I participated in my first craft show when I was thirteen years old. it was a fundraiser for my girl scout troop. The following year, the troop wasn't interested, but the seed was planted in my head that a craft show was something I could do (and make some money in the process). So I started high school and Nifty Kidstuff in the same year, avoiding the stereotypical first job and becoming self employed at 14. The decision to make toys for kids was based on the fact that there weren't any other vendors at the craft show making them. For the next four years I continued to do craft shows and I set up a website for myself so I could sell online. In 2008, I started college at the Savannah College of Art and Design and decided to major in Fibers with a concentration in Studio Production, essentially going to school for what I had already started doing for the past four years. In the same year, I joined Etsy and really established an online presence (and started blogging too). The next big change for Nifty came after studying abroad in France and discovering the beauty and benefits of working with all-natural fibers. Upon my return to the states, I began transitioning to all natural (trading my polyfil for kapok and my polyester thread for cotton). In the next year, my senior portfolio in college was an extension of my business and it was exciting to see my nifty work and my school work become one. After graduation, I knew that I wanted to continue with Nifty and felt that Vermont would be the place to do that. In addition to working for myself, I have branched out and done teaching, as well, to balance out working by myself with some more social interaction. I have lots of big dreams for Nifty and ways that I can diversify and grow. Meanwhile, I will continually do what has always been my passion--loving others by hand-making things for them.