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!