UPDATE: Extra Ordinary Music by TLC Nielsen

I love interviewing great people with interesting stories! Updates from past interviewees makes this even more fun, since folks share the fascinating events currently happening in their own words. If you missed Becky's first conversation with me, check it out here: Becky Cappelli of Songbird Studio Inc.

Welcome back, Becky!

Thank you—oh, how time has flown by since we last connected. So much has transpired since 2016, for all of us!

At Songbird Studio, we're so grateful to continue proving music lessons to Grayslake and the surrounding communities. Like so many local businesses, we found ourselves thrown into a new dynamic of moving everything from in-person to "online" during 2020 into 2021. Such an adventure!

During 2020, the contact-less time, we altered our lessons to be online for all of our students. In doing so, we learned A LOT. And not just the obvious things like how to set up Zoom lessons, what else is needed on both sides of the screen to make virtual lessons happen, and how to navigate teaching lessons while feeling so separated. Even more so, we learned how our musical families are truly amazing and resilient.

During this virtual time, we saw our students grow into independent learners, taking the initiative to learn new concepts on their own. We also found this to be a season where families became even more involved in their student's musicality. This was fun to witness! And speaking of FUN, the studio hosted many fun but silly themes and contests during remote lessons: crazy hair week, costume week, bring a family to online lessons—we saw a lot of pets on this one. Although overall it was a hard season, it brought a lot of JOY and LEARNING.

As we came out of the 2020/21 season, we did find ourselves needing to make a move. This placed us in a new location only a mile north of our previous building. Our address is 422 Barron Blvd. still in Grayslake on State Route 83. We love Route 83! We are fully back to in-person lessons although we do stay flexible for any families who may prefer the online option.

Our new location provides exactly what we've been offering but on a smaller scale. Although our size is smaller (3 studios rather than 5), we continue to grow. For this we are so thankful. Grayslake and its surrounding communities continue to amaze us!

Songbird Studio has been able to continue offering music lessons to all our students because of our amazing team of instructors and each of our Songbird families. Our musical instructors and families really do ROCK!

Thank you to everyone for such support and whether it be through Songbird Studio or another fabulous music group, keep making MUSIC.

Here are some links for Songbird Studio:

Becky's 1st ExtraOrdinary Update, 2016

Becky's Songbird Studio website

Songbird Studio Music Instruction on FB

Extraordinary Design by TLC Nielsen

I met Abby Calinog-Herrington at the local library, both of us interested in the book sale of the Friends of the Library. Before long, we were both volunteering together at the library and sharing each other's interesting stories of life. Abby, it turns out, has an Etsy store on top of working, going to school, and being a Bookstagrammer.

Welcome to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, Abby!

Q) What came first, your Etsy store Made By Gail Shop or your Bookstagram, herlife_herbooks?

My Bookstagram (herlife_herbooks) came first! I created a bookstagram after going to my first Friends of the Grayslake Library Book Sale a few years ago. I went on the last day. I got a big bag for just $5 and I was SO happy. I started the bookstagram that day.

I started painting and drawing at a really young age. And then I got into photography. I always wanted to open my own business. It started with wanting to open my own bakery and then a bookstore. Most recently, I combined the two ideas and now want to open a combination of both. But that idea will not come to fruition for a few years from now. I always thought Etsy was a really good platform for small businesses. So I took my love for photography and art and started a small business—Made by Gail.

Q) How did you get into designing stickers, by the way?

The first stickers I released are actually photographs of flowers. These are photos I took myself and thought, "I want this as a sticker." But I couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere. So I thought I would create it myself, now here we are with a little Etsy shop for stickers, with stickers I've sketched and photographed myself. 

Q) How would you describe your design process for the stickers you sell as well as your sketches?

Honestly, for my design process, it is a little wonky. If I get a chance to sit down for a few hours, I will either sketch or read. A lot of the time, I would rather read. But when I am sketching, my inspiration comes from the things around me, and it is also based on the weather and the season. Right now, the main theme of my shop is floral and summery. But in the fall, I did have some pumpkin stickers to match the occasion. If I think it's cute and other people will think so too, then I add it to my shop.

Q) You're juggling school and your Etsy business. How do you manage your time?

I do not manage my time as well as I would like. Right now, I have a full-time job. I work 40 hours a week. I try to have set days to sit down and do homework afterward. My position at work is a remote work from home position so that does make it easier to do homework on the side or get an order packed and shipped out during a break. It also makes it easier to quickly interact with customers during the day, since I do not have a supervisor.

Q) What catch phrase(s) captures you?

Books=Life

A reader lives a thousand lives.

Have a break. Have a KitKat.

Q) What's next for you, personally and business-wise?

Business-wise, I would love to add apparel to my Etsy Shop, but I'm not sure when that can be done. Right now, I'm working on some bookmark designs to add.

Personally, I'm not sure! I'll be graduating with my Bachelor's in Business Management with a minor in Computer Science and Information Systems—this May. I'm not sure what I'll do after.

Q) Please tell us something unexpected about yourself.

Some unexpected things about me are that I do not know how to swim, and I am under 5 feet tall.

You can shop at Abby's Made By Gail Shop on Etsy or check out her Bookstagram!

Thanks for visiting TLC's Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where folks with out-of-the-ordinary tales share their stories! Please leave a comment.

 

UPDATE: Extraordinary Touch—Reflexology by Melanie

Welcome Back, Melanie!

Since restarting my blog late in 2021, I wanted to do updates on several folks who were featured on the Extraordinary Ordinary blog. Here's the link to Melanie's original interview: Extraordinary Touch—Reflexology by Melanie. I've found reflexology to be a mainstay for me to stay healthy, and I really enjoy the new location in Antioch, Illinois.

A New for Reflexology by Melanie

My practice is growing and staying strong. I now have two massage therapists working with me in my current Antioch location. They are both very good. MaryAnn and Leslie Ann are two very different kinds of therapists. This gives clients a variety of options.

I plan on returning to school this spring to finish up my nutrition coaching certification. This will add to my ability to help others. I'm hopeful that 2022 will be a safe and healthy year!

Find Melanie here:

Facebook

Reflexology website

LinkedIn

For appointments, please check out Melanie's site on Square.

Thank you for visiting TLC's Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where folks with out of the ordinary stories are interviewed. Please leave a comment!