Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Insperational Interview- Shelley Smith

If you don't have this blog on your list of daily drop -in's... You will.
Shelly. Is. Amazing.
I love every single thing about her blog...
and her business.
She is darling.
AND
She makes me want to find a home with wonderful bones and make it beautiful from the ground up.
Just like she is.
Please treat yourself to a visit or two, or three...
and you just might find yourself pouring over her projects the way that I do... Enjoy!

1. How did you choose the name of your business and or blog?

I kind of feel like our home has taken on a personality all it's own... so I thought... what better way then to acknowledge that, then by giving it it's "on blog! :)  House of Smiths! 

2. What is your morning ritual?

**siiiigh**  I'm suppose to be honest right? :)
About 8:30 when the kids FINALLY have had enough of eating dry cereal and water (the only things they can actually get to by themselves)  I stumble out of bed... get the "real" breakfast going, make beds, start laundry, and by that time the kids are finished.  So it's down to the basement we go! 
A show or two for the girls, and my work (the computer) for me! lol.
Vinyl orders, and blogland till about 11:00 or so... and then I actually start my day.
I find that the kids play the BEST in the morning (aka: bug me less) so we have started this ritual of working and THEN getting ready for the day.

Am I the only one who feels like if I get my kids really READY for the day... JUST for the sake of "getting ready" then they always want to know "where we are going???"  
Like... just because I did their hair and put on jeans... they think I have big plans?
I guess we need to just start getting "ready" more often and wear PJ's less during the day. ha!

3. What inspires you?

Pretty pictures.  Really.  It's as simple as that.  I love a GREAT photograph.
Ooo... and fonts.  REALLY GREAT FONTS!
I know that this comes from the "Vinyl Business Gal" in me, but sometimes... when I don't know which direction to go, in a design... I just look at my hundreds and hundreds of fonts, and get inspired!

4. What is a little know fact about yourself?

I love ice in my cereal.  Won't eat it without.  I LOVE milk, but HATE when it get's warm.  And I ONLY drink skim.  My girls ask for ice in their cereal now too.  hee hee.  My hubby thinks we've all lost it.

5. What is the furthest destination that you have traveled to from the United States?

Cabo.  It was beautiful!  Can't wait to go back.

6. What was your intention in starting your blog?

Well... I have a family blog, and a vinyl business blog... but I wanted a blog where I could put down all my thoughts and Ideas for my HOME!
I'm obsessed with LOVING the space I live in.  And I didn't want to bombard my family blog with small details like different paint types and wall treatments.
I had no idea that I would LOVE my new blog as much as I do!  It's become a passion of mine now, to share with my readers, all the fun things that I've learned how to do, as we "check off" our list of home improvement projects!

7. What is your favorite color?

Right now?...... white. lol.  Does that count?
Love it.  Fresh, clean, versatile....it's the best.

8. Greatest influence?

Blogland.  No, really.
I get influenced by all the creativeness that is out there... EVERY DAY!  It never ceases to amaze me, all the talent that is really just... sitting there for everyone to see!
Some of my other influences are

Pottery Barn
Ballard Design
and
Restoration Hardware
9. Earliest childhood memory?

My family used to have this old school answering machine that had a tape in it.  Remember those kind???
Well, not only could you use the answering machine for recording messages, but if you took the blank tape out... it would play OTHER cassette tapes. (wow... I haven't seen a cassette tape in SO long!) Anyway... my Mom had this tape that sang this one song called... "The gunnie sack is comin'... the gunnie sack is comin'..."  And whenever she played that song... all 4 kids would run around the house, screaming our heads off, trying to scramble our toys back to their "right place" because she would walk around like a monster... with this HUGE black trash bag (gunnie sack) and SNAG up all our toys off the floor, if they weren't picked up! LOL. I can't believe I remember that!... but it has to be one of the earliest memories for me.  I must have been only 3 or 4.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

Hmmm... I believe in LUST at first sight. lol.
I've met some REALLY cute guys in my life.. and thought... "WOW, I'm in LOVE!" and then later on... you realize he's dummer than a doorknob or weirder than a $3 dollar bill, and think back to yourself ... "nope... not love... he's just hot" LOL.

My hubby would beg to differ though.  He says that when he saw me it WAS "love at first sight" (oh brother!) lol.
The first time he saw me I was TOTALLY orange from a spray tan gone wrong. LOL.  Yikes!

I DO have to admit that when I met Cason, I knew something about him was different.  I knew that he would be a REAL contender for puttin' a ring on my finger! :)  And three kids later... we're still totally and completely in love.  So, like I said... I don't know about LOVE at first sight, but I think... when you meet someone... you just......... know.  Am I making any sense? lol

11. Everyday must have?

My Flat Iron!  I know... I should say something like Diet Coke or M&M's... but I would GLADLY give those up, for my flatiron. LOL.
It's my hair, Savior!

12. Lucky number?

I think 9.  I'm not really a lucky number person... but I tend to pick 9 a lot.

13. Hopes for your future in both business and your personal life?

Well... I want to go on Oprah.  LOL jk!

I just want to blog.  Is that okay? lol.  Sometimes the hype behind blogging stresses me out!  I hope that I can just keep blogging, for the sake of... blogging.  Inspire people a little, here and there... maybe make some money, so that we can buy a couch someday, lol, and just....................... be happy, living our little life!  I don't know about you... but blogging just gives me something to look forward to.  It's nice.  And the amazing followers and comments are just... an awesome bonus!

14. Run, walk or skip?

Me... running. HA!  
And I'm not sure I know HOW to skip anymore... ( I just tried, in my office. really.  ... the skipper still works, but it's not pretty after 3 babies)  So... Walking, I guess.  A nice slow stroll actually, please!  I have short legs :)  oh-my, I sound so old!

15. If you could live your life again, knowing what you know at this very moment, what would you do differently?
Arrrg.  I haven't been looking forward to this question. lol.  I could write a book.  So I'll do some bullet points instead.

* Spend more time with my babies... when they were babies.
* Don't sweat the small stuff
* Have more fun... and have less fun (high school, college...you know what I mean)
* Be more involved.  It's fun.  I'm sad that I wasn't more proactive in things when I was younger.
* Say sorry more.
* Learn to keep my comments to myself... those-kind-of-comments... (blush)

In a nutshell... EVERYTHING.. and NOTHING.
I feel like I would go NUTS if I had to live my life again, knowing what I know now!
Isn't that the best part.  Not knowing, sometimes.??
I think it keeps us on our toes.  And we can look at it as stressful, and worry about life, and the plans/mistakes/journey's we'll make.
Or.. we can embrace all the "new" adventures that come, and try to get through them still laughing and loving each other.
I've learned SO much in the past 2 years.  About myself, my family, my husband.
And I'm really, one VERY blessed, lucky girl.  And no matter HOW poor we get, or how much we "wish we had"... I wouldn't change this life for anything in the world!

5 comments:

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Great interview. I love love love Shelley. She is the cutest girl!

Wonderful!

XOOX
Jen

Elizabeth said...

Shelley rocks! Great interview... I love hearing more about your world.
Ex

HeatherKimber said...

Love it. and her pictures are gorgeous!!

Allison @ House of Hepworths said...

What a fun blog and what a great interview!!! Thanks for sharing. I am visiting through House of Smiths (she is great, isn't she?)

Shan @ Design Gal said...

shell is awesome! i'm glad i can call her my friend!