How Memories of Home Started and Inspired Our Family

Autumn Event
September 12-16

Hello friends!

A customer came out to the shop to pick up something last week and her husband asked me a question that I’m sure many of you wonder about, especially if you’re a relatively new customer. So today I decided I would give you a little peek into my past history, and how this business got started.

In 1989 I received my retailer’s license because I had visions of making some money to spend on frivolous things. However, my heart was always toward home decor. It was a time in our life when my husband worked very hard, but we rarely had funds to do something extra.

My children hate it when I tell this story, but in those days you didn’t just go out and charge your groceries to your credit card. One day towards the end of the month, I really had nothing but hotdogs and a few vegetables in the cupboard and refrigerator. I knew the next day I would be able to go get groceries because The paycheck would be given out on that Friday. So that Friday evening, I remember, with fondness on my part, but not on my children’s, I fixed a brand new dish called Hot Dog Stew. To this day they groan, if I ever mention this.

In those early years, we did craft shows—some were profitable and some I lost my shirt on. But during that time I realized I wanted my kids to have this experience so that they would be able to greet the public even as a teenager, become creative with what they had, and learn to count change back while they were also learning to interact with adults.

For a few years, I opened my house up, and I had many people traipsing through the house as if it were a store while they purchased products. Thank goodness it only lasted a weekend. But during one of the events, one of my vendors, who was there, had a very expensive bracelet stolen. I hated that it happened to her. She was such a sweet woman. At that point, I felt robbed myself that someone would come into my house and steal something. So that’s when we looked into a barn, one which my husband needed desperately. Or, at least he thought.

So the business bought him the barn and he graciously let me use it part-time. And then part-time turned into a few events out of the year. He saw how much I enjoyed these events, and he offered to let me use half of the barn for my shop—full-time.

It worked out great until he realized that I had taken over more than half of the barn. One day, he graciously and kindly asked me, or should I say, told me that he wanted his barn back.

Henceforth, that’s why we built the extra barn for me.

But for you, moms, especially young ones I want to encourage you to give your children those opportunities to develop their creativity, right along with yours.

As most of you know, my daughter, April, of the Added Touch, has created so many beautiful window treatments, as well as gorgeous, professional, upholstery work. However, while she still picks out beautiful clothing for the shop at Market, she also is an office manager for a dental office. She works out here twice a week during the event. She is very busy with her office work.

(New clothing for fall)

My next three girls all are in some type of career that I feel like the opportunities they had while creating things for shows have helped them with confidence as well as their creative skills.

My daughter Wendy has an international business as a composer, who sells piano books that she has composed and compiled, as well as Single pieces. She does seminars literally for people all over the world.

(Carrie is missing in this picture)

Then, my next daughter, Carrie and her husband have created a very successful real estate business, which now has morphed into many home sales and flips, as well as remodels for many clients in their area.

(Carrie is sitting next to April in this pic)

And then there’s Alissa who works for a huge corporation in their marketing division, as well as her being the editor for my newsletters and my social media guru. She helps me whenever I’m stuck with something on the website or social media. And that happens more than I would like to say.

And then there’s my Joel. Most of you know that he was a very special gift from God. He was born with Down Syndrome, and if you knew him, you would love him. That’s what everyone says. He is the most kind and compassionate person you would ever meet. He is so helpful when we do shows as he unloads the trailer with us helps us set up the backdrop, and many other small jobs that he’s quite capable of doing.