Portland Girl Spotlight: Holly Sackett
(photos by Shelby Brakken Photography)
Hello Portland beauties!
This week on the blog we are SOOOO excited to be featuring our friend Holly Sackett. She's a mom, a baker, a business owner and a total crafter! She has been brightening our life here at The Portland Girl since BEFORE our shop opened!
Whether she and her son Ben are dropping off baked goods, encouraging me to take "breaks to play outside" or leaving beautiful painted rocks outside our door; they are always doing something special that makes me feel like a part of our little Woodlawn community.
There is something about Holly that reminds me to stop and smell the flowers and take time to enjoy the little things. We are so pleased to get the opportunity to tap into Holly and Ben's joyous spirit via this post and the accompanying photos from Shelby Bracken (our new photographer!)
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I was born and raised in Salida California. After college and a few years of teaching middle school in Illinois, I made my way out to Oregon. I met my husband in Seaside and eventually we made our way to NE Portland. I love making, traveling, exploring new places, eating all types of food, being a mom, and my dream job would probably be a tour guide. I did that once; I led a bus tour through Astoria for the Goonies 25th Anniversary. It was so awesome and crazy and I’d only half seen the movie once.
What kind of a "Portland Girl" are you?
I love living in the city and do everything I can to get out and experience and enjoy it. When it isn’t super cold or pouring, my son and I love to adventure around the city by bus and train, and when we aren’t doing that you might see us walking everywhere hitting up our favorite places and finding new ones. I am always looking out for free things to do, especially events that create an even greater appreciation for the area. My friend teases for being one of the youngest people that attends the free neighborhood walking tours put on by the transportation department in the summer, but I love that kind of stuff! I gotta be outdoors and moving and to me Portland is the perfect place for that.
What is your biggest outlet for your creative expression?
I consider myself a maker. I almost always have some sort of project in the works whether it is sewing, knitting, painting, baking or cutting and gluing. I definitely haven’t mastered any of them but I sure like to dabble. In 2011 I was heading to Switzerland for the summer to teach English and needed a way to make money for the trip. I began selling little cakes and it took off. After I returned I continued to get orders so I decided to start a cake shop out of my house. When we moved to Portland I opened my shop up again and it’s been a really fun way to meet people and share with them one of my loves. I recently went to Texas to bake for a wedding and getting to bake for three days in a row was such a gift to me. I get so much joy and satisfaction during the process. Of course it’s nice to finish things, but really it’s the doing that feeds my spirit.
What 1 food and 1 beverage could you not live without?
Coffee and good bread. I’ve tried many times to give both of them up and I’ve never succeeded. I guess that says something.
What is your favorite part of living in Portland, OR?
When I first moved to Portland 8 years ago, I realized that I’d never lived anywhere else that felt like it had been made just for me. I can look however I want, do whatever I want and be whoever I want to be and it’s totally cool, I feel no judgment or that I have to fit some sort of mold. I love that freedom. With that, what I love about living here is being able to explore and tap into those things that make me me, and know there are groups out there with other people who do and enjoy the things I do also. I love it!
What is your current self-care routine, and why is it important to you?
I’ve been a mom now for a little over three years and although it is my greatest joy in life, it has been so exhausting. Now that my son is more independent, I feel like I’m finally able to start taking care of myself and it feels fabulous! Whether I’m training for a race or practicing yoga, taking care of my physical self is a very high priority. And I’m so grateful to have Anna and The Portland Girl as my neighbors because they’ve taught me a lot about taking care of my skin, something I’ve never done well. Just about everything I now use is from The Portland Girl and taking care of my skin is like my gift to myself.I realized recently that the flight attendants know a big truth to life. When you fly with a child you are reminded that if the oxygen masks come down, you’re supposed to take care of yourself first, then help your child. I’m learning that I’ve got to take care of me first so I’m able to care for my family and be the mom/wife/friend I want to be.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Holly! If you want to learn more about her (or try out her delicious cake), then check out her online store The Little Brown Box Bakeshop.
