Showing posts with label about me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about me. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2015

Ten Facts

Happy Monday!

If you're stopping over from Nikki's blog, welcome to Ivy & Grace! If you've just found your way to my little blog some other way, you should definitely go check out Nikki's blog. I'm over there today with some tips and tricks to create the perfect, classic holiday makeup look!

I figured that since some of you may be visiting my blog for the very first time,  I would do a little 'get to know me' type post today. I've always loved reading these types of posts. It's fun to get to know a little bit more about a blogger, especially when it is random fact!


1. This isn't my first blog. I blogged for a few years back in the day. If you've been with Nikki since the beginning of her blog, you might recognize me from Ramblings from Yours Truly. I absolutely loved blogging and grew my little blog quite a bit in just two short years. I got busy planning my wedding and then moving to another state and before I knew it, I just stopped. I'm loving getting back into blogging, but it has been hard starting from the beginning all over again! It's also hard to find time to blog with my four month old!

2. I did not go to school to be a makeup artist. I get asked a lot at work where I went to cosmetology school or how I went about training to become a makeup artist. And the answer is, ummm.... I didn't! I have a Social Work degree, and before moving to Indiana, I was a Social Worker. I worked with homeless infants and toddlers in a daycare setting right out of college and then moved to a Head Start program. I couldn't find a social work job in Indiana when we moved because I am not licensed here. So I started working at Sephora as temporary holiday help and before you knew it, they trained and certified me as a makeup artist and it became my full-time career. Since having Avery, I've transitioned back to part-time, but I love my job. I wouldn't go back to social work for anything.

3. I'm really competitive. I'm also terrible at pretty much any game and I do not have an athletic bone in my body. Wrap all those facts up and you get Jenna, the girl who refuses to play any game because she knows she's probably going to lose and will get really angry. Just the thought of playing a game makes me feel frustrated. Does this make me really weird? I think so...

4. I had a reoccurring dream as a child that a pom-pom came to life and led me through underground tunnels to a playhouse. The playhouse was divided into two themes: ballerinas and pirates. Once inside the playhouse, I was forced to pick a side and I always woke up just as I was picking. The weirdest part? This dream would terrify me! I was an overly anxious child.

5. I hate mushrooms. I try so hard to like them, but I can't stand the texture. I don't know why I feel like I would be more sophisticated if I liked mushrooms, but I just can't do it. They're slimy and grey and just bleh!

6. I'm all about that rustic life. The main reason being nothing has to be perfect. I enjoy crafting but I don't have the patience for perfection, so I'll make it "good enough," slap the word rustic on it, and call it a day! Who doesn't like a little character?!

7. But one part of that rustic life I'm not about? Camping. My high school friends wanted to make it a tradition to camp near Lake Michigan every summer. Good thing that only lasted two years. I would rather eat mushrooms than go camping, and you already know how I feel about mushrooms. 


8. I have a fear of math. My husband made me cry one time by quizzing me with math problems. Somehow, in middle school, I was put in advance math and I remember begging my teacher to let me go back to regular math. Why he thought I was capable to continue is beyond me. I failed almost all of my tests and only passed classes because I would cheat on my homework. I would feel like I was having panic attacks when teachers asked me to complete math problems on the board in front of my classmates. It was the worst! To this day, doing math in my head give me so much anxiety! 

9. I live for food. Eating is my favorite thing to do. I should be overweight, but I was blessed with my mother's high metabolism. Pregnancy was amazing because it gave me an excuse to eat even more. Sure, the whole "you're eating for two" isn't a real thing while you're pregnant, but my doctor was happy with my weight gain so I just kept on eating!

10. I love the first snow of the season. It brings my obsession with Christmas to a whole new level. I don't think there is anything prettier than sparkly snow covering trees. But once Christmas is over, my love for snow turns to hatred.


And there you have it. Ten random facts about me! If you're visiting from Nikki's blog, I hope you will come back to visit more often!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Welcome to Ivy & Grace

Well, hello! Welcome to the Ivy & Grace Blog; a place where you can get to know a little more about myself and my little family and a place where you can get some sneak peeks of upcoming newness to our Ivy & Grace Etsy Shop. Let me take some time to introduce myself...


 I'm Jenna! I'm a 20-something wife, mother, small business owner, and certified Sephora makeup artist. I was born and raised in Michigan, and although we currently live in Indiana, I will always be a Michigan girl at heart. While being a wife and mother are the most rewarding, I have a few other roles. I run the Ivy & Grace Etsy Shop where I sell handmade baby headbands. I love being creative and the shop is the perfect outlet for that. I've also been working at Sephora as a certified makeup artist since October of 2013 and I couldn't love my career more! Not only is Sephora an amazing company to work for, but I get the opportunity to express myself through the art of makeup and teach other women to do the same. And let's be honest, sometimes it's just fun to transform yourself into a zombie or a mermaid!


I met my husband Justin in college while we were on a cross-cultural trip to Guatemala. We went to a small, Christian university but had to leave the country to meet, go figure! We got married in September of 2013 and moved to Indiana soon after. Justin runs an elite travel baseball organization and training facility here in Northern Indiana. He rarely takes life too seriously and is always making me laugh. I can honestly say that I married my best friend. 


 Our most recent adventure? Parenthood. Our sweet little girl, Avery, was born late July of 2015. I had planned on a natural birth, but found out at 38 weeks this little princess was breech. So cesarean section it was! I was extremely blessed with an amazing doctor and a very easy recovery and was feeling back to normal just a few days post-surgery! Motherhood has been nothing short of amazing. I have always known that I wanted to be a mom, but I cannot explain just how much it has made me feel whole. At the time of writing this, Avery is now a thriving and healthy 2 month old. It's been so much fun to watch her learn and grow, and let me tell you, this little girl is loved so very much. Avery is also our Ivy & Grace headband model, so you'll get to see much more of her!

And there you have it, just a little bit about me. I hope you will come back and continue to keep up with our little family and the Ivy & Grace Shop. I am an Instagram fanatic so you should probably follow me on both our shop Instagram (@ivyandgraceshop) and my personal Instagram (@jenna__anne). Thanks for reading!