Oh friends! What a whirlwind last week it has been. Last Wednesday my husband and children got up at 2am to drive me to the airport to go to Salt Lake City, Utah. Because I had such an early flight, I had volunteered to take a taxi, but Bean was insistent that they drive me (I’ll admit… I was thankful for all of the last minute cuddles, love and goodbyes.)
Once in Salt Lake City, I spent the afternoon at the Cricut offices (can you say dream come true?!?!?) crafting the afternoon away with a group of amazing bloggers and Cricut staff.
The next 3 days were spent at SNAP Conference, where I was inspired by more incredible bloggers, speakers and makers. I also had the opportunity to meet some phenomenal companies with unbelievable products that I can’t wait to share with you. Each time I told someone about Hello Creative Family, and our theory that “Creative parents raise creative kids”, I felt such pride in the site and such sincere appreciation for our team of amazing contributors. I feel blessed to own Hello Creative Family, and the site wouldn’t be as amazing as it is without the team of wonderful women (and one man) who write for it.
I returned to Vancouver, fired up, ready to take on the world… and then I was struck down by the flu! Booooo! As I’ve been laying in bed, recovering, it hit me! It was one year ago, that we rebranded Sew Creative to be Hello Creative Family! I’ve been blogging for over 3 years now, but this past year, running Hello Creative Family, has taught me so much.
Today I thought I’d share with you my favorite post from each contributor from the past year from our site as well as their own, as well as a few words about why each of them are so amazing.
The Hello Creative Family Contributor Team
Randa from The Bewitchin’ Kitchen.
Randa is a blogger that I have admired for a really long time. This smart cookie knows her brand, has a rocking business sense, and is on top of her game. Those reasons all make her a fabulous blogger… but she’s also a really wonderful person. The blogging business can be quite competitive, but Randa is an open book. She’s always thinking of others, sharing information and helping others grow. She’s warm, funny and beautiful, inside and out. Not only am I lucky to have her as a member of my team, I’m also luck to call her my friend. Randa inspires me. I kind of want to be her when I grow up. 😉
My favorite Bewitchin’ Kitchen post:
Coconut Crusted Chicken Recipe. (This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make!)
My favorite post that Randa wrote for Hello Creative Family:
Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Pop Recipe (Randa taught me a photo backdrop secret with this post that I’ve used since then!)
See all of Randa’s Hello Creative Family Posts here.
Crystal from CrystalMadrilejos.com
Crystal is my husband’s cousin, but I’ve never met her in real life! Crystal is living my “one day” life. She lives on an acreage where they make their own maple syrup. They are in the process of converting an old barn into their forever home. She crochets, her husband bakes bread, she owns her own graphic design firm and in her spare time she executes the most graceful yoga moves in her living room! Yes. I want to be her.
My favorite post from CrystalMadrilejos.com:
Paleo Cocoa Almond Butter Truffles (Can you say YUM?)
My favorite post that Crystal wrote for Hello Creative Family:
Home Coloring Calendar (I still can’t believe Crystal created this beautiful coloring calendar for us!)
See all of Crystal’s Hello Creative Family posts here.
Renee has blown me away from the very first day that I “met” her! A former bake shop owner, Renee’s posts never fail to make me drool. This woman is a big deal… she just hasn’t realized it yet! She is sweet, humble, and never fails to make others feel good about themselves. I wish that Renee lived closer to me. I’d love to invite her over for a cup of tea, and have her teach me a trick or two in the kitchen… Plus… I bet she’d bring the sweetest treats when she came to visit!
My favorite post from from Sweet Revelations:
Better Ginger Cookies Recipe (Ginger snaps are one of my favorites!!!)
My favorite post that Renee wrote for Hello Creative Family:
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe EVER {Decorated Four Ways}
(Because seriously… baking 4 cakes and decorating them all for one blog post?!?!?)
See all of Renee’s Hello Creative Family posts here.
Jess is a DIY queen. She does all of those fabulous DIY projects with wood and paint that I pawn off on The Hubs. She inspires me constantly. I had the opportunity to meet her at SNAP last week, and I just kept staring at her and thinking “You are so pretty!!!” Ok… I might have said it out loud a few times too. I imagine Jess’ home to look like a bed and breakfast filled with all kinds of pretty, restored, vintage furniture. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with chalk paint you need to visit her site.
My favorite post from Mommy Envy:
How to Create a Gallery Wall You Love (It makes me want to add to mine!)
My favorite post that Jess wrote for Hello Creative Family:
DIY Succulent Teacup Planter (The succulents combined with the vintage teacup… too cute!)
See all of Jess’ Hello Creative Family posts here.
Taslim from Let Me Out Creative
Taslim and I live in the same area, but until recently we’d never met. We have many mutual friends, and people were always shocked when I told them that we’d never met before. “What?!?!? You don’t know Taslim? You two would love each other! You have so much in common!” they would say. When I finally met Taslim, everything that everyone had ever said to me about her rang true immediately. Her creativity shines through her. I feel incredibly blessed that she is in my circle.
My favorite post from Let Me Out Creative:
Your Best Is Enough. No Really. (Because doesn’t every mama need to hear that?)
My favorite post that Taslim wrote for Hello Creative Family:
How to Write The Best Love Letter (It’s a dying art friends!)
See all of Taslim’s Hello Creative Family posts here.
Rob aka The Hubs
I’m extremely blessed to have this man in my life. I know this and I thank my lucky stars every single day. Rob has always encouraged me and supported me in my dream to do what I love. That’s not something that every wife can say. He re-arranges his schedule and takes care of the kids when I go out of town for conferences, he listens to me when I’m feeling down, he’s my biggest cheerleader… and he even writes for the site! I’m a lucky lady.
My favorite post that Rob wrote for Hello Creative Family:
The Ultimate Cast Iron Frying Pan Post
See Rob’s Hello Creative Family posts here and the posts that Rob and I wrote together here.
Last but certainly not least is my partner in crime, Karen:
The very first time I met Karen, she was standing at my doorstep, picking up fabric covered magnets that she had ordered from me from Etsy. Little did I know that less than a year later our lives would become so intertwined, and she would encourage me to make a huge, life changing decision. You see, Karen was instrumental in encouraging me to quit my job, follow my passion, and start my own business. Karen has a brilliant business mind, and the two of us worked together doing work for a variety of clients before deciding to rebrand Sew Creative to be Hello Creative Family together. Karen and I always say that our friendship comes first and business comes second. She is truly a wonderful friend, and has been there for me through thick and thin since the very first day I took that leap and left the corporate world behind.
Karen recently launched Entrepreneur Mom Now, a project that I know she was born to do. I’m so excited to see where here next chapter takes her! Don’t worry, if you’ve come to love Karen as much as I do, she’ll be sticking around as parenting editor!
My favorite post that Karen wrote for Hello Creative Family:
Creative Voices: Why I Talk To My Child About My Mental Illness
See all of Karen’s Hello Creative Family posts here.
Being a female entrepreneur is hard, and one of the keys to my success has been surrounding myself by a wonderful tribe of women. In addition to the incredible ladies in our contributor team, I’d love to thank Brooke from Miss Teen USSR, Salma from The Write Balance, Heather from Mother Your Business, Kerrie from Family Food and Travel, Raj from Pink Chai Living and Steph from Garden Therapy. Please know that I consider you women my tribe, my friends and in a sense, my co-workers. Thank you.
Last but not least I want to say how thankful I am for all of you incredible readers! I thank my lucky stars for you every single day. You inspire me and I know that you inspire this incredible contributor team as well. It’s because of you, that I get to do something I’m passionate about each and every single day! Thank you!
Can you believe it? Hello Creative Family is 1!
Interested in joining our contributor team? We’d love to hear from you! We’re always looking for parenting, DIY, craft and food writers that inspire us! Fill out this form if you are interested!






























Maria says
congratulations for making one year!!!! I have been following on fb before the name change and really enjoy this blog
Crystal says
Thank you so much Maria! I’m so happy to hear that you have stuck around since the Sew Creative days! You are the best!
Best Wishes,
Crystal
Victoria Ess says
Congrats! I can’t believe that it’s only been one year since you made the big change! I guess that since I have been following you since you were Sew Creative, it seems like I’ve been enjoying your blog for an incredibly long time!
Crystal says
Victoria you are the sweetest! Thank you for being such a wonderful reader. Whenever I see your name pop up in the comments or on Facebook it makes my day!
Best Wishes,
Crystal