31Things | Day One: Jewelry

Introducing 31Things | Thanks to my scrapbooking hiatus, I missed Ali's 31Things class when it ran live earlier this year at Big Picture Classes. So I was super excited when it re-posted this week as a self-paced class. And because I need another project on my plate right now, I'm starting the class today, even though I could wait a bit for my life to settle down a bit. (Actually, it was seeing the first of 31 daily emails in my inbox, getting inspired, and just not being able to resist!) So for the next 31 days, enjoy a daily peek into my life... lots of words, and a few photos... For now this project will live solely on my blog, as I can't decide among all the varied options for a physical format: hybrid, digital, 12x12, 8.5x11, something else entirely... What, me? Indecisive? lol The pictures you see here will be taken with my iPhone, because they're easy to post, but for whatever my published project ends up being, I will probably take "real" photos with my dSLR. So without further ado...

I love jewelry. Which should really be no surprise, given how much I love shiny and sparkly things in general. What is surprising is that I really don't wear much. I'm not sure why. I did, when I was a kid, wear quite a bit: rings on several fingers of each hand, a watch, bracelets, necklaces, and eventually earrings. But at some point all that icing fell by the wayside, and these days I keep it pretty simple.

2 rings and a pair of earrings. Occasionally a necklace. That's pretty much it. On my left ring finger is of course my favorite ring of all time - my wedding ring. :) Actually, it's 3 rings: the engagement solitaire is wrapped by another band with 6 tiny diamonds on it, all of which fits snugly up against my plain gold wedding band. Inside is engraved "C.H. AND H.H."

My right-hand ring finger also wears a ring, something pretty to balance my wedding ring. I have several I can choose from, and I like to rotate them seasonally or sometimes according to what outfit I'm wearing. There is the emerald that was my unofficial Baylor class ring; the sapphires that I think was the first one I bought, just because it was pretty; the heart-shaped citrine that we thought was going to be Hannah's birthstone; the heart-shaped aquamarine that we thought was going to be William's birthstone; and the most recent, my new favorite, the amethyst that Chris gave me for my birthday last year (and which happens to be both Chris' and William's birthstone, as well as my favorite color). For a few months last year I wore a sterling silver ring I bought on Etsy, engraved with the word "FAITH" - my One Little Word for 2011. As it turned out, the ring outlasted my commitment to the project. I'm still searching for a ruby ring I like, and someday I'd love to have a pearl and an opal. (I do have my Nain's opal ring but it's an antique and I'm afraid of something happening to it if I wear it everyday - opals are very soft. Not to mention it's about 3 sizes too small for my size-9 fingers.)

I do adore earrings. For the most part I just wear the same pair every day, just because it's easy. Right now that honor goes to a cheap pair of fake silver hoops. No doubt before too long they will start turning the skin behind my ears green, but my favorite little (real) gold earrings I've worn every day for the last 10 years finally broke, and I haven't found a suitable replacement. In the meantime, these will do. I have 2 pairs of diamond stud earrings, and as much as I would love to wear them every day, I don't, because they are such a bother to take on and off (because of the screw post) - and I can't sleep in them, because the posts stab me in the head when I lie on them. I have enough trouble sleeping as it is! lol I have a few pairs of chandelier earrings that I wear with special outfits - I LOVE chandelier earrings - my favorites are silver with black and clear rhinestones.