some initial(somewhat random) thoughts on jewelry

I don't have answers to a lot of the questions about why I'm so attracted to jewelry and decoration. Probably because I've never needed them. So here's where I'll try to explain, figure out, uncover the reasons for the attraction. This is the first part...

I tried to remember what initially attracted me to jewelry, but I don’t really think it was my decision at all. I’ve been wearing jewelry since before I can remember. My ears were pierced when I was a baby. Both of my parents have always worn jewelry so I guess it was natural for them to put it on me as well. Putting on a necklace or earrings was just as much a part of getting ready as putting on a jacket or shoes was. It’s not anything I ever even considered questioning until now.

When I was small my dad would always buy me little rings, usually with my birthstone in them. For some reason that seemed important to him- maybe because it’s something we have in common. I remember when we’d go to the back counter where he would purchase my rings and I would get to choose what pretty little box I wanted to take the ring home in. It was in the back of some sort of drugstore, but that part never seemed strange. Sometimes I got to choose the pieces that I wanted, other times they were a surprise.

I still have the small, heart-shaped crystal charm that has “Macie” engraved across the front. I don’t remember what the occasion was anymore, I just remember that it was one of my favorite things at the time, and somehow it’s survived various moves and remained part of my collection. It's never in any special place, it's always just somewhere. I'm usually surprised every time I discover it. Although I can't seem to recall its importance, I know that it was. And so, in a way, it still is.

For me, the processes of collecting and decorating go hand in hand. In my house (mainly my room and my mother’s room), the jewelry is very much a part of the décor, and therefore the environment. When I was younger my mom used to keep all of her dangly earrings on large doilies that were hung on the wall next to her bed. There were three of them; one giant one in the center with a smaller one flanking either side. I remember how beautiful they looked with all of the beads and metals against the lacey backdrop of the doilies. The pattern would change ever so slightly when she removed a pair to wear, and again when she put them back or got something new. My own earrings now hang from a piece of lace fabric that’s draped over one side of my dresser.

part of the earring collection

Over time, I’ve found my own style. I don’t necessarily wear the same sort of jewelry that either of my parents do. I’ve probably even acquired different reasons for wearing jewelry along the way. But if I had to guess, I’d say that in the same way the display of my jewelry mimics that of my mother’s; my parents are where the obsession started.

Katie's room (my mom)

my room