The Baynhams

You left me some beautiful comments on my last post. One of them asked if each bead on my charm bracelet had a particular memory or meaning behind it. Yes they do. I have not bought any of the beads myself. They have all been gifts and I thought I would tell you some of the stories and meanings here...

I got the bracelet for my birthday a few years ago. I have been lucky enough to have been given beads to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Valentines day and Mothers day since. It has been great fun seeing which beads the kids have chosen and why they thought they were special for me. It has also been fun going back to the tiny jewellers in town to swap a duplicate heart bead bought by Mr B. He was obviously so sure I'd love it so much he bought it two Mothers Days in succession!

Some of the beads have particular stories behind them. The tiny hanging guitar was given to me by Anne when I finished making my own Guitar in Strato's workshop.

The pink ribbon was bought with birthday money to remind me of a special aunt who lives on the dairy farm in Ireland where my Mum was raised. This Aunt is very dear to me and got breast cancer quite a few years back and is thankfully still running the farm and in good health. This charm reminds me to whisper a quite  "Thank-you" for the fact that she is one of the good statistics.

The teeny little smiley sunshine also has a moon and star on it. It came from my lovely little sister who wanted me to know that the sun, moon and stars shone out of my... I'll leave you fill in the gap that was said by Carrie with more than a hint of sarcasm!!!

The little tea-cup was from an Australian friend who I have had many a fun catch up with in our local cafe. Not so often now we are both working but the charm is a reminder of those days when I was a stay at home mum.

Cupcakes, do I need to say any more? I believe that a well balanced diet is a cupcake in each hand...

The little bead underneath the guitar has three moonstones in it. One to represent each of my kids. Rhiannon my scatty middle daughter dropped my bracelet on the kitchen tiles cracking one of the moon stones. That's ok. It will always be the bead that is her!

The lumpy, bumpy bead above the square "I Love You" is from my Irish friend Nessa who left it hidden in the guest room when she left. It had a note telling me every lump was a story of a funny moment we have had together. She said that she knows that we have had more fun than the bead has bumps but it is to remind me of her.

The "G" and the "B" could be my initials or they could be for Byron and myself. The kids make me place the heart bead between the letters so it says we love each other.

The chain of hearts are from my brother and his wife. It was the bead they chose when they got a refund on the four leaved clover they had searched high and low for but so had my Mum and she got it to me first!

So yes, these beads do have special meaning to me. Each and every one has a story. A modern version of an old fashioned tradition. Hopefully one I will wear for many years into the future...