How Did I Get Here?

When I was a kid, my mother made me learn to sew. It wasn't an option. Sort of like doing my chores. If I wanted some new piece of clothing for my doll, I had to make it, or at least ask for help making it. Over the years, I learned the ins and outs of making all sorts of beautiful things - from the tiny "fur" coats for my #FisherPrice My Friend doll to full outfits for myself. I fell in love with the design stages, dreaming of what a beautiful piece of #fabric could become. Working hard to solve the puzzle of how to fit my dream onto a miniscule scrap left over from something mom had made, I was hooked.

Fast forward 30+ years, four grown-ish kids, and a 20 year engineering career later, I found myself at home, with a new baby, and bored while she napped. Looking for a challenge to fill my brain, I stepped out of my introvert comfort zone and founded Grin & Barrett. I love what I do, who I meet, and the daily challenge of figuring out just HOW to accomplish a particular task. Welcome to my #passionproject!

Heavy influences have been Mr. Money Mustache, Choose FI, and the PopUp Business School (Rebel Entrepreneur). I want to thank them each for encouraging me (virtually - we've never met, but we may someday!) to do what I enjoy, find my voice, and simply get started. This blog will evolve over time, and I suspect it will be more about #FIRE and #fianancialindependence than #sewing per se (although I do like to talk about sewing), so hang on tight as we ride this rollercoaster together.