About Ashley
Welcome! Since I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2008 and entered the Air Force, I have moved over 10 times. Even though I am no longer in the Air Force, as a military spouse my life is always in flux never knowing how long I will live in my current home, and where we will go next. My husband and I got married 2010, the same year I started my first business - a CrossFit Gym, while serving as an active duty Air Force officer. In 2014 I finished my MBA and separated from the Air Force to go work for a Top 10 - Fortune 500 company, where I stayed until my husband and I decided to add to our family.
After having my daughter and leaving the work force, I knew needed more. I needed an outlet where my engineering brain and business acumen could be engaged and creative, but I needed to work my own schedule in order to always make my daughter my priority. I dove head first into learning about sewing, which is just engineering with fabric, and started PearlsNCotton, a custom sewing and embroidery company. PearlsNCotton kept me busy and carried me through those first years, but I knew I wanted to expand my scope into the carpentry and DIY space, and other hobbies I grew up with or have learned along the way. This has provided me with endless projects and to-do lists to achieve, to make my home feel warm and inviting, and truly like “ours”. I have also made it a priority to get involved in my local communities through serving on the board of directors of a professional organization, exploring what the land has to offer, and even dust off the old fishing pole.
In 2021 I made the jump to rebrand to The Contemporary Homestead after we moved to Anchorage, Alaska. We have truly made Alaska our home, and I am so inspired by the many Alaskans who have created completely off-grid homesteads relying on the land, plants and animals available to them to survive. While I am certainly not off grid, The Contemporary Homestead provides me with the space to share what I know with others so that they too can be self-sufficient.
Not only do I attempt projects for decor and design, but a lot of what I do is out of necessity. I don’t want to have to call a contractor whenever my drain is plugged, I have a hole in my drywall, or I want to install a new light fixture. My penchant for life-long learning has provided me with the knowledge to be almost completely self sufficient - a skill set I want to pass on to others.