Stephanie comes from a long line of passionate and determined women. That heritage has provided the inspiration she’s needed to pursue her dreams. Passion and determination helped her to rise to the position of DHEC’s Art & Photography Director. After some time in these roles, Stephanie and a business partner started a design consultancy business on the side. Stephanie was determined to see it grow. Around the same time, Stephanie and her husband, Chris, were thrilled to learn that they were going to have a child. With the birth of her first son, Stephanie realized that she wanted to commit her passion to motherhood. She no longer wanted to hold two jobs and raise a child, so she resigned from the state to focus on family and personal business.
As you might imagine, being a creative person and a mom leads to fun art projects! If either of Stephanie’s boys want to do an art project, she readily has the materials. Even if they want to paint on a window ... that’s ok! A little Windex will take it right off when the afternoon of fun is finished. Through the years, Stephanie has been able to see the boys’ growth through their collection of hand and footprint art! They enjoy making painted holiday cards for family members, who proudly display them! Stephanie is also able to guide her children to pay attention to the details in life, particularly nature. Noticing the colors, textures, smells begin building their awareness of the world and their creative knowledge. Stephanie shares, “Seeing how my boys process the world is a joy and often hilarious as they piece together bits and pieces and how they relate things that may or may not really go together! I am continually grateful that God gave me two spirited and awesome boys!”
Stephanie and Chris love going on adventures with their boys. Sailing is a family favorite. They have taken several ASA courses and Stephanie has a goal of one day earning her Captain’s License. They take the boys on their keel boat and teach them the fundamentals of sailing and even let them take the helm and help trim the sails. Their oldest son is excited to finally be old enough for the full week of sailing summer camp! The sailing club has openly welcomed the Copple family and has encouraged their sailing passion and dream - one day living aboard a catamaran and sailing the world.
For Stephanie, the rewarding, and sometimes frustrating, part of being a mom is seeing glimpses of herself in her children. The boys are passionate about their main job, playing and having fun! She can readily see her own determination and passion in them, which sometimes manifests as obstinance when they don’t want to do something they’re told. Isn’t that always the case with children! One of their favorite games in the car is telling and making up jokes, which the boys lovingly refer to as “Dad Jokes!” And while Stephanie shares her passion for specific hobbies, she also adores seeing her children develop their own interests and try new activities and sports that they are excited about learning.
Stephanie’s design business - black&hue - has been a wonderful way to meet a variety of clients, who often become friends! She thoroughly enjoys her work, and enjoying what she does is critical to her being fulfilled and joyful. The ability to adjust her schedule so that she can be present and enjoy her family and being a mom in addition to pursuing my professional passions is an added bonus.
To learn more about Stephanie’s business, go to BlackandHue.com.
