Episode 5: Meet the Creators (Who’s Sweet… and Who’s Sour?)

Now that you’ve met one of the men behind the scenes…

It’s time to meet the ones actually running the show.

Jen and Valerie.

Also known as… Two of the reasons anything actually gets done around here.

We’ve been friends since middle school.

Which means we’ve seen each other through:

Questionable boyfriend choices

Even more questionable fashion phases

And at least a few “what were we thinking?” moments (Don’t even ask, these are the stories we’d never tell)

Some things changed. (Thank goodness one of them was our 90’s hairstyles)

Some things didn’t. (Like Valerie’s love of old boy bands… that one’s permanent)

Crafting?

That stuck.

I (Jen) come from a long line of crafters — (I’m pretty sure I was born with it in my DNA. At least that’s what the delivery nurse told my mom when I came out screaming and holding a paintbrush.)

Valerie, on the other hand, didn’t have a chance. I pulled her into crafting back in High school…

And she never escaped. (She doesn’t complain, though. And after 20-plus years, she’s accepted her fate)

Fast forward to the last couple of years…

Life got busy. As it tends to do… (stupid adulting)

So we decided to do something about it. (Because, hey, there has to be more to life than stupid adult responsibilities)

We started getting together every Saturday to hang out and craft.

And just like that…

Sweet & Sour Saturdays was born.

Every Saturday looks a little something like this:

Crafting

Music playing (usually something nostalgic… thanks, Valerie)

Junk food (don’t judge us, it’s a very important part of the process)

A lot of laughing…

A lot.

Like, one moment we’re crafting, then joking with each other, then completely lose focus on what we were doing, continuing to laugh super hard until one of us is running to the bathroom with our knees crossed… (Because let’s face it, we don’t have the bodily controls we did in High school anymore)

Now here’s where things get interesting. (yes, it can possibly be even more interesting)

We are very much the same… and very much not.

Valerie is the nostalgic one.

She still loves her old boy bands.

Oldies music? Absolutely.

Weather reports?

Obsessed.

We’re pretty sure she knows more about the forecast than the people giving it!

If there was a tornado somewhere, Valerie has already watched the news coverage three times and has memorized EVERY detail.

She also has an incredible eye for design.

I mean, seriously. Incredible.

When she first got her Cricut machine, she just… got it.

No measuring.

No overthinking.

It was second nature. (Like looking down, seeing a $20 bill, and instinctively snatching it up before someone else does)

(Which, to be honest, is a little annoying when the rest of us are over here measuring three times.)

Jen?

Jen is… not standing still.

Ever.

She’s dancing, joking, talking, doing five things at once… (We’re pretty sure she multitasks in her sleep)

We wouldn’t be surprised if she wakes up with three new ideas and a completed to-do list.)

If she's hosting a party, you'll find her making sure everyone’s having a good time, offering drinks, and collecting used dishes.

She loves bringing people together — especially with a good family party or game night. She'll find ANY excuse to bring the family together.

Someone lost a tooth?

Family Celebration!

Remembered to put pants on today?

Let's have family BBQ to celebrate!

Decorations? Homemade.

Details? Thought out.

Vibe? Just right.

Hosting?

Jen loves it.

Planning it? Jen's super happy place.

Valerie?

She’ll be one of the first people there to help set everything up.

Make it look amazing.

Add all the creative touches.

And the last to leave after helping to clean up.

All while happily not being in charge of the actual party hosting. (She’d rather attend the party, not run it.)

When it comes to crafting…

We balance each other out.

Valerie has that natural design instinct — the kind you can’t teach. (You either have it or you don't. Valerie definitely has it.)

Jen leans into the tech side — designing custom images, editing in Photoshop, and creating personalized pieces that customers request.

We create the kind of items people keep for years.

Like custom/personalized keychains, shirts, blankets, or name plaques that remind people and loved ones of a memory, a person, or a moment that mattered.

Somehow…

It works. (We’re just as surprised as you are)

Now for the question we get all the time:

Who’s Sweet… and who’s Sour?

The truth?

We’re both a little of each.

Some days we’re Sweet.

Some days we’re a little Sour. (Especially when our printer decides to be a jerk and not work properly)

Some days… it depends on how much caffeine or sugar we’ve had.

And honestly?

That’s what makes it fun!!

We spent months trying to come up with a name that felt like us.

We tossed around ideas like:

Yin & Yang

Opposites Attract

But nothing quite fit.

Until we realized…

We were already living it.

Every Saturday.

Sweet & Sour Saturdays.

And just like that…

It stuck.

Because the best things aren’t one or the other.

They’re a little bit of both.

Coming up next…

There’s another person you should know about.

Someone who has been right there through all of this —

supporting us, encouraging us…

and constantly making others laugh. (Jen mostly shakes her head and rolls her eyes)

Jen’s husband, Kirk.

Let’s just say…

He has a sense of humor that's both sweet (and mostly sour), which keeps things interesting.

And when he’s around?

You never quite know what’s going to come out of his mouth.

Next Episode: Meet Kirk.

At Sweet & Sour Saturdays, every creation is a blend of personality — Because life’s too short to gift boring.