What's On Your Keychain?

I know I've previously mentioned the Keychains In Movies website, which catalogs keychain sightings in films and other media. Recently, the site did a brief write-up on a sighting from the movie Joker that got me thinking. In the film, the title character keeps his keys on a plain ring. Whoever wrote the post speculated, in a somewhat tounge-in-cheek tone, that maybe this was symbolic of societal emptiness. After I read this I started thinking about why people choose certain keychains for everyday use. You'd think that, when it comes to picking something to store the house keys on, the most important thing would be practicality. However, this does not always seem to be the case, especially for teens and preteens.

Judging by the keychains I've seen for sale in stores like Claire's and Five Below, which mostly cater to a younger crowd, it appears that the target demographic for these stores are drawn to keychains that can be considered 'trendy'. These 'trends' frequently change with time. Llamas were trendy for a while, then it was sloths. But something that most 'on trend' keychains have in common is that they tend to favor style over function. You can't convince me that a giant, faux fur pom-pom keychain is practical. Young people always seem to want to fit in and be considered current. But I think another reason why teens and preteens are drawn to 'trendy' keychains is because they reflect some aspect of the buyer's personality. Nothing says to the world that a person is relaxed and laid back like a keychain with a sloth on it.

Another thing I started thinking about was the fact that I myself keep my house keys on a plain ring.

No one who saw my keys would ever suspect that I'm a keychain collector. The reason I don't use any of the keychains in my collection for my house keys is that I'm afraid of losing them, and with good reason. I actually lost my house keys once when I was in college. I think they must've fallen out of my pocket. At the time I lost them, my keys were attached to a keychain with the name of my grade school on it. I think I was almost as devastated by the loss of the keychain as I was from losing my keys, since I knew I wouldn't be able to replace the keychain, having already graduated from grade school. (The grade school I had attended eventually ended up closing, due in part to declining enrollment.) Ever since, I've kept my keys on an ordinary split ring, so I won't run the risk of losing another keychain with sentimental value.

So now I'd like to know what you think. Do you think that the keychain a person uses daily reflects something about that person's personality? Also, what kind of keychain do you use on a daily basis? Let me know in the comments.

Signed, Treesa

The Panda Post (Panda Keychains)

According to my brother, the TV Tropes website refers to any feel good, human interest segment that's shown at the end of a news broadcast as a 'panda story'. The way that pandas have been depicted in popular culture over the years has helped them develop a 'cute and cuddly' reputation. So I can sort of see the connection between pandas and any news story that is intended to give the audience a 'warm, fuzzy' feeling. In these difficult times, we could all use something to brighten our day and lift our spirits. So I'm centering this post around some, literal, panda keychains. Hope you enjoy.

First we have this keychain, featuring a photo of a panda named Mei Lan. The lettering on the back indicates that this keychain originally came from Zoo Atlanta.

According to my online research, Mei Lan is a male giant panda who was born in 2006 at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here's another panda keychain. There are no manufacturer's marks on this one except for the word China on the back. I also can't remember exactly where I got this keychain, though I'm fairly sure I bought it second-hand. So there really isn't much I can tell you about this, except that it's cute.

And finally, this keychain from the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee has a photo of a red panda on it. Despite the name, red pandas aren't closely related to pandas genetically. According to the information I found online, the closest living genetic relatives of red pandas seem to be raccoons and skunks. However both pandas and red pandas have similar facial markings and they both eat bamboo, which might help explain how red pandas got classified as pandas.

I hope these cute, panda keychains added a small 'bright spot' to your day. Stay safe and stay well.

Signed, Treesa

Pokemon Jigglypuff Dreamcatcher Keychain From Etsy

During the state shutdowns and stay-at-home orders triggered by the Coronavirus, I've been doing more online window shopping, mostly on Ebay and Etsy. With most of the brick-and-mortar stores closed, and government issued orders to leave home only for necessities, I can no longer browse nearby retail stores for fun in my free time. So I've settled for browsing online. And since I still have some 'fun money' put aside, I figure I can treat myself just a little, not to mention support the economy, by paying for shipping charges on an online purchase or two.

This Pokemon Jigglypuff Dreamcatcher keychain came from an Etsy shop called Dream A Sweet Dream. The seller mostly specializes in dreamcatchers and paper flowers. I mentioned dreamcatchers and dreamcatcher keychains in my last post, but this one is unique. It's not everyday you see a dreamcatcher with a Pokemon character on it. Also, I know from watching Pokemon cartoons with my younger brother back in the 1990s that Jigglypuff is a Pokemon with the power to make people fall asleep. So the themeing for this keychain is ideal, in my opinion.

The shop featured many other themed dreamcatchers as well. Some were wall hangings, but others were in keychain form. The Jigglypuff on this particular keychain is a character shoe charm, like the type used to decorate foam clogs. Although the keychain is a bit larger than I expected, when I went back and looked at the listing again it did specifically state that this item is 3 inches long. After my previous experience trying to make a dreamcatcher keychain myself from a kit, which I discussed in my last post, I really appreciate the workmanship that went into this. Based on the quality and the creativity of this keychain, I would definitely recommend the Dream A Sweet Dream Etsy shop. Granted, this Pokemon dreamcatcher might not be the most practical keychain. But I love it.

Also, according to the shop's mission statement, 15 percent of the proceeds from each sale are donated to charity to bring awareness to mental health issues.

Signed, Treesa

Mac Enterprises Kit #IJ-10 Dreamcatcher Keychain

I first learned about dreamcatchers at girl scout camp. The story I heard was that dreamcatchers were used by Native Americans to catch the bad dreams before they could reach people. The dreamcatcher would be hung above a person's bed and the bad dreams would get caught in the net. Good dreams would travel down through the feathers hanging from the bottom of the dreamcatcher to the person sleeping.

As a child, I was fascinated by anything remotely 'Native American'. When, after years of saving, I finally had enough money to buy an American Girl doll, I chose the pioneer girl character because she had a Native American friend in one of the tie-in books. It wasn't until years later that American Girl actually produced a Native American character doll. But if that doll had been around in the beginning, I probably would've picked her instead. As it was, I used to pour over the section of the Magic Attic doll catalog designated for 'their' Native American character doll, Rose, even though I couldn't afford to buy another 18 inch doll.

But to get back to the subject of dreamcatchers, I never actually learned to make a dreamcatcher in girl scouts, though some of my sisters did. However, I do have a number of dreamcatcher keychains in my collection.

Most if not all of them were originally 'free gifts' sent by charities that work with native people. Charities, especially Christian based charities it seems, will sometimes send these sorts of things by mail to encourage people to send donations. However, I picked up the ones in my collection second-hand.

I can't remember where or how I originally got a Dreamcatcher Keychain Kit by Mac Enterprises. I only know that I rediscovered it while I was going through a box of my jewelry making supplies and decided that it was about time I actually used it. Here is the sample picture that came with the kit.

And here is a photo of how my dreamcatcher turned out.

First off, I would like to start by saying that I'm convinced the cord used to make the sample keychain was thinner than the cord that came with my kit. I also had some problems with the instructions.

When attempting a new craft project, I tend to have an easier time if the instructions include step-by-step photos or diagrams. For some reason, I have more difficulty interpreting written directions without visuals. It's just the way my brain works I guess. Anyway, the instruction sheet that came with this kit did provide a series of pictures that demonstrated how to loop the cord. But the black and white sketches were hard to follow, in my opinion. The written instructions seemed thorough, but again I'm the type of person who has difficulty making sense of written directions alone. So my poor dreamcatcher ended up looking...off. I don't think that making dreamcatchers is a craft I'll be tempted to try again. But if I do decide to give it another go, I'll probably look up some online video tutorials.

Signed, Treesa