Meet The Team - Sarah

Introducing the Notary Team

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Perhaps we should have started here, since none of the rest of us would have likely found ourselves together without Sarah first following this dream of hers. If you know Sarah, though, than you know she'd prefer to celebrate the ones around her rather than be in the spotlight herself. Regardless, here she is, the Mama, Wife, dearest friend and inspirational woman who created and sustains Notary Ceramics, Sarah Lorraine Van Raden, whose nickname was Sally or Sarah June as a kid. 

A Typical Morning -  My sweet husband wakes me up and brings us each a cup of coffee to bed, where we enjoy 15 minutes of time together before our kids wake up. Once my daughters are awake it's kind of chaos. They always want more time to cuddle in the morning and getting them to school on time is a STRUGGLE. After our youngest walks to school with Paul, I take our eldest daughter Lou to middle school. Her school is about 4 blocks from the shop so we often steal away 10 minutes for a coffee and pastry at our favorite little coffee shop Cinco Siete. After she heads in to school I make my way back to the shop to catch up on emails (outside at our picnic table, if its sunny) and then throw on an apron and start preparing to spend the majority of my day at the wheel. 

Something to look forward to - I am a mom to two lovely pre-teen daughters, a wife to my college sweetheart and dog mom to two spunky chihuahua mixes. I am a business owner and a potter and I am often wearing about 6 hats at once. The thing I am most looking forward to right now is a trip to Italy in October. My daughters have not travelled much yet, and they have never been to Europe. Lou turns 13 this summer and it feels like the right time to start helping them experience new parts of the world. 

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Evening routine - My nighttime routine is fairly simple; I wash my face, brush my teeth and either fall into bed around 8-8:30, or try to stay up to tuck the girls in around 9. Luckily Paul is left with a bit more energy at the end of the day and often tucks the girls in. I like to sleep as close to Paul as I can get, which is not always HIS preferred sleeping position, so half the night I end up spooning a pillow. I also love it when our little 7 month old Chiweenie crawls in with us at about 5 am and snuggles right up to me, under the covers. 

You, but as a vintage car - A 1970's dodge pickup truck with wooden rails

Something sentimental -  I have little bowl of shells and rocks that the girls have collected for me since they were old enough to walk. I also have a chalkboard that Paul and I were gifted from his first boss once we moved to Portland. It has been in every apartment and house with us and it holds a lot of sentimental value. 

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In the kitchen -   I'm making homemade pasta, fresh clams, cold zucchini salad, homemade ice cream and warm browned butter, chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Lately I've been getting more creative in the kitchen using my hands to bake and cook (when not making ceramics). I have found a new love of cooking thanks to NYT Cooking app. I get so inspired my their recipes from around the world and get excited to spend my Saturdays trying out a new dish. I have yet to own one of our new garlic graters, but it feels like a must have for summer cooking. 

What would you be doing if not Notary -  I would probably have started another small business, as this is what has motiviated me from a very young age. Either that, or I would like to be a lactation consultant to help and support new mom's with the often daunting task of learning to breastfeed their babies.