A Very Busy June...

It' been a month since I stopped in here...so much has been going on. Class at GVSU every Wednesday...thankfully there are only 3 classes left!!! FastTrac New Venture is a great class for anyone who wants to start their own business. Not only very informative, but also gives you access to some extremely helpful resources!

Besides that class, I have taken a couple of other one-session classes to learn more about optimizing my website and to learn more about QuickBooks. And then there has been the networking things I have been to. Seems like 3-4 times a week I am out to something, and I am loving it!

And I took a few days to head out to Washington State to visit with my son, Gabriel, and his beautiful family! He lives about 15 miles from the Canadian border, right on the Pacific Ocean, in Birch Bay. We had an amazing 4 days together. We rode in Gabe's Jeep to see some of the sites, I spent a full day with his wife, Jessika, and (almost 11 yr old) daughter, Zoe. We had a Girl's Day Extravaganza!! Brunch, pedicures, Zoe's haircut and Jessika's hair coloring (gorgeous deep red, and is adorable on her!). We shopped and laughed and giggled and just enjoyed being together. We realized later that evening when we were doing a girls hug, that we had very patriotic toes!!! Mine, of course, are red. Zoe had chosen blue, and Jessika had hers done French tip!!! Red, white & blue!!!

Then I spent most of Sunday with Gabriel, fishing in his 14 ft boat...and we fished with eagles!!! We watched the majestic birds fly, hover, scoop up fish and head to a tree to eat all day!!! Such an amazing sight. At one point, a beautiful adult was hovering about 30 feet above me. I know he was eyeing the fish in our net, but it was breath-taking to have him that close!!! As you can see, we each caught a beauty!!! Gabriel landed a 16.5 inch Large-Mouth Bass, female. She was full of eggs!! But in WA, she needed to be 17 inches, so we put her back to do her thing with her eggs. My Rainbow Trout was a beauty, also, but Gabe didn't think he was legal, so after pics, I slipped him back into the water. He was a blast to catch, and I got pics to prove it, so letting him go was okay with me! I came home exhausted, filled with wonderful memories, and looking so forward to heading out there again.

Plans for my business are really starting to come together, perhaps sooner than I had expected. I'm not ready to divulge all the details yet, but will soon. I am excited about a possible partnering up with another party, and if all works out, it will be great for both of us!

As I sit here on the eve of the celebration of the founding of this great nation, I want to express my deepest thanks to all the men and women who serve in the armed services, sacrificing much to ensure our safety and freedom. I think of you everyday and am eternally grateful. We owe you are thanks and our deepest respect.

"From Sea to Shining Sea..."

Live, Laugh, Love & Be Happy!!!

Barbara
Created by EverMyHart

Busy Days...

Learning to start a business is work! I am in my third week of a 10-week course, FastTrac New Venture, being held at GVSU downtown. This is an excellent course that teaches the fundamentals of starting a business, and provides really great resources and networking outlets, and I am taking advantage of every one!!!

I have also joined Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, an organization that helps start up small businesses in the Grand Rapids area. I have taken their first 2 class course, which dovetails with the FastTrac New Venture course. I am learning SOOOOO much!!! And am finding it all very interesting!

Through my association with GROW, I have been invited to a luncheon tomorrow at Davenport University, presented by the Grandville/Jenison Chamber of Commerce.
Connected Chamber Women is an exciting blend of chambers and organizations to meet the challenges business women share. Their mission statement is designed to encompass all facets of being women. Great Networking...and lunch too!!!

On the fun side, I have also joined a couple of groups I met through a great web organization, MeetUp.com. Last Saturday, I met with a group of Grape Nuts!!! This is a very diverse group of people that share a love of wine on the fun side! We met at Noto's Restaurant for some bocci ball,  a glass (or 2) of wine, and dinner. I met some very interesting people, and am looking forward to meeting with them to play and converse again! One of the ladies I met heads another group from MeetUp.com and invited me to join their group. It's a culinary enthusiasts venue, and this next Sunday night we are making dinner as a group on the hostess's patio...everyone joins in the making of dinner!!! Another fun night in the making! CAN'T WAIT!!!

In between all that, I am studying and planning the start up of my store, learning QuickBooks, working my websites...not to mention spending time with my "favoritest" little man, Spencer...grandson extraordinaire! Missed his baseball game last night...my class got out late, and his game started early. Also, in this busy weekend, will be a baby shower for my daughter, Kaytie (she is having a girl in mid-July), a graduation open house for a lovely young lady, and trying to get downtown to Festival of the Arts!!! Such a busy weekend!

So that's where I'm at now...learning, planning, networking...all good stuff!!! Until next time...Live, Laugh, Love & Be Happy!!!

Barbara

Inspired to Post!

Well, I'm am inspired to make this blogspot a regular thing...I have been reading some others, and just had a beautiful review written about my Etsy shop...please read:  http://ladybuglanesays.blogspot.com/  Thank you Susan for the showcase!

So, things have been moving along for me...I am taking a 10 week course at GVSU, "FastTrac New Venture" to get me more positioned to open my own store. I'll give more details on the store later on. Also, I have enrolled in Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW). This is a great organization that assists small businesses. I have taken one of their courses, and will enroll in a couple of others in the fall.

Since my last post, I have produced 20 custom stemmed wine glasses for an August bride to give to her bridesmaids...and was very busy sending stemless glass sets all over the country for Mother's Day!

 

Negotiations have begun with another new entrepreneur that is putting together a catalog geared towards men to purchase gifts for their significant other...Very excited about that!!!

Well, enough for this morning...I am going to really try to post something every few days, and get into the habit of posting regularly!

Live, Laugh, Love & Be Happy!!!

Barbara
Created by EverMyHart

Up to now...

I am a glassware diva...I've filled my home with it. I love pretty glasses, and it really doesn't matter if they are dollar store or fine crystal...a nicely shaped glass to enjoy my favorite beverage, or a pretty candle holder or vase are some of life's simple pleasures.

True hand painted glassware is hard to find. Most of what is referred to as "hand painted" is done by someone at a machine, but not actually holding the brush and painting the strokes. My passion for hand painted glassware lead me to delve into my own creative side. And believe me, no one was more surprised than I am at what I found within me!! 

Like many artists, I am self taught. I have always wished I had some artistic ability, but since I can’t draw a stick person to look like a stick person, I never dreamed I had the talent to paint until I picked up a brush, dabbed it in paint and created my first piece in June 2010! All of those first pieces have been scrapped, because, as a perfectionist, I knew that while they had potential, they weren’t up to my exacting standards. And with every piece I create, I love what I do more and more.

Each item is painted free-hand style, which means that while a basic pattern will be carried to several pieces, no two pieces will be exactly the same, and every piece is its own unique "work of art". Each piece of glass tells me what it wants to be...some want lots of design, while others feel that "less is more".  And every design develops as I paint it. I do not use any stencils.

The paint is heat-set for durability and rated dishwasher safe, top rack, but I strongly recommend hand washing in mild soap, no harsh chemicals, and do not allow items to soak in water, to preserve the brilliance of the colors.

I also do custom orders for specific colors and have a very extensive rainbow. I do a lot of color mixing to create just the right shade I'm looking for, so my rainbow is limited only by your imagination!

Up to now I have been working hard to create my patterns, develop some new ones and generate sales. The last has been the most difficult. While everyone says how gorgeous my hand painted glassware is, the sales aren't pouring in. And I know that it takes time to develop a business and built a customer base. So I push on...

I have an extensive inventory of raw glassware: wine glasses, vases, carafes, etc, and am also building my inventory of finished product so I am able to ship merchandise out right away.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read about me. I hope you continue to follow along with me on this journey.  Have a great day, and remember to Live, Laugh, Love & Be Happy!