A Dream: The Baby Octopus

IMG_7126.JPG

The other night my brain tricked me.

I had settled into the most blissful sleep. In my dream my husband and I were strolling on a deserted beach. It was not too hot or too cold. If Peaceful painted a picture, this would have been Its masterpiece. I was wearing a white bathing suit that would never make an appearance on my real life body. The horror of seeing Suzy in the tenth grade get out of the swimming pool in her white swimsuit forever burned into my mind. But this was a dream. And in dreams white swimsuits don’t become completely see-through when they get wet. The tenth grade does not exist. And my thighs do not slap together when I walk. Which I kind of missed. It is nice always having your own applause.

The dream went on for a while this way. Walking and never tiring. Feet not burning in the hot sand. There was no tripping on seaweed. Just a blissful mist of seaspray in my hair. My husband stopped walking and turned to me. He never spoke in my dream. He simply opened his hand. In his hand was a shiny cotton candy colored pink Easter egg.

He solemnly handed it to me.

I rolled the smooth plastic between my hands. And then I cracked it open and peered inside.

Inside of the Easter egg lay the cutest, sweetest baby octopus. It was light brown in color and about three inches around if all of its tentacles stretched out in my palm, which it did as soon as I poured it from the pastel egg shell into my hand.

It tickled.

We continued to walk.

As we walked, I absentmindedly began to massage the octopus in my hand. I rolled it between my fingers. I stroked it with my thumb.

I did this until I noticed that something did not quite feel right. Something was not the same. The smooth skin of the octopus now felt sticky as if I had pulled all of its moisture from its body with my mindless kneading. My heart flipped in my chest. I opened my hand. The baby octopus lay in a still matted ball. It now resembled one of those sticky toys after it had been played with by a child for five minutes. Lint and stray hairs covered its now grey-tinged skin. It was a wadded-up mass of careless destruction.

Had I killed it?

I bent my face closer to see. I felt remorse all the way down to my sandy toes. Even my white bathing suit turned pink with shame.

My face grew closer and closer to the still octopus.

When it was about ten inches from the unfortunate creature, I paused and exhaled a breath.

It was dead.

Tears began to blur my vision. And just as I blinked and the world became clear again, it happened.

The balled up octopus unfurled itself in a red rage of flurry. Its beady black eyes were filled with the wrath only known to a creature used as a stress ball. Its beak screamed and it launched itself at my face in an unexpected and terrifying quickness of movement.

I woke up just as its sticky body was suffocating my nose and its tentacles were easing themselves down my throat.

And that is why I now have a new fear, folks. Of baby octopuses. Easter eggs. And gifts from my husband.

White bathing suits, on the other hand, are still fantastic… In dreams.

It’s The Little Things: Bracelets

20140514-180114.jpg

I started this blog while I was still discovering my personal style. And I still am discovering it. I think self discovery is always an on-going cycle. With that said, I used to not like to wear more than one accessory. And sometimes that is still true.

But lately I have wanted to layer more and more.

The less clothes I get to layer as the weather warms up means the more accessories that get to take their place.

I bought my first bracelet last year.

It was so exciting.

I have since added a few more:

20140514-160631.jpg

This Free People Hammered Stacked Multi Cuff was a recent acquisition as I try to push myself past my comfort zone.

My husband thinks it looks like shower curtain rings.

When is he going to learn that when he compares something to something else weird or funny, that just makes me like it even more?

Forever 21 has a very similar version in gold. I really like that one, too.

20140514-160602.jpg

I wore these Forever 21 Globetrotter Cuffs yesterday. They are my absolute favorites. They are also less than $5 each. I love them so much, I hope they last.

The turquoise layered bracelet was one of five that I purchased last year for $4 each. They are sold out, but Forever 21 has some fun colored bangles in a similar color vein here. And I saw almost identical ones at Target yesterday.

20140514-160721.jpg

I own two of the Anthropologie Scalloped Monogram Bracelets. One with my husband’s initial and one with my own. I think these are feminine and sweet. I like the little details on them.

20140514-160912.jpg

One weird fact (of many… Too… Too… Many) about me is that I love octopuses. I think they are brilliant creatures that we still have not studied enough. So, when I saw Modcloth’s My Pet Octopus Cuff, I knew it was being added to my collection. This bracelet is fun, but I will say that I have small wrists and this moves around a lot. I think this would fit better on a girl with larger wrists.

20140514-160846.jpg

I purchased this yellow wrap bee bracelet two weeks ago at Nordstrom Rack for $10. I could not find a link for a similar bracelet (or rather, I could not find a link to a similar bracelet at a reasonable price. I am not going to link to a bracelet that costs more than most dresses). The brand is Dazzle. Each bug had a different color. There was a pretty kelly green one, too, but my heart belongs to the bee. Ever since my grandmother passed away, I feel more drawn to my heritage as a daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter of many generations of beekeepers. So when I see a piece of jewelry with a bee or bees on it, I pounce.

20140514-161003.jpg

It’s The Little Things: A small accessory to bring a little more fun to an outfit. And a little more joy to my heart.

Have you gotten into the bracelet love this season? Do you layer them? Do you have weird jewelry rules like me (you will never see me wearing a necklace and earrings. It has to be one or the other)?

*Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links. Clicking on a link will result in a small commission for this site.

P.S. Speaking of bracelets, Heather from the shop, Peacock Fairy, has some pretty bracelets, too. She is giving away a beautiful necklace.. It ends tonight at 9:00 p.m. PST. Please do not forget to enter. Thank you!