Meet Our Contributors

Amanda grew up in East Texas with the last name of “Thibodeaux”. As a child, she found her last name was very odd and even more peculiar to pronounce! She and her husband are recent transplants to Youngsville where they are raising their two energetic boys. Amanda is a girly girl who loves all things feminine: the sparkle of new earrings; the glamour of a perfectly red lipstick. She has proclaimed to be many things: an old soul born in the wrong era, a land-locked mermaid, and a bull in a china shop. A book lover since she can remember, Amanda indulges herself in the smell of freshly printed pages and can’t stand the stench of an old book… she wonders “who else has touched that book and what images did they conjure up as they read the very same tale?” This thing is for certain however, Amanda is a mother who believes in the power of Faith, dreams, and imagination. One of Amanda’s most favorite quotes by Erin Hanson gives wings to her dreams: “What if I fall? Oh, but darling, what if you fly?”

Emily Beatmann is a Louisiana native born in Shreveport, Louisiana. She went to UL Lafayette and earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations in 2012. It was here that she fell in love with her husband, Jude, and the city of Lafayette. On the weekends, you will find Emily at a festival, the farmer’s market, enjoying a Mardi Gras parade, or eating at one of the many delicious restaurants in Acadiana. Emily and Jude have two children named Mia (6) and Patrick (2.) She is a Marketing Director by day and mom by night! Emily has a passion for reading, Harry Potter, theatre, coffee, wine, spreading financial literacy, her friends, and family.

Emily is a dual citizen, residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, yet a temporary visitor in her other residency of Germany. She is a wife of four years and full time working mother to two kids: a 2.5 year old girl (C) and 5 month old boy (H). Having graduated from LSU with her bachelors, she continued her education by getting her Masters in Business Administration from UL. Working in management in retail, her schedule frequently varies and consists of unusual hours, but she embraces that as extra time with her children. While off the clock, Emily pours herself a cup of decaf coffee, plays in a room filled with toddler toys, teaches her children German, and attempts to be a scrunchy Montessori inspired mama with goals of raising independent children.

Jessica is a marketing manager who loves bopping around Lafayette for the best burgers or bands in town. She is a full-time marketing strategist with a passion for storytelling. She and her husband Chris have two littles at home (Jane and Clark) where there is lots of giggling and always a cup of coffee brewing. Jessica is passionate about community-building and empowering working mothers. She is a board member for Downtown Lafayette Unlimited and the Lafayette Re-Entry Coalition, a graduate of Leadership Lafayette, and a survivor of being a mother of 2 under 2.

A kid at heart, Katie loves all things writing, Harry Potter and musicals. At any moment, she is down for either a cup of coffee or margarita. Her passions are building and improving her community of Lafayette, where she was born and raised, and teaching her one daughter to have a British accent. (Not so successful at that last part yet).  She spends her day as a credit union storyteller, believing that building strong personal finance habits can be the secret to a fulfilled life. She also contributes to the local finance and community-centric blog, the Meri-tea Community.

Libby was born and raised in Baton Rouge. She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she studied theatre and film performance in their dual campus program in both New York and Los Angeles. She then spent many years traveling the world as a character performer with Disney Cruise Lines, and later as a lounge musician along with her husband, Garrett, for Celebrity Cruises. After returning home to plant roots and have their son, Crosby, Libby and Garrett decided to make the move to Lafayette to be closer to family, and they couldn’t be happier with their decision. Libby now satisfies her wanderlust by exploring all that her new beloved hometown has to offer, and still loves to occasionally play music with her husband as Sugar and Honey, their acoustic pop duo.  

Marissa is a Las Vegas native who transplanted to Acadiana 6 years ago. Her blended family consists of Brandt (10), Jackson (2), her husband Justin and an ever expanding herd of animals. They live on the outskirts of Lafayette and love gardening and raising chickens. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Culinary Arts. She worked in several restaurants before realizing that her real passion was for teaching. She is now in elementary education and is hoping to gather enough interest to have an after school cooking club like she did at the last school she was at. She spends her time volunteering with Lafayette Education Foundation, writing for Lafayette Mom and is in the middle stages of writing her first children's book! Motherhood of full of ups and downs but hope is always consistent.

Sicily grew up in Acadiana and graduated from UL Lafayette in 2011 with a degree in fashion merchandising and design. She has spent the last decade moving around the world while her husband served in the military. She returned to Lafayette in 2022 to raise her four daughters in Cajun country. Her daughters Evie(9), Talulah(6), Gemma(4), and Sylvie(1) keep her house messy, her schedule busy, and her heart full. These days she’s traded her fancy clothes for a strong cup of coffee, comfy leggings, and a good book. Her hobbies include going to local music festivals and farmers markets, trying new restaurants, running, and starting a bookclub with her daughters. She is also currently writing her first children’s book. You can follow her on Instagram HERE.

Torilyn Williams is a Louisiana native, born and raised in New Orleans. She moved to Lafayette to attend UL Lafayette, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Applied Life Sciences.  Tori is blessed to be the wife of her ambitious and hardworking husband, Damian. The devoted mom of Tatum Marie (6) and Aubrey Malia (5) and bonus mom to Damian Jr. (20). Tori has been working in the banking industry for over fifteen years. She is a member of Junior League Lafayette. Tori has a heart for volunteerism, she loves to give back to the community and mentor the youth. Tori is a die-hard New Orleans Saints fan. She is also a self-proclaimed foodie that loves to chronicle her food adventures on Instagram (@Dashofwilliams). Outside of work you can find Tori spending time with family and friends, traveling, trying new recipes, and working out. Tori is always down for a good meal with family or a shopping trip!