Tour Through Blogland

Today you’re in for a real treat! Not only do I get to introduce you to 4 other fabulous bloggers, but I’ve also answered a few questions about myself, my creative process and I’m even sharing a sneak peek of what I’m working on now!

When I was in Atlanta for the Haven blog conference a few weeks ago, I was able to meet so many wonderful bloggers!  One of those ladies, was Christy from Confessions of a Serial DIYer. We started talking and just about never stopped. 😀

So naturally, when she asked if I’d like to participate in a tour through blogland, I agreed. She’s given me four questions, which I’ll answer below, and then, I’ve picked three other people to continue the tour. But before I answer the questions, here’s a little bit about Christy (taken from her blog):

Hi, my name is Christy and welcome to my blog, Confessions of a Serial DIYer. This is the place where you can see a little bit of everything. From sewing to painting, reinventing to ripping down and rebuilding, with a little bit of craftiness sprinkled in between, I love a project! If you’re visiting me for the first time, start with my DIY Project Gallery. Then stick around and let’s see what else we can get ourselves into!

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And now for the questions…

1) What am I working on?

Painted Office Cabinets

The office. Right now, I’m not only purging and getting rid of things I don’t need, but I’m trying to get it organized so that I can be more efficient when I’m in there. And just the other day I brainstormed a few new DIY storage ideas that will help make things a little prettier and effective. I’ve added them to my project list.

I also have a garage full of items I just scored at a new local antique shop… and a whole bunch of great items I was given from my great grandparents. Needless to say, I have a ton of projects that are just waiting to be started… Get ready! 😀

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the furniture items I found… and a new recipe I’ll be sharing soon…

Then there’s the fixer upper. Tons of progress with that little gem. Drywall is going in, the exterior siding has been fixed and replaced and we’re getting ready for interior and exterior painting! I’ll be sharing an update soon, but it doesn’t even look like the same house.

Here it is before the siding was fixed…

2) How does my work differ from others in my (DIY) genre?

This is a really hard question. In my DIY genre, we all come up with new DIY projects to share. If there were one thing that I thought differed from others, it’s the addition of Anthony. Truly, most of the projects you see on the blog are made by both of us. Sure, I do most of the craft/ decorating projects, that’s not his idea of a good time, but when it comes to anything DIY, we’re a team. It’s not that I can’t do some of the projects we make together, the finished project may not be the same quality, but I absolutely love working on projects together. It gives us a chance to spend quality time with one another. Our life is hectic. He’s jumping from one thing to the next and I’m just as bad. But when we build projects together, we actually get to talk and laugh and share ideas and dreams. I feed off of it. And even though he may not always be thrilled to start my next great building project, it’s in his blood as much as it is in mine. We are DIY’ers.

Office Plank Wall

3) Why do I write/create what I do?

At first, this blog started out as an update for our long distance family. For those who couldn’t be a part of our home building journey, I loved that we could share such a big part of our lives with them, and that they could feel like they were a part of our daily lives. Long distance is hard, but I had hoped to ease some of the distance with a place they could visit and feel connected. Once the house was finished, I kept going. Why stop documenting the journey just because the house was built? Things were guaranteed to change, just as they have, so I changed my blog name and became a little bit more official.

 

The other part of the answer, is that I really love what I do. I’ve always been a creative, hands on person. It’s an important part of my life, and it brings me joy, especially when I get to build things with Anthony. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely had times where I’ve been burnt out. Times where I’m tired and drained and I can’t make one more thing. I’m human. And in those times, I forget about the blog, I forget about my projects and I block it all out. It’s then that I come back with a list of new ideas. And I love to share them with you.

4) How does your writing/creating process work?

I have a tenancy to pull ideas from just about everywhere. And then there’s times where things will randomly pop into my head. So far, I’ve found the best way for me to keep things straight, is to have a notebook full of ideas and drawings of potential projects. I also try to look around the house and see how things could be functioning better. Sure, we like to build new and pretty things, but if they aren’t making an impact or difference, what was the point of making it? To sit in a closet and collect dust? For me, that’s a waste of time just because I needed a project to share.

We honestly use everything we make. And they generally function so well, that I normally want more than the one we’ve built. Just like our laundry room crates. We designed the laundry room with the intention of using the space below the washer and dryer to store laundry baskets.

After living in the house for a few months, I knew those laundry baskets had to go. I couldn’t handle seeing our dirty clothes sticking out of the laundry baskets. Insert the laundry room crates, and that’s a problem solved. Truth be told, they’re one of Anthony’s very favorite projects to date. That’s because they function, they serve a purpose, and they were something we built and designed together.

So there’s a little bit more insight into Anthony and I….

And now, I’m passing this off to…

Jaimie from So Much Better With Age:

Jamie from So Much Better With Age blogs about French & Vintage decor.  If it was made in France, chances are she bought it ridiculously overpriced so it’s great that she balances that with junk and vintage finds throughout her house.  She also loves keeping every area of her house organized, baking from scratch, throwing cute parties and finding junk or old furniture and making it look pretty.   

April from House by Hoff…

And Jen from Migonis Home…

I can’t wait to see what they have to say! And now I’m off to finish a few more projects… and clear some space in our garage. Who says you actually need to park in there? 😉