Bloom: Words of Affirmation...

Last night, I went to the first night meeting for the Parent Participation Preschool that Mario and Luigi go to.  True to form, our {wonderful} teacher started off with a challenging icebreaker.  You see, at the end of every class, we sing the following words to the tune of Are You Sleeping?

I am special, I am special

If you look, you will see

Someone very special, someone very special, 

Yes that's me, yes that's you

I am capable, I am capable

If you look, you will see

Someone very capable, someone very capable

Yes that's me, yes that's you

I am lovable, I am lovable

If you look, you will see

Someone very lovable, someone very lovable

Yes that's me, yes that's you

I will be honest, the first day we sang this in her class {with the hand motions, yep they are the obvious ones you are thinking of}, I admit that I thought it was a little hokey, but as time went on and parenting got harder {having a 3 year old, a 1 year old and being pregnant in a class designed so you take your kids through the centers with me and them going in different directions ALL the time} I grew to cling to those words and we sang them to each other and we began pointing to each other during the 'yes that's you' part of the song.  I went through many challenges that year that far outstretch my kids being at a challenging and energy zapping age, which I won't get into here, and there were days that I wanted to pull my hair out and just give up.  I felt so much like I had become only a mother and had nearly completely lost my identity and ability {and time} to express the essence of who I am deep down inside due to the confines of trying to be the best mom I could be and absolutely not having much of a clue about what that really meant.

Back to the icebreaker...

She asked what made our 4 year olds special, capable and lovable and we all easily spouted off the characteristics our children possess but the second time around the room, she asked us to answer what made each of us special, capable and lovable {two out of three}.  It strikes me now that it looked like everyone had at least a little trouble with this one. But me, being who I am, I answered that I am special because I do what ever it takes to get things that really need to be done, done and that I have many irons in the fire at ALL times. {That's all I could think of!?!? Really??}  I froze up on thinking of one of the other two so our {WONDERFUL} teacher helped by saying that I am a very good empathetic friend. {Phew!} But it got me thinking... I am special and lovable because I am a passionate person who experiences the full range of emotions and I have a hard time not showing it especially when I'm feeling uneasy about something.  I take life seriously and take people seriously too because I find them significant, maybe due to my often feeling insignificant myself.  I am learning to love life more and more, I am loyal and I love to make other people feel special too... though I don't always show it because of the limitations of my memory, feelings of guilt or other things that get in the way.  I'm working on it though. I am capable too.  EVERYONE tells me how great my kids are and how well behaved they are too.  I must have had some influence there, since I'm with them so much and really do work hard with them. I started my own little business that doesn't look like much by the sales numbers on Etsy, but it's doing ok for only being able to do it after the kids are in bed most days.  I have a loyal wholesale account that generates a modest seasonal income and I have sold several things to my friends and moms I know from school and other classes my kids take... and a couple of those orders have been big and several customers have become repeat customers too!  In addition to all of this, my husband and I are happily married and I'm helping out with Sunday school at church and I'm on the Deaf interpreting team there too. {Did I mention that I can still get by pretty well in Spanish too, so I'm darn near trilingual.}  So after knowing all of that, why couldn't I think of anything to say?!?  If I wasn't special, capable or lovable, would I be able to write any of that? NO!  

So, what makes you special, capable and lovable?  Sorry if I make you cry.  It's a good exercise. Don't forget when times are rough or you feel like no one is listening, that you really are special, capable and lovable! It's just one of those things that is helping me to Bloom!

Keep on Bloomin'!

Kristin

P.S. If you are in San Diego, and you know of anyone here who needs parenting help {or just didn't get into the preschool they wanted, or they are a stay at home mom or dad and weren't really looking for a class but you can tell they need something...}, for their own personal development their 2-3 year old or 4-5 year old, send me a message ASAP{!} and I'll let you know how you can help them get into the cheapest, and REALLY the best quality preschool program available in the county...  I could seriously go on and on about this teacher and her classes and I probably will in later posts.  She has openings in both of her AWESOME classes.   

K

Featured Artist: Jennifer Robinson of My First Jewellery on Etsy

      I love the concept for this shop because it IS nice to be able to buy something of quality for your daughter that she can pass down to the next generation and get it at a reasonable price. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoy this shop! 

On Etsy

      

      What do you make and what was/is the inspiration for your shop?  I make birthstone and heirloom jewellery for little girls. My 6 year old daughter Lauren gave me the idea when she saw the jewellery I was making for women and asked for her own gemstone necklace. I thought, “Why not? Little girls appreciate beautiful things too, sometimes even more so that adults.” Soon after, My First Jewellery was born.

Tell us how your creativity has woven itself into your life’s journey to make you what you are today. I have always been a crafter. I have dabbled in beading, needlework, crochet, scrapbooking and other paper crafts, drawing and sewing. I studied Interior Design in College, and designed custom closets part-time for several years. When I decided that I wanted to craft full-time, I considered many different mediums. But the very first time I picked up some sterling wire, a beautiful gemstone and some pliers, I was hooked. I knew that I had found the right medium for me, because I couldn’t get enough of it. The fact that I love sparkly things helps! After almost two years I am still as excited about jewellery making as I was on that very first day. And I’m finally using those sketching, proportion and colour theory classes that I took in school, just in a different way.

Pink Tourmaline for October

In what other areas of your life (or interests that you have) do you see your creativity shining through? Definitely writing. If I hadn’t become a jewellery designer, I may have ended up writing for a living. My favourite type of writing is poetry, and I have written dozens of poems, mostly geared to children. It’s on my To Do list to have them published some day! For now, my audience is one appreciative little girl who is learning to appreciate poetry in the same way I did when I was young.

What is your vision for the future of your business?  I want to develop a line of birthstone jewellery for girls aged 3-tween. My product line will include many core styles that I will always have available, with new designs being introduced regularly in order to keep things fresh and interesting. I want to expand into wholesale at some point, as well as showcase my work at jewellery parties which I find are a lot of fun for everyone. As much as I want my business to succeed financially, my lifestyle is of equal importance to me and I want to sell in ways that support that lifestyle. While my daughter is young, attending weekend-long craft fairs is not reasonable for me. So I hope to achieve success online, through wholesale, and parties that I can plan around our family’s schedule.

Tell us about your typical day.  I take Lauren to school in the morning and then settle down with my coffee in front of the computer. This is my time to check my three shops, catch up on Facebook and twitter, check my various e-mails and chat about business in the forums. I allow myself until 10:00, but after that, I must move away from the computer or else before I know it, half of the day is gone! The bulk of my day is spent doing a combination of the following: designing and making new jewellery, photographing, listing jewellery in my online shops, ordering supplies, packing orders, mailing orders and communicating with customers. Lunch is about 10 minutes long and is eaten at the computer, then it’s back to work. At 3:30 I pick Lauren up from school and we have some time together reading, talking and snacking. When she’s ready for some downtime, I go back to work until 6:00 when my husband comes home and starts looking around for dinner (yes, I’m the only one who cooks). I tear myself away from my craft room and make dinner for my starving family. Then there’s the usual kitchen clean-up, dog-feeding (we have a large furry family) and bathtime. While Lauren’s in the bath, I sneak back into my craft room so that I can list an item for those perusing my shop in the evening. Sometimes I can make a necklace, photograph it and list it before I hear the tub draining! Moms have to be efficient. After storytime and bedtime, I spend a little time online before my husband gives me that look. The look that says, “Are you going to be on there all night?” That’s my cue that my work day is over. And you know what? I can’t wait to get started again the next day!

Are you trained as an artist?  I hold a diploma for Interior Design from Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. And though I’m not designing spaces, I find that many of the elements that I studied all those years ago come into play now. The most prominent one is colour, which factors into all types of design. Proportion is also a main element of jewellery design, as is the ability to sketch out an idea and        make it a reality. I am trained to look for inspiration in everyday things, magazines, stores, the outdoors. This comes naturally after studying design for three years. As far as designing jewellery is concerned, I am self-taught. I picked up a free booklet one day in a craft store that showed how to create a wrapped loop with wire. I tried it, and the rest is history.

Peridot for August

What is one thing you will be going out of your way to learn more about in the coming year to benefit your business?  Without a doubt it is the business side of things, namely the necessary bookkeeping and income reporting that comes with any business. While I do keep track of expenses and sales, I need to do it in such a way that will make it easy come income tax time.  It’s a necessary evil.

What steps are you taking to ensure your products follow applicable child safety laws?  My first idea for my line of jewellery for little girls included less expensive materials, namely silver plated chain, Swarovski crystals, lampwork beads and colourful enameled charms. Then I started reading up on child safety laws and quickly realized that this was not going to be possible. The chain that I was buying was from other sellers and I didn’t know what the base metal was. Having each item tested was not going to be financially feasible. So I switched gears and started buying only sterling silver chain and findings from a major wholesale company that can guarantee the material and provide me with lot numbers. The stones that I use are all genuine, natural gemstones and pearls. There is nothing in my jewellery that is harmful to children, and I’m happy now with my new direction. Instead of fun, costume jewellery, my pieces are meant to be given as gifts to flower girls, at christenings and for birthdays. They grow with the child, so it is jewellery that is kept and cherished for some time. This is a good choice in a tough economy where people are looking for things that will last.

Here are the links to My First Jewellery and Jennifer’s Facebook Page for women, which she sometimes uses to promote the pieces she makes for little girls.  http://www.myfirstjewellery.etsy.com http://www.facebook.com/livjewellery