Did I not promise you some Charm? In the form of Bracelet? Yes, I think I did! So here you go! With MUSICA! You didn’t think I would go away and leave you with no charm did you???? No way.
Charm bracelets have gone in and out of fashion about seven times in my lifetime. I’ve never thought of them that way, because I just always needed to have one.
I think they’ll always be around because women? We love to collect little memories when we travel through life and make a scrapbook for our wrists!
This is the one sparked my imagination, and made me start collecting. My dad gave it to my mom, the little gate opens, it was on her charm bracelet when I was growing up . . . I don’t know where the rest of her bracelet went (eight children are hard on the personal belongings of moms!), but I don’t think I EVER let this out of my sight from the first day I laid eyes on it.
It has a cowboy and a cowgirl on it, my parents were married in Texas. As I was growing up, I started noticing all the little bits of things I had around, like dice, and heart necklaces, that I thought could be turned into charms.
I have several things on my bracelet that were never meant to be charms . . . the little boat started out as a pair of cuff links and was the very first gift I ever received . . .
. . . from Joe. I turned the cufflinks into earrings, then I lost one, and now, here we are, where it was always meant to be . . . the perfect place for this memory!
There’s my darling mommy, in the big locket — I love sitting next to someone wearing a charm bracelet because I get to hear all her stories! I always wanted an Eiffel Tower, waited forever for it, because I refused to get it anywhere but Paris!!!
This cross with the heart we bought at Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico . . . at the time we were driving to Durango to spend the millinium New Year’s Eve in a cabin in the snow in the big mountains with my whole family. Needed the charm of celebration, hope, prayer, and remembrance.
I had it engraved later on . . . it also has JH and SB engraved on it, if you look close. I use gold and silver together, that way I’m not limited … if I see a charm I like in either metal, I can get it! See the little hammer? That’s so you can “break glass in case of emergency” and get that dollar out of there! Above it is the gold baby bracelet given to me by my Great Aunt Jose when I was born.
Charm bracelets are wonderful at tea parties, baby showers, girls lunch, quilting bee, anywhere the girls gather.
1. Large locket, was Joe’s, now mine. 2. Eiffel Tower, from Paris. 3. Nantucket basket, from my girlfriend Elaine, in Nantucket. 4. Pismo Beach palm tree, from Pismo Beach. 5. Lobster trap, from Joe. 6. Dice, for luck. 7. Two initials, a “J” and an “S” — I found somewhere. 8. My Queen Elizabeth cufflink from Joe. 9. Pair of champagne glasses, from Joe; he surprised me on one of our train trips. 10. Joe ran the Black Dog Restaurant here on the island for 23 years, this is the Dog he put on the T-shirt! 11. The Arc de Triomphe, Paris. 12. A little vintage bell that says “wedding bell” on it — found in antique store (you always have to ask, do you have any charms? They bring out a tray sometimes!) 13. A diamond heart my generous ex-husband gave me when I said I loved the one that Elizabeth Montgomery wore on Bewitched. 14. A dollar in a box … has the little hammer to break glass in case of emergency. I bet that’s a silver certificate in there, it’s old enough…found it in antique store. 15. The cross from the church in New Mexico. 16. My baby bracelet. 17. “SLO,” made for me by my girlfriend Bev, in San Luis Obispo, a place I love. 18. A BABY ring, found in antique store, says Baby on it. 19. “Fence me In” charm from my dad to my mom. 20. Tennis racquet with pearl, from my mom, who loves tennis (and me). 21. The big gold heart was from an old boy friend; he put it in a sandwich for me to find. He was a creature, but the heart was good! 22. An artist’s palette, from Joe. 23. A pendant in the shape of Martha’s Vineyard. 24. The WORLD, from an antique store. And 26, is the rose gold watch fob Joe gave me to put everything on — very easy, with that bar and ring, to get it on and off! That’s it! Whew!
Naaah . . . let’s just go with it . . .
Bye girlfriends, Joe and I are hitting the road. Leaf Peeping! We have the van, we have the cucumber sandwiches, and we have NO PLAN (must say tra-la!). Just going! Hill and Dale: Connecticut, New 
Hampshire, Vermont, The Berkshires, White Mountains; a covered bridge, an apple farm, leafy woods, an antique store . . . somewhere around there! Kitties are well cared for; Kitty-Lover friends are staying here at the house with them, sleeping with them; throwing the ball for Jack, hugging Girl! If you get bored while we’re gone, go up to the top of the blog, there are lots of fall recipes up there; there are lots of other things too, like a really good list of Old Movies to watch, for you who are new, especially . . . it’s getting chilly in many parts of the country, so go play, as will I, and see you soon! We’ll have lots to catch up with when I get home. Be good, I’ll bring you a surprise! XOXO
I have a charm bracelet that my daughters gave me and I have added to it over the years. On the post for your drawing I added the name of a shop based here in Texas called James Avery. They are known for their charms. They are based out of Kerrville Texas in the Texas Hill Country. Check them out.
Zana
as a resident of New England I love seeing your “adventures” through our area during this beautiful time of year. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Martha’s Vinyard and it is truly a lovely place. Thank you for sharing your travels with us.
“
Dear Susan,
I very much enjoyed your blog about your trip through through New England.
I too,love to look at old romantic houses,imagining myself living in one of them.
When you showed the photos of the old doll houses,it brought back some wonderful memories. More than fifty yrs ago, I had a beautiful doll house that
had a door bell and porch light! Thanks for your lovely inspiring pictures, photos and words. I feel like I know you though we have never met.
Hi Susan,
This comment is late but just loved this blog!
Received a charm bracelet at 10 years in 1955, and collected ever since.
But stopped a while back. Now, after reading your blog, I am completely enthused again to collect and to wear.
I have a friend who has a wonderful, long charm necklace. Not just charms, but meaningful
things in her life that could be attached as charms. Her Brownie and Girl Scout pins are on it.
Thank you for your never-ending inspiration.
And that photo of Jack is my favorite! So cozy and so little!
Hugs,
Suzanne Carmel, CA
I don’t have your very first book and would love to, I have several others, your Christmas book, the green book that I write quotes in, can’t seem to find at the moment, christmas joy, love and sweets to the sweets. I just love them all and would love very much love to have your very first. Your drawings are so very cheery and make me smile. and the recipes are to die for.
Love your fall pictures and the “stuff” you found at antique stores. Weather is nice and crisp today so reading your note went with the cool weather. Thanks for always thinking of us.
Denny
I think I love fall as much as Susan does!
Please put in the most recent drawing!
Love your blog…
Suzi
Love everything you do!
This makes Thanksgiving come to life! Here’s a fact I read which might have made you hold your ground when the turkeys came towards you. Wild turkeys do fly but domestic turkeys like these are so heavy they can’t. Love all your drawings….such talent you have. I have several videos that I have done the same. One was my son running with the Olympic Torch in San Diego and I was running along the sidewalk filming….about half of it was my feet!!! No Fall day here today but we all have our decorations and pumpkins out so they will be ready!! Cheers! Ritchie
I love your charm bracelet I started my daughter one
when she was around 10 years old and she is 30 now and loves it as much as I do. Thanks for sharving yours.
Hey Susan, Friends and luckey Diana! I was just thinking about the last time I was in the Vineyard was about 14 or 15 years ago. It is magic, & the first time I visited I got one of your books, and have been a fan ever since. It was a dull dreary day yesterday, cheered up by you, Jack, turkeys, the wedding, dollhouses, and will be making those yummy porkchops tonight with my 13 year old daughter. I also dug out my charm bracelet which is sorely lacking, yet will be a adventure filling it with stories of the heart.
Love the charm bracelets…I have 3..one vintage, one grandchildren and one vacation memories with my girlfriends. Loved the Patti Page Cape Cod musica. Thank you XOXOsooooo much for all the memories and views of places I have never been but hope to see one day….Love and hugs,,,,XOXO
Love your blog, got a big kick out of the turkeys, and I totally understand about cats, I have two white boys myself. Your blog is like a breath of fresh country air in my day. Thank you so much! And yes, I have two charm bracelets, one from an aunt in Alaska, cute little ivory charms, and one from my Great Aunt from all the countries in the world that she visited.
Oh Here’s what’cha do … get a pumpkin — spray-paint it black, sprinkle it with
black sparkles…
That sounds like a fun project!
Wish I could find your”we’re the normal ones ” charm-any suggestions?
I think this is one of my very favorite posts, dear Susan! Here in the South, we “start” our young girls on charm bracelets at birth ~ then again for different reasons, in different seasons of life. My teenaged bracelet is full of sports’ medals, travel to different states, markers of graduations and boyfriends and childhood pets. Friends have themed bracelets: Elvis songs, cities of the world, engraved silhouettes of their 21 grandchildren. Hopefully, these will be passed down to loved ones and not wind up in the hands of strangers, but one never knows . . .
*Love how you mix gold and silver together!
I love how creative you are with them!
Good day!!Your blog is so wonderful and the bracelets do you have is so beautiful…
Hello there!!! I love your charm bracelet because it holds very personal and emotional memories and I think that is how charm bracelets are supposed to be. I just started my new charm bracelet from Pandora but i am looking to add some more special charms on gold and silver and I would like to ask you how did you attached your charms to your bracelet? I have a lovely gold charm from the seventies of a couple holding hands and i also want to add other silver charms to my bracelet but i don´t know how to put it on my bracelet, could you please tell me how did you did yours? Your reply will be very helpful, by the way I’m writing you from Mexico, thanks a lot.
I took my charms and the bracelet to a jeweler in our town and he wired them on for me. Any good jewelry maker would be able to do that for you. Good luck Ivonne!
I know the comments here are from 2012 but I just had to comment and revive the subject. I fell in love with a friends charm bracelet and assembled a sterling silver one for myself; (I love the “memory lane” assemblage one better though like your beautiful bracelet!); but the bracelet was so chockablock and heavy that after only a short time of wearing it, the silver details wore down and bits fell off each charm. So I put it away and didn’t wear again for years but today I repurposed it by crocheting a cord with adjustable knot and tassels and turned it into a necklace, and I wished I’d thought of this sooner! My charm necklace is even better as a necklace and looks heaps like the chunky silver necklace which is all the vogue at the moment. So I just thought I’d pass it on for those people who may not be into wearing bracelets, check out these two clever ladies who turned their charm bracelets into necklaces!
stylemeoddley.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/charm.jpg
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Also check out the charm bracelet rescue project which saves charm bracelets from the scrap heap and repurposes them into necklaces and documents the stories behind the charms:
pinterest.com/zenkathi/charm-bracelet-rescue-project/
Great links and additions for our charm bracelets!