Hi, I’m Nikole. Welcome to My Growing Creative Life!  I’m a wife, mom, gardener, crafter, baker, and all around juggler of life like many of you out there.  I was born in Wisconsin, so I am a Packer fan and UW Badger for life (minus the cheese head), but I’ve called Brooklyn NY my home for the past 17 years.  I work full time as a software product manager, but created this blog as a way to express and share some of my other passions.

As far back as I can remember, my parents and grandparents have been growing things in the garden.  Today, I get to share the love for gardening and digging in the dirt with my daughters and husband in our backyard.  It’s amazing what you can grow with a little dirt, water, and sun, even in this big city!

I also love working with my hands and creating things.  Growing up, I had some pretty fun jobs like a floral designer, party centerpiece decorator, and blowing up thousands of balloons at a party store.  I learned to knit, weave, and screen print (as well as fine tune my sewing) while getting a degree in Textile and Apparel Design from Univ. of Wisconsin (Go Badgers!!).  Crafting, jewelry design, basket weaving…well, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a creative junkie!

Lastly, and equally as important as growing and creating, I am passionate about finding little ways to save.  As I’ve grown older and begun to juggle a family and full time job, I realized that in order to have some balance, I needed ways to save…save time, save money, and hopefully save some of my sanity.  There will never be a 25th hour in the day or an unlimited bank account.  And if I can find ways to save, why not share them because we all could use a bit more time, money, and sanity.

I hope this blog inspires you to grow a bit more (or find your green thumb), create something new, or find some more time/money/sanity!  Thank you for taking the time to follow me on my adventures!