Here it is, 2017. The beginning of a new year, and the beginning of a new feature for this blog.
My name is JayDee, and this is my blog. I am the small business owner of ThirdShift Vintage, and I am passionate about my job! Typically I write about all things vintage, as you can see in the topic categories over there on the right. In addition to writing about vintage, I also wanted to share little tidbits about my life as a small business owner with you. Over the course of this new blog category “Just JayDee”, I plan on sharing small business tips and tricks, triumphs and pitfalls, and even day-to-day happenings – all in bite-size, easy to digest pieces.
Since we’re going to get to know each other through this series, let me start out by introducing myself.
My Roles
Small Business Owner
I am the owner of ThirdShift Vintage. I seek out vintage treasures from the past and present them in my shop for others to enjoy and love.
Wife
I am the wife of an amazing husband! I am pretty sure there is nothing that guy can’t do! Calling him a “handy man” just doesn’t encompass all that he is capable of. He is an engineer and manager in his day job, and when he’s not at work, he is a creative inventor, a maker, a tinkerer, a sportsman, and all around fun guy. He also is involved with my business, fixing and cleaning things for me. I love that about him!
Mom
I am the Mom of our three incredible boys, and I love being a Mom to them. They each have their creative strengths and fun personalities. They make me proud of them and they are a true joy to be with. I am really fortunate that my boys enjoy this business almost as much as I do, and they are an incredible help to me.
Mentor and Facilitator
We are a homeschool family. However, I don’t consider myself a “teacher”. Our boys have been raised to be independent learners and I act as their mentor and facilitator. I guide them in their learning and am always available when they need me.
Entertainer
I love to entertain! Having friends and family to our house gives me so much joy. I love to plan parties, get togethers, our weekly Outdoor Movie Nights, meteor shower and star gazing events, and so much more.
Household Manager, Chef, and Gardener
Since I work from home and am home all day with our kids, I am also the manager of our household. You know… all the fun stuff: laundry, cleaning, bill paying. I am thankful that our kids share this role with me. I am the meal-planner and am usually the chef (a role I share with my husband and occasionally with our kids). I love finding new recipes to try and I really enjoying cooking. I am also the gardener – oh, how I love my gardens! While I haven’t ventured into vegetable gardening (yet), I love all our flower gardens. Each garden has a “theme” and it’s where I like to spend my free time.
Adventurer and Photographer
There is just nothing like a good adventure! Since our boys were first born, we’ve gone on so many fun adventures. I’m not talking about trips exploring the countries of the world (although if I could, I would certainly be doing that!). I’m talking about finding fun and different adventures near us. Things like exploring caves (one of my favorites) and discovering woods to walk through. Finding abandoned farm houses, barns, and other buildings and imagining the lives of those who lived there. I love to get in a vehicle and head out for a road trip – not knowing where we are going or what we will find, but just discovering things along the way. Since I was a young kid, I have always loved taking photos and take many pictures each and every day. People who know me, know that I always have a camera (or two) with me wherever I go and they are used to me saying “STOP!” when we are travelling so I can jump out and shoot a picture or two (or several dozen). Black and white photography is my favorite.
Knowledge Seeker and Creator
I have always had a passion for learning new things. When I am curious about something, I research it and teach myself all I can about the subject. I am also a creator. I have notebooks filled with ideas and inventions, plans and projects. I don’t just write these ideas down, I do them. Now if there were just more hours in the day….
So… there you have it. Now you know a little bit more about me. I look forward to getting to know you along the way through your comments below. Let’s take this adventure together!