Saturday Spotlight: Real Life Behind the Blogger

Susan from Must Love Junk, and myself (Kris) Junk Chic Cottage wanted to do a regular feature on our blogs, something unique that hasn't been done before.   So we came up with an idea to 'spotlight the real life behind the blogger' in a more personal way.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland, and we thought it would be fun to bring you a closer look at the person behind the blog.

Every week on Saturday we will spotlight a blogger and have them tell us a little bit about themselves and their blogs.  You will be able to see and read about each of the bloggers on both Susan's and my blog.

Good Saturday everyone.  Thank you for coming by each Saturday to my blog and Susan's to get to know two new bloggers on the Spotlight Feature.

This week it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to a sweet and down to earth blogger.  Her name is Laurel and she has a blog called Chipping with Charm.  Her blog is as adorable as she is.  Laurel is a wonderful wife and mom, very talented and creative person.  So sit back and enjoy learning more about Laurel.  Then head over to Susan's blog to meet another wonderful blogger whom I have had the pleasure to meet in person;  Jane from Blondie's Journal.  It is our pleasure to introduce you to these wonderful and talented bloggers each Saturday.

Spotlight: Laurel from Chipping with Charm

Hi there, my name is Laurel and I share my (sometimes crazy) and almost always a little bit "quirky" decorating ideas over on my blog CHIPPING WITH CHARM.

I was so very honored to be invited to share a little bit more about my life with you...thanks for the invitation Kris :)

I am the oldest of 4 girls...love them all so much.

Left to right...Numbers Girl, Teacher Girl, Junk Girl and Hair Girl.  Good combo :)

Growing up our dad was always Mr. DIY...so I guess I inherited the "decorating gene" from him. He is also a pastor and ministered in a church in South Minneapolis our "growing up" years.  I will always be a "city girl" at heart.  Someday, I would love to move back to the city to fix up a beautiful old house...similar to the ones I grew up in.

My mom is the forever "nurturer"...she did daycare for almost 20 years...mom to 4 and second mom to many!!

(Our cousin Jennifer took these pictures for our family last fall downtown Minneapolis...fun!)

My sweet husband and I were married in October of 2000. And he introduced me to garage sales.  The concept of buying other people's discarded things was foreign to me...but I took to it like a "rust on metal".  I wonder if he regrets it??  

We still spend MANY a "romantic" getaway weekends taking the back roads stopping at garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets along the way.

In fact, he's the one who spotted all these vintage headboards at a local junk sale.  He scooped them up knowing we would know just what to do with them.  There they proudly sit "framing" our patio OUT BACK.

As far as our home goes...I'm usually the "idea" girl...and he puts my ideas into reality with his engineering mind and handy tool skills.

I think our craziest...but favorite idea yet is this OLD LADDER CANOPY over our bed.  

I still get the "look" once in a while...but for the most part, he's a willing participant in my junk decorating obsession.

This is where we live.  Nothing fancy...but we're not very "fancy" anyway.

My husband bought this house before we met back in 1998.  It was a really basic house on a "nice piece of land".  After we got married, we did an addition and have been decorating and re-decorating ever since.  

There are many things I "dream" of...bigger bedrooms, a walk in closet, Master bathroom, a"Grown-up" kitchen...maybe someday. For now I am very "content".  More space means more cleaning...NOT my favorite thing to do :(  

I am VERY THANKFUL for what we have.

A couple of years ago we added this little "junk cottage".  I have BIG plans for a little "studio" out there...but right now it's just storage...someday :)

This is part of our view from the front.

And this is a little of what we see from the back.  It's our little piece of "Junk Heaven".

My kids love a good bonfire and some s'mores.  

Hey, have you tried them with peanut butter cups instead of chocolate bars?  Dangerous!!  You've been warned...

But our best "creations" EVER are these two little sweeties.  My son is almost 10 and my daughter just turned 6.  I have been a "stay at home" mom since my son was 10 months old.  We live a happy and very BLESSED life here...wouldn't trade it for anything!  

My daughter starts kindergarten in a few short days.  I am preparing for a new "normal".  Bitter-sweet...so hard to say goodbye to those "pre-school" days.  But also looking forward to moving ahead with some dreams I've had "on hold" for a little while now...

1.  Brushing up on my technology skills.  Basically I'm clueless...it's a miracle I even have a blog.

2.  Using those "new" technology skills to fix up my blog and try to join in the fun with the "big girl" bloggers.  (So far I've been a VERY "casual" blogger...to say the least.)

3.  Develop a few "tool skills" of my own.  That way I can pump out all those projects that have been spinning in my head...and taking up room in my shed :)

4.  Do all of the above things...and be finished and refreshed when my kids get off the bus so that I can enjoy every minute with those little "charmers" before they ZOOM off to college!! 

"The days are long but the years are short."

And I have been BLESSED far beyond all I could "ask or imagine"

(Ephesians 3:20)

So that's my life "behind the blog". Nothing too exciting...but I don't need exciting...I am good with HAPPY.

Thanks so much for taking the time to get to know me better.  I hope you will stop over for a "visit" often!  I would LOVE to get to know YOU better too :)

CHIPPING WITH CHARM

I just want to say thanks again to Kris and Susan for coming up with such a fun idea for a blog series.  I have really enjoyed reading all of the weekly posts and I am so very grateful to be included!

Chat soon,

Laurel

Thank you Laurel for sharing your beautiful pictures and letting us get to know you better.  Now jump over to Susan's blog and read about her Saturday Spotlight blogger Jane from Blondie's Journal.  I had the please to actually meet Jane in person recently and she is so sweet and down to earth you will love learning more about her.  Have a wonderful Saturday and have a safe and happy holiday week end.

Kris
:)

Good Friday Morning Everyone.  I am excited and thrilled to have been asked by Kim over at Southern Savvy Style to be a guest on her My Favorite Room Series.

I love all the rooms in my home.  They reflect my love of a neutral palate and comfy style.  So when Kim asked me to pick a room to feature I had to stop and think about which room I love the most.  I decided to show  my master bedroom.  It is not a big or fancy room but it is a room that is a retreat for myself and my husband at the end of a long day.  I have not shown this room on any other feature so I thought this would be a good choice.

Hop over to Kim's blog and take a look at my master bedroom feature.  Thank you Kim I am so honored to be a part of your Favorite Room Series.

Have a wonderful Friday and a great week end.
Kris
:)

Shabbilicious

And the winner is...........

Linda from Costal Charm.  Congratulation Linda.  Please email me with your name and address so I can get this out to you.Thank you to all that entered.   I wish I had a copy for each of you.  

If you did not win you can still go to Kerryanne's post here and view this lovely magazine on line or go here to learn how you can order your own copy of this beautiful magazine.

Thank you everyone for joining in on the giveaway.
Have a great rest of the week.
Kris
:)

This is Me This is not Me

As some of you may know that have been following my blog, one of my guest rooms was done in a lake theme this past year.  I live in a lake town and thought I should have my guest room reflect that.  I was happy with it until I tried to introduce Red into the room.

When I think of a lake house I think of colors like reds, whites, blues etc.  Brighter bolder colors.

A few weeks ago I showed you how I introduced some red to the scene.  I tried but just could not embrace it.  I am a white, cream very neutral girl.  My whole house is done in white, cream and chippy so this room just felt detached from the rest of the house.

I wanted my guests to feel like they could retreat to this room and be comfy and cozy during their stay.  The Lake theme just screamed "Hey throw on your bathing suit and let's go jump in the lake"!!!!  I just could not embrace that.

Soooooooooooo
I changed up the guest room .  Took everything down and out of the room and started from scratch.  I did not have to buy a thing (just paint)  and I used things I had stored or from other parts of the house to fill the room.

Here is my new guest room.  It is still a work in progress.   I still have a whole wall open for something down the road to hang there. 

 I am heading to Morris where all the cute shops are on Wednesday with my good friend.  I hope to find some things for the new guest room.

Now after reading all of this here goes...........

"THE NOT ME ROOM"

Here is the before.  Don't get me wrong,  I thought the room was really cute but it just did not flow with the rest of my house and I could not embrace the boldness of the red.  This vignette room would be so cute for a small cottage bedroom actually on the lake.  This room was Not Me!!

This is the "Me Room".  As I have said in the past posts this room is probably the hardest to get a picture in.  I would need a fancy camera and special lens to get the perfect shot.  So bear with me and just know the room with the sun streaming in is so pretty.

I added some cute cream and white pillows to the bed.  I re used my white ruffle bed spread and I had this tan and white checked duvet so I added that to the end of the bed.

This is the bike I had out in the garden that was painted blue.  My hubby painted it cream for me so I could move it indoors and add some whimsy to my guest room.

The inspiration for bringing the bike into the room was a few years back my hubby and I stayed in a B&B and each room came with bikes to ride.  It was so much fun so I recreated the memories of that trip.

Added a bouquet of flowers and a little bird with books to the basket.

Remember this bike I have in my the dining room !!!!
My philosophy is you can never have enough bikes or doors!!!! At least that is what I am telling my husband as he shakes his head every time I bring one into the house!!!

 

I added this cute little bike rental sign to my old vintage mail box in the room.

I also love this old "Room for Rent" sign I had.  I think it is cute for this guest bedroom.

I just moved the old vintage door with hangers over to the other wall.  Love the character the old door adds to the room.

These are the old shutters that I had turned the other way to make the headboard in the Lake theme.  I turned them around and they were more natural wood and chippy white.  I staggered them on each side of the window.

Here are the new "old" curtains.  I  bought these curtains at Feathered Nest in Morris.  They were too long and there was no valance.  So I got out my trusty sewing machine and made a rod pocket for the top of thecurtains and cut one panel down to make the valance.  Not to shabby for someone that only can sew a straight line!!!

I am looking for a cute side table.  For now I have the old painted counter stool.  I would like to find something unique for the side table.

I am not real happy with this door yet.  I love the old vintage mail box on the door but not sure about the old frame and door knob.  That could be changing.

I still have my dear angel hanging that the hubby got me for Christmas last year.  She is hanging on an old barn shutter.  Now my guests have a guardian angel to watch over them as they sleep.

There you have it.  The beginning of the new guest room.  Call me crazy but I just could not get into the red lake room.  Now I feel like this room flows with the rest of my house.  I love change so this room is a work in progress.  I do love the softer more relaxing palate in this room
Have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by.  I love all your sweet comments on my transformations.
Kris
:)

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