ErNiE

So, it's been awhile since my last REAL blog post.  I'm not sure why I haven't posted in awhile... I just haven't...

I thought today I would dedicate a post to one of the most important people in my life.. MY BROTHER!

My brother is one of the most amazing persons I know.  He amazes me everyday and I look up to him in many ways.  I feel that the busyness of summer has gotten in the way of me being a part of his world and I miss him.

My brother and I haven't always been as close.  He is 6 years older than me and growing up I use to annoy the HELL out of him.  But what are younger siblings for, right?  As we got older though, I feel like my bond with my brother grew.  He has always been there for me no matter what and he shows a genuine interest and concern in all aspects of my life.  Anyone who knows Arron, knows that he would take his shirt off his back for his family and close friends.  Everyone comes before him and he has always been mature beyond his years.

Arron is a hard worker, an incredible father, a loving husband, and the best brother a girl could ask for. His love for music, wrestling, and inappropriate comments makes him the life of any party.  Arron is extremely talented and his life experiences have moulded him into the amazing person he is today.  My brother didn't have the easiest adolescence but I know that he grew stronger because of these challenges and anyone who meets him will tell you he has the kindest soul.

Arron, I want you to know that I love you.  I look up to the person you have become and strive to be half the parent you are.  I am happy that we come from the same family and I feel honoured to call you my brother!

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.  

Dance in the rain!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain!"

I absolutely love a good quote and when I come across one that makes me smile I feel the need to blog about it or post it somewhere in my house.  With this one, I did both!  

This morning I woke up feeling a little blue.  The weather was gray, the hubby was away for work and yesterday I had to undergo a "not fun" medical procedure... eeekkk!!!!  I was in such a glum mood I decided the only way to shake it was to get out of the house and do something.  I called my sister to see what she had planned for the day.  We decided to go watch my niece at gymnastics and then head to our favourite lunch spot, the Degroot's Teahouse.  It was a great little afternoon.  After saying my goodbyes to family and friend's who joined us, I headed into Degroot's for a look.  Right when I walked in I came across a picture with a quote on it.. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; It's about learning to dance in the rain!"  I instantly smiled and proceeded to buy the picture.. haha. 

The quote says a lot about life and how we conduct ourselves in the good times and the bad times.  Yesterday when I was undergoing this horrific procedure, I almost fainted when it was over with.  I said to the doctor that I felt silly considering it was a routine in and out procedure.  He said to me, "Whitney, nothing in life is routine."  I thought about that for a long time after I left and couldn't agree with him more.  Everyone expects life to be easy and when a lemon is thrown our way, we get upset and we don't always deal with it in the best way possible.  

But we have to remember that life isn't always routine and sometimes it storms.  Instead of stopping our lives, we should embrace every moment, good and bad.  Life is unpredictable and can be scary.  But if you can learn to dance in the rain every so often, life will be that much more enjoyable.  

Save a life!

Life throws us curve balls and tests us and keeps us on our toes.  Many of us have the coping mechanisms to deal with these challenges, but some of us struggle to find the courage to face them.  Mental health plays a crucial part in this equation.  In the past two years, Sarnia has seen close to ten teen suicides.  For whatever reason, these young people felt that they could not handle the stress of life's challenges and decided the only way was to say goodbye... This breaks my heart.  Life for a teenager is hard enough as is, let alone adding bullying and mental health.  Something HAS to be put in place to help these students cope with life.  They need to know that it gets better and there are available outlets to help them.  We need to provide these outlets within the schools.  I truly believe that every school should have full time counsellors and that it should be MANDATORY that every student sees them at least once a week.  By incorporating it into students schedules, no one feels singled out or embarrassed to seek the help.  

I also believe that we all have the power to help.  Reach out to someone if they seem down.  Give compliments to strangers.  Hold doors open.  Smile as you walk by someone.  Talk to the people around you.  I believe that we have the power to save a life!  I remember the story of the little boy who took all his books home from school one day.  On his way home, he trips and drops them all.  Another boy helps him collect them and walks them home with him.  That day, a life was saved!  The boy who cleaned out his locker had no intention of waking up the next day.  But a simple gesture convinced him that his life was worth living.  

Be kind to people.  Go out of your way to give a compliment.  Tell the people around you, how important they are to you. Life is fragile but love and support can be the glue to keep it from shattering.  Be someones hero!  Save a life!