Last week I embarked upon yet another exercise in creative practice…Ali Edward’s “31” class.  You can read more about the class at BPS here, I think today is the last day to sign up.  Everyday there is a writing prompt and the opportunity to pair a photo with your writing.  We just finished day 6 in writing so I am late in posting….a little busy with that stuff called every day life…

31/1  Jewelry

I love jewelry, and it’s funny because I don’t wear that much normally, but I love to collect it and wear more of it on special occasions.

Every day I wear my wedding ring and my engagement ring on my left ring finger.  Charlie surprised me with my engagement ring…I knew nothing about it.  It’s yellow gold which is not always “in style” because platinum has become so ubiquitous but I like the warm color, and the diamond is a lovely pear shape.  My wedding band was cast from a beautiful rose gold antique ring…I really wanted the original ring but was afraid that the two golds were too different, and not in a good way.  When the store owner told me she could reproduce that ring in yellow gold,  I was sold.  I love my ring, it’s a combination of old (design) and new (metal)  The ring is very flat and the band is about 3/8” wide with tiny lines incised in the background and roses and flourishes carved around it.

Almost every day I wear a sterling silver band on my right ring finger that is inscribed with hieroglyphics that read “I love you” in ancient egyptian.  Charlie bought it for me years and years ago and I love it.  It’s cool and funky and not flashy and I think of him whenever I catch a glimpse of it.    I also have started wearing one of my “Swatch” watches again, Charlie brought it back from one of his NYC trips for me, it’s white with a bright floral print on the band and on the face.  Love it.  I find I’m going back to wearing a watch instead of looking at my phone all the time as that practice sucks me into other things.

I have a number of earrings that I wear when I remember, I have loads of bracelets that I usually only wear when I’m going out for something…too jangly for every day.  I have a number of necklaces too but most days if I’m hanging around at home, I don’t put them on.

I love love love antique jewelry, I have all sorts of super cool pieces from my mom, both of my grandmothers and some from my great grandmother… I’ve picked up jewelry at flea markets and second hand stores.  I definitely have more than I know what to do with and I need to find some ways to re-work some of the pieces so I can wear them more often.  All of the rings are too small for my 20th century fingers.

I keep most of my jewelry in a big jewelry box that used to belong to my mom.  I think she was surprised when I said I wanted it  (she put all her things into their own piece of furniture!)   but it’s a great size and has nice divided drawers for things and I think of her every time I  go hunting for something.