One of our kids is having a rough time. Nothing catastrophic, thankfully. Just normal life stuff, which sometimes feels plenty catastrophic when you’re the one living through it. We were talking last night, and somewhere in the conversation she said, “I just wish I could come home.” It stopped me cold because I knew exactly…
What makes a house feel like home? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. After leaving the home where we raised our family, I’ve realized that what makes a house feel like home has very little to do with square footage, finishes, or furniture. Those things certainly add beauty and personality, and…
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a short video on TikTok that I almost didn’t share. There was no elaborate edit. No trending sound. No strategy. Just one final moment before we walked out of the home where we raised our family. The only real place our kids have called home and the longest…
There is a season of life that nobody talks about. It’s the phase after you’ve made the decision but before you’ve arrived. The phase where every day feels like you’re moving forward and falling apart at the same time. That’s where we are right now – moving in midlife. Three weeks from moving day. The…
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we use, own, or genuinely believe provide value. If you’re wondering what to do before building a custom home, you’re not alone. Most conversations about…
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only share products we genuinely like, use, or would choose for our own build. Preparing to move while building a custom home creates a specific kind of chaos…
After 18 Months of Dreaming, Designing, and Walking the Land, We Finally Begin Next week, we officially break ground on our intentional custom home build at Five Trails, and even writing those words feels surreal. For the past 18 months, this home has existed mostly as an idea we carried with us through conversations, sketches,…
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only share products we genuinely like, use, or would choose for our own build. There’s something both exciting and slightly unhinged about building a custom home in your…
There’s something oddly humbling about living in a house for nearly 20 years. You stop noticing the little annoyances at first. Then one day you’re tripping over charging cords, trying to wedge Costco snacks into a pantry built for exactly three cans of soup, and playing a real-life game of “door Tetris” in your bathroom….
A custom build perspective on what exterior lights to invest in now and what can wait When you’re building a custom home, the decision is rarely about avoiding builder-grade choices. It is about sequencing. What deserves your budget now, and what will benefit from patience? Exterior lighting sits squarely in that tension, and making the…