My New Favorite Necklace

Ann Troast Photography

(Left to Right:  Stacy, Me, My Mom, Jill, Cricket)

I am so thankful for the relationship I have with my mother and my sisters (sister in law included).   This year I wanted to do something special to convey in some small way how much they all mean to me.  So, I decided to get us all matching necklaces.  Originally, I had really wanted all of us to get matching tattoos, but I wasn't sure if we would all be game for that, so I settled on the necklaces.

Ann Troast Photography

Recently, I discovered that my old college roommate has been making jewelry.  She does awesome work, and I knew she was the perfect person to go to make these necklaces.  I obviously love to support anything handmade, and especially someone like me who does it as a little side business.

I contacted Val from V's Jewels, and shared with her a design I had seen on Etsy.  Basically, I wanted a cross with our birthstones and an anchor.  I wanted it to symbolize how each of us are anchored together through Christ.    Val loved the idea and went to work right away brainstorming and ordering supplies.  The final product is better than I imagined and I LOVE it.  She did an amazing job.

I include my sister-in-law in on this as well because she is just as much a sister to me as my two actual sisters.  She has been with my brother since I was in high school and stuck by him when he was in the worst of his alcohol addiction.  Thankfully, he is almost 6 years sober (whoop, whoop)!

Along with the necklaces,  I wanted to include a poem to explain their meaning, as well as convey to them what they each mean to me.  You can read it below:

To my favorite women

A small gift for you

To honor our love

And all we’ve been through.

At the bottom you’ll find

Five stones hung on

They represent us

And our very close bond

The anchor shows

How solid we are

Though waters get rough

We don’t move too far

 The cross, as you see

It rests on our heart

With God as our center

We won’t fall apart

Through Christ’s awesome love

We are anchored together

In the good and the bad

And all of life’s weather.

So, thanks each of you

And how much you care

What God has given us

Is extraordinarily rare.

A HUGE thank-you to Val for making such an amazing and meaningful piece of jewelry for each of us.  Please head over to her Facebook page and show her some love, and order from her!  She is awesome to work with and makes beautiful stuff.  You really cannot beat something that is handmade from someone who truly loves her craft.