function vs. style... why not both?

A while back I was frustrated because all of my necklaces were all either piled in a little bowl that had some of my jewelry in it or they were out on the counter, looking very messy. It wasn't organized and it caused my necklaces to get tangled which is never good. You're just asking for a chain to break. Anyways, I decided I needed something that was functional, but I didn't really want a jewelry box or anything else on our already filled up counter. Between a conversation with a coworker and an idea I saw online the idea was sparked and I was on a mission. I wanted to find a "big" picture frame that I could paint white, take out the glass and backing then use it to "frame" my necklaces. The plan was to put tacks in the wall and hang the necklaces on the wall with the frame around it for decoration. Well, I started by stopping by a Goodwill on the way home and what do ya know, I found something even better. I found a frame that had a burlap backing with no glass!!! And it was only $2.99, now that's what I call a deal. The frame was a country blue but I had some white spray paint at home that I knew would take care of that. I taped off the inside, sprayed two coats of white spray paint, let it dry for about 30 minutes and viola.

I placed the tacks where I wanted to hang the necklaces that I wanted displayed and I was a little suprised at how well they all looked together. Not only was this going to be way more functional it was stylish too... cheesy, I know. My most favorite part of this project was the fact that I now get to display some very sentimental pieces of jewelry in a way that I can enjoy them every day even when I'm not wearing them. Here's a little breakdown of the necklaces from left to right. The first necklace is a silver necklace with a round charm that says "mother, daughter, friend" my mom gave it to me this past Christmas and I absolutely love it. It is so special to me because my mom is one of my best friends and obviously, I love her so much. Thank you, mom! The next necklace was the first gift that Alan gave to me when we were dating. It was for my 23rd birthday and the dove represented purity which was symbolic of our relationship and the purity that we have in Christ... on a side note when he bought this gift he was also looking at engagement rings!!!!! The turquoise necklace next to his holds a very special place in my heart because it belonged to Gayle Clark, Alan's grandmother who passed away this past September. She is the first member of the Bean family that I met and was a little intimidating looking back on it because I know how much Alan cherished his grandmother and her opinion so if she hadn't liked me I for sure wouldn't be Mrs. Bean today. She is very missed but we are all envious because she is in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Becki gave me her necklace and I was so touched by that gift, it will be a forever reminder of sweet Gayle. Wow, this is a little more emotional than I thought. Ok, the next one is fun. This awesomely cool key necklace was a gift from my sweet friend Erin as a thank you for helping her plan her wedding. I love things that are different. Erin has very good taste (obviously) and I absolutely love this necklace, it added a lot of personality to my collection too! The next necklace was a gift from my sweet friend and coworker, Natzyeli. She gave this necklace to me on my 22nd birthday and it is very special not only because it's from her but because she made it, can you say talented?!?! Ok, 2 more. The next necklace was a graduation gift from my momma. The diamond is from her engagement ring from my dad. She had it reset into a necklace and to be honest, the setting for the necklace really brings out the beauty of the diamond and this necklace is oh so special because of the history it represents in my life. My mom is a very strong and courageous woman who has gone through a lot for me and my brothers and sister, and when I graduated from the University of Texas it was one of those journey's that I never doubted I could get through, but the obstacles that we overcame getting to that point were indescribable and completely by the grace of God. And last, but not at all least, is a beautiful necklace from my Aunt Susan. The charm on this necklace is from a charm bracelet that belonged to my great grandmother. My grandfather was in the oil business and they traveled the world. Well each place they would visit my great grandmother would buy a charm to remind her of that place, and this charm is from Japan. It is a Torii, which is a Japanese gate that is usually in front of a shrine. We don't know why they were in Japan but it's pretty cool nonetheless. My aunt has given each of us girls in our family a charm from this bracelet for our 16th birthday's and this one was mine. I've never gotten so many complements from a necklace but every time I wear it someone says something about it and it makes me thing about my family and where I come from. So there you have it, that's the long version. Below the necklaces are some of my earrings, don't worry none of them have stories behind them. I hope you enjoyed that little DIY project and the "short" history of what's been around my neck lately.