Houston, We Have Closure

Since I don't ever wear jewelry (hell, I don't even have pierced ears; find another woman who doesn't), I don't get many invitations to go to jewelry shows.

But this morning, a friend called to invite me to join him at the What Is Your Heart Made Of? show at Quirk Gallery, a VCU jewelry sale to benefit victims in Haiti .

As he pointed out, this was not like typical jewelry; this was the kind of unusual, almost sculptural jewelry that was as much about being admired as being worn.

Admiring I can do; it's wearing that I find impossible.

The array of necklaces, rings, earrings, pins and even cuff links was a tribute to the imagination and talent of VCU Craft/Material Studies students.

There were brooches made of fur, rings with ornamentation that extended up several inches, necklaces that resembled looking glasses, with tiny images inside.

It was not like ordinary jewelry, made, as it was, with unusual materials, colors and detailing.

I even tried on one necklace, just to show my friend how ridiculous it looked on me. He denied it, but ended up agreeing that I just can't pull it off.

Browsing Quirk's market afterwards is worth mentioning for the offbeat items I found, which is saying something since I don't like shopping (except for food and wine).

The "Indie Rock Coloring Book" cracked me up. There was a a Broken Social Scene maze, a connect-the-dots to find Stars and MGMT's psychedelic playground to color...even finding all the birds in Devendra Banhart's beard, no easy task.

I must know someone who needs this coloring book, if only ironically.

Their card selection was unique, to say the least.

My favorite? One that said, "Houston, we have CLOSURE."

There's a card I can think of a use for and I hadn't known till today that closure cards even existed!

Then there was the "Fortune Telling Book of Names," a resource to uncover the future, and who can resist a peek at what's coming?

Broken down by girls' names and boys' names, it provided only one fortune for each name, so if you're not ready for a glimpse at your guaranteed future, better not to look.

As for me, I couldn't resist seeing what my name foretold:

You will be reunited with an old friend who will quickly become a new lover.

I warned you.

Don't look if you don't want to know.

But I just may have a new favorite place to buy cards and the odd gift.