Life changes precipitate jewelry box updates

It is a lovely jewelry box. It has a home atop my dresser. It is a little bigger than a breadbox and it unfolds and opens and lifts out and holds an impressive amount of jewelry for its footprint. It was a gift from a friend who herself was moving away and I was excited to be the next owner of this jewelry box. That was years ago now, before we moved into our current home. And it seems like a lifetime ago.

I have been wearing the same few pairs of earrings on rotation for a couple of years. Currently my youngest child is at the age where I can now wear most earrings safely without fear they are at risk of being grabbed and pulled. This has sparked in me a desire to pull out my earrings that have been quietly tucked away for years. I am excited to wear them and really appreciate my entire jewelry collection again.

But here is the thing. This lovely jewelry box that was so good at holding my jewelry, and keeping it safe from little exploring hands, it isn’t so wonderful at displaying my jewelry. I recognize this moment for what it is–I am in a bit of a life transition and I need my space to grow with me. 

I know I don’t like visual clutter, but I do like to see my collection.
I do like it put away, with little kids around shiny things can be tempting.
But is a drawer, a wall, or behind a door the right spot for the new item, or someplace else?

I spent months thinking about this–that is the luxury of non-urgent problems like this one. And I shopped and I considered. I was immediately and quickly won over by this Umbra tiered tray that I was sure had a place on my dresser. It would be great to keep miscellaneous items tidy.

I realized given a magic wand I would want to be able to see all of my earrings when I was accessorizing for the day and with the minimalist vibe I have in my bedroom I also would not want them all in plain sight. The solution I arrived at was to mount my collection on the wall in our walk-in closet which also had the added benefit of keeping the jewelry collection out-of-sight of the little ones who might be tempted to explore otherwise. 

With my wall-mounted jewelry station in place, I was able to move out of my long-serving lovely jewelry box. There were also a few pieces I was able to part with as I realized that I hadn’t worn them or missed them in years so it was time for them to grace another’s jewelry collection. 

And that cute tiered tray I found along the way? It is the perfect way station at the end of the day to catch a pair of earrings if they aren’t put away in their spot in the closet and it keeps everything tidy on the dresser top.

It took a little time but I landed on the just right jewelry solution for my current moment and it feels wonderful to accessorize as I get for the day.