Welcome to Capturing Wonderland by Julie!

Welcome to Capturing Wonderland! My name is Julie, mother of 5, DIYer, and professional penny-pincher. And this blog has been my dream for close to two decades.

When I first became a mother was when I realized the importance of capturing moments in our lives and holding onto them. I never wanted to forget, so I started delving into photography which is where the capturing aspect came into play.

Mother, daughter, and son, smiling on a swing
Growing Lifelong Relationships, Motherhood, a mother holding her toddler daughter on a swing
Hello, I’m Julie! I’m the owner and author of Capturing Wonderland. I’m a stay-at-home mother to 5 kiddos, head over to Meet Julie if you’d like to hear more about me and my family.

In fact, if it wasn’t for my children I don’t know that I would have ever purchased my first DSLR.

The Inspiration Behind Wonderland

Having been an ardent lover of everything Alice in Wonderland since I was just a little girl it was fitting I include it in this space. I have always been completely enchanted by the book and other writings by Lewis Carroll.

I’ve always identified with Alice in many ways in the way she looks at the world and talks to herself, “I give myself very good advice”.

The aspect of wonderland appeals to all ages, I think. But the great thing is it doesn’t have to be a dream, wonderland is within our grasp. It’s ours for the making.

Twig tree standing tall by my farmhouse style dining room shelves.
Beautiful little girl in a summer dress stands in front of an antique washstand. She is opening the door on the white oak washstand. On the wall above her is a water color painting, a hanging bedside lamp, and baskets. The washstand is a bedside table.

“Wonderland is Ours for the Making”

You will find posts about creating, thrifting, repurposing, and refinishing furniture, & how to curate your home in simple, easy, and affordable ways. I’m dedicated to helping you look for a different way to forge through when there isn’t a clear path ahead.

Because we’re a family of 7 living on a single teacher’s income I have definitely learned a few creative strategies for getting what I want at a price we can afford. I would love to share my ideas with you and build a supportive community.

“Wonder is a state of mind in which the sight and senses are wholly engaged in what’s in front of them. Wonder reveals the world as the miracle it is because it intensely focuses our eyes on what’s before us — the veined crimson of an Autumn leaf, the play of sunlight in the summer trees, the ripple of light over water. We may “see” these things every day, but our eyes are restless, our minds preoccupied; we seldom truly look. Wonder helps us notice with quiet, focused attention that helps us perceive the inherent, unique beauty of the people and the world around us.”

The Lifegiving Home, Chapter 3 pg. 86 – Sarah Clarkson
The right side of an empire secretary desk left side view completely refinished, stained early american and coated with 2 full coats of polycrylic for protective top coat.
Antique French sideboard painted with a dark grey paint called Iron Ore by sherwin williams, distressed, and stained Early american with original and new hardware mixed.

What Can “Capturing Wonderland” Do For You?

  • Help Others Discover Beauty & Inspire Their Curiosity My tagline has always been to discover beauty & inspire curiosity. Through life’s challenges, we have a choice to always look for beauty and I never want to lose my curiosity. Curiosity is what spurs us forward to ask questions, learn, and ultimately grow into our best selves.
  • Offer A Different Perspective & Hope I hope to offer hopefully a different perspective on challenges. Hard things don’t have to be bad things. We can do hard things and with a friendly hand, we can do more than just get through life.
  • Build a Supportive Community One of the things I have craved in my life more than anything else is a sense of community and belonging. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Here at Capturing Wonderland, it is my greatest desire to serve you.
  • Add More Beauty to Your Life It is my deepest wish to add more beauty to the world.
  • Advice, Tips, & Tricks I don’t have all the answers, I’m still figuring a lot out myself. But I have learned a lot in the last decade and a half as a wife and mother and I want to offer anything I have learned to you. It’s my deepest hope to offer a few words of wisdom, even out of my failures.

Finding Beauty in Our Everyday & Creating a Beautiful Handmade Home on a Budget

We have always lived on a small budget and I have always sort of tried to find the joy in the challenge. This is my space to share with you all the small and big ways I’m helping my family save money and thrive on a single income.

It doesn’t always look like you might expect and I think there are a lot of illusions about what low income has to look like.

I strive to post every Monday and Friday.

Let’s make a house a home!

Read more About Julie | Our Plain Jane Subdivision Home

Thank you so much for stopping by my little slice of Wonderland!

Let’s stay in touch! Sign up to be a part of our community where I’ll share all the tips, tricks & projects to help you create your handmade home on a budget! The only sure way you’ll never miss out on these videos & posts is by joining our Email List below.