After connecting with Ashley of @arrowsandbow on Instagram, we knew that we had to shoot her and her family at their recently renovated Joie Inn on Anna Maria Island, FL in our Resort '21 Collection. We love her and her family's cool, relaxed vibe and her DIY interior design projects are so fun to follow! Get to know more about Ashley below.
1. Please tell us a little bit about you, your family and how Arrows and Bow came to be? We had been married for a few years, had 3 kiddos and I was homeschooling my kids. I always had a love for design, rearranging with what I had and refinish furniture. When one day I decided to start an Instagram and blog. Not knowing a lick about any of it… I just went for it. I started sharing little design pieces I’d buy on Craigslist and refinish and all my deal finds. A few months later, I decided to write a blog on what we had learned in our ten years of marriage. After that, I just started to blossom. I discovered I liked sharing more intimately and it was the beginning of discovering who I was. 7 months later we sold everything and moved our family into a trailer. I designed and renovated it with my husband Dino, and through those 17 months, we grew immensely as individuals and as a family. So what started out as a design page, turned into our family just sharing our lives openly and authentically.
2. Why did you decide to leave the West Coast for a small beachy town in Florida? We came out for a vacation in February 2021. But as soon as we hopped off of the airplane, we knew we were gonna move. And then we drove over the cute bridge to Anna Maria Island and saw what that had to offer, took in the beaches and the laid back life, and it was a done deal.
3. What can’t we miss when visiting Anna Maria Island? What are some of your favorite eats, shops, sights etc? It’s a must to visit the beach here. There’s nothing like it. The sand is soft, white and fluffy, the water is clear blue with dolphins and fish you can see. And the sunsets are stunning - featuring gorgeous colors as the sun sets on the Gulf of Mexico. Some of our favorite eateries are North Shore Cafe for coffee and breakfast and then a good old dirty burger from Skinny’s Place.
4. We are so inspired by your effortless style and DIY interior work - how would you describe your personal style, and what inspires you most? My personal design style is always evolving with me. As humans, we grow and change and adapt to wherever we are in life... well I allow my design to do the same. I do always try to embody the city I’m in, the culture or simply the house or business I’m renovating. Kinda let it speak for itself, but with a louder voice. I’d say for sure I’ve always been a lover of some pops of black and white. It’s a classic combo that always looks sharp.
5. The renovation of the inn is amazing - how long did it take? Why did you decide to take this on? I just fell in love with the charm of the Inn. The location is awesome - just a block from the beach, and the layout is perfect for our 4 units. It took us 6 months to renovate the whole thing.
6. We had the best time shooting Resort with your family a few weeks before opening, so congrats on the official grand opening! How did you celebrate? I’m still catching up on sleep from the opening week! It was basically 8 days of dinners, parties, more food, lots of beach days and friends. Oh, did I mention food? So much food. We really just wanted to have guests experience all that we had poured into it the last 6 months.
7. How did you discover Pink Chicken? What does the brand mean to you? I discovered Pink Chicken on Instagram. The brand and the clothes are just darling. I love the quality and that so many of the pieces are for the whole family.
8. Your family seems so close - what are your tips on continuing to keep family a top priority (especially these days when everyone's schedules are so busy and overbooked!) We try to be intentional about time. Limiting screen time, more outside play. Lots of adventuring and actually scheduling in nothing. When we don’t over plan, we have more time to just go on a whim and explore together!
9. We are so excited that you and your husband Dino have a book coming out in the Spring! What is it about? Thank you! We’re so excited too! Our book is called Designed to Last. It’s a marriage about family, faith, relationships and finding joy in the in-between. It’s from both my perspective and Dinos, which is amazingly refreshing having a male perspective on marriage, faith and design. It’s a beautiful weaving of all those things. Oh, and lots of pretty pictures inside, always a plus!
10. Any sneak peeks or tidbits of what’s to come? Any future collabs, openings or ventures that you can share? We are always open to the next thing. Currently we are praying for what’s next. Right now, we’re just enjoying some rest. But I have a feeling another project is right around the corner!
(photography by @stacykallen)