As the new journal is nearing completion for its first publication, I am often asked…what made you want to start this? Many have no idea of my past profession, the story that brought me to this point, and why this style of journal…. so here it is! ☺️

MY First career as a journalist & EDITOR

In what almost seems like another life, I was an editor for a national publication. My first degree (and yes my husband says I am a professional student) was in journalism & photojournalism. I was about to finish my degree and was in my last semester of college when 9/11 hit. And yes I realize that dates me a bit… haha. My dream was to be a reporter, a knuckle-driving journalist that pressed to be stressed, always on the front lines. That semester, when 9/11 occurred, we focused all our efforts on this event (with due reason). We studied the reporters, the photos, the terrible tragedy that was. We saw some accurate and inaccurate reporting, sensationalism at its finest, highlighting the negative and making it more gut-wrenching than imagined. I couldn’t stand it. And as I walked across the stage to get my diploma… I had no idea what I would do with this journey of journalism I had been on.

I moved to Austin after I graduated and worked odd and end jobs for magazines, writing mostly fluff pieces about rock climbing & garden centers. After a year or so, I got a job with a national medical publication doing mail fulfillment and editing. I liked the medical aspect and was learning a lot about the body and nurse protocols. I also enjoyed the people I worked with. A close co-worker developed lung cancer and died after a long battle with the disease. This was heart-breaking but soon found myself in her position, to keep positions internal.

I really enjoyed being an editor, designing what went in or stayed out. I learned even more about the medical field, much of what has stayed with me today. I kept that job for several years, but then got married and moved away (before online jobs were really a thing).

Fast forwarding a bit…TeACHING, NUTRITION, & HERBALISM

I then decided to try something new, and got my Master’s in teaching and was a teacher for a while, then became a mom of two spirited children, then got my nutrition certification, helped teach nutrition, herbal certification and so on. I could talk all day on this… maybe another blog?

I met one of my soul sisters Madison (who recently passed on from brain cancer) during the nutritional certification teaching. We would take long walks once a week around Town Lake (now called Lady Bird Lake). She often chatted about starting a magazine, one that would feature community and women, and she had all sorts of ideas on fashion, writing, photography, etc. She was wicked talented, so I believed she would do it and I would help her edit it. Even thought she never did start that magazine, I loved the glow in her eyes when she would talk about it.

In 2018, I had the honor of co-hosting a women’s retreat with Madison and others, witnessing women and their strength, their heartaches, and wins. The amount that they struggled was amazing, because I did too. I wanted to record their stories, so they were close to heart and wouldn’t be forgotten.

The Birth of A Life Rooted Journal

I was having a conversation with a dear friend recently and said that I missed editing, writing, & designing words to paper.

It was a simpler time of my life, one where things weren’t ruled by the massive information highway confusion.

I missed the nostalgia of how magazines used to be, how stories have gotten lost a bit in the fast-paced internet lifestyle of scrolling mindlessly, watching a 15-second video and forgetting it.

I was looking through some recipes and saw my grandmothers handwritten cards. I saw the stains of the food she had cooked, I saw her scribble a measurement out and write one that was more appropriate for the recipe. I saw the trial and error on the page, and the success of nourishment created.

I then thought of the stories of amazing women (at the retreats and throughout my life), all the trial and error they have traveled, all the love & loss they have experienced.

Still jaded from Madison’s passing, I dreamed of a way to pass these stories along, the heart & soul of memories held and emotions expressed. I thought of her, her magazine idea, and knew I needed to do it.

I thought of my children, and how nostalgia is somewhat lost in their generation, and how we as humans, must keep it alive. The stories, recipes, crafts, poems, art, and community.

Thus… that was the beginning. ☺️ Where will it go? Hope, Love, and Stories will tell. xo