hi, i'm Ali
Photographer, boy mom, dog mom, chocolate-lover, reader, and wife to a busy maker. I'm the voice you hear and read at Life Outside the Shop. From new project how-to's and DIY home updates to the ins-and-outs of building a family & multiple businesses, Life Outside the Shop shares what is really looks like to figure it out as you go.
April 1, 2024
Every “Saturday after the Saturday after Thanksgiving,” we dawn our winter coats, gloves, and hats, throw the dogs (and now, the baby) in the car, and drive to our favorite off-the-beaten-path Christmas Tree farms to make one of the toughest decisions of the year. I use “off the beaten path” lightly. It is still anyone’s […]
July 12, 2022
And she’s DONNEEE! Our dream office is finished, decorated, and ready for us to get to (actual) work. Enjoy <3
July 11, 2022
Journal Series #3 It’s easy to get stuck thinking I’ve seen all there is to see around the home we’ve created for ourselves here in St. Albans. It’s also easy to get stuck in a routine and forget how quickly we can throw our paddleboards on the back top of Sam’s truck, text our friends […]
July 7, 2022
7:00 am57° & sunny≈ S 2mph94% humidityJournal Series #2 I wish I had woken up in a campervan this morning. Specifically, Actually, I wish I woke up on TOP of a campervan this morning, unzipping the sides of a rooftop sleeper to the cool air and the sounds of life: Birds calling to each other […]
July 6, 2022
I decided to come back to writing here. But, I’m writing with no agenda, no expectation, and — most importantly — no pressure or promise. I’ll start by writing in a journal and then transcribing what I wrote here, mistakes and all. If I add something as I type (which I’m sure I will), I’ll […]
March 12, 2022
One of my favorite things about having a camera in my hand is that I can create magic out of “ordinary” moments. I guess I wouldn’t really consider these moments ordinary since Sam’s whole family doesn’t get the chance to be in one place super often—usually only a few times a year—but the idea still […]
October 8, 2021
The 2021 Woodworking Shop Tour with Sam is here! This is a tour of his two car garage work shop where he creates Shadow Boxes and gets after whatever I’ve thrown on his honey-do house list! Sam made this video per the request of Burlington City Arts. He has been working with them to get […]
January 27, 2021
I totally get it… using Instagram to grow your business can feel overwhelming. You feel like you’re screaming into the void and getting little-to-no engagement. But, it doesn’t have to feel like this! Here are some Instagram hacks to decrease the dread. Pre-blogging and working to grow Sam Macy Designs, I loved Instagram. It was […]
January 19, 2021
Ask and you shall receive, everyone;) After sharing more about the bookcase Sam built me for my birthday, I got a lot of questions about what books were takin’ up the shelves, my all-time favs, and my 2021 TBR list Maybe I’ll start doing a book review post once every 3 months? A little “here’s […]
January 13, 2021
Building a business is hard and we’re not trying to pretend it isn’t. We’re figuring it out as we go over here but we’ve definitely learned a few things in the process;) Here are our Top 5 Beginner Business Building Tips from 2020! We don’t have it all figured out… …and we’re not pretending that […]
