{ Jet hematite and gold skull wrap bracelets, yes. }

I love the look of jewelry at the beach. I do not, however, love wearing jewelry to the beach that feels like anything other than an explosion of summery-ness. (Like, say, a heavy statement necklace. Or anything heavy at all. Uggg.) I want to wear pieces that add a dose of glamour to the casualness of the whole swimsuit-and-sand thing, but that are still light and effortless and stay where I want them to stay.

For the beach trip pictured here - Kendrick was away for the weekend, so I headed to Santa Cruz with the kids and my friend Elise and her family - I decided I wanted to toughen up my bathing suit with a pair of jet hematite and leather, gold-skull-bedecked wrap bracelets from Victoria Emerson that look almost like cuffs, but don’t feel heavy in the slightest. I thought about wearing just one…but love how they look worn as a pair, so there you go.