I’m EB: birth certificate says Elizabeth, but literally everyone calls me “E-B.” That started in first grade when there were way too many Elizabeths in my class, and my teacher needed a way to tell us apart. “E-B” stuck, and honestly, I don’t think anyone has called me Elizabeth on purpose since, except my mother if she’s really mad.

Elizabeth is a saint’s name, which tracks considering I come from a long line of German-Irish Catholics. The name fits my family history far more than it fits my personality. I’m probably not who most people picture when they hear “Saint Elizabeth.”

I’m not big on astrology, but every time someone finds out I’m a Gemini, they immediately go, “Ohhh… yep. That explains a lot.” I never know if that’s a compliment or an intervention, but at this point, I’ve decided to just accept it.

I’m 40 years old, a wife, Doxie and Doodle mom, professional oversharer, lifelong people person, chronic overthinker, compulsive shopper, holiday enthusiast, chaos-and-coffee curator, and someone who’s still figuring out exactly what I want to be when I grow up.

For most of my life, I thought I knew exactly how my story would unfold. I imagined owning a business everyone loved, maybe a coffee shop or neighborhood restaurant. I pictured myself as the frazzled but happy mom of three: two boys and a girl. I had a plan.

Life had other ideas.

Instead, I’ve found myself navigating a marriage that has tested us in ways I never imagined. My husband and I have separated twice and somehow found our way back to each other. We’ve faced serious physical and mental health challenges, watched our businesses fall apart, walked through financial hardship and bankruptcy, and spent more time than I’d like wondering what comes next.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that most of us are quietly carrying stories that don’t match the life we thought we’d have.

I’m still figuring mine out.

That’s what you’ll find here: honest conversations about mental health, body changes, relationships, shopping, coffee, consumer advice, products worth buying (and the ones that absolutely aren’t), getting older, starting over, laughing at yourself, and trying to build a life that feels authentic instead of perfect.

You’ll also get whatever else my brain decides is worth talking about that day: Seattle sports, life in the Pacific Northwest, reality TV, country music, aliens, true crime, food, DIY projects, board games, glamping, dogs, raw-dogs for that matter, holidays, random observations, and the wonderfully weird conversations that somehow connect us all.

I don’t have life figured out.

I just have a microphone, a lot of opinions, a decent sense of humor, and the willingness to say the things most people are only thinking.

If you’re figuring it out as you go too, welcome. Thank you for stopping by. 

EB