"Leap and the Net Shall Appear..."

Hello, my name is Terry Grahl, and I'm the Founder and Visionary of Enchanted Makeovers. I'm also a wife, mother to four wonderful children, warrior, co-author, humanitarian, fleamarket / handmade fanatic, award winning inner*terior decorator and a passionate woman on a mission to inspire people to dream while they are awake, follow their heart, and most importantly, to see each other truly as an extension of one's self.

“A polka-dotted pillow changed my life and my journey.”

When I tell people this, most will say, "what?" and then envision a pretty, feminine, polka-dotted pillow, trimmed with a big flowing ruffle. Well, that is exactly what my heart saw when I viewed the old, worn, tattered bed (photo below), but clearly not what my eyes saw. That vision was the beginning of my personal transformation.

Opportunities present themselves all of the time. We just have to be awakened enough to see them. I feel blessed that God opened my eyes with the vision of the polk-a-dot pillow.

You see, in December 2006, I received a call from a gentleman asking for help. I was an interior decorator, and he was the black tie event coordinator of a local shelter.

He said, "we would be so grateful even if you just painted one wall." Honestly, at the time, my first reaction was fear. I was fearful of going. I really didn't know what to expect. I had never been to a shelter.

I decided to make the visit and, as with all of the consultations I conducted with my private clients in my decorating business, I took photos to assist with any necessary planning and visualization. That is, if I would actually accept the volunteer job. I still wasn't sure, and was leaning towards a "probably not".

"A Dream Remembered"

A week had passed since my first visit to the shelter. I hadn't given it much thought. All I know is that I had this lingering feeling of despair knowing the living conditions of the women and children. I began to reflect upon my own expectations for my life and the dreams of a child. I was a big dreamer; my mother instilled this upon me and my siblings.

Had I forgotten my own dreams?

My mother taught me that decorating didn't need to be motivated by money and that by relying on your own creativity and vision – each home improvement was a selfless act of love. For my mother, making a home where her five children felt safe and where our spirits could soar was as important as keeping us fed and clothed.

How could I have forgotten my own big dreams, given my stable circumstances. But, more importantly, how could the women and children in the shelter realize that they were worthy of so much more? They too had dreams, but where could they be found again?

"The Whisper Became Louder Until it Roared"

"The pictures, the pictures — I must look at these pictures."

As I downloaded them to my computer, there it was, THE picture. There amongst black metal used prison bunk bed, a stained mattress and an unfinished sheet rock wall was an answer.

There amongst the harshness was something dear to my heart: a polka dot, a safe pattern that has no sharp edges. There on that seemingly ordinary pillow was an answer. It was an answer from within me but not directly from me.

When I saw the polka dots in that picture, I heard, "Trust me." From that moment, I knew I was prepared to do whatever I could to bring hope to those women and children.

Soon, I was back at the shelter presenting them with a design plan and a vision of what was to come. There was no turning back. I vowed to see this project to completion.

With no funds and no volunteers lining up at the door, I had only to put my trust in God, keep the faith and, most importantly, I needed to step away from my ego. These women and children must not be disappointed again.

"She is ME"

As I presented the plan to the group of women and staff, I was overcome with emotion. I again was that vulnerable child wanting their acceptance. I realized the thin wall that separated our lives. We all deserved and desired the same things. It was simple, but seemingly so complicated in its simplicity. I would find a way to break through this thin wall.

"It Takes a Village and I Turned from Decorator to Project Leader to Founder"

Transforming the shelter took more than just my decorating skills. It required me to pull out strengths I did know I had- finding, organizing, and leading enthusiastic volunteers and donors nationwide to help me carry out my vision.

Six months later, the makeover was complete and it was amazing. Even more amazing to me was that I had discovered my true calling. I wanted to use all of my talents and skills to provide refuge, solace, and hope to people, women and children in the shelters, myself, and volunteers alike.

"A Leap of Faith"

As I continued accepting work from private clients, I felt something was missing. I had taken on additional shelter projects in 2007, but continued to hold onto the security of my paying clients. In December, 2008, I decided to close my decorating business, Terry's Enchanted Cottage.

I knew without a doubt that God had much bigger plans for my life, and He needed to use me for His glory. We made a deal with each other on that day. I asked that He would continue to provide the needs for my family (food and a roof over our heads) and His request was, "Glorify Me".

In August 2008, Terry's Enchanted Cottage, established back in 2005, ultimately became Enchanted Makeovers, a non-profit  501 (C) 3 organization. Today, my calling is to guide people to serve humanity with their GOD given talent, help give women, teens and children a voice, to see people living at their fullest potential and most importantly, to see ourselves in one another. It truly is A Restoration of Vision, Mind and Spirit.