Accessories Anonymous: A Tale of Two Earrings

I tried SO hard to get a great photo of these earrings to show to you, but this was the best I could do:

I've been drawn to more subtle earrings lately and I'd especially been craving a delicate neutral pair to act as my go-to earrings for work and whatnot. Beth must have been psychically in-sync with me because she purchased the earrings above for me for Christmas. What follows is a harrowing tale of loss and redemption. You've been warned.

Date: Christmas night, 2010
Setting: Beth's childhood home

Our story begins happily enough, with two long-time friends exchanging Christmas gifts. I felt as if she'd read my mind when I opened the small box from Beth. Inside? Two beautiful, delicate gold earrings with the prettiest pink charm on the end. I couldn't help myself- I had to put them on immediately. I proudly wore them the rest of the night. After a lot of food and drink, I finally said my goodbyes to my generous hosts. The driveway was long and icy. I carefully made my way in my 3 1/2- inch heels to my car parked on the curb. Shortly before midnight, I turned the key in my own door at home. It had been a nice Christmas, full of family, friends and delicious food, but I was ready for bed. As I undressed, I reached up to remove the earrings from my ears, only to discover that only one remained.

Panic set in as I grabbed a flashlight and started re-tracing my steps. After failing to find the earring, I made the dreaded call to Beth, confessing my carelessness and requesting she search her home and driveway in the morning. With the first major snowstorm of the year on its way, I knew there was a limited window of opportunity. She promised to rally the troops in the morning and give it their best shot.

Boxing day came and when Beth emailed me later on it was to say that they had tried their best, but not found the earring. I felt awful, but there was still the possibility of contacting the designer and having a replacement made. I decided to wait until after the new year to pursue that option.

On New Year's Eve, I spent an hour getting dressed, fixing my hair and make-up and preparing for the party I was planning to attend. I came downstairs just about ready to leave when something shiny caught my eye. I leaned down for a closer look and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the lost earring lying on the floor up against the baseboard. I'm sure my neighbors heard my cry of "Hallelujah for small miracles and big procrastination on the vacuuming duties!"

The moral of the story? Invest in a handful of these and always wear them with your treasured, delicate (and so light and dainty you can't feel them fall out) earrings.