So I normally don’t participate in things that gets passed around (like chain mail, themed blog posts that you have to pass on to another person, etc.) but when my friend Laurel from A Bubbly Life asked me to participate in the Blog Hop I happily agreed because 1) Laurel is awesome and has great taste and 2) the questions seemed like a great way for you all to get to know me a little better. So here goes:
What am I working on?
This was the plan for my gallery wall…although it turned out completely different! I can’t wait to share my upcoming post on gallery walls.
Well as you probably have noticed, I moved last week to a new apartment in Maryland to be closer to Tom’s job since I no longer work at the Pentagon. I’ve been unpacking boxes/moving around furniture/and deciding what to get rid of because the layout of this place just does not accommodate room for all of our furniture. While things are still a bit of a mess, I did start hanging pictures yesterday, so the picture above is a little sneak peak at the gallery wall plan (stay tuned for how it actually turned out!).
How does my work differ from those in my genre?
This gallery wall includes a German wood-carved angel, Hawaiian art, and even TJ Maxx finds.
I’m really still trying to figure out my blogger voice, so I don’t know if I really have a genre yet. I definitely lean more towards the decorating side, but also love anything pretty that catches my eye. I guess the thing that makes me different is that I’m ok to open up and share with the world that I’m not perfect, I have struggles, and have lived a real life. I think so many people try to convey to the world that their lives are perfect, but honestly I think that’s rather unhealthy, plus it creates a sort of unrealistic expectation that can make readers feel inadequate because their lives aren’t as “perfect.” Additionally, I’m not formally trained so I’m not constrained by the “rules.” This means that when I’m decorating I’m not afraid to just try whatever I think looks pretty!
Why do I write/create what I do?
This was my bed in Afghanistan. I decorated as much as I could (and brought a pink lamp all the way from Hawaii).
Well to tell you the truth, I had been encouraged to start a blog for a while before I actually did. As an Army officer I didn’t have much of a creative outlet aside from decorating my own apartment, so I finally got the guts to start the blog in October 2013…although I was too afraid to write anything for a while so actual posts didn’t come until a bit later. The main reason I started the blog is because I submitted photos of my home to The Everygirl for a potential home tour. It seemed a bit of a stretch and I wasn’t sure I’d get selected, but I wanted to make sure I had a blog in the off chance that they actually liked me and my home. Turns out they did (I waited to hear back for over a month and assumed that it just wasn’t meant to be), and one day as I was walking into the Pentagon I got the email saying they wanted to feature my home. I was so excited that I wanted to scream and jump up and down! Although for some reason that seems to be frowned upon in that sort of environment (who would have thought, right?). Here is the link to my home tour if you haven’t seen it yet!
How does my creative/writing process work?
So if I’m on a run, working on some project, browsing the internet or a magazine or just walking down the street, inevitably my mind starts to wander to decorating ideas, potential projects, etc. Things often come to me from a color scheme I’ll see out and about, or a pretty photo in a magazine, or just an item I see that speaks to me. My favorite thing is to use items unexpectedly, and I love to show readers the possibilities that everyday items have. While I don’t claim to be overly frugal, I do try to incorporate lots of affordable items so that my design ideas are easily attainable.
Next on the Blog Hop.
Up next is Monica from Cake and Lilies. I happened to meet Monica at a rewardStyle event about 2 months ago, and she is every bit as sweet as she seems on her blog. She’s super genuine, has great style and taste, and her posts just seem so personal and welcoming that you feel like you’re her friend just from reading her blog.
Thanks for taking a glimpse into the “behind the scenes” of Life with a Dash of Whimsy! I hope you enjoyed it!
Fun read…..I do enjoy your blog and "getting to know you" through your posts. As a twenty eight year Army spouse (two years to go!) I feel a connection to you and your style. I once had a friend tell me that my house was like a scrapbook of our life….which is exactly how I want it to be! Best wishes on your new life and thanks for your service and sacrifice. JQ
I love the pic of the bed in Afghanistan, I dont think I ever saw colored sheets in the pics Nick sent me haha. Thank you for joining the hop Katie and cannot wait to see the gallery wall!
Fun read…..I do enjoy your blog and "getting to know you" through your posts. As a twenty eight year Army spouse (two years to go!) I feel a connection to you and your style. I once had a friend tell me that my house was like a scrapbook of our life….which is exactly how I want it to be! Best wishes on your new life and thanks for your service and sacrifice. JQ
I love the pic of the bed in Afghanistan, I dont think I ever saw colored sheets in the pics Nick sent me haha. Thank you for joining the hop Katie and cannot wait to see the gallery wall!