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Tell us more about your business and when you started it.

It all started at a school where I was teaching a charming group of second graders. Somewhere between grading papers and reading nimble books like Jennifer Jones Won't Leave Me Alone and The Spider and the Fly, I found that I preferred to spend the balance of my time at the end of the day in front of my bulletin board. I devoured the opportunity to change it out and create a fresh, chic board: National Oatmeal Month in January, National Karaoke Week in April, Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22nd, you get the idea.

Completing a dashing bulletin board gave me satisfaction and fulfillment. Cut to a few years after celebrating National Cherry Month with paper on a wall and I found myself in a hospital room enduring five weeks of bed rest during my second pregnancy. Anyone who has been in a small room by themself for five weeks is sure to have discovered at least a few things by the time they get out. I did just that. I discovered that A) I have a definite aversion to drawings of little pastel rattles and rubber ducks and adamantly believe that there are endless other possible artistic ways to celebrate babies and children. B) I love using unusual patterns and shapes and colors. C) I had the opportunity to start something where I could cultivate all of the ideas in my head and meticulously construct vivacious birth announcements, photo birth cards, and stationary just itching to be personalized. So that is how the idea of inventingmatilda.com came about. After welcoming my second daughter, (the one who couldn't wait to come), I set to work fulfilling my idea.     

Tell us how your "What's Next" moment occurred and what did it mean to you .

When I got married I was certain that I would love staying at home. I actually wondered what I would do when my children were older. Then I had children and stopped working to stay at home. I soon found myself feeling lonely and bored and unfulfilled. Depression set in and I was unable to be the cheery super-mom I had mused about in my diary before I had my daughters. I finally found a solution that has changed my life. I started a business. I am a better wife and mother because of it. I suppose my story is that being a good mom can be done in many ways beyond just being at home. I am still with my children during the day, but I am able to have something that is my own and that has changed my entire life.

The closest time frame that your 'What's Next' moment occurred was ...

After my first child.

What are your biggest challenges? 

Work/Life Balance. The ads that you see portraying a work-at-home mom are often grossly misleading: Happy, quiet children play nearby busy mom while she fields a conference call and dutifully types on her computer. The reality is that I am stretched quite a bit to ensure that my children's needs are met. We have story time, art projects, trips to the park, play dates to set up and attend...all of this plus the workload of a design business (which I LOVE...even if I am up until 2 a.m. every night).

What are your aspirations? 

I want my children to grow up to be confident and grounded individuals. I want my business to be fruitful. I want to continue to relish the satisfaction of contributing financially to my family.

What are your interests? 

My favorite color is orange. I live in Colorado. I like aspen trees and how I feel when it rains. I am irretrievably in love with my husband. I am a hard-core night owl. I have two daughters - Lauren and Natalie. I was an NCAA pole vaulter in college. I grew up in a small town in Arizona. I value friendship. I am inspired by nature, music, and abstract concepts. I don't eat seafood. I genuinely love my work and putting my imagination on paper.

What inspires you? 
I like color. I like self-reliance. I love my family and spending time with my husband and daughters.

Visit InventingMatilda.com.