THE ADORNMENT EXPERIMENT.

Kelly

My sister is four years younger than me. As kids, we fought like cats and dogs. I was a super-cool kid (ahem) and so she always wanted to hang around me, which I found very frustrating. I wanted to be doing my own stuff, and not have my baby sister hanging around cramping my style.

After I moved out of home we became friends and once she finished school we even started hanging out socially, particularly after I moved out of home. When she started thinking about moving out of home, I suggested that we find a place together.


Biggest mistake ever!


To cut a very long story short, I kicked her out, she tried to run me over and we didn’t speak for six months.
Anyway.
We’ve since mended our relationship and are now the closest we’ve ever been. Several years ago she moved overseas for a year with her husband. She sent me this cute Meow necklace, which she found at Top Shop. This was before Carrie Bradshaw started the whole name necklace trend. It’s so me and I wear it regularly. In fact, it’s one of the few necklaces I do wear – I’m normally much more a bangle and/or bracelet kinda gal.

Megan

The Sapphire Earrings.

“Your Grandad gave them to me for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’re yours now”. Nanna explained the sapphire earrings’ significance as she handed them to me.
A sapphire’s deep midnight blue is mesmerising, intense. It does not demand attention, nor is it overtly glamourous or showy. A sapphire says, ‘take me or leave me’. If you want to notice it, you will, and you will appreciate it for what it is.
Combine the demure stone with Nanna’s dignified, classic and beautiful earrings, and they are the epitomy of an inspirational woman, always in my mind as someone to continue to make proud. A reminder of an important generation who taught us all so much.

Bow ring from my Gran. Silver and marcasite. Worn by me almost daily. Vintage ring from my amour; it's a reimagined vintage brooch on a gorgeous filigree band.

My first Indian headpiece, direct from Mumbai. It makes the most pleasing jangling sound when I move my head. I've since added to my collection with tikkas and other full headpieces and these huge earpieces which you hook to your hair. Cant wait to go to India, hopefully before the year is out. May have to rope darling Anna into going back with me.

Silver hairpieces. I'm not actually sure that these were ever meant to be worn, I think they were probably designed to shine away on some dull counter somewhere. I got them from Strangetrader, only one of the most awesome little boutiques ever, tucked away in Byron Bay. It was one of those days when its bright blue and gorgeous and I was surrounded by best mates and laughter. You always want to preserve days like those.

This was a gift from darling Mel for Christmas last year. I got the hugest shock when I opened the box and saw it sitting there all sparkling gorgeousness. She knows me so well, and I'm still working to crack her aesthetic and adornment code.

I bought this after six weeks of nursing my Gran in and out of intensive care following two operations for bleeds in her brain. Everyday was spent running to and from the hospital. I'd rip roses from any number of bushes on the way to the hospital daily, carting books, magazines, tonics, anything any of us could think of to make her more comfortable. For many weeks she just hovered between both worlds. Some of my best acting lessons: how to attempt to give joy and comfort and a thousand smiles to one you love so dearly before saying 'Goodnight' and walking straight to the toilets to sob under the clinical lights.

When she was actually still alive and healing amazingly well 8 weeks later, I was walking to work through the Plaza and saw this and spent all my money on it. I felt like I needed something lovely immediately if only to take my mind off things for just a moment.

Diamond ring from Mum and Dad for my 21st birthday. Antique, its circa 1910.

Diamond ring. Christmas gift. Antique, 1920's dress ring.

Pearl bracelet from Dad, vintage rhinestone and crystal bracelet from me.

Thankyou so, so much to Kelly and Megan for being a part of this post. Thankyou to my readers also for your responses to all my posts, and for humoring my obsession with jewels and all manner of adornment. Im endlessly interested in personal stories of the precious bits and bobs we cherish, and which give us a properly awesome buzz to wear.