Hey there… I’m Shawn-Marie and I’m so glad to meet you.
I am a twice married, once divorced country girl that still lives in the same hometown she was born and raised in. I wouldn’t trade my location in a farming community for anything in the world. I’m a child of the 70’s that was born to very young parents. Because of that I was blessed growing up with 2 sets of grandparents and my great-grandparents, all who played a large role in my upbringing teaching me everything from homemaking to carpentry. It is because of those matriarchs and the core values, morals and skills they shared with me, that I am the person I am today.
I was raised with old fashioned values and a strong love of the Lord. From a very early age my family could see that I was very creative and encouraged me to explore all artistic avenues. I could paint, draw and create. My imagination was full of possibilities and visions waiting to become a reality. I loved being in the kitchen and I loved being in the woodshop. I remember the warm dirt of the garden on my hands as we tended to it each day during our New England summers, and the rewarding feeling I got when we we’re eating something we grew and harvested. Every day of my life growing up was spent creating one way or another My childhood was perfect….
Fast forward to my adult life. I started an interior decorating company called Subtle Changes Interiors. I had no formal training in that. Just a good eye for design, style and placement. I enjoyed that very much as I was able to let my creativity flow through my design and DIY projects. My niche was all about a high end look on a low budget. And I was good at it. A divorce ended that business and I decided to try a different creative outlet. I went to cosmetology school and after 1,000 hours I had a full license. Once again, I was good at it and for a while I enjoyed it, until I didn’t. I found it boring, mundane and my clientele all in need of Prozac. Or maybe it was I who needed it… And honestly, enough was enough and a wonderful opportunity came for me to enter the world of investments. After all, my college degrees are in Business Management and Accounting, so it seemed like a good decision. So, for many years I was a part of the fast-paced world of finance. I felt like I was just going through the motions of life without really living it, and I needed to make a change. One final change.
I met my now husband Scott in the Autumn of 2018. it was honestly love at first site and I knew one day I would have his last name. He has given me a life I could’ve only dreamed of. We are an entrepreneurial couple with two successful businesses that we own and run as well as commercial space that we lease. We travel and enjoy life, and he encourages my creative side. He has also made it possible for me to no longer work outside the home. Now I am a stay-at-home Nana that has embarked on a new adventure for the next chapter of my life: My studio The Sophisticated Fox. And I’m so excited for this new adventure.
She’s in Her Element came out of my need to once again let my creativity flow. The floodgates needed to be released. I had so much I wanted to do. Sewing, baking, painting, building… I’ve always been told how cleaver and creative I am, and I should share things with others… so that’s what I did starting with my YouTube channel. There I am curating a handmade home for my husband and myself. One that I can be in love with as well as extremely proud of. My home is filled with vintage finds that are mixed cohesively with newer items, and you cannot tell where one ends and the other begins. There’s an art to that. Especially when you’re a maximalist, such as myself. My husband and I are HUGE antique collectors. He has a love of vintage signs, and I have a love of many other collectables including mirrors, baskets and antique pictures of children with their animals. I love repurposing furniture and giving it new life through large or small changes. I enjoy sharing what I know and can do with others so they can then try it for themselves. I’m working my way through my house one room at a time, making them over on a budget and the differences are unbelievable! My ultimate goal at the end of the day is to curate a handmade life for myself and my family. A realistic handmade life. I will have successes, and I will have failures, but you can’t win of you don’t play, and I’m not about to sit on the bench of life. I don’t want you too either. I want you to blossom and grow and if I can play a small part in that, then my soul is happy.
And I am about to embark a new business adventure in the coming new year that I am extremely excited for. I will be documenting that journey and sharing it with you all. No sugar coating. I’m going to keep it real and show the good, the bad and the ugly. And I’m really glad you’re along for the ride.
XOXO,
Shawn-Marie