Pandora's Box

Last spring, a few friends and I went out together and bought ourselves Pandora bracelets.  This told us a lot about each other.  Some of us couldn't bring ourselves to put charms of different colours or styles on our bracelets.  Some went for super-plain and some went for the ornate charms.  Some of us stopped after the initial purchase, and one has since filled her bracelet with charms.

Me?  I mixed and matched.  I chose different colours and styles, bought one plain charm, and a couple that are a little more ornate.  I've worn my bracelet almost every day; but I've come to realize that I never should have bought it.

For those who aren't familiar, Pandora bracelets are charm bracelets.  The charms are like beads that you thread onto the chain.  Some people have full Pandora bracelets but I was happy with my mostly empty one when I bought the first three charms.  It was a sale - buy three charms, get the bracelet for free. I intended to just stick with the three beads, and would have been happy with what I had.

(not my bracelet)

Except.  There are these threaded areas on the bracelets that break them into three sections. I'm assuming that they're there to hold the beads in place; but frankly, they mess with my chi.  I found for the first few weeks that the beads were twisting and threading themselves over to the outside sections, and it bothered me when they weren't all centered on the bracelet.  I spent so much time twisting and threading them back into the middle section that it became a huge distraction.  I ended up buying two clips to cover the threaded areas and prevent the beads from moving out of the center section.

This was perfect.  I had five pieces.  (My OCD makes me want to group everything in groups of three or five).  There were two semi-ornate, slightly coloured clips on the outside.  Beside each of those were two fairly colourful beads, and then a plain silver bead  in the center.  Life was good.

But then, I had the brilliant idea a few weeks ago that I needed a bead to celebrate my promotion.  I had a particular bead in mind, that has a specific meaning to me, but not to anyone else.  I waffled buying this new bead.  I don't really need it, I shouldn't spend the money... blah blah blah.  I went out bought it.

Now the bracelet's driving me nuts again.  I've got four beads (not five, not three) between the clips.  They are all different sizes and colours, and I can't find an order for them on the chain that works with my incessant need to establish a pattern.    I'm seriously thinking about setting the new bead aside in a jewelry box until I can justify buying another one to even out the patterns.

I think that's why they call them Pandora bracelets.  Once you start buying the beads, you can never stop.