Today we’d like to introduce you to Lora Lee Jones.
Lora lee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
First off, I’m basically a theater kid who ended up working in restaurants forever (you know how that story goes!).
So floralee LIVING really came out of a desperate need to find my way back to nature, groundedness, and who I really am. I was just so completely burnt out after running a tiny coffee shop out in rural Tennessee.
After wrapping things up at the coffee shop, I headed back home to Virginia in 2014, which is right around when I met my husband.
We used to spend hours hiking through the woods, exploring along old train tracks… AND hunting for little treasures along the banks of the James River! We live on a cute little 20+ acre homestead down south of Charlottesville in Nelson County, and Matthew and I are always crafting or building something. But oh man, collecting beach glass has completely taken over our hearts!
Our stash was getting so huge! I kept asking myself: what do I even do with all of this? How do I clean it properly? How should I organize it? I had this deep urge to turn these finds into wearable jewelry, but I had zero clue where to begin—I hadn’t crafted any jewelry since I was in middle school! So I ended up reaching out to a friend, packed up for a week-long trip to Nashville, and jumped headfirst into learning wire wrapping. (And drilling! I swear I am an absolute pro now at drilling the tinniest little holes through glass.)
Wire wrapping turned out to be such an ideal match for me. I wanted the actual glass to be the absolute star of the piece, and this minimalist approach really allows each piece to shine!
When we aren’t crafting, we love wandering through the Blue Ridge Mountains searching for wild mushrooms, tending our garden, and just loving on our sweet little animal family!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I absolutely adore creating art, but actually selling it? Oh man, that is a whole different ballgame! The ways we share our work are shifting so fast—it feels like every single day brings a brand new social media trend or another AI push to keep up with…
Honestly, battling self-doubt is probably my biggest hurdle, and I know it’s going to be a continuous journey.
I am a real perfectionist. People always toss that phrase around in job interviews like it’s a cute little badge of honor… but when you truly live it (and feel that deep sting of shame whenever something falls short of perfect), it can be so completely paralyzing! It makes taking on new ideas insanely tough because I want the result to be flawless right out of the gate. But I keep reminding myself that the magic and growth only happen when you actually jump in and do the work!
What clicked? What totally flopped? What little lessons can I take away from this? How can I tweak things for next time?
In fact, since this happens to be my very first interview, I was so utterly terrified that it took me nearly a week just to hit reply! I might even be way past the deadline at this point. But hey, regardless of what happens, I am going to celebrate just pushing through and getting it done—even if it ends up being a little too late!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My journey actually began with seasonal floral designs crafted from locally gathered blooms, partnering with local eateries and boutiques right up until everything changed in 2020!
I was just yearning to get back to working with my hands! There is such pure joy in crafting something beautiful and releasing it into the world. Plus, every single glass fragment carries its own unique history! A huge portion of my stash is well over a century old, having tumbled down the river from Lynchburg. While clear, white, and frosted bits are what we find most often, I have managed to build up an incredible assortment of soft blues and seafoam greens—and finding cobalt, cornflower blue, or purple feels like hitting the absolute jackpot!
Breathing fresh life into forgotten treasures instead of buying mass-produced supplies shipped from all over the globe really stole my heart. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just creating more “stuff,” but crafting pieces that people feel genuinely attached to!
Every single piece of glass is entirely one-of-a-kind, completely authentic, and never artificially tumbled!
What does success mean to you?
finding joy in your work.
Pricing:
- Frost/Clear/White starts at $20
- Seafoam Green & Soft Blues start at $25
- Cobalt & Cornflower starts at $30
- Purple starts at $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://floraleeliving.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floraleeliving
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floraleeliving
