{the mom next door}
Meet Suzanne Hopkins

By Amy Crelly

Suzanne and her husband, John, moved from the Bay Area to Sacramento about five years ago–before their daughter, Bella, entered kindergarten. “Land Park instantly felt like home,” declares Suzanne. The couple quickly put down roots, and about two years ago Suzanne launched her buzz-worthy blog, S.HOPtalk. “I was instantly hooked,” she says.

An Etsy-lover’s dream, visiting S.HOPtalk is like discovering a chic little boutique overflowing with indie art and hand-crafted treasures, vintage finds, and fashion must-haves. (“I love posting the thrill of the hunt on S.HOPtalk,” says Suzanne.) Her blog also features breathtaking photography, cool travel destinations, and lots and lots of lovely writing.

“I had no expectations when I started… I never imagined that I would ‘meet’ and connect with so many amazingly creative and talented people in the process.” But connect she has, gaining a loyal following and discovering new creative interests and passions of her own in the process.


One of my favorite parts of being a mom is…
I treasure the little day-to-day moments the most… like my daughter grabbing my hand to hold or her giggle and devilish smile as she asks for "one more hug" at bedtime.

The hardest part is…
My daughter's a much smarter negotiator than I am.

The best parenting advice I ever got was…
“Children spell love… T - I - M - E.” I have this posted on my inspiration board. It reminds me how important it is to set aside one-on-one, quality time with my daughter each day. Some days it may just be a few minutes, but it means a lot to both of us.

When I need to relieve stress, I head straight for…
The outdoors, with my camera in hand.

Top of my wish list…
A high-quality digital camera. My "good" camera is old school... as in film. I love it, but the expense of processing film prevents me from experimenting as much as I'd like.

My proudest parenting moment (so far) was…
Bella gives me plenty of reasons to be proud, but I especially love watching how kind and caring she is with younger children. She's a natural at engaging and comforting them.

A day with plenty of “me-time” would involve…
Boutique and thrift shopping.

Hardly anybody knows I…
Have a blog. I've shared S.HOPtalk with my mom and a couple of other family members, but have been somewhat reluctant (shy?) to share it with family and friends. I suppose one of the reasons I love blogging is that it gives me the freedom to express myself in ways that I might not feel comfortable doing "in real life," as bloggers like to say.

My favorite local hang-outs…
We love our Land Park neighborhood and the community... Now that it’s so close, we’ve also rediscovered Tahoe. It's our new favorite spot for a quick getaway. And I love the beach. Owning a tiny cottage by the lake or ocean is at the top of my "someday" list.

My philosophy is…
Keep calm and carry on.