Charmed, I'm sure

When I turned 16, an aunt gave me a cool silver charm bracelet from James Avery (my favorite jewelry store), and I quickly filled it up. My grandfather would solder the charms on for me, so I wouldn't have to take it to a jeweler. That convenience made me a total charm bracelet glutton, and I gathered charms from everywhere--thrift stores, Kmart clearance sales, tourist traps, you name it. Like the party you throw when your parents are outta town, things got outta hand. No charm was too ugly or too cheap, which turned the whole bracelet into something that was pretty charm-less. Several friends got in the act, giving me long-forgotten charms scavenged from their moms' jewelry boxes. (Yes, I know. I can't believe we did that. Kids, that's called stealing and it's wrong.)

Once the bracelet became too heavy and cumbersome to wear, I hooked it around the rear-view mirror of the Buick I drove throughout college. After one too many times of locking my keys in my car, I started leaving it unlocked. Yep, someone swiped the bracelet one afternoon while my car sat in the parking lot of the tiny Southern Baptist college I attended. I chalked it up to poetic justice and knew I didn't deserve another charm bracelet. Ever.

Until last year.

I thought maybe it was a time to give my 16-year-old self a break and buy another bracelet. A law-abiding bracelet. I scoured Etsy until I found an antique one that seemed perfect. When it arrived in the mail, I put it in my jewelry box and didn't take it out for months. I mean, would I be able to handle it??And then yesterday my husband said, "Remember those two charms I got you last year? Are you ever gonna put those on your bracelet?" So, I got out my jewelry pliers and some split rings. It took me two minutes to put the charms on. And then I made some Charm Bracelet Rules:

1. Only meaningful charms will go on the bracelet. We're going for quality, not quantity this time. The two I've attached are James Avery charms from my husband--a crown (for Annabella Queen) and the cool finial heart (for our anniversary).

2. There's no rush to fill it. The bracelet has double links, so, in theory, I could put twice as many charms on there as a regular bracelet would hold. But, again, I'm going to give this one some thought. (See Rule 1.)

3. If someone surprises me with a charm, I am under no obligation to put it on my bracelet.

4. Above all, keep the bracelet, well, charming.