09/13/2026
Look who made the page!!
Meet me. 👋
So I guess it’s my turn to tell you a little about me…
I’m Julie, aka JuJu, aka Mom. I’ve been married to my husband the love of my life for 42 years, and we have two beautiful daughters who have given us six grandkids. At this stage of life, those people are pretty much our whole world. Give me my family, a summer day at the lake or a sideline where we can cheer on one of our littles, and I’m a pretty happy girl.
I’m also Mom to the girl who owns this crazy place, and I’ve been along for The Porch Swing ride since the beginning.
Back in the early days, you could usually find me covered in paint, flipping furniture and helping wherever I was needed. I loved being part of the behind-the-scenes work that helped bring the shop to life, whether that meant transforming a piece of furniture, rearranging a room or jumping into whatever project needed an extra set of hands.
Eventually, I traded furniture flipping for my own little boutique, HennieBeans, right here inside the shop. Even then, I never really stopped helping with projects. If you’ve known me very long, you know I can still be talked into just about anything.
Most days.
For years, I spent more hours at The Porch Swing than I could ever count. It became so much more than a shop to me. It was a place where I could create, dream, work alongside my family and, yes, even fight on occasion. Alpha problems. But through all of it, The Porch Swing was woven into the fabric of our family and my life.
Then, right before Christmas last year, I had a stroke, and life changed in a blink of an eye (literally) in changed in ways I never expected. Suddenly, I had to slow down, be patient with myself and learn new ways to do some of the things I once did without thinking twice. Recovery hasn’t happened all at once, but little by little, I’m finding my way forward.
These days, I stay busy with more behind-the-scenes work and sneak in an occasional day or two helping at the shop. I’m not driving that far on my own just yet, but I’m working my way back. Every small step feels meaningful, and I’m grateful for the progress I’m making.
Life looks a little different now, but I’m still me—still creating, still dreaming up the next idea and still finding ways to stir things up behind the scenes. I may move a little slower, process things a little more slowly and be a bit less coordinated some days, but I’m getting there. I’m learning to celebrate the small victories, trust the process and appreciate how far I’ve come.
And if you happen to see me at the shop fumbling around a little, it probably just means my brain and body is tired… not drunk. LOL.
I hope and pray I’m right here when we celebrate 20 years of The Porch Swing, because oh, what a celebration that will be! I can already imagine the stories, the laughter and all the people who have helped make this place so special.
Most of all, thank you for loving and supporting this little shop and our family through all these years. I’ve watched The Porch Swing grow from those early furniture-flipping days into what it is today, and I’m pretty darn proud to have been a small part of the ride. I’m even more grateful that, after everything, I still get to be part of what comes next.
