Under The Bridge

I am not doing too badly with my goals. I have a pink bird in the works, I was diligent about the treadmill and trying to eat healthier, and I started cleaning off the computer desk. I just have to keep at it and I might even meet those goals for this month yet!

But what I wanted to talk about was my most recent obsession. It's no secret that artist's become easily fascinated and subsequently obsessed by nearly anything that catches their fancy. All too often those things are something equally artistic and that allows us to express our individuality, and if we are really lucky...it will even tell some kind of story.

I love gifts. I can't help it. I love giving gifts and I love receiving them. When it comes to receiving them, I love the fact that the person made an effort and went out of their way to do something special for me. Even if I don't particularly care for what I got, I still really do think it's the thought that counts. Every once in a while though, someone will give you a gift that stands out more than the rest.

A few years ago my Mother in law gave me a charm bracelet for my birthday. It had five tiny silver charms dangling from it and I was instantly enchanted. It set me up for what has become a life long love affair with charms. It's no secret to anyone who has ever met me that I love jewelry. But charms are...well...simply charming. I attribute this love of them to two things: being Irish, and being a girl.

The girl part of me loves the shiny little things that tinkle when you wear them. The Irish side of me loves the whole talismanic aspect of them. Sure, logically I know they are just mass produced sterling items. But maybe...just maybe they hold a certain magic when combined in a way that is unique and special to the wearer. I guess we have a tendency to still be slightly superstitious. But there is nothing wrong with that.

So a while back I discovered Trollbeads and Pandora Jewelry. If you're not familiar with those, they are sterling and Murano glass beads that slide onto a bracelet. Aside from the attractiveness of them, both companies have created a mythology to go with them. Pandora had that famous little box, and trolls inhabit fairy tales. The one I remember the best was something about them living under a bridge. Sure the beads are probably created in a non magical factory, but it's still fun to imagine the trolls under a bridge in Denmark (where Trollbeads are made) hoarding their spoils, only sharing them with the occasional passerby they deem worthy.

I really like the idea that my treasures are spoils won from the gruff creatures that were the fanciful imaginings of the Brothers Grimm and their ilk. It adds to the appeal in a way that is hard to define. Maybe somewhere deep in our souls all women want to live the fairytale? Whatever the answer is, I dearly love my charm beads from these companies.

My bracelet tells an odd little story that most people wouldn't understand probably. But to me it represents a passage from forest to sea and all the wonders to be found in between. Afterall isn't it in nature where magic resides? It's a work in progress, and I am loving every moment of it. The true gift of the trolls and their beads is a joy in self expression.