Joyful Jewelry Journal

  I look out the window and my world is covered by inches and inches of fluffy white stuff.  It is beautiful, fresh, clean and cold.  If today was sometime in early November,  I would be giddy with delight.  I would have jumped into my day, checking to see if there is enough hot chocolate to warm cold fingers after sledding.  I would have checked websites to see what time the ski areas were opened; I would have found skis in the garage.  I would have donned snow pants and boots and gone out to play with kids and dogs.  There would be laughter and joy and most certainly a snowball fight.   But, today is April 19, and I have not one bit of November delight in the snow out my window. This gorgeous gift of God’s creative nature is not one bit different than it would have been in November or December, but I have changed.  My...

  I took Taly girl to a Holy Week service last night.  Beautiful old church, 200 person choir, soloist and an orchestra performing a lenten oratorio, “The Seven Last Words of Christ" by Theodore Dubois.  I wondered as we headed off to church if my 11 year old girl would ‘get it?’  Would she get why we pause in Holy Week to contemplate what Jesus did? I believe I underestimated both the power of what God did for each of us in Holy Week and the power of art expressed through music.   She drew this during the service.  Now I only question, do I ‘get it’ as well as she does....

It was the best dinner I have cooked in a very long time. Perhaps it tasted extra good because I shared it with a dear friend who had just flown in for a visit. Certainly part of the yum factor was cooking it with her, a friend who I have laughed with, cried with, prayed with, and just plain love being friends with. A friend who shows me God’s love by loving me just the way I am. But let me tell you about the recipe. Thanks to my current issue of Food & Wine, I read about a Jean George Vongerichten recipe from 2007. Spiced Chicken with Coconut Caramel Sauce and Citrus Salad  Jean-Georges Vongerichten cleverly rethinks a classic Southeast Asian sauce not by what he adds, but by what he leaves out. Instead of a rich curry paste, he creates a creamy sauce with a caramel base, coconut milk and fish sauce. The serious yum factor that had us literally moaning with...

A Devotion from my Mom.....   Love   Valentine’s Day is coming with thoughts of love and hearts.  None of that can compare with the kind of love and heart the Bible calls us to have.  Here are three powerful passages about love, and some questions related to each to ponder this week.   ‘Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  Luke 10:27 With how much of your heart do you love God?  What does that mean or look like? With how much of your soul do you love God?  What does that mean or look like? With how much of your strength do you love God?  What does that mean or look like? With how much of your mind do you love God?  What does that mean or look...

  I am falling in love words.  The Word.  Word made flesh first by God in Jesus and now working out how to make His words flesh in me.  To live the Word.  To breathe the Word.  To hear.  To Listen.   LISTEN   This word is anchoring my week.  Listening is the word that helps me understand the Word.  A word at church on Sunday reminded me that we talk to God so much more than we listen to Him.  I want to listen this day, this week.  Listen first to God.  Listen to  joys and pains.  Listen to my girl.  Listen to what she is not saying.  Listen, really listen to people in my day.  A friend recently said to me, “I felt love because you listened.”  As I start in on another normal, crazy, busy day I want to listen.  To love.  To know I have taken the time...

I am not sure if there is a policy on reposting other peoples blogs, but I loved this one so much I really wanted to share it. May you have many pauses and spaces between this Christmas.  Thank you Ann Voskamp for your beatiful words. http://www.aholyexperience.com/...

  Yesterday’s Christmas decorating day did not go as planned; it went better! We still have no tree, no twinkle lights twinkling, and no stockings hung by the chimney with care.  Our Advent House (with 24 little doors) is filled with delightful goodies, and I enjoyed the contagious joy that my 11 year old still has in opening one little door each day.  Our beautiful, carved Nativity from Oberammergau graces the only shelf in the living room that we deemed safe from kitty.  Thus far the decorating had gone more or less as planned. Then we decided to get out glue and glitter and paper and make decorations.  Hours were spent at the kitchen table, listening to Away in a Manger, beautifully harmonized, and Vince Gill crooning about Peace on Earth.  We laughed and chatted and enjoyed quiet crafting.  We may not have gotten all the decorations up,...

Thank you to the anonymous author who wrote this beautiful story.  A new tradition has been born at our house. THANKSGIVING ROSES Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind.  Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son.  She grieved over their loss.  Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit.  THEN! Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize...

More doodles from my time with God this weekend.   See it larger here. http://pinterest.com/pin/158259374377039492/...

  I am fascinated by how often in Scripture, Jesus gives crazy, seemingly ridiculous commands.   I note only a few.  He commands Mary and Martha to open the tomb of Lazarus after three days, even though the stench would be terrible. “Really, Lord?”  He commands the man 38 years an invalid to pick up his mat and walk. “You’re kidding.”  He tells His disciples to feed 5000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  “Impossible, Lord.”  At the wedding at Cana, Jesus tells the servants to fill the purification jars with water yet they hadn’t run out of water for purification, but they had run out of wine!  “Sir, that makes no sense!”  Note a couple of important things: Jesus involved people in His miracles.  He could have done them by Himself.  He...

  Each morning I crawl out of bed, grab a cup of tea and curl up in my big yellow chair to have some time with God.  As usual, our kitten wanted to hang out with me and God.  Usually she just curls up and purrs.  This morning she was playing with my Bible bookmark, batting at my pencil and tap dancing on my lap.   She was not being naughty per se; she could just not settle down.  I was so hoping she would just quiet down and enjoy a peaceful snuggle.  It made me wonder if God ever feels exactly the same way about me.  How often do I spend my time with God, fussing over Godly things, instead of being with God?  Fussing over which chapter of a great Bible study book to read. Fussing over the perfect word for a prayer or perfect line in a prayer drawing.  Fussing over really great stuff, but fussing none-the-less.  Are there days...

    Today is not going as planned. My child care for the afternoon fell through, and my internet connection this morning is not working. Grrrr... As I sit in an internet cafe (without internet), with a to-do list as long as my arm that can only be done online, I find myself a bit frustrated. I wanted today to go smoothly. I wanted sometime in this last week of summer to do something fun with my daughter. I want many things, but have those  to-do’s that need to be taken care of first, and I am frustrated that I cannot get them done. I am also frustrated that I am not connected.   Connected to what? My devotion this morning was about being filled with the Holy Spirit ~ being connected to the Vine. I like the distinction between doing good works and producing good works. We do good works on our own...

  Where were all those father, uncle, grandpa, boyfriend, guy types when I needed one to clean some fish? So, here is the story.  I try to be a good mom.  I try to involve myself in things my daughter loves.  In doing so,  I have tried and learned to enjoy many new activities.  Thanks to my daughter’s passion, I have learned to snowboard.  I love it even if I don’t look like much on a snowboard.  I have gotten much better at kicking soccer balls and playing catch.  This means I can now catch a ball thrown in my direction!  I will never be a sports star and probably never play on a sports team of any kind, but I love those games of catch after dinner and those winter Saturdays filled with snowboarding.  Mostly, I love being with my daughter when she is enjoying herself.  I love sharing in her joy and passion...

  We are home!  Vacation was wonderful and filled with fun and laughter, family time and just the right amount of peace and quiet.  Of course, since I am the Mom, arriving home meant unpacking and a small mountain of laundry.  Now I know that some of you don’t mind laundry, some of you love it, but I am not one of those who do.  Laundry is my least favorite household chore (truly, I would rather clean toilets than do laundry).  Nonetheless, I found myself in the basement working through a load of wash that was ready to be folded, while my mind was working through the details of our upcoming week.   I came upon my daughter’s newest favorite shirt (Angry Birds).  I felt pretty sure that the next morning as she headed off to vacation bible school, this would be her shirt of choice.  And without thinking, I prayed “Lord, help...

  Summer has arrived here in Minneapolis with hot, hot days and wild thunder storms at night.  Last night found me spending a good part of the night sleeping on the floor with the dog.  The thunder scares her so badly she just shakes and shakes until the storm is over.  I have tried to get her to join me in bed, but she will not.  So, I snuggle up with her on the floor and it seems to keep her fear somewhat at bay.  My day today is filled with juggling work needs with summer fun.  Getting that email off to a client in a timely manner while getting ready to head to the beach or take a bike ride.  I’d like to say I have found a balance, but I must admit it feels more like I am juggling.  I juggle the needs of my business, my daughter, my man, my (afraid of thunder dog) and our new little, very wild kitty.  I live in fear that I...

Just a little word poem....

Mother's Day is around the corner and I find myself thinking of all the cool moms that I know.  I had 2 girlfriends visiting last weekend.  What did we do with our grown ups only weekend?  We taked about our kids.  We taked about how much we love them, how we have let them down and how we have a passionate desire to be better for them.   I love Mother's Day because it is a time to celebrate all the wonderful mothers that we know - our own mothers, the mothers of our friends and our friends who are mothers.   This week we sent out a surprise gift to our April Celebrate Her Winner.  I have no idea if she is a mother or not, but she sounds like an amazing woman.  It is my prayer that she is blessed by this gift. Barbara was nominated in our Celebrate Her Campaign by her friend Amy.  Below is what Amy said about Barbara.  If you...

  God is my refuge and strength and ever present help especially around 5 o’clock.  Therefore I will not lose my temper even if my family is crabby, dinner is not ready, homework is not done and I am tired.   There is a river of hope, a golden cord from heaven that connects me to the Most High God.  When God is with me (even at, especially at, that 5 o'clock hour) I will not fall.  God helped me at the break of day and will help me as the day closes.   My home is in uproar, something or someone fails, but God’s voice melts away all but what is good.  The Lord Almighty is with me, the God of Jacob dwells in my home. Come and see what works the Lord will do in my house, the desolation he brings to my sin.  He makes battles over homework and housework to cease.  He breaks the argument and shatters the tiredness. ...

    How I have learned that vinegar and prayer are a lot alike . . . It has been one of those weeks, and I have found that vinegar and prayer have saved me more than once.  My sweet daughter wanted to help me out sometime in the middle of last week.  She kindly put our winter coats in the washer so they would be all clean to be stored for the summer.  Such a sweet thought.  Alas, the thought was not followed up with a trip to the dryer for the coats.  So when I got around to laundry over the weekend, I open the washer to an overwhelming stench of moldy winter coats. Yuk!  So after a quick Google search of what to do with a moldy smelling washing machine filled with moldy coats, I found vinegar was the answer.  Disaster was averted, and now we have clean coats and a clean washer.  Thank you, vinegar.     A few...

I know winter is actualy over, but I am still thinking of snow! So, let me tell you about Snowflake Crosses! Have your child (or your inner child) on hand. Get paper and scissors. Make a bunch of paper snowflakes. Decide which one you like the best, mail it to me, and I will create a sterling or nickel silver snowflake cross from your design. What Mom would not be thrilled to have a one-of-a-kind Snowflake Cross designed by her child for Mother’s Day?  Prices start at $42. http://bit.ly/GB6qIi...

God is working on me.  Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't.  (Sorry God.)  Lately He is giving me just a word to hold onto.  I like how God can take the complexity of Himself and distil it down to one simple word that I can hang on to while I go about my day.  The word right now for me is Surrender.  As I try to go about my day surrendering it all to Him, I am holding on to this word poem as a reminder of what surrendering is all about.  I know my rights and my reasons are not the important thing.  I know that when my world seems upended to me, it is perfect in God's perspective.  I know I want to live in the domain of his Righteousness.  Thank goodness God is God and willing to work with me....

  I turned the calendar page from 2011 to 2012 this year while I was working at an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador.  I think my time there, along with some heart promptings from God, set the tone for 2012.  For me, this year is about giving.  In a tough economy, I want to focus on what I can give and not on what I don’t have.  Giving can be money or time or encouragement.  Giving can be big or small.  Giving can be simple or complicated.  I don’t think it matters so much how or what we give, but that we do it.   So today I launch a new line of Jewelry, and it is all about giving! To celebrate my new line I will give not $1 but $2 of every Reach the World sale to mission work in China, and I will give you 20% off every Reach the World piece you buy. Tell what you are doing with the Reach the World pieces that you buy,...

  On New Year’s Day, I heard a sermon on being still and knowing God.  I knew that sermon was for me.  I happened to be traveling in Ecuador at the time, and I spent the last week of my vacation meditating and praying Psalm 46.  As I came home and got back to “real life,” being still and knowing God brought me real peace and real joy in my “real life.”  I loved living in that peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil4:7).  And now as February rolls into March, I realize that I have spent less time being still, less time knowing God.  I miss Him.  I miss His ways, I miss how my life is with Him squarely in the center.  I flipped back through my prayer journal this morning and found one of the prayers I had written down while I was still traveling.  I realized for once that I was writing what God was...

   Valentine's Day is supposed to be this great day where we all feel loved, but sadly, I think it is the holiday most likely to let us down.  I am single, so I can assure you, there will be no box of chocolates or a dozen roses arriving for me on Tuesday.  I know that I am not alone in this, and I also know that many of you who do have a honey will be chocolate and flowerless as well.  (And for all you folks who have a Valentine who will remember you kindly this Valentine's Day, enjoy it and no need to read on here...this is not for you. :) ) I think it is sad that the holiday that is about love can often end up reminding us that we are not loved in a way we desire.  We live in a society that is always trying to tell us who we should be, how we should act.  I encourage you to find a moment this...

I was praying about PEACE one morning.  I long for PEACE in my home.  As Mom, I know that when I am at PEACE, there is a way better chance that my whole home will be at PEACE.  (The reverse of course is true....When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy)  I was praying about what I need to do to be at PEACE.  Here is what I came up with.     P ray, knowing E verything is in God's capable hands. A llow God to do His job C ontinually calling on Him when I want to be in control. E scape everything that takes away an Eternal perspective.   I pray that you enjoy some PEACE today....

  My daughter and I spent some time over Christmas break volunteering at For His Children Orphanage in Quito, Ecuador.  As orphanages go, this must be one the best in the world.  The kids are loved and nurtured by their tias.  They have plenty to eat, they bathe everyday and go to school, and they receive therapy as is appropriate to their needs.  They live in a sweet house with lots of little beds and a great yard in which to play.  As orphans, they pretty much have it made, but the fact remains:  they are still orphans.  Playing with Mateo brought this fact home to me.  Mateo is a bright-eyed 3-year-old.  His eyes really sparkle.  He is big for his age, and he loves to play soccer.  I was so impressed with this kid.  He had a great soccer kick and Spanish that I understood.  Among a group of a dozen or so...

  My Musings on Rudolph   I was thinking about Rudolph this morning during my quiet time.   While it seems like Rudolph does not embody the real reason for the season, I think that in his own red-nosed kind of way, he does.  He feels like a misfit.  He has a feature that makes him feel different and less important than the other reindeer. By the end of the story, it is exactly that part of him that was his struggle which, with a little perspective change from Santa,  becomes his most loved attribute.  Isn't that what Jesus coming to earth is all about?  Taking our misfitness, our differentness, our sinfulness and shortcomings, and by his Grace giving us a new perspective.  With this new perspective, each person has of a unique way to shine brightly for Him (red nose not needed)....

Check out my page in the CRAVE Book.  I am honored to be a part of this really fantastic book.  You can buy the book here.  If you are in the Cities it is really worth purchasing.  It is fun to read and has a great coupons to unique places in town....

  I was forwarded an email on gift giving.  I generally don’t read these things, but I am glad I read this one.  It made me wonder what our economy would look like if Americans made an effort to buy here.  Here in America.  Here in town. If we worked together, could we say Merry Christmas America, instead of Merry Christmas China?  So in the spirit of this email and Small Business Saturday this Saturday, take 25% off any purchase on our website on Saturday November 26th.  Use Coupon Code MERRYAMERICA  And take a moment to read the email below.  It is full of great ideas (I particularly like the part about supporting local artists!)   Subject: FW: Fw: Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition The most sensible email I've received in a LONG time! Enjoy. Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New...

  There are days when parenting is hard.  To be honest, around my home lately, parenting has been really hard.  I want God’s best for my little girl and I too often see my sinfulness played out in her life.  I press on, I pray, I cry, I try, I fail, I pray more and I always hope.  One of the beauties of our loving God is that He shows us a ray of sunshine on the dark days.  My daughter was studying Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech last week in school.  This is what she wrote for her homework. My Dream for the World What do I love?  I love Jesus and my friends and family and God and my Mom and my teacher and my cousins and my brother’s and sister’s in Christ and my dog.   What is my dream? My dream is that people get money and food and clothes and a home and a family and go to...

My Mom found this (on the internet I think--so amazing having a hip and cool Mom).  I can take no credit for it, but I sure like it.   “Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.  He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.  Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.” Okay, I don’t actually like the part where God scoops the icky stuff out of me.  He has been doing that a lot lately.  It hurts, it is messy and unpleasant, but I do want to shine brightly and I know it is all part of the process.  I am trying to find joy in the process.  I remember my daughter's first pumpkin carving event.  She certainly did...

  I am in the process of planning my 20 year business anniversary (Yes, there will be a party--more details coming soon.).  Digging though old pictures and pulling out jewelry that was designed 20 years ago has been quite fun.  A lot has changed, a lot has not.  I remember why I started it all to begin with.  I loved making jewelry.  I still love making jewelry.  I was young.  I had a dream and did not yet know that dreams don’t always become reality.  By the Grace of God (and I do not mean that in the trite expression way, but by His real Grace) I am living my dream.  I dreamed then of design, simple lines,  and playing in metal.  My dreams now have taken on a different tone.  I dream of days to draw, simple pleasures and playing with my daughter.   My dreams of 20 years ago have been woven into the fabric...

Disney put on the Night of Joy earlier this month.  We helped fill gift bags for the musicians and love seeing the smiles on their faces as they receive their bags.  Our jewelry is tucked inside the little black bags with the turquoise tags.  My favorite shots are of Group 1 Crew.  They now have a bit of my art and I love their music.  When I lace up my running shoes and head out the door, it is my Group 1 Crew playlist that I turn to on my IPod.  If you don't know their music, check it out http://www.group1crew.com/#p=...

I posted a request on Facebook for some help naming a new pair of earrings.  My customers have great ideas, and I always love to hear what they say, but the name I love the most was a real ‘shout-out.’  I was stopped at a stoplight while I was out running after work.  Suddenly at the same corner the window of a mini van waiting to turn left went down, and I heard the words, “Bright Drops” in a voice I knew!  It was a friend I had not seen in ages that had read my request for a name on Facebook earlier that afternoon and had been mulling it over while driving her kid to soccer.  We had a ‘length-of-a-stoplight’ conversation over a lane of traffic, made plans to connect next week, and then the light turned green, and I was off running with a smile on my face and a new name for my earrings.  The whole experience left me...

CLASP International is thrilled to partner with Deirdre & Company to raise funds for infant warmer incubators.  CLASP international is a non-for-profit organization that provides formalized training to local professionals in developing countries to work with and improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities. CLASP International is the Voice for the Voiceless individuals with disabilities.  A team of medical and therapy professionals recently returned from Zambia, Africa where the need for education and advocacy for the disabled population is significant. Among the many clinics, camps and trainings that the team was able to provide in Zambia, the team had the opportunity to conduct training with the nurses and mothers of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Infants born prematurely often have difficulty maintaining...

  Thought from Labor Day This Labor Day I choose to celebrate that I have labor that I love.  It is a blessing to love your job. I choose to thank the men and women who labor, directly or indirectly, to make my life better.  The folks that come to mind are firefighters, police, baristas at my local coffee shop, garbage collectors, government workers at the city, state and federal level, my mom,  workers for the utility companies, teachers, the armed forces and the staff at church.  Each of my days goes better because these people do their jobs!  Thank you. I choose to pray for the people who are without labor in our difficult economic times. I choose to pray for those who are overwhelmed by the labor involved in returning to ‘normal’ life after a hurricane. I choose to be grateful we live in a country where we can make...

I sent my daughter back to school, and we are a few days into life with more routine.  While I miss the beach and days filled with summer fun, I must admit that a simpler routine has a beauty all its own.  I find that I am taking moments to stop, to re-think, to re-organize.  It feels good, and I am looking at making my life more simple.  (At least life will be simpler when I finish the reorganizing.)   I am cleaning up summer stuff and general stuff that has been neglected over the summer.  My jewelry (of course) is always clean and shiny, and I have an easy trick about how to do that.  Read on if you are interested.    Cleaning Sterling Jewelry   We all love our sterling when it is sparkly and shining, but who hasn’t pulled out a favorite pair of earrings and realized they are not so fantastic when...

  Many of us have read Gary Chapman’s wonderful book on love languages.  It was a no brainer for me to see that my love languages are Quality Time and Meaningful Touch.  My daughter’s love languages are Gifts and Words of Affirmation.  I can guess or know the love languages of many of my friends, and I imagine that you feel the same way (unless of course you have not read the book, and then you have no idea what I am talking about J).    In a press release for the Night of Joy, being held at Disney World this September, Francesca Battistelli’s husband mentions that while Francesca’s primary love language is Acts of Service, “her eyes do light up with the mention of jewelry.”   As proud sponsors of the Night of Joy Gift Bags, Deirdre & Company is delighted that Francesca will be receiving some of...

  A wonderful summer is drawing to a close as school begins in about 2 weeks.  I find myself with 2 very different sets of feelings.  As I had lunch with my daughter (just like I have most of the days of summer), I felt like weeping or hugging her or just capturing the moment…because in such a short time, I will only have lunch with her on the weekends.  I want each day to be time well spent; after all, these are the last days she will be nine in the summer.  I am thinking of the cookies we did not bake and the bike rides we did not take, forgetting for the moment the bike rides we did take, the bread we did bake, and most of all, the lazy summer snuggles in the hammock.  It all goes by too fast, and I am sad that I can count the days left that we have whole days together. On the other hand, I have spent my summer days juggling soccer games,...

  Well I don’t actually know if she was a little old lady, but I read her story in Living Patiently by J. Allen Blair, and as the story unfolded I had a wonderful picture in my mind’s eyes.  You know the little old lady type—white, short hair a bit mussed, a sweet floral dress with a touch of slip hanging too low.  She may be moving a bit slower these days, but the sparkle in her eyes lets you know she is one cool lady.  I just love her story…there were 3 elderly ladies who where talking of their experiences.  One said, “I have had lots of troubles. I’ve lain awake nights with them, but those that worried me most never happened.”   “My husband,” said another “used to say I carried 3 bags of trouble: those I had, those I used to have, and those I expected to have.”  The 3rd...

  My daughter goes to a school that runs on a different schedule than normal. So, last week I found myself wondering what meaningful gift to give to the 2 wonderful teachers who have poured their hearts into the education of my daughter (and the rest of her class).  Bit by bit, they shaped the third graders who entered the classroom in the fall into a group of kids ready for the 4th grade.  I so appreciate teachers.  The love, commitment, and patience the put into educating kids is amazing to me. So how, as a parent, do you say thanks?  Creativity is always a good thing, so I put my little one to work with paper and scissors.  I helped her fold paper snowflake-style so that when it was cut into a design; the finished “snowflake” would be a cross.    So awhile later she had created a pile of snowflake crosses.  We laid...

  I have this tree that is firmly rooted at the corner of the garage at my studio.  It is really an awkward place for a tree as it is half-growing in the garage.  I love trees, but truth be told, this is an ugly tree.  I am sure it creates oxygen in the air as successfully as the pretty trees, but I find it bothersome.  It is so bothersome that it garnered me a citation from the city of Minneapolis when it was overhanging the alley.  So for the sake of the city and the longevity of the garage, I decided to cut it down.  I hacked it off about 2 feet above the ground (the best I could do without damaging the garage).  I assumed victory over the tree.    That was 2 summers ago.  This ugly, ill-placed tree will not die.  I have chopped off its limbs, dosed it with unmentionable poison, and yet it lives.  It is...

  Advent means to come.  We sang “Come thou long expected Jesus” at church this morning.  The Christmas season is about coming…I tried my hand at poetry.     COME Christ              Open            My                      Embrace Clear               Obstacles,   My                     Encumbrances Clean              Out                My                     Ego Clarify,...

  I was at Target this morning and the Christmas things are already out and truth be told, it seems ridiculously early to me. But I do know that it is just the reality of our society, so I have decided that while the hustle and bustle of Christmas is inevitable I want to focus on the joy and the real meaning of Christmas.  It seems a good way to do that is to look at the carols we so easily sing.  They are full of great meaning and great joy!  Joy to the World is one of my favorites and I am reminded that while we are preparing the tree and cookies and presents and the this and the that, we are also to prepare room in our hearts for that sweet little baby.  And if we are prepared to find joy in the season, we most certainly will....

    I am not sure how our dinner conversation got to superman capes, but it did.  I love dining with an 8 year old.  There must have been a very questioning look on my face when my sweet daughter announced that Jesus wore a superman cape as she followed that statement with “it says so in the Bible.” Naturally I asked where.   She said you know mom (that somehow sounded like Mom how dumb can you be) when Jesus died on the cross with the 2 bad guys, the guys below played a dice game for Jesus’ superman cape.  It did not seem the time to point out that cloak does not really mean the same thing as cape and believe it or not, cape does not always mean a superman cape.  It seemed better to know that she understands some pivotal commonalities between Jesus and Superman.  They both love to save and they both have out of this...

  Thinking more about angels and community… there are the ‘2 wings, a body and a head’ type of angels, of course, but don’t we all have ‘human’ angels in our day?  Those people who knowingly or not swoop in and love us up in some way?  The next 30 days will be angel days here at Deirdre & Company.  Each day I will post a little something about the angel or angels in my day.   I would love to have you join me in sharing angel stories.  Add your angel sighting to my Angels, Angels, Angels Everywhere blog post or post your angel sighting on my facebook page.  I want to play Frisbee with a halo, be caught by the flutter of a feather and be blown away by the breeze beneath angel wings.  I want to remember to say thank you to the people who encourage and support me.  I want those angels out there who...

  I finally did it!  There are times when something seems so simple but it ends up being hard.  Angels, everyone love them, everyone know them.  2 wings, a head and a body- not so hard right?  In 25 year or so of designing jewelry, I have never come up with an angel design that I really liked.  And then one day a customer faxed over an idea.  Could you do an angel that is done somewhat like your Let Your Spirit Soar design?  Hmmm… let me think, let me doodle (the non-techie word for design).   The answer became yes.  I can design an angel like that.  How did that seemingly hard thing suddenly become so simple?  Community.  Working together. Taking time to hear.  It makes me wonder what situation would become easier if I hear more than I talked, if I took the time to work with someone instead of doing on...

School has started today and the delights of summer need to be replaced with a slightly more organized life.  I was talking with my daughter over the weekend about how I am going to work hard at choosing a healthier lifestyle.  There are many reasons why this is a good choice, but I was reminded that one time my healthy lifestyle choice actually helped me create a piece of jewelry.  Believe it or not, it is all about tofu.  I had a jewelry design idea in my head, could see it in my mind’s eye, and realized I needed a framework around which to build this cross design.  I won’t bore you with the details of what I needed the framework to do, but suffice it to say I was having trouble figuring out what to use.  I decided to take a dinner break, and as I was slicing my tofu for a stir fry, it hit me.  Tofu was the perfect framework. ...

 Summer has arrived and after a long weekend get-away with the grown up girls (which was fantastic), I have a new summer goal.  Perhaps it would be better to call it an ungoal.  As a single working Mom with a child who likes 12 hours of  sleep each night, I feel like my life is run by the tyranny of time and my to do list.  So my ungoal is to let that go.  I find that I am often weighted down by things I want to get done, but know that realistically they are not going to get done any time soon.  So if I know they are not going to get done this week, why do I let them get in the way of my joy this week?  Yesterday I took a 2 hours bike ride with my daughter. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time.  But how much more fun would I have had if I could have just been present in the moment instead of worrying about how I was going to get...

 From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accommodating Main Entry: ac·com·mo·dat·ing Function: adjective Date: 1775 :willing to please :helpful, obliging     My daughter inadvertently miss-pronounced accommodating the other night and it totally cracked me up.  The humor was completely lost on her little 8 year old self, but any Mom would have been laughing right along with me.  I was explaining that I work very hard to be accommodating of her needs and wants, but that does not always mean giving her what she wants when she wants it.   As she was trying to understand the concept, she looked up at me with her pretty brown eyes and said, I get it now Mom, you are amMOModating.  I thought about correcting her pronunciation, but decided not to.  The word Mom probably should be right in...

  I’m lame…So I was supposed to announce the winner of the Mother Story give-away.   Alas, I was so busy planning my personal Mother’s Day trip that I forgot to post the winner.  Where does the time go?  Is that not the classic question of a Mom?  How do we do it all?  Why do we try to do it all?  Why do we put such pressure on ourselves?  If you have the answer, by all means let me know!  In the mean time, I know that all I put into packing, planning and prepping for a weekend trip to The Island (that’s what we call it—the rest of the world calls it Washington Island) was worth it!  I may have forgotten a blog post and possibly a whole list of other things that I have not remembered yet, but I heard my child laugh and laugh.  I saw my city dog act like a pup.  I saw my man relax and I saw...

With Mother’s day fast approaching, I have been thinking a lot about Moms and being a Mom. As an adoptive Mom, my road to Motherhood did not include pregnancy, labor and an itty bitty baby. Lot of paper work, a plane to Ecuador, more paperwork, and a crazy car ride down the Andes Mountains brought me to motherhood. My itty bitty baby was 5 when I met her. She was scared, oh so scared, and I don’t blame her. I met her in the front yard of her foster family’s home. After a brief ‘hola’ we walked into their house together. I put out my hand to this little girl besides me, and with more courage than I can imagine, she was brave enough to hold hands with this stranger/mother. The feeling of her hand in mine is a sensation I will never forget. I have held hands with many kids, but holding hands with this little girl made me a mom. I am grateful beyond measure that...

My joy today came in the form of a post it note! I pack lunch for my daughter everyday and I always include a little note. It is usually just a post it note that says “I love you” or “have a great day.” It is such a little thing, but I know it goes a long way. It nourishes my daughter’s soul much more than that P.B. and J. nourishes her body. My joy came today when I opened my lunch bag and there were 2 post it notes. In delightful 8 year old penciled words, one note said “I want you to have a good day” and the other said “you are loved” or “yor are loved” depending on how you read her writing. Of course that matters not. I feel loved today and I have had a good day. And what did I have for lunch today? It is 4 o’clock and I have already forgotten, but my soul is holding to those nourishing words....

Our Pastor was preaching on ...well, truth be told, I don’t remember exactly what. But I do remember a verse he read from Colossians 3.   It captured my thoughts (it is ok, right? to stop listening to the sermon to dwell on a Bible verse?) The verse begins with ‘clothe yourself’...I love that expression. Clothes are something we put on every day. It is a deliberate act and we do it each day. So here is this verse saying ‘clothe yourself in’ and then it lists a bunch of cool attributes. It does not say be, become or try to become this person, it says clothe yourself. Whew, what a relief. The expectation is not that I will be or live at all times up to the attributes on the list. The expectation is that each and every day, I will choose to put them on.   I was so struck by the verse...

This is the Joyful Jewelry Journal (or J3 for short)...call me old fashioned, but I like the word journal.  I suppose it would be more relevant  if I called it the Blissful Bauble Blog (or B3 for short), but while the alliteration works, it does not capture the same essence.   Let's be honest, life is rarely blissful.  Sure those 2 or 3 stolen days each year spent basking in the sun on a long sandy beach are blissful.  But how often does that happen? (Not enough that is for sure.)  Joyful on the other hand we can aspire to each and every day.  So this blog will be a old fashioned journal in the new fangled blogossphere.  It will be about joy and and about jewelry, sometimes connected, often not. ...