Me in the Hot Seat ANSWERS!

Here I am, in the Hot Seat ready to answer the questions you asked! Let's get started:

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“Puggle Trouble” ~ What “something good” came out of your last “something bad”?

My last “something bad” made me appreciate my husband more than ever before. I’ll just leave it at that…

"pk @ ROOM REMIX" ~ What's your favorite color (and least favorite color) ?

I love a variety of colors, and depending on the time of year or my mood, my favorite changes! I love so many shades of blue and green, but I also appreciate a good pink too. Right now I am loving red and have been seen around town sporting some red lipstick on occasion, just for the heck of it! I don't think I have a least favorite color...

"Marilyn @ Krafty Mum" ~ Why did you decide to start Somewhat Simple? 

My blog history goes like this: Family blog started in 2007ish after much persuading from my SIL. Personal Blog started a few months later as my own "online journal." I was "hooked on blogging" from then on and decided to make a blog for my business (somewhat simple) which was a boutique-style site where readers could purchase crafts I made. A few months later, Family blog had crazy people looking and commenting on it, so I stopped writing on that one and began using my personal blog for everything family related. The problem with this is that I wanted to share my creative side with everyone, not just close friends, but I didn't want my private life public either, so I started another blog called "A Place that Makes Me Smile" this past April. I wanted a place to showcase the creative side of me and not be so serious all the time. I had so much fun with it and decided it was way more fun to share my creativity than sell it, so I merged A Place that Makes Me Smile with Somewhat Simple in July and the rest is history!

"Lacie@creative attempts" ~ What is the gift you will give neighbors and friends this year? 

 

 

Years ago, my family got a great gift that I will never forget from one of our neighbors. It was a bag of lime Tostitos with a jar of homemade cranberry salsa. It was tied up with a cute holiday ribbon and addressed with a cute card. I am thinking I might do this for my neighbors this year. The salsa recipe is TO DIE FOR!!! (Whatever I do, I am sure there will be a post about!)

"Shandra@ My Honey Do List" ~ What's your favorite project or tip that you've shared?

I love so many of them, but if I had to pick one, I would say I love the Couple’s Collage I did recently for my Master Bedroom. I think because I needed something in that space so badly for so long and it was easy and turned out better than I could’ve imagined. It still makes me smile when I walk in the room!

"Crafty Watching?" ~ What are some of your favorite crafting / decorating movies and television shows?

I used to be addicted to HGTV, but honestly I haven’t watched a single show from there in I don’t know how long. I actually don’t watch a lot of TV! Me and Rob watch 30 Rock, Modern Family & The Office religiously… but those aren’t the best inspiration for decoration! My biggest inspiration comes from other creative bloggers! I have a long list (and a short list) of blogs I read that inspire me better (and faster) than any TV show.

"A Crafty Clan" ~ What's your favorite food to make?

My favorite to make is Mexican food because that’s my favorite type of food to eat! I love any recipe that uses items I don’t have to make a special trip to the grocery store for- something easy, but pretty that makes me proud when I am done making it. Oh, and it has to taste good too.

"Shilo@Toadly Crafty" ~ What is your favorite holiday to decorate for and why?

Christmas. Hands Down. Its my favorite time of year, its my favorite holiday… I just love everything about it!

"Rae @ Two Hands" ~ What is the best advice you've received regarding home decorating and homekeeping?

I can’t recall any “advice” I have been given- I have just learned tips from trial and error along the way. One of my best tips is to have a “junk basket” in every common area of your house- your family room, your loft… any area that tends to be occupied often because these are the places that tend to have stray items linger on the floor. Its amazing how fast a room can go from messy to tidy if you just put the items temporarily in a basket! Then its easy to travel room by room carrying the basket and putting items away. (And get cute baskets if they are out in the open!)

"Nicole @ Beautifully Inspired" ~ What is your least favorite meal / food (and favorite) !

I am so not picky, in fact there are very few things I won’t eat, so its hard to pick a favorite. But my least favorite food is probably mushrooms!

"Scrappy Gifts" ~ What did you eat for breakfast?

A Kit-Kat bar from my kids Halloween stash. And a glass of Cranberry Juice.

"Splendid Little Stars" ~ What is your current most favorite thing about each of your kids?

Ugh, today has been a rough day! I need this question to remind me why I love them! But in thinking about it, I don’t think I can pick one thing, how about 3, is that fair? (I make the rules and I say “yes.”) Ok- Ethan: He is a big help around the house, he is the most caring kid you will ever meet, and he is super smart… sometimes too smart. Leah: I love her sass because it makes me appreciate her sweetness! I love her love for shopping- she is a fun shopping buddy! And I love her girlyness. In a house full of boys, its refreshing sometimes to have someone want you to paint their nails too. Ryan is my big teddy bear- my HUGE teddy bear. I love his cuddles and I love putting him in a trance while scratching his back. I love his laugh and I love his temper- it can be very entertaining!

“Stay in the car mom" ~ What is your favorite paint color? How old are you?

A little un-known secret about me is that while I can appreciate a colorful piece of furniture or a beautifully painted room, the truth is I am such a simple, neutral-loving person and color kind of scares me! I like a pop of color here and there, but the idea of painting a coffee table orange just to make a statement doesn’t sit well with me and I am more likely to paint it black. Call it boring, but its just my taste! Every color wall in my house is painted a color called “Sienna Sands.” We had the builder paint it during construction just so we wouldn’t move into a new home with stark white walls. My intention was to change the wall colors room by room, but now that I am living here, I like the uniformity of it all and would rather decorate with accessories than paint. Am I alone on this? And I am 27 years old.

"Twice Adopted" ~ How did you come up with the name "Somewhat Simple"?

Choosing a name was SOOOO hard for me! I thought for days and days and went through a bazillion names! One afternoon I was talking to my friend about all the “cutsie” names I had thought of and in desperation and frustration I said, “I just want the name to be something somewhat simple.” My friend said, “Well, there ya go! How about ‘somewhat simple?’ and it just felt right!

"Tasha" ~ What advice do you have for working mom's just beginning to really hone their home cooking, creating and decorating skills? What are the tools you just can't live without that we should have? 

 

My advice would be to not be afraid to try things! And try not to get frustrated when it doesn’t turn out the first time. Keep practicing and you will get it, whether its with sewing, cooking, home organization etc. Not all of us are born with a natural gift of all things creative- I sure was not! I have learned EVERYTHING I know from watching others and by being curious enough to try it and disciplined enough to work and become better at it. I am still a work in progress!

And I don’t have any special “tools.” I like my sewing machine, though I don’t use it nearly as often as I could, I love my hot glue gun, and I love the tools I have stolen from my dad in the last year- a small saw and electric sander- before I had that, distressing wood took forever and I was very limited on size when it came to projects with wood!!!

"Question" ~ Who do you have for the Christmas gift exchange? : )

There could only be 3 people asking me this! I actually didn’t know this was a secret and I already told one of my SIL’s! (oops!) To narrow it down, I have someone with the first name Megan and middle name Elizabeth. (For those of you not in my family, I have 2 SIL’s named Megan Elizabeth.)

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Thanks for playing everyone! I enjoyed answering those questions and hope you all feel like you know me just a bit more! Now go tell everyone you know someone famous! He he…