Julia @ Vintage With Laces invited me to participate in a blog tour, where you get a peek inside the life of a blogger, to find out more about their creative process, and a little more about their life, so today you’ll learn some things about me you may not have known (or wanted to know), you’ll hear how I attack new projects, and you’ll see the ugliest room in my house!
I’ve admired Julia’s work for so long. She turns bits and pieces of fabric into the most beautiful creations, like these Recycled Fabric Pumpkins.
Not only does she work with fabric, but she is super creative at repurposing vintage salvage into very unique and decorative new things, like this Book Spine Christmas Tree.
Her Junky LOVE sign is just too cute, too!
Don’t miss Julia’s blog tour here, where I discovered some things about her that totally surprised me – like what nationality she is – I never would have guessed!
As part of the blog tour, I was asked to answer some questions about myself and my work.
1. What Are You Working On Right Now?
I never have any less than half a dozen projects I’m working on at any give time, which is why my house is always a mess, and I rarely cook dinner, but here a few that I’m spending most of my time on right now.
I’m in the process of moving. No…I’m not moving to a different house, but my blog will soon be moving to it’s own domain, ! I’m busy “redecorating” some things behind the scenes so everything should look nice, pretty and organized when it’s done, at least I hope it will! Please take a moment now to sign up to receive my posts straight to your inbox, so I don’t lose any of you when the transfer takes place! Also, be watching for updates on Facebook.
As usual, my house is undergoing some redecorating also. I’m embarrassed to share this, but our bedroom has looked horrid since the day we moved in, and we’ve been so busy with other rooms in the house – I haven’t done anything to make it look better. This week, we’re working to remedy that, but just so you can see that I’m not exaggerating, here’s a peek. Yes, those are ugly, shiny pine-paneled walls, and yes, our pillows are really that old and ugly. Wish me luck that things will look drastically better when we’re done, but it can’t get worse!
2. How Does My Work Differ From Others in This Genre?
I’ll be honest – It’s hard for me to step back and judge my work next to someone else’s to say how it’s different, plus…I can’t think of an interesting answer that wouldn’t bore you to tears. Instead, I’ll tell you a little about why I think I’m a different blogger than others in my genre, and share some details I don’t often share about myself. Hopefully, you won’t be snoring by the time I’m done.
One thing you’ll likely never see on my blog is recipes – unless it’s some quaint, vintage recipe card. There’s a reason I don’t share recipes. Actually, there are two reasons. First, I’m the world’s pickiest eater. I’m worse than any kid who snubs anything that isn’t pizza. I detest vegetables. Yes…detest. The only two I love are corn and potatoes, and since they are mostly starch, most people don’t consider them to be vegetables. You don’t want recipes from someone who thinks the main food groups are meat, potatoes, bread and soda, do you?
The other reason is – I detest cooking. Yes…detest. It’s rather hard to share recipes that you haven’t made. When my kids were younger, I did it because I had to. Now, I do it just often enough that my husband doesn’t leave me, and my Kitchenaid doesn’t rust, although I could find a lot of ways to repurpose rusty Kitchenaid parts!
But…here’s my vintage style recipe card, to make you recipe-loving people happy. I adore that image of the woman baking. It almost inspires me to bake…but not quite.
A few random facts about me, that affect who I am as a blogger:
1) Until about 4 years ago, when I opened my Etsy shop, we were a one-income family, living on a budget so tight it squeaked. I opened my shop to help bring in extra income, and my blog grew from that. I think many of my readers can relate to having very little disposable income to decorate their homes, and I want to share that it is possible, and challenging and fun! I’ve never lived in a home that was even remotely new – We’ve owned 3 old fixer-uppers, and they’ve all been small homes, with the six people occupying them. We work around each other and our messes, and little by little, we make progress.
2) I’ve been a homeschool mom for over 17 years. If you know a homeschool mom whose children all play 3 instruments, speak a foreign language, and ace their ACT tests…I’m not that mom, and those aren’t my kids. I hate math as much as I hate vegetables, so my kids did the best they could with video curriculum, and they’ve done fine, despite me. Three are now in college, and have done well, so that proves you don’t have to be a super-mom to be a homeschool mom.
One thing I will say about my kids are they are great self-learners, and I think that may have been the most important thing they learned from me.
3. Why Do I Write/Create What I do?
That’s a pretty easy question to answer. I create the things I do, to justify all the bargain junk I bring home. My stuff occupies my workshop, the barn, the garage, and a good portion of my house, but my husband doesn’t complain too much, if he sees me sell my work. That doesn’t stop him from making occasional wise-cracks about my junk though. Here’s a few of my favorite, junk-turned-something-else projects from the past.
(Antique Piano Turned Desk), Sewing Machine Salvage Wall Bins and Antique Door Salvage Ironstone Plate Display
4. How Does Your Writing/Creating Process Work?
This is another easy question that I can answer in one word…
RANDOM
I’m fairly certain I was ADD as a child, and I don’t think I ever outgrew it, so here’s how my creating process works:
1) In the middle of a project, I realize I need something from my workshop.
2) Once inside my workshop, I spot an old board I forgot I had, and I think I should make a sign with it, so I carry it back into my house (forgetting what I went to the workshop to get).
3) Once back in my house, I go to my back hallway, to get paint to make my new sign.
4) While walking back from getting paint, I pass dirty dishes on the coffee table, so I pick them up, and take the to the sink.
5) Once I get to the sink, I see how filthy it is, so I start cleaning it. And on, and on, and on.
Amazingly, it seems to work for me. I really don’t know how I complete any one task, but somehow I do – I like to think of it as an assembly line, except mine travels in a circle. Each time I pass a project I started, I work a little more on it, until it is finished and finally comes off the assembly circle.
My writing process – it’s much the same. It takes me several hours to write most of my posts, because I get so easily distracted while on the computer. At this moment, I have 20 tabs open on my computer. I opened 9 tabs of the other bloggers in this post, 2 tabs for Picmoney, Facebook is almost always open, as is my email, my Etsy shop, and of course, my blog. If I open a tab for Pinterest while writing a blog post – it will take me double that time to write the post. I’m afraid to close any tab – in case I might need it!
Okay, enough about me! Now, I’d like to introduce you to two more bloggers I admire.
Becky @ Beyond the Picket Fence has been one of my favorite bloggers for a long time! She is a master at turning salvaged wood into the most unique and useful things – and she does it with her signature “pop” of color that make her creations so loved.
One of my favorite projects she’s created, is this “Merry Christmas” stocking hanger – made from scrap wood. Everyone else loves it too, because it gets pinned on Pinterest a LOT.
I love the distressed, colorful pieces on her Pallet Island, and the unique towel bar she added on the other side is totally unexpected and perfect! (visit here to see it).
Bliss Ranch is a blogger that has a way with words, literally! When I’m not laughing my head off reading her posts…
I’m drooling over her use of words and typography on furniture. She made THE coolest dresser I’ve ever seen! I love typography, and I love old cameras, and she knocked it out of the park by creating this dresser, inspired by both.
And isn’t her Pie-Inspired Lazy Susan the sweetest?!! (pun intended)
Next week, they’ll both be sharing their own blog tours, so be sure to visit them then too!
Blessings,
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