What to do with sick littles...

Give them warm chamomile tea with lemon and honey and read them Winnie the Pooh, of course!  Well, for as long as they'll sit still that is.  We went south for Christmas... whenever we travel? We all come home sick.  But it was a wonderful trip, the children had a great time visiting my parents and so did I.  Sometimes I really wish we lived closer, though we're only two hours away... sometimes it feels like we are more like twenty.

So, as I am tending sick little ones, I have not gotten much beading done, but... what I have done I am very proud of :)  I managed to put together one bracelet and a necklace.  I'm going to share the bracelet with you for now.  In my head I am calling it... The Key to Love... though with the new keyword thing in Etsy putting titles on things is tricky.  Regardless... this is all born out of a fantastic tile from JLynn Jewels:

Don't you love it?  ;)  The colors... the texture, the wood burning.. I added plenty of Fallen Angel Brass Co. brass, of course... including this little key that I am totally just swooning over.  I used jasper, sapphire, wood beads, opal, sodalite and delicious navy blue sari silk.  I wanted something to... bring to mind the softness, depth, and peacefulness that can be found in real love.  While making this bracelet I was pondering how there are so many different types of love... so many ways to love... to show love... to feel it.  How it is possible to love everyone in your family deeply, but differently.  Which makes sense, really, because every person is different, so how could we not love them as they need to be loved?  Or at least try.  Coming to the end of this year, this 2011, I am realizing that love is important to me.  Or rather... how much my desire to find a type of love, a way to love, all of the amazing people in my life.. that is important to me.  Love means many things, is many things, but I think... the most wonderful thing about love is its ability to grow.

Now if only we could all find a way to let it grow... hmph, there I go rambling again.  Well, sweet friends, I love all of you, and am so grateful for your kindness, your support.  It is an honour to be part of your lives :)

Love one another... as best you can :)

~Jennifer