APRIL 2019

her customers and as a whole continue
to grow.
“In my mind, I truly believe God
wanted me to go through the miscarriage
to get to where I am at today,”
Toma said. “I feel like God wanted me
to make these rosaries to help others
grow in their faith the way I did.”
Chloe’s Treasures can be found
online or by appointment at Toma’s
new storefront on West Bloomfield.
That’s My Name
Inspired by a close friend’s creative abilities
and driven by a lost beach towel,
Loreen Lossia Yaldo is the founder of
That’s My Name Towels. She makes
“customized, high quality, hand made
name towels.” From the color to the
name, each towel is special.
“Jennifer, a friend of mine, used
to make these beautiful towels and
stopped doing so about four years
or so ago,” explained Lossia Yaldo.
“Having been given these for my
own three kids, I also loved giving
them as gifts, so when she stopped
making them, I started thinking
about taking over.”
This was just a fleeting thought,
though, until Lossia Yaldo’s son lost
the towel her friend had made.
“…I just put it in the back of my
mind until my youngest son forgot
his name towel at the pool at the end
of this past summer and it was lost for
good,” she said. “I then started thinking
about making them once again.”
With encouragement from friends
and family and direction from Jennifer,
Lossia Yaldo made her very first
custom name towel in August 2018.
With an inclination for crafts, Lossia
Yaldo knew that making these towels
would be a good time for her. What
she did not expect to find out was
just how helpful making these towels
would be for her own headspace.
“I consider myself to be a crafty
person so this was right up my alley,”
she explained. “What I didn’t expect
is how therapeutic making these
towels is for me. It’s quite relaxing
to just retreat to my workspace and
work on these towels.”
The time-consuming process to
create each towel is one she looks
forward to.
Since making her first towel in
August, Lossia Yaldo has launched
an Instagram account that serves as
hub for her business. Through her
Instagram account and the word of
mouth, she has enjoyed plenty of opportunities
to make customers happy.
Lossia Yaldo offers a personalized
and durable product meant to last for
years. Each item is as individualistic
as its recipient.
“I offer many different towel
colors and fabric options to choose
Chloe’s Treasures
That’s My Name Towels
from,” she explained. “Whether superheroes,
hunting, boating, sports,
or butterflies are your thing, there
is something for everyone. If I don’t
already offer what you are looking
for, I am also happy to take on a new
theme at the customer’s request.”
That’s My Name Towels can be
found on Instagram.
Fascination and Passion
For LeeAnn Kirma, mosaics have always
been fascinating, from the various
techniques to the end result. Like
most, making mosaics started as a
hobby before Kirma decided to make
a business out of it about 12 years ago
when she founded Lulu’s Mosaics.
Making a mosaic, says Kirma, starts
with the customer and understanding
what they want. With a grasp of what
the customer wants, she begins “shopping”
her shelves and stacks for china
to create the mosaics.
The process can be laborious,
but well worth the wait, says Kirma.
“Timing to create a piece varies by
size and what is wanted. My standard
8x10 Birth Announcement mosaic
take roughly six to seven hours total
but over roughly three days to allow
dry time. It’s a messy process but the
end result is beautiful.”
Most of Kirma’s clients are women,
with 70 percent of her customer base
coming from Michigan and 30 percent
from out of state. Her pieces have
reached beyond the United States.
“I have pieces that have been
gifted to people as far as Germany
and Dubai,” she said.
Lulu’s Mosaics is driven by word
of mouth alone. “I do not advertise,”
explained Kirma. “My clients are all
from word of mouth or people who
received one of my pieces and now
wants to gift a piece of their own to
someone. Almost all of my clients
are repeat clients.”
Making mosaics isn’t all business
for Kirma. In fact, she finds
great peace throughout the process
of making each piece. “I find great
peace and it being a stress reliever
while making a mosaic,” she said. “I
can work for hours and just lose track
of time. It’s my “me” time. I am grateful
that I am able to do something I
truly enjoy and love.”
With a knack for crafts, Kirma,
alongside her sister Deanne Kirma
Toma, has moved into stitching in addition
to mosaics. Using embroidery,
she personalizes towels, blankets, and
much more. “It’s amazing how creative
you can be with stitching.”
Looking to the future, Kirma
hopes to continue making a great
product that will last a lifetime.
Lulu’s Mosaics can be found on
Instagram.
Lulu’s Mosaics
APRIL 2019 CHALDEAN NEWS 25