Hi, I’m Lauren!
I am the blogger and creative behind Gather & Flourish.
Gather & Flourish is where I write about DIY projects, renovations, budget-friendly decor, motherhood, life and all things that centralize around the home. It is my creative outlet to escape from the insanity of everyday life with little ones. It is where I can just be “me”, the part of me that isn’t a mommy, wife, housekeeper, etc.
I hope by sharing our gathering place with you that you will feel inspired, not only to make your home a place that is outwardly beautiful but a place where people can flourish!
A little more about who I am…
I’m a graphic designer and DIYer living in the cotton state! I married my husband in 2011.
We had our first son in the spring of 2014.
Soon after, we greeted our second son in the fall of 2015.
In the summer of 2018, we added yet another little boy to our family!
We bought our home in the summer of 2015, and we are slowly but surely working on putting our own personal touches on this outdated 80s gem!
I love being a graphic designer! I love that being creative is not just my hobby, but my job! After having my second child, I realized that I did not have the time to continue doing freelance designing logos, and paper goods. I knew I would not be able to keep up with the deadlines the way that I used to because kids are so unpredictable (you never know when they will be sick or teething, etc.), so I had to let that season of my career go.
I was elbow deep in the baby season of my motherhood, as much as I wanted to keep up with my career, and hold onto that piece of me, I knew it wasn’t the right time. And ya’ll, as hard as that was (and it was HARD!) it was the best decision for me and my boys. Just a few weeks after I had my second child, we found out that, like his brother, he too had MSPI (milk soy protein intolerance) and likely also had reflux. I will be writing a post about our struggles with MSPI soon!
Around the time my second child turned a year old, I decided I needed to try something new! I needed a creative outlet, so I decided to start blogging. It was an idea I had for months, but every time I tried to pick a name I could never find something I loved. One day, something clicked and I decided on Gather & Flourish. You can read more here on what is behind the name of my blog!
A few facts about me:
-I was born in Colorado Springs, when I was 5, my family moved to a suburb of Chicago. We lived there for 7 years, and have lived in Alabama ever since.
-I am one of two kids, I have one older brother who has been physically handicapped since I was 6.
-I was home schooled the majority of my life (mostly by choice).
-I met my husband in high school but we never dated until the summer after graduation. We dated for almost 4 years before we got married in the spring of 2011.
-I had a short period of time in college in which I had decided that I was going to pursue a degree in biology, that was until I realized that I was terrible at Chemistry.
-I am a sinner, who has been redeemed by Christ, not by being “good enough” or by any works that I have done but by His finished work on the cross. He lived the perfect life that I, in my sinful flesh, could not live. He gave up His life, so that I may have life eternal with Him!
-I have a heart for the nations, and a desire to see the gospel proclaimed to ALL nations and people groups, especially those that are unreached.
-While I consider myself adequate at most things domestic, I have never been good at keeping plants alive. My husband still reminds me of the orchid, and cactus plants he bought me while we were dating that I killed!
-I am 100% obsessed with anything with stripes, especially stuff with black and white stripes! I would venture to guess that at least 60% of my wardrobe is stripes, and I’m not even a little bit ashamed of that!
-When I was not taking graphic design classes in college, I filled my schedule with as many photography classes as I possibly could! I absolutely LOVED darkroom photography and I hope to one day find the time to do it again. I have joked with my hubby that I need a darkroom in the house!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey! I would love to connect with you on social media, so be sure to say “hello!” on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.