Sneak Peak...

I had planned to open my web boutique yesterday... But with my grandmother's home going, it just wasn't possible and really, it just didn't seem right yet.  At her funeral, one of her friends was wearing a bracelet that she bought from me years ago when I first had my business...  She said, "I wore this bracelet today because your grandmother was so proud of you for doing this..."

So as I thought about it yesterday, I decided to honor my grandmother and open my web boutique on her birthday, December 7!  I'm so excited to give her a tribute in this way...

But I thought I'd give you another sneak peak at some of the things I've been working on since I posted a while ago...  Designing a website is hard work, but Alexis has done a GREAT job, I can't wait for you to see it!

I can't promise that all of these items will be on the website since I have a show on Friday, but it's a taste of what you can expect to see there...  And if you want to see even more, you can check out my flickr photo stream at D4HopeJewelry.

The most recent additions have an order number and a price below the photo, so if you see something you love, e-mail me at sharlam@d4hope.com and I'll set it aside for you and you can order it next week from the website...

N10-337b-$25 (I also have the keys in antique bronze)

N10-341b-$25

The next necklace can be worn long or doubled...  This style is one of my favorites!  I love to wear it long with another silver pendant, or double it and even let a pendant hang below it...  The collage shows it short and long and then the beads up-close.  The beads are beautiful!  They're a turquoise/brown agate that I have a hard time finding...

N10-333-$58 

This next necklace is made from some of the most beautiful cranberry colored quartz beads I've ever seen...  I only had one strand and I'm not sure if I can get them again...  This necklace is a little over 16" with a 3" extender...

N10-360 - $38

N10-374 - $15

N10-367 - $22

N10-372 - $28

Most Earrings Are $15 

(The black agate earrings are $18)

Well, that's a sample of what I've been up to...  There's ALOT more on my photo stream (link above), so feel free to check it out...  If you live in my neck of the woods, I'll be at a market in the area December 15 & 16, I'd love for you to stop by...  Just let me know and I'll send you the details!

Hope to 'cyber' see you next Tuesday, December 7...

She Went To A Shindig...

My grandmother loved a story better than anyone...  I think it's in all of our family's DNA because we ALL love a good story!  We often laugh about how the stories that circulate through our family get bigger and bigger with each telling (kind of like a really good fish story)...  But my grandmother left us with one last story that will never need embellishing, it is BIG on it's own...

On Thanksgiving morning she went to breakfast...  She was so excited because she was going to a "shindig"!  My mom was going to pick her up and they were joining my aunt and uncle (her son) at more of our family's house to celebrate Thanksgiving.

That morning, she went back to her apartment, put together all of her things because she was going to spend an extra night with my mom so they could go shopping on 'Black Friday.'  Pretty amazing for a 97 year old woman!  But on this Thanksgiving, God had something bigger in store for her...  She got to go home!  As she sat and finished getting ready to go, she quietly went to sleep and woke up in Jesus' arms...  My mom found her with her bags packed by the door, only where she was going, we don't need bags to travel.

My grandmother did indeed go to a shindig on Thanksgiving Day, a homecoming party beyond our wildest imagination...  She went to heaven.

I am sad, probably the saddest I've been in 12 years since my grandfather Pop died, but I'm so thankful for the years that God gave me with them...  I am thankful for the example they set for me, I am so grateful for the love they poured out into my life...

My grandmother taught me that people love in different ways...  With her, it was always a hot pan of biscuits, and fried salmon patties (some of my favorite)...  Often there was a big pot of green beans and some fresh creamed corn...  I never remember a time that there wasn't a bottle of Karo Syrup to eat with my biscuits and when she learned that Bama Grape Jelly was my favorite (and we couldn't get it where we lived) she always had an 'extra' jar waiting in the cabinet for me to take home.

None of the grandchildren ever have to wonder if she was proud of us because when we would go to visit, all of her friends knew who we were and EVERYTHING we were up too...  And I LOVED that!! 

My grandparents blessed me in so many ways...  My heart is so full of incredible memories of times spent with them and the people they loved.  Not only did I grow up surrounded by a wonderful family, including aunts and uncles and cousins...  But my grandparents also filled my life with wonderful people from their church and community who lived and loved like Jesus... 

As the memories roll past the window of my heart, there are so many that I wish I could grab hold of for a while and go back and visit...  Mayfield Chocolate ice cream in the evening... stringing green beans... roasted peanuts... My grandfather shooting pecans out of the pecan tree and then sitting around and cracking them in the evening...  'Styling' my grandmother's hair on the nights before she went to the beauty shop...  Manicuring her toe nails...  Dipping my fingers in the buttermilk and patting it on the biscuits (my small contribution to the best biscuits ever)...  Hanging out with my granddad at his grocery store...  Family reunions that were full of fun and laughter...  Trips to the beach...  My granddad teaching me to parallel park...  Running to watch the trains go by their house... Playing Skipbo with my grandmother... Hanging sheets on the clothes line and then running through them...  I could go on and on...  My grandparents left me with a memory full of smiles and laughter and legacy of love and faith that I pray will be passed on to my children.


I will be sad for a while...  Christmas will be hard without my grandmother...  Our next family trip to the beach will be difficult too...  But today, I don't grieve without hope...  Hope that because my grandparents knew Jesus as their Savior (and because I do too), I will see them again in heaven someday...  And until that day, I have great comfort in knowing that I'm surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses cheering me on to finish the race well...  And when that day comes, we'll have another 'shindig' that will go beyond anything we can dream or imagine possible!  To borrow the words of an old hymn...  "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be...  When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!"

Blogging For Hope...

I said a couple of weeks ago that I would do a post from time to time about those who are raising funds to raise hope...

My cousin and her husband will be leaving for China soon to adopt their 2nd child and today they did a Both Hands project for a widow in their community...  You can read about it here, Stitching To China.  Would you consider making a small donation to them?  Even $5 from 20 people adds up to $100 pretty quickly...  You can click here to make a donation...  Both Hands  Once you're on the page, you have to scroll down to November 20 and look for Brook and Stefanie.

I also wanted to tell you about a dear friend's daughter who is taking on the impossible...  She actually tells the story far better than I can, so I encourage you to read her words at Ghana Rock.  But this is an amazing young woman who felt the nudging of God and stepped out in utter faith and obedience...  I can't wait to see what God will do through her!  She is 16 years old and is taking on planning a concert to raise funds for an orphanage in Ghana...  I'm 45 years old and wouldn't have a clue where to begin to do something like that and yet she steps out in faith believing God for the impossible!  It's an inspiring story!

And just a quick update...  I'm so close to opening my web boutique for my jewelry!  I'm in the process of uploading my inventory, so hopefully in another week I'll be posting the first items...

Blessings!

Some Days I Wish I Were My Dog!

Today was one of those days...  I'm sure most of you can relate to this but today I have worn more hats than should ever be reasonably expected of one person, no wonder my brain feels like mush and I don't want to cook dinner!

As I think through my day...  I have been President of my Jewelry Company, lead designer, photographer, VP of Marketing, CFO, Accounting Specialist, Purchasing Agent, Inventory Specialist, Taxi Driver, Gas Station Attendant, Reading Specialist, Soccer Team Uniform organizer and distributor, team photographer, trouble shooter, listener, work-out mama, menu planner, master scheduler for not one, but 5 people and now I'm supposed to cook dinner and sort photos for the high school slideshow and to top it all off I need to be a maid and laundress...  REALLY?!


Well, this taxi driver is about to drive her children to Chick-Fil-A and let them be the cook, and if the cleaning and laundry fairies don't come by, then I'll have just have to have a messy house with dirty laundry...  Oh Well!

And we wonder why we're tired!

I caught this photo of our dog this morning when I was photographing jewelry for the website...  Right now, it would definitely be nice to be my dog!!

I'm Just Not Ready!

In some ways, this post will seem completely absurd, but it's been building for a year or so and I'm just going to lay it out there...  I'm just not ready to think of Zack, our oldest, graduating from high school!

Tonight ended Zack's junior year soccer season and with it came the resounding reality that I only have one more high school soccer season left...  It leaves me wondering, will the next 18 months be measured by 'one mores' and then 'lasts?'


Somehow I think the answer to that question is a definite yes...  

I can't imagine what life will be like when he is not a daily part of it...  When he doesn't call me to ask me when I'm coming to the soccer game because somehow he's missed packing his game jersey?  Or, have I seen his shin guards because he can't find them!  (Oh yeah, sorry Zack, I borrowed them the other night and forgot to put them back... NOT)  Don't tell him, but I will miss all of this terribly!

I can't imagine a fall or spring without terrible refs...    Soccer games...  Impossible schedules...  Freezing cold and rain...  We've watched him play soccer since he was 4, it almost becomes a part of who you know yourself to be!

It is a gift to watch our children grown into adults and while I am thrilled that he is becoming the man we long for him to be, I'm just not ready!

I think the best use of my current (and slightly unreasonable heartache) is to remember to savor each moment!  I will never get back the days that lay ahead, I pray that I will savor each one with no regrets!

New T-Shirt

I'm so excited, my new Show Hope t-shirt is here!!  I bought it  from Lori at Joy Unspeakable (she's selling them as a fundraiser to bring their 3rd adopted child home!)  It's a GREAT shirt, in fact, I'm wearing it right now!!  Stop by her blog and check it out...  

Blogging For Hope...

Hi...  I thought since I was designing jewelry for hope, I could start blogging for hope too...  From time to time, if you have a fund raiser that you're doing to raise money to adopt your precious child, please let me know and I'll post a link to it...

Here are three that I know of right now... (Just click on the words in red and it will take you right to their site!)

Kirstin and her husband are adopting from Ethiopia.  I first met Rob on a trip to Africa, last November, he was one of the lead pastors and he is a full time youth pastor.  This summer I was blessed to meet his wife on the August trip!    She sews the cutest things and is selling them to help fund their adoption...  She's got some really fun things, great gift ideas!!  Here is a link to her store...Journey to Africa

A great give-away over at Suzanne's blog!  One Less Broken Heart

And Lori is selling an awesome Show Hope t-shirt from Steven and Mary Beth Chapman's organization, a portion of the proceeds go to Lori and her family's adoption...   Joy Unspeakable  Now that I've lost some weight, I'm heading over to her website right now to order one!


Please leave me a comment if you would like me to post a link to your fundraiser...  If I have enough, I'll try and do it once a week, or if I don't have new ones, maybe I'll just keep reminding you about the ones I do know of!

What better way to bring hope to a child than by helping unite them with their forever family?!