The Story of Eagle & Vine
This post has been more than a year in the making. A reawakening and reimagining of the kind of projects that ignite my creativity, amidst the grief of losing a parent, a full scale renovation, a new build, and a mid-life transition to our forever home.
There is a story behind the name Eagle & Vine, one filled with the kinds of twists and turns we never seem to see coming in life. The kinds of circumstances that press and refine us, making us stronger in every way. The kind of season after which life will never be the same.
2023 was that kind of season for me.
Often, to make way for the beauty that is yet to be built, you have to literally break the ground. It’s a destructive, all-encompassing process, but the only way to reach the good stuff is to get through it.
My family and I were breaking ground on a new build that would take us 639 miles from home, moving out of state to our new and forever home. We had just sold and moved out of our existing home in record time, and made temporary living arrangements to stay at my parents’ home. In the midst of this, my Mom endured a major surgery, we lost our beloved Dad, and my parents’ house suffered a flood that resulted in catastrophic damage. And so, with walls and floors torn out and decades of memories packed away in boxes, we moved in with my Mom and began a complete overhaul of my parents’ home.
For a season, the jumble of grief and chaos became our new normal. When you live in a construction zone (and especially during a life transition), your patience, resolve, and relationships get tested, especially as fatigue and overwhelm are constant companions. You learn to keep forging ahead one day, one step at a time, just doing the next thing. And some days you give yourself permission to nurture your mental health.
With everything that had happened in such a short time, I stepped away from my business to attend to the business of home and family. I wasn’t sure how or when I’d be ready to come back, but I knew that neither life, nor I personally, would ever be the same. I was physically, emotionally, and mentally stronger than ever before, but at the same time, I was depleted and exhausted.
And that’s the state I was in when I arrived at the 2nd Annual NKBA W2W leadership conference in Charleston in October of 2023. A season of transition, of loss, and just plain burnout. W2W is an incredible sisterhood and to this day I can’t tell you why I was selected to attend, but I will be forever grateful for the opportunity.
The conference was the spark that re-ignited my flame, and got me to dream about my business again. And in a moment of sheer clarity, my vision for my business came together beautifully.
It was a vision of where I was going, and where I’d been. Eagle, Idaho, and the Livermore Valley wine country. Eagle and Vine. Trust and faith. Soaring and abiding. Eagle and Vine. Could it be that easy? Yes. Yes, it absolutely could.
The last year hasn’t been easy, but the things that refine our character and shape us into better versions of ourselves never are. Out of ashes, we can truly find beauty.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NIV
The Eagle, and the Vine. An homage to my history and a vision for the future. Two powerful scriptures that held me steady when the waves threatened to knock me down.
We made the move to the Boise area in July of 2024, and in August of 2024, Eagle & Vine Interiors officially launched.
This season has given me a whole new level of understanding and compassion for my clients as they navigate their own transitions. Seasons of change so often coincide with renovation projects and new builds. A growing family. An emptying nest. A job change, a move, a retirement, a loss, a celebration. And renovating or building a home is an emotional situation in and of itself. My own experiences have proven the value of having well-designed processes and procedures to keep projects running smoothly – even when life feels chaotic.
It’s something I’m carrying front and center into my new chapter of business. Creating that structure, and sense of safety and reliability for clients who are weathering their own seasons of change. I’ve got you!
So here’s to new beginnings and the stories we will always carry with us. To the moments that you will always carry with you. My hope is that you, too, will be able to abide, and thrive as your next chapters unfold.
