You may already know that the beautiful Tiger Swallow Tail is Virginia's state butterfly, or insect, if you prefer to look at it that way. But butterflies are also known to represent hope, kindness, love, happiness, freedom, and beautiful color, to say the very least! They celebrate a fresh new life; the newborn in creatures great and small!

So when I retired from a 35-year office career, I felt I had so much more to offer. I could not consider this time an end, but a beginning to many more beautiful years ahead. I was blessed with a beautiful grand-daughter that year and my exceedingly smart daughter reminded me how much she hoped I would smock for her little girl, just as I did for her. She said, "Mom, you really should open a shop and make these for other people too." And so, on a beautiful summer day, while enjoying the butterflies in my Virginia back yard, I felt the urge to capture some photos of the butterfly you see in my shop logo. That amazing butterfly followed me around all afternoon, as though it had a very important and compelling story to tell. And in an instant, I was inspired to name my shop "Tiger Swallow Tales"!

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Andersen

Love is like a butterfly: It goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes. ~Author Unknown