I made up the name "BoJams" in 1998, before I even decided to start selling my crafts.  It is made up of the first initials of my husband and kids and I always thought it would be a cool name for a business.  The above photo is of myself and my only daughter (whoops, I mean dog), Jasmine.

My parents are both extremely artistic and as a little girl, my sisters and I were always drawing and painting and being creative.   When I was in middle school, my art teacher, Mrs. Yinkey, allowed our special art class to paint two murals in the school and that is when my "problem" of painting everything that isn't moving started.  Mrs. Yinkey was pivotal in building my confidence in art.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 years old and continued to paint and craft recreationally at my unit in Okinawa.  Of course, "real life" had to come first and I began my working career after four years of service.  It wasn't until after I had my children that I started getting the bug again and began hand painting the house ornaments as thank you gifts for friends.  They really took off and my friends began asking me to make them as thank you's for their friends and a business was born.  I have since expanded to include hand painted murals, furniture and accessories. 

I consider myself to be fortunate because I have learned so much from classes I've taken, my family and other crafters with whom I've befriended over the years.  I love what I am doing and am thrilled with the reactions of people when they see their finished products.  I am learning and refining my craft every day and will talk ad nauseum to my husband about it, who has the patience of a saint and is very supportive of my career.

My family is most important to me, and I am privileged to be able to do what I love and also be able to stay home with my children and enjoy every day with them.  I feel truly blessed.