About Me

Hello! If you are here, I welcome you! Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. 

photo cred: malaetalleyphoto+design

The quick deets:

I am 25, married, with two kids. I am a stay at home mom who also does hair on the side. {went to cosmetology school in 2007}. Along with those, I also craft, read, occasionally cook {key word occasionally}, sew {barely}, sing, dance, play guitar {slowly learning it}, and blog. I have had a personal blog for about 5 years but I decided to finally jump on the band wagon this year and blog my love of all things crafty and handmade on this new blog- Handmade with Love. 

On Marriage:

I married the love of my life, Kevin, on July 31, 2009 after dating for a year. We were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He is my best friend, my happiness, my love, my other half, my rock, my everything. I totally married up. 

On Kids:

mia jane at 6 months

photo cred by Stacia Klemas Photography

mckay kevin as a newborn

photo cred by Stacia Klemas Photography

I have two beautiful kids. They are both the complete opposite of each other. Mia is now almost 2, and McKay is 5 months old. {yes, they are 17 months apart...} Mia is a wild child that LOVES to dance, sing, climb, jump, and wear princess dresses. McKay is calm as can be and smiles ALOT. He truly is an easy baby. I feel incredibly blessed to be a mommy to these two kids!

On ME:

First and foremost, I love being a mommy and wife to this incredible 3 in the picture below. 

I love teaching. I taught Musical Theater for 4 years and I loved it! I do not have a degree in it, I just grew up singing, dancing, and doing show choir so I used those talents to teach. It was really fun to put together shows and see my students shine after a hard year of work at their end of year show!

I love summer. I want to live somewhere that it's summer all year long. (Newport Beach!) All the things you can do in summer... swim, bike ride, hike, feel the warm sun, play in the sand, etc.. all of those things are much more fun than being in the cold. ;) 

My passion is hair styling! I worked at a salon before I had my two kids, but took a break after they came. I am looking to return back to a salon pretty soon. I love that it lets me be creative every single day. I get to make people look and feel beautiful. That's the best part. And it allows me to be a stay at home mom still, if in the future I want to continue doing it in my home!

Dancing is a huge part of me. I danced for 16 years but have terrible knees. I gave up dancing in high school, but have danced off and on since then. Dance was my saving grace. It was my way to escape and to feel and to express. The person I most look up to in life is my old dance instructor. She changed my life- and has inspired me to do so for others! 

I love my best friend {and brother} Ammon. He has Spina Bifida and has taught me more about life than anyone will ever know! Follow along his journey here: www.ammonsjourney.blogspot.com 

I love scooter rides! My husband and I bought a scooter our second year of marriage. We literally took it out every Sunday for a ride down to Utah Lake and just enjoyed the breeze and sunshine. We still have the scooter, but haven't ridden on it together for a couple of years because I have been pregnant when its good weather to ride it. Can't wait until this summer to break it in again! Scooters are the best. 

I love to sing. I think I am pretty good at it. Not to toot my own horn. But I'm a decent singer. My dream growing up was to become a professional singer. I always wanted to try out for BYU's Young Ambassadors and then go on to try out for American Idol.. But that's not what God had planned for me! It just never felt right. I took a different path, and now look where I am! Happy with my husband and kids. I have sung many many places including once for the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, the National Anthem at the Utah Flash game, The stage at the Hall Of Fame concert hall in Orlando, Florida, and more. Music helps me feel alive. I could get lost in music and singing for hours. This Christmas my husband got me a guitar to learn to play. Oh Boy! I was so excited. I have been trying to learn it ever since in hopes I can accompany myself someday!

My favorite show...my shameless love... The Bachelor. I don't miss a season. Or an episode. 

You know you love it too. 

Lastly, I have depression and anxiety. It's no secret. I share it with anyone in hopes that if they are suffering, they can be inspired to get help too. I've been on Prozac for 3 years, and its helped me a TON. I still struggle every day with things but who doesn't? My goal on this blog is to be open, honest, and help people feel inspired. No, it's not going to be a 'personal' blog, but I may share personal stories every once in a while since this is a lifestyle blog. No one is perfect, and I certainly will not be one of the bloggers that is depicted that way. Life is hard, that's all there is to it. But along the way, we find things that make us happy, such as crafts.. or summer.. or singing.. or scooter rides! 

I am an open book, ask anything you would like to know. 

And that's me! xoxo

DISCLAIMERS: 

I am in no way a professional crafter, baker, sewer, blogger, or etc. I'm totally an amateur. But This will be fun. Come learn and grow with me on this open, honest, not perfect lifestyle and craft blog!