Statement necklaces have their place, but sometimes I like to be a little more subtle. (On a wild day, I layer a bunch of these.) Check out a few lovely, teeny-tiny pendants:

♥ Teensy Bow, LindseysLovelies ($14, pictured). The perfect tiny-girly silhouette. 

♥ Jill Rosen Necklace, Delia*s ($14). A little black rose that's incorporated into its silver chain screams, "Bad Romance."

♥ Teensy State Charm Necklace, basilthecat ($20). I may get NC and NY, to represent both my past and current homesteads!

♥ Tiny Elephant Pendant, Wildthings ($17). Just try to resist this little wrinkly guy.

♥ Mixtape It Up Necklace, Modcloth ($12). A mini cassette tape dangling around your neck whispers, "Yeah, I'm into music."

♥ Tuesday Necklace, Spotted Moth ($32). Simple and elegant, this is the one you leave on for weeks at a time. A signature item, if you will.

She's been a politician, a cheerleader, an aerobic instructor, an astronaut, a veterinarian, a dentist and a rock star. Who is this accomplished lady? Well, she's Barbie!

Most girls (and some boys) have owned a Barbie at some point. My favorite Barbie was aerobic Barbie, because I was a tomboy and thereby into "fitness." But other than that, Barbie is a complete mystery to me; I know nothing about her!

That's where Tanya Lee Stone's book comes in handy. The Good, The Bad, And The Barbie A Doll's History And Her Impact On Us (Viking) is an informative and fun journey through Barbie's "genealogy." From the origins of her birth at Mattel, Stone covers all the topics: fashion, controversy, personal anecdotes and sexuality (admit it, we've all examined Barbie's nipple-less breasts).It's amazing to really understand the huge impact Barbie -- a doll -- has had on our culture.

The best parts of this book are all the personal stories from girls and women. For instance, Megan says, "I'm a high-school senior but I really miss my Barbies. I loved those dolls so much, but I sure tortured them. Once I got older (like 5th or 6th grade) I reenacted the Salem witch trails with the doll."

Hee-larious.

PS-It's Teen Read Week, so here's one more piece of inspiring book news!

WeStopHate is a video community on YouTube that spreads the message of positivity and "teen-esteem." Founded by Emily-Anne Rigel, 16, WeStopHate features videos made by teens about why -- despite their flaws, zits and imperfections -- they're still different, special and awesome.

I Heart Daily: What inspired you to start WeStopHate?
Emily-Anne Rigel: Standing out and being different instead of trying to be “normal” and fit in has always been important to me. Having noticed that there were many young people without that same sense of self-worth, I developed a passion for helping them see how great it feels to be true to themselves.

IHD: How did you come up with the phrase "teen-esteem"?
ER: I thought "teen-esteem" was fun, hip, and less intimidating than “self-esteem.” Additionally, I loved that we could create the definition of  “teen-esteem” ourselves! We define it as being proud to stand out in a crowd and having the confidence to stand up for yourself and your beliefs.

IHD: How do you overcome your own personal insecurities?
ER: I try not to take things too personally because my insecurities were rooted in my fear of what others would think about me. Also, I make sure to surround myself with people who are positive and supportive.

IHD: What are your future plans for WeStopHate?
ER: In addition to spreading “teen-esteem” through our YouTube videos, one of our main goals is to create an online place for the WeStopHate community to interact with and learn from each other. We are working on building a website with a large collection of teen-esteem resources that will motivate and inspire the WeStopHate community.

IHD: Can you comment on the recent teen suicides in the news? What would you want to say to teens who are going through a difficult time?
ER: I am deeply saddened by the recent suicides and wholeheartedly support all efforts to limit this from ever happening again. To reach out to teens struggling with this issue, WeStopHate featured a transgendered teen in the LGBT community a few weeks ago. My advice is to watch this video because I believe teens struggling with this issue can relate what this YouTuber had to say [see video below, and comment on youtube for a chance to win a WeStopHate wristband].

 

PS-Today is also Love Your Body Day!

I hate to see discarded, broken umbrella wires with torn-up nylon clinging to them. I want to save every single tossed umbrella I see!

So I was extra excited to learn about Recycling Zychal, a design company that specializes in rescuing and repurposing broken umbrellas! Each umbrella that's saved gets turned into something amazing -- like a doggie raincoat ($20), organic catnip-filled toys ($3) or "The Hood" ($26, pictured). Because they are each made from an umbrella, every item is one-of-a-kind (and rainproof, natch). 

As if that weren't cool enough, a portion of Recycling Zychal's profits goes to animal-helping organizations. They also do umbrella donation drives to help clean up the streets after storms. (You can donate a broken umbrella too!) 

PS-Did you know it was Adopt a Shelter Dog month? It is! Check out these furry faces (and then get them a Recycling Zychal raincoat).

Monisha, 15, is still in high school, but she's already developed her own beauty product -- a 100% natural shea butter with no synthetic fragrances, preservatives or colors added. Derived from shea nuts from villages in Ghana, shea butter relaxes muscles, soothes minor burns, heals skin cracks and cuts and moisturizes dry skin and brittle hair. We talked to this teen entrepreneur about her very cool business!

I Heart Daily: What inspired you to create a shea butter?
Monisha: My mother, Esther Gokhale, created the Gokhale method (a healthy posture method), and I have always looked up to her for having a business. Although her focus is on posture, she also provides other services and products. Over the summer, I enjoyed watching my mother prepare shea butter for her center. She would tell me many stories of her patients reporting improvements in conditions like eczema, scarring alopecia and psoriasis. I was intrigued by the idea of starting my own company and by shea butter itself.

IHD: Why was it important to you that it be 100% natural?
M: First of all, unnatural shea butter has been refined with the use of solvents, and it loses many of its usual vitamins and healing abilities during that process. Also, all-natural ingredients are much healthier for your body in general. I am a strong advocate of natural foods and products. The body is not designed to manage chemicals, and putting artificial substances in or on our bodies is damaging.

IHD: Your shea butter has a few uses -- how do you use it yourself?
M: I regularly use it on my entire body just to keep my skin healthy and moist. When my skin gets irritated, or dry and rough, I apply shea butter more frequently to help it recover.

IHD: Do you see skincare as one of the most important aspects to a beauty routine?
M: Yes, I believe that having beautiful skin gives an immediate portrayal of youth and exuberance. Skin is the first thing that makes an impression on people, so it’s important to keep it healthy.

Agreed! Monisha's experimenting with adding essential oils to her shea butter, so there may be new scents soon. For now, check out the original MONISHA ($23).