Hey friends, and welcome to the blog! I’m so glad you’re here.

Boy, have I been busy lately. But hopefully, that will change soon. I mean, I like to be busy, but not too busy.

It all started when I decided to open another little shop inside of Sweet Maple, which is a vintage and gift store in Ringgold, GA. Well, the address is officially Ringgold since it’s over the Georgia line, but I’d definitely say it’s in Chattanooga.

I’ve been so excited about this, friends. But since I don’t keep an inventory to pull from ready made, I had a lot of work to do!

For about two weeks, I made a heap of hair accessories and dresses. On the weekends, we set up my spot by painting, installing flooring, and more. It was a lot of work, but very worth it. I’ve had little time to write, but I will be getting back to it soon!

I love being creative, and my Etsy store has always been an outlet for me. Opening a couple of small shops after not selling at craft markets for at least a decade has been such a breath of fresh air. While a little bit of side income is nice, what I like the most about doing this is the sense of purpose and happiness it brings to my life.

Now that the main work is done, I can take a little break. It feels so good to have another little shop up and running, though!

My husband and I went to Sweet Maple’s Grand Opening yesterday, and there is just about something there for anyone! If you are in the Chattanooga area, come and check it out! If not, I’d love to make something special just for you through Etsy. I make everything to order in my home.

In the midst of my busy week, May arrived! It has been perfectly lovely so far. Lots of storms have rolled through, which has been awesome. There is something so peaceful about a good rainstorm to me.

I read once that a good exercise to help find contentment in life is to begin to accept the weather exactly as it comes. It’s a practice I’ve been doing for a couple of years now, and I think it really works. At least now, I very rarely complain about the weather. Every day I’m excited to see what the weather will be, and I believe there is a purpose for it.

One of my favorite things about May is my garden. Thanks to planting perennials over the past few years, so many beautiful things have poked their heads out of the soil with no work from me whatsoever this season. What a blessing! Today, my husband and I pulled back the black plastic covering my raised bed garden and reinstalled my drip system. After that, I planted five rows of zinnias. I can’t wait to see what they look like this summer!

Tomorrow, I plan to plant sunflowers. Lots and lots of sunflowers. I also will add a couple of rows of vegetables to the mix, but I’m mostly going to concentrate on flowers for pollinators and the native birds this year. To me, this sounds like lots of fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today, friends. I hope your May is amazing!