about me

Us.

Hi. My name is Allison. You’ve found my website. I’m 33 years old. I’ve got two great kids, ages 11 & 13. And a wonderful husband.

I don’t think that I started this website in January 2004 with any real goal in mind. People wanted my recipes, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I told them, ‘it’s on my website’?” I wanted to have photos of the kids and I wanted to start writing about my life. I became a blogger before I even knew what a blogger was. It’s sort of grown from there.

A few years ago I went through some really rough times, frought with family and personal drama. Getting divorced was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through and there have been times that I hid from this blog because I couldn’t write about what was going on, or because I refused to face the reality of it. But I find myself today in a place of honesty with myself that I’ve never before had. I’ve been through fire and I’ve come out the other end, whole. I am so thankful for what that process has done in me. In facing the depths of myself, I’m now able to share them here. I write what’s in me. Sometimes that can be profound, sometimes that can be about fingernail polish.

My two children are a riot. They are 19 months apart and have always given me a run for my money. Eden came first. She is very bright, extremely silly, creative and quite responsible. She never sleeps through her alarm. At age 13, she excels in school, loves to read and is well on her way to either be a veterinarian or author. She is in 7th grade and all I can think is that she has still got to be that sweet, stubborn 6 month old saying “wass that?” over and over again.

Honor is 11, sweet and loving and SO naughty. My sister always reminds me of how I wished to have a boy like Calvin from the comic, Calvin and Hobbes. That wish came true in Honor. He will always be the first to notice something and give you a compliment. Whenever he tells me, “Mom, you’re cute” I have this feeling he’s going to make all the ladies swoon. He is an excellent reader and speller, and very creative. He is in 5th grade and back in the day, he really enjoyed the toilet.

Josh and I got married last June. He is everything I never knew I could have. He loves me and the kids with his whole heart. He’s committed to our relationship in ways that I’d never seen before. He is the person that I want to live the rest of my life with and I’m excited that I get to be with him forever. Knowing Josh confirms to me what I’ve always believed: that redemption really is possible.

When I first got married (the first time), I was fresh out of high school, working at a job that wouldn’t lead to a carreer and adjusting to my new life. My husband remarked countless times that he wished I’d find a hobby. After two babies and a rough bout of postpartum depression, I finally found my hobby and it took over my life. Knitting became an addiction that saved me. I learned how, mostly from a book, and then discovered that we had a local yarn store full of wondrous treasures. Eventually I started working at that store and went through several changes with the owner. She eventually closed her store and I was left with a tremendous opportunity – a built-in customer base, a knowledge of how to run a store and a passion for the craft. I found myself, the woman who emphatically wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, wanting to open a business. I was 24 and I had a 2 and 4 year old at home. After much debate, I decided to take the plunge. In August 2006 I opened up my very own yarn shop, Tangle. A year later I took on a business partner. A year after that I fulfilled one of the biggest dreams of my life and moved my shop to our city’s historic Main Street. We celebrated our 8th birthday in August.

More about me: *I love Jesus, but I don’t talk about it very much because I think Christians have given themselves a pretty terrible name by acting the very opposite of the man they claim to follow. *I thrive on creating things. You will always find me with at least six projects in progress and another 12 in the planning phase. I have several knitting and sewing projects in the works at all times. *I love to cook and I especially love to entertain. There is something about showing others love by filling them with delicious food in a warm atmosphere that makes me feel complete. *I love fashion and design and participate in it as much as my limited shopping options and budget allow. *I love living in Colorado. I love to camp and be outdoors and I love that I live in a place that affords so many different types of outdoor activities. *I don’t love working out, but I do and I motivate myself with a trainer once a week. I whine a lot about this. *I have a mini doxen named Dexter. And I love him even though he barks a lot and pees on the floor. I also have a cat named Evil Kitty. The kids love her but I’m not that big of a fan. Up until recently we thought she was a boy. *You can also find me on twitter, ravelry, pinterest, instagram and flickr!