Jennifer is another friend made through a friendship first with her husband, and the third Jennifer among the Women Worth Knowing project, which bears out the popularity of the pretty name. However, like her counterparts here, this Jennifer is entirely unique.

A creative woman, she is the owner of One Star Designs, making and selling her own jewelry. She is crafty and practical, and I have introduced her to other of my friends through Facebook and LiveJournal because of her wealth of knowledge regarding Celiac disease, and gluten-free living. One of the things I really appreciate about her, is her willingness to share information. When Jennifer knows something, she will take the time to teach someone else about it. She doesn’t just store up her knowledge: She actually uses her knowledge to help other people.

Jennifer is a kind, compassionate woman, whose appreciation for life and living it are apparent in all she does. She cares about people. She cares about connections. She cares about–well, if you’re reading this, there is a good chance she cares about you.

Meet Jennifer.

Name: Jennifer Julian
Age Range: 30’s
Preferred Job Title: Homemaker/Jewelry Designer
Industry: Wearable art!

Describe your family: I have a crazy Yeti of a husband and a little dog that talks back when you speak to her. My husband, Justin, is a kind, loving, generous man with a heart as big as he is. Our dog, Pumpkin, is a little orange and white Jack Russell Terrier who would tell you she’s a pretty pretty princess who deserves to be respected as the royalty she is. We humor her and give her lots of cookies when she isn’t being a pain in the neck.

What does the first hour of your day look like? I don’t have a typical day. I consider myself a homemaker, but I generally put in far more hours working on my business than I do standard homemaker stuff. I usually keep whatever schedule Justin is on, which varies. When I wake up, I get settled on the sofa, get my laptop on, and start the digital side of my business. (Networking on Facebook and other sites, hunting for new suppliers of inventory, taking care of sales and answering questions, etc.) After the initial wave of that is over, I’ll start beading, maybe after starting a load of dishes or laundry.

The last hour? By the end of the night, I’m usually still working. We’ll sit and watch a movie or a TV show while I bead. Eventually, Justin will force me to stop long enough to get me into bed…if I don’t fall asleep with my tools in my hands. Did I mention I’m kind of a workaholic? Justin is constantly trying to convince me to focus on resting, and we’re working on that. It’s a work in progress.

What makes you feel successful? A day when I feel I’ve done what God wants me to do, spent some time with my husband, and gotten some work done, is a successful day to me. I feel most successful when I can use One Star Designs to help people. Sometimes I’m able to give jewelry to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get it and need a good lift up. The other night we went to see a concert, and the band lives on the road only on the donations of others. They don’t even charge to play. It was a great honor to be able to outfit the woman in the band with plenty of new sparklies. That made me feel far more successful than any sale.

What brings you joy? God, Justin, Pumpkin, making people happy, old school goth music, and a good horror flick!

What women do you admire? Mother Theresa is a role model of mine, because of her love and compassion. She stood up and said that there are no ‘throwaways’ in life, that we’re all worth loving and caring for. She did what God told her to do, despite any cost to herself, caring for those that nobody else would.

What do you like best about yourself? My creativity. It allows me to see the world from a different angle than most people. Many people look at a cemetery and see death, and are afraid of it, or hate it. I don’t see it that way. I also see it as a celebration of life, monuments to those who have gone before that testify to what they left behind. I also see the way the shadows and light play off the stones and see the beautiful art contained there. My creativity lets me see that things aren’t just black and white, I feel I see more of the whole spectrum of color between.

What advice would you give boys about girls? Girls think with their heart, and many times it’s out on their sleeve, exposed. Just remember that and be gentle.

How do you overcome adversity? God. I pray about it, ask what I should do, and He tells me. And some of the time, I actually do it. The rest, I forge ahead, stubbornly, and after banging my head against the wall a few times I remember, ‘oh, yeah, God told me to do it this way’ and I actually do what He says.

How do you want to be remembered? My sister says that my epitaph should say ‘she never met someone she didn’t like, and probably loved them all more than she should have’. I don’t necessarily agree with either side of that entirely. I just want what the Bible says about God at the end: ‘well done my good and faithful servant’. I just don’t want anyone to die feeling unloved, and if I leave having accomplished that as much as I can, I’ll be happy.