Tuesday, October 06, 2009

This is what I've been up to lately...


...making jewelry. I've made it since 7th grade as a hobby. I love making things with my hands and jewelry and sewing come easily to me. I don't follow patterns, however. I've never been one to fit in a box. I make things up in my head or see something at a store and go home and try to recreate it. Well, as the economy has tanked and Jason and I are working to be good stewards, him wanting me to work from home so I can be available to Emily and active in her school, I've been searching the Internet and looking into at-home jobs. Finally, a dear friend called me on the rug and said, "Ade, why are you trying to re-create yourself?! God has given you many gifts! Why don't you do what you already do, but stop giving it away?!"

And so, with others cheering me on as well, my mom and I recently launched "bebe&boo", a design and jewelry outreach where a portion of our proceeds go toward sponsoring "The Well Radio Show" and Bevy, my non-profit organization that helps women and their families in need and other non-profits that help women in need. We've already made some great sales in less than a week in addition to some commissioned pieces...and, November 1st when a local salon and boutique, "Panache" opens their doors to the customers, "bebe&boo" will be featured there.

My mom is an amazing seamstress...she made my sister's their prom dresses and has worked with interior designers making some really fabulous works. (I was always to 'flow/fly by the seat of my pants' to have my mom make me a dress in advance so I just had really ugly poofy 80's dresses...). She also makes jewelry too, but together we'll be turning out some fun pieces inspired by my Grandma's closet and jewelry box, recycled pieces and nature, and eventually, the cute little European kids you see at big parks running around in outfits that don't match at all, but somehow they look fantastic! We're excited for what is in store!

Making things with my hands has always been therapeutic, but to make things since losing Noah brings me a lot of joy. I can't even begin to explain how fun it is to sit and design things that women will enjoy wearing. As I sit there, creating pieces I think are beautiful to look at, I am reminded of all the beautiful women I have met or see out and about, their hearts designed by God, their smiles or frowns reflections of how beautiful or ugly they believe themselves to be. And so I pray as I make these pieces. I pray for whoever purchases them that they would know that true beauty is an internal display regardless of what society may tell us and it can only be measured by the heart.

So, then, why do I make jewelry if beauty is a reflection of the heart? Because jewelry is fun, it's pretty, and I know where my beauty lies, so when we wear it ladies, it's just icing on the cake!

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Smarter than her mom...

I love our morning routine...minus trying to put on socks and shoes, but other than that, Jason and I usually tag team jumping in bed with Em for a few minutes and nuggling, as we call it, as we convince her it's time to leave the comfort of her warm bed to get up and get going for school. Then, I head downstairs to start breakfast and the packing of her lunch while Jason patiently puts the pressure on for her to get dressed and brush her teeth. He comes down a little before her usually and helps tag team the rest of the food preparations. Then, her royal hiney, her majesty Em, Princess of Graves-ovia, bellies up to the counter next to her daddy, looks at him and points incessantly at "The Picture Bible" and says, "Read, Read, Read!". Then, Jason commences to read chapters on end because every time he stops he hears, "More, More, More!" (Her favorite story is God's faithfulness to the Israelites, beginning with Joseph and his brothers, his time of slavery and then favor in Egypt, and then on into the story of Moses and God leading His people to the promised land)

And, because the three of us have never been known for our speed, one of us drives her to school since our morning bus attendance record is approximately 1:100...it's alright. We have other strengths! Besides, we use the car time to finish getting "dressed".


Notice my sweet girl lost one of her top teeth!

So, on this particular morning...

...as Em sat down to breakfast, she looked at her cup of orange juice...the cup that I stirred Nordic Naturals Children's DHA Natural Triglyceride Form Omega-3 Supplement Made From 100% Arctic Cod Livers *Supporting memory, learning, and visual development with a "Great Strawberry Taste!" into.

Em: Why is there oil floating all over the top of my orange juice?
Me: (Innocently...) Huh? What?!
Em: Did you really think you could just slip that greasy fish oil into my orange juice without me noticing, Mom?
Jason: (Smiling at me, trying not to crack up altogether...) Don't knock it until you try it.
Me: Em, will you please just drink it? Let's not waste this cup, but if you don't like it hidden in your "Magic Orange Juice" (calcium enriched) then you can go back to taking it directly from a spoon...
Em: Oh, alright, I'll try it!

And miraculously she got it down without any complaints. We'll be switching to tablets once this bottle is gone. Apparently I'm not as savvy as Seinfeld's wife...and neither is the "Great Strawberry Taste!"