I wanted to write a personal post today to tell you more about myself and why I started Stitch and Salt. I love hearing more about the people behind my favorite blogs and Instagram accounts so I thought I would share my story here for those who are interested.
Why I Started This Blog
I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom for six years, and while I love it and have never regretted making the tough decision to stay home with my kids, I do feel like I lost a little bit of my identity as a woman with career goals and aspirations. As a mom whose primary job is feeding, cleaning, bathing and soothing small children, you forget to take time to do the things you enjoy and challenge you in different ways.
So when my kids started preschool in 2020, I decided to start this blog as a hobby. I didn’t realize how much I would love it! It’s a space for me to be creative, to style different outfits, to share tips and tricks that I’ve discovered as a mom, to talk about new recipes we are trying, and to recommend books I’ve been reading. This blog has grown quite a bit in the last 2 years, and I’ve learned so much along the way.
Now, after two years of squeezing in work during preschool hours, after bedtime, and random times throughout the day, starting this year, I’ll have four almost full day blocks to work on content creation, and I’m so excited for this next chapter of the blog. I have so many ideas to share (you should see my list I keep in a Google Sheet!) so get ready!
My Background
I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City and went to college at Kansas State University where I received a degree in Business Administration. After college, I worked for 5 years as an Internal Auditor for a large telecom company. It was a good, stable job but not something I was particularly passionate about.
After a few years, I decided to go back to school and get my degree in Nursing, my interest in health spurred by my diagnosis (see below), which I did from a small private school in Oregon. I became an R.N. and worked briefly in Oncology and after as a school nurse for a few years before deciding to stay home after my second child was born.
My Family
I am married to my husband, Danny, whom I met while going to school at K-State. A friend introduced us, and we started dating shortly after. He’s intelligent, creative, calm, and thoughtful, and a nice contrast to my somewhat uptight personality. We were married in 2009 on a chilly October day, and now we have 2 kids, Ellie (short for Eleanor), age 6, and Leo, age 5. We live close to where we grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City. We love going to the park near our house, our Friday pizza and a movie nights, playing board games, and going on bike rides.
My Style
My style has gradually developed over the years. In the time after college, when I finally had money to shop, I would just buy whatever looked cute on with no thought of how it worked in my wardrobe. I had a whole lot of ‘going out’ shirts, a lot of leftover college sorority t-shirts, yoga pants, and your standard button down and slacks work attire. It wasn’t till style content began showing up on Instagram that I was introduced to the concept of having a functional wardrobe.
Over the years, I slowly started building a capsule style wardrobe full of pieces that were chic, cool, and comfortable. I feel so much more confident in my personal style and in choosing items that fit well with the other pieces in my closet. I love sharing affordable and investment pieces I’ve found, and different ways to style them. I hope you find this kind of content useful in your personal style journey.
My Health Journey
You’ll notice when exploring my content that healthy living is a big part of my life. When I was 24, I became really sick suddenly, and after a few months of tests and medications, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. After a few rough years along with surgery, different medications, and diets, I can now say that I’m basically healed. I know other people struggle with this disease on and off for many years, and it can be quite debilitating so I’m very thankful for where I’m at now.
As long as I maintain a semi-healthy and balanced diet and manage my stress levels, I don’t experience many symptoms. I also don’t need to exclude any foods from my diet, but I do try to limit foods high in fat which can be hard to digest and too many processed foods. You may find some wellness and recipe related posts sprinkled in to my content here on Stitch and Salt. I also share meals we are making over on my Instagram stories! I love cooking and trying new recipes.
Fun Facts About Me
Danny and I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2011 for three years. We absolutely loved the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the quirkiness of Portland itself, but we eventually decided to head home to be closer to family. Who knows, someday we may pack up and explore a new city!
I have an identical twin sister named Alyson, and an older brother named Zach.
My favorite foods are enchiladas, french fries, and birthday cake!
We have a cat named Prue named after the host of The Great British Baking Show, our pandemic obsession!
Danny and I are slight coffee snobs (Danny more than me!). He buys green beans (unroasted coffee beans) and roasts them in a small coffee roaster at our house. He makes me a fresh pour over every morning. Bless him.
My favorite activity to do with my kids is snuggling up on the couch and reading a giant pile of books, their little heads resting against me. It’s the best.
Thank you for following along. I hope you’ll find the content here on Stitch and Salt useful, entertaining, and fun! Please reach out if you have any requests or questions.
9 comments
I’m a new follower via Pinterest (no Insta for this momma), and I love your content. You remind me of early Natalie Borton, whom I still adore, but her price points have shifted outside of my price range. So, here you with are with a good mix of affordable and a few, select high-end small shop pieces, like Clare V! All this to say, thanks for being down-to-earth and accessible, including having content available outside of social media.
Hi Amie! Thanks for your message. It made my day.
Hi Ashley! Just wanted to say thank you for all the content, I discovered you on pinterest a few months back and am loving your blog (style inspo especially)! I am petite as well and find it difficult to know what items will look good on my small frame. I love your style aesthetic and have found some awesome pieces via your posts. Love it all, keep up the great work! Aloha from Big Island of Hawaii 🙂 Melissa
Hi Melissa, So lovely to hear from you! Thank you for the kind message!
Thank you for sharing! I love your style tips and look forward to reading more!
Hi Jessica! Thanks for following along. 🙂
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