THE BLOG
LIFE
OUTSIDE THE
SHOP
hi, i'm Ali
Photographer, dog mom, daily walker, 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.
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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 […]
November 23, 2020
Thanksgiving is around the corner and even mid-pandemic, this time of year can be tough if you’re focused on your nutrition. Having a “healthy Thanksgiving” feels and sounds like an oxymoron, don’t you think? So, I’m republishing (read: copy and pasting from my own blog – so it’s allowed, people!) an article I wrote for […]
