little dreams.

[our matching nose hoops.]

I'm really not a big jewelry person, nor would I ever advise my children to put holes in their bodies or get tattoos. But...I've always wanted to pierce my nose. My decision to do it didn't come easily either- but it was reenforced by my good friend Danielle while she was deciding whether she wanted to go be a nanny in Italy this year or not.

"Going to Italy is like piercing your nose- you'll regret you didn't do it once you're 30 years old, married with kids."

So I did it (made possible by Macie Sattelmayer & Katelin Johnson, who paid for it as an early Christmas present). It hurt so bad. My entire face felt like a nuclear explosion for a full 2 seconds. 2 seconds that felt like a million years. One giant tear rolled down my cheek.

I kept the little stud in for a whole 2 months, like a good girl! But the whole point of doing this was to get a hoop. "A pretty little gold hoop!" But when I went to switch my tiny stud for a big scary ring last night in Bev-Lea's bathroom, I couldn't do it. I fiddled over and over, and kept hurting myself, pushing it in every which way and never getting it right. It was like shrapnel. I looked at Bev-Lea (pictured; well experienced in the art of changing jewelry) with helpless eyes.

And she did what any good friend would do and stuck her finger up my nose, saying "VOILA!" after she had successfully circled it through my nostril.

Good friends are rare finds. Ones that perform minor surgery on your face are ever more rare. Hold onto those ones. But don't just hold onto those things you've always wanted to do. You'll always be able to justify not doing them, you'll always have an excuse to back out of something- but you won't be able to justify giving up the chance once the time is gone.