Fashion Muse Jewelry

I’ve never been a fan of shopping. This is somewhat because it is difficult and frustrating to find cute clothes that fit well when your body size and shape don’t match the norm (anyone out there want to design for a corpulent woman over six feet tall?), but mostly I’m just really good at talking myself out of making a purchase. Contrary to the problem many people have (that they buy too much), I am perpetually buying too little. Well, maybe not too little, per se, but I find it really hard to part with my cash for items I simply want and don’t necessarily need.

When you come from the lower classes, you spend a lot of time convincing yourself that you’re able to do without. It’s a strategy for survival. So when I see a scarf I really like I have no problem walking right by and telling myself I have plenty of scarves (plenty being two) in my closet already. If I see a pair of cute shoes, I just keep moving because I might need that $30 for something more important tomorrow. Whatever the self-provided excuse, the thought has occurred to me that perhaps my shopping habits are too reserved. After all, I have managed to become upwardly mobile (lower middle class, holla!). So I make up for my reticence by encouraging my partner to buy things for me. The logic is fuzzy, I know.

Crafted in Thailand by Tanya Boden, the Diamond Shell Necklace is made of brown cotton string, wooden beads, and a smooth, golden pendant made of shell. The length is adjustable—from cleavage to navel—and the diamond-shaped ornament is an eye-catching reminder that I want to dig my toes into the beaches of Phuket some day. The Beaded Earrings are a little different. Usually, this cute and funky pair would have been written off with ‘those really aren’t my style’, but I’ve been feeling a little out of the box these days, so I decided to give them a go. The four inches of dangling beads (brown, black, green, and gold) tickle my neck when I wear this set, which happily reminds me of my uncharacteristically spontaneous choice. Both pieces have a casual Boho air that whispers of African chic.

The overall point is this: when something comes along that holds my interest enough to fulfill a transaction, that something has to be worth it. These two pieces of handcrafted jewelry from Fashion Muse most definitely are.

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