Me- When did you start blogging?
Jen- It all began a little over a year ago - just when I was
starting to find the niche for my business.
At first it was pretty slow, but the more I blogged, the more page hits
I got, and the more followers I attained.
Me- How did you get
into blogging? Did a particular blog/ person inspire you?
Jen- Friends and family commented on how much they enjoyed seeing
my work on face book, so I decided to keep an online journal of my pieces for
them to enjoy. I also wanted a place
where I could post tutorials for those who asked. As I was getting started, I searched out
other blogs, such as Miss Mustard Seed (http://missmustardseed.com), Shauna
West (http://www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com) and Centsational Girl
(http://www.centsationalgirl.com). They
were the three main ones which I strive towards, as far as their layout and
content.
Me- What is your
favorite thing about blogging?
Jen- I love the freedom in it.
Having graduated from university not long ago, it’s nice to be able to
enjoy writing about whatever I feel like, and not have people criticize it, rip
it apart, and mark it. It’s so enjoyable
to write about things I’m passionate about.
I love interacting with those who read my blog, reading the comments and
responding to questions.
Me-Tell me about
how you got into refinishing furniture? Is it hard? What keeps you inspired?
Jen- In 2008, when your brother Mark and I were married, we were
starting out in a little apartment, with very little money. All of our furniture was either home made, or
found on the side of the road. I had a
specific coffee table set that I painted white, and switched the pulls to these
fun, yellow rose pulls I had found for sale at Anthropologie. My friends loved the set, and many offered to
buy it if I ever wanted to sell it. That
sparked an idea, and in 2011, I started painting furniture, while I was in
teacher’s college. When I graduated, the
job market for teaching was pretty bleak, so Mark encouraged me to pursue a
business in furniture painting. Soon
enough I discovered milk paint… and it took off from there.
Me-I know you have
twin girls (my nieces). How do you stay balanced?
Jen- Ah, my little darlings.
They fill our lives with so much love and happiness. Staying balanced is probably my biggest
challenge. When I was pregnant with
twins, everyone looked at my with big eyes and exclaimed, “oh boy - you’ll be
busy!” I really didn’t expect to have
much of a life after they were born.
However, I got some pretty easy babies (half being they have a
good-natured temperament, the other half focused on getting them on a good
schedule). So for me to actually be able
to paint furniture is awesome! However I
need to not lay any expectations on myself - one piece a week is more than
enough - and I need to realize that most of my furniture work is done after 7,
when they are in bed for the night.
Sometimes I wish I had a part-time job instead, so I could ’leave work
at work’. However, I am able to stay at
home full time with my kids, which is such a great blessing.
Me- What would you
like to tell young moms out there who are struggling with how to fit creativity
into their lives?
Jen- Make time for yourself.
The husband can do the dishes when he comes home. It’s okay to buy frozen meals. Carve out a time each day - say, from 1 -
2pm, when the kids are napping, the hubs is at work, and the house is
quiet. Go on Pinterest. Look at that Style At Home magazine you
picked up from the grocery store. Do
whatever you need to do to feel inspired, and don’t feel guilty for doing
it! We as women are designed to want to
create a home for the people we love the most - our husbands and kids. Buy that rug from Homesense. Paint your piano. It’s your house, you have to look at it
everyday. And most importantly, have
fun! Carve our time to have fun with your family, have fun doing projects, have
fun being who you are designed to be. J
A big Thank You to Jen for being a guest on my blog!
.JPG)
