giving update

This year, I've been able to give small & big amounts to the following funds and families.  Thanks to all who have shopped hendersweet to help.


DONATIONS IN 2013:
Capstone Ministries, Mitchell, Indiana
Yost Family Adoption
G Family Adoption
Wallace Family Adoption
VanCamp Family Adoption
ABBA Adoption Fund
Goller Family Adoption
Bringingehome

good memories

A little work before church while the hubby gets ready and the little man naps:
and a little sneak peek at what's coming very soon to hendersweet...

I think of new ideas all the time.  If you see me during meetings or at church writing in this notebook, that's probably what I'm doing....writing down ideas:

I'm feeling nostalgic today.  I grew up less than a mile from one set of grandparents and just a matter of minutes from the other set.  Thinking about some of my choices now, I see how those family influences have shaped me.  But! Since this blog is devoted to hendersweet.... let me tell you why I make some of the things I make.

It started with this necklace:

This necklace was my grandma's.  She gave it to me when I was in college and I can remember her wearing it before that.  It's an old Avon necklace that probably never cost all that much.  In fact, I recently found one online for five dollars.   I wear it somewhat frequently and love knowing that it has a history and a meaning for me.

I started working with jewelry by repurposing old things.  But when I started making my own jewelry, I started with flower necklaces and earrings that were supposed to be a modern update on Grandma's old necklace.  Then, hendersweet kept experimenting. 

Starting at the end of 2012, I started making and selling jewelry with old hymn cuts.  This too was inspired by the same grandma.  She played the piano at her old country church for years (And tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me a few things on the piano when I was younger).  I still have this old hymnal from her:

So, I use my favorite hymns to make jewelry.  Here's a sneak peek of some I've been working on this weekend:

Obviously, this is just a taste of things that hendersweet has.  But nearly everything has a place in my heart.  The scrabble ornaments come from playing for hours during the summers, the book necklaces are from some of my favorite books, the new coffee mug necklaces come from my love of comfort and coffee, and all the adoption themed and "hope" jewelry is inspired by our recent journey.

I do this because I love it.  And because it's a way to express pieces of my life.  Cheesy?  Maybe.  But it makes sense to me.  My grandpa is newly in the nursing home, so I've been seeing him and family members a good deal lately and have been thinking back over my childhood.  Now that I have a son, I think about those things often.  I want him to be able to look back as fondly as I can now.

-Amy

Love you, Grandma and Grandpa

well, hello.

I figure it's about time to start a blog for my teeny tiny business. I'm hoping to share, gain, and give ideas through this blog.  Follow me via email to stay updated on coupon codes, new products, and giveaways! Let me start by telling you who I am.

I'm Amy.

I'm a wife, mother, & teacher.  I love gifts. Thinking of the perfect gift for a friend, looking and searching for weeks ahead of time, I try to be as thoughtful as possible in my giving. Often, when I stumble across a treasure I know someone would love, I buy it. And let's be honest, I love giving little gifts to myself as well. All of these things cost money. The solution? Find a way to make a little extra.

In order to make a little extra, hendersweet started with old books and repurposed vintage jewelry (www.hendersweetvintage.etsy.com). Soon, I was seeing a little success and began creating new jewelry--inspired from styles that I personally loved and my childhood memories--like books I love or styles I'd seen my aunts and grandmas wear, even scenes from my favorite places. 

In 2011, my husband and I decided to expand our family through adoption. With the looming costs of such a venture, hendersweet's purposed changed. I began saving all my earnings for our adoption. Through etsy, I "met" many adoptive mamas, had conversations with other fundraising shops, and was inspired by the stories of others.

Joyfully, we brought our son home in September of 2012. Now that we have our son home, hendersweet still exists to give "gifts" to adoptive couples and charities close to my heart.

So far in 2013, I've been able to donate to 2 adoptions.  Hopefully more to come!

-amy