, rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Carefully transfer dough to tart pan, tuck dough into the edges, gently pressing along sides, and allow excess dough to overhang the edges. Trim the dough by running your rolling pin over the dough against the edges. Gently shape the edges by pressing the length of your forefinger against each flute along the sides. Prick all over the bottom with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chilled tart shells from refrigerator, and line each with a piece of parchment paper that overhangs the edges by at least 2 inches. Fill parchment with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until just starting to color, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights from tart shells, and return tart shells to oven. Continue baking until tart bottom is golden, about 20 minutes more. Transfer tart shells to a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely. Carefully remove tart shells from pan.

3. In a small bowl in the microwave or set over a pan of simmering water, heat chocolate until it is just melted, about 1 1/2 minutes; stir until smooth. Using the back of a spoon, line each tart shell with chocolate. Refrigerate to set, at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat apricot and raspberry jams in two separate saucepans with about 1 tablespoon water in each; strain into separate small bowls.

4. Make top tart: Remove one lined tart shell from refrigerator and spread 1/3 of the creme fraiche filling over the bottom. Arrange 3 rows of unglazed raspberries 2/3 the length of the tart, leaving space between each row and at the top and bottom edges for 4 more rows. Dust with confectioners' sugar until raspberries are completely coated. Toss blueberries in a bowl with strained apricot jam. Fill left third of tart shell with a layer of glazed blueberries arranged snugly in rows; top with another layer of blueberries. Toss half the remaining raspberries with the strained raspberry jam, and carefully fill empty rows with some of the glazed raspberries, rinsing your hands as needed.

5. Make bottom tart: Remove remaining tart shell from refrigerator, and spread a third of the creme fraiche filling over the bottom. Arrange 3 rows of remaining unglazed raspberries, starting at the top edge and leaving space between each and at the bottom edge for 4 more rows. Dust with confectioners' sugar until raspberries are completely coated. Fill empty rows with remaining glazed raspberries.

6. Arrange tarts on a large board or tray to resemble the flag, and serve with remaining creme fraiche filling on the side. Finished tarts will hold at room temperature for several hours.

RIP Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon after apparently suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home. Jackson was 50 years old and has planned a last come-back concert series in London. 

Michael Jackson leaves behind an amazing legacy and is an icon. Jackson will be remembered forever through song, dance, and video. 

Angelina Jolie vs. Megan Fox

With Megan Fox's career taking off in full-force, everyone is starting to compare her to Angelina Jolie. From the way they look, their over the top attitudes, their tattoos, their sex appeal, and their love for action flicks, one starts to see the resemblance. 

But, what do you think about the 2 actresses. Are they one in the same or is Megan Fox the new and improved Angelina Jolie? Do you think Fox is trying too hard? 

Airplane Bloat?

Flying definitely causes one to feel bloated and exhausted. The unfriendly and unwanted bloat from flying comes from the wildly fluctuating air pressure. 

We just read a recommendation on health.com to try CharcoCaps tablets when flying to arrive at your destination bloat free. The tablets are made with activated charcoal, which absorbs the gas that expands in your stomach when the plane hits cruising altitude. 

Have you ever tried CharoCaps? Do you have any other bloat-away recipes for frequent flyers? Give us your advice under "comments."

Stress Reducers

Hectic schedules and working too much can cause a deep feelings of stress. There are many negative affects of stress on one's health and state of mind, so it is important to try and manage all of the elements that cause stress in your life. 

Follow the helpful tips below to reduce some of that unwanted stress in your life. 

1. Prep for tomorrow - being unprepared can be extremely stressful and organization for the next day may ease any anxieties or feelings of urgency

 

2. Arm yourself with snacks - under stress one may want to reach for ice cream or potato chips, but carrying around a healthy snack will allow you to get in a healthy and fulfilling surge of energy to continue on your day

3. Turn on some music - slow or meditative music is a proven stress buster

4. Hit the pool - study has shown that floating in water triggers the body's relaxation response helping lower stress hormones

Relationship Stalking?

Because of the paparazzi, most people are aware that Lindsay Lohan has been "stalking" her ex Samantha Ronson. Lohan has been spotted driving in circles around Ronson's home calling, texting, and crying to get her attention. Lohan has also been denied entrance into Ronson's home many times and has ever gone so far as to stand at her front door begging and pleading to be let in. 

You can see in the pictures above Lohan leaning against Ronson's door knocking to be let in. 

Lohan seems to be doing a little relationship stalking. Even though Ronson has tried everything to get away from Lohan, it seems she just will not leave her be and Ronson is forced to comply (probably out of fear of what Lohan might do to herself). 

So, we want to ask our readers, have you ever been caught relationship stalking? Have you ever found yourself knocking at your ex's door pleading for him/her to let you in? 

Happy Father's Day!

We would like to wish our Dad's and all of the other Dad's out there a very happy Father's Day! 

We hope you have had a wonderful day celebrating your Dad. 

xo,

The Ex-cessories Gals 

Spoil your Dad this Father's Day!

Spoil your Dad this Father's Day by making him a delicious and elaborate Sunday breakfast. 

We recommend chocolate pecan pancakes, fresh squeezed juice, blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs with brown sugar glazed bacon, and an assortment of fresh fruit. 

See below for some of the recipes. 

Chocolate Pecan Pancakes 

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Confectioners' sugar (optional)
Hot fudge sauce (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans; let batter stand until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until a water droplet sizzles; swirl to coat bottom of pan with oil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Spoon four small mounds (1 heaping tablespoon each) of batter into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear in center, 3 to 4 minutes. With a thin spatula, flip pancakes; continue cooking until set, 3 to 4 minutes more.

3. Transfer to a baking sheet; cover loosely with foil; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and batter in three more batches (adjust heat as necessary to avoid overbrowning).

4. Stack 4 pancakes on each plate, sprinkling each layer with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serve immediately, drizzled with hot fudge sauce, if desired.

Blueberry Muffins

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups blueberries

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.butter large (3 3/4 inches) or small (2 3/4 inches) muffin tins, and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low; alternate adding reserved flour mixture and milk to mixer, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer; gently fold in berries by hand. Divide batter among muffin tins; sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until light golden, about 45 minutes for large muffins, about 30 minutes for small muffins. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.

Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon

1 1/4 pounds thickly sliced bacon

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay bacon on the paper, and sprinkle the brown sugar liberally over bacon. Transfer bacon to the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and carefully drain the fat into a container. Return the pan to the oven, and bake until bacon is crisp, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer bacon immediately to a wire rack, and let sit until cool enough to eat.

Ex-cessories Notification

Ex-cessories.com is going on a honeymoon! 

For the duration of our vacation, Ex-cessories.com will be unable to ship out any items, appraise items, or melt items from June 19th to June 29th. We will be answering all e-mails during this time and will be able to process any payments. We will resume business as usual on June 30th. 

We apologize in advance for any inconveniences.  

PETA - Not Happy with Obama Swatting a Fly

PETA is not too happy with President Obama for swatting a fly during a television interview. 

PETA stated, "He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act."

Check out the video of Obama below and let us know what you think of PETA speaking out on this fly swatting issue. 

Father's Day - June 21

Father's Day is almost here! 

Every Dad deserves an extra special show of appreciation and what better way to do that then purchase your Dad an item from Ex-cessories.com. Click here to check out what we have to offer for all of the great Dads out there. 

Our favorite Father's Day pick - Bowling cufflinks for $50. Check back tomorrow for additional Father's Day gift recommendations. 

Style Opinion Poll

What do you think about Rihanna's hair?

Are you still loving her hairstyle or is it becoming a thing of the past?

Do you think she has gone over board with the look or do you think it is cutting edge cool?

Peacock hair or high fashion?

"Hot damn" or "Hot mess!" 

Let us know what you think under "comments." 

Jewels Stolen from Lindsay Lohan Photo Shoot

London police are investigating a case of missing jewels. 

The jewelry went missing from an Elle photo shoot featuring Lindsay Lohan. The missing necklace and earrings are worth about $411,316. No arrests have been made and the fashion magazine stated that they have no reason to believe that Lohan was linked to this in any way. 

This unveils a very interesting situation when considering the party involved. Lindsay Lohan is said to be experiencing financial troubles and we all know about her past. Besides the drinking, drugs, eatings disorders, and rehab, Lohan stole a fur coat from another young woman at a night club and returned the item destroyed. 

Do you think that Lindsay Lohan would go this far or be involved with something like this? Could she have gone this low? Post your thoughts under "comments."

Lakers Win the NBA Finals

Last night, in Orlando Florida, the Lakers won the NBA finals. 

We are Magic fans, but we have to give it to the Lakers for an amazing season of hard work and great basketball. Kobe Bryant was named MVP - well deserved. 

Last night was also special for the Lakers coach Jackson with his 10th NBA championship. After the win he sported a yellow hat with the roman numeral X on it - a gift from his kids. 

Record were broken and the night was filled with joy. The Magic may not be NBA champions, but they too had an amazing season and have far surpassed anyone's expectations. We cannot wait for next season and for the new Orlando Magic arena! 

Gisele Spotted at Five Guys

Gisele Bundchen was spotted at Five Guys Burgers and Fries in NYC. 

For some reason we really cannot imagine the super skinny super model chowing down on one of their huge burgers or spicy fries. Do you believe that she actually ate there? 

Starbucks Double Charged!

On Friday, May 22 and half of Saturday, May 23, Starbucks unknowingly double-charged 1 million customers in 7,000 stores for their debit and credit card purchases.  

Starbucks explained that most of its customers never noticed the "settlement processing error" — although consumers' receipts indicated the correct amount had been deducted, later twice that figure was taken out of the buyers' accounts when stores settled the transactions at the end of the day.

Starbucks is hoping to reassure its patrons that the problem has been resolved. "As soon as we noticed the error, we had it fixed right away," a spokesperson for the company said. If you're concerned you were affected by this error, Starbucks is recommending that you contact its customer service department.

Did you visit Starbucks on either of the double-charge days? If so, did you notice whether or not your were charged double for your drinks?

Game 4 - NBA Finals

Tonight is game 4 of the NBA finals - Magic vs. Lakers.  

We will of course be rooting for our home team, the Orlando Magic, but who will you be cheering for? 

Everyone is finding unique ways to celebrate the NBA finals and watch the games. Whether in a local bar or in the middle of downtown Orlando everyone is celebrating. Where do you watch the game and what are your game time rituals? 

We recommend enjoying some blue frosted cupcakes and a blue martini. If you are pressed for time, stop by your local Publix bakery where you can find many special desserts that are Orlando Magic fan ready. 

Enjoy game 4 and GO MAGIC!  

Orlando Magic's Historic 1st NBA Finals Win

The Orlando Magic won their first ever NBA final game. The Magic beat the Lakers last night 108-104 in front of an amped sold out crowd at Amway Arena. The Magic also set an NBA finals record with their shooting of 62.5 percent (40-of-84). 

Is Kobe Bryant now considered a mortal? We think so! Congratulations to the Orlando Magic and we cannot wait for game 4. 

What can an NBA finals game be without celebrity fans. Check out the list of celebs who showed up to Orlando's Amway Arena for game 3. 

Spike Lee

Ludacris

Lil Wayne

Tiger Woods

Chris Brown 

Steve Nash

Recommended Scent

We have always been a fan of VOLUSPA candles and we came across a new scent this weekend that we absolutely love - "Champaca Bloom & Fern." 

We picked up our new candle at Anthropologie. The candle comes in a large decorative tin, so is a great piece to spice up a room. 

Click here to check out VOLUSPA candles or click here to purchase the candle from Anthropologie. 

Great Deal, Great Find!

If you are in the Orlando Florida area you must stop by the Calypso St. Barth outlet store. The store had tons of deals on super cute and comfortable summer dresses and tunics. There is even 1 rack of clothing for $19 and 1 rack for $29. 

We found an amazing pair of fitted cashmere lounge pants for just $19! $19 for cashmere socks would be a deal let alone pants. Their pants are extremely comfortable and will be great for relaxing on the weekends and curling up with a good book. 

To find a Calypso St. Barth store near you click here. The Florida outlet store is located at the Orlando Prime Outlets, 4951 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. 

Eat Yourself Beautiful

Eat yourself beautiful with collagen marshmallows?! 

Pink grapefruit marshmallows that are Japanese "treats," not sold in the U.S., but now sold in the UK, supposedly work to help your skin look smoother and less wrinkled, even reducing the appearance of cellulite. Each packet contain 3,000mg of collagen. 

Do you believe in these products? Do you believe consuming a particular food or drink could really effect your appearance?