Meet the Maker

Beauty in Bloom + You could win a $290 floral crossbody bag

May 08, 2025

Hello, Gorgeous!

Oh, I had a lot of plans for Mother’s Day content for this week, but a dental emergency mid-flight kinda threw me off track. I promise there will be loads more gift guides ahead, but probably not for mom’s big day.

Instead I’m excited to introduce you to Ashley Gibbons, co-founder (and storyteller) of Designed With Meaning, a personalized gift company creating subtle ways to imbue gifts with meaning.

You could win a Designed With Meaning $290 floral crossbody bag. Scroll down to find out how!

Craft pickles and quiet personalization

Ashley Gibbons and husband Eric always wanted to launch a creative business together. “We always had an itch to start something of our own. We even had a short-lived craft pickling business called Bluegrass Brine, a nod to our Kentucky roots.”

In 2014. Gibbons was working as a lawyer and struggling with a newborn who wouldn’t take a bottle. “He’d refuse milk all day at daycare, and I’d stay up all night nursing him. I was exhausted and overwhelmed with guilt. Eric didn’t know how to fix it, but he knew one thing: he had to find a way to replace my income.”

The couple started brainstorming sustainable business ideas, “preferably ones that didn’t require organic cucumbers.” They also were intent on creating gifts that would be used and enjoyed instead of forgotten about.

Frustration sparked inspiration

Gibbons said that her husband Eric always loved art but never pursued it formally, but the couple decided to give it a shot. “In February 2015, he listed his first personalized art print on Etsy - and it sold. His love of art and desire to give meaningful, lasting gifts came together in a way we never could’ve predicted.”

Then came the messages.

Gibbons said “customers started writing to say our prints had made their moms cry happy tears. Others asked for replacements because the original was lost in a move or destroyed in a fire. That’s when we realized our business wasn’t just about art prints. It was about emotional connection.”

Their first Etsy shop turned into several. In 2018, Eric’s designs were featured on the Today Show's Mother's Day gift segment, and that kept the couple busy for a while. Gibbons said that “Over time, he began exploring new mediums like pendants, scarves, handbags, and woven blankets - things designed to be held close or worn daily.”

More than just things

Gibbons said “We didn’t want to make just things. We wanted them to hold meaning.

After nearly a decade of corresponding with customers who loved what their art prints represented, The Gibbons asked ourselves a new question: “how can we carry that same emotion into everyday objects?” That’s how Designed With Meaning was born. A brand built on quiet personalization, thoughtful symbolism, and the belief that the most meaningful things aren’t always obvious. And sometimes that means living in a van with your family to create a different type of lasting connection.

Living off the grid

The Gibbons off-grid journey began in 2017. They sold their home in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

“We sold or donated most of our belongings, packed what we could into our SUV, and hit the road,” Gibbons said. She’d left her job as a lawyer, and their Etsy shops gave the couple the flexibility to work from anywhere. “We we figured, why not?”

After that, they lived light moving to different rental houses. After their daughter was born in 2018, they relocated to Florida “for a year of sunshine and to figure out life with two kids, no childcare, and a growing business.”

Van life

Gibbons said her husband became obsessed with the idea of van life. “I started calling van builders, and one thing led to another. By November 2019, our custom off-grid van was ready, and we headed west.”

Then came March 2020.

When the pandemic hit, campgrounds closed, and the family found themselves boondocking (camping without electricity, water, or sewer hookup) in the Nevada desert with two small children. “After two weeks of cactus prickles, dust, and extreme water conservation, I looked at Eric and said, “We can’t keep doing this.” They returned to Kentucky and bought a house in their hometown.

Four years later they returned to van life and Gibbons said this time around she has a lot more appreciation for the opportunity. They travel slowly and enjoy nature every day. “We have a family goal of visiting all 63 National Parks together. Our daughter doesn't remember the 20 we visited when she was a toddler so we're starting over at zero.”

Gibbons shared some of her lessons of van life:

Living with less
Savoring the slow days
Seeing the beauty in ordinary moments.

As for what might come next, Gibbons said “maybe life on a sailboat, maybe a small homestead, maybe something we haven’t imagined yet. We're open to change, but for now, this season of life really fits us.”

Designed With Meaning giveaway

Ashley very kindly is giving away a Designed With Meaning handcrafted Flower Zip Crossbody bags valued at $290. They’re crafted from Napa leather and printed on both sides and you can choose from 14 stunning floral designs and colorways.

How to enter:

If you’re already a subscriber, you’re automatically entered to win!
Bookmark our new homepage at hellogorgeous.news for an extra chance to win
Comment below with your favorite flower crossbody from the collection for an extra entry

Is anyone else dreaming of van life right now? Let’s meet in the comment section to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋