Hold Your Breath & JUMP!

Well - here we are! My first blog post. I have never ever, ever written a blog...like, EVER. Pretty hard to believe coming from someone who used to be in public relations and marketing. I think maybe I've been a little nervous, or scared, or...lazy. Who knows. But nevertheless I'm taking the big leap into the vast unknown. I was prompted when setting up my new Facebook page for my little business I've been tinkering in for the last year or so. Creating a Facebook page made it seem a bit more authentic and I thought, what the heck, a blog would go fabulously with what I'm doing. 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Great question! I've been asking myself that same question since I quit "working" four years ago to stay home with my then baby boy. So I guess by day I'm a stay-at-home mom. By night I'm a self-taught seamstress, crafter and interior designer who hides away in her craft closet! Literally. My craft room is, NO LIE, a small (as in teeny) "walk-in" (as in walk-in, turn around and walk-out) closet that I managed to jam a card table, chair and sewing machine into. I'm addicted to Pintrest, HGTV, Better Homes & Gardens, all things Martha Stewart and SHOES! Keeping up with my two boys (now four and 20 months) is a full-time job. To find some balance in this crazy thing called life, I love to create little works of love that are inspired by my munchkins and my life as a practical mama.  Plus - I've got a whole lot of testosterone running around in this quaint little house and every now and then I need a little girly, fluffy stuff to keep me sane.

A lot of my "projects" are either repurposed items or insane ideas I've either a. thought up in my head, or, b. seen on Pinterest and thought - "I can do that!" I thought you might like to join me as I take a project from start to finish. And, as a "bonus," you'll periodically be subjected to my incoherent babbling about whatever soapbox I've decided to stand on that day, or maybe share a laugh or two with me about the three-ring circus we call home. 

"Ok, so what's with the name?!"

I wanted a name that would convey that what I do is mostly for children and women with children. I've also always had this lust for living on an acreage. Or at least the idea of living on an acreage. We actually made an offer on three acres two years ago and I backed out because I started hyperventilating every time I thought of how much work it might actually be to live on a "farm." Regardless, I still love the organic, refreshing feel of Iowa cornfields and open spaces. My husband and I found a great compromise in the home we bought two years ago. It's just a little over a half acre with an acre? public park behind us. We have a good size garden where we grow corn, pumpkins and other veggies and this summer we built a shed that is a can of red paint shy from a good old fashioned barn. I like to say our home and our lot is our little piece of the country right in the middle of the city. So...long story even longer...the name Hatchlings & Hens was born out of my love for the countryside and my love for making things for children and women with children.

Whew...ok...I think I've got enough up there to qualify as a "post" so I'll sign off for now! Stay tuned for what I promise will be my best attempt at jumping head first into the blogosphere!