Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

Karen from Somewhat Quirky Design

 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.

This week it is my pleasure to introduce you to Karen from Somewhat Quirky Design blog.

Karen has a great sense of humor and tells it like it is.  That is what I love about her blog. What you see is what you get with Karen.  She keeps it real.  Now that I have asked her to do Spotlight I found out something I did not know about her.  She is from MIchigan right near where I grew up.  So see the fun things we learn about each other through this feature.

Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy reading and getting to know Karen.  Then hop over and introduce yourself to Karen if you do not already know her.  You will love her.

Hello!

I'm Karen and I blog at Somewhat Quirky Design.

Not that I'm quirky or anything.  And I'm not a designer.

But one or two people have said my home is quirky.

I can't attest to that, but it is a reflection of my love-hate relationship with my house and it's contents.

 


I live with a lot of things I love.

I love Mr. Quirky.

I love my cats.

I love a lot of my stuff.




 

I won't say that there are things I hate about my house, but there are a lot of things that I have to workaround and that I just try to make do about.

Like all of us do.

These are the things I blog about.

My house. The stuff I make. The places I visit. Things I think about. And cake. How's that for a niche?

 

But this little visit to Kris's Junk Chic Cottage is supposed to be about the life behind the blogger.  I'm supposed to tell you about the behind the scenes stuff.  The intriguing stuff.  Stuff that will make you love me. Hah!

 

So let's see . . .

I have 4 sisters.  Wonderful people. 

I have 2 adult children. Wonderful people. They were raised by a village and the village did good.

Mr. Quirky and I live in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. 

In my most recent life I developed and implemented health promotion programs for schools, companies, communities and hospitals.  I left all that glamor for the glamor of living a happy, quite frugal existence in my quaint little neighborhood, hanging out with women who either are stay at home moms, or are retired (you know, people who have a GOOD reason not to work).

I paint furniture and do custom painting for clients to make a little money here and there.

The turn-around time on most of my home projects is about 2 years. I have at least 4,571 projects going at once. Can you say project ADHD?

Some things I love: vintage juicers, architectural salvage, hydrangeas, making anything, pretty music, trees in bloom, walking outdoors, looking in peoples windows, barn sales, other peoples junk, puzzles, wine, Jimmy Fallon, John Stewart, Karen Carpenter, and CAKE.

Some things I don't like so much: the tile floor in my kitchen, the sink in my kitchen, the faucet in my kitchen, most new stuff, big stereo speakers, hard rock, toilets that don't flush, grey skies, my hip when it hurts, weeds in people's gardens, shopping for more than one hour, and insomnia.

A few other things that might fascinate you about me:

First job (after age 16) - TG&Y - remember that?
My favorite quote - When the world shakes you up and spills you out - what comes out is what you're full of.
Favorite place to travel in the US - San Fransisco with a swing up to Napa and Sonoma Valley (and anywhere else that makes wine)
I've never owned a new couch.
I've lived about 10 miles from Canada for 7 years now and yet I've never gone.
My winter mantle is still up - glaring at me as I write this.
I love to sing. But I'm not so good at it anymore.
I watch a little too much television.
Books are important to me.
I used to dress up a lot.
I wear ugly slippers.

And last but certainly not least . . .

Actually the most important thing of all . . .

I've chosen this platform to make this rather HUGE announcement . . .

I'm leaving town, Mr. Quirky, Sammy and Sidney (the cats) for one whole month . . . 

To do something that I've never done before . . . 

And I'm so excited . . . 




 

So blessed . . .

So very happy . . .

to be going to Oklahoma . . .

to be there, wait for it . . . . . . . . . for the BIRTH OF MY GRANDSON!

I'm a granny!

So there.

Whoo-hoo!

Thanks so much for listening, guys! It's been fun chatting.

I'm off to pack now.

Make some wonderful things while I'm gone and I hope you'll come visit me soon.

There will be cake. 

I'll show you that baby!


Karen

Thank you Karen for sharing yourself with all of us this week in Spotlight. We all will look froward to seeing that new bundle of grand love!!!!!

 I want to take a minute to say thank you for all the email hugs and prayers sent to me this week as I have been recovering from my surgery.  I am slowly but surely coming to a better place of health.

Hoping this week to start to getting back to visiting all of you and seeing what you are up too.

I just still cannot sit for long periods of time at my computer so slow but sure I will get to visiting you soon.  Have a great week.

Kris

:)

Spring Awaking Garden

Happy Sunday.  I am recovering from my surgery and doing great.  Hope to be back to my old self again soon.

Before I went into the Hospital last Wednesday I decided to take some pics of my spring garden waking up and  some Spring decor added to the porch.

I brought out my wren bird house for a little decor on the porch and added a nest and some faux flowers with the vintage garden sign.  That clever Terry took some pieces of chalk board and put it behind the wholes in the house so the birds could not get in there.  Otherwise I would have birds dive bombing everyone that comes and goes.  Just wanted this house this year for decor on the porch.

This is the nice faux spring flower arrangement my good friend gave me back before Easter.  Love it on my yellow front door.

The daffodils are finally popping open and the perennials are beginning to come to the surface of the garden beds.  It is good to see the brown flower beds start to show green life popping up.
  Love the
 pops of bright yellow the daffodils give to the front yard.

My cherub bird bath I use as a feeder in the winter and spring.  Birds look for food more than water in these seasons.  I will fill it with water when I do my May planting of flowers in the garden.  The Robin's love to play in the water.

Daffodils are signs of hope and renewal  so I am so happy to see so many pop up in the yard.

I planted some pansy's I got from the garden center in this old drawer made into a flower box on my cottage nest door.  They are good for the spring weather until it is time to plant summer annuals. 

My little design assistant wanted to photo bomb.  She is squinty eyed with the sun.  I am on the hunt for a cute new rug for in front of the door.

This is a "true basset hound face" right here.  The I really don't care look unless of course someone says TREAT!!!!
Here in Chicago land we are starting to hold onto Spring and get some good temps.  The trees and plants are beginning to spring up from their long winter sleep.
Hope you are seeing Spring where you are.
Love these 70 and sunny days.
Kris
:)