Liz Bradley is familiar with the Region, especially the Portage, Valpo, and Westville areas. She graduated from Valparaiso High School. After that, she moved on to studying marketing, then was later hired in that field. She worked at a real-estate firm for a while and eventually transitioned to becoming a stay-at-home mother for her four children. In the meantime, she did some photography and also worked on a floral farm as a designer, something that turned from a hobby early on into a profession.
These days, Bradley has been working with her sister to remodel her family’s farm property. Her friends often refer to her as a farmer. She’s kept up with floral arrangements, doing them for weddings and other various events. Her passion comes through in every one of the petals of the flowers she organizes for those special occasions.
Bradley has been decorating for years. Her attention is now entirely on that aforementioned farm belonging to her family. It’s located in Otis, Indiana. Bradley’s aunt and uncle gave her and her sister the opportunity to transform its many acres of land into something people even outside of the family could exploit. They’ve since opened it up as a place where vacationers can come and enjoy for a few days or so the vast perks of the woodland, including activities like kayaking, fishing, and paddle-boarding. Bradley’s come to call it the Hideaway at Cooper Lake.
Though she’s been offering others chances at fun, Bradley certainly finds fun for herself in the work she does. On the other side of her family’s property, there’s an old barn. She discovered that it’s one of the oldest in the entire state, and she plans to have it serve as a backdrop for all kinds of events in the future, from concerts to more weddings. The possibilities this massive plot of land has to offer are endless, and that’s where the excitement she gets working on it comes from. It, too, has granted her the opportunity to see one of her dreams realized.
“We’ve always focused a lot on the landscape and making that look nice. We’ve done some reconstructing of it, so now we have a lot of events in the works,” she said. “The first year out there, we planted about 500 peonies. My goal is to have this huge peony farm, and so that’s also a big part of what we're doing, and we’re excited.”
“Preserving that property, giving it a purpose, and holding onto it for our family is what’s most important,” she continued. “We want to make it into something beautiful. We’re looking forward to where we’re headed, and we want to provide an outlet for people to have something fun to do in the area.”
Considering her ambitions, Bradley faces challenges with time. Like all, she could use plenty more of it, and at this point, she realized she could benefit from her own personal secretary. There’s simply so much to do, and what’s tricky is that she’s just as invested in her work as she is in all of the activities her four kids are involved in. Making memories together takes first priority, and in a lot of ways it makes up for the time she might think she loses.
When spending time with family, Bradley and her children desire to be outdoors. Valpo’s location helps her take advantage of the countless adventures available in all the areas around the city. Exploration seemingly is the main thing that takes her out throughout the county.
“We love to be outside. We’ll do hikes, even simple things like bike rides, or we’ll just find ourselves at a park. We do Lake Michigan a lot, and then, of course, we utilize the farm, so we love to go there and swim, fish, or paddleboard,” she said. “We like to explore. The other day, my youngest was with me, and that’s precisely what she wanted to do.”
Not everything she does to revamp wherever or whatever it is comes easy to Bradley. The decks she and her sister have had to build are obstacles, yet Bradley’s husband, who works in construction, instructs when guidance is needed and necessary. Bradley’s children often assist their mother with duties related to the revitalization of the family’s farm. After a long day of painting under Indiana’s hot summer sun, for example, they once jumped into the water of the lake to cool off, and Bradley’s sister calmly floated nearby, her work boots still on her feet.
Valpo’s accessibility to local treasures, such as the city of Chicago and the not-too-far state of Michigan, fuels Bradley’s appreciation for the area. The community itself is a gem she’s content about having unearthed long ago.
“The easy access to nature, God’s amazing creation, is fantastic here. I do love Valparaiso and its positive community. Downtown has really been a great spot for all of us, and we particularly love all the restaurants and the markets. I wouldn’t change a thing about any of it,” she said.