About

Homemade Happies was created after I decided to take a break from teaching.  I was a school teacher for over 20 years and after the last few years I needed a break. However, with that I needed something to keep me busy. I started homemade happies because it was something that made me happy and I am hoping the things I make make you (or whomever you gift my items to) happy too!

I love to bake and have been baking since high school.  In high school and just after college I worked at two different small town bakeries that just helped me love baking even more. It was therapeutic for me, a way to release my stress.  I recently got  my cottage baking license. 

I have been sewing for years.  I received an apron from a very good friend as a 'happy day' gift. Once I started wearing it I loved most of it!  I decided to take that apron and do some tweaks on it.  Thus was born my signature apron.  Since I bake so much I started making aprons for my kids too (when they were younger).  I also started making the rice bag/rice packs a few years ago.  My son wanted to give a gift to his aunt who has sinus issues.  We loved the idea so much we made for ourselves!  Then I just kept finding better ways like having a removable cover and making them shaped like cute kitties. We use them for tons of things in our house!  The coin purses came when I was teaching, I would sew little gifts for my students around Christmas. They loved them so much, I had a few kids 2 years in a row and they choose to take a second coin purse instead of the other option.  I even had a few kids who weren't in my class ask if they could have one. They used them for lip balm, their ala carte money, house keys, and all sorts of other things!  

More recently, I had always wanted to learn to make soap. I intrigued me! One batch and I liked it. With more research and another batch and I was hooked!!  I find it so enjoyable!  There are a lot of similarities to baking with the precise measurements and so much creativity in techniques.  The bonus is that it's not perishable and I don't feel the need to eat it! I also enjoy how much science and math there really is behind it too.  

I live in a very rural area of the midwest with my husband and two kids.  We live in a 'house in the country' which means we don't have animals or crops.  I don't really even have a garden because I do NOT have a green thumb. I also really enjoy technology.