Street Beads

DAY 2   
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

Colorful baubles around the corner.

I was walking home one afternoon and came across this necklace laid out on a table on the street. I didn't have enough cash with me and I didn't even have much with me at home, either. I had this $10 bill from my dad that I'd just been keeping in my travel suitcase, and a few bills in my wallet—just enough for food for the weekend.

Now, I've never ever been the type to forgo food for fashion (after this purchase though, I still had a little left to enjoy a soft taco that night). In college, I couldn't believe how possible it was for a friend of mine to choose not to spend her allowance on food and opt to shop for clothes instead. I'm also not one to buy items from Gucci, Fendi, or Prada on a whim, and friends would attest to my story that the only time I would consider finally buying a Gucci bag or anything from the brand (I own a single item from them, my mom's gold watch that she gifted me with for my "something old" before the wedding) is a few years from now, when I can pay CASH for the item. And one more thing: I have to buy it in Rome.

During my first trip to that city with the most breathtaking architecture bursting with rich history, I told myself that when I turned thirty, I would go back there and go through the whole designer bag shopping experience—from going inside the store, selecting the merchandise, and purchasing the item that calls out. Also, having the shopping bag with me, the carrying sack...the works. (But, if you want something a little less tedious than flying across the miles and more immediate, check out Bluefly.com for designer finds. I've only shopped there once when a friend asked me to get her these Christian Louboutin net pumps a while back, and the experience was overall pleasant.) I didn't get to fly back to Europe by the time my 30th birthday rolled around, but, the plan more or less has stayed the same since: "When in Rome..."

So, going back to the necklace, it simply called out because ever since I decided not to buy this chunky gray glass beaded necklace at TopShop years ago, I'd only grown more fascinated with big baubles of the costume kind, and this particular piece pretty much fit the bill and I just had to have it.

And, if you're curious, I got to chat a bit with the 'store' owner, Charles St. George. As it turns out, he's a liver cancer survivor. With a new lease in life, he's made it his livelihood to purchase accessories wholesale and peddle them in this fashion. I say that's one stylish and special way to get by.

That's Charles St. George of Street Boutique. He's a cancer survivor, so show support by buying!