Hey there! I’m Jess. Wife to Derek, mom of five monsters, generally exhausted and snarky. Welcome to my blog. I’m consistently inconsistent and easily distracted. You’ve been warned.

So, what’s the deal?

Let me be clear. I’m a weirdo. Okay? Everything else will make SO much more sense if we all accept the fact I’m bonkers. Moving on….

I’m a bit of an unconventional artist — I create moody home inspiration while dragging Derek through endless DIY projects. I tend a permanent skeleton garden in our front yard (don’t worry — no real bodies….yet). I’m also an empath — I feel deeply — and I write about it. I’m currently working through my first novel, work as a freelance writer, and have been known to pen poetry. When I have the time, I paint. Otherwise, you’ll find me running, hiking, biking, climbing…eating cheese…singing…playing the guitar and piano…making faces at random drivers while stopped at a red light…talking to my cats…and traipsing through the forest with my camera.

Make no mistake, my friends, I have no idea what I’m doing. I enjoy creating Pinterest-worthy interior content in the midst of chaos. Sharing the wild antics of our family, our home, and our lives is what I do and I’m happy you’re here for it! And, oh yeah, sometimes I drink wine. 

A few “fun” facts:

I was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I’ve since implanted in the rolling farmlands of Iowa and finally moved BACK to gorgeous & colorful Colorado. I love a good Midwest casserole but I’ll always be a mountain gal at heart!

Derek and I met in a college Spanish class. He didn’t like me much. I changed that.

I have a thing for odd pets. I kept a painted turtle and a tarantula in my dorm room in college.

We are a neurodivergent family. We are open about our struggles/successes with anxiety, depression, and Autism.

Derek and I were married in Disneyland. We are self-proclaimed “Disney Junkies” and prefer the original Disneyland to Disney World.

I’m a lover of body art. Derek sends me to the tattoo artist every year for Mother’s Day and I love him for it.

Our date nights usually involve live music. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen Paul McCartney, Blue October, ZZ Top, Finger Eleven, Theory of a Deadman, 21 Pilots, Yellowcard, The Eagles, Fitz and the Tantrums, Weezer, The Pixies, have tickets to Elton John’s Farewell Tour, and plan on going to many more. Music is my life blood!

Our kiddos and a few of our pets have Beatles-themed names. We are considering adopting a pair of cockatiels and you can bet one will be named Sgt. Pepper! We have three dogs (Lucy McGillicuddy, Ethel Mertz, and Eleanor Rigby), six rescue cats named after characters in Hocus Pocus (Salem, Sarah Sanderson, Ernie *Ice*, Winifred Sanderson, Max Dennison, and William *Billy* Butcherson), one ball python (Waffle), two parakeets, and two leopard geckos (Lightning & Thunder). Yep. It’s a zoo.

This blog is a combination of my love for vintage-inspired design, haphazard DIY’s (normally at the expense of Derek), handmade as well as vintage-found goods, moody photography & design, our homeschool life, our love for animals, my vision for a better world, and the daily antics of our goofy, mostly lovable family of seven. Cheers to you for being here and I hope you enjoy jumping right into our chaos!