Pretty, little somethings.
Posted on | January 30, 2013 | 2 Comments
On Christmas morning, my Nana tearfully gave me a white gold bracelet. She told a story of my Papa carefully picking the bracelet from a case several Christmases ago and gifting it to her. He had spend hours with my mother, walking the floor of the jewelry store, looking for the “right one.” Ever the perfectionist, he didn’t rest until he had settled on the amethyst and gold beauty, and she had worn it until only recently. Now, the bracelet was too stiff for her delicate skin and left angry bruises behind. Though, I think she was sad to hand it down, it gave her some great joy in passing on this little piece of my Papa.
I realized that morning, that jewelry is so much more than a pretty trinket. Jewelry is a story. Jewelry is a special occasion or beautiful event that can be remembered in one, everlasting piece. Before this year, I’d never put much thought in jewelry. I had a couple pieces that were important to me; a peridot ring from my wedding day, my wedding set, a pearl necklace from my dad, a cross necklace from Taylor that I received as a push present when Sully was born, a couple pieces that had belonged to Tay’s great grandmother, a pair of Palmetto tree earrings from my papa (given to me just a couple weeks before he passed), and a ring given to me by Taylor’s Ganny. I kept most of them locked away and hidden. I wear my rings from Taylor every day, but I keep jewelry to a minimum besides those. I didn’t give much thought to them except for those rare moments when I would unlock them and stare at them for a few minutes, just to remember why I had these pieces. But that was about it.
And now, I recognize what these pieces will mean to my children someday. To their wives or their children. A piece that I can give on a wedding day. A piece that I can give at the birth of my first grandchild. These little mementos to remind me of the beauty of life and to remind them of their past. I view these trinkets in such a different light, and I will make it a conscious effort to collect little pieces here and there during the special events that mark our lives.
I am starting with this pretty, little Stella & Dot piece.
Even though it’s a few months late, I’m making this piece the piece to remember the purchase of our first home. Simple, beautiful, and just-my-style. It’s nothing too expensive or fancy, but it’s delicate. Something I can wear daily with my other special pieces, and it’s a reminder of this sweet life we are creating. I want to always remember this time as one that is chaotic, yet simple. Joyful and hard and amazing. And a time that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
A special thanks to Casie Carson for reminding me how important these little pieces of jewelry can be. This Julep bracelet was a gift. Casie did not even ask for a review in return, but I think her kindness and devotion to making women feel beautiful deserves some recognition.
You can find her website here. Happy shopping!
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2 Responses to “Pretty, little somethings.”
"I'm a twenty-five-year old mama to two little boys and married to the love of my life. I have a serious Diet Coke addiction and a tendency to overshare. My biggest dream is to write a book. A good book that tons of people buy and relate to and love. In the mean time, this is the story of us as we flounder through raising our wild, little boys, moving a million times, and buying and renovating our 1968 Ranch home."
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January 30th, 2013 @ 7:01 pm
Love it!
February 5th, 2013 @ 1:30 am
Beautiful. But be careful wearing your Stella and Dot daily…I bought my grandmother a few pieces, which she adored and wore daily until the gold flaked off (took about a year.) I contacted them and they reminded me that they consider themselves “costume jewelry” that wouldn’t hold up to everyday wear. They did give me a $25 credit for the $150 I originally spent, but I replaced her jewelry elsewhere so she could wear it as often as she wanted to.