Thanks for the Memories

Last week's post got me thinking just generally about the sentimental value of beads and how we commemorate special occasions with beads or jewelry. I dug around in my stash and came up with these - a carved Japanese boxwood bead and a set of three raku beads. They're a pretty nondescript collection, but they have a lot of sentimental value to me. You see, I bought them during my honeymoon in Hawaii.

My husband and I were married on the Big Island of Hawaii several years ago. Neither one of us had ever been to Hawaii, but we liked the thought of having our wedding there (and thereby making the islands special for us in that way). Also, as I think I've said a gazillion times already on this blog (not that I dwell on the issue or anything), the Husband wasn't interested in wearing a suit to the wedding, so I told him that showing up barefoot in casual clothes would be fine with me if we actually held the ceremony on the beach in Hawaii. We ended up marrying four years and 364 days after our first meeting. It made the anniversary slightly easier to remember, although one of us has always suspected the other party of arranging things so as to be able to claim that we married within four years of meeting rather than five. Some people are just naturally suspicious that way.

After the ceremony, we stayed at the resort for another week to relax and tour around. Despite the fact that we were on our honeymoon, and despite the fact that I wasn't even really designing jewelry back then, I still managed to locate and spend time in the one bead store on the island (whose name completely escapes me - anyone know of it?). I had never seen Japanese boxwood beads before, so I was completely smitten by how intricately carved the beads are. Also, I've always loved raku pottery, so I gravitated pretty naturally to those three beads. This small collection is still a really a nice memento of our time in Hawaii, and I know, once I design with them, that whatever piece I make will continue to serve as a reminder of a particularly happy event in my life.

I have to imagine that most of us search out beads and bead stores (or yarn and yarn stores - or both, come to think of it) when we travel. What are your favorite beady mementos from trips? I'd love to know.

Thanks for visiting!