I love introducing you all to my amazing friends. So far you've met my friend Chastity, my friend Melanie, and my mom. Today, you get to meet Michelle!
I met Michelle the same night that I met Melanie. Michelle was pregnant with her oldest, Levi, and he just turned F I V E , so that means it's been a hot minute! Michelle is such an encouragement to me as a woman, as a mom, as a creative, and as a mom who is creative! She has the sweetest spirit and I love getting to hang out with her and her sweet kids! She and her husband, Buster, live just around the corner from us, and I am so grateful to be in community with them.
The Leach Family: (top left to right): Ezra (3), Levi (5), Buster, Michelle, Ruthie (almost 2), Emarie (6 months)
After I met Michelle, I learned that Michelle was an artist. I knew she created pottery, so I ended up buying one of her beautiful mugs from my mom her her birthday. Since that time, Michelle has had three more kiddos and had taken a little hiatus from pottery, but now she's back and I'm SO glad!
Usually for my Friday Favorites I review things myself, but I thought that today it'd be better to hear from the artist herself. I promise, you won't be disappointed! Be sure to head over to my Instagram page to enter a G I V E A W A Y for one of Michelle's beautiful pieces! A winner will be chosen on Sunday, September 24th.
Without further adieu, here's Michelle:
As I child, not a day went by where I wasn’t encouraged to use my imagination and be creative! Making food out of play-dough for my dolls, making up my own board games and paper dolls and houses…the list goes on! My parents were a huge influence—they both are incredibly talented and watching them use their gifts of creativity inspired me greatly. I also admired their passion for using their artistic gifts as a way to share their faith in Christ.
I was inspired so much that I followed their footsteps, majored in Art Education at MS College—where I was able to have both of them as professors!—and was headed for a career in teaching Art! Sure enough, right after graduating, I got a job teaching Ceramics at a high-school in MS. After four years of teaching, we moved to Birmingham to help with a church plant. I was pregnant with Levi (my oldest of four!) at the time and decided to work from home. I quickly realized that having a small child and trying to build my pottery business was going to be quite a challenge…but we needed income! So I put a pause on my pottery, and started selling Premier Designs Jewelry—this was so much more feasible to do in the nooks-and-crannies of my day.
Almost five years and three kids later, my business with Premier Designs is stronger than ever and my husband, Buster, is also self-employed working in real estate. But my passion for creating and getting back into pottery is always on the forefront of my mind.
I feel a strong desire to use the gifts God has given me to bring a Gospel message to all those around me—we are all like clay in the hands of the Lord. And He is the Ultimate Potter who makes beautiful things out of mud. Something out of nothing. Life from death. And however small, my attempt to display this kind of life-altering truth, will be a life-long journey. I hope you’ll join me!
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. ”
Isn't she amazing?! I hope you'll head on over to Instagram to follow her! If you are interesting in ordering a piece of pottery, you can contact Michelle here. She will have her new website up and running soon, so I'll be sure to link to it once it's ready.
Have a wonderful weekend, and happy birthday to my sweet daughter, Brighten, and happy anniversary to my incredible husband, Jason!
