Hometown Pride

As of late, I am full of hometown pride; new businesses are coming, friends are working to improve the area’s music scene, and my high school art department even won a massive grant. Springfield, Ill., for the win!

As I’ve been stuck on Springfield, it seemed like the perfect time to share my new Illinois-inspired necklace from Jenny Present. I met Jenny Present a few weeks ago, and we instantly hit it off (mainly because we were both hungry, and I love a girl who loves food.) Her handmade jewelry is touching and heartwarming—perfect  for your sentimental side!—but when she asked me what type of hand-stamped pendant I’d like, I found myself a bit perplexed. I hide my sentimental side. I avoid the overly-heartwarming parts of life. If things get too nice or romantic, I kill it with jokes. When Lance and I were still a long-distance couple, he sent me a locket that had a lovey-dovey message on it… written out in acronyms because he knew I’d never wear anything so sweet.

Then I remembered I don’t totally bury my dreamy, affectionate side. After all, I have a scrapbook from my last trip to Disney World in our living room. I mean, it’s not on our coffee table and I don’t pull it out at parties, but I did show it to Sara and it totally took two trips to Michael’s to make. So, remembering that I wouldn’t burst into flames if something sweet touched my skin, I narrowed my necklace down to a few options: funny slang, an inside joke, or a little area code appreciation. Jenny made the final call; I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Sure, I adore the three-one-four. And I truly loved the three-zero-three and the six-one-eight. But my heart will always belong to two-one-seven.

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Currently wearing… Dress, H&M [SIMILAR] | Shirt, JCPenney [SIMILAR] | Tights, TJMaxx [SIMILAR] | Boots, Steve Madden [SIMILAR] | Bag, Nine West [SIMILAR] | Bangles, Victoria’s Secret and Old Navy [SIMILAR / SIMILAR] | Sunglasses, Banana Republic [SIMILAR] | Earrings, Betsey Johnson [SIMILAR] | Belts, vintage | Custom sterling silver hand-stamped pendant, c/o Jenny Present [HERE]

After writing this post, I now see the weird irony that I can wear something as unbelievably feminine as an a-line dress and polka dots, but I’m too much of a smart ass for self-defined “sweet” jewelry. I never said I was the most logical person.

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