Friday, May 31, 2013

forever should be amazing.

I figure if Joanna can talk 
about this and this,
and other juicy topics,
on her uber popular blog,
I can talk a bit about this.

Earlier I wrote about falling in love. 
and being in love. 
Today it's about staying in love. 

I don't take that lightly. 
To love someone, 
and to be in love with someone, 
is totally different - to me.
Of course, I love him, but, I also
choose to be in love with him.

I still treat him like I did when we were dating,
there may have been times when this wasn't the case,
over the past 25 years, two pregnancies, 
kids, and miscellaneous life 'things' that got in the way, 
but for the most part, I can say, without a doubt, 
that I truly make an effort
every single day to let him know he's the one for me. 
I think about him during the day, 
I look forward to him coming home. 
I plan his favorite meals.
I take care of him.
I read A Cup of Jo, among others, finding little tips to change things up.
{trying this tonight.}
I am beyond happy when it's the weekend
knowing that we have two whole days to spend together.
I am grateful for him. Every day.

When you're dating, you make an effort to show the other person 
how interested you are in them, you think ahead, you make plans, 
you get yourself ready for your date, you send playful messages, 
maybe a sexy photograph, you tease, laugh, play, touch, and have fun.

So, that's the way I approach the everyday with my love. 
{Yes, even though it's been over 25 years}.
We make plans, we text, 
we tease, touch and hold hands all the time. 
I shave every single night, always have, 
and, I wear perfume to bed every night.

I have seen many love-less marriages,
and as I am the self-described
girl who is in love with being in love
the type of marriage I have is very important to me. 
 I will always do everything it takes 
to make sure he always knows that 
I love him, but also that
I AM IN LOVE with HIM.

It's FOREVER, and FOREVER should be AMAZING! 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

a LOVE letter.

I didn't intend to LOVE 
someone this much.


I know that sounds weird, but it's true. 

I was always afraid of LOVE. 
It didn't seem like it would last. 
It didn't seem like it was really real.
Based on what I'd seen, 
LOVE seemed disposable.

Being in LOVE was being vulnerable.
Being in LOVE meant, you could be left behind. 

I had decided, when I was very young, 
that when I met that special someone,
I would be cautious.
I would be the one who was less in LOVE.
The strong one. The independent one.
The one who could walk away, if need be. 

I entered into my marriage with these notions 
tucked way back in my head, 
a shield, a defense...just in case. 
Just in case LOVE hurt.

But something happened, 
I fell in LOVE,  
I fell hard, head over heels hard.
The kind that hurts. The kind that makes me crazy,
but also the kind of LOVE 
that I didn't imagine for myself.

As our 24th wedding anniversary draws near, 
coming up in August, 
I realize that, maybe, real LOVE is so much deeper than I thought
and much more wonderful than I'd ever hoped for.

Maybe LOVE is not just the fairy tale, the romance, 
the picture perfect photo, the date nights and hand holding, 
the maybe it will work out, maybe it won't. 

Maybe, LOVE is learning what your partner's needs are, not just thinking you know; 
maybe LOVE is holding your loved one up when life gets to be too much to handle;
maybe LOVE is listening, even if you've heard the same thing over and over again;
maybe LOVE is sharing, your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your challenges;
maybe LOVE is not taking each other for granted, ever;
maybe LOVE is knowing I can stand alone, but will never choose to;
maybe LOVE is still looking forward all day to him coming home;
maybe LOVE is still being so excited when he texts or calls me;
maybe LOVE grows more passionate with each day;
maybe LOVE isn't conditional;
maybe LOVE is growing old together;
maybe LOVE is worth fighting for; 
maybe LOVE does last a lifetime;
maybe LOVE is everything I was afraid to dream of, 
maybe LOVE really is forever.
maybe LOVE is happily ever after.
I'd like to think so.

Monday, May 6, 2013



Something has been stirring in me for some time now, 
and while I have continued on the path 
I've been on for some time, 
an alternative route sign keeps popping up
in my head and in my heart, 


I take a few steps in that direction and then, 
before I know it, I'm back on the well-traveled trail again. 

When I started TenThings, it felt fresh and exciting, 
that was five years ago, 
I had no idea that TenThings Jewelry 
would grow and be as successful as it is. 
Please know that I am very grateful for this success. 
Oh so very, very grateful.
As time has gone on, 
I have grown as a person, 
as an artist, 
and as a business person,
{something I still can't believe I am}
and recently, I have been feeling that I need to 
follow my heart, 
not just my business mind, 
much as I did when I first started making jewelry.
{I never had a plan for success, 
I was just doing what I loved}.

As with all things, I believe, 
you must follow your heart;
and do all things with love.
I work on this every day 
and feel that I am following my heart 
in all aspects of my daily life. 

That is with the exception of my business, 
I've been feeling a little stuck artistically 
lately and have been wanting to create more pieces 
from the heart, not just pieces that sell really well. 
Inspired by my friend Sana of sanakeefer.com,
I have decided to take the leap,
to create pieces that feel good to me,
that have a significant meaning to them, 
pieces I would wear and won't want to part with.

I have decided to take 
a longer walk on new paths...
to see what happens
when you truly 
do and make what you love.

A walk of new beginnings,
a walk that feels more appropriate 
for where I am in my life, 
what I believe in, and who I am growing to be.


Old favorites will still be available for a limited time, 
as I sort out my wholesale transition from Trunkt to Etsy.

One thing that will never change is the love and 
attention to detail that goes into each handmade piece.

I hope that my friends and customers 
will see the 
TRUE BEAUTY
in these new 
PIECES OF MY HEART
and come along on this 
EVER-CHANGING JOURNEY
of 
CREATING PRETTY THINGS. 

Photo credits. Jewelry photos belong to Kerri Jones of TenThings.
Other photos are reposts from here: TenThings JewelryTumblr.