Summer Spotlight: Colleen from Lemon Thistle

Happy Happy Friday! I’m SO thrilled to be joining with some fabulous bloggers in a series called Summer Spotlight! Every Friday, one of my lovely co-hostesses will choose one of their favorite bloggers to “spotlight.” We will all share all about their wonderful blog and talented selves. To kick off this first week, my friend Katie from View from the Fridge chose Colleen from Lemon Thistle to share with you about. Ohhh goodness friends, you are in for a real treat! Colleen is absolutely amazing, and incredibly creative and talented. I love every. single. project she shares, and I’m always so inspired by her! So, without further ado; Katie, take it away!

(And please, while you’ll want to pin all of Colleen’s gorgeous projects shared below, make sure you click through and pin right from Colleen’s blog; after all, she totally deserves ALL the credit here!)

The Summer Spotlight is a collaborative effort to showcase great ideas from a different talented blogger each Friday throughout the summer months. Follow my co-hosts and I online to see the great ideas we share year-round:

Amanda of Dwelling in Happiness

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Carrie of Kenarry: Ideas for the Home

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Courtney of Crafts By Courtney

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Ashley of 3 Little Greenwoods

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Kristi of Making It In the Mountains

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Katie of View from the Fridge

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Hi there! It’s Katie from View From The Fridge and I’m so excited to kick off our Summer Spotlight with one fun, creative, and unique blogger. Today, I’m just thrilled to share a little bit about Colleen Pastoor from the blog Lemon Thistle.

I actually met Colleen at SNAP Conference this past April, and she was so sweet! If you ever wonder what bloggers are like ‘in real life’ (rather than behind a laptop), I’m here to tell you that Colleen was definitely great in real life. Outgoing, easy to talk to, and so fun (just like her blog!).

Here we are at SNAP … posing for a picture. In a picture frame. Obviously.

 

Let me start by telling you that Colleen is a mama to THE CUTEST little twins ever …

There they are last year in their Hand Stamped Onsies …. So, So, So Adorable!!! Almost makes me want a fourth little one (shhhh … don’t tell my hubby). She actually started her blog while on bedrest with these guys! I guess, if there’s ever an optimal time to learn to blog … that would be it, right?!?

But, now that we have that small fact out of the way (that she has two little ones at foot at most times during each and every day) … I can share some of her awesome projects with you. And then you may wonder … just as I did … how on earth she has time for all this amazing creativity. I’m still not sure, but I’m slightly in awe! On her blog you’ll find all kinds of pretty things. From free printables to crafts, Home Decor and DIY to Handcrafted Parties, and lots of cute baby (and now toddler) faces thrown in, Lemon Thistle is full of inspiration, beauty, and creativity.

Colleen is a Canadian blogger living in British Columbia with her hubby, Shane, and those two cuties above, Emmitt and Aubrey (who will be two in September).

Aren’t they just a gorgeous little family?!?

>> HOME DECOR AND DESIGN <<

One of her biggest projects, and one that she is most proud of (and for good reason!!), is their Kitchen Renovation. Take a peak at the before … and AMAZING after:

Seriously … is that the same space?!?! It is just stunning!! And they did it all themselves!! Sorry for the overuse of exclamation points just then, but I can’t help it. I heart this kitchen … A. LOT. That hex tile backsplash has me drooling, and if you know me and my blog (and my home), you’ll know I am obsessed with white.

>> PRINTABLES <<

Colleen also has some of the best printables …

I just love her style! And she does it with this fabulous hand lettering thing that I need to know more about (because it’s gorgeous and so unique). While I realize 2015 is nearly half over, but there are still nearly 7 months to use her beautiful Free 2015 Hand Lettered Calendar pictured above (it comes in three styles to fit your needs … )!

In addition to some great FREE printables she offers on her blog, she also has an Etsy shop FULL of prints and postcards! Check it out HERE.

>> CRAFTS & DIY <<

And speaking of hand lettering … how stunning and simple all at the same time is this Birch Wood Wall Hanging she created? And I just love that saying …. #BeKind.

Another post that caught my eye immediately, is this DIY Special Dates Pillow Cover she created:

I love how it looks a bit rustic, and I also love that she made this with no fancy tools (like a Silhouette or Cricut cutting machine) … because I also do not own these (did I just lose my craft blogger credibility?!?).

If you have been around my blog, then you know I like to knock of Anthropologie. Because I just love their style, but do not love their price tags. Colleen made this awesome Anthro Inspired Embroidery Hoop Mirror, and it looks so simple to make:

And that whole wall gallery is just gorgeous in general …

>> HANDCRAFTED PARTIES <<

I want to come to Colleen’s parties. They’re gorgeous … and original … and thoughtful … and fun … and gorgeous (did I mention that already?!?!). One of my favorites is her Classy St. Patrick’s Day party that she threw this past March:

The details are AMAZING and she actually worked with several other bloggers (and her good friend) to pull off this party. She had the other bloggers create a project and ship them to her. Then, with her friend, they set it all up, and it turned out fabulous. Modern, classy, and SO FESTIVE! Click HERE to see more!

And, speaking of parties … I’d also like to come over for a glass of wine and some of these awesome DIY Yard Games:

How fun would this be on a Summer afternoon?!? And she doesn’t just have tutorials for one game … she has instructions for creative 5 different outdoor Yard Games: Dominoes, Jenga, and Yahtzee HERE, Cornhole and Scrabble HERE. Don’t they sound like fun people to hang out with?!?

>> SPILL IT, COLLEEN!! <<

Are you amazed by Colleen and all her creativity, too?!? And if you don’t know her blog, you’ll have to hop on over and check it out … because there’s SO MUCH more there! I just had to know a little more about where she gets her inspiration, who she looks up to, and what she loves about blogging …

 

#1: What do you love most about blogging?

Colleen: The best part is split between two things … how it challenges me creatively and stretches me to put myself out there again and again and the flexibility it affords for me to stay home with my babies and only take contracts when they come instead of chasing (and trying to find full time daycare!)

#2. What bloggers are you inspired by or which bloggers to you admire?

Colleen: I really love so many blogs and when thinking about this I spent way too much time pulling up blogs that I love. BUT there’s two girls who have such a clear style and I love the way that they write personally about their lives or blogging struggles that make me love them even more. I could probably list 15 names here but I’d say Earnest Home Co. and The House that Lars Built. Aaaand The Merry Thought and Paper & Stitch. Stop? Oh, Okay. Anyone that has an awesomely personable voice (bad jokes help), seem relaxed (like I want to be in their home ALL DAY), have a consistent aesthetic, and are pretty chill about how awesome they really are.

#3. Best piece of advice for those looking to improve their creativity?

Colleen: Just do something! Seriously though, when I look back at the things I posted when I first started this blog… I’ve come a long way. And only because I’m doing it, exercising and stretching my creativity every day. Isn’t there a saying, creativity breeds creativity? I’d say it’s true. It doesn’t matter how bad you are at first, just keep doing. I also like to look at the things I love from other creatives and pick out what it is that makes me excited about it. Maybe I should try something incorporating those materials or colours.

#4. What projects are you working on right now (or what’s next on the to-do list)? And what talent/skill/hobby are you hoping to improve in the next year?

Colleen: Gosh, everything!? No, we’re working on some real house stuff, drywalling our basement (our half- we suited the other half) and building a deck. We’ve been trying to get our yard in decent shape (we totally neglected it last year during renovations). Because of all that- I’m not doing too many fun house projects, so I’m mostly working on smaller projects (like finally decorating my walls!). I would really love to work on my styling more- it’s the first thing I notice with other bloggers I admire.

>> FOLLOW ALONG WITH LEMON THISTLE <<

I, for one, will be following along with Lemon Thistle to see what’s next for Colleen, their family, and their home. If you would also like to follow along, you can find her here:

Blog // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter

If you enjoyed this feature about Colleen from Lemon Thistle, you may want to check out the other bloggers we’ve featured in the Summer Spotlight. You can also visit our Summer Spotlight Pinterest board to view all the great ideas we’ve shared in this series.