LRH Designs

One of the things that our mother was known for was being creative. She would look at a piece of material or a palette of paint and create something that would make you smile. It was a passion of hers and she was good at it. For years Deb and I would try to convince Mom that she should start her own business. One year we went so far as to give her “how to start your own business kit” for her Birthday. She smiled and dreamed about it, but was never able to make it her reality.

Although Mom may have had dreams unfilled due to her untimely death, she did instill in her daughters a drive to go for what we wanted. She taught us at a very early age how to work hard, that anything was possible and to see the important things through. And that is why I felt it important to write this blog about my sister. Deb recently started her own jewelry making business (LRH Designs) and I could not be prouder of her for making this work. She has found something she is truly passionate about and she has taken the steps to share her talent with others in a way that would make our Mother’s heart sing.

So here are the things I learned from watching my Big Sister make her vision for a business a reality:

Find how to make your creativity flow and wonderful things will happen. If anyone knew my mother, or any crafter in the 90s, you know about tole paint and the magic of lace. We grew up with these as examples of being creative and crafty. If you saw my sister’s house you would know that tole painting would not be part of her décor, let alone make something she would make. Although, to be honest, we did are far share of base coats for my mother’s projects.

That said, I do not think Deb would have called herself especially creative even 12 months ago, but during the Christmas break when she started making bracelets with Emily, something clicked. I remember simply placing three scarfs on the table and within a few hours, I had three different sets of bracelets to match my scarfs. It really was wonderful to see how natural being creative came to her. This was the start of her exploring her passion.

Believe in yourself and Trust yourself. Taking on something new was not something Deb needed to do, but rather she wanted to do. It became a sense of joy for her and she started to see the potential of making pieces that people would enjoy and feel good about wearing. So, with a cheer squad of family and friends behind her, she had to find the courage to believe in herself, then plan, then reconsider that plan, adjust the plan and finally trust in herself to move forward. Having the courage to move through that process, by herself, is admirable.

There is Joy in Making People Smile. One of the greatest things about this process, has been watching how happy Deb is when she makes something that makes someone else smile. As she was preparing to start the business, she sent out bracelets to essential workers in Canada and the US. When someone would post about how happy it made them or she would get a picture of someone wearing her gift, the glee her in voice was heartwarming.

This sense of joy has also been found in her ability to take a dated jewelry piece of sentimental value and turn it into something elegant. She has this amazing ability to see things for what they can be and not just for what they are.

The final thing I have learned from watching Deb is summed nicely the following quote attributed to Carl Jung ~ I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become. Deb has always been my role model and a guide in my life. And again now, she is providing a strong example of what strength and perseverance look like.

This picture is of one of my Mother’s tea sets with some of Deb’s beautiful work. The necklace was made for me in honor of our late Grandmother, Mary MacAulay. It has her birthstone on it. @LRHCustomJewelry