Over the past few years body piercing has become more and more popular.  Whereas 10 years ago, getting a piercing was an edgy, rebellious thing to do, these days it seems everyone has one: a belly ring, a tiny gem twinkling on a nose, a lip, a stretched hole in ear.  Piercing: Everyone is doing it. 

Modern fashion has rocketed body jewelry from tasteless to trendy!

Now as you may or may not know, I’m a pretty conservative kind of girl.  I think I spent the first half of my life with over ninety-five percent of my body covered.  I’d have taken a turtleneck over a chemise any day.  Even if it was hot, even if it was the Mojave. 

Last summer all that changed.  Dazzled and dared with all the spectacular body jewelry I saw everywhere I looked, I got an itch for a piercing.  Seeing all the glimmer everywhere just sent me over the top.  I had to get one! 

The obvious choice for me was a belly ring.  Unlike a nose piercing, a belly ring allows a girl to show it or hide it however she chooses.  I could get a sexy little belly ring and none of my more conservative acquaintances would ever have to know.  It could be my little secret if I wanted it to be.

Getting a belly piercing was an experience unlike I’d ever had.  Summer and Jackie came along for support, both holding my hand while I lay on the table and got the piercing. 

Getting a belly piercing is not at all like getting your ear pierced.  They don’t use a piercing gun, but some sort of metal rod.  I just couldn’t look at all.  Some people say a belly piercing doesn’t hurt but I’m here to tell you: It hurt!  I nearly passed out when I tried to stand up after the piercing!  I am a bit of a good two-shoes, a bit of a wimp, but still, it really, really hurt.

Admittedly, for all the trauma I went through, it wasn’t too bad in retrospect.  One thing is for sure, getting that belly piercing, it was really worth it.  Now, a year later, I have all sorts of pretty body jewelry just for my belly: rings and dangles and bars and beads and gems and pearls. 

Because I have always been so conservative, getting a belly piercing was a life changing experience.  Now I find that I even show a bit of tummy from time to time just to flaunt my jewelry.  Yes, I have become much racier.  Next time it’ll be the nose!

In observance of our most recent tradition, Mary Beth, Jackie and I set out in the Sunday morning sunshine for a leisurely breakfast of mind-blowing sweet and syrupy blueberry pancakes at a local hipster diner. 

Of course, Jackie was running late (as she is has a tendency to do) so MaryBeth and I patiently idled in Jackie’s teeny driveway for almost an hour, chatting about this and that, fashion, family and other things.  When Jackie finally emerged, the reason she was running so late became apparent.  As usual she wowed us, looking fabulous in her summery floral body-tight dress, perfectly coordinated sandals, bag and gems.  That girl is so glamorous! 

Anyways, it was fortunate that Jackie was tardy.  As it turned out, and much to our surprise (because we always stay on top of the local arty crafty events in our area), we happened upon the commencement of a crafts fair on the way to breakfast.  Being the crafty, accessorizing women that we are, we just had to stop and check out all the handmade goodies (despite our growing anticipation over blueberry pancakes). 

Well, between the unique designs of necklaces and bracelets beautifully crafted with Murano glass beads, quirky key chains and sexy body jewelry, the three of us were over the moon. 

We spent hours looking over this and that, talking to the artists and generally having a great time.  I found the perfect jewelry set to go with a brand new dress I just bought and MaryBeth discovered a pretty little freshwater pearl bracelet for her 8 year old niece.  Jackie of course bought the most: jewelry to accentuate her various outfits.  Between the three of us, we had so many bags that we were all a bit embarrassed. 

It was after 1:00 by the time we actually left the fair, goodies in hand.  We were famished.  You know what though, after all that shopping; those blueberry pancakes had never tasted better.  We’d put in a hard days work and darn if we didn’t deserve them!

Gauging is the term used for the size of piercing of ears or other parts of the body. This term is also used to describe the stretching process used to achieve larger lobe holes to accommodate thicker posts- a fashion trend especially popular with young people. Gauge sizes range from 20 gauge to 2 gauge (more…)

These fun body jewelry pieces are really cutting edge! Especially popular with the younger crowds, belly rings are designed to accentuate the midriff and catch the eye. Belly rings range from sophisticated or quirky, but they are always modern and stylish. In this guide, we’ve described common types of belly rings. Have fun exploring the variety in styles of this edgy accessory.

Dangle Belly Rings

The dangle style of belly rings is a hip way to add personal style to your look. This style features a piece that hangs and sways freely from the barbell. The dangling piece can be a simple shape or perhaps birthstone or more elaborate design.

Chandelier Belly Rings

With the chandelier style of belly rings, more than one dangle hangs from the barbell. This style is bolder and features more movement than the regular dangle belly ring. It can be fairly simple or quite ornate, depending upon the design and number of dangles.

Twister or Spiral Style Belly Rings

Twister or spiral style belly rings usually include a curled shape on each end of the barbell.

Captive Belly Rings

This looped-style belly ring “captures” a bead or some other designed object which is hooked onto the ring itself. This style looks similar to an actual hoop earring, and usually includes some added piece which moves along the surface of the ring.