“I’m originally from Birmingham, Alabama. I came to Jasper after I met my husband, Jeff, on a blind date in 2006. In college, I studied interior design, but quickly learned that the pay scale for designers did not match up to affording the beautiful things that they worked with daily – which was disappointing, particularly as a 20-year-old. So, I entered the banking industry.”

“In 2000, I left banking to work at AT&T with wireless internet. This was before iPhones and the App Store – I was the App Store! After working in tech for 5 or 6 years, I met Jeff and decided to stay home with our girls – Alex (13) and Adeline (5). Up until 2017, I was a stay at home mom. Granite South had recently opened up and did the countertops in our home. I would bring in my big idea book, and the staff knew I had an interest in design.”

“My boss Becky’s daughter and my daughter ride horses together. We were at a horse show about a year ago and a half ago and Becky looked at me and said, ‘Do you want a job?’ And I responded, ‘Yes, please!’ So, that’s how it started. I think Becky took a chance on me, and I’m so thankful. I really enjoy my job here. I feel like it’s given me confidence. It’s given me an outlet for adult conversation. Most importantly, I think it’s been good for my girls to see mom go out and do something.”

“I’ve been visiting Jasper frequently since Jeff and I started dating in 2006. The restaurants are wonderful. I love the boom downtown. There are a lot of great things going on in Jasper right now. I grew up in Homewood, and when I first moved here I used to compare everything to Homewood. Over the past few years I’ve started comparing Homewood to Jasper, instead of Jasper to Homewood. I think that says something. There’s a sense of community here. I think I’ve really found a good, strong, community that I love in Jasper.”

-Liz Boshell, Designer at Granite South

Photo + Interview by Blakeney Cox