Baby-Proof Jewelry

Marilyn Monroe crooned that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but I think it's important that we don't have an exclusive relationship. Who doesn't love a great statement necklace or the kind of earrings that make your neck look long and lean? I have an impressive amount of jewelry, a lot of which I've made myself. The problem is that most of it was made or purchased BEFORE baby, or, as I like to call them, the years BB.

In the years BB, jewelry was purchased on a whim. Maybe it reminded me of something my grandmother wore. Maybe it went with the outfit I was wearing that day. I tend to gravitate towards unique, artisan-style stuff that you are not going to see on everyone. Tiny Daughter, on the other hand, tends to gravitate towards ANYTHING. Dangly earring? I'm going to pull it out of your ear now! Delicate chain? Hey, you can repair that, right? Beaded necklace? Those things look good enough to eat. Since it's pretty much impossible to wear jewelry that the baby won't be interested in, mommies need to find accessories that won't break. I've found a few items that seem to withstand the AB (After Baby) era.

Metal link necklace
Purchased a couple of years ago in an Ohio boutique, this $20 necklace is surprisingly lightweight yet sturdy. These mega-chunky links are mesh, giving me the look of serious hardware without the neck ache. It's long enough I often double it up and wear it as a choker, too.

Sorry about the pic. Someday I'll learn how to use my camera and finally manage to take a picture indoors without a flash. For now, just ignore the blinding light.






Flower post earrings from Express



This kinda retro-y pair is cute but not terribly tempting for kids to pull. The post backing means it's securely stuck to my ear.

Huh. Never got a close-up side view of my ear before. Glad to know there's no hair.





Antique fork bracelet
Yes, you read that right. It's a fork. A guy at a craft fair in Florida last spring explained how he buys antique silverware at estate sales and melts the tines, creating the swirls. This one happened to have a cool cut-out pattern on the end, as well. There is a spring hinge on the back, so I don't have to amputate my wrist when I take the bracelet off. There's nothing to pull on, no beads that can fly off, and no elastic to snap. Plus, it's quite the conversation-starter, don't you think?


Someday, Tiny Daughter will get to inherit my jewelry. I really, really hope by that time she will have lost interest in eating it.