One day a year, entirely devoted to Mom doesn’t seem like enough, does it? Well hats off to you, Mom. You’re our original role model and our best friend. Happy Mother’s Day! 
Tag: mom
Christine and Corinne Chop Down a Christmas Tree
Kristine and her daughter, Corinne, took off to the tree farm to find the perfect tree. Row after row planted as if they were meant for hide and seek. After a few minutes of running around the great expanse, the duo spotted exactly what they were looking for. It was a great team effort. You can’t saw alone, after all. What a wonderful mother daughter moment of strength and fun!
Kristine is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Plaid Gallatin Coat, Series 1889 Slim Double Front Denim Dungaree, Striped Knit Hat, & Dex Glove.
Corinee is wearing: Wildwood Jacket, Brushed Fleec Pant, Trapper Hat, & Stripe Mitten.
Mom, You’re the Best
Like some distorted wine analogy, I grow to appreciate my mom more an more as I age. Mothers are the selfless heroes, who all too often fly under the radar. They sacrifice their sanity, sleep, and sometimes even the last piece of cake— just for you. Mom’s are a million things packed into one: your first playmate, teacher, a soothing retreat, your biggest cheerleader, and your oldest friend.
My mom and I have always bonded over craft time. She was a great encouragement to me as I grew up. I was infamous for creating “art” messes around the house as I created and experimented. That must have required such patience on her part. Not everything I made was a masterpiece, far from it in fact. How could she have known that I would end up pursing this craftiness as a career? Perhaps I wouldn’t have made it this far if she hadn’t been so open to my creativity and inspiring with her own talents.
How did your mom play a role in who you are today? Really think about it and tell her. It’s a thankless job too much of the time. Get out there are show the moms some love!
Jennifer Philipps of ERA Test, LLC in Montana
Wake up early. Analyze lab results. Prepare reports for clients. Go to scheduled air inspections in commercial and residential environments. Submit samples to a lab in Washington. Then back to office work and equipment maintenance. That’s the typical day in the life of an Indoor Air Quality Inspector. Meet Jennifer Philipps of ERA Test, LLC in Montana. She and her mom, Lisa, own and operate the business. They test air to detect threats like mold, asbestos, radon, and methamphetamine. Together they are able to work across the entire state. The dynamics of the mother/daughter relationship in a work environment have brought the family closer together. They are able to lean on and learn from one another. It’s much more common to come across family businesses that are passed from father to son. I must say, it was really exciting to come across a multi-generational family trade that not only involves the women, but is entirely run by them. What an awesome gift of knowledge and skill to bestow. Jennifer’s work wear: Carhartt Women’s Clarksburg Zip-Front Sweatshirt & Women’s Sibley Denim Cropped Pant
Forget the Desk Job– I Make a Mean Chocolate Croissant
It’s fair to say that most people would prefer an early morning routine of rolling out fresh chocolate croissants to a 9 to 5 desk job. But how do you get there? How do pin down your dreams fast enough to make a career out of them?
After realizing she wasn’t cut out for the daily grind of cubicle life, Sandra Holl decided to buckle down and follow her heart by attending culinary school. At that time, she knew she wanted to be her own boss and make the food she wanted to make. Seeing the opportunities at Chicago’s Green City Market, Sandra decided that opening her own booth would be a low-risk way of starting a business. There she and her husband, Mathieu, used it as a venue to test out their rustic, French pastries and built a name for themselves. Eventually, a brick and mortar space was next step. In 2010, Floriole Café and Bakery’s doors opened in Chicago’s quaint Lincoln Park neighborhood.
When I asked Sandra what the most rewarding part of her job was, she replied,
“I love that I have a family business. I work with my husband and can bring my daughter to work with me. She sees how hard I work and is so proud of her mama. She often tells customers, “This is my mom’s bakery.””
There is no greater feeling than to bring creativity and light to the world through the smile a chocolate hazelnut cookie can yield, while inspiring your own daughter and nudging her along to the discovery that she too can do the same with a little elbow grease and determination.
Here are a few tips from Sandra for anyone striving towards a similar path:
1. Find a chef you admire and work with her or him. Absorb as much of their knowledge as you can, then move on and learn more.
2. Perfect the basics before you get creative. No one really wants a wasabi curry cupcake but everyone wants a perfect slice of peach pie.
3. Everything breaks. Learn how to fix things yourself.
4. Know that you will work seven days a week. Even when you are off, you will run errands for the business, answer calls and emails and when the security alarm goes off in the middle of the night, you will go make sure that it was only a false alarm.
Sandra is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Minot Shirt, 1889 Slim Double-Front Denim Dungaree, & Rapid City Utility Work Apron.
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day is just a few days away. Don’t forget to show Mom how much you love her.
Take a look at the Crafted in Carhartt gift guide. Get inspired!
Noel from Dog-a-holics in Chicago
Meet Noel. She’s a dog walker at the local Chicago dog grooming and daycare business, Dog-a-holics. It was a blast hanging out while she gave her dog, Addison, a bath. She’s not so fond of water. What I love about the service offered at Dog-a-holics is that it’s a cage-free environment with a great outdoor space. The dogs also get a lot of one on one attention.
Noel’s daughter, Penny, joined us for a bit as well. She was so precious in her Carhartt onesie. Like her mom, she loves dogs. She was mesmerized every time a dog passed by. If you’re looking for doggie daycare in Chicago, Dog-a-holics is the place for you. Check them out here.
Crafted in Carhartt 