Once my husband and I started our family, I knew I wanted to be able to stay at home with my children. My teaching career in early childhood education came to an end when I was eight months pregnant with our first daughter. However, I knew I wanted to replace my income with something more flexible from home. Thanks to the many sleepless nights following the birth of our baby girl, I had plenty of time to brainstorm. One night, while silently rocking my daughter, an idea “blossomed”. As my excitement grew, I spent the rest of the night working away on a business plan to share with my husband the next morning. I spent the following months perfecting my craft and began my first Etsy shop: Prayer with Memories. At first, I was solely making rosaries. As my shop grew, I was asked if I could make custom orders, such as jewelry and keepsakes. Demand grew and my second Etsy shop began: My Memories in Bloom. 

 

Traditionally, rosary beads were made out of roses, hence the name. The roses were made into clay, rolled into beads, and left to dry. However, this traditional method requires a significant amount of rose petals and the beads tend to be incredibly fragile. Additionally, this method only produces black beads. I wanted to offer beads to my customers that would be durable, water resistant, and customizable in color. MMIB uses a process that incorporates flower petals into clay. This method allows us to use any type of flower petal, significantly less petals per piece, and any age of petal. Meaning, you can have a piece made from flowers you dried decades ago! The flexibilities of our process allow us to create custom pieces for our customers. 

 

What started as a small idea for a second income, blossomed into a company that allows us to play a small role in how people cherish and remember their  special occasions or loved ones for the rest of their lives. As the orders roll in, so do the stories. I am moved by the stories that accompany the funeral flowers sent by family members for their loved ones. My business bloomed into a type of ministry for me as I prayed for the families suffering with loss and the souls of the departed, as well as celebrating newlyweds, newborn babies, and growing families. No matter where the flowers come from, they all have a meaningful story behind them. I love to offer up my work for the people I work with.  

 

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