New Diamond Rings!

Have you browsed Ex-cessories' inventory lately? If so, we are sure that you have noticed some wonderful new pieces. If not, where have you been?!

You must check out all of our great pieces at great prices! Trying to give that special guy a hint about a ring or piece of jewelry? Send him our way and we will help point him in the right direction. We are available by e-mail at any time to help you with your personal shopping needs.

Some of our new items:

1.37 carat marquise diamond ring ($4,500) - click here to view (also pictured above)

Diamond band ($968) - click here to view

18KT white gold diamond ring ($6,080) - click here to view

Physical books a thing of the past?

Amazon announced that they sold more Kindles than physical books on Christmas. They also announced that the Kindle has become the most gifted item in Amazon's history.

Do you own a Kindle? How do you feel about the Kindle?

We have a Kindle and find that we read much more with our Kindle. It is extremely easy to download a new book wherever and whenever. The Kindle is also much lighter and smaller than most books so easy to carry around with you.

Actress Haylie Duff tweeted @HaylieK my manager gave me a Kindle for Xmas(no excuse 2 not read scripts now)sorry i ever made fun of them! ITS AMAZING!! what books i should read?

New Year's Resolutions 2010

Christmas and Hanukkah are over and the New Year is around the corner.

After the holidays many people create a New Year's Resolution. Whether they vow to read more, exercise more, eat healthier, or spend more time with their families, everyone tries to kick a bad habit, get rid of a vice, or improve their lives in one way or another. However, there are others who celebrate the New Year without creating a resolution.

Do you create a New Year's Resolution? If so, what are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Post your resolutions under "comments" and take our poll on the right hand side of this page.

Some celebrity New Year's Resolutions for 2010...

Maggie Gyllenhaal - To be the best mother I can be.

Jeff Bridges - To be more alert

James Franco - To walk more

Ellen Burstyn - To lost some weight.

Tobey Maguire - To spend more time with my family.

Emily Blunt - To not make any resolutions. Whenever I make them, I wind up ultimately breaking them. I think a lot of people are that way, so I am going to try and avoid inevitable disappointment next year and just not make any.

Happy EARLY Christmas - SATC 2 NEW Trailer!

Christmas has come early this year! The movie Sex and the City 2 has released their new movie trailer!

Take a look below and tell us what you think. We are ecstatic and cannot wait until MAY 28th, the release of Sex and the City 2!

Cookie Decorating Party

Do you decorate cookies for the holidays? Do you leave a batch behind for Santa Claus? Need a family and friend get together idea?

Baking cookies are a create family and fun activity. We encourage you to get together with friends and family and bake and decorate Christmas cookies. If you are short on time or would just like to have a cookie decorating party, purchase precut cookie dough and bake the night before. Then invite friends and family over and get decorating! Make sure to include warm eggnog, a smooth red wine, or rich hot chocolate to sip with guests while decorating.

Our decorating tips:

* Use white frosting as the base and sprinkle with pre-cut candy cane bits.

* For an adorable stocking cookie, frost the cookie with red frosting and sprinkle green sugar dust on the top rim

* Decorate green frosted trees with white and red sugar stars

* Have fun and get creative!

In the end you will have fabulous batches of cookies and even some extra to leave for Santa Claus.

Looking for a holiday cookie recommendation? We recommend NESTLE TOLL HOUSE's "sugar shapes." All you need to do is peel, bake, and decorate.

Extra Holiday Cash?

Are you in need of some extra cash? The holidays always stress our budgets and put dents into our bank accounts. Why not refill your bank account with some cash from melting gold?!

Recoup your holiday expenses by melting scrap jewelry or gold with Ex-cessories.com! Click here to review our melting process.

How to melt with Ex-cessories.com:

Create an Ex-cessories account

Step 1 - Wait for e-mail notification
Step 2 - Send your item to:

Ex-cessories
5500 Prytania Street
#316
New Orleans, LA 70115
*We suggest using UPS insured mail

Step 3 - Send us an e-mail or include a note stating your intent to melt the item instead of listing it on the website
Step 4 - Break-even! (Wait for your $$$); we will retain a 10% commission

We Can't Wait for February!

Yes, that's right... we can't wait for Valentine's Day... The MOVIE!

Watch the newly released trailer below and tell us what you think. We think this movie looks like a hit and we cannot wait until it comes out! Try and count all of the amazing actors and actresses featured in this movie...

Holiday Cookie Recipe

We love the holidays and love holiday cooking. One of our favorite types of cookies is Gingerbread. We found a delicious recipe for "Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies" by Martha Stewart.

The ingredients...

Makes 2 dozen
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Click here to baking directions and additional information.

Nearsightedness Is On The Rise

As someone who was just prescribed glasses, we were extremely interested in NPR's new report that nearsightedness is on the rise.

Myopia -- or nearsightedness -- has skyrocketed since the 1970s says a study in the latest Archives of Ophthalmology, and part of the reason could be our modern behavior.

The test conducted revealed that in the 70s a quarter of Americans were nearsighted and in this latest study that number jumped to 41% of those tested.

What's causing this decline in eyesight? Well, today, more kids spend their time playing on screens in front of their faces than running around outside where things to see are farther away, one of the study's authors told the Los Angeles Times.

It's kind of evolution at work, Dr. Kenneth Goins, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, tells us. He says environmental factors, like what we spend our days looking at, can change our eyes.

Think about it... how many hours a day to you spend staring at a computer screen? It is frightening how many hours per week we spend! Let us know under "comments."

Sweet Holiday Treat - Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Looking for a festive recipe that won't cause you to pack on the holiday pounds?

Then you must try Cooking Light's Peppermint Ice Cream Cake. With 251 calories, 6.8g of fat, 4.3g of protein, 1.7g of fiber, and delicious taste it can't be beat!

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups low-fat peppermint ice cream (such as Edy's/Dreyer's Slow-Churned Light), softened
3 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 peppermint candies, crushed

Preparation:
Click here for the rest of the cooking directions and enjoy!

President Obama Gets Graded

The President gave himself the grade of "a good, solid B-plus" for his first year in office. Obama said that the only thing that stands in the way of giving him a better grade is the fact that some elements of his agenda - health care reform and putting more Americans to work - remain undone. On the plus side, Obama said, "We are on our way out of Iraq." And, he said, "I think we've got the best possible plan for Afghanistan."

After President Obama graded his performance everyone around the world began to grade the President's performance. From A's to C's we have heard quite a wide grading range. We want to know how YOU would grade President Obama. Let us know your grade this year under "comments."

Audrey Hepburn's Wardrobe Sells for $437,800

A collection of dresses worn by iconic style star and film star Audrey Hepburn was sold at auction for $437,800, which is more than double the pre-sale estimate.

More than 40 items from her wardrobe, including dresses worn in her films, were auctioned in London in a sale described by organizers as "the like of which will never be seen again."

The highest price, 60,000 pounds - nearly $100,000 - was paid for a Chantilly lace cocktail gown by Givenchy which Hepburn wore in "How to Steal a Million" in 1966 — against an estimate of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds.

The actress, who personified the svelte, chic, minimal European post-war look, became renowned for her perceived purity, innocence and vulnerability, the fashion auctioneer Kerry Taylor said before the sale.

The collection was sold by Tanja Star-Busmann, a life-long friend of Hepburn's, and 50 percent of the net sale proceeds will be donated to The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

Hepburn died in 1993 at the age of 63 and will always be a style icon...

Hanukkah Tradition - Dreidel

A Hanukkah tradition is the dreidel game. Interested in learning how to play? What are the rules? Well... read below and let the dreidel games begin!

Dreidel Game:

1. Any number of people can take part in this great game.

2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.

3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center "pot." In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.

4. Every time it's your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the outcome, you give or get game pieces from the pot:

a) Nun means "nisht"or "nothing" [in Yiddish]. The player does nothing.

b) Gimmel means "gantz"or "everything" [in Yiddish]. The player gets everything in the pot.

c) Hey means "halb"or "half" [in Yiddish]. The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one).

d) Shin (outside of Israel) means "shtel" or "put in" [in Yiddish]. Peh (in Israel)means "pay." The player adds a game piece to the pot.

5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either "out" or may ask a fellow player for a "loan."

6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!

7. We suggest that if you use money to play the game, ask players to donate part or all of their winnings to tzedakah (charity). You can ask parents to match these contributions. This way everyone wins and you can share the Hanukkah gifts with those in need!

HAPPY HANUKKAH

Ex-cessories.com wishes you a very Happy Hanukkah!

Enjoy eight nights of celebration and beautiful candle light.

If you are still searching for that special Hanukkah gift, do not forget to check out what we have - www.ex-cessories.com.

Top 10 Overrated Health Foods of 2009

We tend to perk-up when we hear natural, organic, and fortified. Giving many of these so called "healthy" and "organic" products a try throughout 2009. Some have been awesome and others have fallen short.

So, we loved when we came across the top 10 overrated health foods of 2009 on health.com. We have been suckers to several! Take a look at the list below and let us know which health foods you have tried and rate away under "comments."

1. SoBe Lifewater

2. Yoplait Yo-Plus Açai

3. Shedd's Spread County Crock Calcium Plus Vitamin D

4. Nature's Path Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries

5. Quaker Fiber and Omega-3 Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

6. Pepsi Natural

7. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Garden Cheddar

8. Häagen-Dazs Five

9. Cheerios

10. Cocoa Krispies

Vintage

We love vintage!

Ex-cessories.com has tons of slightly used pieces of jewelry at amazing prices, but we also have great vintage pieces. Companies like, What Goes Around Comes Round, sell vintage inspired Chanel pieces for thousands of dollars. Yes, thousands! Ex-cessories.com features Chanel pieces for $185 - $126 (our Chanel bracelet is pictured above). You MUST check it out! Click here to check out all of our Chanel pieces.

We also have a vintage Tiffany & Co. 14 karat yellow gold necklace that is valued at $3,5000 and is currently on sale for $1,500! Click here to check out the Tiffany & Co. necklace.

If you have additional questions about any of our pieces please do not hesitate to e-mail us at info@excessories.com. Happy shopping!

PANDORA Bracelet

We have just listed a PANDORA bracelet that includes original gift box for $153!

Item Description:

*Price - $153

* Sterling Silver PANDORA bracelet with beads
* 8 inches in length
* 12 beads and gems
* 3 beads are silver and pink and 9 are silver
*Pink zigzag, pink ribbon, daisy, rose, silver clip, and tire bead
* Clasp and glass beads are stamped PANDORA
* Includes Jared The Galleria of Jewelry box (where originally purchased)
* Never been worn
* Originally purchased for $228

We think this makes a great gift for Hannukah or Christmas! Click here for additional information and click here to purchase.

More Tiger Woods Drama...

Emergency crews responded to a 911 call from Tiger Woods' home this morning just after 2:30 a.m.

A black Cadillac Escalade, believed to be Elin Woods, Woods' wife, was spotted driving into Health Central in Ocoee moments after the ambulance arrived.

There is speculation that the woman rushed to the hospital was Elin's mother.

There is no comment or evidence of the cause of illness or incident. We are guessing that stress, emotional breakdown, heart attack, or exhaustion were the cause. We cannot imagine the stress Elin and her family must be going through right now! We will keep you posted via Twitter on any breaking news regarding this story. Follow us on Twitter! @excessories

Also, don't forget to take our Tiger Woods poll on the right hand side of this page.

"Tiger is a Cheetah"

We have refrained from commenting on the Tiger Woods drama, but can hold back no longer...

Now that 4, yes 4, women have come out and claim to have had an affair with the golfer we cannot help but express our disappointment and disgust!

Our heart goes out to his wife, children, and all of the other family members that have been hurt and embarrassed by Woods.

We want Elin to know, Ex-cessories.com is here for you and will help you get rid of some of that bling! We are sure Elin has tons of tainted jewelry that she would greatly benefit from melting or selling with Ex-cessories.com. Remember our slogan - "Don't Get Mad...Break Even!"

In the spirit of renaming Tiger Woods, as everyone has been trying to do lately, we ask you to take our poll on the right hand side of this page and let us know what you think Tiger has become.

Is Tiger now a...

1. Cheetah

2. Pig

3. Guerilla

4. Rat

5. Penguin

Let your thoughts and opinion flow about Tiger Woods, the accident, and his affairs under "comments."

Stocking Stuffers

This year, when you stuff your stocking make sure to include a little gem from Ex-cessories.com!

We recommend:

Golden Gate Bridge Charm - $75 (Click here to view)

Tiffany & Co. small heart pendant - $70 (click here to view)

Cameo Earrings - $50 (click here to view)

John Hardy Bracelet - $208.30 (click here to view)

Links of London Silver Bracelet - $382.40 (click here to view - pictured above)

Ex-cessories.com is here for all of your holiday shopping needs. Don't hesitate to e-mail us at info@excessories.com with any shopping questions!

Creative and Edible Dreidels

Looking for creative craft projects and treats for Hannukah?

We have found a great gift and/or treat idea for Hannukah, marshmallow dreildels by Martha Stewart. This is a sweet spin on a classic toy!

1. Spray kitchen scissors with nonstick cooking spray; trim sides of marshmallow to make it square-shaped.

2. Dip marshmallow into a shallow bowl of nonpareils to coat.

3. Insert a wooden skewer; add nonpareil chocolate for tip.

4. Trim skewer.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit tonight, December 2nd at 8:55PM!

The ceremony and show will go from 7PM - 9PM and will be hosted by Jane Krakowski (from 30 Rock) and co-hosted by Zachary Levi (from Chuck).

Special guests include:

Radio City Rockettes

Michael Buble

Aretha Franklin

Alicia Keys

Barry Manilow

The Roots

Shakira

Taylor Schilling

James Tupper

Brian Williams

This ceremony is historic and always beautiful. When the Rockefeller Center tree is lit you feel that Christmas time is officially here. We can't wait to watch the Radio City Rockettes and Aretha Franklin!

Hannukah - December 11, 2009

The first night of Hannukah is right around the corner!

When we think of Hannukah latkes, dreidels, gelt, and beautiful candle lights come to mind.

Everyone has their own special latkes recipes, some passed down from generation to generation and others with a new modern spin. Do you have a Latke recipe to share? We want to hear from you! Post your Latke recipes under "comments" to share with other readers.

For a classic potato latke recipe, see epicurious.com's by clicking here. We recommend topping with warm homemade apple sauce.