What was the first spiritual practice you fell in love with and why?
Spirituality is a complicated topic for me. I grew up in the Mormon faith, which as far as religions go, is very heavy-handed and all-consuming. It is not just a religion, but a way of life. Because of that, I thought I had found spirituality as a very small child. It was only much later that I started to question what I had been taught and my relationship to the universe around me, without it being linked to an organized religion. It was a heart-wrenching experience that left me feeling very alone, but eventually led me to a much greater understanding of who I am and what I value.. I'm honestly still learning what my spirituality looks like and how best to connect with it.
Mindful rituals you’re most faithful to?
Having grown up with prayer as a pretty constant companion, the habit has stuck with me. I no longer pray to a deity, but most nights I still take a moment before I fall asleep to assess what I am grateful for and what I still need help figuring out and finding strength in. It's more of a prayer to myself and the person I'm trying to become.
The first thing you do after waking up?
I'm actually the last one in my house to wake up in the morning, so as soon as I walk out of my bedroom door, I typically find my whole crew (husband, daughter, and son) waiting for me on the couch. At times I wish I had more of a buffer between sleep and fully awake life, but the greetings that await me in the living room are pretty fantastic and adorable. And then coffee very quickly follows.
Go-to weeknight recipe?
Quiche! It's a French recipe my husband found years ago, and it's to die for. It's incredibly simple to put together, and it contains heaps of crème fraîche and Gruyere. Be still my heart.
First job?
I worked behind the counter and in the kitchen at The Sedona Fudge Co. (a small mom and pop candy shop in my hometown) throughout highschool and every summer during college. It is still a happy place for me and one of my very first stops when I make it home to Sedona, Arizona.
Won’t fly without?
My AirPods and iPad Pro! Listening to music and drawing on my iPad is all I ever want to do on a flight. But let's be real, my kids usually make this merely a pipe dream :).
What makes you feel at home?
Vulnerability. Nothing feels better to me than talking with people who welcome vulnerability and trust me enough to show their vulnerability.
When and where are/were you the happiest?
Summertime. Wading through the creek in my hometown. Breathing in the smell of the wet sycamores.
How did you come to publish “A Table Set For Sisterhood”?
Ooh how to answer this succinctly. There are a thousand elements that brought this book to publication. I would say the most important piece was finding a partner/co-author that believed in this vision as much as I did. Ashley Schütz and I could not have known at the onset of this book (5 years ago) that we were exactly what the other one needed. Time and time again, this project proved to us how well we worked together and how much we could really rely on one another. True sisterhood at its very best.
Who is/was your mentor? Or to put it into other words, who or what inspires you?
Female fortitude and strength is endlessly inspiring to me. Nothing makes me want to be better than remembering that I am a part of a global, multigenerational sisterhood.
First celebrity crush?
Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone."
Favorite book ever and why?
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I simply fell in love with Samuel Hamilton. Never have I been lost in a story and a family so deeply.
Which is your favorite song?
I have far too many! Let's go with "Waiting For A Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl. It's been bringing smiles to my face since I was 4 years old.
Things you could buy in a bulk?
Butter. Just all of the butter.
How does a perfect Sunday afternoon look like for you?
Taking a nap with my husband.
What would you put on your neon sign?
"Feeling A Lot".
Preferred form of exercise?
Yoga with my YouTube crush, Tim Senesi (aka Yoga With Tim).
Favorite dish or meal?
Pasta. Forever and always pasta. And I know it's a bit spot on to choose a dish from A Table Set for Sisterhood, but Gloria Steinem's Caramelised Fennel Pasta is life changing!
Proudest moment?
Giving birth to my daughter.
What is for you personally the meaning of life?
Love. There is nothing I believe in more than love.
If you had to pick only one TGC product, what would it be?
It's simple, but the Palo Santo Smudging Bundle is where it's at for me. But sure, go ahead and throw in the GORGEOUS Prisma Visions Tarot Cards!
