Simply put, Emily Steffen makes you smile.
From her sunny personality, to the art, crafts and projects she creates, to her color-filled home in Hudson, Emily’s mission is to spread joy.
Emily runs oh yay studio and handles social media for Janome sewing machines. Her husband Aaron is the pastor of Hillcity Church, which the couple started in their living room eight years ago. Rounding out the family are seven-year-old Zeke, four-year-old Esther and dogs Norman, Gweneth and Milton.
Emily shares more about her home, her family and her path to choosing and sharing positivity.
What brought you to Hudson?
We came back to our “home” because we LOVE the river town community that Hudson is — the shops, restaurants, events, gatherings and support for local things. We also love living outside of town on some acreage that allows us to have a tree house, a garden and LOADS of running space for our kiddos.
You are such a source of positivity and joy! Have you always been this way?
I feel like it is a partly how God made me AND partly how I choose to see life. Terrible things, tragedies, bad things and just plain awful things can happen. I know that, I’ve lived it (in part). I lost both of my parents in my early twenties. And as an only child I had to navigate grief and loss and losing my family, childhood home and (what seemed like my entire) childhood all by age twenty-five. I was surrounded with incredible friends, a loving husband an AMAZING therapist and an abundance of LOVE and grace as I got through that time. There was a period of my life that I DID let this loss define me; I couldn’t see past the tragedy of losing my family in two short years.
But I chose to see the wins. To choose to find the little moments in each day, each hour and each week that made me smile. Little things like warm sunshine or my favorite hot coffee drink, or a great Hallmark movie on TV or a finished knitting project or a good hug from my husband. If we get caught up in the bad things (which ARE all around us), then that is all we will see. We have to CHOOSE to look for and search out those moments of joy. ESPECIALLY when all we FEEL are moments of tragedy.
Please tell us about oh yay studio!
I was a wedding photographer for ten-plus years and have ALWAYS made stuff on the side to sell — to brides and our neighbors and friends. When I decided that wedding photography was coming to an end for me, I saw that I could keep my entrepreneurial spirit alive by amping up my making to be sold. It seems like a natural progression for me — something that I LOVE and am passionate about AND something that can provide for our family.
SOOO!, oh yay studio was born to bring little moments of joy in people’s day. Whether it through everyday celebration, a brightly colored wall, happy lettering, a sewing tutorial or any other handmade item, I believe that oh yay studio is my way to show people that joy is worth seeking out.
Why is creating important to you?
I was MADE to create! To the core of my being. I love making things. ALL THINGS! Like baking and knitting and sewing and painting and printmaking and with yarn and fabric and metals and paper and cardboard and just about anything I can get my hands on! I grew up with a mom who had a larger-than-life sewing room that I LOVED to be in. She taught me to sew at a young age, and from there I learned that it was my way of expressing myself to the world. Making my ideas into a tangible, handmade item helps me not only understand myself, but also the world around me.
What inspires you?
Color, a good pattern, amazing typography, someone in their sweet spot of life just killing it, good music, a perfect spring day, our garden growing, a fun night with the kids! That’s just the beginning of my list …
Why is it important to encourage your kids to be creative?
I think that kids are born to be creative. Some kids thrive in creating in the kitchen, some are creative with words or numbers, some with imaginative play and some others are more “traditional” with crafting. NO matter what your kid is creative at, I think it’s SO important to encourage that creativity and let them find a way to express themselves in a way they are proud of. Creativity also teaches them that their ideas are valid and that it’s okay to be vulnerable to share those ideas.
Do you have any advice for helping other families be creative together?
Don’t overthink it. In a world of Pinterest, we think that craft projects or ideas have to be well thought-out or super colorful or Instagram-worthy. Kids don’t care about that kind of stuff. Being creative as a family is all about encouraging kids (and parents) to let go, try new things and have fun with your ideas. And when all else fails, some construction paper crowns or paper towel tube binoculars can bring HOURS of fun and imagination!
What values are most important to you and your family?
Our faith is VERY important to our family; we want our kids to follow Jesus by the way they love others and choose to live. Kindness, forgiveness, being humble … ANNNDDD to not take ourselves too seriously.
There’s never enough time to do everything, so what do you prioritize as a family? What do you always make time for?
We try to never plan anything after church on Sundays so that we have a “down day” or at-home day. We want to encourage our kids to take time to just sit and plan time without having anything going on. Granted, the way we do this may change as our kids get older with sports or commitments, BUT we always want to carve out time and intentionally say “no” to things to maintain some rest.
What’s a typical spring-in-Wisconsin weekend like for you guys?
We are outside A LOT in the spring; it’s my favorite season because the melting snow, green grass and sunshine create a magic in the air. We plant our garden every Memorial Day weekend, grill many dinners in the spring and do many picnics outside before all of the pesky mosquitos take over the yard.
What does home mean to you, and how do you like your home to look and feel?
I like our home to be welcoming! Warm and happy and full of color and life. Sometimes that means lots of messes because we are making stuff and creating and sometimes it means a clean, welcoming space. I feel like I just want people (including every member of our family) to feel like they belong in our home!
Why do you choose to live and raise kids in Wisconsin? What do you hope the experience means for your kids?
Wisconsin is our home! Both Aaron and I grew up here so we want to raise our kids here because we love being close to family and the things that we know well. We also LOVE the Midwest “mindset” of kindness and how down-to-earth people tend to be. And cheese curds — I mean, heck, who doesn’t love those?
What three words best describe your family?
Spiritual, quirky, fun.
What are you looking forward to doing this spring?
Opening our windows, hearing the birds sing in the morning and allllll the spring smells!
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and her family is always up for an adventure.