About

Hi! I’m Jessica.

I’m a Xennial mom raising teens in the Shenandoah Valley mountains close to Washington, DC. We chose the cottage lifestyle intently, shortly after the great recession hit in the late 2010’s. We saw an opportunity for our family to abandon living in an overpopulated community in Northern Virginia and escape to the mountains about 30 mins away.

I was raised on a 15 acre, wooded family estate right outside of Baltimore Maryland. My family ran an oil and lumber company for 100+ years in a small town in Maryland. We were invited to live with my Grandfather shortly after my Grandmother passed away in the late 90s. The family estate was 1950s Cape Cod nestled in the woods with a rose garden, huge boxwoods and inground pool. I have to say, I’ve been chasing that home in my mind ever since I left.

In efforts to recreate Inwood, we searched for land with a local builder to bring to life the mountain cottage lifestyle I craved from my adolescence. We found a 3 acre plot in a wooded subdivision and realized quickly, our dreams just might come true. After our home was completed, I took some time to decide on a name for our estate. I settled on My Cottage in the Wood.

I’m glad we’ve found each other! The goal for this blog is to share a slower living lifestyle, inspire you to get cozy and build a life that you are excited to come home to.

Jessica