About

Welcome to the Suede Sofa!  We are so glad you are here to join us!

We are former teachers who are now stay-at-home moms and OrDiNaRy women just trying to make the best out of life.  Like most girlfriends, we have endless CONVERSATIONS about our life as women and wanted to create a place where any woman could come and join in on our conversation!

As busy moms we are constantly searching for our PuRpOsE in LiFe amongst the loads of  laundry and screaming kids!  It is easy to get lost in the busyness of everyday life and we know that staying optimistic is much easier when we know we are not alone!

Which brings us to the suede sofa…this is our safe zone. Our chocolate cake. Our new pair of shoes. Our comfy sweats. Our best friend.

Thanks for joining us.  We look forward to sharing this rEaL journey of  WoMaNhOoD with you!

Lara & Robynn and New Jersey Robyn

(Why isn’t New Jersey Robyn pictured on the sofa???  Lara and Robynn have never met her!  Read more in the “Jersey Girl” article below!)

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Lara’s Story

Over the last 2 ½ years I took the leap and started my own small business.  I’ve always had a bit of a creative side and wanted an outlet when staying at home with my kids.  After college my husband, Doug, and I lived in St. Louis for a couple of years.  During our life there I was inspired by the little shops in downtown St. Charles, MO.  Doug always told me I could make my own home décor, and at the time I remember thinking he was crazy!  Just goes to show that maybe I should listen to him more often. ;)

When we moved back to Kansas I still had a strong desire to start something on my own.  I’ve always loved anything dealing with interior design and before I knew it I was making and selling my own home décor!  Of course, if only the road up to this point would have been that easy.  There were many lessons learned after losing money on my first sale and dealing with the numerous setbacks that comes with getting a business started.  The most important thing is that I never gave up, and that really is the best advice I can ever give anyone.  You can’t be afraid to fail and you have to reassure yourself that no matter what, you’ll be a stronger person regardless of the outcome.  Of course, there is a lot that comes with starting your own business, and I’ll be happy to give you more insight on that at a later date.

A large part of my success as a business owner has to do with the fact that I grew up in a very loving, faithful, supportive and hardworking family.  I am one of four daughters who grew up on a farm in Kansas.  By the look of our one-bathroom farmhouse, some may have thought we didn’t have much.  In my eyes, I felt like I had it all and continue to give thanks for the strong roots of my upbringing. Both of my parents did (and still) make all their income by growing crops and raising cattle.  They have always been the hardest workers I know, yet they were always there for us girls, never missing a sporting event or piano recital.  Having a strong work ethic and the attitude that “giving up is not an option” was just a way of life for our family.  As I now have a family of my own, I am constantly reminded of the benefits of being a positive thinker and the great outcome of teaching my kids to do the same.  It has been an enjoyable experience to begin cultivating our own little seeds :)

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

And to visit my small business, click here:  www.letterblockshop.com

Cheers~

Lara

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Interviews from the s.o.f.a

w/ Robynn

S.S.:  What brings you, a small town farm girl from South Dakota to Oklahoma and then finally to Kansas to stay? R:  College, a teaching job, and then a husband, in that order.

S.S.:  What was your teaching job? R:  High school science teacher for six years and a high school counselor for two years.

S.S.:  Are you still teaching/counseling? R:  No.  I now stay home with my kids for which I am incredibly grateful for. (Both my kids and getting to stay home with them.)

S.S. What fuels you? R:  Speaking and writing.

S.S. What are some of your favorite things? R:  Driving by corn fields in the summer; my family – I love hanging out with them!; soft t-shirts which seem hard to come by; warm weather; running at dawn in the summer with my husband; pink and green, small quaint towns; I know this is trendy now but I really like vintage –y “stuff”;  4^th of July; the song & video “Only In America” by Brooks and Dunn; friends that are as comfy as my worn out sweats;  the number “7”; May-Dec; early morning quiet times with God before anyone else is up; the soft fur around our lab, Walter’s ears;  my children’s laughter;  &  my husband’s humor.  (To name a few.  Ha!)

S.S. What is your mantra? R:  Only Believe (Luke 8:50)

S.S. What is your mission? Helping people experience freedom in Christ.

S.S.  If money were no object, what hobby would you take up? R:  Flipping old abandoned cottages and farmhouses.

S.S. “I wish I could. . .” R:  Play drums!!

~Robynn

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Jersey Girl

Growing up in the suburbs in New Jersey I had three goals:

1. Be a high school cheerleader (as corny as that may sound)!
2. Teach 1^st grade
3. Be a stay-at-home mom

Although the road to success wasn’t easy (see my Suede Sofa I Am…A MOM…FINALLY post). Check, check, check…I did it!

So now what do you do when you are in your 30’s, living your dream, but have no new goals in mind?  That’s just about when Lara and Robynn came into my life and got my creative wheels turning!

An avid Etsy shopper, I met Lara simply because I was constantly purchasing blocks from her Letter Block Shop.

Next…in comes Suede Sofa.  My blogging began with my I Am post and shortly after Lara and Robynn asked me to be a guest writer.  My friendship with Lara and Robynn is unique in that we’ve never met.  What’s stopping us?  How about the fact that there are five states between us! We’ve recently set a goal to somehow meet within the next five years; until then there’s always email, texting, and of course the Suede Sofa!

I currently live in New Jersey in a small suburb about fifteen miles outside of New York City with my husband Rob.  We have two children named Nicholas and Abby. Nicholas is ALL BOY and keeps me on my toes!  Abby is a GIRLY GIRL and oh do I love her to pieces!  Before having my children I was a first grade teacher for 8 years.  Sometimes I think teaching a classroom full of 1^st graders may have been easier than being a stay-at-home mom; but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Thank you for letting me share my life with all of you!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)