Perhaps They Should Stick to Selling Books

Chelsea saw this and snapped a photo

on a recent trip she and I made to this book store.

Moments later we passed by again

and the sign was gone.

But, we thought it was a hoot!

My Horn Got Tooted!!

Too often I feel I am 

"Tooting my own horn".

As sole proprietor 

of a business
most of the time
if I don't, who will?

How fun when a friend does 

it for me....

I've been reading Ronda's blog for

a while now.

She is a special lady with a knack for

expressing her feelings in words.

Today....

she tooted....

my horn......

Want to see?

And then I just have to show you this 

wonderful piece I found while Mrs. Rabe 

and I were out.

I don't have any of these filled yet.

In fact I have it listed both at 

Etsy and Artfire as a custom

fill opportunity.

If you purchase through Etsy

it will be $34.95 including shipping.

Blogger special....

$30.00 including shipping.

If you are local and no shipping 

is required it is $22.00.

Just email me and I will 

let you know how to go about 

ordering it at this price.

The gorgeous crock

holds about 18 ounces of soy wax

and will be made with three wicks.
The dimensions are roughly four inches by
four and a half inches.

 You may choose from the following fragrances......
also available in unscented white for those purists 

among us or for that formal occasion where fragrance is not desired.

French Vanilla (White)
French Lavender (Lavender)
Peony (Pink)
Daffodil (Yellow)
Hydrangea Heaven (Soft Blue)
Fresh Linen (Beige)
Country Apple (Red)
Oceanside Mist (Bright Blue)
Irish Moss (Bright Green)
Cucumber Cantaloupe (Soft Green)
Cinnamon Vanilla (Tan)
Lilac (Purple)
Citrus Infusion (Yellow)
Cappuccino (Brown)
Hot Chocolate (Brown)

Patchouli Vanilla (Soft Blue)

Also,
I picked up the new cards
yesterday.  They look great.
Some that you chose and I put in a few surprises
of my own.....
I'll get them listed over the next day ~ or three.

I'm off to get a bunch of errands done
and hope to avoid enjoying any more
of Chelsea's freshly baked banana bread.
Two slices really should be enough...
don't you think?
Wait! Don't answer that!!

Toodles!

Spending Time With a Friend

Since my friend, 

Mrs. Rabe, 

now owns a sweet shop of

her own we have a new

way to spend a day here and there.

Wholesaling!

Now, that is the way to 

shop and spend time in 

fellowship.

See you later.

Maybe I'll find some goodies to 

show you!

That would be so fun.

Unlearning the Sales Training

For 16 years I was in the financial services

field.  I loved working with people and 

finding ways to free up money to save.

I loved watching their retirement savings grow.

I did not love convincing people that they should

want to work with me over some other 

financial person or their own indifference.

So, I went to many sales training schools.

I learned that art of carefully crafted words.

I studied.

It became a part of my regular speech ...

to the point that I wouldn't even know I was

using a learned skill until Warren would 

say that it wasn't going to work on him.

Then we would have a good laugh.

It made me wary when 

we were shopping for something and 

I heard those words coming my way.

My radar went off and

my resistance grew.

Part of the sales training was to never

admit if you were feeling vulnerable.

Perhaps you were having a down day and 

could use a bit of encouragement.

Well, this was highly frowned upon.

Your answer on these days if someone asked

how you were would be 

"Unbelievable!"

You had it covered either way.

Cute.

But not exactly conducive

to being genuine.....

That being said,

I understand the reasoning behind it.

Not long ago I visited a local shop.

The owner of the shop was in a real doldrum

and told me all about it.

She definitely needed to vent and I was there.

I didn't mind...for that day but I had only just 

met her and was concerned that I might get 

that sob story every time I visited and so 

I have been hesitant to go back.

So...there are reasons as to why we 

are to keep things in a more positive light.

I think I just took it a bit too far.

It became hard for me to admit to anyone

when I was scared about something 

in my business.  

I carried the worry and the stresses 

all alone.

However, 

You really can teach an old dog

new tricks....

if she wants to learn.

I am getting better about sharing the 

good and the bad

when there is good reason.

Perhaps it will help another to avoid a 

mistake I have already "tested" out.

That happens.

Sometimes it is as simple as 

dropping a Facebook message to 

another business owner and letting 

them know that you need a kick in the pants.

In my case I get that and probably prayer.

Since I hang out with some 

pretty incredible 

people.

Whatever the case,

I am unlearning some

of my sales 

training.

I am learning to lean....

just a bit.

Not too much.

But no one has happy,

self confident, successful days

EVERY day.

Sometimes you feel like the 

biggest failure on the planet

and you just have to 

share.

That happened to me 

this week.

I appreciate those who listen 

and then spur me on .

I truly love them.

Oh!  And.....

FYI...I allowed my financial licenses

expire as of the first of this year.

That is a bit scary in itself....

but due to the many changes in the world

of finance and the expense 

of carrying the licenses

 I felt it 

was the best thing to do.

I learned so much over those

sixteen years!

It was a very good thing.

But, for now, I am not interested in 

working in finance.

Something else that was not easy

to admit.

But there....it is out.

Whew!

Would You Like to Help Me?

I am about to order more note cards...

the first batch has begun selling nicely.

If you were purchasing note cards

for general use which of these designs,

if any, would you choose?

Of course, 

none of them would have the watermark....

 

Big thanks to Melissa, 

of The Missionary Mama Blog

for helping me figure out how to turn

these last two photos in the right direction.

Blogger was driving me a bit batty this morning.

Thank you for all of your kind and supportive
comments on the two posts about Chelsea.
I was very blessed and I know she was
encouraged as well.

I hope your day is simply delightful!

Perfect Follow up....

I didn't know that Chelsea started a new blog...

You should read it.

This is the girl I know and love.

This is her heart!!

Chasing Cadence

It is really good.

If you start at the beginning

it will take you 10-15 minutes to read the whole

blog so far.

Proud Mommy Moment

Indulge me, 

will you?

We have three amazing children.

Young people now, really.

The one I talk most about 

is the one I spend the most time

with....that girl of mine.

Chelsea.

Chelsea has gone through 

two years that have been the hardest

in her life and in ours.

Anorexia was the enemy.

It was awful!

There is no other way to put it.

Anorexia sneaks in and hijacks

relationships, lifestyles and happiness.

Well, it tries to do that.

Sometimes the people involved are

stubborn enough to resist.

We are pretty stubborn.

But even so

we endured a very hard and 

very stressful couple of years.

But, the one who had it the 

hardest was Chelsea.

She had to learn to eat again.

She had to learn to accept the body

that her DNA and Creator

provided her.

Chelsea had to learn to fill the 

emotional needs for love and acceptance

with her Heavenly Father.

To look outward and reach to minister to others.

She endured being let go from a job 

because they thought she was not 

outgoing and confident enough

to handle a Summer Ice Cream rush.

Can I insert here that upon 

receipt of her driver's license this 

was one of the first places she drove

by herself just to say hello

and show how strong and outgoing

she has become.

While I wanted to send a scathing 

letter to that former employer telling 

them what I thought of their heartless

treatment of my girl she said no.

A year later she handled it herself 

in a way that set it all right

and left her on good footing with that 

former manager.

What.a.girl!!

Chelsea has a wonderful employer and

managers at Sight and Sound Theater.

Interestingly they have her on one of the

busiest registers and tell her all the time 

that she does

a wonderful job.

They recently asked her to work

more hours and increased her pay.

Confidence problem?

Bad employee?

I don't think so.

I have a lot I could say...

but suffice it to say that yelling and 

screaming at teenagers does not build 

their confidence.

Her former employer could take lessons

from Sight and Sound!!

The formal treatment for Anorexia is done.

Chelsea has reached her healthy weight

and more importantly has had a change of 

thought processes.

Our girl is well.

But it was an internal and spiritual change.

One that she expressed so well on an 

application for YWAM.

Yes, that is in the works.

In a little over a year our little 

girl will, Lord willing, be on a plane

headed to Australia.

She will go to Descipleship Training School

there and then off to Cambodia or Thailand

for her mission trip.

Working with girls and women

who have been rescued from slavery.

She will be gone from here

at least 5 months.

Gulp!

God has lit a fire in the heart of our

Chelsea.  She is reading, studying and learning

so much about missions, the world

and its conditions.

The contrast to our lives of one year 

ago today is amazing.

I am so very thankful!

And....as I told Chelsea yesterday...

I wouldn't trade her for ANYONE!

Nope!

She is a gem.

Made by God to be just 

who she is.

With experiences that will shape

her future.

And which provide her with 

compassion and understanding

beyond her years.

As for me....

there are bottles of hair color that 

can restore that which I have lost.

LOL

I'll be forever thankful 

that we did not lose our daughter

physically to death,

or in relationship,

during these hard times.

Praise God for His 

grace and mercy

in our lives.

We are blessed!