Now, I have always some sort of infatuation with shiny things, especially jewelry. Even when I was little, I enjoyed tinkering around with clip-on earrings and plastic necklaces and rings that were too big for my finger. An old home video of my third birthday shows a Little Red Angel wearing faux rings and bracelets and demanding that a grownup take my picture with those flashing things on. As I grew up, I could often be seen creating doll clothes and using those jewelry-making kits that I got for Christmas and my birthday to string together my own colorful beaded necklaces and other accessories. I grew up loving the famous and ever-so-lovely Swarovski crystal shop and visited often. My mother finally took me to get my ears pierced for my 9th birthday when I was in 4th grade.
This obsession with jewelry died down after I turned to the age of tomboyism around middle school. I became the opposite of what I used to be, but thankfully my personality and style balanced itself by the time my high school career began. I still was automatically attracted to the jewelry section in various department stores such as Body Central, Belk's, and, of course, Swarovski (the image is from Swarovski.com; check the store it...their shiny stuff rocks! :P) whenever I went shopping with family. I still loved touching the smoothness of a pearl necklace and placing an assortment of earrings up to a friend's lobe one by one, trying to decide which one looked best on her. I always mix and matched for others, but rarely ever for myself. Until last Wednesday. As I opened the first plastic drawer, my eyes widened and sparkled as they glazed over all the sparkling pieces of jewel set before them. They were mostly earrings and necklaces--my favorite types of accessories. Here was a set of gold hoops with a line of jingles decorated at the bottom. Over in the corner was a long, shiny silver necklace adorned with pearls and crystal balls. In there were two matching wooden teardrop hoops, painted purple. Underneath all of those lovely little things was a chain, simple enough to be overlooked. Hooked around it was a green heart pendant and several crystal ball shaped drops surrounding it.
Sounds pretty anticlamactic and somewhat plain, I know. But you know that really nice item that you have always REALLY wanted but never had the luck of finding at a store? Well, this necklace has been that item for me.
The excitement was even greater than if I had found the necklace at a store because it was right here waiting in the drawer this whole time. :) It may not be an exclusive teardrop necklace from the Swarovski crystal shop with a thousand shards of crystal cut in exact proportions that create mirrors even in the dark. It is, in fact, even more special than that.
It's amazing how the littlest things can make you feel like you're on top of the world. When I saw this necklace and searched for the rest of the chain with my too-eager fingers, I felt like a kid again, pretending that I was a princess going through my jewelry box and picking out my accessories for the day's tea party. Although it did not quite match the outfit I had put on for school, I wore the necklace anyway. All day long, I couldn't keep from grinning ear to ear and having an extra spring in my step as I waltzed down the school hallways. My self-confidence raised to about thirty degrees higher than normal as I received compliments from friends who stopped what they were doing just to feel the heart pendant and eye it with admiration.
Needless to say, this necklace made my day. And just in case you were wondering, my sister let me have it. :)
5 Recent Events That Made Me Feel Beautiful:
1) I found a simply dashing n e c k l a c e that I've always wanted hiding in my sister's drawer (she let me have it, by the way).
2) I gave my good friend an SAT workbook that I no longer need. The next day, she randomly came up to hug me and said that I was an a m a z i n g friend.
3) I made a m o n s t e r s a n d w i c h filled with delicious honey ham, a fantastic garlic cheese spread, white cheddar cheese, salami, and turkey! Two pieces of each ingredient was piled up between two pieces of potato bread. It took me two tries to fit my whole mouth on the concoction and take my first bite. :P I felt like a queen eating a royal sandwich!
4) I got an impulse to randomly d a n c e my way through the downstairs hall in my pajamas, singing the love song "Mouse Loves Rice," (or "Lao Shu Ai Da Mi") in Chinese.
5) I received many compliments on my recent "Texting While Driving Sucks" article that I wrote for my high school newspaper. The biggest praise that I can receive is one dealing with my writing; knowing that others are reading my writing and actually enjoying it and getting something out of it is my greatest pride and joy.
It's amazing how the littlest things can make you feel like you're on top of the world. When I saw this necklace and searched for the rest of the chain with my too-eager fingers, I felt like a kid again, pretending that I was a princess going through my jewelry box and picking out my accessories for the day's tea party. Although it did not quite match the outfit I had put on for school, I wore the necklace anyway. All day long, I couldn't keep from grinning ear to ear and having an extra spring in my step as I waltzed down the school hallways. My self-confidence raised to about thirty degrees higher than normal as I received compliments from friends who stopped what they were doing just to feel the heart pendant and eye it with admiration.
Needless to say, this necklace made my day. And just in case you were wondering, my sister let me have it. :)
5 Recent Events That Made Me Feel Beautiful:
1) I found a simply dashing n e c k l a c e that I've always wanted hiding in my sister's drawer (she let me have it, by the way).
2) I gave my good friend an SAT workbook that I no longer need. The next day, she randomly came up to hug me and said that I was an a m a z i n g friend.
3) I made a m o n s t e r s a n d w i c h filled with delicious honey ham, a fantastic garlic cheese spread, white cheddar cheese, salami, and turkey! Two pieces of each ingredient was piled up between two pieces of potato bread. It took me two tries to fit my whole mouth on the concoction and take my first bite. :P I felt like a queen eating a royal sandwich!
4) I got an impulse to randomly d a n c e my way through the downstairs hall in my pajamas, singing the love song "Mouse Loves Rice," (or "Lao Shu Ai Da Mi") in Chinese.
5) I received many compliments on my recent "Texting While Driving Sucks" article that I wrote for my high school newspaper. The biggest praise that I can receive is one dealing with my writing; knowing that others are reading my writing and actually enjoying it and getting something out of it is my greatest pride and joy.
My question is this: What recent events, activities, and/or pleasant surprises have made YOU feel beautiful?
~TRA
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