Get to know Kelsi Fullmer
Meet Kelsi! The joy and heart behind the Smiley Disc Necklace. She is pure sunshine – her laugh is infectious and we feel so lucky to have spent time creating this special piece with her.
We know and adore you, but for those who are meeting you for the first time, could you give us a quick introduction of who you are?
"Hey, I’m Kelsi! As a mom I was looking for something, some sort of hobby, that would help me get back to my roots. (Sometimes as moms we lose ourselves a little bit, because our kids are everything!) I’ve always loved to make videos and I’ve found a way to do that through @fullmhouse and share with others, and bring happiness, laughter, and fun to a lot of people. And it’s brought all of those things back to me! I’m laughing more, I’m a happier mom, and I’m able to use my creative juices a little more to feel like myself."
Our collaboration piece with you is all about finding joy and the connection that comes from shared laughter. What’s one thing you do just for yourself that makes you happy?
"I make my husband dance with me! Nothing makes me happier. It’s something he doesn’t love, but he knows it makes me happy so he is willing to do it every once in a while. It’s something I always did as a little girl (my mom was my dance coach and I love to dance with her as well!) and it’s one of those things that we stop doing as adults; so to keep that spontaneous dancing going is something that brings me so much joy."
How do you handle those inevitable negative comments or the pull to constantly compare that comes with social media?
"We’ve been really lucky to have kind people in our corner, but we do have occasional negative comments. I try to remember that someone who writes things like that just isn’t happy. Something is going on in their life that is making them feel hurt or angry. When I see them as someone who is struggling or working through something difficult, it helps me to not feel negatively towards them and I can pass it by."
What advice do you have for women who might be struggling to find joy in the everyday moments?
"Something I find that helps me is making a joke out of the things that are bothering me, and laugh about it instead of feeling frustrated. Caleb and I try to do this in our marriage a lot. We all have quirks that might drive our partner a little crazy! We made a video where he pretended to be me and I pretended to be him, and seeing him do the things that I do was so funny to watch! But if he were to just come out and say “You do this a lot and it annoys me,” then I probably would have been offended. We like to make light of those little things because they just aren’t worth getting upset about or ruining your day over.
My advice is to find something that you love to do! If you aren’t sure, look back at the things you loved to do when you were 10 years old. I think the core of who we are is so visible at that age, and that’s kind of what I did! I loved making silly videos or filming my friends so we could laugh together when I was young, and I still love doing it as an adult."
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned as you’ve created @fullmhouse?
"As human beings, we are more alike than we are different. The world is trying to pull us apart in a million different ways, and something I’ve loved sharing on our account is that laughter brings people together. We all have so many things in common, so I love sharing relatable things because it brings us back together. Laughter and happiness can connect people from all over the world and really make it a better place."
What’s your favorite MBM piece and what does it mean to you?
"Besides the Smiley Disc Necklace, my favorite is the first piece that Caleb ever gave me as a gift. I had known about Made By Mary for a while and was so excited to receive a piece! It’s the Hammered Half Moon Necklace, and it has C+K stamped on it. Every piece I have is so special and meaningful to me, but that’s the one I cherish the most and will never forget."
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
"Just be yourself! We spend so much time as kids stressed about what other people think. I already see signs of it in my 5 year old daughter, and I hate that it starts so young. If you can be your true self, the people who you really want to have around you will gravitate towards you and nothing is better than being confident and happy in who you are."
When you gift the Smiley Disc Necklace to your own friends and family, what’s the message you hope they will get from it?
"I’ve thought a lot about the people I want to gift this to, and it’s the people who make me happy. I want them to know what a difference they’ve made in my life and the happiness and joy they’ve brought to me. I want them to know how grateful I am to them for that gift!"
