Jewelry

Last week, as I was working on my outfit for the wedding, when I got to the jewelry part I had no problem at all.

I have two jewelry boxes and a large plastic shoebox for the overflow. I have big push pins on the side of a bookshelf with long necklaces hanging from them, and little wrought iron hangers from IKEA. Years ago my daughter saw it in the bath department. There is a back to screw into a wall and five rounded hooks that swivel. It was meant for towels.

I could see that five towels, even small ones, would never dry completely nestled together on this clump of hooks. So I asked, "What would you do with it?"

"Necklaces!" was her immediate reply. Clever girl. It was all of five dollars, so I bought a bunch and handed them out to everyone interested. I use two of them with multiple necklaces hanging from each hook.

Why do I have such a large collection when I'm always trying to unclutter? Well, for one thing, jewelry doesn't take up much room. And even though I find I'm less and less sentimental about many of the collectibles we own, much of my jewelry has special memories attached. Gifts from special events, purchases while traveling, a few heirlooms from my grandmothers and little plastic pins from my daughters when they were young and given with so much joy.

Then there's the occasional special case. A couple of years ago my husband gave me a necklace that was a butterfly. An actual butterfly. It was a side view--one wing showing and the dried up little body at the side, encased in something clear and very thin. I cringed when I opened the box.

He noticed and asked what was wrong. Well, years ago I noticed that while a butterfly's wings were beautiful, its body was still an insect. I'm not crazy about insects, to put it mildly. And the thought of wearing one creeped me out. Seriously. Since it was a thoughtfully chosen gift I put it away for a while to reconsider. Life being what it is, it was almost two years before I ran across that box again.

Nope. Still creepy. Bye-bye butterfly!