Nine years ago, I closed the doors to my little art gallery and gift shop. My son Elliot had just turned three and had recently been diagnosed with autism. It was clear to me that my place needed to be at home—with him. I didn’t know exactly what that would look like, but I knew I had to say goodbye to what was, in order to show up fully for what was ahead.
I never intended to make baby bonnets. At the time, I had just stopped working to be home with my children, and my youngest, Leia, was only six months old. I simply wanted a few sweet bonnets for her, but buying new fabric wasn’t an option—we had no room for extra expenses. So I opened up my own closet and started to upcycle clothes I no longer wore. I stitched them into little bonnets for Leia, just something small and special during a season that felt overwhelming and uncertain.
This was all supposed to be a blog—a space where I could write about navigating autism and motherhood, and share the raw, real parts of our life. But something unexpected happened. As I began posting about our autism journey online, people started noticing Leia’s bonnets. They started asking if they could buy them.
And just like that, a business was born.
I named it Sweet As April, after Elliot’s birth month and the overwhelming sweetness of becoming a first-time mom. What started as a way to create something meaningful in the margins of my day quickly became something so much more. While the goal was never to make bonnets full-time, I truly love what I do. Every stitch is woven with purpose—rooted in the desire to stay home with my children, support them through their diagnoses, and build a life that makes room for love, creativity, and resilience.
What started as a simple blog turned into a brand. What started as upcycling in a quiet moment became a full-blown business. And what started as just staying home became the beginning of something far bigger than I could have imagined.
Thank you for being a part of this journey.
