What was your 'aha' moment?

Has something ever just clicked with you and you know in the bottom of your heart that this is what you were meant to do?

I had my “aha” moment a couple of months ago, and ever since, I feel like I have a one track mind.

Jewels For Hope has always been my (and my mother Sandy’s) passion. We have felt it in our bones for years that this is what we want to do for the rest of our lives. That has never been a question to me. I love the marketing aspect of Jewels For Hope and getting our name out there, but for the past couple of years I’ve been working to find my specific “jewelry making niche”.

I’ve tried stamping metal, electroforming, stringing necklaces, soutache, macrame … pretty much, if there is a type of jewelry out there I’ve tried creating it. Always trying to find my one love. Sticking with something for a week or two and then phasing out.

Well, I am beyond thrilled to announce I have finally found my heart’s desire… and it just so happens I’m following in my mother’s footsteps. Beading.

I love to bead. Finding new and interesting patterns that are out of the box, weird even. I am having the time of my life for the past couple of months, I can’t make enough jewelry. I am at it for hours at a time, just weaving new patterns and seeing what I come up with.

Sandy started beading before I was even born. She has made her own jewelry for over 35 years and now that I’m starting in my 30s to really find my calling, I feel even closer to her (which, really, how is that possible since we already live and work together).

The mother daughter beading duo has a nice ring to it, right?

Well, here are some of my new creations I just have to share… and once you see them, you’ll see why I’m so passionate about this. They are just the cutest things ever.