My Dads Peom

In the Name of ....

Many people have asked how the naming of my company came to be. Since we all have a story, here I’ll explain why One Tree Lane USA is who I am and where I am with an entrée of what I believe.

First the One. The One signifies the human condition as a whole and as an individual. It’s who I am and who I think you are too - spiritual beings created by God, living in the flesh and having a human experience. The One also is significant to my business life in the hopes that my singular career re-invention along with my message will inspire other women to ask herself the question: Why not me?

Next the Tree Lane. This one is easy because my family just happens to live on a particular named Tree Lane that bears a delicious favorite fruit!

Finally the USA. There are those things in which we have a passion for. One of my personal and business passions is AMERICA. Along my journey into entrepreneurship and long before the fabric swatches were chosen I felt compelled to curate a company with an American spirit. My products had to be manufactured in the USA. The United States in its quest for cheaper manufacturing has sold out to China and India for cheapness in the false name of competiveness. As a nation we import a staggering amount of products from electronics to apparel and virtually everything in between. Result: Exported jobs and economic stability. (More about that in another blog post.)

The economic issues that we now face stem directly from the USA systematically becoming a nation who values cheapness over stability. Our economic and environmental sustainability is in serious disrepair. In my opinion it’s imperative that we shift away from being known for providing services and towards entrepreneurship and manufacturing. Manufacturing creates jobs, instills American values and reduces our economic rubber stamp on China who in case we’ve forgotten is a communist nation. My children already check the labels on everything and if it’s made anywhere other than they USA we definitely weigh the cost vs. impact. Do you?

Best Living and Giving to you!
Candace

Lovely - A Delightful Little Word

Doesn’t it seem that the word lovely is one of those old fashioned words seldom used in today’s conversations? My great grandmother Clara was always describing this and that as “just lovely”. Family dinners, homes she visited, visits with friends or a new outfit you were wearing – being told it was just lovely was the ultimate compliment from her. She spoke the word with true authenticity, graciousness and love. Verbally describing anything as lovely just doesn’t seem to suit me, yet, so I choose the think and write about the term lovely instead.

Recently a friend introduced me to a Swiss formulated, made in America skin care line by Arbonne International. The experience of trying the cleanser, toner, moisturizers and crèmes in the pretty gold satin bag can only be adequately described as lovely! A decade’s long devotee of upscale brand cosmetic and personal care products like Lancôme, Dior, Estee, Bobbie Brown and Clinique I made the lock stock a barrel switch to Arbonne. Now after just two weeks my skin is noticeably brighter, those fine lines of life experience have diminished and my pores are really smaller! My skin feels healthy and yes lovely. Arbonne’s products are all natural, botanically based and have a clean, light citrus aroma. If you like the feelings of having a salon facial in your own bathroom twice everyday consider giving Arbonne personal care products a try. Love it!!!

This past week I heard a scripture reference to my new favorite mind’s eye word. You guessed it, l-o-v-e-l-y. “How lovely is thy vessel?” was the sentence that sent me researching and asking questions. What I learned is that the word lovely in the scriptures really means beloved, greatly loved or adored by God. The word beloved in 1 John 4 comes from the Greek word “agape” meaning self-sacrificing love. Our willingness and ability to love others as He loves us is a testimony of His love for humanity and our genuine love for Him. So, as I become frustrated or annoyed or angry or just plain losing my cool literally during hot flash I will consciously try to take a nano second to ask “how lovely is thy vessel?” reminding me to honor God in all I say and do by loving others. Onward I go about my day as a spiritual being having a human experience …

Best Living and Giving to you!
Candace

Hot Flash Moment … Literally

OK, hot flashes as a subject is not a particular favorite, likely because it brings to my mind's eye feelings of getting older. Ugh! Yesterday, an especially prolonged hot flash coupled with a scorching hot day caused me to revisit a certain life lesson just at the right time, in the right place while being reinforced by scripture in my life.

The four of us had enjoyed a casual Friday night dinner at a downtown restaurant while watching a storm approach and settle just West of where we were. The vivid lightening striking very close by provoked gasps and wow's from our table next to the window. My son was surprised by and commented with each passerby how seemingly unfazed they appeared to be by the storm. Just one lady seemed to be seeing the lightening and he said she "looked like she was about the pee her pants!"

Just before leaving the restaurant the extra hot flash began which begs the question: Are hot flashes hotter when it's 95 degrees outside during a lightning storm? I say yes! During the short drive home my daughter played a hand held electronic game complete with "raise your blood pressure" sound effects. In my case, sound effects compounding the annoyance factor of my hot flash! The thing about this game is that it will not turn off without a sharp object being jammed in the broken on/off button. So … she wanted to use my emergency window punch which my Dad gave me to use in case we ever find ourselves in a canal unable to open the doors of our sinking car. Oh my goodness how scary a thought is that? Anyway, I say no to the window shattering tool, she goes into a whining frenzy and I, her mother SNAP, take the annoying game, open the car door and turn the thing off by introducing it to the pavement. Ouch!

Silence then uncontrollable frightened wailing! My daughter then just got mad, yelling to me the significance of the no longer game, its purpose and its reason for existing. Suddenly I felt compelled to kneel down so her and I were eye to eye and simply apologize and tell her I was wrong to intentionally smash the game. We hug, the crying stops and we agree to replace the game in the morning.

The scripture message for the day in the devotional our family currently follows reminded me to "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court" Matt 5:25 By quickly acknowledging my wrong and agreeing on a solution we were able to happily move forward into the evening working together on a felt and yarn teddy bear. Today she chose to replace the game with a baby doll (one without sound effects) to nurture which suits her, me and my hot flashes well.

Best Living and Giving to you!

Candace

 

A Little Conversation, A Big Listen!

This little conversation is too cute not to share ….

My daughter continues to believe that she was in Florida first, before us (her parents) and her big brother. She brings this up now and again and I explain to her that before she was born we lived in Massachusetts and since she was born after we moved to Florida that it is not possible that she was here in Florida before us.

My husband and I grew up on the North Shore in Peabody and Danvers, married and had our son Daniel in the late 90’s. In 2001 when we decided that the cold weather, harsh winter months and opposite work schedules that we’d relocate to sunny south Florida.

Three years later we were blessed with our daughter’s birth. So ….. last night she mentioned once again that she was here in Florida first? Hmmm, I asked her to explain why she thought that and this is what she said. “When I was in heaven before I was born I was in heaven above Florida waiting for my family to move here”!!! She went on to say that before her brother, my husband and I were born we were in heaven above Massachusetts waiting to be born into our families there!!

I found this so amazing and spiritually profound that I had to share it. My daughter is six years old and I cannot wait to hear what she’ll teach me today! I’ll be listening …

Best Living and Giving to you!

Candace

Money is a Noun

Just thinking about money today and how it relates to decision making when launching a small business. Business plans, financial statements, loans and bank accounts aside isn't money just a thing? After participating in a recent webinar on keys to success and hearing Anne McKevitt describe money as a "thing" I started or I should say stopped giving my money thoughts a vote in my emotional well being. It's not as easy as it sounds but as the saying goes "practice, practice, practice". Thinking of money as a commodity these last two weeks has brought new motivation and freedom to make good business decisions as they relate to my new company. After all money IS a thing, it has no emotions like fear of failure, anxiety in getting action items into action, the insecurity of "will enough customers like my designer aprons" nor does money have any real power. Money cannot be elated or distraught. We've all heard stories about the folks who win millions in the lottery only to systematically self destruct not only themselves but their relationships, businesses and ending up broke and broken. It's not about the money.

All of us are meant to earn money for those basic human nature kind of things like food, shelter, clothing, transportation and leisure activities but earning our keep in the world can and does empower many to do good things. Two companies that have touched me recently who continually put their earnings towards good and meaningful ideas are Toms Shoes and Chick-fil-A. Both companies give back to their communities and causes and set an excellent example to the small business owner to curate and grow companies with heart and soul. It seems their success has become a privilege of sorts; an opportunity to create jobs, help those in need and give back to the community as a whole.

So onward towards my companies launch and money continuing to be a noun.

Safe travels this Memorial Day weekend ...

Life is Good,

Candace