Every blogger’s journey looks a little different, but one thing we hear again and again is how much easier it is to grow when your website finally feels aligned with your vision. In this case study series, we’re sharing real stories from Restored 316 customers who have built websites that support their creativity, their businesses, and the lives they’re balancing behind the scenes.
Today we’re featuring Peggy Pulvermacher, the voice behind Blooming Rock Homestead. Peggy began blogging in 2017 as a creative outlet while raising two young children and navigating food sensitivities in her household. Over the years, her blog has grown into a space where she shares encouragement around faith, healthy living, and the realities of everyday life.
When Peggy returned to blogging after stepping away for a time, she quickly realized that her original theme was no longer supporting where she wanted the blog to go. Between family life, a farm, and other responsibilities, she didn’t have the time to constantly troubleshoot tech or piece together features that should already exist.
What she wanted was simple: a website that worked with her, not against her — a place where she could focus on writing, creating, and connecting with her audience.
Rather than telling the story for her, we asked Peggy to share what the journey looked like in her own words. From the early days of blogging as a creative outlet to rebuilding her website with a clearer vision, Peggy walks us through what changed, what surprised her along the way, and how having a website she truly enjoys working in has impacted her creativity and confidence.
Peggy Pulvermacher
“All of this has freed up headspace so I can focus on writing posts, creating products, and engaging on social media.”
About Peggy
How long have you been blogging or running this business?
The blog started in 2017, mainly as a creative outlet. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom with two littles who had food sensitivities. We were living in a new town, and I needed something “adult” to do. It’s evolved over the years, but the heart behind it has always been encouragement.
Before the Blog
What did your website or business look like before using a Restored 316 theme?
I started with a $40 theme from Etsy. It offered one homepage option, an about page, a blog page, and a connect page. Customization was limited.
It served its purpose the first couple of years while I was learning the ins and outs of blogging and mostly using it as a creative outlet.
What were you struggling with most at that stage?
Life circumstances led me to step away from the blog for a time. When I came back, the terrain was very different. I tried to make my existing theme work, but I had no idea how to integrate social media, email marketing, anchor links, or mobile formatting — all the things that make a website look polished and cohesive.
There was no tech or team support with that theme. I was wasting a lot of time trying to figure out backend work instead of just creating.
I also kept tweaking the few elements I could customize to make it look more professional, but I could never get it quite “right.”
What made you realize something needed to change?
With two little kids, a farm, and my husband’s side business, I couldn’t keep wasting what little time I had. I needed something with the features I wanted already integrated, more page options, and better support.
I wanted to sit down and create or write — not manage. So I went searching for a modern, feminine WordPress theme that would do more of the work for me.
The Decision
What initially drew you to a Restored 316 theme?
The themes were beautiful and easy to navigate. They offered numerous page options, showcased different customizations, and included many of the features I was hoping to integrate. I couldn’t picture having to do a lot of extra tinkering just to make things work.
Did you have any hesitations or concerns before making the switch?
My only hesitation was that my budget was pretty small. Restored’s themes were more than I had initially hoped to spend on something I wasn’t monetizing yet.
What ultimately helped you decide to move forward?
Honestly? What sealed the deal for me was seeing Lauren’s faith woven into her work here and there. But also, the theme setup and support documentation on the backend were very thorough and easy to follow.
The Facebook group showed that Lauren was active and genuinely helpful, and her customers had nothing but good things to say. The higher price point felt well worth what I would be gaining.
Your Experience
What was your experience like setting up or switching to the theme?
It was a little nerve-wracking at first because I didn’t really know what I was doing. Other than that, it was painless and smooth. The support documentation walked me through every step. There were no surprises, and it didn’t take long at all.
I’ve since switched Restored themes a couple of times as my focus has changed. Each experience has been just like the first — simple and quick. Only once did I run into a coding issue, and the Restored team corrected it within one business day.
Were there any features or tools that stood out to you right away?
This was my first time using a theme with Kadence and widgets. The design library aspect is awesome. Being able to choose between building a full page or selecting specific blocks to customize was a game changer. The sidebar and footer widgets added a layer of professionalism I had been looking for.
Over time, I’ve also integrated the Shop Page Templates, Freebie Library Block Collection, and Conversion Call Outs. It’s all so effortless, has saved me tons of time, and provides endless ways to showcase different content.
Was there anything that surprised you in a good way?
The overall ease of everything was a very pleasant surprise. Even though the framework was completely new to me, I rarely got stuck because the backend documentation is so robust. The few times I couldn’t figure something out, the Restored team responded quickly. They even incorporate recorded videos showing what was worked on, which I love.
The Results
What changed after your site launched or was updated?
The niche I’m in is pretty small, and it’s taken me a while to stay consistent. The biggest changes I’ve noticed have mostly been time saved and increased confidence in my brand.
Even if I’m not drawing huge traffic, I know my site is easy to navigate and visually engaging. I’m not constantly creating new things from scratch because the templates Restored provides are easy to swap out, and I can also create my own patterns in Kadence.
Creating mockups and digital products using Restored’s Canva Graphic Templates is simple, too. Basically, everything I use from Restored has led to huge time savings and a more cohesive brand.
Are there any wins or milestones you’re proud of?
There were things I was honestly intimidated by at first, like setting up a Freebie Library, opening an email service provider (ESP) account and connecting it to my site to collect subscribers, and launching a shop. I’ve now done all of those with Restored’s help.
The Bigger Picture
How has having a website you love impacted your mindset or motivation?
Oh, it’s huge. Who loves spending their spare time in a space that isn’t inspiring? I’m a highly visual person who loves design, so there’s a real sense of peace in seeing my site look the way I envisioned it, along with excitement to keep building on it.
At the end of the day, my website looks awesome (just my humble opinion, lol) because it has great bones to start with.
All of this has freed up headspace so I can focus on writing posts, creating products, and engaging on social media.
Did it change how you show up for your business or audience?
What’s brought change is reading Lauren’s weekly emails and processing what she shares. As I was rebuilding my blog after another extended break, updating my site, and setting up my shop, something continued to feel off.
The lightbulb went on when Lauren shared a series of emails about nurturing existing relationships, identifying pain points, and offering simple wins. I had been caught in a trap of trying to mold myself into who I thought my readers needed based on a recent survey I did, instead of just letting my stories and experiences lead.
That moment changed the blog’s trajectory. I went down a rabbit hole of reading several different blog posts on the Restored site (wealth of knowledge there too). It helped me pause, encouraged me to actually write things down, and brought a much clearer picture.
The result is my audience is seeing a more confident, more honest Peggy. It’s enabled me to lean into what makes me different – with an underlying peace that it’s ok if not everyone else gets it.
I’ve always chased connection over numbers, and the sprinkles of encouragement in Lauren’s emails have helped create new avenues to continue that goal.
Advice for Others
What would you say to someone who feels stuck where you once were?
Reach out to Lauren and her team right away. When I came back to blogging after almost a year off, I was in a tailspin trying to figure out how to jump back in.
I emailed them a laundry list of thoughts, questions, and products I was considering for an upcoming sale. I’m still blown away by the thorough response and the clear action plan they suggested.
They’re great at what they do for a reason. Let them come alongside you and help.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned that you wish you knew sooner?
Just purchase Restored’s resources from the beginning.
My blogging budget has always been tight. Our family walked through some hardships in 2025, and as a result, I wanted to try monetizing the blog to help out. I decided to sell digital products like my nature photographs and journals.
Not wanting to spend the money, I used AI to teach myself how to integrate WooCommerce, set up my shop, and create product pages.
Please do yourself a favor and don’t do what I did. I don’t regret learning what I did, and I did get my shop up and running. But I knew I was missing things, still had questions, and wanted more guidance on the actual flow of selling products.
I was able to squeak in the Digital Shop Sprint Academy at the end of the year and quickly found myself shaking my head after getting halfway through.
I would have saved myself so much time, gone through fewer Kleenex boxes, and asked my husband for help about a hundred fewer times if I had just invested sooner and let Lauren walk me through each step with clear, practical videos.
I should have remembered how helpful it was after completing the Email Marketing Sprint a couple of years ago. Both are fantastic and well worth the investment.
If someone is on the fence about upgrading their website, what would you tell them?
If it’s in your budget, go for it. I have never regretted a Restored purchase, whether it’s a theme, graphics, courses, or a block collection.
The support is phenomenal, the Facebook community is encouraging and helpful, and the products give you a layer of confidence you didn’t even realize was missing.
I also love how open they are about having only two sales a year. It allows me to budget accordingly so I’m ready to purchase what will be most helpful. I’m often blessed with being able to bundle a couple of things together and save even more.
Looking Ahead
What are you currently working on or excited about next?
I’m working on some new digital printable journals and testing out a few physical journals. My kids think it’s pretty cool to hold something in their hands that mommy created, and it’s neat to see my photographs on different products.
Where do you see your business or blog heading in the future?
Growth is always good — whether it’s audience, sales, or personal. I’ve always tried to have the mindset that even if just one person is encouraged, I’ve succeeded. I hope to gain traction with the shop to help our family, and I’m also considering self-publishing a book about some of my life experiences.
