Banana Bow Barrette
Perfectly Imperfect Necklace
Top: Mudd, Kohl's
Skirt: Wild Fable, Target
Shoes: Not Rated, Journeys
Bag: Olivia Miller, J. C. Penney's
Yellow necklace: So, Kohl's
Royal blue bangle: So, Kohl's
Turquoise bangle: Burlington Coat Factory
Yellow bangle: Boscov's
Black bangle: Mixit, J. C. Penney's
I ordered this beautiful black and red rhinestone necklace, and when it arrived, it was broken. I was disappointed for about two seconds before I remembered that 1) it cost seven dollars, and 2) I could fix it and make it even better. So, I gathered some bright turquoise plastic chain and quirky charms and cabochons, including one of a neon pink pig with wings. The packaging said "when pigs fly," and that made me think of the children's book Perfect the Pig.
A classic story by Susan Jeschke, Perfect the Pig is about a piglet who is the runt of the litter and, as such, is overlooked by his mother and siblings. Then one day he sees a big sow struggling on her back. Despite his tiny size, he uses all of his strength and ingenuity to push her right side up, and as a thank-you, she grants him a wish. The piglet asks for wings, which sprout right away. But when he returns home, his siblings laugh at him and tell him to live with the birds. So he does, but the birds laugh at him, too. Ostracized, the piglet flies out to the city. There he lands on the fire escape of a kindhearted artist named Olive. When she sees him, she says, "So tiny, and with such beautiful wings. How perfect!" And so that's what she decides to call him. She washes him, feeds him fresh vegetables from her garden, and makes him the star of her still life paintings. As Perfect grows, Olive starts saving money so that they can buy a house in the country. Then one day, when Perfect is out flying, a man kidnaps him and forces him to perform in his show. He cages Perfect, feeds him garbage, and threatens to send him to the butcher. Perfect is shocked and heartbroken, and his wings begin to ache. Then Olive sees a poster for the show and finds him. She and the kidnapper argue over who should keep Perfect, so a bystander sends them to a judge (as you do). The judge does the old let's-let-the-pig-decide deal, Perfect goes to Olive, and the judge grants them half the kidnapper's earnings. They use it to buy that house in the country and live happily ever after.
This is such a bittersweet book, with such a grown-up message. I remember being disturbed by it as a kid, though. I hated the idea of little Perfect being ridiculed for the very wings that made him so special. Also, the part about the man exploiting him was unsettling because it showed that evil lurked in the world. Although this story still makes me cry, I now appreciate its bright side. Which is that Perfect and Olive are kindred spirits bound by a benevolent universe. And that's a reassuring thought, whether you're five, ninety-five, or somewhere in between. Even if the back of the book says "ages 4-7."
That said, I think this little winged piglet is what saved this necklace -- and made it unique. Well, that and the banana, which I found so, er, a-peeling, that I used a couple more in the matching barrette. Both accessories are fun and eclectic in an '80s way, which is fitting because 1) Perfect the Pig was published in 1980, and 2) this outfit screams Debbie Gibson hosts story hour.
So, I guess the moral here is to persevere and embrace imperfection (and to be kind and refuse to eat refuse). 'Cause pigs got to fly, and rhinestones got to shine. No necklace -- or wing -- is ever broken.