pearls of happiness

is there a material object that's making you particularly happy right now? for me, it's a pair of pearl stud earrings. they weren't expensive at all (similar ones here and here), but i find them to be a total moodlifter, and i think they brighten my face. yeah, i said they brighten my face. well they do!

in high school, i used to wear a strand of pearls all the time, and the joke was that i wore them even when i was wearing flannel pants and sweatshirts. though i don't wear the strands anymore, i've quickly adapted to wearing the earrings almost every day. such a classic and so elegant. i might rethink them if i decide to wear flannel pants, though. call it a sign of maturity, or maybe a pearl of wisdom.

images from here and here