So, I have a story to tell you.
While I was in Tulsa this summer with 9 of my cousins, we watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Pt.1 & Pt.2. Of course we all loved the story of the relationships, of the sisterhood, of the celebrations of life. Of course we cried. Of course we wondered what kind of pants they were to fit all those girls! And of course we all pondered the story in light of our relationships as close-knit cousins.
The very next day, while looking at bracelets in Kohls, one of my cousins thought of this idea: Instead of sending a pair of pants around to one another, we could purchase a charm bracelet to send around. Each girl could wear the bracelet for a while, purchase a new charm to add to the bracelet and then send it off to the next cousin. Well, we stood right there in Kohls and got more and more excited about the idea and the idea grew.
The rest of the girls loved the idea and over the next few days we kept tossing around the ideas and honing them to perfection. We made up rules for the bracelet. We considered how it should be shipped, what we wanted in a charm, how long each cousin would possess the bracelet and how to decide who would wear it next. By the end of our stay we had it all figured out.
On the very last day in Tulsa, a small group of us went to the Pandora store to purchase the bracelet. We all chipped in for the initial cost as well as the very first charm which is a T for Tulsa and ten, which is how many girls were participating.
At some point, one of the girls suggested that we include a journal with the bracelet in order to record the story of the bracelet traveling all over between us. It was decided that I would make the journal and therefore I should have the bracelet first. Of course I accepted the challenge and was honoured by it.
For the whole month of August I proudly wore the bracelet and told everyone in my path the story of our Traveling Bracelet. At the beginning of this month I had to send off the bracelet to one of my cousins. I miss the bracelet. I miss wearing it and feeling it dangle on my wrist. I miss my charm, the one that took so long to find and was so perfect. But most of all, I miss what it represents...the relationship that I have with my cousins.
Crafting the journal was a challenge as I had specific criteria I was determined to meet.
- I wanted to have the bracelet safely nestled in the cover of the journal so that as each girl opened the package upon arrival, they would be instantly greeted by the sight of the bracelet.
- I wanted to protect the bracelet, so it had to be sturdy and not allow the bracelet to bang up against itself, thus preventing it from becoming scratched.
- I wanted the journal to be light and streamlined to make shipping easy and less expensive.
- I wanted the journal to be handmade so that it was unique and special.
After many failed attempts, I finally came up with the perfect solution. I ended up buying a roll of tape for the sole purpose of using its packaging. I saved the circular plastic (as seen in the photo at the top of this post), carved a hole in the chipboard cover and popped the plastic through. I made flaps at the back to access the bracelet from inside the front cover. I punched little circles from patterned paper and attached them with brads. To open the flaps, you simply unwind the string.
The flaps serve as a little door for accessing the bracelet. I added a foam center to keep the bracelet stable during shipping.
As I mentioned, we ironed out the logistics quite precisely. These became the Rules of the Bracelet, which I typed up on an old Underwood typewriter (I found out I have very weak pinky fingers).
Each girl will have a full 2-page spread to document their time with the bracelet both through writing and a photograph. I can hardly wait to read that journal when it is full with everyone's stories!
There are 10 of us cousins participating in this project. We each will possess the bracelet for one month, so it is going to be almost a year before I will see it again. It will be full of charms by then, and carry so much more meaning. If it is possible to bring us even closer together I know this will do it! We even set up a specific group on Facebook to keep track of who has the bracelet and listen to the anticipation in everyone's messages as the beginning of each month draws near.
The journal itself is created by hand. I fashioned it similar to this mini album that I made last spring.
So now I wait. I wait for the stories to unfold. I wait for feedback on the journal. I wait to hear how life is going from each of my cousins. And I wait to wear the bracelet once again.
It feels so good to be a part of such a meaningful project with such special people in my life. I am proud to have a Cousinhood of the Traveling Bracelet!
