Peter Pan Syndrome...

There are moments in our lives which define us.  But more importantly, there are people in our childhood that mould us into the adults we are today.  I look back on my childhood often and am so thankful that I grew up with the loving family I have.  I am thankful for the opportunities I was given and the way I was raised.  I know that life wasn't always easy for my mom and dad but, as a kid, I would never have guessed they struggled.  But having struggles with relationships, money, careers, etc., is a part of growing up and being an adult.

When you are a kid, you think your mom and dad have these special powers... they never get scared or worried, they always know what to do, and they seem to have ALL the answers.  But as you grow up, you slowly realize that your parents are human too and they too can make mistakes and be afraid and worry.

I really struggled for a long time with this whole "growing up" concept.  I didn't want to be an adult and leave the innocence of my childhood.  I wanted to stay in this place called childhood forever.  Growing up scared the heck out of me!  I look at children today and it makes me sad.  So many of them are rushing to grow up.  Rushing to be adults and not enjoying the beauty of their innocence.  It makes me sad because one day they will be all grown up and regret not having their childhood a little longer.

It's crazy that we live in this world.  We are not certain how we got here or what are purpose on this earth is, but we know that we go through a life cycle and, as far as we know, it only happens once.  I think we need to step back and remember the beauty of our childhoods and our innocence.  Take that memory and help mould the young people today to cherish these moments in their lives.  Help them to stay kids for as long as they can.

Growing up can be fun and exciting.  But with fun and excitement also brings responsibility.  And don't get me wrong, I love all the new memories I have been making as an adult but, I feel that I can truly appreciate them because I was a kid for as long as I could be thanks to the amazing parents who raised me!  :)

Never forget what it was like to be a kid!!

HEN by Gen

I am super excited about my next post.  Below you will meet a young talented jewelry designer from London, Ontario.  My sister-in-law introduced me to her line and I become instantly obsessed!  I just purchased my first bracelet today... first of many.  I found Genevieve on Facebook and asked if she would be willing to answer some questions for my blog and she was happy to.  Genevieve is following her dreams and I love that she was more than willing to share her story of success with me and my readers.   So, without further ado, I introduce Genevieve Smolders, creator of HEN jewelry.


Hi! My name is Genevieve Smolders and I am the Owner/Designer of the Canadian Jewelry Company, HEN Jewelry.

I am a small girl with a big heart and an even bigger smile. I am very motivated, creative and passionate. I like anything that has a rich or deep history, or story at that, 90's rap & R&B, 90210- the newer edition, and a strong weakness for chocolate chip cookies. But most of all, I am proud to be Canadian!


I started doing HEN as a full-time job this year in March 2012. At the time, HEN was only a part-time thing for me, and I was also working part-time (and going nowhere) working in a bakery. After getting really fed up I decided to ditch the bakery and do HEN full-time to see what I could do solely on my own- and by the looks of it, so far so good!

How did you get started making jewelry?

Funny you ask that... I am a graduate of Fashion Communications (a glorified graphic design degree) from Ryerson University. In second year, or maybe third, I can't really remember, I took a jewelry making course as an elective. I SUCKED and I hated it... Okay maybe sucked is a strong word, but I definitely didn't excel, and I was jealous of my classmates work in comparison to mine. I must have got at best a C in the course, and I left it with the intention of never looking back. However! One summer, bored and alone in my Toronto apartment, I heard my tools and supplies screaming my name from the closet. After that night, I was hooked.

How did you get the name Hen Jewelry?

HEN is a childhood nickname. When we were little kids, my brother used to tease me singing 'Gen is a hen that lives in a pen...' and from then on, it stuck. I decided to use it for my line because it embodies who I am without using my full name, and I love birdies.

What inspires your pieces?

Very rarely do I look at anything or have an inspiration before I go and buy my supplies... Which is quite backwards to what most jewelry designers do. What I like to do is let the pieces that I can find inspire me and spark my imagination, and from there, I create! I guess I could say I get inspired by anything vintage, and/or bohemian. I try to create one-of-a-kind pieces that people can truly love and cherish when they wear it.

Where do you hope to go from here?

The goal for this year (and subsequent years to follow) is to get HEN into every province across Canada... I have two down and only 8 more to go! Exposure is very necessary, and it's time to expand and let people know about me and my line. I'd like to get into more shows and events, meet people and travel to different boutiques in Canada.

Where can your jewelry be purchased?

Hen Jewelry is available at:

Girl Friday (740 Queen Street, Toronto.)
Leslies Clothing (551 Richmond Street, London.)
Desi's Boutique (505 Bathurst Street, London.)
LUX Butik (2-1200 London Road, Sarnia.)
Small-Mart General Mercantile (121 Ontario Street, Stratford, Ontario.)
Opal & Onyx (140 Stavanger Drive, Unit 2, St.John's Newfoundland.)
ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/shop/henbygen

& By Contact through Facebook- private message me-www.facebook.com/HenJewelry !

This is my first of many HEN purchases :)

Stay tuned...

I have decided to start blogging about inspirational people who are following their dreams in some aspect of their lives.  I have a few people lined up and can't wait to start incorporating these interviews into my blog.  So stay tuned this week to meet my first entrepreneur... an extremely talented jewelry designer from London, Ontario.