Jodie Rohner, Dazed But Not Confused

“You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be.” said someone somewhere on Pinterest.

In general my life lately can be summed up in two short sentences on repeat – 'I can’t breathe. I can breathe. I can’t breathe. I can breathe.' Life’s challenges have come and gone and come and gone again and the saga continues.  My goal – survive the journey. This is where I am meant to be!

I have always been my best self when it seems everything is in utter chaos and the most creative.  I am one of those really calm people in a crowd when something crazy happens. You know the one that just stands there looking perplexed.

I took an online personality quiz recently (bored) that Jen tagged me in on Facebook and my result was “The Helper”. I laughed at this because I often think I need help – the mental kind.  I have a favorite plate perfectly positioned on my kitchen counter by the sink that says, “Out of my mind, be back in a few minutes”. That is pretty much me.  A little left brain, a little right brain, and a whole lot OCD somewhere in the middle. A little daydreamer and a little pragmatic, makes for a whole lot of great ideas though.

The convoluted concoction that is me I own completely. The good, the bad, the ugly.  I’m a Libra, if you hadn’t figured that out yet. Oh, I talk too much and repeat myself often. The repeating myself is not because you weren’t listening the first time and really wanted to hear it again. It’s because I am trying to help my post-menopausal brain remember items that all too often disappear for hours but may randomly reappear if I walk into another room.

I was born in Connecticut, raised in Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, spent my teens on the Northshore in Louisiana, attended college in Oxford, Mississippi, raised my family back in Louisiana, and now, at 49 years old, I find myself in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Colorado.

I am a longtime lover and student of art, music, and culture. I come from a mother who is an amazing artist, a father who could cut a teatime table and chairs from logs with a chainsaw, a stepfather who is a phenomenal chef, a stepmother who can literally do anything she puts her mind too, and grandparents who were equally as talented.

I am an English Major who loves to write, and an Art Minor who loves to paint, make jewelry, and whatever else I can create with my hands. I am the girl you see picking up a chair that someone has thrown out from the side of the road because “I can do something fabulous with that”.  I am a huge fan of upcycling and repurposing and you will see that reflected in many of my pieces.

Jen and I met many years ago. It was friendship at first site! We sometimes share the same brain. We laugh at things that we find funny when no one else does, and have very enjoyable but strange conversations on a regular basis. Meander was a concept that we had discussed many, many times for a very long time and have finally found ourselves making it happen. Our life paths have unexpectedly taken us on very similar journeys and here we are – together – laughing.

I am a mother of two children, three stepchildren, two cats, two dogs, and wife to a very patient but supportive man – my soul mate and therapist. I like to call him my heavy metal, head banging, computer nerd. Opposites truly do attract and there is never a dull moment in our house.

I love to cook southern comfort food, grow things in the dirt, and wear funny hats like Ousier. My favorite places to be are on a trail hiking up the side of a mountain, on the water out-fishing my husband (He will not argue with you about this.), and on my deck soaking up the Colorado sunshine with a glass of wine and my two Fido’s - Maggie and Enzo.

Each of my handmade creations are a unique expression born from my heart and mind extended to you for your enjoyment! An eclectic mix of southern belle, hillbilly, and all things “Me” – a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll if you will. 

Have fun shopping all of our collections and creating your own unique expression!

Be you. Be proud. Journey on!

P.S.  A wise woman once said “The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.”

Note:  Jodie Rohner is the creative genius behind many of our offerings, including the entire Victoria Little Owl Collection which is named after her maternal West Virginia Cherokee family lineage.