Show and Share Thursday: Cameos

Friends, family and students know I *love* jewelry, the sparklier the better! Whether it's a new teacher-themed brooch, necklace or earrings, or a new bauble from Zales, I enjoy adding finishing touches to all of my outfits daily. My wooden apple necklace goes with my ABC jumper for the first day of school, my Kirk's Folly heart necklaces and brooches see regular rotation throughout February, and I enjoy wearing a different "right hand ring" each day thanks mostly to my husband. I support his Harley habit, he supports my jewelry habit, talk about a match made in Heaven!

My love for jewelry started when I was a child. My mother and grandmother had jewelry boxes that sat on their dressers, and I remember realizing that for the ladies in my family, it was an absolute necessity to go through them each day, selecting something to wear before ever stepping out of the apartment. Going out without a bracelet, earrings, or a ring on was like going out into public naked! Now I can't leave the house without having visited my jewelry box first.



Cameos hold a special appeal for me. My grandmother has a cameo ring, bezel set, that she says I used to teethe upon as a baby. The face on the shell has been blurred, rubbed smooth over time, and it rattles in its setting. My mother has a brooch that she also wears as a pendant, and it somehow marks all of my childhood memories of her. Touring Europe as a teenager, my mother was with me when I purchased my first cameo ring, a treasure I inadvertently lost when in a state of delirium, I went on a cleaning spree and tossed everything in my dresser drawers into the trash (chicken pox at age thirteen was NOT a good experience, let me tell you!).



She replaced the ring for my first wedding, a gift that was just for me. It's the smaller of the two cameo rings in the photo. The larger ring I received when my mother-in-law passed away last year. Helping my sister go through Betty's belongings, we came across a stash of jewelry given to her by a lover from many years past. Rubies, diamonds, loose stones, pearls, and the cameo ring. The story goes that she, the cameo, was hardly if ever worn, because of her size. On me, she covers up my middle knuckle on my ring finger, and hasn't been worn while I've been doing the stay-at-home-mom thing, though never fear, she keeps good company with my other cameos. The brooch was an Ebay find- I couldn't resist when I saw the simple cameo set with the millefiori flowers... it's a fun little riot of color to wear on rainy days.



There's even a cameo on the charm bracelet I started for myself last year though I can't remember who it belonged to before that (sorry Mom!). A small ivory bear, lockets, charms, pendants, and even a lone earring keep her company. Transferring all of my rarely-if-ever-worn pendants to the bracelet was a good choice for me (I have some more charms to add to it), and it's a piece that my students always love to examine when I wear it. They love the blue topaz ("A topaz?? A topaz?!?! Amongst *my* jewels?!?!"), the bear, all of the hearts, and the jingly sound made when I move my hand. I love wearing it because I enjoy knowing that there is a story behind each charm.

***************************************************************

I've spent most of this week attempting to recover from a doozie of a cold. Thankfully I've had crafts and reading to keep me sane while spending almost every minute indoors. Thank you for the messages and emails wishing me a speedy recovery, every good thought has helped! Here are some links that caught my eye:

Schools Matter shares the story of an elementary school in California that has turned down Title I funds in order to go "NCLB-Free." Incredible and inspiring.

Cakespy coaxed two incredible dessert recipes from Michael's Kitchen in Miami: White Chocolate Raspberry Rice Krispie Deep Dish Pizza and Twinkie Tiramisu. Num, num, num!

Planning With Kids charmed me with her advocacy of family time as well as her post of "10 Things to do Before School Holidays End." She's in Australia, so it was fun comparing her list to what parents here in the States tend to do.