I vividly remember being obsessed with lockets as a kid. Anyone and wearing one in my vicinity dealt with my reaching hands pawing to open it and see if anything was inside. Most of the time I was let down. Nothing was inside.

I loved the idea of having pictures of someone you love inside a necklace. You could open it and stare at it all day. Show them off when you’re out and about. And carry him over your heart.–Ok, so I’ve always been a bit of a romantic.

I’d almost forgotten about this fascination I had as a little girl until Hallmark wrote and asked me to pick out a special piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day. I was scrolling down their new collection at Kohl’s and was instantly drawn to a locket. I was finally going to get one! And it was going to be everything I’d always wanted as a kid.

When it arrived I was stuck by how beautiful it was with the jewels on the front and inscription on the back. Then I opened it up and pictured my pictures inside and got all giddy.

But my giddiness began to fade a little as I struggled to figure out how to actually get photos inside. ‘Now I see why everyone’s lockets were empty’ I thought.

Printing the photos took some trial and error getting the size just right. Luckily I have a photo printer and lots of photo paper on hand. Choosing the photos to go inside wasn’t easy either. I really couldn’t print any photos with more than one person in them because they’d be too small to make them out. So I had to narrow it down to two people instead of three and as much of a romantic as I am at heart, the two spots went to my kids. It’s ok though because my husband LOVES it.

In the middle of the process I had a moment where I thought ‘In an age where I have a thousand photos of my kids on my phone, why am I even doing this?’

Then finally I got the sizing right, and I slid the photos side by side in my necklace and felt a sense of satisfaction. Or was that relief?

The real joy came when I called my kids over to look inside and my daughter joyfully pawed at the chain around my neck to see what was inside. And she smiled to see a picture of herself and her brother. I’d come full circle. But this time, I have something I could pass on to her someday. I’ll teach her how to place the pictures, and maybe someday she’ll wear it around her neck and her daughter will admire the photos inside.

I plan to update the photos every year near Mother’s Day.

The idea of a locket may seem a little outdated, but there’s something sweet and nostalgic about it. It’s not necessarily a way to say “Oh, you want to see my kids? Here they are!” But another way I keep them close to my heart. And hopefully what was once a sweet obsession that started when I was a little girl will become something special we pass on.

I love starting new meaningful traditions with my family, which is why I partnered with Hallmark and Kohl’s for this post. Hallmark Jewelry at Kohl’s is a great Mother’s Day gift. If lockets aren’t your thing, that’s ok because there’s a lot more styles. The heart-felt jewelry is made with quality materials and has a sentimental message to share with someone special (or keep for yourself). Check out the jewelry collection here. 

Tags: hallmark, Mother's Day