Your Perfect Day's Destination

Today I made some Bridesmaid's Necklaces for a bride who plans to get married in Northern Michigan in Traverse City. Beautiful wine country with vineyards and gorgeous beaches. Just imagine your bridesmaids wearing a necklace with a heart over the place you and your love made your life's vows to one another! What more perfect gift! I was so honored to be a part of their special day.

Thankfulness isn't just for November

Woke up with the sweet reminder of the gift of life. I have a wonderful husband, a warm bed, food, a fun job, and I live in a great city. The fact that I can travel if I wish, get water from a sink, and strawberries year round is just not something to be taken for granted. So today, I'm saying, be Thankful in February. Even if you live in Michigan and they're casting everyone into the sea of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), there's something to brighten your day. I personally love the snow and am happy it brightens up our day when we don't have the sun. Keep your head up. There's so many countable things to be thankful for today. I also have the sun on my side this morning. How cute are these copper earring studs just made in the studio? I <3 them.

Waste all my time on You

If you haven't bought Kim Walker's new album Still Believing you need to get your hands on it! It's a worship bath! Be sure to check it out. I just saw Jesus Culture on Sunday, unfortunately Kim wasn't there, but it was incredible. Thom and I really need to start making our worship band a priority. We're made to do it. What I love is that she writes love songs to God. This Valentine's Day will not only be a celebration of my love for my husband, but my love for a perfect, holy, glorious God. This is just a little picture I made with some of the words from her song Waste it All.

They will know you by your love.

If you've been a reader of my blog (which no one really is, since I don't do it often), you'll know I'm a solid believer in Jesus Christ. My husband and I lead praise and worship for years in a church and recently felt God moving us in another direction. So we're looking for a new church. I feel like I want to start my own because I can't find one that doesn't put on a show, a song and dance for the "first timers". A church that does church, and the people want to come because they want to see something real. Nothing staged. We do worship, not just sing songs. We speak the truth, not come with a five point sermon that starts with the same letter. Speak the Bible and love on people, not go off statistics of church growth. People will be drawn to the love of God. The hope of God's glory is Christ shining through us. Is it really so much to ask for?

Signing ON

Wow, it's been a long time. I've still never quite gotten into the blogging thing. I'm not sure why. Sum up I guess of the past year: By day I work at a beading supply store working with customers and instructing classes on Metalworking, intricate bead stitches, glass bead making, etc. Now by night, my Etsy has become a full time job. I'm at that point where I ride the fence on quitting my day job to go head in on my personal career as a jewelry artist. In due time, I suppose. For now, I'm keeping my head to the plow keeping up best I can. My husband has been an amazing help, keeping up with the household chores when he's not helping me out in the studio. Things have been difficult at times, but it's been an amazing experience. We've been able to pay off debt that has been clouding us for years, and remodel parts of the house, create a functional and beautiful studio in one of our bedrooms for me. Our 10 year anniversary is rolling around in December, and we hope to get away for a few days at our favorite Bed and Breakfast, Castle in the Country. This is Rose Kren, signing back on to Blog life :) Feel free to follow me on Facebook too. I've been doing two give-a-ways a month!

Painting for the Creator

It's a conundrum. Painting a picture for the absolute most perfect creator. The one who invented light, who then invented color itself, since light is all colors. My desire is to paint for God. For Him to show me what it is He wants to say to the world. But I don't know where to start. I've prayed, asked, for direction. Pray I find it.

Summer's End Please Please Fall Begin

This year has been a rather testing one for me. Thom's never home, starting that "new" job. It's coming up on a year of him always being gone, and I can't take much more. I feel like I'm juggling all of the responsibilities of the home, interior and exterior, while working myself 35 hours a week. I'm tired. Frustrated. Annoyed. My wick is so short these days, and I hate that feeling. It's not me. It's been over 85 degrees now for a few weeks, with a non stop humidity to match. That's not helping. I feel like a run would help all this in my head out, but I feel I'll die in these conditions. So I keep to myself, created a time bomb in my head. God help me. I've lost inspiration to find the beautiful things.