Hi, I’m Ashley — a Midwest girl who found her roots in the South.

My husband Reza and I relocated to just outside of Atlanta in 2017, and nearly ten years later, this is home. Our family looks a little different than most, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ve always been a reader. The avid kind, were I could disappear into books and came back changed by them. And somewhere along the way, three heroines in particular became less like characters and more like compasses.

Anne Shirley — the red-haired, fiercely imaginative girl from Green Gables — taught me that wonder is not childish. That a person can be ambitious and dreamy and deeply rooted all at once. That tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet. I named this space after her world because she taught me
that a home — and a life — can be something you build with your own hands and your whole heart.

Jane Eyre showed me what resilience actually looks like. Not loud or dramatic, but quiet and steady — the kind that keeps going not because the path is easy, but because stopping was never really an option. Jane and I are both passionate, feel deeply and she is proof that you can move through fire and come out still entirely yourself.

And Elizabeth Bennet (my favorite FMC in all literary texts) — sharp, curious, endlessly unwilling to stop questioning — reminded me that a woman’s mind is one of her greatest gifts. She walked into
every room still learning, still growing, still asking better questions. I want to do the same here.

Anne’s wonder. Jane’s resilience. Elizabeth’s hunger to know. That’s the spirit behind everything you’ll find on this blog — and the kind of woman I’m always working to become.

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A MIDWEST GIRL IN A SOUTHERN HOME

When the world shut down in 2020, our son was about to turn three and our daughter had just arrived that December. While Reza worked fully remote, I made the bold — some might say crazy — decision to go back to school while working full time. Today, I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Management along with several micro-credentials, and I work full-time as an HR Coordinator for a local nonprofit — all while raising two wonderful kids and keeping life moving alongside my amazing husband.

When we’re not juggling work and the kids’ activities, you’ll find us renovating our home, baking bread from scratch, brewing kombucha, and growing Reza’s real estate career. Life is full. Beautifully, exhaustingly full.

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THE ALL-OR-NOTHING TRAP

I spent my early years of motherhood as a stay-at-home mom and considered myself pretty crunchy. But as life got busier, I realized that the all-or- nothing approach so many influencers preach simply isn’t sustainable for real families with real schedules.

My goal has never been to go overboard. It’s to keep things real, simple, and consistent — because that’s what actually sticks.

Anne Shirley didn’t have a perfect life at Green Gables. She had a full one, and I think there’s a difference worth paying attention to.

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SOMETHING I WANT TO BE HONEST ABOUT

I’ll also be honest with you about something that shapes the way I move through the world: I have ADHD.

I was diagnosed as a young girl and went through therapy to learn how to navigate it — and I’m still learning. What I’ve come to realize as an adult is that my ADHD isn’t something to work around. It’s a strength I’m learning to lean into.

The creativity, the passion, the ability to hyperfocus on things I love — that’s all part of it too. Elizabeth Bennet never apologized for the way her mind worked. I’m trying to take the same approach.

You’ll probably see my ADHD woven into everything I share here — in the way I approach routines, in the systems I build, in the honest moments when something didn’t go according to plan. I think that’s a good thing.

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WHAT YOU’LL FIND HERE

Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve learned that consistency is key, change is inevitable, and growth doesn’t happen overnight.

This blog is for anyone trying to find a balance between natural living and a full life. Whether you’re a working mama trying to keep a sourdough starter alive, a woman going back to school wondering how anyone does it all, or someone just trying to make their home feel a little more intentional without losing
their mind — you’re in the right place.

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

The Kitchen — Sourdough, kombucha, loose leaf teas, heritage recipes, and honest baking that fits into a real schedule. Nothing that requires you to be home all day.

The Garden — Natural living, gardening trials and errors, and the slow pleasures of a home that feels intentional even on the hard days.

The Home — We always have a project or two going on. Come join us in our journey as we complete home renovations, learn how to keep with the house we have, and save a little money in the processes. It is so empowering once you know you can do something handy and not have to call a repair man!

The Life — We are all on this journey, why not speak about the things we learn, things we try and what God has to say about it.

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COME JOURNEY WITH ME

I am not a finished product. None of us are. But like Jane Eyre walking forward
through uncertain terrain, and like Anne Shirley greeting every new day as a
fresh start — I’m showing up anyway, sharing as I go, and trusting that the
honest version is always better than the polished one.

Come journey with me as we explore traditional practices, intentional choices,
and what it really looks like to live naturally — without going too crazy.

I’m so glad you’re here.

— Ashley

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