Jen Causey Kidder, the founder and creative force behind the influential DIY wedding and craft website Something Turquoise, has officially announced the sale of her digital property to the media conglomerate IJWT Media. The transition marks the end of a 12-year tenure for Kidder, who grew the platform from a personal creative outlet into a significant voice within the niche lifestyle and bridal industry. The acquisition by IJWT Media is intended to preserve the brand’s existing editorial voice while expanding its content reach into broader categories including home decor and childcare. Kidder’s decision to divest from the company stems from a strategic shift in her personal life, as she intends to dedicate her full attention to the homeschooling and upbringing of her four children.
The Evolution of Something Turquoise: A Decade of Digital Growth
The trajectory of Something Turquoise serves as a quintessential example of the "creator economy" success story that defined the early 2010s. Jen Causey Kidder founded the website approximately 12 years ago, at a time when the digital landscape was shifting toward highly visual, instructional content—a movement largely spurred by the rise of platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. At the age of 22, while working as a professional hairdresser, Kidder identified a market gap for high-quality, accessible DIY wedding projects.
Her transition from a service-industry professional to a full-time digital entrepreneur was not instantaneous. Kidder has noted that it took approximately eight years of consistent content production and audience building before the website became a viable full-time career. This period of growth required a rigorous commitment to "monetizing creativity," a goal she set early on to ensure professional flexibility for her future family life. By the time of the sale, Something Turquoise had established itself as a go-to resource for brides seeking to personalize their ceremonies through artisanal projects, effectively bridging the gap between professional event planning and amateur crafting.
Strategic Realignment and the Decision to Sell
The sale of Something Turquoise comes at a time of significant personal and professional reflection for Kidder. Over the past five years, the founder has managed a complex household that includes three biological children, a stepdaughter, and an extensive collection of domestic animals, ranging from dogs and cats to an assortment of aquatic life. The logistical demands of maintaining a high-traffic digital publication—which requires constant content updates, social media engagement, and technical maintenance—began to conflict with her primary goal of maternal presence.
In late 2023, Kidder and her husband reached a consensus to transition their children to a homeschooling model. This educational philosophy, according to Kidder, will emphasize a unique and creative curriculum that blends traditional home studies with specialized classes, travel-based experiential learning, and hands-on crafting. Recognizing that the dual responsibilities of homeschooling and executive management of a media brand were mutually exclusive, Kidder began exploring the possibility of an exit strategy.
The decision to sell was rooted in a realization regarding the "diminishing returns" of time spent away from her children during their formative years. "There is literally nothing I can do that is more valuable than devoting this time of my life to my children’s education," Kidder stated during the announcement. This sentiment reflects a broader trend among "mompreneurs" who are increasingly choosing to exit high-pressure digital ventures in favor of family-centric lifestyles, particularly following the global shift in educational perspectives over the last several years.
Acquisition Details: IJWT Media Steps In
The transition of ownership to IJWT Media represents a strategic acquisition for the media group, which seeks to capitalize on the established trust and high engagement levels of the Something Turquoise audience. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the operational handover has been designed to ensure continuity for the site’s readership and professional partners.
IJWT Media has confirmed that it will retain the existing Something Turquoise editorial team, providing a layer of stability during the leadership change. Furthermore, the media group has already begun the process of onboarding new contributors to diversify the site’s output. Under new management, the platform is expected to increase its publication frequency and broaden its scope. While weddings will remain a core pillar of the brand, IJWT Media plans to introduce more robust sections dedicated to home improvement and baby-centric projects, effectively following the natural life progression of the site’s original millennial audience.
This acquisition model—where a large media entity purchases a founder-led niche site—is becoming increasingly common in the digital publishing industry. Larger groups can provide the SEO expertise, technical infrastructure, and advertising sales teams necessary to scale a brand in a way that is often impossible for an individual founder managing the business from a home office.
Contextualizing the Sale within Digital Media Trends
The sale of Something Turquoise is emblematic of a larger consolidation trend within the lifestyle media sector. Over the last decade, independent blogs that once thrived on organic search and social shares have faced increasing pressure from algorithm changes and the rising costs of digital customer acquisition.
- The Professionalization of the Hobbyist Blog: What started as a "dream" for a 22-year-old hairdresser evolved into a valuable intellectual property asset. The fact that a media group was interested in purchasing the site underscores the intrinsic value of "evergreen" instructional content.
- The M&A Landscape for Niche Sites: Small to mid-sized media acquisitions allow larger companies to acquire "built-in" communities. Rather than building a wedding or home DIY brand from scratch, IJWT Media has purchased 12 years of SEO authority and a loyal subscriber base.
- The "Exit" as Success: In the early days of blogging, many founders viewed their sites as lifelong projects. Today, the "exit" is increasingly viewed as the ultimate mark of success, allowing creators to liquidate their digital assets to fund the next chapter of their lives.
The Growing homeschooling Movement as a Factor
Kidder’s pivot to homeschooling is not an isolated personal choice but reflects a significant demographic shift in the United States. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various independent surveys, homeschooling rates saw a dramatic increase between 2020 and 2023. While the initial surge was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many families, like the Kidders, have opted to continue the practice to provide a more "bespoke" or creative education than what is typically offered in traditional institutional settings.
The desire for a "creative education" involving travel and specialized classes aligns with the values Kidder promoted through Something Turquoise. By applying her entrepreneurial spirit to her children’s schooling, Kidder is essentially pivoting from educating a digital audience to educating her immediate family, a move that highlights the changing priorities of the "creative class."
Future Implications for Something Turquoise and its Community
For the followers of Something Turquoise, the departure of "Jen" marks a sentimental milestone. Kidder has been the face of the brand for over a decade, often sharing personal anecdotes alongside her crafting tutorials. To facilitate a smooth transition, Kidder has announced that her final official blog post will be published on the following Monday, after which the new IJWT Media-led team will take full control of the content calendar.
The implications for the brand’s future are largely positive from a business perspective. With fresh capital and a larger team, the site is likely to see:
- Increased Multimedia Integration: Potential for more high-quality video tutorials and short-form content for platforms like TikTok and Reels.
- Diversified Revenue Streams: Potential expansion into e-commerce, branded crafting kits, or premium subscription content.
- Broader Demographic Appeal: By expanding into "home" and "baby" categories, the site can retain readers who have moved past their wedding planning years but still value the "Turquoise" aesthetic.
Conclusion and Legacy
As Jen Causey Kidder steps away from the platform she spent 12 years building, her legacy remains a significant part of the DIY wedding movement. She successfully turned a "what if" statement—made while working as a hairdresser—into a profitable reality that eventually allowed her the financial and professional freedom to choose her family over her career.
The transition to IJWT Media ensures that the thousands of tutorials and resources created under Kidder’s tenure will remain available to future generations of makers. While the founder herself will be busy navigating the complexities of homeschooling and managing a large household, the "Something Turquoise" brand is poised to enter a new era of corporate-backed growth. This sale serves as a definitive case study in the lifecycle of a digital brand: from a passion project to a profitable business, and finally, to a legacy asset that allows its creator to pursue a new definition of success.
