The Tour Through Blog Land ...

Have you been following the tour through blog land? What a fun way to get to know your favorite bloggers a little better and make some new friends along the way. I think the very best part of blogging is getting to know the person behind the blog!
 

 

I was invited to join the tour by my friend Suzanne over at Simply Suzanne's at Home. Suzanne is a regular at our Tuesday Be Inspired Link Party and you've seen her featured here quite a few times. When you visit Suzanne's blog, the first thing you notice is the absolutely stunning photography. Reading the Q & A of the tour, I learned that Suzanne takes over 150 photos a day. Believe me, it shows. This girl has mad skills!

 

Suzanne considers her blog a personal journal that she writes with her daughters in mind. You will find mouth-watering recipes, family traditions, entertaining and decorating ideas and beautiful seasonal inspiration. I hope you get a chance to visit Suzanne's blog, you will definitely feel right at home!

 

  

Now for the Q & A .....
 

What am I working on?

Well believe it or not, I'm working on Christmas! I actually made a few Christmas wreaths this week. Don't worry, you won't see any holiday decorations in my home until after Thanksgiving. I'm generally not a fan of moving on to the next holiday too soon. But my business life pretty much revolves around our tag sale schedule and our holiday open house happens in early November. That means decorating the shop from top to bottom in vintage holiday goodness. I need to get a head start. And of course I have several furniture pieces in progress in the garage at the moment. I'm taking full advantage of the gorgeous fall weather!

 

How does my work differ from other's of it's genre?
Well there are certainly lots of similarities out there, but I think each blog has it's own voice and a unique story to tell. So even though there are lots of girls painting furniture and blogging about it, we each bring our own look and feel to it. If you follow a blog for a while, the voice of the blogger becomes very familiar. There is something very comfortable about that. As I scroll though my reader, I often recognize a blogger simply by the post title. And at just a glance, I can pick out bloggers I know at a link party. And here is the perfect example of that - there are four of us at Elizabeth & Co. and our customers tell us they can usually tell which furniture pieces come from each of us. So even though we're all pretty much doing the same thing, we're doing it in our own unique style!

 

Why do I write what I do?

The blog started out as my way of chronicling the adventures Elizabeth & Co. and also as a way to get the word out about who we are and what we do. So most of my posts are about furniture projects and our tag sales. I really do love the process of transforming a neglected piece of furniture and giving it a brand new life. And I enjoy sharing the details. Not every post is a full-blown tutorial, but I do make a point to share details and how-to information in every post. I am so appreciative of those who have been generous with their knowledge and expertise. I'm just paying it forward.

 

Not every post is about the business. I try to mix it up and include whatever DIY, craft or sewing project I might be working on at home. As much as I enjoy painting furniture, I get bored easily and like to try other creative projects too. The Garden Party came from my love for playing in the dirt. And I occasionally enjoy sharing bits and pieces of my real life along the way.

 

How does my writing process work?

I am by nature a planner, an organizer and a very detail oriented person. So it's kind of surprising that when it comes to blogging, I pretty much just wing it! The Tuesday Be Inspired Party and the monthly Garden Party give some structure to my blogging schedule. I then try to post at least one project, sometimes two, during the rest of the week. And I really just post whatever moves me at the moment. There is no grand plan and I don't share every project. That would just be boring for you and exhausting for me!

 

And to be honest, blogging is incredibly time consuming. You can quickly become totally overwhelmed by your very own blog. And then there is trying to follow, comment and support your blogging friends. Add in all the social media options out there and my head starts spinning. On a regular basis I make a point to remind myself that I can not do it all. And guess what, that's perfectly okay! I love that I get to share and be a part of the blogging community. I've learned so much and met the best people. I think I've found a pretty good balance between my business life, blogging life and personal life. That balance will be different for each of us, but I think it's the key to being a happy blogger and more importantly, a happy person!

 

Okay, now I get to introduce you to a few of my favorite blogging friends. It's their turn to join the blog land tour and answer the very same questions!

Megan blogs over at Our Pinteresting Family. She is a busy working mom with three adorable little ones. And she is a total sweetheart who just happens to live right around the corner from me. I love when our paths cross! Megan always has really cute, fun and thrifty ideas. She's finds things on clearance, then pulls them out to make cool stuff. Some projects are easy enough to involve the kids and you'll always find lots of great gift ideas too. Megan has a handy husband and they also share wonderful remodeling projects. Megan has been blogging for almost three years and her most recent post is a round-up of fabulous fall ideas!

Allison from Fab Rehab Creations has three active little boys and a love for painting furniture and saving the landfills! Allison has mastered the natural wood top and just the perfect amount of distressing. And she's brave about trying new products and techniques. I find lots of great inspiration at Fab Rehab Creations and I know you will too!

Danielle from The Painted Willows has been blogging for a few months now and she's off to a great start! You'll definitely want to stop by and welcome her to the blogging world. Danielle not only creates beautiful painted furniture and crafts, but she has a real knack for styling too! I could definitely learn a thing or two from her. And don't you love the sweet family photo!

 

Hetty is from Stone House Workshop. She always leaves such sweet and encouraging comments. I love that her blog combines her interest in painting furniture and in needlework. Hetty is a certified knitting instructor and teaches both children and adults. It's that time of year when cozy throws sound so warm and comforting! And I'm just a teensy, tiny bit jealous of Hetty's brand new workshop for painting furniture!

 

 I hope you get a chance to stop by and visit these amazingly talented women!