About Me 

     I have always had the problem of not knowing what I want to do with my life.  It's not that I'm not ambitious or have no interests - I have always had the opposite problem.  There are so many things to learn, so many things to do, and I have always wanted to experience them all.  I'm not trying to make it sound exciting - it's actually overwhelming and somewhat debilitating.  

     I attended Hampshire College, which allowed me to create my own major.  After abandoning my dream of becoming a geneticist out of hatred for long, boring labs, I struggled over the decision to become a midwife, a psychologist, or a writer.  I combined my interests of psychology, writing, feminism, social justice, and fashion into a concentration that I think only I understood.  

     I sat down and asked myself, "What I love to do more than anything else?"  The answer was creating, crafting, and sewing.  I decided that I would become a fashion designer so I could make a living out of doing what I love.  I would also help women by changing the negative aspects of fashion.  In my work, fashion would be a tool of expression available to all women instead of a tool of oppression that makes women feel badly about themselves and their bodies.  I moved to New York City, and attended Parsons School of Design.  Unable to financially support my own work, or myself for even 3 weeks without a job, I began to work in a special kind of nightmare known as mass market fashion in 2005. 

     On September 12, 2009, I married my college sweetheart, Simon, on a llama farm.  On December 5, 2010 my son, Onyx, was born.  It's corny and cliche to say, but becoming a mother was the most magical thing on Earth for me.  After returning to work from a 3 month maternity leave, I decided that I did not want to be away from my son more than I was with him.  Especially while working at a job I hate.  Although I loved New York City more than anything, I love my son even more than that.  My husband and I decided to move back to Massachusetts to give Onyx a better life.  And I quit fashion!  Well, at least working for someone else in fashion.

     While being a stay-at-home mom is rewarding, I want more for myself.  I completed doula training in August, 2011, and currently work as a birth doula, supporting women physically and emotionally during labor and birth.  I am currently working toward my certification with DONA.  You can find more information at www.apregnantpausedoula.com.  I also try to sew and craft as much as possible, as I have not yet given up on my dream of having my own fashion line or store at some point.  And I am also a freelance writer of sorts.  All of this is extremely difficult to fit into my extremely busy life with Onyx, a "spirited" toddler.  

     This blog is the story of me finally following my love of creating, crafting, and sewing on my own terms, and more importantly, following my true love - being a mother.  Let's see what happens!

   -Lauren Gottschalk-Scher