As a young boy, I (allegedly) often played with my parents’ jewelry collection. Yet, despite being transfixed by shiny and expensive things at an early age, I’ve never been “good” at jewelry. The first sign: losing my dad’s wedding ring when I was four. Oy, yoy, yoy!

Nor have I ever been good at wearing jewelry (both in the sense of “pulling it off” and also simply remembering to wear it) until last year, when I was given a very special bracelet by one of my best friends. I call it my “bicycle bracelet.”

Repurposed from a broken, retired bicycle wheel, my friend cut, bent, and twisted one of the spokes to create a piece of jewelry. In addition to being totally homemade, it’s a “trash to treasure” piece. I really couldn’t value it more.

Although this image is borrowed from an online retailer, the bracelet looks almost identical to mine:

(Image: http://amazingproducts.com/bikespokebracelet.aspx)

The best part: I don’t have to worry about it matching my outfit. Unless I wear something from my Lady Gaga closet, IT GOES WITH EVERYTHING!