Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

Linda: It all started with Paint
January 10th

Good Morning.  Happy Saturday.  I am excited to introduce you to a fellow Chicagoan.  Linda from It all started with Paint blog.  Sit back and enjoying meeting Linda and seeing her beautiful 100 year old home in the City of Chicago.  So beautiful every room.  You will feel like you are flipping through your favorite decor magazine as you read her feature.  After you have gotten to know Linda please hop over to her lovely blog and Etsy Shop.  Have a wonderful week end.

Kris

Hello Junk Chic Cottage readers! I'm humbled, honored, and so excited to be spotlighted here on Saturday Spotlight! Thank you so much Kris for sharing me with your friends and fans!   

 My name is Linda and I blog at It All Started with Paint …

I’m a born-and-bred Jersey girl who currently lives in Chicago with my husband, two children, and beagle Ernie. And when I say “currently,” I don’t mean we just moved here. In fact, my husband is a born-and-bred-Midwesterner. And my kids are official “L” train-riding Chicago city kids.   You see, I’ve been here since 1993.   And in 1995, my husband and I bought our first home.With a 5-7 year plan in mind.     And here we remain, closing on 20 years later!   I started my blog a few years ago to document my efforts as I redecorate our home, room-by-room, on a very tight budget. It was slow going at first, but I made some real progress in 2014. In fact, I’m just one room away from starting all over again!   I kid you not. I thought it would be appropriate to start this tour at the front door. Which I like to dress up for the holidays. Here’s one of my favorites, my Halloween porch …     And I share how I painted that no-math-required diamond patterned porch rug here.   Once inside, you’ll be greeted by my board and batten entry. This space used to be very, very sad. A poor first impression. And a wasted use of space. But now it’s not only pretty … it's functional too. With plenty of hooks for coats and backpacks and hats ...     After we installed the faux board and batten wall treatment in the entry -- using only hammers, nails, and lots of hard-earned sweat equity – I made an executive decision that I needed it EVERYWHERE!   So the next day I ran out to the home improvement store and bought a brad nail gun and compressor.   I kid you not.   I’ve gone a bit batty for board and batten. It just seems to suit our 100+ year old home. So I installed it in our remodeled living room …     I just love how the navy pops against the crisp white board and batten ...     And I installed it in our remodeled dining room …     A remodel inspired by my amazing navy and white striped rug …     When you turn around, you’ll see I haven’t installed board and batten in our kitchen …   The kitchen.   *Sigh*   Where it all started. And where the blog name came from. My “honey, I think I’m going to paint the walls in the kitchen” steamrolled into a new quartz counter top and new glass tile back splash and new sink and faucet and ripping out and replacing the rotted out sink basin and me painting the builder-grade oak cabinets …   Funny thing … I’m gearing up to give the kitchen a second makeover. Tee hee. Don't tell my husband. ;)   I see chunkier top molding on the cabinets. I see a lighter cabinet color palette. I see a chalkboard wall. I see subway tile. I see exposed shelving. I see making better use of that load-bearing wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room.   Yes. It will be a big project in 2015!   Then there’s the teeny, tiny first floor powder room.   It got in on the board and batten action as well ...     But it’s probably best known for my painted bathroom sink …   That’s right. I actually painted the sink …   Yeah. I’m crazy like that!   This past year, I finally finished the remodel of our family/sun room. This space was looking a ripped and ragged after 14 years of love. So this was a top-to-bottom redo. Paint. Rugs. Curtains. Bamboo blinds. A new Ikea sectional …   It’s officially our favorite space in the house! {You can explore more of the family room by clicking here …}   Although, for me, the new work space/craft nook I carved out for myself in the basement runs a close second.     You can find out more about my industrial look workspace by clicking here.   To wrap up the first floor tour, one of our favorite places to be in the summer months is on the screen porch.     A refuge for us Chicago dwellers. A place we dream about for nine {and some years, ten} months out of the year. Depending on the polar vortex … You can see more of my home tour and room remodels by visiting my Home Tour tab on my blog {click here}. And when you’re there, be sure to check out my project galleries for my crafts, recipes, and sewing projects.   Oh, and I have a second blog too. Mason Jar Crafts Love. It’s all about the millions of things people do with their mason jars ...   that doesn’t involve canning! Thank you Kris for featuring me at Saturday Spotlight! Again, I’m honored and humbled!

Thank you Linda for sharing yourself and your beautiful home with all of us.  It was a sweet pleasure to have a fellow Chicago blogger to Spotlight this week.  :)

* New Chalkboard * New Coffee Bar *

Good Sunday to all of you.  As we end the holiday week end.  Hope you all had a great Christmas and great New Years.

I have a little post today on my new chalk board and with change ups going on in my dining room I moved the coffee bar.

This was the old coffee bar I had in my dining room.  Now with a change up to the dining room I will no longer have this coffee bar.

No worries...........

Just moved it into the Kitchen.

So hard to get a good picture in this kitchen ughhh!

It does look much nicer in "real life" than in these pictures.

Remember this old vintage frame that had the queen sign in it over my desk.  Some of you suggested a chalk board inside that frame would look great.

Well I have to agree.  It makes for a cute chalk board.

Hope your New Year is starting out to be creative and fun.  I am enjoying the little switch-a-roos for the start of the new year.  Still working on the dining room hope to get that done this week.
Have a great week.
Stay warm.
Kris
:)