Just for Fun: 12 Questions
Good morning, friends. Today I’m just going to share a quick Q&A with you. There’s something sad going on this weekend and I just can’t get excited about decorating projects for today’s post.
When I saw the Q&A that Mikalah posted yesterday, however, I was inspired to write a little. I often don’t do those long Q&As that circle the blogosphere, because I don’t want to answer 35 questions about myself and my life. But this one – only 12 questions – I can do. :)
1. How long have you been blogging?
I’ve technically been blogging since the earlier days of MySpace. Yeah, remember that website preceded Facebook and used to be cool? Anyway, it was 7 years ago. Back then it was a personal blog about all the hiking and camping and other adventures I was having. And go figure – when I started this blog, the camping/adventures fell by the wayside. So did the blog about them. You can’t do it all.
2. What is your favorite restaurant and why?
I can’t list one. Ryan and I have slowly developed a collection of faves, all of which rock for different reasons. Every one has good food. I’ll blog about our DC-area must eats sometime soon.
3. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
Easy. I’d quit my day job, to run my own business & blog full-time. I’d use some of the money to create my dream products in a US factory. I’d also open my own brick & mortar shop selling other people’s amazing handmade products. If possible, I’d help pay off any credit card and/or school loan debt that my best friends and family have. Ryan and I would probably take a fabulous trip, and have a few really good meals out.
4. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Fewer than 2 dozen, for sure. I love shoes, but my feet are shaped funny, so many cute ones are too uncomfortable. I’d like to have more fun shoes, but I also would like to save money and not buy sweatshop shoes.
5. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
Friday, becuase I often have the weekend to focus on my own business and doing DIY projects!
6. What’s your favorite color to wear?
I don’t have one.
7. What is your favorite fruit?
Kiwis or Pomegranates.
8. What TV show do you most enjoy watching?
On my own? The bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad. Mortifying, but true. Although the girls on this new season are SO mean and uninteresting that it may not longer be my fave.
Some other top favorites: Beverly Hills, 90210. Psych. Modern Family. How I Met Your Mother. Big Bang Theory.
9. Who is one person, alive or dead, that you would love to have a conversation with?
My grandmother. She was born in 1901 and had such an interesting life. Her husband was a chemist who did amazing things, like patenting Sorbitol. Because our family had the patent my grandmother only would buy Russel Stover chocolates (which contain sorbitol) . Also, I wish I knew the details – my grandfather played a lead role in the development of Rayon fabric- in fact he oversaw production of the first release of the company’s “Rayon Silk” and brought the very first bolt of fabric home to my grandmother. She wrote about it in a letter, and talked about how exciting it was, at that time, to make luxurious nightgowns out of this fancy new fabric. I wish I had talked to her more about her stories and adventures with her husband while she was alive.
10. What is the worst decorating/crafting/fashion mistake you’ve ever made?
Um. . . the worst decorating mistake? The living room of my last apartment. It was so dark and dingy, never got good light, had doors in all the wrong places, and I sucked at decorating it. But in my defense, I was on a super tight budget and wasn’t good at using that small budget. I wasted a lot of money on little things rather than saving up for one thing at a time, like a nice large colorful rug, good lighting, etc. I want a do-over! :)
11. Coffee or tea?
If you follow me on Twitter, you already know the answer to that. ;) Just kidding. I’m addicted to morning coffe or an afternoon cappuccino, but I love afternoon and evening tea. Ryan’s a tea guy all the way.
12. What’s the temperature in your city today?
I didn’t wear a coat – 63!!!
If you want to play along, feel free to do the Q&A on your blog, then comment here to let me know, so I can come check it out! :)
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State of the Studio
Do you remember when I was pondering if I should move my sewing studio? As soon as Ryan woke up that day I asked him – I just couldn’t wait – and he was totally ok with it. I dove straight into that switcheroo with gusto, let me tell you. Anytime I have a chance to move furniture around or rearrange a room I get excited.
It’s times like this when I have a pang of envy for full-time bloggers who can start a project and just tear through it in a few days. I started moving the sewing studio to the basement on New Years Eve weekend, and it took until this past weekend to get to 90% completion. Because this project would directly affect my business, we made it a top priority, but it still dragged out.
Even though I tried to have an organized, efficient move, it caused some upheaval – mainly because some of my storage system didn’t fit in the basement, so I had to pack most of my stuff into boxes until we had storage figured out. It definitely caused some disruption with Janery business, but the upside is that, in the new space, I think I’m positioned for super organization and efficiency of operations.
Storage Decisions & Delays
The cabinets pictured below above are three Ikea BESTA units. I had the bottom two in my upstairs studio, along with one tall unit. The tall guy didn’t fit under the lowered ceiling, so he went away courtesy of Craigslist.
It was annoying to have to sell a barely-used piece of storage furniture. However, the space against the wall, where the lower ceiling limits use, really was the perfect spot for fabric storage and ironing. It’s so awesome that the ironing board finally has a home to call its own, rather than being in my way in my office/studio/dressing room combo that I had before.
In the photo below, please also note that there is an electrical outlet right where I need it. It’s these little things that you think nothing of until you become a regular ironer-of-fabric.
But back to the BESTA part. Having lost the tall guy, I needed more storage. Off to Ikea I went, with measurements in hand. Home I came with a BESTA unit that would fit on top of the first too. Until I opened the box and realized that I’d bought the wrong color. Crap.
Having to drive ONCE down I-95 to Ikea in Woodbridge, VA is a problem. Having to go twice = Disaster, and all because of traffic. I’ll leave it at that. Long story short, we eventually got the cabinet returned and brought the right one home, and finally my stuff got organized.
For now I’ve hung my thread/scissor storage frame on the wall above my sewing tables, along with a cork board. I’m not in love with how it looks, though, so it will probably change.
But this, right now, is the state of the studio.
PS: Silver lining of the move - My computer is now upstairs, so if I get distracted and want to hop online, I have to run up a flight of stairs and across the house. Guess who’s not getting distracted very often when sewing? Either that, or my butt and thighs are going to be rock solid.
Blissdom, Las Vegas, and Janery: Dilemmas of a Handmade Biz Owner
One of my biggest challenges as a full-time corporate employee and part-time handmade business owner is finding balance.
It’s my dream to someday earn my living as an indie biz owner, so that I can work from home on my own terms while I raise our children. But a lot of work is required in order to achieve that dream.
Aside from the day-to-day difficulties of balancing the regular tasks, there also arise bigger dilemmas about what external events or tasks I should commit to. When I consider a weekend trip out of town, it’s not just “can I take that weekend off” – but how will I prepare ahead of time for the time that the shop will “lose”? Read the rest of this entry »
Guest Room, Part 3: Temporary Wallpaper for an Accent Wall
Do you ever gather the supplies needed for a DIY or decor project, then procrastinate on tackling it out of fear that it won’t go well? That’s exactly what I did with the Tempaper that I ordered for my guest room makeover . . . way back in October. Then late one night during the holidays, Ryan and I cleared out the room and I determined that it was time to dive in. After all, that paper wasn’t going to hang itself!
Have you heard of Tempaper, a temporary removable wallpaper? I thought it would be good to test out a roll of it in the house, since it appears to be an excellent temporary wallpaper option for renters. Read the rest of this entry »
Why should a blogger care about SOPA?
If you’re anywhere close to social media this week, you’ve probably heard about SOPA. But it’s very possible that you’re not someone who really gives a hoot about politics.
As a matter of fact, I don’t know about your political leanings, because generally I keep this site politics-free.
But I’m writing this last-minute post just to beg you to give about 5 minutes of thought to this legislation. If passed, our entire community of bloggers and Twitter users and Facebook fans could be at high risk. The internet as a whole would be at risk.
Instead of writing about a situation that is already well-covered in the online community, I’d like to suggest that you read this article at ThinkSplendid: SOPA and Your Business.
A Little Orchid Garden
For years I’ve had random orchid plants struggling to survive in various nooks and crannies of my homes. They always irked me because I felt the random pots never had homes, and were really just acting as clutter. Add on the fact that none of them were thriving. A new solution was needed. Read the rest of this entry »
Cute & Useful Bridesmaid Invitations {The Proposed Abode}
Remember that wedding Ryan and I are supposed to be planning? After we survived the holidays, and our event coordinator at the venue was emailing me about our upcoming planning meeting, I realized that “Holy Crap! Our wedding is 5 months away!”
The first thing I did was notify my bridesmaids, some of whom had been asking me if they were going to be in the wedding. I had already devised a cute plan for inviting them, and not wanting to spoil it, I avoided answering the question. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Awesome Reader Projects
Happy Friday! Are you ready for the long weekend? I know I am – so many projects to do!
I thought I’d wrap up this week by highlighting a few thrifty and clever reader projects that were submitted to me. I’d like to do this every month, so please feel free to brag about your own accomplishments!
1. Lauren’s wedding-to-home decor:
Lauren at Our Big Fat Farm Wedding is one smart cookie. Not only did she have a gorgeous farmhouse wedding – she saved a whole mess of decor from that wedding to re-purpose as art in her home. Check out her coffee station at the wedding:
Is that not the sweetest little coffee station you ever did see? Well, that beautiful mirrored window made it home with Lauren.
So did this lovely picture window (love the fedora – nice touch!):
Lauren, you have such sweet style. For full details on this project (and her totally awesome wedding) please check out Our Big Fat Farm Wedding.
2. Sarah’s side table makeover:
Renters, especially those of us on a budget, know what it’s like to use unique items in lieu of a dining room or end table. Coffee table as stand in? Sure. How about an ironing board? Hey, it happens . . .
Well, Sarah at Renewed upon a Dream decided to forego ironing boards and coffee tables for the classic (and compact) TV tray. She sailed from drab to fab by covering her orangey wood TV Trays with modern nautical stripes. Great job, Sarah!
Nothing looks quite as fancy as a clean and crisp stripe. Check out the full details of this project at Renewed Upon a Dream.
3. Shannon’s budget-friendly mail center:
Finally, I have just go to give Shannon at The Distracted Blogger props for the mail station she conjured up without succumbing to the DIY perfectionist paralysis that plagues many a DIY-er and blogger.
First, let me show you her inspiration image:
Beautiful, but a wee bit complicated if you don’t feel like getting all matchy and, you know, spending money.
So Shannon got crafty and used what she had which is totally our kind of thing here at the Borrowed Abode. (There’s nothing like staying organized by having everything labeled and ready to go!)
Check out the full details of her mail organizing project here – and while you’re over there, be sure to check out her exotic bedroom. I just love her colors and fabrics!
Do you have a project that you’d like me to feature? Don’t be shy! Organizing, rental decorating, crafty projects – they’re all encouraged and welcomed.
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