Hi! I’m Carey.

I’m a Kentucky mom in my mid-40s (though people tell me I don’t look it — I credit good genes and lots of water). I live with my husband Tom, our two kids Emma (6) and Thomas Jr. (10), and a very opinionated dog in my grandmother’s farmhouse just outside Bardstown.

I work part-time at a local daycare, which means I spend my days surrounded by tiny humans and come home to slightly larger tiny humans. I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom like my own mother, and while life didn’t quite work out that way, I like to think I’ve found a balance.

What I Write About

This blog is about simple living — not in the Instagram-perfect, farmhouse-chic way, but in the messy, real, sometimes-the-apple-butter-burns way. I write about:

  • Gardening — especially the failures, because that’s where the learning happens
  • Family — the chaos, the joy, the sticky fingerprints on everything
  • Food — baking, preserving, feeding people I love
  • Home — making a life in my grandmother’s house, carrying on traditions, starting new ones
  • The little things — because that’s where I find the meaning

A Bit More

I grew up here in Kentucky with three siblings (Frank, Jenny, and Renee) in a tight-knit community. My dad worked at the factory; my mom kept us all alive and mostly out of trouble. I went to a small Christian school and got my associate’s degree in childhood education, which I actually use, which feels rare these days.

I met Tom at church about twenty-five years ago. He works in agricultural sales, which means he understands why I get excited about soil amendments. He’s patient and steady and still makes me laugh after twenty years of marriage.

I like: roses, handwritten letters, rainy mornings, the smell of bread baking, and being outside.

I don’t like: talking about politics online, being rushed, and whatever that mystery smell is in Thomas Jr.’s room.

Get in Touch

I don’t do social media much (I know, I know), but if you want to reach me, you can email me at [email protected]. I try to respond, though sometimes life gets in the way.

Thanks for being here. 🌿