Well. This is it. I have officially started a blog. I can put a huge check mark in that box on my bucket list. But this isn't about checking the proverbial box. This is about something more.
My husband is the dreamer. No seriously. He tells people they can do anything and he believes it. He once told me he daydreams about being the President and he truly believes that if he wanted to do it, he probably could. He is the glass-half-full dude. The guy everyone loves. He told me to start a blog 4 years ago. He told me it would be amazing and everyone would love it. I thought that he was hilarious. And crazy.
One night I came home from the hospital, smelling like alcohol swabs and vomit, and he had designed a beautiful logo. I was out of excuses. It was time.
The true purpose of this blog is to show anyone that they can do anything within the scope of their home, garden, and lifestyle. I am living proof of this.
I got married at age 21. My husband was a student in Bible college and I worked the night shift as a nurse. So, money wasn't exactly flowing abundantly. I could NOT cook. My mom was an amazing cook. Growing up, my job was usually dish-washer or set-the-table-er. I had always helped my parents with the flowers and landscaping, but I had never done it by myself. I didn't own a sewing machine, or a drill, or a table saw.
Then there was Drew. He was 20 years old and looked like he was 13. Great genes. He had never built anything in his life. He loved to cook, but nothing too gourmet. His mom was a phenomenal Italian cook, but he was always sous chef. DIY wasn't anywhere in his DNA. His last wood-working project had been the Bible school Pinewood Derby. You know, the little wooden cars you sand and paint and race in Bible School? Yup.
And so we got married and had REALLY BIG DREAMS. We wanted a beautiful home to invest in. We wanted every room to be comfortable, gorgeous and full of memories. It didn't have to be huge, but we wanted people to feel so overwhelmed with love and comfort and food that they stayed awhile. We wanted to cook. We wanted food to be fuel for our bodies. Food that fought disease. We wanted to be creative. We wanted to enjoy home-cooked meals more then anything we ever found in a restaurant. We wanted gardens and landscaping. We wanted flowers we could cut and place in the house. We wanted our yard to be our own oasis. We wanted to enjoy our home and garden more then any hotel or vacation. We wanted to someday grow our own food and herbs.
Well that was 8 years ago. And 4 homes ago. And a thousand renovations, flower beds, and meals ago. So I invite you to follow along as I share our journey. Past, present and future. It will be lots of DIY, lots of ideas, and lots of inspiration. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram or just check in with this blog daily! You can take whatever you have, and make it beautiful. The Birchwood Blog is here to help you accomplish just that. So here we go now...
Love y'all!
Ashley