Tour Through Blogland

Hello, friends! I’m so excited to be on this “Tour Through Blogland” with you, where you get to have an inside scoop to Dwelling in Happiness! I’ve seen other blogger’s tours, and it’s been so fun getting an inside “peak” at some of my favorite blogger’s lives. Now, it’s my turn! I was invited to share by Kendra from Joy in Our Home, and I’m so glad she asked me! Kendra is so incredibly sweet, and has some seriously amazing and delicious recipes on her blog. She also recently re-did her master bedroom, and it looks FABULOUS! Here’s a little peak:

Okay, now on to the tour!

So, in all honesty, I was a little nervous when Kendra asked me to participate. Our house is a starter house, and by no means anything glamorous. It’s one of those “cookie cutter” houses that look just like every other one on the block. We’ve slowly been doing little things here and there, but we really don’t plan on being here for very long so we haven’t done a lot. But, now we have our sweet Jade and there are baby things everywhere. All you mama’s know what I’m talking about. Her toys and “accessories” have now become part of the decor. I know it won’t last forever (and maybe a part of me wishes it would!?), but alas, that’s the way it is. This is our home, and it’s filled with so much love. That’s all that matters! Anyway, here are a few little details of inside (sorry for the poor pictures, our house doesn’t have a ton of good camera lighting!):

 

We spend a LOT of our summer evenings out in our small backyard. Small is totally an understatement! But 2 years ago we finally landscaped. There’s not a lot of room to work with, but we DIY’d ALL of it, and boy did a lot of blood sweat and tears go into it. I wish I had a “before” to show you!

We are so happy with how it turned out! We love eating dinner on the patio and listening to the sound of a little waterfall. Relaxing, to say the least.

There are 4 questions I get to answer while on this tour. Here goes!

*Question 1* 

What am I working on?

There are a few things that I’m currently “planning” and working on. First is our gallery wall, which I’m working on updating. I’m adding a few new pieces and updating the pictures a little. Here’s a before shot:

Afters will come soon when everything is in place! I love our green wall, it gives a nice pop to our otherwise boring entry/living area! Another thing I’m working on is getting a command center in place. Right now, this is it:

Yep; that is all that keeps me currently organized, and yes; that is tape holding the calendar up. I’m that pathetic clever in how I chose to hang it. I used sticky strips on the back at first, but it fell down several times and I got tired of it. So, that silly calendar will be gone and up will be something MUCH prettier and permanent! I can’t wait to reveal how it will look soon!

Some bigger projects that are in my mind and hopefully in the mix soon will be updating our laundry room. It’s so tiny and ugly and needs some maaaaajor help. I’ve been so inspired by several small gorgeous laundry rooms that I’ve seen lately, so I need to get my rear in gear! (I rhyme!)

*Question 2*

How does my work differ from those in my genre?

This is a hard question. The DIY blogging genre has SO many crazy talented people, but what I notice is that even though several people can do the same project, they all come out differently. Because we are all unique individuals, what we produce will be unique to us and our style. I love that! I also feel my work is different because I definitely like to use color. I mean, my living room/dining room area is green with orange accents, and our master bedroom is a bright teal color! I’m not afraid to go a little color crazy!

I’m also different  from other DIY bloggers because, well, I make it up as I go along! Most of the bloggers who I follow have all this knowledge and experience in woodworking or sewing. Me, well, I have none of that. I’d love to learn so I can create new and exciting things for our home, but that not only takes time, but MONEY! So, that will have to wait. But one of these days I’ll “wow” you with a hand sewn project or something of the sorts! 🙂

*Question 3*

Why do I write/Create what I do?

I have always had a love of creating things, and have gotten so much satisfaction from making or decorating something myself. I get that from my mom, who also loves to decorate and DIY! From when I was a kid, she and her friends were always making cute little gifts and decor pieces, and hosted a “boutique” every Christmas in our house to sell their items. I grew up around crafting and now, love it myself! I even loved it BEFORE Pinterest. When we got married 3 years ago, I didn’t know Pinterest existed (I think it was still super new). I handmade all of our decorations and didn’t have Pinterest to look upon for inspiration. It was a blast! Since then, I’ve had a lot of fun creating new things for our house to make it a home. It’s kind of my favorite hobby!

*Question 4*

How does my writing/creating process work?

I have to be honest. With how crazy a type-A super organized clean freak I am, my writing and creating process is kind of unorganized. Weird, right? I have no idea why that is, but basically when it’s time to write, I sit down and write. Not much rhyme or reason! I write what comes to mind, and I use the pictures I have taken to help me. I’m an editing freak (teacher in me!), so I reread my posts usually 3 to 4 times before publishing. I also ask my husband for his input, as I like to have someone other than myself look it over and give their 2-sense. He always has good ideas!

As far as my creating process, that also just kind of “happens.” Usually I’ll be in a room and an idea will spark, or I’ll be looking on Pinterest and come across something I want to try putting my own spin on. I really should plan things better, but usually I just get whatever materials I’ll think I need and go for it! Sometimes things come out better than I expect, other times, not so much. I think that is part of the fun! I also use lists GALORE (that teacher in me comes out everywhere!) when I create. I make lists of materials I need, where to get them from, etc. The hardest part about creating for me, is time. I ALWAYS think something is going to be quicker than it is. I usually think, “Ok, I can totally hammer this project out during Jade’s nap”. Not. It’s usually over the span of 2 or 3 naps (and days!). I try to remember to take pictures while I work, but a lot of the time I get so excited to just do the project and see the end result that I forget! I’m working on it.

As long as I’m being so honest, I’ll also tell you that I’m a huge procrastinator. Yep, definitely NOT the teacher in me. But, it just sort of happens. I get busy with Jade and really try not to do any blog stuff while she’s awake during the day so I can focus my time on her. So, that usually means scrambling like crazy during her naps and after she’s in bed to get my posts written and on the blog. Often times, I’m finishing it up the night before. Oops! Someday I’ll have a more organized way of getting my posts up. For now, it’s when I can get it done!

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I hope you have enjoyed my tour! I have learned SO much already in my one month of blogging. I have met some amazingly sweet and talented ladies who I love to follow, and I’m so blessed and inspired by them. And, I really couldn’t have gotten going without the love and support of my wonderful hubby, David. He’s my rock! If you want to know a little more about who we are, you can read it in my about me section.

And now, I’ll share with you the 3 lovely ladies who I invited to participate in this tour through Blogland. Make sure you visit them and check back in a week to read their tours as well!

Shelly at The Domestic Heart

Shelly was one of the first bloggers I “met” when I started my blog. She’s so sweet! Here’s a little more about her:

Hello, I’m Shelly. I am a die-hard DIYer and love to create pretty things for my home. I think old stuff is fascinating and beautiful. I am a wife, mommy, and daughter of God. I am seeking to cultivate a beautiful heart and home a little more each day. I hope you can join me on this journey!

Amanda at Burlap and Babies

I also “met” Amanda right after I started blogging, when I started linking up at her party. She’s got some super cute projects, and is also pregnant with her first little girl (and she has a great name!)  Here’s more about Amanda:

Hi, my name is Amanda and Burlap & Babies is my creative outlet! I am a 20-something wife, recent college grad, and new home owner enjoying life in the suburbs of Portland. I love creating decorations for my home using things that make me happy like burlap, twine, and thrifty finds.

Steph at Crafting in the Rain

Steph has some truly amazing DIY projects, and a ton of awesome tutorials. She’s also from the Pacific Northwest, like me! Here’s more about Steph:

I’m Steph, stay-at-home  mom to my three cute kids and wife to my fantastic husband-and best friend. Here you’ll find a smattering of craft projects, DIY, food and kid-friendly activities that keep me busy when it’s gray and wet outside.

I link up at these fun parties!