Hi everyone!

First, thank you tremendously for taking the time to visit us!

I Made Lemonade was an idea that came to me after a day trip to Austin with a friend. This day trip was huge for me because I had lost my job the week before.

To give some background, I graduated college at twenty-one from the University of North Texas where I had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain, run an organization, meet incredible people, and do everything else I thought would guarantee success after graduation. After graduation and working almost two years at just-above minimum wage jobs, I had finally found a position that I thought was my “big break.” Six months later, I was twenty-three, living at my parents’ house, single, and unemployed.

So, one Thursday, I put on my yellow t-shirt that reads “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” called up an old friend, and spent the day enjoying the sunshine in Austin, TX. I obviously felt defeated; but even at this early point in my life, I knew I had to make the most of it. Life is simply too short to let days pass by while you sit disheartened. We all go through difficult times. Some of us have learned to overcome; and some of us, myself included, are still learning.

I Made Lemonade is a brand built on the real life stories of people who choose to make the best out of every situation, make lemonade out of lemons.

Our guest writers are everyday people from diverse backgrounds invested in the I-made-lemonade message. Some of the stories are more light-hearted than others. Some will make you tear up with emotion, while others will make you cry from laughing.

We need more positivity in this life. We’re surrounded by so much beauty, but it is often so overshadowed by the hate and dark and sadness that we can’t see or feel it. The purpose of I Made Lemonade is to make that beauty stand out.

~Allysse Shank