Bonhomie Jewelry

{fab finds...}

2012-01-30T07:21:00.000-05:00

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

i've gone back & forth with the format of my fab finds post - themes, pinterest finds....but what makes the most sense to me is featuring great items i've found on etsy: giving a little support to the handmade community :-)

do you have any cool handmade finds? share them here!

enjoy & happy monday!

{insta photo friday & little happy things!}

2012-01-27T09:24:00.003-05:00

not too much happening this past week since i've been sick - well, probably more happened than this but i forgot to take pictures because i'm sick (yeah, that's the reason)

here are a few things that have been making me smile this week:

a newly relocated and organized jewelry bench - so much fun working in a clean space! definitely increased my motivation.

the result: the "inspired" collection :-) i'll let you know when it's ready to launch!

we received a letter from our sponsored child - he's about the same age as little man. it's wonderful watching him grow up! we write to him as a family but i'm hoping that as they get older, he & little man will form their own relationship.

and speaking of little man, it was his turn this week to provide snack for his class. he gets so excited when its his turn because then he gets to be the "super star helper" for the day.

i straightened my hair this week. honestly, this photo does not make me one bit happy but........

THIS is what i want it to look like. (source) THAT makes me happy :-) and if you took a look at the original video, you'll realize that it may happen sooner than you'd think. nope, no shame ;-)

tonight - if i'm feeling better - will be spent at the home of one of my bffs and the rest of our bookclub members watching we were the mulvaneys. no, i didn't read the book but they did!
daddy and little man will be staying in to have 'guys night'.
tomorrow, i'm heading out with the family to visit my other bff.
really looking forward to all of it!

what are your plans for the weekend? (ps: don't forget the sale going on in my shop!)

linking up:

thankful....{inspiring & informative blogs}

2012-01-26T08:25:00.003-05:00

i didn't sleep well last night. lingering cold symptoms & disturbing dreams made for lots of tossing & turning. and i don't know about you but, sometimes those feelings of unrest follow me throughout the day.

i really wasn't interested in giving up a good day so i began with my bible, my devotionals and then some blogs.

i'm so thankful that i did!

jess at naptime diaries has a guest post by jenna of truthcards. her words really resonated with me and the reminder soothed my soul.

both natalie (ns pottery) and kenye (glow kouture) recently wrote some posts on keeping your inspiration & motivation - really helpful

speaking of inspiration, i've been seeing lots of blog & website redesigns, both of which ~~i'm in dire need~~ might be a nice change. oh my! handmade goodness has a giveaway going on for a boutique mama gift certificate.

and i don't recall how but i came across rena tom's site. do you know her? she's got lots of helpful advice for creatives in business but what i really like are the free worksheets she offers. these will really help me focus and move ahead (rather than in circles!!)

i gotta say, i am so thankful for the wisdom, inspiration and guidance that i've found this morning. God has a way of getting you out of your rut, if you let Him ;-) my outlook for the day has completely turned around (the cold still lingers but that's another issue)

what are you thankful for today?

i'm linking up with sarah at the fontenot four.

encouraging words wednesday...{faith}

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

i read somewhere that january 24th (yesterday) is the most depressing day of the year. christmas bills start rolling in, the weather - for some - is lousy, new year's resolutions may have fallen by the wayside..........

for this household, it's not the weather or the debt.

this is the slow season.

work for hubby has slowed down. after the high of holiday sales, my shop is a little quiet....

financially, it gets kinda scary.

my devotion this morning keyed in on a verse that really got my attention:

now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
~hebrews 11:1

yes. that's what i need. renewed faith.

i opened up my bible (app) and spent some time in hebrews, chapter 11

have you read it? it was kinda like a slap in the face.

a wake-up call, if you may.

hebrews 11 goes on to list God's many faithful servants and how their faith carried them through dire, impossible circumstances.

noah, abraham, sarah, moses, david..........

they faced situations and circumstances far worse than anything i've got goin on over here.

and i was ashamed.

we are blessed with so much: family, friends, a new church home, a roof over our head, food to eat, God-given talents....

and my faith was so easily shaken.

Source: facebook.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i shouldn't need that kind of wake-up call. i should be ever-faithful in all circumstances.

but i'm human and fallible.

i'm so thankful that He sees my weaknesses and loves me anyway!

faith restored, and full of praise for Him.

{SALE!!}

2012-01-24T07:23:00.000-05:00

remember these?

well, they're on sale!
20% OFF for a limited time
no codes to enter, just shop!

fab finds.....{workspace}

2012-01-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

this weekend was spent cleaning & reorganizing the office/studio/workout room. HUGE undertaking, y'all. but i'm so glad it's done! it's difficult to create in chaos.

now that it's clean & organized, i'd like to 'pretty it up' a bit and really get the creative juices flowin'....here are a few ideas i found on pinterest:

i'm working on an inspirational board like this one...

Source: home-designing.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

this photo inspired me to tackle my own (you can check out the first here). i've finished 2 of the 3 file cabinets....

Source: piccadillymarket.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i love the adjustable wall shelving......gosh, what i could do in this room!

Source: hgtv.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

even just a few pops of color make all the difference (originally found on "skip to my lou")

Source: skiptomylou.org via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i'm making progress but still have a bit more to work out - like choosing a color to repaint!

what did you do this weekend?

{insta photo friday & little happy things!}

2012-01-20T09:26:00.002-05:00

linking up today with jeannett, lindsay, andi, & chrissy today - sharing some photos of little things that have made me happy this week :-)

a beautiful morning sky and a gorgeous sunset!

a quick DIY - i actually remembered to take pics during the process so a post should be coming soon!

our first snowfall of the year

sneak peek of a new copper charm - one of three on the bench today :-)

daddy and son 'bonding' over a wii game ;-)

we're in store for some snow tonight and into tomorrow so this weekend will be pretty quiet.

what are your plans for the weekend?

and a question for those of you who have android phones: are you using an app for your camera? i really like little photo but now i'm wondering about mytubo - thoughts?

guest post {sarah @ the fontenot four}

2012-01-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

hey, y'all!
i have for you today my very first guest post and i'm so excited!
i 'met' sarah not too long ago by way of her blog ad. i clicked cuz i loved the design and wanted to see what she was all about (check it out on my sidebar - cute, right?)
anyway, sarah - wife and mama to 2 beautiful children - has an etsy shop full of adorable, knitted goodies but what impacted me most about her is her heart for God.
last year, sarah made it a point to read the bible. the whole bible. a daunting task, at least for me. i asked her to stop by & share about her experience (and maybe give some pointers!)
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My name is Sarah and I blog over at The Fontenot Four. I am the wife of an amazing guy, Ron. I am the mom to two beautiful girls ages 7 and 5. I blog a lot about family and my growing relationship with Christ as journey daily through life with a special needs/medically fragile child {our 5 year old}.
In 2010, our pastor put forth a challenge to read the bible in one year. I tried. I failed. I failed after only a couple weeks or so of "trying".
In 2011, he put forth a challenge. He wanted 100 people to "sign on" for a "twitter bible study". By this he meant that we would join a one year bible plan of our choice, and then each day we would post the insight we gained on some form of social media, in 140 characters or less {that's the "twitter" part}. We would also post on his blog or facebook page the same insight. I was game. This was challenge I vowed to complete...this time. And I did. I successfully read every single day and posted my insight every single day for 365 days.

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

On January 1st, the same challenge was put forth. I am all in again!
Except this time is different. It is a challenge, in a sense, but in a sense it is not. You see, by keeping up with this plan last year, reading scripture every day became a habit. It became a part of my life. It became something I needed to do. No. It became something I wanted to do. Every day.
This challenge has changed my life. It has caused me to look at life through scripture at times. Don't get me wrong - I am in no way the perfect model Christian. I'm not. I'm a sinner just like each and every other human being. I cannot quote the bible to you. I can think of certain verses - or parts of them - but can't even necessarily tell you what book of the bible they come from. I do have a couple memory verses that I can tell you that information. I am not a bible thumping scripture quoting sort of person!
But I can look at situations in life in a different way because I have read through the Word of God. I sometimes wonder about different situations in life through they eyes of someone who has some knowledge of a scripture passage. One of the big things, for instance, is loving your neighbor. That means everyone. Not just the ones we want to love. Not just the ones that the public would say it's ok to love. No. Everyone. Even the unlovable. Even our enemies. Even those who are far from God. Even those who seek to harm others. EVERYONE.

If you have never done it, this is something you can do at any time, but since it's a brand new year, why not resolve to challenge yourself with this! This challenge brought fulfillment to me for an entire year, and continues to do so again this year!

Last year, I chose to read the Chronological bible study plan on YouVersion. I never knew that reading the bible from cover to cover is not reading the bible chronologically! There are so many plans to choose from! This year, I am doing the One Year Bible plan. I wanted to change it up a bit. My daily readings this year, so far, have consisted of a few chapters from Genesis, one or two from Matthew, one Psalm, and one reading from Proverbs. There are 5 or 6 selections on each day. I would challenge you to find a plan. Read each day. Don't just read like you're reading a book, but read intentionally. Read with an open heart and mind and ask God to give you wisdom and insight through what you've read. I didn't believe it possible, but there is so much insight to be gained in the Old Testament!
I'm not going to lie - if you haven't done this before, the first weeks may be a bit challenge.Stick with it.Especially in the early books of the bible where it gets bogged down in ancestry.There was a lot in the early weeks that I really struggled to get through.But I did.I prayed for patience, wisdom and God's guidance to see me through.

Source: biblicallyliterate.files.wordpress.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

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Sarah, thank you so much for sharing with us and providing some inspiration! I'm also using YouVersion for my daily devotionals......
anyone wanna join me in a bible reading plan??

encouraging words wednesday....{i believe}

2012-01-18T08:51:00.002-05:00

sharing a song with y'all today - my statement of faith :-)

"i believe" by angie & debbie winans

have a blessed day and spread some encouragement!

fab finds....{valentine goodies!}

2012-01-17T10:21:00.003-05:00

today's 'fab finds' post will be a shameless self-promotion of my jewelry ;-)
not something i usually do unless i have something new to show you but hey - you might see something you like!

"loved"
the established date on this necklace is my wedding year but it would also be sweet for a daughter marking the year of her birth :-)

"sweetheart"
this one is customizable - name, nick name, initials, monogram....anything goes!

"love note"
this is one of my favorites - perfect for the woman who dreams of romance or loves poetry......

and of course, custom designs are ALWAYS a favorite of mine!

so tell your hubby, your fiance, your boyfriend, your mom, your dad..........heck, tell everybody! and also available are special designs for moms :-)

valentine's day: 4 weeks and counting! i'll be honest - i hated valentine's day until i met my husband. now i think it's great because i have someone to celebrate with.

so do you love valentine's day or do you think it's all commercial hype?

"i have a dream..."

2012-01-16T10:42:00.003-05:00

do you ever think about the impact people have on your life? even a total stranger, one who died before you were born?

its not something i spend a lot of time doing but on a day like today, i kinda can't help myself. for instance.........

if it weren't for this man:

via

she wouldn't be my mother......

he may not have been my father.....

my immediate family wouldn't look like this.....

i wouldn't have married this wonderful man.......

and this little guy would have never been.....

i couldn't imagine my life without a single one of them.

what one man's courage has produced, years later.

that's something to give thanks for.

{insta photo friday & little happy things!}

2012-01-13T08:38:00.002-05:00

this week i'm linking up with jeannette, andi, and lindsay! here's a little peek at my past week:

i picked up a new, fun scarf so i thought i'd take a picture. i hate that picture. but, seeing as how i'm trying to grow and all, i'm thinking i need to get over myself a bit and not be so anal about how i look.

my brother-in-law gave us a set of wine racks i've been drooling over for about 3 years and hubby hung them this week. double bonus: it freed up tons of cabinet space!

my little man looks so grown! makes me happy and a little sad at the same time! yes, i took this photo last week and yes, that is (still) our christmas tree you see in the background and no, i am not overly attached. i have a plan. give a girl some grace (please!)

and speaking of little man - his room has been an absolute DISASTER since christmas - no where to put the new stuff! i scored those cubes at goodwill for $20 (yay!) then went across the street to target and spent $40 on the bins (boo!) but then i got his room cleaned up, rearranged and reorganized yesterday (yay, again!) yes, that is organized. and yes, what you see there is paint that needs to be scraped off the windows - from 5 years ago. again - grace, y'all. :-)

tonight, hubby and i have plans for a real, grown up date night! actually, it will be a double date with another couple (hubby's bff is married to my bff and our sons are bffs - works out fabulously!). hopefully i'll remember to take some pictures!

have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

{thankful updates & printable!}

2012-01-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

i woke up with a song in my head this morning. does that ever happen to you?

it inspired this:

click here for a printable version :-) i certainly seem to be partial to this color combination!

i'm thankful for this song and for the Lord's renewing grace!

i'm also thankful that - aside from one minor glitch - my attempt at meal planning is going well (i ended up a bit 'off schedule' with the meals BUT i had some alternates to choose from. so perhaps it wasn't really a glitch at all)

in my recent efforts to grow my blog, i've met some new bloggers - new to me, anyway! i'm thankful for this opportunity to meet other godly, talented women and hopefully form some new friendships.

and i'm thankful that the Lord has allowed me first, the means to be a stay-at-home mom and now, a work-from-home mom. never in a million years had i imagined this life for myself - just goes to show that the plans He has for us HUGELY outweigh the brilliance of anything we could plan for ourselves. (included in this plan appears to be some new, godly growth for both me and hubby that i can't share just yet but it's kinda exciting!)

i'm linking up today with one of those fabulous new bloggers i mentioned: sarah at the fontenot four.

what are you thankful for today?

encouraging words wednesday...{glorify the Lord}

2012-01-11T07:42:00.003-05:00

i had a really interesting conversation yesterday. apparently, everyone knows this man:

(source)

i don't watch sports. i don't follow sports. honestly, i don't even like sports. but even i know who this is.

tim tebow.

he's been all over the media. he's even been the subject of an snl parody (which i refuse to link because i didn't find it that funny. but that's just me)

anyway, tim was the subject of this particular conversation and the opening question was something like this:

"i believe in God and i believe in miracles but do you really think God is helping him win?"

well..................

this person went on to point out to me (cuz remember, i pay no attention to anything sports related - odd since i believe my husband is meant.to.be a sports writer. anyway.......)

"this guy is famous for displaying john 3:16 in his eye black. during the playoff, he threw for 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards......."

i just recently learned that, if i'm reading correctly, within his first 3 seasons of college ball, he accumulated 3,016 rushing yards. and in his 3rd season, he passed for 3,016 yards.

ummmm........is it just me?

do i think that God is helping tim tebow win football games and lead his team to victory?

no.

but tim is very open and visible with his faith. he takes every opportunity to spread the gospel.

the bible says:

"and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him"
~colossians 3:17

it appears that tim's got that one covered, yeah?

(and, yes, "whatever" includes football.)

proverbs 16:3 says
"commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans shall succeed"

does God really care about a football game? perhaps in some respects.

i think that what He really cares about is the message.

believers and non-believers alike are talking about tim and his faith.

if God can use tim in a miraculous way such as this to open the eyes of even one person........

that's pretty cool, right?

so yeah, i think God provided tim with a talent and that tim is allowing himself to be used to bring glory to our magnificent savior. and i think God is seriously using tim.

oh, and remember how i asked for prayer for our pastor's soon-to-be son-in-law?

his surgery was yesterday and was scheduled for approximately 4 hours.

it was over in half the time and he's recuperating quickly.

yeah, baby! whatcha got now??!!

my God REIGNS.

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if you have any encouraging words you'd like to share in the comments or you'd like to link up your post, please do so! (and grab a button while you're at it!)

spread some encouragement!

quick post....{blogging party!}

2012-01-10T13:24:00.003-05:00

this morning did not progress as expected.

nope.

not at ALL......

so it's got me wondering why..........God's plan? fear? the enemy?

dunno. somethin to think about.

ANYway........

did y'all see what casey, alycia & danielle are up to???

how much fun would that be, right??

get to know somebody new, receive a goodie or two to beat the holiday blues.......

i am so down with that.

who else is in?

fab finds...{meal planning}

2012-01-07T10:43:00.003-05:00

i've been doing some thinking about my "one little word" {growth} and the areas to which i'd like to apply it. one of the areas is as a homemaker.

i struggle ALOT with home management - things like keeping the house clean throughout the week instead of having to do one huge, day-long clean up; keeping the refrigerator & pantry stocked; staying on top of the various papers and files and important documents floating around the house........

i realize that i'll never be perfect. i am deserving of grace - i will never be 100% accomplished in every aspect of my life. but i should strive to improve.

with the coming of this new year, it seems like everywhere i go, i'm reading about meal planning. i may have given it a half-hearted attempt once or twice but i think its time to give it a real go. hopefully, meal planning won't end up as just some declaration floating out in cyberspace like this organizational plan did (but i haven't given up on it completely!!)

(of course now that i've made this decision, everything seems to be conspiring against me BUT i'm gonna keep trying!)

here are a few things i've found that i think will be helpful to me in this endeavor.

Source: mommytracked.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i found tons and tons of printables (free!!) and this was one of my favorites. of course, my printer decided to quit working so i couldn't print it out.........

Source: bhg.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: littlebiggirlstudio.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and just look at this beautiful organization!!!!

this weekend, i took a shot at it. it took me about 45 minutes to gather, review & choose all my recipes and then create my shopping list.

and lookee, lookee here:

not only did i set up a meal plan for the next 2 1/2 weeks, i set up a 'meal planning management center' (sounds official, doesn't it??) AND i cleaned out and organized the tupperware container.
woo hoo!!

so, what have you found that's inspiring you this week?

{friday photos & little things}

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

i didn't master last year's effort to be more intentional in photo journaling everyday experiences but i'm going to keep trying!

fun with christmas presents! little man actually helped hubby put that lego beast together. 3 hours!! sadly, i accidentally deleted the 'in progress' photo :-(

little man's creativity & imagination continue to amaze me :-) he's so good at entertaining himself - probably comes from being an only child. that makes me just a tiny bit sad!

i got a new piece on the bench! copper this time - and probably looks a bit familiar.

okay, this was not my christmas present (belongs to my father-in-law) but can i just say that i LU-UH-UVE this little keurig. makes THEE BEST cup of coffee ever! hubby is currently protesting the expense of k-cups by refusing to indulge - he has no idea what he's missing!

okay, i see a very messy living room (hard not to) but i ALSO see a family that spent time together over the holiday vacation instead of obsessing over appearances. (and i also wonder, when does that turn into an excuse for not picking up? say about..........now? *grin*)

encouraging words wednesday....{strongholds}

2012-01-04T12:40:00.005-05:00

a few weeks ago, our pastor spoke about strongholds and it's really stayed with me....and i mean stayed with me to the point that i am ready to admit that this message is for me.

webster defines the word stronghold as:

1: a fortified place

2: a : a place of security or survival b : a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic

in the first instance, a stronghold is a good thing:

"the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom i take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold"
~psalm 18:2

but what about the second instance? looks like a good thing - but couldn't it also be interpreted differently?

..."marked by a particular characteristic..."

i would love to be marked by the characteristic of a prayerful woman. or a patient woman, even. i'd take that.

but i've got some characteristics that aren't exactly godly. i'm talking about some real issues that could be preventing me from becoming the woman God intends me to be....

willfulness
pride
judgement - of myself and others

and the list goes on (i'm all about being real, open & honest on a blog but y'all, some of this is between me and God, ya know?)

there is good and bad in the durability of a stronghold. i mean, how in heavens name do i shake this stuff?

"the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. on the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds"
~2 corinthians 10:4

God can't get rid of my negative strongholds. after all, i'm the one who built them. i've made choices. my choices have led to tendencies, tendencies to habits and habits to a way of living.

but He gives me tools.

prayer
instruction
the Holy Spirit
even (or especially) others in my life who can open my eyes, lend support & provide accountability

"growth" is my one little word. so i will choose to dismantle these strongholds that keep me from Him and the blessings He has for me.

do you have any strongholds keeping you back?

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i really feel God leading me to do more than just write about encouragement. i'd like to share! if you have a post that might be encouraging to others, please link it in the comments. and i've even created a blog button you can use to link up :-)

{new blog buttons!}

2012-01-03T13:53:00.003-05:00

just a quick note today:

since i know that one size does not fit all, i finally took a moment and created some additional blog buttons in varying sizes:

125x125

200x100

200x150

200x200

ain't they purdy? you can find the codes for them here.

if you decide to add one to your blog, let me know so i can return the love :-)

fab finds....{kindle fire apps}

2012-01-02T07:22:00.000-05:00

like many others, one of my (favorite!!) christmas gifts was the kindle fire.

kindle fire, oh how i love thee! you must understand, i'm a technology-addicted gal. and, as of late, my smart phone has not been so smart. i've really been suffering, here. (boo hoo!)

i'm almost ashamed to admit that, despite the easy transfer of my books from my earlier version kindle, i've yet to open one! instead, i've been using my fire to make my life easier *grin*

one of my favorite apps is pulse, a news reading app. keeping up with my favorite blogs has never been easier!

another app i added to my fire is hootsuite. definitely not anything new but what i didn't realize is, not only does hootsuite allow me to update my status to twitter, facebook & my facebook page but it also lets me read (and respond to) all the updates on each. (duh! where've i been, right?) good thing cuz i wasn't incredibly fond of the android facebook app.

of course i added youversion, a bible reading app. it was previously installed on my phone but that tiny little screen combined with my phone's limited memory did not a pleasant experience make.

faith & i (my marketing assistant & niece) were in need of a shared calendar. we started out with the google calendar but i found that it wasn't compatible with my fire. there's a paid app that will allow you to synch with the google calendar but google didn't include a to-do list. sooo..........i went with cozi. i'm not hugely impressed with the layout or design but it does what i need it to do!

also on my fire is note everything. i haven't used it much (yet) but i like that it allows text notes, paint notes & voice notes. the paint notes was my primary reason for installation - i can doodle design ideas as they come to me :-)

and i'll admit to one guilty pleasure: where's my water. the cool thing about the amazon app store is that it offers one paid app free everyday. when this game came up, i installed it on my fire AND little man's tablet - one of his favorite christmas gifts ;-)

so what's your favorite app?

one little word...{growth}

2012-01-01T09:52:00.003-05:00

happy new year to you all!

i want to begin by saying that i am so grateful to you all - readers, commenters, customers, supporters - thank you all so much. if i'm able to write just one word that makes you laugh or cry, if there's even one sentiment you can relate to, then i consider myself blessed and this blog worthwhile.

as it turns out, "growth" IS my word for 2012. (wow. i can't believe i just typed "2012". seems so futuristic, doesn't it?)

{photo credit}

i'd really like to grow this year. as a mom, a wife, a blogger, a business owner.....as a christian, most importantly. growth is a necessary thing.

i know that with growth sometimes comes growing pains. but if i keep my roots strong & healthy - staying rooted in the Lord and His word - i'll make it through :-)

a new year

2011-12-30T10:29:00.002-05:00

it's almost that time - out with the old, in with the new. goodbye 2011.

how will i commemorate that here, on my blog? i thought about highlighting the most popular posts - but there really weren't that many.

maybe chronicle the past year with important posts from each month? ummm...i wasn't a very consistent blogger.

so i've decided to look forward. don't get me wrong - there is so much that occurred this year that has been a blessing: my husband's business, my business, countless milestones that little man has reached...........even the fact that my mother went home to be with the Lord. painful but a celebration.

i made mistakes, i learned, i had failures, i had successes, we had struggles and we had achievements.

intentional.

i tried to be intentional in all that i did - sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

so on to 2012.

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via kristi on Pinterest

i won't be making any new year's resolutions, so to speak but i have a few lifestyle changes in mind. i have some goals i'd like to work toward. new designs and a new division of sorts for bonhomie. i'd also like to grow this little blog of mine and create some community.

so what will my word of the year be for 2012? 'growth' maybe? i don't know. i'll pray, i'll contemplate and we'll see :-)

i'm excited to see what this new year brings.

what are your hopes for the new year?

real life...{holiday break}

2011-12-29T08:16:00.002-05:00

i had intended this week to be about cleaning, organization and productivity.

instead, i find that this week is all about lazy mornings...

late nights...

legos...

pajamas all day...

matchbox racetracks...

ideas...

movies...

angry birds & where's my water...

family time.

i'm good with that :-) REALLY good.

i hope you all are enjoying your holiday week - if you have a holiday week - just as much.

but there's one thing i have a hard time wrapping my mind around, especially at this time of year.

tragedy.

early christmas morning, a house went up in flames. a woman lost both of her parents and her three children.

on christmas morning.

our pastor's soon-to-be son-in-law will be undergoing brain surgery in a few days. he's in his early twenties.

i mean, this is a time for celebration and worship and family and love, right?

i don't mean to be a downer. but what's the deal with all this?

we may never know. it's not easy to reconcile pain & suffering with His love. in fact, it's impossible.

but we are still in God's hands.

please, everyone take a moment to be grateful for what you have and who you have. and pray for those who are suffering - in pain, in need, in hunger, in loneliness.......

amen.

biz post....{ideas, sneak peeks & blogging}

2011-12-27T09:11:00.002-05:00

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas! ours was busy - and sometimes tearful - but spent with family and we had an awesome day.

yesterday was spent chatting with more family, lounging in pjs, playing with new toys, watching movies and eating cheese and crackers and christmas cookies (oh my!) how do you spend the day after christmas?

i've been giving (further) thought to this blog o' mine and i'd really like to see it grow. i'd like it to become a community that means something to you and to me. i'm wondering if anyone out there would be interested in doing some guest posts? let me know via comment or email if you are!

and on to the sneak peeks & ideas......

here's a custom piece i did as a holiday gift - i REALLY love the pattern in the copper. i've got an idea for a collection similar to this. i'm hoping to experiment this week so i'll let you know!

and i've been making mention of a whole new venture of sorts BUT still related to my jewelry. here's a hint:

here's another hint: "bonhomie bridal suite"

okay, okay, i'll tell ya! my idea is to offer wedding monograms - on jewelry, on favors & on stationary (invitations, note cards, etc.). sort of 'one-stop-shopping'. nothing too elaborate but custom, giving each bride a designer look to their wedding. i'm hoping to offer the jewelry in different metals to allow for a variety of price points. i have a few other ideas for items that would be available through the "bonhomie bridal suite" but i'll need to do some testing first.

i'm having so much fun working on this! i would love to have everything ready in time for the bridal season but i'm not going to push it - the collection will develop in time ;-)

i'm off now to do some shopping with christmas gift cards (one of my favorite holiday traditions) and then maybe a family game night with our BFFs ;-)

what's on your agenda today?

{merry christmas!}

2011-12-25T07:07:00.000-05:00

real life...{family photos & christmas eve!}

2011-12-24T10:03:00.004-05:00

once or twice, i mentioned the fabulous photographer we'd found. i thought it would be nice to share with you some of my favorites! if you like them, please let hop over to karin's website or blog to let her know! oh, and if you're wondering - we took these photos at topsmead state forest :-)

tonight is christmas eve. we'll have dinner with family, open our christmas pj gifts and read "twas the night before christmas".

what are your christmas eve traditions?

real life...{christmas quiz}

2011-12-23T07:56:00.004-05:00

lindsay over at leelala did a christmas quiz and i thought i'd get in on the fun!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? actually, neither! hot cider.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? definitely wrapped. thankfully, that's hubby's job. i'm a gift bag type of girl.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? white, all the way! next year i'd love to add some of those white light christmas characters - ya know, the reindeer or an angel....
4. Do you hang mistletoe? never have
5. When do you put your decorations up? hubby and i 'discuss' this each year. he insists on getting our tree thanksgiving weekend. since you can't have a tree without decorations, everything gets done up that weekend. by christmas time (like RIGHT NOW!) i'm kinda sick of 'em :-(
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? do christmas cookies count?? *grin*
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? the christmas cantatas at church, youth & adult. i sang my first solo when i was 5. i used to watch my mom in the adult choir and couldn't wait to be old enough to sing with her!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? gosh, i don't even remember. evidently, my parents handled the transition so skillfully that i wasn't traumatized.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? yes - christmas pjs for the family (but not matching)
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? white lights, various ornaments and red bows. little man picks out (at least) one new ornament a year and we also try to buy one with him name on it every year - not sure why but i'm always so tickled when we find one :-)
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? love the look of it. used to hate it when hubby was plowing - kinda disruptive to the whole family routine - but kinda looking forward to it now that he's on his own. i'm also hoping to get back to skiing after a five or so year hiatus!!
12. Can you ice skate? yes, but not really into it. and i have a fear of skating on lakes & ponds. man made rinks only, please.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? sure do. christmas break during basic training, my parents gave me diamond earrings & a solitaire necklace. it wasn't the diamonds themselves (though i do love them!) it was the sacrifice behind them.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Jesus. Remembering the true meaning and not getting caught up in the STRESS. {lindsay's answer} ditto!
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? russian tea cookies - also known as butterballs in my family
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? watching little man open his gifts
17. What tops your tree? a red bow
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? giving - so long as i've come up with something meaningful or clever!
19. Candy canes: yuck or yummy? yuck.
20. Favorite Christmas show? don't really have one, i love them all! well, except for "frosty returns"....really?
21. Saddest Christmas song? definitely "christmas shoes" i lost my godmother shortly before christmas and this will be my first christmas without my mom. if i hear even the first note, it's not gonna be pretty!
22. What is your favorite Christmas song? o holy night. always has been!

encouraging words wednesday....{inspiration}

2011-12-21T10:06:00.003-05:00

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

what does this verse mean to you? does it mean that if we're super-good christians, God will give us whatever we ask for?

Source: ohhappymiracle.com via Beth on Pinterest

umm, not necessarily.

so what does this verse mean?

yesterday, i talked about inspiration. do you believe that inspiration comes from the Lord?

i do, without a doubt. i'm doing a study entitled "imagine" by margaret feinberg. written in the forward, shelia walsh says about psalm 37:4:

"as a child i thought this meant that whatever i wanted, God would be glad to give me, be it a pony or a playmate. now i understand that, as i delight myself in the Lord, He will anoint my imagination and give me His dreams to dream. the more i press in to know Him, the clearer my vision and imagination become."

aaaaah! that makes so much sense, doesn't it? God will provide our inspiration!

and i know it to be true. since i've been allowing God to provide my visions and dreams, the more 'successful' i've become!

so what have you been dreaming? have you been lacking in inspiration lately?

let God become your inspiration!

(ps: i've been considering turning this into a linky party so the encouragement could be spread around. if this sounds good to you, leave me a note in the comments - if there's any interest, i'll created a graphic & add a link-up next week! God bless you, friends!)

creative inspiration...{and what to do about it!}

2011-12-20T09:13:00.003-05:00

Source: astepinthejourney.blogspot.com via Anita on Pinterest

what inspires you? and when you feel that inspiration, what do you do about it? do you just run with it? or do you ponder and examine?

i love to learn and i love to try new things.

except roller coasters. i do not like roller coasters and i will never again try a roller coaster. but we've discussed that before.

i'm talking about different jewelry techniques, different styles of jewelry, various crafty things......

problem is, it's not always necessarily suited to me or the 'brand' i'm trying to create.

but is that really a problem? or maybe it's just a learning experience.

i have in mind some ideas for the new year. a few plans that i'm still trying to flesh out. i've been trying to figure out if these ideas i have are right for me. so i'm taking it before God. prayerfully asking Him to guide me.

and here's what i feel He's trying to tell me:

just do it.
(yeah, ya didn't know that God actually came up with that Nike slogan, didja?)

it may not be right for my business or my brand but there's nothing keeping me from making an attempt, right? yes, you should 'look before you leap' and always 'be prepared' but, also, i don't think inspiration should be ignored. sometimes, you just don't know until you try.

ya feel me?

so. some new stuff may be comin' at ya soon :-)

are you planning on anything new for the new year?

fab finds.....{delicious desserts!}

2011-12-19T08:16:00.002-05:00

do you do any holiday baking? i usually do but not always very successfully. you see, my oven is evil. yup, you heard me. evil.

but lemme back up. see, i only bake once a year. it's always been a holiday tradition for me. but since i married and moved into hubby's family home..........well, i'm pretty sure this stove has it in for me. for example.....

we can cook a 30lb thanksgiving turkey in about 4 hours. no lie. but try to bake any kind of dessert with fruit in it. ain't happenin. done around the edges and undercooked in the center every.time. go figure.

needless to say, holiday baking has been a bit of a gamble. a bet i'm not necessarily willing to take this year.

so i've been looking for some alternative dessert recipes and here's what i've come up with:

Source: sweetpeaskitchen.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

made the same way you'd make rice crispy treats but with oreos.....not sure how that could EVER go wrong!!

Source: food.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

6 minute microwave caramels. add a bit of sea salt....yum!!

Source: marthastewart.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

rum balls...."served chilled, these balls are formed when a batch of brownies is broken into bits, flavored with dark rum, and rolled." this includes the brownie recipe but i am SO NOT above using store bought!

Source: sweetannas.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

homemade peanut butter cups. again, how could you go wrong!?!?

Source: chef-n-training.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

no-bake cake batter truffles. need i say more?

obviously, i found these recipes on pinterest. while viewing my "good eats" pin board, i noticed several recipes i haven't tried yet but sound sooooo good. so i ask you:

are you making the recipes you pin? are they as good as you'd hoped?
(ps: if you need an invite to pinterest, just let me know in the comments!)

real life...{lots of little things!}

2011-12-16T09:20:00.007-05:00

hey, y'all! i've been super busy filling orders and i love it! God has blessed me with just as much as I could handle, especially considering i'm sick and little man is sick and christmas is in NINE DAYS!! (yikes! have you finished your christmas shopping? i haven't!)

i wanted to take a minute and link up with the fabulous lindsay of aisle to aloha and her "little things" link up. here's a few of the little things that have been bringing me happiness this past week or so:

there was a yummy, mama only breakfast at panera bread - my first time having souffle! it was delicious :-)

a custom charm order. so many different ways to tell a person you care. i love being a part of that!

i had our super fabulous photographer do our christmas cards this year - check out her presentation - a nice gift bag, a beautiful holiday card, the cars boxed with ribbon and a chocolate bar with her custom label! i love the thought behind the packaging (and really smart marketing!)

i've been working on some handmade goodies for christmas gifts. no, i didn't pour the candles but i did the embossing! it needs a bit of work ;-)

here's some more beautiful packing by avery's loft! (see the sweet, hand crocheted ornament!) through natalia's ma nouvelle mode blog, i won these in a giveaway: these crocheted boot cuffs! because of my generously sized calves, amy was sweet enough to create a custom size for no extra charge AND even though she was incredibly busy with holiday orders and i told her to take her time, she got them to me before christmas!

and i won another giveaway! courtesy of karen ehman and her "12 days of christmas" series, i won a copy of her ebook "untangling christmas" and that sweet sign in the photo below. i know exactly where i'm going to put it!

so what made you smile this week? please share!

encouraging words wednesday...{faithfulness}

2011-12-14T08:32:00.003-05:00

it being the holiday season, i am blessedly busy but i wanted to take a moment to share. in a previous post, you accompanied me through my struggle. all the while, i kept in mind the faithfulness of God.

Source: jesustotheworld.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

sometimes, we're meant to endure hardship. perhaps there are lessons to be learned. perhaps our struggle is meant to be a testimony. or maybe we'll never know the reason why - at least not until we're home with our Lord.

but God is always there. Immanuel. God with us.

granted, my struggle was minor comparatively speaking. i look at it as a learning experience.

"how to trust in God 101"

and hopefully, that lesson will be with me should we encounter greater struggle.

because we relied on Him through the difficulty, He has blessed us. or, i should say, He has continued to bless us - and through us, He's blessing others.

for example, i've been able to raise $118.00 through my blessings collection which will go to various charitable organizations. praise Jesus!

i am thankful and grateful for our struggles. we have learned lessons and we have grown in our faith.

so if you're experiencing some difficulty, keep praying. hold on to Him. and i will pray for you. remember:

He is faithful.

real life...{favorite things}

2011-12-08T10:36:00.004-05:00

i think i love my house the most during the holiday season. the christmas decorations make it seem warmer. just a little bit cozier, don't you think?

here are a few of my favorites:

our "little drummer boy" nativity. one of my favorite christmas songs & specials - give the Lord what you have, even if you feel it isn't enough. that's usually when it turns out to mean the most :-)

our "parents to be" ornament. this is the first ornament hubby & i ever purchased together for our tree....

this advent calendar was handmade by my husband's aunt for the little man. beautifully quilted and each pocket holds a little ornament to hang on one of the 25 buttons. he loves this tradition!

this year, the little man & i made our own snow globes. some came out better than others - this one is my favorite.

what are some of your favorite holiday decorations?

**after i wrote this post, i noticed the awful quality of these pictures!! unfortunately, despite the many tutorials i'm reading, that's happening a lot lately. i think i'll have to make it a resolution for the new year!

encouraging words wednesday....{love & marriage}

2011-12-07T10:10:00.003-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Stephanie on Pinterest

a few weeks ago, we received a challenge from our pastor. i promptly ignored it.

surprisingly, (hmmm....was it REALLY surprising??) my devotion today led me back to the same portion of scripture having to do with this challenge.

ready for it.........?

"wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord"
~ephesians 5:22

ugh. did i mention that i read this particular verse immediately after the temper tantrum i threw over my husband's heinous behavior?

seriously heinous. i mean it. horrid, even!

what did he do, you ask? he neglected to have our son clean up his room last night.

see??? almost unforgivable, right??

hmm. okay, Lord. needless to say, i finished my devotions AFTER apologizing to hubby.

i have trouble with this scripture. i'm guessing that we all do, at least at some point. honestly, it would be easier for me to willingly ride a roller coaster, pet a rat and make friends with a spider that it would be for me to get this right on a daily basis. and y'all i have some serious issues with roller coasters, rats & spiders.

so how do i do this?

i have no idea. but God does.

the discussion about this verse could go so much deeper. if you have issues with trust. if your husband has made some mistakes (haven't we all). if your husband isn't a christian.

but for now i will just pray and ask for His forgiveness. and i will learn how to humbly ask for my husband's forgiveness. i will meditate on that verse. and i will try, try and try again until i get it right.

if we are to be true jesus-lovin christians, we can't pick and choose the parts of the bible that we will embrace. we have to take it all in - even the parts that make us uncomfortable.

so here i will sit, uncomfortable. and maybe tryin to learn how to love a rat ;-)

fab finds....{handmade holidays: handbags!}

2011-12-05T09:46:00.003-05:00

those of you who know me know that my obsession with handbags is second only to my obsession with boots. as a matter of fact, the only reason hubby has been able to rein in my handbag obsession is because i'm hoping that if i buy less handbags, he'll let me buy more boots :-)

(insert evil laughter here)

if you're anything like me, maybe you'd like to add one of these beauties to your wishlist!

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

all of these lovlies are crafted by members of the artisan group. there are more handbags & clutches & purses (oh my!) here.

real life...{it's the little things}

2011-12-01T10:37:00.005-05:00

so i made it through the day yesterday without sinking into an abyss of unnecessary depression thanks to God and thanks to you :-)

i mentioned that God has been blessing us so I'll share with you those blessings. the little things that are happening in my life that bring a smile to my face.

remember the printable i made? i think it came out great!

we finished decorating for the holiday - inside and out!

and the "blessings collection" made the paper!! two different papers, as a matter of fact. the one shown here is the Waterbury Republican American - almost word for word from my press release. the other was published in the Torrington Register Citizen (click to read the article. really, it's good!). i had the opportunity to meet with the reporter and i'm so glad i did! definitely my favorite article. you'll notice i didn't get a copy of that one (told ya - broker than broke, remember? BUT that's also changed for the better. see? blessings!)

lastly, i am so thankful for this blog. this morning, i had the pleasure of waking up to a wonderful comment from yesterday's post and a separate email from a new friend. i'm loving the relationships this blog has allowed me to cultivate :-)

what's making you smile today?

encouraging words wednesday...{it is well}

2011-11-30T10:53:00.003-05:00

it's 11:00am and i've yet to get out of my bathrobe.

clients are pushing their own deadlines on me - deadlines that in no way mesh with mine.

at this very moment we've got less than no money - some of y'all know exactly what that means.

i tried to wait to write this post.

until my heart was feeling less angst.
but my spirit is crying this morning.

it shouldn't be this way because God has been blessing us. over and over. in little ways and big ways. i know that He's blessing us right now! i know this because, at this very moment, my husband is working on a job. he has another to go to when he's finished with that one. and he has work to see him through the week. praise Jesus, that is a blessing.

yet my spirit still aches.

so you know what that means. satan is trying to tear me down.

i'm writing this post anyway. to be real.

in my success, in my failure, in my happiness, and in my trials, i want to be real.

God is with me. always.

i'll leave you with this video. it's not professionally shot and it's missing the first little bit of the song. but know that, as powerful as it appears right here, it was so much more so in person. this is natalie grant performing "it is well with my soul" at one of the women of faith conferences. i got so much out of every.single.moment of that conference but this..........this was a highlight for me.

and i will say be it peace or sorrow, it is well with my soul.

fab finds...{handmade holidays - for the men}

2011-11-29T11:45:00.002-05:00

for those of you who may have missed my holiday sale, never fear! there's a super giveaway goin on ($40 shop credit to bonhomie charms) AND another discount code...

just head on over to createliveblog to enter :-)

and i've got some more wonderful gift ideas to share with you!

lest you think it's all about gifts for the girls, think again!

Source: zazzle.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: zazzle.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and there is more fabulousness! check out more great stuff for you guys by the artisan group here.

make sure you tell 'em i sent ya! ;-)

cyber monday sale!!

2011-11-28T08:57:00.001-05:00

turkey day is over and we're gearing up for the christmas holiday at my house!

over the weekend we hung the lights outside, changed over the planters from fall to winter, put up the tree, decorated the tree and started decorating the house. whew! christmas holiday decorating is a big thing over here... a multi-day process ;-)

did you start your holiday shopping? looking for one more gift? looking for all your gifts?

Source: Uploaded by user via Jacklyn on Pinterest

never fear, you've got one more day to shop bonhomie and receive a 20% discount! the cyber monday sale is going strong over at my etsy shop (prices already reduced) and you can use code THANKS20 over at the charms site.

happy shopping!

real life....{printable!}

2011-11-27T13:45:00.005-05:00

okay, so here's something i've never done before. i'm sharing a printable with you i made myself! (no laughing or snickering, please!)

but, before i share the link, i'll tell you how this all came about.....i saw this on pinterest:

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i loved the colors but wanted something a bit more christ-centered. so, here's what i came up with:
you can download a .pdf here. (the .pdf will look a lot crisper, i swear!) it was created to fit an 11"x14" frame. since i'm ALWAYS out of color ink, i had mine printed thru staples copy & print and had it mailed to me. the closest in size i could get was 11"x17" so i'll just trim the excess before i put it in the frame. i'll try to remember to get a pic of the holiday mantle when it's done :-)

again, i've never done this before so if it doesn't work out properly or i've done something wrong or could've done something better, etc. please let me know!
***********************************************************
edited: i'm noticing that some of the fonts aren't showing up properly. if you find that to be the case and you'd like a copy of this printable, just leave me a comment and i'll send it to you!

another celebrity gifting!

2011-11-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

if you're a fan of my facebook page or you follow me on twitter, you may already know this (but i'm gonna tell you again cuz i'm so excited about it!!)

bonhomie jewelry will be gifting a custom designed necklace to mama-to-be hilary duff, courtesy of the artisan group!

hilary and husband, mike comrie are expecting their baby boy to arrive sometime in march (also the month of my birthday!) . they haven't yet announced the name they've chosen for their son but i would be incredibly honored to create another custom charm with his name or initial after he arrives!

34 other talented artists are participating in this gifting. you take a peek at some of the other wonderful gifts mama and baby will receive here.

huge congratulations to soon-to-be mom & dad :-D

black friday thru cyber monday sale!

2011-11-25T05:02:00.000-05:00

it's here! so what are your plans today? have you been awake since 3am, standing in line for the deal of all deals? or maybe you're sitting on your couch, sipping your coffee and laughing at everyone lined up in the dark!

either way, have i got a deal for you ;-)

receive a 20% discount at my etsy artisan shop AND my bonhomie charms shop!

you'll find the sale prices already reflected in my artisan shop. to take advantage of this sale in my charms shop, just enter code: THANKS20

happy shopping and have a wonderful weekend!!

happy thanksgiving....{and a secret sale!}

2011-11-24T05:50:00.000-05:00

happy thanksgiving to you! i hope that you’re enjoying time with family and all the blessings God has given you :-)

i have so much to be thankful for this year – the community i’ve found in this blog and with my customers, for one!

to say “thank you,” i’m having a secret sale today, before the black friday/cyber monday event begins.

receive a 30% discount at my artisan etsy shop or my bonhomie charms shop using code:

GOBBLEGOBBLE (kinda silly, aren’t i?)

but you’ve got to hurry! this code expires at midnight!

encouraging words wednesday....{thankful}

2011-11-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

wow, right?

i first saw this about a month ago and it struck me immediately. during this time of national thanksgiving, it's pretty easy to remember to be thankful. but are we thankful everyday? are we thankful for everything?

i haven't been, i know that.

but i've been working on it. i've been drawing closer to the Lord and as a result, i've been able to life my life with God's perspective instead of my own. i'm learning how to be thankful through good and bad. granted, there is nothing in my life at present that presents a true challenge. however, it's my hope that thanking Him at all times and for all things will become who i am so when i do encounter extreme difficulty, i'll cling to Him without forethought or reminder.

each day, when i'm beginning my time with Him, i've been jotting down 5 things i'm thankful for that day. oddly enough, with all that we have, it's not always easy to come up with 5 because i'm trying not to list the same things everyday. it's causing me to notice all the little things He does for us.

and that's really cool.

i'm going to continue this practice....beyond thanksgiving, until it becomes second nature to me.

will you join me?

real life....{holiday plans...}

2011-11-22T09:41:00.002-05:00

Source: laurenconrad.com via Samantha on Pinterest

the holiday season is upon us!

this phrase keeps running through my head....i'm not sure if i'm hearing it as a joyous announcement or a cry for help but there it is.

just kidding! seriously, this time of year is usually a big 'ol bundle of stress for me but this year i'm surprisingly calm. despite the fact that i've yet to do the grocery shopping for the 10 guests who will descend upon our house in two days. and despite the fact that a big announcement i'd been hoping to make probably will not be forthcoming. and despite the fact that the value of the items on little man's christmas list has increased exponentially....

despite it all. should i be concerned? i'm pretty sure my husband is thinking that this is the calm before the storm (by the way, hubby's link will bring you to his new blog - good stuff, must read!)

but ya know what? it's all good. and that is TRULY a God-thing cuz I am typically the queen of stress. how awesome is that?

now, that's not to say that i'm not busy and maybe slightly behind in preparations (as noted above) and promotions and cleaning, etc. so this will be a short post.

before i go, be aware the i will be participating in the "black friday/cyber monday" events - and no, that doesn't mean i'll be standing in line in the dark at some big store (though lets not rule that out - like i said, i'm a bit behind so i have no idea what i might need to buy!)

what i mean is i will be having a sale! 20% off everything in my etsy artisan shop AND in my bonhomie charms shop! details will follow in my "black friday" post.

and make sure you stop by here on thanksgiving day, if only for a hot minute, cuz i'll have a special surprise for you :-)

so, what are your holiday plans?

fab finds...{handmade holidays - stocking stuffers}

2011-11-21T07:05:00.000-05:00

here's the next round of 'fab finds' from fellow members of the artisan group! this week, i thought i'd feature a few sweet stocking stuffers:

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

be sure to check out additional stocking stuffer ideas by the artisan group and my other "fab finds" on pinterest.

so, how many of you haven't started your holiday shopping yet? (i'm raising my hand!!)

just a quick note....

2011-11-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

hey, y’all!

lately, i’ve really begun missing metalwork. don’t get me wrong. i LOVE creating my charms. but there’s just something about that smooth metal….cutting, bending, shaping and joining pieces that, separately, don’t look like much but together create a beautiful piece of jewelry!

so i’ve added back into my etsy shop some pieces you haven’t seen in a little while.

the molten bar earrings, the stacking pebbles ring and the silver cup ring.....

plus more! so go take a look – maybe you’ll find something that lets you cross just one more name off your list :-)

encouraging words wednesday….{sanctuary}

2011-11-16T08:56:00.001-05:00

there is a chair in our house – in our bedroom, actually. i was not fond of this chair. i thought it looked dated. it didn’t really match our ‘decor’. it’s not the most comfortable. but i left the chair alone, if only to occupy some blank space.

but things have changed. i use this chair everyday. this chair is where i spend my mornings.

with God.

some time back, i resolved to begin reading the bible. regularly. i’d heard so many people say what comfort and wisdom and joy they found in the word of the Lord.

“so faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.”
~romans 10:17

well, i was a christian. i know that because i only listened to praise & worship or gospel music. i was attending church regularly. we prayed before each meal – even out in public! i was ‘raised in the church,’ after all, so of course i was a christian! i did all the things a ‘true christian’ should do. right?

but did i know the word of God? were his promises and words of guidance tattooed on my heart and on my lips within a moments notice in times of trouble?

no. they weren’t.

so i began my duty as a christian. slowly, my obligation became a habit. but now my habit is my desire.

“we must with unyielding purpose take time away with the Lord again and again. the very essence of our physical and spiritual well-being depends on our frequently breaking away and entering the compassionate presence of God. There, we can pour out from the depths of our souls our every feeling, anxiety, and need.”
~Anita Corrine Donihue

every morning, i take that time away with my Lord. i pray, i read my bible, i read my devotionals.

it brings peace to my soul.

order to my day.

regardless of the tasks before me, the troubles that come, i am grounded in God’s promises…

“the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
~deuteronomy 31:8

that chair is now my favorite piece of furniture. because that’s where i go to meet God, my sanctuary.

how do you spend your time with God?

fab finds...{handmade holidays - under $20}

2011-11-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

hey, y’all!

i was just recently accepted into a fabulous organization: the artisan group.

“The Artisan Group is an exclusive close-knit community of artists who handcraft their products and gift them to celebrities and members of the press at Hollywood's top celebrity Gift Lounges.”

i’ve got a fabulous announcement coming soon having to do with this wonderful group (if you saw it on my facebook page, don’t tell!!)

anyway, since we’re getting so close to the holidays AND the members of this group are so supportive, i thought it would be fun to put together my own little gift guide featuring the work of these talented artists :-) each “fab finds” post from now ‘til sometime in mid december will feature their items from different categories.

enjoy!

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: bellaromaboutique.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: communityondisplay.net via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and there's more!! make sure you check out the additional offerings on the artisan group's gifts under $20!

real life…….{another random post}

2011-11-14T17:14:00.001-05:00

hey, there! i’m posting kinda late in the day, i know. i had another post planned and i tried to write said post all.day. BUT pinterest has decided that it ain’t happenin so………..

guess that post will hafta wait until tomorrow. or the next day. or the day after that? anyway.

lots of friends have been sharing pics from their recent photo shoots and i thought “hey! i have one of those!!”

this gorgeous photo is thanks to karin goodwin photography. those of you local to connecticut want to contact her right away cuz i’m pretty sure this talented girl is gonna be booked up real quick!!

i’ve got some cool posts planned – some sneak peeks, some big news and maybe a giveaway so make sure to stay in touch!

real life….{random goodness}

2011-11-10T08:51:00.001-05:00

i don’t have a specific topic to post today. instead i thought i’d share some random info about me and my family, progress on some tasks/goals that i’ve set, etc…..

WAAAAY, way back i mentioned that hubby went back into business for himself. in that same post i listed some goals, one of which was to finish his web site. as little man would say “TAH TA”! six months later (!!!), it’s done.

i’ve said it so many times you must be sick of hearing it by now but my husband really is incredibly supportive. i, on the other hand, really have to work on being a helpmate to my husband. i was a very selfish person for many, many years. incredibly independent. but God has brought us together to work as a team and i’m ashamed to admit that i often drop the ball in that respect. i’m going to commit myself to improving in this area.

i am hugely excited for this weekend! tomorrow i’m off to the women of faith conference in hartford, ct with 4 close friends. last year it was only 2 of us and we drove up & back each day. this year we’ll be staying in town and shuttling to the conference from the hotel. i’m looking forward to getting recharged and inspired by His word. it is such an awesome experience to be surrounded by so many jesus girls! is anyone else going?

and speaking of God, he’s really been working with me – inspiring me, motivating me…..it feels so good to be working right there, exactly where God wants you to be, ya know? i’m so excited to see what He’s going to do. i will be bold in the Lord with my business :-) i’m hoping to have lots of stuff to announce in the coming week!

how is God moving you lately??

encouraging words wednesday…..{fear}

2011-11-09T08:05:00.002-05:00

fear is yucky, isn’t it? insidious. sneaky. it can make us run when we should walk. it can make us stay when we should go. i can make us doubt when we should believe.

yesterday, lisa wrote a post about fear. sometimes, what is a blessing to us can also make us fearful.

i’ve been struggling with some fears myself. haven’t we all??

i’m afraid of really working my business. i want so badly to succeed. what if i give it my best effort and still fail?

on a scale of 1 to 10, that particular concern is pretty low on the scale compared to others’ fears. but fear is fear, right?

as jesus girls, how do we deal with fear? having faith in God doesn’t eliminate the fact that sometimes we will be afraid.

Source: imgfave.com via Christina on Pinterest

nope, being a christian isn’t some super power that means we will never fear.

we’re human. we’re imperfect. that’s what satan’s counting on. because when we fear, we take our eyes off of God.

God is our super power. He’s our shield.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”
~philippians 4:6-7

i didn’t have any wise words for lisa but i really liked what maggie had to say. “pray with confidence”

….Lord, i know that you will keep me safe. Lord, i know that you have good plans for me. Lord, i know that you will get me through this difficult situation…..

is fear holding you back from something today?

fab finds……{brrrr!!!}

2011-11-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

i mentioned in an earlier post the pre-halloween freak snow storm we had up here. a nor’easter plus no power made for some pretty cold nights!

time to break out the winter wear! i found some really comfy, cozy items on etsy:

i love hand knit socks! but i'm still working on my second pair from last winter *blush*

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and these are awesome! also made a pair of these but shorter (and not as cool!)

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and how cute is this? nope, never made one of these and SERIOUSLY doubt i've the patience and follow through to even attempt it...

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

stylish and warm! y'all already know i've never made anything like this. i'd be bragging all over the place if i did ;-)

Source: etsy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i have to say that my favorite cold weather wear go-to item is my hand knit socks, by far!

what’s your favorite??

sneak peek…….{“blessings” collection!}

2011-11-04T06:54:00.000-04:00

i was sidetracked again, this time by about 10” of snow and no power, water or heat for 3 days! but now i’m getting back on track and……..

finally, finally, FINALLY!

i’m so excited about this collection – it’s been a long time in coming. a few years really. God had placed this on my heart some time ago and it’s finally coming together.

introducing the “blessings” collection!

each charm will be available in copper, silver and silver with gold accents. these charms have been hand carved (by me!) and hand stamped (also by me!) so you can be assured you won’t find another like it :-) these charms will be available on my website very soon, i promise!

why is this collection so special to me? well, i’ll tell ya……..

it’s my plan that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to benefit a few causes:

“faith” – adventures in missions

“Adventures in Missions (AIM) is an interdenominational missions organization that focuses on discipleship. We emphasize prayer and relationships in our work amongst the poor.

Since we were established in 1989, we have taken over 90,000 people into the mission field, some for as short as a week and others for as long as a year or longer. In several places around the world, we minister year-round ministry to “the least of these”. We believe that by giving people the opportunity to hold orphans, bring hope to the hopeless, and pray for the sick, lives are transformed.

We seek to disciple as Jesus did; our vision is that God would use us to raise up a generation of radically committed disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“hope” - hope for aids

“HOPE for AIDS engages and supports local partners in an effective, holistic and compassionate response to HIV and AIDS that transforms individuals, families and communities through Christ's love.”

“love” – samaritan’s purse

“For over 40 years, Samaritan's Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ's command by going to the aid of the world's poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.”

i’ve done a lot of praying over this collection and the praying will continue. God has blessed me with a talent and i really want to use this talent as a blessing to others.

how is God blessing you today?

new men’s collection!!

2011-10-28T08:44:00.002-04:00

i’ve finally put together a few men’s items – just in time for holiday shopping! *wink*

this rugged cross was originally made as a gift for my hubby last christmas. i’ve since made one other for a friend’s son with a different texture but wasn’t smart enough to get pictures. maybe she’ll take a few for me.

and these distressed dog tags i made for my nephew. he wanted a set of tags but i didn’t want to do something that you could find elsewhere. i did a model of my idea in copper and sent him the photo with fingers crossed….turns out he prefers stylized pieces to standard and this design was perfect. i love the way these turned out!

completely off topic, we got our first snowfall last night. seriously?!?! and i hear we’re in store for more tomorrow!

it really is beginning to look a lot like………i won’t say it. but don’t forget…..

sign up for my newsletter to get in on some fabulous savings! the deal on the discounted gift certificates expires in a few days!

awol again {and gift certificates!}

2011-10-27T07:39:00.000-04:00

yeah, i know.

gone again, and after i said i wouldn't do it again!

well, the Lord had some other plans for me. He's been laying some good stuff on my heart and i've been doing my best to be obedient. but - as i've said before - somethin had to give. i have a feeling that this blog will be sacrificed to other endeavors often but that doesn't mean i don't love you!

i certainly do love each and every one of you - those who read my blog religiously and those who just pop by every so often and even those who may be reading this for the very first time. i say this sincerely. i've found wonderful sources of support, encouragement and inspiration in this blogosphere of ours and i wouldn't trade it for anything!

and just so you don't think i've been slackin on the business end of things, guess what i got??

gift certificates! they're back for the holidays (yup. holidays. exactly 58 days until Christmas. wow.)

and here's a tip.......readers of my newsletter got a discount code for 20% off!

nope, not gonna share it here and i'll tell ya why. i've got lots in store for holiday promotions but they'll only be announced in my newsletters.

so. whadaya waitin for?? take a peek at my sidebar and go sign up so you can get your discount code, too!

{send a hug day!!}

2011-10-13T08:48:00.001-04:00

okay, before i get to the hugs, y’all need to know how sweet my husband is – take a look at the comments from yesterday’s post. it really made my day :-)

so now on to the actual point of my post.

i mentioned that my focus is now on being a blessing to my family and others. one of the ways i’m attempting to do that is through couponing.

couponing, you say? like, extreme couponing?

yup. extreme couponing. well, not extreme extreme. but hear me out. i want to save my family money. who doesn’t, right? and, as a SAHM, i have some time to devote especially since my only little one is in school all day.

so where do the “others” come in, you ask? well, i’m hoping to be able to amass enough food, paper goods, personal care items, etc. to be able to donate it to those in need. women’s shelters, food pantries, pet shelters…..i hear that many women who are extreme couponers are making a ministry of it and i’d like to be one of them!

as a result of my immersion into the world of couponing, i found out about barilla’s “send a virtual hug” day. if you send a virtual hug via facebook, barilla will make a donation to feeding america.

how easy is that? send a hug, feed america!

so go now and send a hug!

encouraging words wednesday…..{blessings}

2011-10-12T09:04:00.001-04:00

when i was younger, i was incredibly selfish. it probably wasn’t much different than the majority of those around me but, looking back at my behavior and mindset, i’m not proud.

even now, as a jesus-girl, i find myself worrying more about myself. “thank you Lord for the blessings you’ve given us. please help my business…….please help my husband’s business……..please help me….” have been my standard prayers.

but recently, i’m finding more and more that what’s going through my mind is “Lord, please help me be a blessing to my family…..please help me be a blessing to others….please help me be a blessing.”

i read a devotional today about becoming a slave to God. giving everything you have – possessions, hopes, dreams, family – over to God. i’m not quite sure how to do that. of course, i have the words but what are the actions required?

i don’t know.

but i do know that learning to be a blessing to others is a good first step.

i’m excited about it! i have a plan of action! (you know how i love those!!)

i’m hoping that while learning to be a blessing to others, God will teach me more lessons. lessons on how to be a slave to God and not self. lessons on how to be reflection of Him. lessons on how to become closer to Him.

i have always loved the Lord. i’ve wanted to live a life of a true christian because that’s what He requires of me. but lately, my burning desire is live a life of a true christian because i want to hear Him say….

“….well done, good and faithful servant.”
~matthew 25:21

today, let’s make it a point to find at least one way to be a blessing to others.

{photo credit}

real life….{new york vacation, part 1}

2011-10-11T10:21:00.001-04:00

i have a sister who lives in upper new york state whom i rarely see so we decided to take a trip this weekend. we had an AWESOME time visiting so we’ll be making this a regular thing.

one of the highlights of our stay was a visit to the iron kettle farm. it’s more than just pumpkin picking. if you’re ever in the area, i’d suggest a visit!

of course, we did get a few pumpkins………

there were displays of pumpkins dressed in various nursery rhyme, cartoon & movie character costumes….

and they had such quaint, country store items…..

there was so much more to do but we weren’t prepared for the weather – an autumn heat wave! – so we didn’t indulge in all their offerings.

how was your holiday weekend? did you do anything special?

real life….{presto pesto!}

2011-10-06T08:47:00.002-04:00

i love basil. the look of those bright, shiny green leaves. the smell…..yum!

for years, i’ve watched one of my best friends grow pots of basil every summer and make her own pesto. “it’s easy,” she said!

usually, anything “easy” i muck up pretty badly. but this year i finally did it!

at the beginning of the season, i purchased my basil plants – i got about four 4” pots of basil. i planted them in one large container, set it on my deck in a sunny spot and just let it grow. i don’t usually grow anything edible – my attention wanders and i’d rather not have anyone depending on anything from my garden. but the basil was pretty maintenance-free. i had to water a few times during the hottest periods in the summer. aside from that, easy-peasy!

i was told to harvest the basil before it begins to flower. i’m not really sure what happens when it begins to flower….it stops producing leaves? it dies? the world ends? i don’t know. to be honest, several times mine began to flower before i got around to harvesting and it all still turned out just fine. sometimes i just picked the leaves, other times i pruned it down pretty well to stimulate new growth.

from those 4 plants, i made about 5 or 6 batches of pesto this year. i pruned it yesterday – we’ll see if i get any more growth!

and as it turns out, making pesto really is easy! just harvest your leaves – use just the larger ones. i think the small ones can be a bit bitter. don’t forget to rinse!

add all your ingredients to you blender or food processor….

and presto! you’ve made pesto! (ha! sometimes i’m so corny!)

my recipe:

2 cups of basil leaves (no need to pack them down or anything)
4 cloves of garlic (as you can see, i use the diced garlic from a jar. so sue me!)
1 cup of nuts (pine nuts or walnuts. i use walnuts – less expensive and no real difference in taste)
1/4 cup of romano cheese (most of the time, i forget the romano so i add extra parmesan)
1 cup of parmesan cheese
approximately 1 cup of olive oil – whatever is needed to achieve proper consistency.

blend well. enjoy!

if i manage to get any more growth on my basil plants, i’m considering putting one of them in a smaller pot and moving it indoors for the winter.

do you grow any herbs indoors? which ones?

encouraging words wednesday….{move!}

2011-10-05T12:15:00.001-04:00

i need to begin this post by saying that i am so grateful for God’s word. i try to begin everyday reading my devotionals and my bible – some quiet time with Him to get my day off on the right track.

right now, i’m working on my verse memorization so that His word is always with me in difficult situations. but sometimes words just aren’t enough – for me, anyway.

now words set to music?? that’s my thing! i’m a musical kinda gal and the right song can move me like nothing else. the lyrics stay with me, as they do with most people. btw, my son received as a gift a wonderful cd of bible verses set to music by seeds family worship. he loved it and i loved it – not just for the kiddos, ya know? AWESOME way for families to learn scripture.

so, after i wrote yesterday’s post about my business ‘plan’ (i use that term loosely. more like a business idea), i realized that there was quite a bit to do. i don’t know about you but when i see a long list of things to do, i get a bit overwhelmed. when i get overwhelmed, i tend to shut down. “i can’t figure out where to start, it seems as though i’ll never accomplish it all so why bother” sorta deal. ever feel that way?

i know that if God has set it on my heart then there is a way for me to accomplish amazing things. more than i could ever imagine.

and sometimes, most times, a song helps. there’s a reason God made people with vocal talent ;-)

this song says it all. i am motivated and ready to accomplish all God has set forth before me. amen!

what’s moving you today?

let’s talk business….{again}

2011-10-04T11:24:00.001-04:00

since i’ve got lots of ideas floating around in my head and a few projects in the works, i thought this would be a good time to share my business direction with you for two reasons:

1. to get your feedback. as a jewelry artist, i try to put out designs that reflect who i am BUT i’m not the one buying. often times (ok, ALL the time!) i’m guessing about what might work. so input from other business owners and customers – current and future – is invaluable. i’d like my designs to be a combination of what you want to wear and what i want to create. does that make sense?

2. to keep me accountable. life has a way of getting in the way. i sometimes get sidetracked and what i intended to do doesn’t get done when i wanted it done. now, if that’s what God sees fit then it is what it is, right? but i find that if i put my plans to paper and show the world, i’m more apt to stay on schedule. ya feel me?

in my previous business post, i mentioned that it may be time to close my etsy shop. well, i haven’t done it yet. why? i’m not really sure. i’m wondering if it may be a good idea to keep it open through the holidays. since it’s already october, i don’t think that gives me as much time as i’d need to get my charms site marketed the way it should be for holiday sales. thoughts?

and speaking of holiday sales, i really dropped the ball last year. this year, i plan to promote more and i’ll be adding a few more pieces – for men, too! aaaaand…..i’m gonna try my hand at a home trunk show. i’m not entirely positive it’s going to come together. a friend will be hosting and i’m certainly not going to pressure her – it’s a busy time of year for everyone! but i need to put in place a back up plan. MAYBE a holiday show somewhere but finding the right one is a bit tricky. we’ll see.

also in the earlier business post, i was wondering if i should move the couleurs line from etsy over to my site. i still think that will be the plan eventually but i’ll be reworking the line a bit. that line was intended to be a fun, mid-price point collection. since the the price of EVERYTHING skyrocketing, i’m making some changes: ring bands will now be copper but they’ll be adjustable which will allow me to have a larger selection for any shows i do this holiday season. i’m actually kinda excited about that! i’m experimenting with new colors and a new technique. and to go along with the new technique, i’ll have some new designs. i’ve really been groovin’ on those big, statement rings so it will be something like that.

the last update i’ll share with you is actually something you’ve already heard but i’m gonna keep sayin it until it’s done. (accountability, remember?) i’m still working on some pieces who’s sale will benefit a couple of charities. these will be charms – hand stamped but not personalized – and the stamps will be handcarved by me. which would be the cause of the delay. the designs have been finalized but my skills need a bit of work. and i still haven’t decided on which organizations i’d like to support, though i’ve narrowed down the causes. i’m hoping that each charm will be available in copper, silver and silver & gold.

oh, and speaking of copper (last update, i swear!), i also have in the works a copper wrap bracelet. hard to describe but my test piece has gotten a lot of positive feedback so i think it will be a go. hopefully, i’ll have that in time for the holidays, also.

okay, wow. i have a lot to do! off to the bench now :-)

shop owners, how do you prepare for the holidays? and shoppers, what are you looking for this holiday season?

all things local…{the emporium of litchfield}

2011-10-03T09:02:00.001-04:00

a little while back, i expressed a desire to explore my ‘neighborhood’ a bit more, maybe find some interesting shops. well, i finally had a chance to do just that! it wasn’t the huge success i had hoped it would be but i did find one really cool shop:

the emporium of litchfield

(source)

the emporium is a really funky yet upscale consignment shop located in a 2 story, older farmhouse (i love that porch!) during my visit, i saw some beautiful jewelry – vintage AND handcrafted, i found a really unique jacket i’m still considering, there was some awesome furnishings – a shabby chic style and the displays were so charming! each room of the house was utilized in displaying their goods.

i fell in love with this quilt made up of gorgeous, indian print fabrics. maybe pieces of saris?

of course the starfish caught my eye as well as the beautiful painting!

i realize my photojournalism skills need some work! i was about finished with my browsing before it occurred to me to take some photos and taking the photos made me feel a bit like i was doing something i shouldn’t. the shop owner & worker were both so nice, i should have just asked! and, of course, some of the photos i took were so horrible i couldn’t use them (yes, even worse than these!).

so don’t just take my word for it. if you’re local, go visit them! so much to see and you’d be hard-pressed not to find something that should go home with you :-)

have you visited anyplace new recently?

real life…..{busy, busy!}

2011-09-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

hey, y’all! my appearance here has been – and might continue to be – a bit sketchy this week. i’ve been busy attending to health, hearth, home & business!

hubby has had some free time lately so we’ve been trying to take advantage of time without the little man (very cool!) and allergies are kickin’ my butt lately (not so cool!)

i’ve been squeezing in a little design time and business planning so i’m hoping to have some exciting announcements coming your way really soon……

…and speaking of, i’m wondering: if i added a men’s collection, what type of pieces would you like to see?

please stop over to natalie’s blog “ns pottery”! she did a small feature on me AND there’s a nice, little goodie in it for ya!

and have you seen nat’s work? she’s got some beautiful pottery that i’ve got in mind for some christmas gifts. for instance, i’m pretty sure little man’s teacher and my sister would love this. and my other sister would be ever-so-grateful if i bought her this. and i know my mother-in-law would love this. my bff needs this. and i just realized – all of these would be awesome in some themed gift baskets!! yay – i just started my christmas list :-)

i promise, things will get back to normal soon. i hope. actually, i pray!

fab finds…{love to learn}

2011-09-26T10:41:00.001-04:00

i’ve always been a curious, self-sufficient sorta girl. when i want to know how to do something, my first instinct is “google it”! do you know how much stuff you can learn online?

okay, yeah. most of you do know. but i still think it’s pretty cool!

here are some of my faves:

Source: atlasquest.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

learn how to carve your own stamps! might be using this one later today....

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

self portraits. this is one i really need to work on!

Source: clickinmoms.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and this one, too - tips on getting yourself in the family photos

Source: homemademamas.net via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

you can make your own febreze and save a bit of $$ at the same time. i did this, by the way. not too bad!

Source: craftberrybush.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

you can learn how to dye glass - how cool is that?!?!

Source: blog.forrent.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

even make your own farmhouse table! ambitious but not beyond the realm of possibility ;-)

what's the best tip, trick or tutorial you've found online?

it’s the little things…{first day of fall!}

2011-09-23T10:04:00.001-04:00

i love summertime and all it represents………warm weather, beaches, summer vacation (insert nostalgic sigh here).

but when fall rolls around, i’m happy to see it and everything it brings:

fall foliage….

Source: timharman.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

awesome photo opps. and guess what? we’re having some family photos done this fall! i’m so excited :-D

hot apple cider….

Source: None via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

yum! and mulled cider…double yum!

and how about some fall decorating…..

Source: bhg.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i love mums with pumpkins!

in our house, fall also means crockpots…….

Source: skinnychef.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

we’re having a family reunion/fall festival/early octoberfest this weekend. maybe i’ll bring this!

how about some boots, scarves & comfy clothes…….

Source: polyvore.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

i just got a new pair of boots – and to think i honestly believed i’d get through the season without purchasing a new pair. silly girl!

also planned for this fall is a trip to visit my sister in elmira, ny and the women of faith conference!

Source: katieballa.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

it’s the little things, right?

i’m linking up with lindsay today over at aisle to aloha where everyone is giving their take on the little things that make them happy. and be sure to check out my feature while you’re there for a nice little gift!

what’s on your bucket list this fall??

{check me out!}

2011-09-22T16:27:00.001-04:00

i’m featured over at aisle to aloha today!

lindsay asked some really interesting questions and there’s a nice little gift over there for you :-D

if you don’t know lindsay, you’ll be happy i sent you! she’s a fabulous artist and her photos are breathtaking (c’mon, she lives in HAWAII for pete’s sake!)

go check it out!

real life….{get it together!}

2011-09-22T11:20:00.001-04:00

you all know that since little man has begun school full-time, i’ve been working on finding a routine and you may also recall that i’ve had some issues with finding the proper balance of things – figuring out how to prioritize in the manner that’s expected of me as a Jesus-girl/wife/mama/business person.

i know that God is not going to give me what i’m not prepared for and until i get it together, my business is going no.where.

so. time to get it together!

i’ve always been a big fan of technology. we have 3 computers in this house (yup, 3. soon to be 4.). i’ve got a smart phone, hubby’s got a smart phone….i’ve got apps for just about everything.

so i was very surprised when i saw this and immediately thought it might be the solution to my problems:

Source: lovelycraftyhome.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

plain, ‘ole paper, pen & calendar. who woulda guessed!!

so i got me one of these:

found it at officemax. i was hoping for something that would coordinate with my kitchen but that didn’t happen. of course, if i weren’t so impulsive, i might have found one elsewhere but that’s a topic for another post.

everyone has a ‘center’ of their home – the high traffic-everyone congregate here area. ours, like most others’, is the kitchen. and in that center area, everyone has one spot where both important & random items alike end up – ours is a basket on top of the microwave:

i thought that would be the best area for our “home management system”. each family member has a folder and there’s also a folder for bills and a folder for miscellaneous items. also in our “hms” is a weekly/monthly planner to be used exclusively for hubby’s business and a folder which contains simple mom’s daily docket (pretty awesome – it incorporates home, business & health!), cleaning checklist & grocery checklist. i also included a business card holder in the folder for those collected by hubby.

basically, i’ve just duplicated rachael’s plan at lovely crafty home. but imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?

so here’s the finished “hms”:

i’ve since added a calendar to the front (just like rachael! *grin*)

disclaimer: please excuse the lousy pictures (taken with my phone) and the half-dead plant. see?!?! that’s why i need a “home management system”!!

i’ll let you know how it goes :-)

so how to you manage your home?

encouraging words wednesday….{service}

2011-09-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

service has been heavy on my mind lately. perhaps it’s because our pastor spoke of it this past sunday. or maybe it’s because of this blog post or this one, wonderful reminders of what we Jesus-girls are called to do. or, more likely, God is tryin’ to tell me somethin’!

serv·ice: noun /ˈsərvis/ 1. the action of helping or doing work for someone; 2. an act of assistance

“if there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.”
~deuteronomy 15:7-8
“she opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”
~proverbs 31:20
“and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased”
~hebrews 13:16

i don’t know about you but it’s sooooo easy for me to get hung up. hung up in my daily schedule and my to-do list and my family needs.

then i feel proud when i get a handle on all those things – items crossed off my list, family peace & satisfaction….and there’s no harm in that. after all, it’s what i’m called to do.

but i am also called to serve.

Source: ptskjohnson.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

you see that compassion international widget in my sidebar? through that organization, my little man has a ‘brother’. they’re the same age and, while they’re certainly not experiencing the same life circumstances, they are both growing and learning about Jesus at the same time in the same stage of life. it’s my hope that they form a bond with one another and that little man, when he’s old enough, takes over the correspondence. maybe even embarks on a sponsor tour someday!

sponsoring a child is a worthy endeavor. but i feel i can do more.

our service doesn’t have to be grand and it doesn’t have to be financial.

a smile for someone having a bad day. help for an overburdened mom with one too many bags. an encouraging word to a friend.

i want to open my eyes and see the needs before me. both big and small. i pray that the Lord softens my heart and breaks my heart for what breaks His. i pray to be His light to another’s darkness.

and i ask y’all to pray for me, too. for a long time, it’s been on my heart to create a few pieces of jewelry that will benefit others. i’m so close to completing the design but i’m still not sure what to do with it when it’s done. please pray that i’m guided to the right person or organization.

God calls us to use our gifts, talents and blessings to bless others. how are you serving today?

real life…{living room update}

2011-09-20T07:42:00.000-04:00

i believe i’ve mentioned a time or two this mythical living room update that i’m attempting (umm here, here & here. geesh! stop talking about it and just do it already!!)

well, for your information, the transformation has begun! i actually made the pillow covers that i mentioned here (easy-peasy and they came out fab!)

hubby and i have chosen our wall decals AND i redid the mantle. (before & after pics to come when the room is complete).

but the BIG deal (for me, anyway) is the photo wall. here is my inspiration:

Source: tarawhitney.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

now, i don’t have any professional photos of us (though that’s gonna change soon – but that’s another post) so i tried to do my best with my fabulous new camera. also, i’m not smart enough to take photos with a composition suitable for a square crop so mine will be 8x10 (or 5x7 – have to lay it out on the wall and see).

anyway, after much editing, i’m still afraid to send them to the printer. these photos will be the focal point of our living room (aside from the tv, of course *grin*) for some time. that’s huge – at least in my mind! so i wanted to get your opinion:

bear in mind, the square cropping eliminates a bit of detail from the original photo.

so? what do you think?

good choices? how’s the arrangement? how’s the color on your screen?

feedback welcome & appreciated!

fab finds….{fashion}

2011-09-19T06:31:00.000-04:00

i’ll preface this post by stating most clearly that i am by no means any sort of expert on anything fashion related! i’m certainly no fashionista and, in fact, this post may be most helpful to my fellow fashion-impaired-istas.

as i’ve mentioned a time or two, i’m in my 40s. you’d think that would be time enough for me to find my style, so to speak, but such is not the case. heaven forbid i’m required to go someplace that requires attire any step up from sweats. it sends me into a panic. preparation will very likely involve at least two hours (not including the previous 3 or 4 hours of forethought) and tears have been known to be shed.

seriously.

thankfully, things on the fashion front are changing for me. i think the biggest change comes from being secure in my knowledge that i am “…fearfully and wonderfully made” (psalm 139:14).

also, i’m learning to know, recognize and accept my body image. not the image i see in my head. my actual body image! there’s nothing worse than picking up a size medium only to discover in the dressing room that you’re really a size extra large! ladies, just like “age ain’t nothin but a number” (which is also becoming my truth), size ain’t nothin but a number, either! there is no shame in extra large or extra-extra large! what’s important is our health and clothing ourselves in a manner that’s flattering to us as individuals.

but even with this newfound security, i’d found it difficult to put a decent looking outfit together. i’d try and try but, somehow, it just wasn’t working.

and then came pinterest.

do i spend waaaaay too much time on pinterest? probably. BUT. i am not ashamed to say that pinterest is teaching me how to dress.

again, seriously.

i do not have an innate sense of style. with pinterst, i can pin outfits ~~obsessively~~ at my leisure, study them, determine whether or not it will realistically work with my body type and level of comfort then ~~stalk~~ browse my favorite stores for similar pieces.

here are some of my favorites:

i wore something similar to this last night:

Source: onehundredinspirations.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and a variation of this to church today:

Source: farm3.static.flickr.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

hubby likes my version of this one:

Source: junkgardengirl.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and i wore something similar to this on a lunch date with hubby last week:

Source: polyvore.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

so you can see, nothing fancy or earth shattering. even though i’m mimicking what i see, i’m finding my style.

and what else i’ve found that works for me?

i try it on as soon as you get it home and i mix it and match it with other items in your closet. i’ve discovered outfits i never originally intended.
if i constantly have to adjust something – a belt, a strap, etc – then i won’t wear it. if i have to constantly think about what my outfit looks like, it will make me self-conscious. that’s what i’m trying to get away from.

i’ve also learned that it’s very difficult to write a blog post when your son is squirming on the bed next to you while singing “what comes after 39?” in a high soprano, alternated by sneezes on your keyboard. totally unrelated but such is my world.

(hmmmm….that’s actually the second time in one post i’ve said “such is…”. sorry. my attention span is about as long as my son’s. wonder why.)

so, what are you wearing this fall?

sneak peek…{alpha charm}

2011-09-16T07:54:00.000-04:00

something new!!!

introducing the “alpha charm”. a simple circle charm with a brushed finish and an off-set monogram stamp in a times new roman font.

simple. sweet. classic.

available on the website soon!

*****************************************

and don’t forget!

enter the “one sweet love” giveaway to score oodles of stuff!

(including my “little love note” personalized charm)

giveaway winners announced 9/22! (and i put in my entry – yeah, baby!)

inspiration workshops….{favorite shop}

2011-09-15T09:34:00.001-04:00

i’ve been a bit remiss in my inspiration workshop postings! i know i missed some really good prompts but it’s never too late to get back in the game!

shopping. BIG stress reliever for me (sad, isn’t it??). i should edit that to say shopping without hubby and son is a big stress reliever for me! and it’s a well known fact that my vacation destinations must include good shopping, good food and an ocean. so this prompt is kinda easy….

(source)

ikea is definitely on the top of the list. the closest is about 45 minutes away (and the ocean is right across the street – holla!) so i try to make a day trip of it. their motto is “affordable solutions for better living” and it’s sooo true! my current ikea obsessions include this sink – the first i’ve found that will fit the tiny dimensions in our guest bath - and this kitchen (i tried to link to a particular selection in their slide show. don’t know if it will work but, honestly, i’ll take any of their kitchens!). they have such clever organizational tools & furnishings – perfect for a small house like ours. have you been?

(source)

i L.O.V.E me some christmas tree shop! again, closest one is about 45 minutes out but close to ikea :-D perfect excursion! it’s kinda hit or miss with what you’ll find but i’ve never had any trouble finding an item advertised in their flyer (though once, i did end up with the last one!!) i can’t leave the Cape without a visit to CTS and that’s where i purchased most of the little knick knacks for my living room update. post will be forthcoming, as soon as it’s finished ;-)

(source)

target. DEFINITELY my go-to store. cute clothes, great housewares. and now that they’ve expanded their grocery section, it’s one-stop-shopping which really makes me happy!

looking at maggie’s post, i really wish there were some local shops i could fall in love with. that’s not to say there aren’t any – i just haven’t found them yet! i think i may add some exploring to my to-do list.

so what’s your favorite shop?

encouraging words wednesday…..{blessings}

2011-09-14T07:52:00.000-04:00

it’s one of those days. ya know what i’m talking about? those kinda days when, despite the fact that nothing has gone wrong, nothing feels right either? one of those days when you’re in bed by 7:00pm because you just can’t take it anymore. i’m choosing to blame it on hormones. did you know that even after a hysterectomy, you can still have pms?

TMI?

yeah, i thought so. but it’s just one of those days.

so because it’s one of those days, i’m gonna count my blessings.

1. i know i say this all.the.time but it can’t be stressed enough: i have a wonderfully supportive, godly husband. he’s incredibly tolerant of my weaknesses – even though lately he’s nickel-in’ & dime-in’ me to death (*grin* he told me that he was reading my blog. we’ll see!)

2. i was very worried about this but my son is doing so well in kindergarten! little man is blossoming socially and i’m so proud!

3. as i mentioned yesterday, i have a wonderful group of friends. and guess what? some of us are going to the women of faith conference together – stayin overnight & everything!

4. God has given me talents and He has a plan for me to use them for His glory. thank goodness He has a plan because, at present, i’m feelin’ pretty plan-less.

5. God will grace me with a brand new day. a new day to get things right, to accomplish what i didn’t the day before, to carry out new ideas, to check more items off my to-do list.

6. and see that picture up there? i took it myself. with my fabulous camera. my camera that suffered a spill this weekend but recovered so nicely :-)

7. last but not least:

little man’s first ride on a ‘big boy’ roller coaster. seriously?? how can you NOT smile at that :-)

“come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
~matthew 11:28-30

sometimes all you can do is count your blessings. just because i’m a Jesus-girl doesn’t mean i’m always happy and filled with joy. i should be. but i’m not. and that’s okay so long as i have perspective.

so i will remember what is good and wait for God to restore my soul.

because i know He will.

because i have faith.

real life…..{mom’s brunch party!}

2011-09-13T10:31:00.001-04:00

for the past 4 or so years, little man & i have been part of a playgroup that just about saved my life (yes, a bit dramatic but it certainly felt that way!) see, i’ve been living in this part of the state for about 10 years but, at the time my son was born, i hadn’t really made many personal connections with anyone outside of my previous job. you can imagine the stress and isolation i was feeling when i became a stay-at-home mom!

but then God led me to this amazing group of women in the form of a playgroup. we met almost every wednesday – at the park, at the beach, at someone’s home – for four years. these women helped me through the various stages of the toddler years, they supported me in my business, we incorporated a bookclub and they even led me back to church. they’re more than just fellow members of a playgroup. they’re my friends. our husbands are friends. we support one another.

because most of us have children who are now in school, playgroup has ended. i wanted to do something to say “thank you” (even though i know that no thanks were necessary) so i decided to host a back-to-school brunch. most of the recipes & ideas i found on pinterest. (are you on pinterest? if not, leave me a message and i’ll send you an invite!)

strawberries & angelfood cake drizzled with chocolate, brown sugar fruit dip with grapes & pineapple….

egg & spinach and turkey sausage quiche cups….

baked wonton cups with smoked salmon (instead of the dill & creme fraiche, i used capers & sour cream)

and as a little gift for everyone, i made brown sugar body scrub :-)

there’s a few missing from the photo but i love them all! and now we’ve decided to make this brunch a monthly thing. i love brunch ;-)

who are the special people in your life who get you through?

{one sweet love}….a fundraiser!

2011-09-12T11:07:00.001-04:00

i know, i’ve been a bad blogger! i apologize for my absence – we had a vacation, a wedding, i hosted a brunch (which i’ll blog about sometime this week) and combined with our new schedule, i just couldn’t get it together. something had to give and, unfortunately, it was my blog AND my workouts. but i’m working on getting back into the groove – or i guess i should say a new groove.

anyway, on to more important things.

remember when i introduced this?

but then i said you couldn’t get it yet? well now you can!! but only through danielle’s take heart blog, specifically through her “one sweet love” fundraiser.

here’s the deal: if you don’t know already, God has laid it upon my sweet friend’s heart to adopt a baby. she and her family are following God’s lead in this adoption but it’s an expensive endeavor. not to be discouraged, danielle came up with this wonderful idea for a fundraiser.

TONS and TONS of wonderfully talented artisans and shopkeepers have donated all kinds of goodies (i’ve got my eye on one of the bundles, myself!). to participate, all you have to do is leave a comment on the goodie bundle you’d like to win and each comment requires a donation of $10.00. easy peasy. the more comments you make, the higher your chance of winning! winners will be announced on 9/22/11.

so…….my little love note will be included in one of the bundles.

be sure to enter and tell all your friends!

sneak peek……

2011-09-02T05:44:00.000-04:00

i’ve got a sneak peek for ya! (bout time, right?!?!?)

you like?? i do!!! but guess what………

this item is NOT available on my website! nope, not on etsy either.

so where can one find this little beauty, you ask?

if you don’t already, you need to follow “take heart”, a blog written by danielle, a wonderful woman who has a heart for Jesus and for family.

she’s gonna have something special comin up this month and i am SO, SO, SO very PROUD to be a part!

honestly, i think she’s just fabulous :-)

so, if you wanna know how to get you one, you’re gonna have to pay attention! (but don’t worry, we won’t let you miss it!)

real life…..{my first day of kindergarten}

2011-09-01T09:31:00.001-04:00

little man had his first day of (all day!!) kindergarten yesterday! it was odd being away from him for that long but we got through it ;-)

so here’s what the day looked like:

he was so excited!! he couldn’t wait for the bus to arrive :-)

then little man was off and so was mama! hubby and i enjoyed breakfast together (forgot to take a picture – still getting used to this photo journaling thing)

and then……..

mama got a loooong overdue pedi – just in time for our last cape cod hurrah of the season (coming up this weekend – i plan to practice my photography skills with my fab new camera!). not sure about the color but i wanted something different (i have had those sandals for.ev.ER! seriously, i got those about 20 years ago. so comfy but really beat up!)

i thumbed through a few of these:

and then met hubby for lunch (such a blessing that we both work for ourselves and now have the opportunity to enjoy that!)

(chicken, melted cheddar, bacon, lettuce & tomato with ranch dressing. yum!)

and then off to check out some fabric for my (hopefully) diy pillow covers. forgot to take pics again BUT didn’t find what i was looking for anyway. i did snap this blurry photo with my phone:

it was such a beautiful day! the sky reminded me of the toy story movie into – one of little man’s favorites – and i thought he’d like to see it *grin*

all in all, it was a good day. little man loves kindergarten and i had no issues with separation anxiety. (but i definitely need a plan!)

do you have children going off to school? share your day with me!

look what i made!!….{diy camera bag}

2011-08-29T08:14:00.000-04:00

since i got my new camera, i’ve been drooling over some of the camera bags i’ve seen. especially this 2 sues bag by kelly moore bags:

Source: kellymoorebag.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

nice and roomy, all those pockets…….sigh. but, sadly, i can’t shell out that kinda money. in my hunt for the perfect camera bag, i saw several tutorials for diy camera bags. could i? should i? we all remember my last crafty adventure.

but what could it hurt, right? so i grabbed my mom’s sewing machine and went on the hunt for the perfect bag. and where else would i go but tjmaxx, right?

found it!

nice, right?? my qualifications:

it must be ~~cheap~~ $25 or under
roomy interior
outside pockets (i gots lotsa stuff to carry!!)
cross body strap
and it must be cheap $25 or under (can’t say it enough)

this bag fit almost all the specs – it was on clearance for $25, it’s incredibly roomy, you can see the outside pockets and there’s a zippered pocket on the backside. there’s no cross body strap but i think i’ll be able to make my own and attach it to the sides.

(now, before i go any further, please let me point out that THIS IS NOT A TUTORIAL. i am in no way near qualified to be tellin anybody how to do anything. i just thought i’d share with you what i did.)

i didn’t follow any specific tutorial – i took bits & pieces from the very many helpful tutorials i found when i searched google for “diy camera bag”.

materials i used:

1/2”foam – about 1 1/4 yards
material – about 1 1/2 yards
iron-on velcro

i wanted to reinforce the bottom of the bag so i cut a piece of cardboard to fit, opened the seam in the lining, put the cardboard in then stitched the seam closed:

i already had the bottom measurement so i took the side measurements and cut my foam into 3 pieces – bottom and two sides. instead of covering each piece individually, i made one large case then stitched between each (you can see the sections in the 3rd photo).

then back to the foam to measure out 3 dividers. i made cases for each of those leaving about 1 1/2” extra on each side to attach the velcro (close up in 2nd photo):

then i measured my camera to see how large it’s compartment should be so i could place the velcro (that’s what i was doing in the 3rd photo, second set). then i fused on the velcro and viola!

now i have a nice, padded compartment that can go into any purse, creating a beautiful camera bag!

lessons learned: i don’t like to hand sew. and i only know one stitch (don’t ask me what it’s called!). precise measuring would have made this a bit easier (ya think?!?). fuse the velcro before you put the padding in.

most tutorials i read said it took them about 2 hours, start to finish. it took me all.afternoon. of course, about 1 hour of that was spent trying to figure out how to thread the sewing machine. then i took a break for lunch. then i broke the needle on the sewing machine and had to figure out how to fix it. very adventurous.

but i will try some simple sewing projects in the future…..i’ve actually got my eye on a couple:

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: sweet-verbena.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

pillow covers and this cute top!

have you done any sewing lately?

inspiration workshop…..{blue!}

2011-08-25T14:27:00.001-04:00

let me begin by saying that i’m sad i missed last week’s inspiration workshop……i’ve always wanted a front porch and looking through all the inspirational photos would’ve been such a treat!

this week’s prompt is “favorite color” and mine is………

BLUE! (duh. says so right in the post title.)

blue reminds me of my favorite place – anywhere that’s seaside ;-)

Source: home.wangjianshuo.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

blue also happens to be the color of my favorite fashion staple……

Source: refinery29.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

it goes so well with other colors…….

Source: creaturecomfortsblog.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: jessicatierney.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: design-seeds.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

blue is soothing and fresh at the same time. it looks fabulous in home decor….

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: beautiful-portals.tumblr.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

Source: sayyestohoboken.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

but most importantly, blue is a favorite of my husband’s because he’s a die-hard fan……*wink*

source

make sure you hop over to see all the other inspiration workshop posts!

encouraging words wednesday….{confidence in our calling}

2011-08-24T10:24:00.001-04:00

when God really wants to get a message across, He really speaks, doesn’t he? here’s what i’m talking about…

lately, i’ve been feeling that my performance as wife & mom has been a bit lacking. i’ve been reading some blogs who’s authors are women who are true blessings to their families. i have a friend who i see as the epitome of a godly wife & mother. she prays for her family, she does devotions with her children, she’s patient and encouraging and supportive…….sometimes i feel horribly because i don’t measure up to that. i’m scared to even try because i might fail.

but listen to this:

my friend has a friend who leads family praise and worship on a daily basis. my friend shared with me that she feels she doesn’t measure up! isn’t that something!?!

God has been convicting me in this area. the day after this particular conversation with my friend, i read two devotionals. can you guess what they were about? yup – being an encouraging wife and daily devotions with the family. on sunday, i read the church newsletter and there was an article written by one of the members discussing the benefits she’s seen from praying with her children every morning and doing a little devotional.

okay, God. i get it!

so, a few days ago i journaled a new plan for myself.

first, i’m going to purchase “the power of a praying wife” and “the power of a praying parent”. i’ve found that the easiest way for me to develop a habit is to begin with structure. i’m also going to research & purchase a devotional for children.

then, my plan is to rise earlier, do my devotions, get little man up and, over breakfast together, read his devotions. then he gets ready for school, gets on the bus and then i do my workout & begin my day.

that’s the plan, anyway.

but for someone who’s spent the summer getting up around 9:30, who doesn’t eat breakfast and who’s child eats breakfast in his room, it’s pretty ambitious. i tried to get up early this morning and that didn’t work out so well. i was beginning to suspect that i wouldn’t be able to pull this off.

then comes this morning’s two devotionals – all about being confident in what God has called us to do (yup, God is still speaking to me!). callings aren’t just for preachers and pastors and missionaries. my calling – at least in part– is being a godly wife and a mother. the very fact that God has blessed me with a husband and son makes it my calling. see what i’m saying?

God will equip us with the tools we need to carry out His calling! we won’t be able to accomplish it on our own strength.

“such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God”
~2 corinthians 3:4-5

it is possible for me to be a godly wife & mother. i have confidence in Him, that He will create in me the wife and mother He wants me to be. this may not be the plan for me – He may have a different idea in mind. but i have faith that He will do this.

“i can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
~ philippians 4:13

ya feel me? God ain’t gonna leave me hangin’!

so tell me, how is God strengthening you today?

fab finds…….

2011-08-22T12:01:00.001-04:00

have you delved into the world of pinterest yet? if not, you should! at the very least, it’s perfect as an organizational option. you can see all of your bookmarks in one place. for instance, i’m (STILL!) trying to update my living room. i’ve seen lots of fab choices on etsy but pinterest lets me create a board so i can see them all at once and determine if they’ll work well together. at it’s best, pinterest is a wonderful source of inspiration on every topic you can imagine!

since i’m a whole lot late in posting today, i thought i’d share some of the pins i have in mind for diy projects (yeah, i know. you’d think i’d get the hint and give up the whole diy thing!) and some of my other faves…

for when i finally get around to sprucing up my studio…

Source: allylaughingatthedays.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

cd cover photo montage….so clever! thinking about this for the living room

Source: rikkihibbert.co.za via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

diy roman shades. too ambitious?

Source: 365days2simplicity.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

thinking about making something similar as favors for an upcoming back-to-school brunch i’ll be hosting…

Source: thebeautydepartment.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

and because i have a fabulous new camera……..

Source: whitepeachphoto.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest

what’s inspiring you today?

let’s talk business…..

2011-08-19T13:10:00.001-04:00

hey, y’all!

so, in an effort to be more intentional with my business combined with my previously almost blind panic over all this free time i have coming up when little man goes back to school and, added to that, my passion for the jewelry i create, (wow, i’m a bit of a basket case!) i’ve been slowly trying to make my way into some sort of organized marketing & business plan.

what does this mean?

i have no idea. i’m hoping you can tell me ;-)

a few months back, i questioned the existence of my etsy shop and then made a few changes to see what popped. so what popped? nothing. my views are lower than they’ve ever been and sales through the shop have been non-existent. while i love all that etsy has to offer, i think God has given me my answer. it’s time to close my etsy shop. now the question is, do i move the couleurs collection to my site?

and speaking of my site, i’ve recently discovered that my shopping cart program is.not.working. not correctly, anyway. i would loooooove to be able to hire someone to just do this for me but the funds aren’t there yet. so that means researching a new cart and – i think – redoing my site to accommodate the new shopping cart software. right? for those of you with stand-alone shops, any shopping cart suggestions?

and now on to marketing. you may have noticed the various blog button over in my sidebar there? i’m venturing (again) into blog advertising. each month, those will change depending on which blogs i’m sponsoring. i’m tracking my ads & traffic and (perhaps) i’ll let you know how each ad performed. i’ll also be participating in a few more giveaways than i have previously – we’ll see how that goes! i’m trying to choose the blogs i sponsor carefully. i’m not just looking for more sales & higher visibility. i’d like this venture to be mutually beneficial. i want the blogs that i work with to be blogs i would actually read. bloggers who share my values.

so, all of you indie artists – got any helpful tips for the newbies? please share!

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and speaking of giveaways, don’t forget the one goin on over at naptime diaries! giveaway closes on sunday at midnight!