Where do you get your creativity?
I definitely get my creative talents from my mom. (I think Julia and I both do!) I realized that early on. I will never forget my mom drawing (free-hand) life-size drawings of the Little Mermaid characters for our birthday parties. But, regardless of who I inherited it from, I feel like both my parents supported me in anything I ever did, which included being creative and artistic.  Those were things that I really enjoyed doing, so whenever I was encouraged to do so, I just kept at it. And here I am now, with too many ideas and inspirations around me to get done what I’d like to. I think being (and always wanting to be) a teacher is also a big factor as well. 

What do you do besides make crafts and cook?
Well first of all, I don’t really cook! (My husband does most of the cooking in my house! Call me crazy, but that’s just how our marriage has worked from day one.) I hope to become a better cook, though. I’m more of a baker.  I like to make desserts, especially cakes. And I do that mainly because I want to decorate them. I like trying out different yummy foods. Practice makes perfect, right? My other hobbies include:

• Crafts: I love using my Cricut machine, making cards, scrapbooking, trying new things, anything really.
• Cake Decorating: I took a level 1 course at Hobby Lobby, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. I love finding an excuse to bake a cake and decorate it for someone! It’s pretty fun.
• Organizing: (Is this a hobby?!) I love to find new and improved ways to make my life easier by organizing! I love to have “A place for everything and everything in its place!”
• Decorating: I love to re-arrange and decorate my house and rooms in my friends’ houses.
• Reading: I love reading! I’m pretty much a book-worm and even more so since my college years. I enjoy: futuristic books, historical fiction, & a little fantasy (mostly all Young Adult reads).
• Watching TV: (If I didn’t include this as a hobby, I’d be a big liar.) My favorite shows are as follows: Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Switched at Birth, Jane By Design, Once Upon a Time, Breakout Kings, Law & Order SVU, Hoarders, Biggest Loser, Secrets of a Stylist, Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss, America’s Best Dance Crew, How Do I Look?…..and I’m sure there are more.

Why did you become a teacher?
I’m pretty sure I’ve written a paper about this exact topic a few times, but I’ll try to keep it short…… I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I can remember being in 3rd grade and thinking to myself “When I’m a teacher, I will……” So, from a young age I knew I wanted to help make a difference in the lives of children.  When I was 16 I went on a mission trip to Houston, TX, and on that trip my passion for teaching became a little deeper each summer.  For 6 summers in a row, for a week at a time, I attended Impact Church of Christ and had the opportunity to teach inner city kids reading and the love of Christ.  It was during one of these trips that I committed myself to serving God through teaching.  I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life.

How and when did you meet your husband? Lol. Wow, this is an even longer story….. When I was a sophomore in college, I signed up to go on a spring break campaign to North Little Rock, AR.  I went on the trip because I was starting to get to know a guy who I was kinda interested in. Anyways, that detail is not important, because he couldn’t go on the trip because he got mono! I went on the campaign anyways, not knowing anybody! We helped serve a church called Silver City Church during their spring break at Camp Caudle. Jesse (my husband, now) was a senior in high school and was attending as a student. This is where we first met.  A few months later when he started attending Harding as a freshman, we started hanging out, riding to church together, and falling in love! And the rest, as they say, is history! We dated for 2 ½ years, and have been married for almost 5! By the way, #1, yes, I am a “cradle robber,” and #2, Camp Caudle ended up being the venue of our wedding!

When will you start a family?
Well, to tell you the truth, hopefully soon. I am trying to be patient and wait on the Lord’s timing on this one! It’s so hard! I’ve always wanted to be a mommy. Maybe one of these days I’ll have some exciting news for you!