Busy Week!

I have been very busy making all my "stuff" this week and singing.  On Thursday evening, I sang a jazz concert at a Family Night for a local assisted living home.  There were about 100 people there.  The lights were low and they all sat around small tables eating olives, cheese and nuts and drinking wine and sparkling juice while I sang.  It was fun!  I sang for about an hour and it was totally jazz music from the 30's and 40's.  I am doing this again this coming Monday at another place.   I am going to try to develop this since there are not very many people doing it.  Can you imagine how many songs the younger singers would have to learn to catch up to me?  I think I have an edge on this for sure.  I think I have found my calling!

I am also showing some pictures of my new ornaments.  I have enjoyed making these and have a lot more to make.  So, that is what I will be doing all day today after I post this.  You can find them on my Etsy site at http://www.lllangel.etsy.com and they are very reasonable in price--really no more than most other store-bought ornaments.  And they are handmade.  I think they would look cute when added to the bow of a gift wrapped package, too.  So, until next time. . . . .

My Latest Adventures

Lately, I have been very busy singing.  I have found a new music love in Jazz.  I love all the old 1930's and 1940's music and have found that my voice adapts well to these old songs.  I guess you would say that I like "crooning."  I'll bet you thought only guys did that!  I have some singing engagements where I only sing jazz.  It is very conducive to dancing while I'm singing.  And it is very relaxing for me to sing.  Also, jazz is making a comeback these days.  Younger people are discovering it and the ballroom dancing adapts very well it it.  So, I am having fun with it these days.  Maybe I will post a song or two in the coming weeks that I am doing.  


Also, I have decided to start selling my creations to unique shops and boutiques again.  I  took a long break from it and was jolted back to reality when I received a great order from the Old Mill Pottery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  So, if you are in Pigeon Forge and you stop by the Old Mill complex, you might just see some of these tatted pins on display in their pottery store.  Also, you might see lots of my angels pictured here.  I made 160 of them--wow, that took awhile!  I hope to do well so I can just keep sending them re-orders.  Wouldn't that be great??  Here's hoping!

My Friend's Beautiful Creation

 The top picture is the back of the garment.  The bottom picture is the front.

Well, my new friend in Canada finally received her tatted pieces from me.  It took quite a while to get there.  But, I am so glad they arrived.  I am posting the first pictures of her beautiful creations where the tatting is being added.  This is a chemise she made and added the tatted accent to the back of it.  Isn't it beautiful?  I can't wait to see more.

My Daughter

I just wanted to post a picture of my beautiful daughter.  She is an RN in the ER of a local children's hospital and has a son of her own (my precious grandson).  My grandson took this picture of his mom.  He is quite the little photographer!  She has taught him well--she is a great photographer.  I just wanted to share her with you.

New Friend in Canada

This last month, I have been talking via email to a talented lady in Canada who creates beautiful dresses and clothes.  They look very victorian and rich.  So, she asked me to make her up some tatting so she could work in into her designs.  I have added a picture of what I sent her--she requested certain colors that would go with her designs.  I can't wait to see how she uses them--this may be the start of something very nice!

This Hits Close To Home

I thought I would post what is happening to my sister who is a former employee of Kohl's (unfortunately, a place I love to shop).  Even though they have good bargains, they need to clean up their act when it comes to discrimination.  I am so glad the EEOC decided to help my sister.  It is time for these big companies (along with their heartless, aggressive young managers)  to stop discriminating against people with disabilities!!

EEOC Sues Kohl's Department Stores For Disability Discrimination

Employee Forced to Quit After Store Denies a Regular Schedule to Accommodate Her Diabetes

PORTLAND, Maine  – Kohl’s Department Stores, a nationwide, Wisconsin-based retailer, violated  federal law when it refused to accommodate a diabetic employee’s request for a  regular schedule and forced her to quit her job at a Westbrook, Maine, Kohl’s store, the  U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it  filed today.

The EEOC’s lawsuit, Civil Action  No.11-00320, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, alleges  that Kohl’s failed to accommodate Pamela Manning, who began to suffer  significant complications to her diabetes after Kohl’s switched her from her  long-held set schedule to an irregular schedule. The EEOC’s suit states that her oral requests  for a return to a set schedule were repeatedly ignored. After Manning brought in a note from her  doctor that explained the need for her to work a predictable day shift to help  prevent serious complications from her diabetes, Kohl’s again refused to change  her schedule. When Manning told Kohl’s  that the scheduled hours could kill her, its store manager laughed and told her  that she would not accommodate her, the EEOC said. Manning then had no choice but to resign her  employment to protect her health. Kohl’s  refused to accommodate Manning even though it had numerous employees on set schedules and had accommodated employees’ scheduling  requests for such reasons as day care, transportation and other personal  needs.

Disability discrimination,  including the failure to reasonably accommodate an employee’s disability,  violates the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to  reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The agency seeks monetary relief for Manning,  the adoption of strong policies and procedures to remedy and prevent  disability discrimination by Kohl’s, training on discrimination for its  managers and employees, and more.

“Employers  are obligated to reasonably accommodate employees with disabilities, and this  obligation becomes even more serious when a worker has a potentially  life-threatening illness,” said Markus L. Penzel, trial attorney in the EEOC’s  Boston Area Office, which has jurisdiction over Maine.

Elizabeth Grossman, regional  attorney for the EEOC’s New York District, added, “Keeping Ms. Manning on a  regular, set schedule would have posed no undue hardship on this company. When one considers the possible dire  consequences of ignoring her needs, refusing her request out of hand was  unconscionable.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment  discrimination. Further information  about the agency is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.

The Craft Show Results!

Well, it was a pretty good craft show for July.  Everyone made a little money and we made some new friends, too.  I made a great contact and we are possibly going to do some future shows together.  It's always easier if you have someone to partner with you at a craft show.  We can then each get some breaks during the day and have someone to talk to.  I think it's fun!  I sold mostly my rings and little decorated hair pins.  My little books did not sell--but I think that's more for the Holidays.  I also sold a few angels, which I do at every craft show.  They never go out of "style".  We are planning another show for November and hope to make it for 2 or 3 days plus add more vendors.  Well, back to creating again!