It’s been almost 12 years since this blog was born.
It began in the spring of 2009, as a way to update our extended family on our young, growing family. This was before apps and phones became the big way to stay connected that they are today. We had a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old and were getting ready to travel the USA as part of Matt’s job. One day I shared one of my crafts and thus was born the Spoonful of Imagination re-branded as a DIY blog. It was such a fun hobby/border line side gig for years.
In the spring of 2016, God gave me a vision of opening an art studio. It came out of a hard season of fostering two separate hurting boys, moving away from family, and landing ourselves in a new small town. Opening an art studio was nothing I had ever thought or dreamed of but after years of encouraging others to create through blog posts, videos within craft kits, and hosting ladies nights out of our house…it all made sense as the next thing. We opened the Spoonful of Imagination Art Studio in April 2017.
It felt like over night I went from a stay at home, foster, homeschool mom to an entrepreneur running up hill and scrambling to figure out how to be a working mom, a start up business owner, and an advocate for continually educating the importance of the creative process in our small mid-west town.
It was beautiful. It was hard.
It is fulfilling. It is confusing.
It is also everything in between.
We opened the art studio to exist to overcome boundaries and redefine art as a critical and healing component of community life. That is our fancy way of saying we help take away reasons why people might not be enjoying the creative process. It’s been a dream that only God could write. We are definitely still in the midst of running it and trying to figure out how it can best serve our community. I have learned a lot, yet I know I am still a work in process trying to lead a small, non-profit art studio.
Leading this studio through a pandemic was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but also one of the things I am most proud of. As we have come out and up of an extremely hard season, I have realized I need to re-exam priorities in my life and work less. Running the studio consumes a lot of time in my life, head and heart. A lot of parts of the gig is why I wanted to start it, but there are lots of hats and others parts that are not in my giftings and are extremely hard to carry. I’m lucky to have a job I am so passionate about, but even in all the good…it can be too much. That is what leads to burn out, and between you and me…I have been hovering on that line.
I have missed creating. This blog was born out of sharing my journey and creations, but I haven’t had a lot of time to create for the last four years. Opening an art studio and learning how to run it has been a lot, but the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me I need to make regular time to create and need more space away from my work.
My mental health and spirit are better and more balanced when I practice what I teach. So, I started creating again and then had things to sell again. One thing led to another and I was dreaming for me again. I was dreaming and it wasn’t for a workshop or for the studio, but it was for me in what I wanted to make or what I wanted to do. I felt my spirit awakening and life breathing into it. As a result, this little online shop of my creations is now back open.
It is my place to play. I aim to use recycled, inexpensive and creative materials to make things that spread love and joy in this broken world. I hope this shop inspires you to create, and maybe you find something you love!
Thank you for journeying with me and being here after all my years a way. If you too are weary from work, I hope you will do the work of finding time and space to do life giving, soul filling activities that breath life back into you. You are worth it!
Keep imagining the possibilities!
One of my life issues is emotionally closing up when I’m going through something hard. It is easier for me to put up walls than be real. I don’t know if it is from a heart that wants to protect itself from being vulnerable or from fear of letting others see me hurt. Letting people help me is something hard to accept as well. I feel like the two are somehow connected. Maybe letting people in is asking them to carry the burden of hurt as well, and I don’t want that.
As a result, I felt loved and felt this spark light back up in me that was born to create and dream. I remembered in a fresh new way why I love blogging and why I love this community that blogging brings me.
The hotel was beautiful, the food was amazing, the swag was incredible, the bloggers were so kind, and the brands were generous. 
It didn’t hurt that I learned from some of the best there are as well. To know people on and off the web is a huge gift.
I missed my family greatly, so there were lots of texts and selfies sent back and forth, but I am so thankful I had this weekend away. There is more to me and my life than just my family. We need community. We were wired for it.
If you have been following me on Instagram, you know I came home from Haven to find out that our foster son is leaving us. Tomorrow, he will be moving to a great aunt’s house. Although my heart is breaking, I feel like God has been slowly preparing me and our family for this transition. I have a peace. God is so gracious to us. I have gotten to know this sweet great aunt, and have the very rare pleasure to now call her friend. We will see this sweet boy that has become part of our family again.
It is always scary announcing something new. Especially, when it’s a dream of yours and there are risks involved.
The hair bow I have been making for years. I have made them as gifts, for my little girl, and even for a group of bridesmaids to wear down the aisle. Once you master the flower design, there are so many possibilities. I have glued these flowers to memo boards, bags, garlands, and even shirts. There are so many possibilities with this satin flower.
We are working hard to have all our boxes and videos ready to be shipped by February 8 this month. That means you could receive your kit in time to create them for Valentine’s gifts, decor, or an accessory to wear. Hint: Guys, if you have a crafty girl, this craft kit…would make an awesome gift! Let her create and have some “me time” while showing her that you appreciate her crafting skills and love!
