these are a few of my favorite things...

"With this ring, I thee wed..." photo by Gina Matchinsky

January 12, 2014 question is:  What  is your  favorite accessory?

When it comes to accessories, I have several that I almost always can't be caught wearing without when I go out.

First is my pair of sunglasses, a must because I get teary-eyed when the sun is too bright. A pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses is not just something utilitarian, it is also something that I like to go on top of my head like some kind of signature look.

Another must wear for me are my watch and a pair of earrings. They are something a Filipina going out would be incomplete without.

Third, is a must since I almost always wear low-rise jeans, a belt. I mostly prefer my white plastic one because it is light weight and I like wearing white earrings so they match.

Another is my rose quartz Snake year bracelet. It is something I wear all the time even to bed and in the shower. In the Chinese Feng Shui, being born under the Year of the Snake, it is something that is supposed to make me lucky in the area where the stone is really good for. I wear it all the time, even when I was still in the Philippines.

I picked the rose quartz because it is a crystal of unconditional love. It is known to heal wounds, fears, ill feelings and worries of the heart so one can truly give and receive love from others. It also stimulates one's aesthetic appreciation not only in the arts, music and the written word but it inspires appreciation of the beauty in nature, in oneself and in others as well. Rose quartz are even known to encourage better interpersonal relationship be it a loved one, one's family and friends or even a group or community connection. Being a stone of love, tenderness and even sensuality, it is an altogether calming and comforting crystal that is excellent for trauma, crisis, grief or any emotional upheaval and even good for getting a good night sleep - just what I need most at this point in my life.

Last but not the least and more importantly, the latest addition to my favorite accessories - my wedding ring. When my husband and I first met in person when he went to the Philippines for the first time, he was already carrying our wedding ring with him as a token of his honorable intentions. It is a combination of white gold and yellow gold with no stone which we both prefer so we can wear it all the time as wedding rings are meant to be worn with not much inconvenience or worry. A Celtic ring and an infinity ring at the same time, it is a symbol of enduring love like we have always wished for, a perfect symbol of how we meant for things to happen for all our lives and beyond.

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