Meet Tonie Marie Cantu

We recently connected with Tonie Marie Cantu and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tonie Marie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

All of my life I have dreamed of being a woman who could give back to women like me. As a teenager, my dream was to become a juvenile probation officer. I wanted to be able to give children and young adults what I lacked…love and protection. I imagined growing up and sitting in an office talking to a troubled teen who just needed someone to love on them, someone that would listen to them and make them feel heard and safe. I dreamed of giving them hope to overcome whatever circumstances that had lead them into a juvenile detention center. I wanted to be someone who could plant seeds of hope for a better future. I lived a life of abuse being sexually abused throughout my childhood from the age of four up to the age of 11. At age 11, once the abuse stopped, I picked up a drug habit and quickly fell into a life of addiction. At 14, I met the man that I would spend the next 20 years of my life with. The abuse continued. I was in a domestic violence relationship filled with more abuse and toxic cycles. During that relationship, we had four beautiful children. In 2021, after going back and forth with my now ex husband since 2017 due to a trauma bond, I knew that I wanted a change. Not just for myself, but for my children. They had been through enough. They had witnessed enough. It was time to put my healing first to become the best version of myself. Around October 2021, I heard of this amazing non-profit called Emerald of the Sea whose mission is to lead survivors of sexual trauma and exploitation to the hope, healing, and freedom found through Jesus Christ. I knew right away that this is where I needed to be. I joined the program in January 2022 and began a 2 year mentorship program on a journey to heal from past wounds from not only my childhood, but from the domestic violence relationship I had endured so much trauma and ptsd from. I knew from the start that this program was not only going to be a program that I walked through, but that I was going to be someone who grew with the organization to eventually give back and help women just like me! It was literally a God-send. I could see my dream of giving back coming to fruition right before my eyes. In March 2024, I began making eternal roses. The first ever bouquet I hand crafted was a Valentine’s Day gift for a young lady and as I was making these roses I was reminded of a promise I received from God to become an entrepreneur. I thought, “this is it, I am going to make Eternally Beautiful gifts to last a lifetime and plant seeds of eternal beauty.” My mentor, very close friend, sister, and the executive director and founder of Emerald of the Sea, Esmeralda Ridilla has played a major role in my healing journey. She was the woman to me that I needed when I was a child. She has helped me to see my worth, she has believed in me and encouraged me along the way and has helped me to grow in my business. I couldn’t have done this alone. Had it not been for an organization that she has built from the ground up, I would have never met her and found the healing that I needed to be able to become the woman that I am today. I found my purpose by doing the work and being surrounded by women who truly love and care for me, who challenge me, and who believe in me to do all the things that I have dreamed of. My purpose is to love everyone that I come into contact with, that I cross paths with. Now, I can love on them by creating eternally beautiful gifts creating eternally beautiful memories while planting seeds of eternal beauty with each rose that is gifted.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My focus is to continue to grow by adding products to what I offer. I currently offer rose bouquets for any occasion, memorial crosses covered in eternal flowers, bridal and bridal party bouquets, quinceañera bouquets, center pieces, etc.

My favorite thing about creating these gifts is the feedback that I receive from clients that the person that they gifted it to loved it so much and it’s so beautiful. People see my work and can’t believe that it’s all done by hand.

What separates me from all of the other amazing hand crafters and entrepreneurs that are out there is that my business is one that fulfills one of my dreams of wanting to give back to women like me. 20% of all proceeds goes to Emerald of the Sea, a non-profit serving survivors of sexual abuse!

Stay tuned for new collections coming in 2025 – right now, I make flowers for all occasions, but soon, there will be handmade crocheted items added to the collection, gloves, beanies, socks, scarves, shawls, lap blankets and so much more! Crocheting is something I LOVE doing as well.

I never thought of myself as a crafter because I didn’t believe that I was creative. It’s only been through my journey of healing that I am learning all these new things about myself and one of them is the gift of being able to hand make all different types of items.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think that it’s extremely important to have these 3 things: hope, faith, and an amazing community of people who are in your corner and care about your growth and don’t want to see you stagnant.

Being able to trust the process even when things don’t look promising is important. Knowing who your tribe is, who has your best interest at heart is super important because even though you may be a one man or one woman show, you will always need sound advice and encouragement. And if you don’t have hope and faith in what you are doing, it will be really hard to sustain a healthy attitude especially during the hard seasons.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

The most helpful to me has been my friend, sister, and mentor, Esmeralda Ridilla. She has been an instrumental influence and teacher. She has taught me to take those leaps, look out for those signs, don’t give up, seek guidance and help when you need it, and always remain faithful!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: eternallybeautiful.bytmariee
• Facebook: EternallyBeautiful
• Other: TikTok: @tmarieatx

Image Credits

Laura Jasmine Perez from All Things Art By Laura