Tour through Blogland

Hope y'all had a great weekend. We spent most of ours working on the master bath and watching football. Check back for a progress update on Wednesday.

I was so excited when Ashley texted me asking if I wanted to be nominated for the Tour through Blogland. Sometimes I don't follow through with these kinds of things because they can be a lot of work but I knew this was the perfect opportunity since I have some new friends around here to introduce myself to.

If you haven't heard about the Tour through Blogland it is basically a weekly tour in which bloggers share about themselves, their homes and their blogs You'll find out who I'm passing it on to at the end!!

You may have heard mention of Ashley @ Attempts at Domestication because she is another RVA blogger and we have met on several occasions (and are planning a lunch date soon since we work close by now!) Her and her husband are an amazing DIY duo and make farmhouse dining tables for fun, what?

*And if you are stopping in from Ashley's blog, start here! And leave me a comment so I can get to know you!*

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This is how she described our friendship:

"Samantha is a local Richmond blogger that I met at a blogging event last year and she’s a very talented interior designer. It’s so nice to have a local blog friend that I can talk shop with and she doesn’t think I’m a weirdo. "

Um, maybe I do think you're a weirdo...kidding :) She really isn't so go check out her tour!!

Ok lets get started!!

1) What am I working on now?
-Well you know about the master bath "reno" but what you may not know is what we plan to do once we finish that.
-We are going to paint the master bedroom (because its that same awful lime green)
-Work on the gallery wall in the entry/living room. I found a console table at World Market (all thanks to Sam @ The Junk House). I've got it all worked out in my head. I just need to execute!!
-Oh and Tim is going to paint the brass fireplace screen!!

-For Fall, I want to ACTUALLY make some decorations this year (and not at the end of the season). I want to start with a banner like the one below. If I were Gabby, I would have 20 done by now ;)

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-I also have design boards made up for my laundry room because a girl can dream, right?

2) How does my work differ from other's in my genre?

I think that since we are new to this whole DIY gig, we tend to want to let the professionals do some of the work. Whereas I think lots of other DIY bloggers do EVERYTHING themselves even if that means watching hours of tutorials. I also work with alongside the professionals on a daily basis and know the value of their experience and knowledge.

I also think that my blog differs from other DIY blogs because I am an interior designer by day and by night ;) So it feels like there is this expectation for me to have a jaw-dropping house designed from top to bottom. Well folks, that is not the case. I have a budget just like everybody else. I wish I had a magic wand to wave and just make my home look "pinterest-y" but I don't. It's okay...I love it just the way it is because its my home that I share with Tim and Artie!

3) How does my creative process work?

Slowly. My brain uses a creative process 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Since its ingrained in me, I tend to carry it into my personal design decisions as well. I am very much a worry-wart so I try to be very thorough and tend to be cautious. It basically means I am afraid to make mistakes (which I know is dumb) This causes my process to be slow because I could spend months finding the perfect tile or finding the best deal for fear of missing out later on. This drives the hubby nuts because he is usually ready to start right away.


4) Why do I write/create what I do?

I do most of my writing late at night. And now that its football season, I blog while Tim watches football. I do try to map out my posts beforehand in my head or on paper so that I can just sit and write instead of spending hours (on Pinterest)

The direction of my blog has changed a bit since we bought a house in March. I document our projects so that you can come along on our DIY journey. Our home has already changed so much in 6 months and I LOVE looking back to see how far we have come. I continue to write and come back to this space because of the love and support I receive from all of you! YOU ARE THE BEST! You make my day. I also love blogging for the connections. I have made so many friends and learned so much from fellow DIY bloggers.

I nominate The Junk House & Jade and Oak

To end the tour, I have decided to show our house when we first saw it and how it looks today!! What change do you think made the biggest impact?