Jonathan Krohn: CPAC's Boy Wonder Swings Left

Jonathan Krohn (Photo Courtesy Of WENN)

Politico:

Jonathan Krohn took the political world by storm at 2009?s Conservative Political Action Conference when, at just 13 years old, he delivered an impromptu rallying cry for conservatism that became a viral hit and had some pegging him as a future star of the Republican Party.

Read the whole story at Politico

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/02/cpac-boy-wonder-swings-left_n_1643601.html

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92% Safety Not Guaranteed

A man puts a classified ad in the newspaper asking for an unusual companion. No, it's not some weird sex thing. Kenneth (Mark Duplass) intends t travel back in time to correct a few regrets. He's looking for a partner, though he specifies his traveling companion must bring his or her own weapons and that safety is not guaranteed. This quirky ad grabs the attention of Jeff (New Girl's Jake Johnson), an egotistical writer for a Seattle magazine. He takes long a pair of interns, the surly Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and the nerdy Arnau (Karan Soni). Together, the gang heads out of town to seek out Kenneth and determine whether or not he is for real. However, Jeff's real intention for this "work vacation" was to travel back to his hometown and try and score with Liz (Jenica Bergere), an old high school flame he is horrified to discover has... aged. Darius is the only one who can get close to Kenneth, but what starts as an opportune assignment into investigating a weirdo becomes something more. The guy, sweet if a little off, may be on to something... big, and Darius may be falling for him despite her own misgivings. Safety Not Guaranteed is a modest film but does it sneak up on you and deliver an emotional wallop. I'm a romantic at heart, and so I'm generally affected by seeing two lonely people find their special something in the world reserved for them, and it's even more affecting when these people are oddballs, and thus it's even more resonant and meaningful for them to find that connection so elusive before. At its heart, Safety Not Guaranteed is a quirky yet naturally developing love story, and those are my favorite kind. I found my heart melting every time Darius couldn't help herself and smiled. Perhaps it's because Darius is our outside heroine or that Plaza is best known for her stone-faced deadpans on TV's Parks and Recreation, but every one of those smiles felt so richly earned and rewarding. These aren't the typical rom-com characters that are going to lapse into great speeches about love at key clich?d moments; while dabbling in some fantastical elements, Safety Not Guaranteed exists in our own recognizable world. And with that established, the unguarded moments of genuine happiness for characters we care about translates into a surprisingly touching experience. My heart felt so full at different points, melting and swelling and doing other non-medically accurate things. I honestly had tears in my eyes at different points. By the perfect end, I was so hopeful and overjoyed and left the theater soaring on my good vibes. I can't guarantee everyone will find the same level of engagement in the romantic relationship, but I believe that the movie is inspired, clever, and authentic enough to deliver a crowd-pleasing finish. It's earnest without being hokey. I'm trying to tiptoe around spoilers, though for those critical readers out there I'm sure you can infer a thing or two about the end of the film given my positive, beaming response. I'm sure my reaction would have been quite different if, say, Darius and Kenneth died in a horrible fireball because he was criminally insane from the start. All I'll say is pay attention to certain discrepancies and see if they might prove to be a conversation-starter when you leave the theater. Have I mentioned how truly funny this movie is? I've been talking all about the "rom" portion of the equation, but Safety not Guaranteed is a consistently funny movie, with a few big laughs. Thankfully the movie's sharp sense of comedy is more than everyone simply derisively laughing at the nutball. To be sure, Kenneth provides plenty of comedy in his super serious demeanor, and the movie doesn't overplay the idea that he may be mentally unbalanced. The jokes come from the character interaction more than any contrived set piece, and the pleasure is in watching conflicting personalities bounce off one another. Every character contributes nicely to the comedic rhythms of this picture, adding a line here, a reaction there, to assemble one very funny movie. In movies where one character enters a relationship under initial false pretenses, usually you just keep waiting for that particular shoe to drop. You wait for the truth to come out and then deception reconciliation dominates the third act. Thankfully, the movie speeds over this narrative trap and gets us to the good stuff. We don't need an entire act for people to be contrite and prove their love when what we see onscreen is obvious enough. What elevated Safety Not Guaranteed for me was that beyond the oddball romance, there's careful and compassionate attention played to a slew of supporting characters. Now with a scant 80-minute running time, and the attention-grabber of a guy who thinks he can travel through time, naturally the supporting characters have minimized roles, but what I enjoyed was that they were not just relegated as stock players. The film has two stock roles, Nerd and Jerk, and fleshes them out further (though, to be assured, those are still defining characteristics). Arnau is a guy who is convinced any interaction with girls will ultimately lead to personal embarrassment. He's only focused on the future and what he needs to get there, barely living in the present. It's nice to watch him grow some confidence, albeit a small amount, and find some degree or enjoyment. And then there's self-described asshole Jeff, who only submitted the story so he could come back and bang his old high school girlfriend. Some will find Jeff's minimal personal growth to be disappointing and stagnate, but I thought anything substantial for this character over a three-day period of time would be unrealistic. Jeff is chasing his past memories, a faded time that had so much possibility when he was a stud in high school. The movie explores this notion of returning to a period of innocence as well. Going back to a time before overwrought cynicism, before settling, before compromising, before life became work, it's something of a wish that the characters seem to be chasing. Jeff realizes how truly empty his life is, yet he's probably set in his ways to alter his path, which is a shame because Liz certainly seems like a lovely, caring, and capable romantic opportunity. Hey, she bakes, too (Bergere is great and easy to fall for). The unlikely friendship that emerges between Jeff and Arnau is also quite enjoyable and disarmingly sweet. I also need to single out the score from first time composer Ryan Miller, the lead singer and guitarist for one of my favorite alternative rock bands, Guster. The music has a lilting, dreamy quality to it but then follows a steady melodic rock path, reminiscent of the melancholic score for Little Miss Sunshine. The strumming guitars, plinging pianos, and swelling violins come together in harmony with little sci-fi touches. The score gives the film another sense of enchantment. I've been listening to "Big Machine," the song Kenneth plays for Darius, on a loop for over an hour, if that gives you any indication on how much I enjoyed the original tune. The fact that "Big Machine" plays over the end credits when the movie meets its perfect end has got to account for some of my positive association. I think Miller has a bright future in crafting film scores. Plaza deserves to break out in a big way after this film. She's the heart of the movie and deeply vulnerable, covering it up with nonchalant cynicism. Darius is well within her surly comfort range so it's no surprise that she excels with the hipster character, but the moments of dramatic weight are not given flippant treatment. Duplass (TV's The League) just about everywhere in 2012, delivers a committed performance, though it seems mostly committed to the goofiness of his character. Yet when Duplass is able to show you some of the edge to his character, that's when the performance walks a line between dangerous and exciting. The movie hinges on the two actors working together and they have good chemistry; the goofball and the cynic. It's so nice to discover a movie that lifts your spirits, that touches your heart without reaching for the treacle, and delivers a funny experience without compromising its modest aims and modest tone. Safety Not Guaranteed obviously plays a deliberate dance with the audience, vacillating between moments that make Kenneth seem crazy and moments that make you question whether he's legit. The movie reminded me in a lot of ways with the underrated 2000 flick Happy Accidents, which featured Vincent D'Onofrio as a romantic suitor who also might be a time traveler or just plain nuts. Safety Not Guaranteed is a charming movie that seems to work a spell on you while watching; you get so invested in watching lonely people find meaningful human connections that you are compelling the movie to end under some happy scenario. Director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly deserve to make waves in Hollywood with what they're able to accomplish with a tidy budget and some clever yet earnest writing. This beguiling love story is all about stretching out of your comfort zone and taking a plunge into the unknown. Just like Kenneth, we're all looking for a partner worthy of that plunge (not necessarily a romantic partner, mind you). Take the plunge and go see Safety Not Guaranteed, one of the best movies of the year. Not bad for a movie potentially based upon an Internet meme, huh? Nate's Grade: A

July 2, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/safety_not_guaranteed/

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Fashion For Home Scores New Funding As Samwer Brothers? Rocket Internet Exit

Fashion For Home, the online designer furniture store, has scored a new funding round led by the Munich-based VC Acton Capital Partners, while Holtzbrinck Ventures has also participated.?And with it we have an exit of sorts. That's because, as part of the round, the Samwer brothers? incubator, Rocket Internet, has sold its shares, although terms of the transaction aren't being disclosed -- unsurprising given the Samwers notorious reputation for secrecy. It's also especially curious when you factor in last year's?leaked memo?where?Oliver Samwer described ambitions to become "number one? in the ecommerce sector for furniture with a strategy he controversially likened to "blitzkrieg". Fashion For Home's new funding round as a whole is said to be in the "lower double-digit millions", so also make of that what you will.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8MmNyX6H7fg/

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Stocks face questions entering 2nd half of '12

By Angela Moon, Reuters

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks finished the first half of the year with a bang as investors welcomed news that the euro zone is a step closer to solving its 30-month-long debt crisis. Now for the question: Is this rally strong enough to last for more than a day?

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq posted their best daily percentage gains since December on Friday after an agreement by European leaders to stabilize the region's troubled banks, a pact that helped remove some of the uncertainty that has plagued markets.

"That is the major question. Can this fuel a longer-term rally? It can, but only to some degree if, over the weekend and the course of next week, we don't see any major push back or headlines that suggest that this deal is not going to happen," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

"But I don't think this is a major game changer. I do, however, think that this is really the first time we got a relatively immediate answer to what they (the euro-zone leaders) are going to do about the issue."

Under pressure to prevent a catastrophic breakup of their single currency, euro-zone leaders agreed on Friday to let their rescue fund inject aid directly into stricken banks starting next year and intervene in bond markets to support troubled member-states.

They also pledged to create a single banking supervisor for euro-zone banks based around the European Central Bank in a landmark first step toward a European banking union that could help shore up struggling member Spain.

Wall Street's previous reaction to euro-zone bailout packages or other rescue plans had been somewhat muted. Initial gains would quickly disappear by the day's end as investors realized that there isn't a quick fix to the region's problems.?

On Friday, it was a different story. The three major U.S. stock indexes jumped 1.5 percent to 2 percent shortly after the opening bell on news of the euro-zone agreement.

By the close, stocks ended at session highs with the major indexes up between 2 percent and 3 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average surged 277.83 points, or 2.20 percent, to end at 12,880.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 33.12 points, or 2.49 percent, to finish at 1,362.16. And the Nasdaq Composite Index shot up 85.56 points, or 3.00 percent, to close at 2,935.05.

For the week, the Dow rose 1.9 percent, the S&P 500 advanced 2 percent and the Nasdaq gained 1.5 percent.

For the month, the Dow added 3.9 percent, the S&P 500 rose 4 percent and the Nasdaq climbed 3.8 percent.

But for the second quarter, the Dow dropped 2.5 percent, the S&P 500 slid 3.3 percent and the Nasdaq lost 5.1 percent.

Despite the weak second quarter, the three major U.S. stock indexes wrapped up the first half of the year with decent gains: The Dow was up 5.4 percent, the S&P 500 was up 8.3 percent and the Nasdaq was up 12.7 percent.

"The next question is whether the ESM/EFSF will have enough capital and assuming they don't, will the ECB chip in by giving it a bank license, thus leveraging its size. That is yet to be determined," said Peter Boockvar, an equity strategist at Miller Tabak & Co in New York.

"For now, party on and turn that hourglass over as more time has been bought. But only the symptoms are being fought as the underlying disease of excessive debt and lack of growth still remains."

The leaders of the 17 European Union countries agreed on a series of short-term steps to shore up their monetary union and bring down the borrowing costs of Spain and Italy, seen as too big to bail out.

To that end, the euro zone's temporary European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) rescue funds will be used "in a flexible and efficient manner in order to stabilize markets" to support countries that comply with EU budget policy recommendations, a joint statement said.

Any market reaction to further developments this week could be exaggerated by lighter-than-usual volume. Wall Street trading desks may be more sparsely populated because it will be a short week. The U.S. stock market will be closed on Wednesday, the Fourth of July, in observance of Independence Day.

The market's focus will shift to the European Central Bank this week as investors wait to see whether it cuts interest rates to complement the measures taken by EU leaders to shore up banks and bring down borrowing costs for Spain and Italy.?

Most economists polled by Reuters expect the ECB to cut borrowing costs on Thursday, July 5, at its meeting, which takes place against a darkening economic backdrop.

But internal resistance to the central bank reviving its bond-buying program remains high. The ECB has already loosened its collateral rules to make it easier for banks in Spain to access its funds.

"Investors have to be cautious because the market may be getting ahead of itself. We really don't have any details. The big question is still what direction the ECB takes" this week, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington.

"It's (the EU deal) certainly not a silver bullet for the debt crisis, but the market is kind of acting like it is. It may set us up for another push down in the weeks ahead."

Stocks had enjoyed a run earlier this month on hopes that global central banks would announce additional measures to stimulate economic growth, which has been tepid.

On June 20, the Federal Reserve extended its "Operation Twist" program to sell short-term securities and buy longer-term ones to keep long-term borrowing costs down. But investors were disappointed when U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who spoke at a news conference after the Fed's two-day policy meeting, gave few hints that further monetary stimulus was imminent, denting hopes of cheap money in the equities market.

European bond yields will be closely watched this week. Madrid will auction three-year, four-year and 10-year bonds at a primary auction on Thursday in another big test for Spanish yields that are still not far below 7 percent.

France will sell between 7 billion and 8 billion euros in long-term bonds on Thursday.

This week's data includes the Institute for Supply Management's U.S. manufacturing index and construction spending on Monday, followed by factory orders and June car sales on Tuesday.

After Wednesday's holiday, investors will face a blitz of economic indicators. On Thursday, weekly jobless claims and mortgage data, ADP's private-sector payrolls report and the ISM's U.S. services-sector index will be released.

On Friday, the government's June nonfarm payrolls report will come out. Economists polled by Reuters have forecast a gain of 90,000 jobs, with the U.S. unemployment rate holding steady at 8.2 percent.?

Below, CNBC's Tyler Mathisen looks ahead to what are likely to be next week's top business and financial stories.

More money and business news:

Follow msnbc.com business on Twitter and Facebook

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/01/12508970-2nd-half-of-year-shapes-up-as-big-question-for-stocks?lite

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Veterans Donations Helps Healing Heroes Network Provide Assistance to Service Members; Charity Network Announces the Launch of the 2012 Harley?s for Heroes Sweepstakes

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/veterans-donations-helps-healing-heroes-network-assistance-members-200027209.html

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With Nexus 7, Google Finally Gets Android Tablets Right [REVIEW]

Google Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 is essentially Google's answer the the Amazon Kindle Fire -- a 7-inch tablet priced at $199 that's based around media consumption. In almost every respect, the Nexus destroys the Fire.

[More from Mashable: ]

This, fans, is the tablet you've been waiting for. Google's finally nails it for Android tablets. It has an inviting design, excellent software, and the right components inside to keep it all running. Even better, it has the right price: $199, and that's even before the $25 in downloadable media you get if you preorder one.

The Nexus 7 is the Android media tablet the was supposed to be. When the Kindle Fire debuted in the fall, it was a success because the price was just as right (also $199), but also because it did something Android tablets hadn't done very well until then: It put media consumption front and center, the home screen serving as a storefront for 's many digital services.

[More from Mashable: ]

However, although buyers flocked to the Kindle Fire like no other Android tablet before, it had issues. Early reviews discovered Amazon's highly customized version of Android didn't run so smoothly. It was buggy and slow to respond to a user's touch, plus it effectively cut you off from the main Android marketplace, replacing it with Amazon's more limited selection of apps (a hack could get you back to Android central, but few would take advantage).

Now comes Nexus 7: A media-centric tablet from Android's creator. Instead of buggy software built onto off-the-shelf hardware, has crafted a tablet experience around the latest version of Android, 4.1 and turned to one of its trusted partners, , to build the device. The results are nothing short of amazing.

It starts with the object itself. The Nexus 7 feels great in your hand. Its leather-like backside gives you a solid grip, and its surprisingly lightweight at just 12 ounces (about half the 's weight). The tablet is superbly portable, but for many that will make them long for an option to add 4G connectivity -- sadly not available.

The screen is a 7-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS (in-plane switching) LCD with durable Gorilla Glass for protection -- pretty standard for devices these days. It's no retina display, but it's beyond fine.

Like Butter

With Jelly Bean, Google gave Android more than just a few new features; it's actually upgraded the user experience in a few key ways with what Google calls Project Butter. First, animations -- such as how your array of apps moves when you swipe -- now move at 60 frames per second. It's not something you'll immediately notice, but if you put the Nexus 7 next to an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, you'll see the difference.

Besides that, Android can now predict where you're going to touch the screen, animating the experience around that point. This is even harder to notice -- until you realize that you've been swiping and tapping for hours, yet the device in your hands hasn't once annoyed you with its lack of response to your touch. The Nexus 7 just works.

All this leads to a faster and more responsive experience overall. Comparing the Nexus 7's responsiveness to an Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" device, the , the Nexus responded quicker to both the home button and screen rotation. The S III was slightly faster at switching apps, however.

While the improved experience in Jelly Bean is great, credit where credit's due: It wouldn't be nearly as good if there weren't a quad-core Nvidia processor underneath.

Entering the Nexus

Google's Nexus devices have tended to have a cleaner look and feel than most other phones and tablets based on Android, with less bloatware. That's partly true of the Nexus 7 and it partly isn't. Although its menus and navigation don't go on and on like they do in some Androids (*cough* Samsung *cough*), they're actually a little too austere in some ways. For example, I had a hell of a time finding the toggle to turn on screen rotation -- it's hidden in the pulldown menu, not in Settings. Huh?

And although there isn't what I'd call bloatware on this device, Google has taken the liberty of pre-installing apps for many of its services: Gmail, Chrome, Google+, Maps, YouTube, Google Earth, GTalk -- even Currents, that wonderful Flipboard clone no one's using. They're all in a handy folder, right on your home screen Don't everyone email thank-yous at once, now.

One of those Google products that's most welcome is Chrome, the new standard web browser for Android, starting with the Nexus 7. Chrome looks great on the tablet, and it's nothing short of a revelation that you can now browse incognito or resume a session you began on another device. Since Chrome is now the most popular desktop browser in the world, the syncing will be extremely useful to many.

A big part of the Google setup package are the media gateways. After setup, the Nexus 7 greets you with a screen that's filled with book and magazine covers, movie posters and album art. This is the Library widget, and it looks great. Tap on a magazine cover, and it launches your magazine reader/browser app; tap an album, and you're in Music.

The Library widget looks great and gets the point across in the most obvious way that this tablet is meant to be a media powerhouse. As you "consume" your media, the covers move and change, though it can sometimes take a while; i had to get halfway through before the widget showed it on the home screen (I was popping in and out of playback to write this review). If that bothers you, it's easy enough to adjust its size or get rid of the widget altogether -- this is Android, after all.

Media Machine

Let's get to it, shall we? The Nexus 7 is positioned as a media-consumption device, so how it delivers movies, music, books and magazines is where it lives or dies.

The Nexus 7 is an excellent video player. After downloading Transformers, I had a hard time stealing myself away from it to write this review. The player is very responsive, and the download looked very good -- although it's not as sharp as what you'd see on a retina iPad, and blacks weren't quite as black as you might like. Still, perfectly fine for most.

The magazine reading experience is satisfying, but it has some room for improvement. The main issue is that magazines seem to be rendered as mere pages, as opposed to the highly interactive digital magazines that many titles feature on the iPad. Text gets a little fuzzy when you zoom in close, and you can't do things like tap on headlines on the Contents page to advance to the article.

However, the app gives you a View Text option for every article, which renders them like a Google Currents article. Pages advance smoothly and photos look great.

The Book reader is better, featuring adjustable text size and a slick page-turning animation. And it's a subtle point, but I absolutely love the library page, which isn't a shelf at all but an array of covers on a white background. It's a much classier and more inviting design than Apple's silly bookshelves.

Music is a little confusing, with the home screen pre-populated with a few random titles. However, it's not that clear whether you're playing a download or a music stream, which isn't too bothersome -- unless your Wi-Fi quits. Overall, the experience is nowhere near as intuitive as iTunes, and the player wasn't as responsive as I would have liked. The onboard speaker is horrible by the way -- don't ever think you'll use it except in an emergency.

Nexus Extras

If you've ever emailed yourself a photo to get it from your phone to your tablet, you'll be grateful for , which now lets you send photos and videos from device to device wirelessly, just by tapping them together. The connection is made via near-field communication, and the file is transferred via Bluetooth. Your battery can breathe a sigh of relief, though: You don't have to leave Bluetooth on for it to work. The catch, however, is that it only works with Jelly Bean devices.

Although the feature works, Android Beam could do with just a little more polish. While the "giving" device lets you know when it's ready to beam, the notifications on the receiver are barely noticeable. You're often left wondering, "Did it work?" Thankfully, it usually does.

The Google search app has gotten an upgrade, too, with improved voice search and a great, clean layout that doesn't bombard you with too much information. I also love how you can launch it from the home screen -- just slide your finger up from the bottom, through the app-list icon, and you're in Google. Pretty neat.

Searching via voice on the tablet feels slightly less natural than on a phone, but Google's done well here. Very rarely did the search mishear me, even for homynyms like "tie" and "Thai."

Ultimate Nexus

The Nexus 7 isn't as large as the iPad, and doesn't match its retina display, but make no mistake, this is the tablet that gets Google in the game. It's the only Android tablet I've used so far that delivers an experience that's comparable.

That experience isn't something you can reduce to a single feature or spec of the Nexus 7 that stands out. Google has really thought about the device in its entirety here -- from the basic response of the OS to little things like how Chrome zooms in on menu items.

As a media consumption device, the Nexus 7 is the best Android has to offer, although it still falls short of the iPad. Obviously, the iPad has an edge in the larger screen, but the retina display makes a difference, too (not just for pixels, but color as well). Also, media apps for the iPad apps (like Netflix) tend to have more polish than their Android counterparts, since developers can better tailor them to the device. And iTunes still holds a lot over Google Play: Besides legacy, Apple has all four major music labels signed on, while Google has only three (Warner is still a holdout ... sorry, Nickelback fans).

However, is the iPad really $300 better than the Nexus 7? That's a really tough case to make, even considering the superior screen, music catalog and app selection. Think about it -- for the same price as an iPad, you'll get a Nexus 7 -- plus one of these: 75 HD movie rentals, 150 TV episodes, 232 songs, 23 books, or between 75 and 300 magazine issues.

The Nexus 7 may not be the best tablet ever built, but its media savviness and low price make it a crowd-pleaser. For the vast majority of people, it's more than good enough, and if you aren't yet married to the Apple platform, you should be pre-ordering one now.

This story originally published on Mashable .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nexus-7-google-finally-gets-android-tablets-review-103538239.html

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Statement Necklaces: Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker And Other Celebs Accessorize With Huge Jewelry (PHOTOS)

Chunky may not be a compliment, but when it comes to summer jewelry it is -- small and simple chains are out and bulky and embellished statement necklaces are in.

Style mavens like Michelle Obama have been rocking the statement-making look for years, but now the jewelry trend is becoming more and more prevalent. Bib necklaces, layered necklaces and unique metalwork have added an extra flair to basic red carpet dresses... and, like our beloved shoes and bracelets, you can't grow out of a good necklace. That's what we call #fashionwinning.

Check out the gallery to see which celebs have incorporated statement necklaces into their personal style. Which are your faves?

• Michelle Obama

  The first lady's layered look complimented the color of her gown. (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

• Sarah Jessica Parker

  The "Sex and the City" actress added a dash of glam with multiple gem-encrusted necklaces. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

• Kristen Bell

  The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" actress accessorized a simple yellow blouse with a long, embellished silver chain. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Bing)

• Heidi Klum

  The supermodel wore this turquoise Lorraine Schwartz necklace to the 2012 Golden Globes. It's the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/beyonce-heidi-klum-necklace_n_1455077.html" target="_hplink">same look that Beyonce borrowed</a> for her spread in <em>People</em>'s 2012 Most Beautiful issue. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

• Olivia Palermo

  The fashion maven known for her stint on "The City" wore a heavy, almost-over-the-top necklace with a skinny-strapped top. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

• Claudia Schiffer

  The actress made a splash at Cannes with this embellished design. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

• Beyonce

  The singer wore a uniquely designed, gem-encrusted gold necklace with a plunging sequin blouse. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short, file)

• Jessica Alba

  The stunning actress accessorized her laid-back outfit with a heavy necklace. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Ebel)

• Lucy Hale

  The "Pretty Little Liars" star donned a unique necklace composed of metal shaped to her neck. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short, file)

• Katherine Heigl

  Katherine layered multi-colored pearls and beads. (Photo credit MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

• Rachel Zoe

  The stylist to the stars donned a unique beaded necklace. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

• Olivia Palermo

  The socialite and actress donned several necklaces to add more color to her ensemble. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)

• Selena Gomez

  The actress and singer enhanced a simple white blouse with a black-and-brown beaded design. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

• Dita Von Teese

  The goth style icon accentuates her dark ensemble with a similarly dark layered necklace. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

• Kristen Bell

  Kristen added an old-fashioned piece to her vintage outfit. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for UNICEF)

• Claudia Schiffer

  Claudia added some bling to her black ensemble with a flat, angled gold necklace. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

• Statement Necklaces

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/30/statement-necklaces-huge-jewelry-celebrity-style_n_1628571.html

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