Where it begins
MY STORY
Hey there! I am Stephanie
I am a daughter, sister, wife, mom and grandmother.
I grew up in a small town in Rochester Illinois, where I lived on a farm. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. We lost our youngest brother in 2020. On the farm we raised cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and we had 1/2 acre garden that I dreaded when it came time to pull the weeds.
My mom was a stay at home mom and taught me the meaning of making the most of each day. She was a hard worker and I can’t remember a time when she just relaxed, except when she went horse back riding. My step-father farmed corn and soy-beans and we were raised you sat at the table as a family. Many nights our step-father would not get in until well after dark and dinner might have been a little crispy, but we still ate as a family.
Sisters are best!
My only sister Tammy and I have been close since I can remember. She is my rock! From sharing a room with our bunk beds to the birth of her 3 children, the life stories are incredible. We love vacationing together, especially cruises! She has a heart of gold and we have a bond that no one can break. Tammy lost her husband , who passed away in 2015, it was the most difficult time for her and I could not take away her pain.
Being a mom means…
As long as I can remember, I wanted a family. I was truly blessed to have 3 sons and 1 daughter. They certainly changed my life in a positive way. They taught me more than they will ever know. They are all grown and have families of their own, but I can say with certainty that I am proud of each and every one. Their personalities are polar opposites and I would not have it any other way. I am so very fortunate that they all live fairly close to us. My family is everything!
Family is still growing!
It is true what they say, you have a bond with your grandchildren that is like no other.
My first grandchild was born in 2014. Since then it has grown to 9 with one just born in March 2022. They enjoy going camping with Grandma & Papa, movie nights and getting away from their parents! With COVID19, it has been impossible to get them all in one location for a full family photo, but their well-being and safety is far more important.
Family isn’t always blood.
My story would not be complete without included these two amazing young adults.
Meet Marshall and Abigail. These adorable twins were born in 2005. Both had a rough start in life with health issues and being raised only by their father. It is tough enough to be a parent, let alone a single parent of two special kids. My husband Gary and I have helped their father since Marshall and Abby were born. They spend holidays with us, camping, vacationing and many times weeks at our home. They are truly our family! Dad has done an awesome job raising them on his own.
Meet my other half…
We met at a karaoke bar in 1999. Gary had that personality that would make you laugh and we become attracted to each other almost immediately.
We married in 2004 and just like all married couples we have made some amazing memories and had our fair share of struggles. Gary has always been supportive of whatever my wild ideas were! From becoming a Nursing Home Administrator, to quitting a full time job to become a crafty entrepreneur, he has always believed in me. Without him, I could not have grown to where I am today. His support and words of encouragement keep me going strong!
With marriage, our family grew!
Marrying Gary also brought on another element of family. From a previous marriage Gary has a daughter Nikki and son Stuart who became a part of our blended lifestyle. You can love your step-children as much as your own. It is rough on children when parents aren’t able to work things out. They are adults now and Nikki has brought us two beautiful grandchildren! Keylee and Khali are pictured above.
FESTIVE CREATIONS – HOW IT BEGAN
My career in healthcare as a nurse and a Nursing Home Administrator took an unexpected turn in 2017. I was FIRED! So keeping in line with my personality, let’s turn lemons into lemonade and I started crafting in my spare time. I have always enjoyed creating things. As a young teen I made my own candles, cross stitched, crocheted and made gifts for family and friends. I ran across a wreath maker on Facebook and became intrigued with the things he was making. I then marched over to the Dollar Store and bought supplies to make my very first wreath.
After I returned to work, I found that my crafting and wreath making were a way for me to relax, escape from the day to day challenges of my 9-5 job.
As a nurse, I have always been there to help others, taking my crafting public and teaching others how to make wreaths and other crafts has been so rewarding. Helping others grow and prosper, which blossomed into teaching others how to grow their business too.
In April 2019, I began offering supplies to sell on my website. I was frustrated at the fact I could not find religious signs at any of my normal online shopping places. I realized that there was no really good place to find a variety of wreath signs, so I started filling my store with signs.
When I began to offer a wider variety of wreath making supplies such as ribbon, mesh, wreath frames, wreath attachments and other related items, my online store began to grow and my garage became a packing and shipping area as well as my storage area.
In 2020 not only had my online sales grown, but my entire business was rapidly growing as I started helping others learn how to grow their business too. It had grown so much that I had to make a choice of where to spend my time and energy. I resigned my position as a Nursing Home Administrator in April, 2020. The rest is history in the making!