Lovely Weather!

It seems like the warm weather has rushed in all at once and everything is green again. So beautiful! I took the residents for a bus ride yesterday and we went to the Chickamauga Dam which is part of the Tennessee River. There are lots of boats there and it's very peaceful. It was a nice ride.

The pictures I have posted is of the sun setting on the Tennesse River. It's so beautiful in the evenings here now that the daylight is with us longer. My daughter took these lovely pictures on two separate evenings, and I just love the peaceful way the water looks in the second one. The sky is another beauty. This location is only about 4 miles from my house! Wish it was in my back yard. Only God could create something so lovely! Hope you enjoy it, too.

Yesterday

Well, you probably know by now that one of my first loves is music. So I've got another song for you. I was in a group last year and we practiced in a studio once a week. Our group was called "Choo Choo Chicks" and we were a trio. We would do a collection of songs from the '40's to the 80's era and did such songs as "Mr. Sandman", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", just to name a couple. Our leader has many talented friends who would help us from time to time. One evening, Maurice came by to record some keyboards and he and I ended up recording "Yesterday", the beautiful Beatles song. I have had this recording and decided to put it on Youtube.

My daughter is a wonderful photographer, so I decided to use her pictures and combine them with my music. It turned out so nice! Even though the song is a sad song, it does talk about our yesterdays, and lots of our yesterdays are worthy of remembering, right? Just like these photographs of flowers and butterflies are from yesterday, their images are still something to cherish for the future. Hope you enjoy this.

A Little History

Long ago, really about 15 years ago, I started a craft business while I was working full time for a construction company. During the next 2 years while I was still working, my craft business grew into a wholesale business. At that time I was in my early 40's and making a living as an office manager for this construction company. My children were just about grown but were still living at home. Those were busy but exciting years for us. The business started with me making angels and just kept growing.

I was working non-stop all day and all night and couldn't keep up. So I had to make a decision. I decided to resign from my job and go with my passion. The wholesale business led to opening up a retail business two years later at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and we named it "Little Lace Lady". For the next ten years, I ran this business and literally met people from all over the world. You would not believe how many people know the song, "Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo" and they wanted to see the original. I met mostly people from England and Europe--even countries that I have never heard of! I have even met some celebrities who stayed at the Choo Choo. Maybe even one of you has visited the Choo Choo in the past.

Two years ago, we decided to sell the business and it is still there to this day. I am semi-retired now, and am traveling in a totally different direction, but I still make my angels. The angel pictured has gone through several "costume changes" and the latest change I have made is adding my tatting to the skirt. ( I am selling it on my Etsy if you are interested.)

The one suggestion that really made my angels start selling well was a suggestion by a sales rep. who was selling my angels. She said that if I would write little simple poems and add them to my little angel, it would expand my line and people would buy them even more. And she was exactly right! I wrote poems for mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, grandmothers, granddaughters--anything I could think of. The angel pictured has my "Mother" poem on it.

Here is the poem:

I thank the Lord above

For giving me a mother

who always is so kind and good

And patient like no other.

There will always be people who believe in angels, and I certainly am one of them!

My Song - "Temporary Home"

I recorded a new song on Youtube--one that is very dear to my heart. We had a "Celebration of Life" memorial service up in the Smokies with our family last Easter weekend for my husband's mom, and it was very moving. His mom would have loved this song

P.S. Right at the end of the video, my kitty, Sophie, gave a little meow--I hope I had her approval. It was so cute--see if you can hear it!

Lavender Sachet & Etsy

So, I was home by myself on Saturday and didn't even go anywhere! That's because every time I leave the house, I spend money. Is that true for you? I figured if I just stayed home, there are a million things that can keep me busy, but what I chose to do primarily was surfing all my great blogs (and some new ones) and doing some tatting.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered some lavender off Etsy, along with some muslin bags, and decided to add some tatting to the little muslin bag. I love being on Etsy--I make a little money that I can spend on other people's Etsy sites and I'm happy. I've found some real treasures on Etsy. Maybe sometime, I'll take pictures of what I have ordered on Etsy. I've ordered everything from glitter to jewelry findings to paper crafts and my latest purchase, the lavender. Oh yes, I've even ordered loose tea which is very good. So, now I have given some free advertising to Etsy--I hope they appreciate that. I added 3 pictures here because I like seeing what my projects look on different backgrounds. The lavender almost gives the bag a light green tint, and I like that.

So, I added my little tatted muslin sachet to my Etsy and we'll see if it sells. If it doesn't, I still enjoyed the process of making it and can always give it away to a friend or family. I added 3 pictures here because I like seeing what my projects look on different backgrounds. The lavender almost gives the bag a light green tint, and I like that. Oh yes, I also ordered that pretty dyed pink silk ribbon off Etsy. I have found beautiful silk ribbons of every color!

Hope you have a good week creating!

More Hearts

I have spent the whole morning on the computer because I am getting my wood flooring installed throughout the house and really can't do much else. That's okay because I could really spend all my waking hours on the computer looking at lovely blogs. I don't know about you, but I really enjoy looking at other creative blogs. I should be working on my tatting and other things that I do, but just can't get off here. I did add two more hearts to my Etsy site, so I did really accomplish something today. The weather is finally warming up here so I can be outside with my grandson more. We like to be outside--until about June, when it starts getting hot.

I'm getting more students for piano and voice these days, which is good. Our studio is moving to another more convenient and visible location starting next week, so that should help get even more students. I have one new student who is 70 years old and says that learning to play the piano is on her "bucket list." She looks and acts much younger--I'd say around 55-60. She still works full time, too! Wow, I am really impressed with her. And she is enjoying piano so much--I enjoy it right along with her. I have 4 adults taking piano right now. It's never too late to learn something new and piano-playing is such an enjoyable hobby. You should try it!

I'm into Hearts!

Well, now I'm making little hearts with tatting added. I just liked the look of this combination and low and behold, I sold one on Etsy one day after I listed it! So, I take it that I should start making more.

I'm so happy that my daffodils are finally starting to bloom in my yard. That means that Spring is right around the corner. Yey!! I am ready for warmer weather, and I know that you all are, too (unless you live where it's warm all the time). And now that the time has changed, it will be lighter later in the evening. I like that, too.