WashMo – Small Town Socialite

Holly (Nelson) Cook is the owner of 5Ever Permanent Jewelry, located inside the Washington Community Arts Studio, at 307 Elm Street in Washington. Holly started 5Ever about three years ago as a pop-up style business, appearing at markets and other events around St. Louis.

When she relocated from Salt Lake City to the Washington area in 2022 she noticed that there weren’t a lot of businesses offering permanent jewelry in Franklin County at that time.

Holly Nelson standing in front of the 5Ever storefront — Owner Holly Nelson outside the 5Ever storefront, located inside the Washington Community Arts Studio. Photo via 5Ever’s Facebook.

“When I first started there weren’t that many people doing permanent jewelry here, because it hadn’t really hit yet,” she recalls.

Although the concept and term “permanent jewelry” may seem to be something that just started showing up in social media feeds, boutiques, and pop-up events over the past couple of years, having a custom piece of jewelry isn’t necessarily a new concept.

A jewelry maker using pliers to attach a jump ring on a permanent bracelet on someone's wrist — Although it’s common to refer to the jewelry style as “permanent” 5Ever owner Holly says custom is a more apt description of the pieces. Photo via 5Ever’s Facebook.

Unlike a traditional bracelet that has a clasp, a permanent bracelet is seamless, and fitted to the wearer. And since the bracelets, or anklets, are sized at a custom length for each individual, permanent jewelry is a great option for anyone with a smaller or larger wrist or ankle.

“There can be a lot of misconceptions about what permanent jewelry is,” Holly explains. A couple things she’s encountered when people hear the phrase permanent jewelry, is assuming the piece is something that can’t ever be taken off, and permanent jewelry can be removed.

“I prefer to call it custom fit instead of permanent,” she shares.

Another custom aspect is selecting the style. In her studio, Holly has a wide variety to choose from – customers can decide on the type of link they want, with selections ranging from dainty to bold links and even chains in unique shapes, such as hearts. The metal styles are available in either sterling silver or gold filled.

Two different wrists with matching gold bracelets — Couples, friends, and family members often like to book an appointment together to get custom bracelets made by Holly at 5Ever. Photo via 5Ever’s Facebook.

Once a style is picked out, the process of getting custom fitted and making your piece of jewelry is pretty straightforward. Holly made my custom sterling silver heart link bracelet in a matter of minutes while I was interviewing her for this article 🙂

“The hearts are really popular,” Holly says about the style I chose.

Because the goal is make the pieces look seamless, the two pieces of chain are hooked together with a small circular piece, called a jump ring, that’s closed using pliers and is then welded to keep the piece in place and secure.

Three gold necklaces with charms — There are also a variety of charms to choose from at 5Ever Permanent Jewelry. The charm necklaces have a clasp and can be worn and removed whenever the wearer chooses. Photo via 5Ever’s Facebook.

Although getting bracelets or anklets are popular, especially since friends, family members, or even couples can get custom made matching bracelets, there’s also a charm bar with a variety of fun and unique styles.

The charm necklaces have a clasp, so they can be put on and taken off as often as you wish.

Interested in gifting that special someone a piece of custom jewelry or adding to your bracelet stack? Connect with 5Ever Permanent Jewelry and Charm Bar on Facebook, Instagram, or by phone at 636-283-0056 to make an appointment.

Since I’m in the St. Louis area and am about to discuss pizza, I’m just comin’ in hot and saying it up front: I don’t like St. Louis style pizza. Sorry, not sorry.

My dislike isn’t because of the thin crust, the sweeter pizza sauce, or the square-cut slices. I’m just not a fan of the provel cheese. The funny thing is, there was actually a time in my life when I loved provel cheese and STL style pizza. The change in my taste buds took place during a seven year stint living in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m not sure when it happened, I just know I can’t do it anymore.

Okay, now that the lengthy disclaimer is out of the way, let me tell you about pizza I do like!

I recently met up with a group of local food-loving folks that I connected with through a Facebook group called 47 Foodies. In addition to being active on Facebook, the group also plans get-togethers at area restaurants to support local eateries and socialize, and the gathering at Benito’s Pizzeria in Washington was 47 Foodies’ most recent meet up.

Over lots of conversation about food, cooking, and area restaurants, the group dined on everything from pizza, salads, pasta, and appetizers. I didn’t try the appetizers that made the rounds of our three tables, because I’m a pizza girlie, and I didn’t want anything to spoil my appetite.

I’m glad I abstained from snacking before we received our pie, because it was really, really good. I’m not sure how Benito’s classifies its crust, but in my opinion it had the taste and texture of hand-tossed, with a nice bite and slightly crispier texture at the edges. The toppings, including the cheese, are generous, as you might notice in the drool-worthy photo below.

The Big Ben, a pizza loaded with meat like pepperoni, Italian sausage, and bacon. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

There’s a handful of specialty pizza offerings on the menu like the Big Ben, loaded with a number of meat toppings, and the Pollo Italian, a buffalo chicken style pizza. In terms of available toppings, you’ll find all the usually yumminess here, such as veggies, meats, and even that somewhat polarizing topping, pineapple.

My husband and I split a small (9-inch pie) so that we could share a pasta dish as well. We had the manicotti and the baked pasta was absolutely delicious. And what’s not to love? The dish is covered in melty cheese, stuffed with creamy ricotta, and served on a bed of luscious red sauce.

The manicotti baked pasta covered in melted cheese, stuffed with creamy ricotta, and rests on a bed of luscious red sauce. The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

The menu also includes wings, salads, and since Benito’s is owned and operated by Cowan’s Restaurant, you can also order a slice of pie for dessert. I love Cowan’s pies, but I didn’t get any this time, but I guess that’s for the next visit 😉

The Socialite recommends Benito’s Pizzeria!

The details:
116 Elm St., Washington
636-239-2066

Tag: WashMo

Find Custom Fit Jewelry at 5Ever Permanent Jewelry in Washington

Visit Benito’s Pizzeria in Washington for Delicious Pizza and More