These days, most of what I feel called to make for Armadillo Amore comes from spiritual and recovery traditions. Ones that have helped me to live a more authentic and simple life.

I would describe my faith as primarily animistic. I believe that the Divine flows through all living things and even in the energy of so-called nonliving things (manmade objects, rocks, water, etc).

Along the way, I often enjoy reading spiritual books from all faiths. Some of the authors that have influenced me the most are James Martin SJ (Catholic Jesuit), Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Hinduism), and Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhism).

A few years ago, I went through a very dark season and struggled with suicidal ideation. I do not share that for shock value, or because I am still inside that place, but because faith was part of how I found my way back to a steadier, happier sense of self and a life that felt worth living.

Another source of great help to me has been the 12 step community. Books and pamphlets from groups like AA, Al-Anon, ACA, CoDA, Clutters Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, and Underearners Anonymous. Hence my 12 step stickers.

When I first named the store Armadillo Amore ten years ago, I chose it because I wanted the store name to begin with the letter A. Later, when I began thinking about a logo, I felt self-conscious about those letters and the possible association with Alcoholics Anonymous. At the time, that association brought up embarrassment for me. Now, instead of shame, I feel a deep tenderness about it. I had no idea that AA’s Big Book would one day become a text that was deeply moving to me.

My work has become less about creating a perfectly polished product line and more about making small objects that have meaning and warmth for me personally. Products that reflect faith, tenderness, and the living Spirit. It is my hope that Armadillo Amore is becoming a place where all of these threads can belong.