High Roller

I love playing dress up.

It started when I was a little girl and my mom had a closet full of old clothes that she'd let me romp around in. My parents always said I was 3 going on 30, and I guess sometimes I wanted to wear the clothes that went with my 'tude.

I'd wear old peasant type Villager dresses and clomp around in her castoff ruby red platform shoes, thinking I was the hottest chick to hit Appleseed Drive.

I guess dress-up is still a fun game to play when you're 30, only at my age you get to try on a different caliber of stuff.

Bling, baby. Bling.

I had lunch with a friend of mine who is in the process of opening a high end jewelry shop in town. After our meal, she invited me over to her townhouse to look at some of her stock. I was kind of curious as to what kind of jewelry she'd be hocking in Mariemont, so I decided to check it out.

And I was pretty much bowled over.

The first piece I tried on was this beautiful white-metaled necklace with little shiny stones all over it. I briefly looked at the price tag and thought I saw a 30.00 on there. I casually said Nice piece of costume for thirty bucks and my friend was like, "Uh Kate. That's a comma and there's an extra zero on there.

Thirty grand. In white gold. And three carats in diamonds. On my neck.

Diamonds. On. My. Neck. Oh Mah Gahd.

She went on to dig in her box of ziplock freezer bags full of gems. Massive sapphire cocktail ring surrounded by an island of diamonds ($24,000). Quaint tennis bracelet with two carats of sparklers checking in at the reasonable price of $3,500. My friend suggested it was a bracelet I should consider since my 30th birthday was coming up and my parents are "Surely going to buy a substantial gift since it's a big birthday."

Yeah, right. And my dad is Dr. Phil.

The big two Big Mama items that I tried on for kicks and giggles: A diamond and sapphire necklace with the whopping price tag of 50 grand. It was a stunner with the most beautiful, blue translucent stones, but even if I were rich I don't know that I could legitimize buying a necklace worth four times my car. The other piece was an intricate tennis bracelet that measured about an inch and a half wide. Four carats at $32,000. Who would ever play a match of tennis in that??

The whole session was a fun one - it was nice to play Let's Pretend and try on the kinds of things that belong to the rich and famous. I think I know now what an actress feels like when she gets to borrow beautiful baubles from Cartier for the Academy Awards.

And while I may not have a treasure chest of cash stashed to buy a bunch of bling, the afternoon did get me thinking.

I am a big girl now, and I guess it's about time I start wearing some Big Girl jewelry. Even just a little bit.

Maybe I should go check out the Right Hand Rings at Zales.