I can't believe we are already celebrating our 1st anniversary of our traveling hat bar experience! Natalie and I met at the inaugural Horse Gals Sale in Mapleton in 2022, each running our own booth—mine for Redneck Fancy and hers for No Coincidences. We ended up with tables side-by-side where I enjoyed learning about her business of helping people heal with her Gypsy Vanners. We decided to grab a drink at the local brewery after the event. I literally had goosebumps throughout our entire visit learning of her story. I knew immediately that Natalie was someone I wanted as a friend. She is a truly remarkable woman and our faith, views on the world, and our humor all aligned. What started as a chance meeting quickly became a friendship and soon, a collaboration of two fun-loving country gals.
Fast forward to the 2nd Annual Horse Gals Sale in Davenport in November 2023, we decided to try something new together: a Hat Bar. We thought it would be a fun way to draw more people to the event and add something unique for attendees. The response was incredible! We had so much fun setting it up and seeing everyone’s excitement as they customized their hats with unique accents and designs. The energy was contagious, and we knew we were onto something special.
Encouraged by that first success, we decided to host our second hat bar event in Walcott. From there, things just took off. One hat bar led to the next, and before we knew it, we’d made an experience out of what started as an experiment.
Now, as we mark our one-year anniversary of our traveling hat bar experience, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey Natalie and I have shared. We’ve been able to combine our creativity, share our love for western style, and bring people together in ways neither of us could have imagined when we first met.
Thank you to everyone who’s joined us along the way! Here’s to more hat bars, more memories, and more creativity in the new year!
Sharing some of our favorite hats from the past year:
Natalie's all-time favorite hat she made:
Natalie's favorite hat made by me:
One of Natalie's favorite hats made by a hat bar participant:
My all-time favorite hat made by me:
My favorite hat made by Nattie:
One of my favorite hats made by a hat bar participant:
