Tour Through Blog Land

A few weeks ago I was asked by my friend Renee to participate in the Tour Through Blog Land series. She blogs over at The Refined Relic and we’ve become fast friends. Renee always has kind and encouraging words to say. Her home is beautiful. She continues to inspire me with her creative vignettes and styling. Renee has a heart for Christ and helping to lift others up. She’s the best.

I feel honored that she asked me to participate in this weekly series in which bloggers share a little about themselves, their homes and their blogs. You can find Renee’s tour here.  Isn’t her home farmhouse fabulous?

I live on an island but it’s not fancy at all.  It’s actually the best of both worlds.  I can sit on my back porch with my cup of coffee, smell the salt air and hear the horns from the boats.  I can sip lemonade on my front porch and hear the sounds of cows mooing in the distance. The house sits on three acres, two of which have been left undeveloped. This is partly because Ted and Trixie our resident gopher turtles live peacefully in burrows they’ve created all over the back of the property.  It has also become a habitat for many species of birds.  Around dusk, when the birds are heading to the marsh to find dinner, you can hear the sound of their wings flapping in unison as entire flocks cross over the house.  It’s an amazing experience. It’s 75 yards from the front door to the gate and I feel so blessed every time I pull into the driveway.  After five years, I feel like my style is finally defined.  I know, right? It took me long enough.  When I first moved out here I had a very coastal décor.  There were shells and shades of sea glass everywhere.  But after a few years, I decided to use those items only in the summer months when my memories of time spent on the beach with my family were at their highest.  Sure, I lived on the island but I didn’t need to create a coastal cottage to make it feel like home. I’ve started room-by-room transitioning coastal elements for a more farmhouse aesthetic.  I grew up in a big farm family and although we moved around a lot because my dad was in the military for 45 years, my heart is definitely on the farm.  I can imagine doing dishes by hand at an apron front sink looking out to a yard full of goats, Live Oak trees, and wide-open spaces.  James Taylor will probably be playing and the entire house will smell like apple pie. All of the participants in the Tour of Blog Land have been asked these questions.  Here are my answers… What am I working on? I just finished updating the breakfast area this week.  I added drop cloth curtains, changed out pillows and added weathered wicker chairs for extra seating.  Here is a look before the change:

And with just a few updates this past week:

I updated the coffee station as well.  I love waking up to the smell of a fresh pot of coffee.  Don’t you? My next project will either be the living room or the kitchen.  The house has a very open floor plan and all of the rooms save for the bedrooms open to each other.  If I were a betting person, I would say it’s probably going to be the living room.  I’m on the search for a reasonably priced kilim rug until I can decide what color to paint the kitchen walls and if subway tiles should rock the backsplash.  Of course, both of those things may take a while ha ha. Why do I write/create what I do? I know what it’s like to move from city to city.  I’ve lived in an apartment that was so small it didn’t have a pantry and my box of Pop Tarts graced the kitchen counters.  I’ve pined for months over white kitchen cabinets and slipcovers for my brown micro suede sofa.  I’ve made a thousand decorating mistakes and swore I was going to LOVE a trendy makeover only to tire of it a few short months later.  I write what I do because I work on making my home a haven, room by room just like you.  I have a budget just like you.  I feel like if we can encourage each other through the things we love and the things we struggle with we can create inspirational spaces together. Which influences my answer to the next question, how does my work differ from others in my genera? It’s because of the experiences listed above that makes my work different.  Even if I had an unlimited budget I don’t think I could let myself buy $1200 leather club chairs.  I feel at my best when challenged by a thrift store budget.  It forces me to come up with creative solutions that I may have not had otherwise.  I feel blessed to work with so many different artists, crafters, junkers, diy-ers and small business owners.  Just being around others who are so passionate about what they do makes me constantly strive to be better.  I get to create vignettes in my booth at The Pickers Market and at home.  I get to drive around in The Cherry Bomb visiting old barns and warehouses, estate sales and thrift stores giving old treasures new life.  It’s honestly the best job in the world. How does my creative writing process work? I’m learning to be more organized with my life and that helps me to be more organized with my blog posts.  Every project I’m working on be it a dresser to sell in my booth or a room makeover at home is documented and shared on the blog. I’m naturally wordy so the editing process takes me the longest with regard to my post material. I also take time to step away from the business side of things to fill my creativity bank.  I’ll hang out with my family, walk on the beach, read magazines, hike my favorite trails or share a cup of coffee with a friend. I hope you enjoyed this post.  I love to hear from you and read your comments and emails.  They make my day.  I want to introduce you to two of my other blog friends.  I met Angie from The Altered Past at Haven.

She’s an early riser too so we would meet at breakfast each morning and share ideas.  Angie has mad painting skills and creativity flows out of every pore.

Definitely check out this post. Kelly from Corner of Main is one talented lady.  I first met her through Instagram and we began exchanging emails.  She hosted the first link party I ever joined and she has been an encouragement ever since. Kelly is an eye doctor, wife and busy Mom.  She’s in the middle of renovating her 1920’s kitchen.  I don’t know where she finds the time for everything but she makes it look flawless.  Check out her ideas here.

You won’t want to miss their Tour of Blog Land on September 1^st!

Many blessings, CoCo