Did you know that this week is National Small Business week??

Do your part and shop at your favorite small business this week (well, heck, every week). Here are a few I would like to recommend to you:

GeminiRed Creations – this is my little business where I get to be crafty and use my brain for something more than keeping everyone in line in Corporate America all day!

Wickedly Wooden – this is the business my brother, Scott, and his girlfriend, Nicole, own. They are extremely talented and make amazing hand-carved wood pieces (jewelry, toys, etc)

Extreme Cakes by Heather – my incredibly talented friend of many years, Heather, makes such beautiful cakes in her shop in CT where she also offers decorating parties for kids.

Dance Express – my friend, Jennifer, of over 35 years has danced for as long as I’ve known her. She was recently honored with an award for “Outstanding Teen Leader” by The Greater Norwich Anti-Bullying Coalition.

Carole Bache Esthetics – facials and waxing services offered by Carole are awesome! Talk about feeling relaxed (even while having hair forcibly removed from your body).

Rinse Bath & Body – if you don’t know by now (then maybe you aren’t following my blog or Facebook pages closely enough) I am a HUGE fan of Rinse Bath & Body. The creativity my friend Heather puts into her beautiful products is 2nd to none! Let’s just say I will never buy another soap again!

The Edible Canvas – Leisa made some absolutely delicious white chocolate cupcakes for my birthday last year! She does great work and works around the clock for her customers!

Fit2DMax – what can I say about Max other than he’s one of the most geniuine people I know. He truly believes in helping people from head to toe.  It’s not just about working out – it’s about making sure there is a good spiritual connection too!

Mr. K’s Cookies – if you haven’t been to the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market and picked up some Mr. K’s cookies you are missing out! I tried the Cherry Oatmeal the other day and think I now have a new favorite!

TMax Training – I’ve been lucky in life to meet some great people (and people who know how to tolerate me even at my worst) and Terry is one of them.  Terry has been my personal trainer on and off for years.  He was there the day I broke my toe by dropping a 35 pound weight on it at the gym (entirely my fault – he was not my trainer at the time).  He was there through medical obstacles and he put up with a lot of “BS” from me.

K.Leigh Creative – I met Kristen by accident years ago when I had my salon. I received a postcard in the mail about her design work and decided to give her a call.  We met briefly and I told her that I was looking for a new website design – something wavy, flowy, and pretty with light mint green and brown. She offered me 3 designs and I fell in love!  We’ve been friends ever since! And I look forward to her helping me build my GeminiRed Creations website and shop in the near future!

Sweet Escape Yoga – Kristen of K.Leigh Creative is also a talented yoga instructor. She teaches you in an easy to understand manner and is very understanding of those of us that are so clumsy we hurt ourselves just getting in and out of a pose.

Amor Fitness & Nutrition – Adele and Andre rock it out with regard to their garage training. They have taken people from couch potatoes to competitors!

And, of course, I love all my salon owner friends and firmly believe in going to a local small salon vs a “big box chain” salon!

…and many more!!

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS – THEY ARE WHAT FUELS THE ECONOMY!

*I know I probably forgot to mention some of my other favorites, and maybe even businesses my close friends own. Please forgive me for leaving anyone off. I turn 42 this week, but I’m pretty sure that as of late my brain is more like that of a 90 year old! Time to get back to taking my vitamins!

**Also, I realize that my blog is “My Craft Corner” but I honestly feel like the people I’ve mentioned above are practicing their crafts by doing the jobs they do!

6/30/19 – some of these businesses are no longer in business, to this day I still support the people who owned them. Their journeys may be different now, but I still count them all as friends.