Now that I have given you a low down on the author and creator of this here blog (hint…that’s me!), I thought it would be ridiculously cool and awesome to meet you. You fine piece of person, you.
So who are you?
Here is the thing. I would love to know more about you people. All ten of you. And when I read how TYH and Decorno met some of the best and the brightest, I thought…yeah, I am totally not above scalping that idea for myself. So if you have never commented…well, shame on you…just kidding. I love anonimity as much as the next superhero. But seriously, now is the time to break the cycle! Here are some questions that you could consider answering (pretty pretty please with a Brad Pitt on top)!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? What is your name? Age? Job? Location? Kids? Marital Status? Pets?
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? Favorite bacon dish? Favorite Tv show?
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Anything else you would like to announce?
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok.
Thanks a bazillion to all who actually take the time to comment. One hundred seventy three points to you. And a giant wet bacon-y kiss 🙂 SHMOOCH.
Am I the first one to complete the survey? Sweet! Wait, is that creepy? Dammit, I can’t win.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Kristi, 27, recently married Minneapolis web designer with a huge dog and two sweet cats
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Umm I really like to see the home decorating type posts since I’m figuring out my personal style as we work on fixing up our first home. It’s inspiring to see the before and afters. I like that you guys do the work yourself rather than hiring contractors to do it. We aren’t afraid to roll up our sleeves either (plus we don’t have a million dolla to pay someone else to do it). We have a blog that’s sort of about our house renovations but also about anything else we’re doing. It’s chateauwhitman.blogspot.com if you’d like to check it out. We’re good people.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? One of my cats has a substance abuse problem. All she wants to do is eat/roll in catnip, and she’s constantly trying to steal a drink of my beer. Also my dog recently started putting booby trap holes in our back yard, which I fall into while walking to my car. I don’t know where we went wrong.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Yes, please. Ok, I love the cheap craft ideas because I’m pretty frugal myself.
Thanks for a fun blog that consistently cracks me up!
I’m first…. yay!?
Here goes…
I’m Melissa. I am 24, a gov’t contractor, with no kids, living in DC. I do have a lovely hubs-to-be (engaged).
I love all design posts and DIY things.
Random details- I’ve become a blog-aholic. I recently started my own but It still need lots of work. I’d love to own my own furniture store. Favorite food is ice cream. It’s my default- wat I eat when I can’t decide what I want.
Also.. I’m thinking of starting an Etsy store for all my awesome vintage finds (which my closets can’t contain). If you have any advice please share!
Hi Katie! this is Marielos from Guatemala. I check your blog every day! I am 27, one year married. I like all you do, seriously. love the way you decore your house. i like how you made those windows look alike mirrors… i would love if you post more crafts 🙂 congrats on your blog’s anniversary!!
Hey Katie
Longtime reader, first time commenter 🙂
1. Personal details – I’m Toni, I’m 26. I’m an administrative assistant in the Tampa Bay area. No kids, but I’ve got the best boyfriend ever and we have 2 cats between us
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I love your before & afters. They always give me really great ideas that I never actually do :). It would be impossible to say what my favorite bacon dish is because I am a bacon addict. My favorite tv show is Fringe
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Did you know there is such a thing as bacon vodka?
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I’m greedy, I want more craft ideas and more before/afters
My name is Katie. I am 29. I am a financial analyst (it sounds boring but I actually love it!) I live in the CT suburbs. I
also have a boyfriend (really my fiancé) but I find that word just plain weird. I have an American Bulldog named Bella who is the true love of my life. Just kidding honey…
I found ABP while I was reading YHL and they are the only two blogs that I follow on a daily basis. I love the tutorial on the cabinet that you painted for your bathroom. I recently inherited some really old dressers and I am excited to start painting them.
I have to dress up for work so on the weekends you will find me in sweats. I am constantly cold (and are extremely dependent on space heaters, both in summer and winter). I love to help plan other people’s weddings but am having a hard time planning my own because there are too many choices and I can’t make up my mind.
I would love to see more craft projects and decorating ideas. I know you mentioned that you were going to post where you got some of the décor around your house. That would be good. Also, you find a lot of neat things at thrift stores. What is your advice on finding items? Do you visit the same place consistently? Or do you travel around to different ones in your area?
Hi Katie! Your blog cracks me up — I love your mix of humor and decorating ideas. I’m becoming quite the ABP addict!
1. Personal 411 — I’m Amy, 34 years old, married for a little over a year, momma to 2 little terriers and a bratty kitty cat. I’m a Yankee schoolteacher who is now finding herself with three months of vacation and a whole lot of ideas for home improvement.
2. Cup of tea? Love the before and after pictures! Keep ’em coming please!
3. Random details? Did you know you can get bacon donuts and chocolate covered bacon candy? It’s amazing what you can learn from the Food network!
4. What do I want to see on ABP? I loved your cheesecake brownie recipe and would love to see more easy-to-make-but-oh-so-good recipes like that.
Thanks — you rock girl!
Here we go!
1. Personal details: My name is Elizabeth. I am 26 and live in Raleigh, NC. I am engaged and just bought my frist house… (eeep). I work at one of the local hospitals here in Raleigh as healthcare support in the birth center (behind the scenes job but everone knows who I am)
I have a dog, Maggie May, and a cat, Pickles.
Preference Details: I love the posts where you show before and afters of what you have completed. Any crafty projects you created to help set the mood of a room. Definately stick to what you do best (showing off your house!).
Random Details- I absolutely can not go to bed at night if my feet are hot. I know, weird. But I cant do it. My roommates in college always made fun of me for having to run my feet under cold water before going to bed if they were too hot. I love anything sweet (cookies, cake, pie, sweet tea.. ok, must stop, getting hungry).
What I want to see: I love your post, your silly homor and I love seeing your creative-ness come into each of your projects. Keep up the great work. Everyone loves your posts just the way they are!
1. My name is Tamara (and don’t you DARE call me Tammy or I’ll hang you by your toes!) and I blog at http://www.TamaraAndTim.blogspot.com. Just a random chronicle of our life and beginning renovations on our little house. Age- about to be 32 (eek!). Job – work in higher education for a small University. Location – Wisconsin baby! La Crosse just got named one of the ten best places to live by US News and World Report! Woot! Kids – um, probably soon. Don’t know how much longer I can keep putting it off before my hubs knocks me up in my sleep or something. Married – you betcha! To the best Bubba EVER. Pets – oh YES. Two gorgeous Dalmations and one persnickedy kitty cat.
2. I watch your blog through my RSS feeder into my Outlook. LOVE that. Great way to keep up with blogs. Love how you keep things simple and low cost and yet totally doable! Just keep on keepin’ on.
3. The Zombie Apocalypse is coming, so please be prepared.
4. Totally love your blog!! You and others like you give me the motivation and inspiration to keep painting the miles of trim in my house… sigh.. Before and Afters and “how to’s” are my life blood these days. Ideas for small spaces and living smaller, cleaner, simpler, but lovely are vital. Craft ideas are good overall, and I’ve got some bookmarked to work on one day – though you won’t see me sitting down to make paper flowers or something ever. Some stuff is just beyond me/too much time/I’d rather just buy it at TJ Maxx or Tarjay. I also like hearing about favorite things, especially products or just organizational stuff. Little things that you end up loving or working for you. Overall BowerPower, your blog ROCKS and I totally link ya!!
If I do this, will you promise to stalk me? I will hide bacon and cupcakes in the hedges just for you…
1. Personal details – My name is Suzanne, Mid20s, I work for the govt andifitoldyouwhatididiwouldhavetokillyou. no kids or pets right now — but the BF and i have major puppy fever right now so we might adopt. (us:puppies :: brangelina:babies)
2. Preference details – My fav ABP posts are your before and afters. I LOVE TRANSFORMATIONS! This is why I also love The Swan, Extreme Makeover (person edition), and various Sally Jesse Raphael makeover episodes.
3. I would now like to announce that my bf looks like Mark Dacascos. You can look at my blog for proof: http://tiai.blogspot.com/
4. OK i love the photoshopping stuff and I shit twice and die whenever you post your old modelling pics. HOT. Your house is gorg but I guess that you’re probably at the point where you’re not doing a lot of “house” stuff these days… so if you wanted to branch out, I would like your take various celeb gossip. How do you feel about ___ dating ___? What are your thoughts on the latest Hollywood adoption? Wasn’t Arnold’s CGI version in Terminator a better actor than the actual Arnold? ha.
Also – you should go on a road trip and come visit me (in DC)… we can go to the White House and pretend we can actually see Obama through the windows.
OMG! You had me at bacon!!!
Ok here goes:
1.) My name is Paula, I am 30(Sagittarius), I am single and live in Portland, Oregon. I currently call the tiniest (but cutest) mother-in-law apartment home. It’s a pretty sweet set up with a lovely yard I don’t have to be responsible for. I want to buy a house in the next 5 years, but I am not ready to commit just yet.;) I work in retail managing we what we call the homegoods department at a locally owned and operated natural foods store, while also developing my private intuitive consulting business. I would like to be married someday, and I will hold out for the right fit.
2.) My cup of tea?
Hmm. Here are random bits: colorful blogs
peonies, coconut ice cream, bacon, my mini cooper, iced tea, a good book that makes you laugh out loud and cry, Iron & Wine, coffee in the morning, being organized and following through on it, arts & crafts, astrology, hiking, the beach, dinner parties, girls night in.
3.) I traveled outside of the US for the first time in January- I went all by myself (well I was in an American tour group of 14, but I didn’t know a single soul there) to Egypt. It was amazing!!!
4.) Less of the Hills. I am hooked on “So you Think You Can Dance, though…
I love the before and afters, thrifty finds, behind the scenes, and arts and crafty things you got going on here. Who you are speaks to the Southern girl locked up inside this Oregon native. I love your humor!!!! You write so well and I definitely relate to your style. Your blog is on my blogroll that I read everyday. 🙂 My own blog is a bit unpolished and I tend to throw the f word in on occasion. You inspire me to start a whole new blog with prettier pictures and more of a focus on what I do vs. my personal life.
1. Personal details – D’Rae (blog name) 31, full time office manager & full time student, location protected but I live in the midwest. No kids, 1 husband, 1 cat. I also have a blog.
2. Preference details – love fashion and decorating blogs
3. Random details – i LOVE bacon!
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? more decorating
ok, here goes . . .
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Erin, 31, San Francisco, CA (ok, really a suburb in the East Bay, but if I said Concord would any one really know what I was talking about?), lawyer, married 5 months, homeowner 65 days
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Favorite blogs: I read yours and YHL daily, as well as a couple of personal finance blogs, http://www.myopenwallet.net and http://www.bostongals.com. I’m working on my own blog, http://www.boultbee.net/thebeehive, but between working and getting the new house in order who has time? favorite tv shows: Lost, Heroes, NCIS (I watch a lot of TV). favoirte bacon dish(es): spaghetti carbonara; bacon roll ups (strips of steak rolled in bacon); my brother stuffs dates with gorgonzola cheese, wraps in bacon, and bakes (sounds weird, but can you really go wrong with bacon?); recipes availabe upon request.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I’ve become a total klutz in my old age. I used to think of myself as super-coordinated because I played a lot of sports, danced, etc., but now that I’ve stopped doing those things and sit at a desk all day, I’ve lost it. I fall down on a pretty regular basis. Don’t usually get seriously hurt, just totally embarassed.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? I like before and after posts, whether it’s changes to your house or refurbing some great thrift store find. I like the craft stuff too (the recent art you made from coins — love it! I’m doing that when I get the time). Bottom line is, I guess, more of the same.
More than you wanted to know, I’m sure. I’ll be quiet now.
Well my name is stephanie and I am 30 yrs old married to best friend (I know that is the cliche that everyone says but it is really true!) and college sweet heart. We live in Temple TX in the town we went to college in. I have 3 girls, 5, 3, and 9 months. I am a stay at home mom trying to make my home lovely in the midst of chaos! I have one kitty and 3 chickens who give us fresh eggs, mmm yummy with bacon! 😉
I have about 5 blogs I check daily: yours YHL, The Happy Housewife, Want What You Have and a couple others. I am so glad for the internet! It helps this stay at home mom feel connected!!
randomness: Sinse becoming a mom, I have had to clean up vaseline off the bathroom floor, fresh mushroom bits out of icing, garlic salt out of random bowls stashed away, get pennies out of DVD players, and all the other clean up stories you’ve heard before. Its always an adventure here!
I love the photoshop fun and before and afters. I love decorating on a budget ideas cause that is what I have to do!!
But really I like all your posts, I mean thats why we are all here right!!
I decided to comment since there was a Brad Pitt on top. 🙂
1. I’m Sara, I’m 30 (that sounds ridiculously old), I’m a full time momma with 3 sweetie sweet boys, Avery (6) Finley (4) and Sawyer (6 mos.). I’m married to my bestest friend, AJ. We have a cat that we don’t really pay attention to.
2. Cup o’ Tea- love me some decorating blogs. I love to decorate or do anything crafty – on the cheap…and with immediate results…and with little boys for helpers.
3. I would like to announce that sweet tea is the best drink ever invented. I always have a fresh pitcher in the fridge, so come on over and have a glass! 🙂
4. I LOVE your blog…found you through YHL. I love that you mix decorating ideas with humor. I always laugh out loud reading your blog. I like that you were home schooled– I home school my oldest 3 days a week (he goes to a classical school the other 2 days). Of course I always love a before and after and cheap decorating ideas! 🙂 I also loved how you and Sherry showed different table scape ideas.
Longest comment ever.
My name is Jen and I just turned 30. I am in the right place for the JustTurned30AndStillWantToBe20 therapy session, right???? I am originally from Maryland (Go Terps!) but now reside in Alabama (Roll Tide Roll!). I live with my awesome husband of almost 10 years and my happy babies (well almost 4 and almost 2 so not really babies). God has blessed us so much. I am able to stay at home with them and I love it. Most days. 🙂
I must say that I L O L O L O L O V E (throw um up for Ashlee!) your blog! My favorites are your DIY and your decorating posts. I also loved your videos! And your before/afters. I love it all ok! You crack me up and in today’s world, I need that!
I have blogger envy. My husband in paranoid about any personal info crossing the WWW (half because of his job!), so I do not have a blog and life through other’s. That is sad. And stalkish?
I say keep on keepin on with what you are doing. I love stopping by. If you had kids, it would be even better cause I am sure you would have awesome stories to tell about your every day life. 🙂
1. Personal Details: I’m Alicia. Age 30 (and I’m ok with that). I work as a project coordinator at a university in Atlanta and live in Marietta, GA (originally from California though). Have a gorgeous husband and fantastic new baby, Jack, who is almost 5 months old now. Also have three fur babies, a dog and two cats
2. Preference details: My favorite ABP posts are the before and afters and the 15 under 50 lists (since I’m in the area). I love YHL, The Inspired Room, and any blogs by new mothers (as I need to know what everyone out there is doing so that I don’t screw up my kid). No favorite bacon dish, but I love it and thank it for existing. I am addicted (or at least my husband gets on my case for being so) to television and reality TV.
3. Random details: I wear flip flops ALL of the time, even in rain and snow. All I can say is be careful if it’s raining, you are wearing flip flops, and you are walking into a Walmart. You will slip as soon as you walk in. I speak from experience!
My poor dog has terrible skin allergies and has to wear a cone on his head pretty much all of the time unless he is under strict supervision so that he doesn’t eat his tasty little self. He’s gotten used to it, but it’s sad to see. Anyone know of any blinged out e-collars for dogs???
4. What do I want to see on ABP: Any before and afters, advice on finding inexpensive, but lovely decorating items, and more Craigslist deals.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Amy, im 24, and married for almost 3 years. Have 2 dog babies and 1 formerly obese cat.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
I love the before and afters and all of your house stuff.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Anything else you would like to announce?
im a ninja pirate that wears heels and flipflops
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok.
anything you post i’ll read! I especially love the house stuff, you have amazing taste!
1. Hi, I’m Sara, 25, IL (small town girl), teacher, married for 2 yrs, no kids yet…except our 2 cats Gus & Ella, and our little pup Cooper. He thinks he’s a baby!
2. I love a big glass of sweet tea! Oh, you didn’t want that cup of tea…I love all your posts! I love to see other peeps decorating ideas..then steal ’em for my own! I love seeing your DIY projects…gives me hope in my own abilities! I love it all…and I will take bacon…love bacon!
3. Random~ I too have a huge head! We should make a club. I’m addicted to reading blogs. I have a routine…check YHL..then click on over to ABP…if you haven’t posted yet I mutter to myself “Come on, Katie!” Yea, I’m that obsessed. Other Randoms…My dog isn’t potty trained yet…My cat Gus is evil..
4. Due to my obsession of your blog..I’m gonna need daily updates…No taking weekends off. Ok, I’ll allow every other weekend off. Please continue with the HILARIOUS jokes. You make me laugh…then I tell the hubs..who just doesn’t get the obsessive blog reading. I want to see the before & afters, all the crafty projects, and any other decor ideas you wanna throw out!
Keep up the great work!
1. Who are you? Chelsea, living out in the Richmond, VA area….more like the outside..eh way outside Richmond area like the country. 23 years old, married last year. mother to a 9 month old chocolate lab. Competitive mountain biker, creative genius, local nut case.
2. My cup of tea is ussually green with two packetss of splenda served with a warm scone and maybe a cucumber sandwich. But honestly i love everything you do! I am currently working on my domesticate behavior and trying to be a better wifey poo…we are in the process of buying a house that needs so much work and i love to see what you do.
Ilove HGTV of course…and i love to paint, people have even purchased my paintings and i am currently writting a childrens book, even though i am a super bad speller.
3.After we got married I strangley went from wearing thongs to wearing granny panties.
4. Help me become more domesticated! Organized! and bring out more of my own creativity that hide away under my jock strap of being a tom boy!
Katie,
I love your blogs. I’m new to this, but I check yours every day. I have recently started my own blog and need your help with some decorating advice. I love the before and after shots you post. I am trying to “after” my recently aquirred house, but with 3 kids and a husband and a job and a dog and lots of exhaustion….you get the point. I am reupholstering a chair now and would like your opinion on my two trim choices. I would love the input of any trusted friends (or total strangers) as well. I do hope you visit and let me know what you think! Thanks so much! classiccampbell.blogspot.com
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU?
Ely, photographer and graphic designer, recent home (and puppy!) owner. Married 2 years to a sweet boy that I can’t imagine what I must have done in another life to deserve him 🙂 OKC (Oklahoma City) is the place to be!
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
I love cute things (typical, I know), polka dots, kittens, and the more ruffles the better. I love functional design, and having creative uses for old things. I LOVE Colonial Revival and Bungalow style homes, although the house we just purchased is neither, but I am learning to like our ranch style more everyday. And I’m not going to lie, my favorite TV show is Funniest Home Videos – a whole show devoted to making you laugh, what can be better?? And I love my dog. A lot.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE?
Okay, this might be lame and a lean twards the TMI side of the scale, but this is all I can think to share at the moment. Don’t judge me internet. I have 7 missing teeth. Don’t worry, I’m not a hillbilly from Oklahoma that sits on my rocking chair with my shot gun with a checkerboard smile. Three of the 7 are wisdom teeth, so that was rather convient, and we do have orthodontists and dentists here in the Sooner state, so now I have a full, perfectly aligned smile. But it did cause much adolescent strife, and the distinct need to have a job that has good dental coverage for our future children. Hopefully they will get sweet hubby’s genes, and have a perfectly aligned smile that never saw an orthodontic contraption in it’s pearly white life.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP?
I really enjoy seeing the furniture you refinish and breathe new life into, and seeing how you have transformed your home into your own since you’ve been there.
I’m Mrs. McB, twenty-something, living in WV. I work in development, but should be working in long-term care. I’m married and we have a dog and a cat.
I love reading blogs, but am not great about updating my own. I love reading about crafts and before and afters. I love crafty things. My favorite show is Desperate Housewives.
Hmmm..I can’t think of anything random…Mr. McB and I bought a huge TV last night…..it was for both getting better jobs.
I would love to see more of your home decor and crafty things. 🙂
Dang girl, I am really coming all out of lurkdom for this…! ; )
Mandy, 26, married 9 mos to the hubs Randy (so I guess my random fact is that our names rhyme!), we have a beautiful baby girl-dog Bella the boxer who is 7 months old and so much fun! I work with nonprofit organizations and we live in Nashville, TN.
I don’t really like bacon that much (I know, I know I have been scorned for this admission before!), BUT I do love your blog! YHL and ABP are on my daily read. My fav posts are thrifty makeovers, before and afters, and 15 under 50. I am totally inspired to see new potential in old pieces now! (The hubs and his wallet thank you. : ) I also really love your goal list and the recent photoshopping makeovers, very fun. Pretty much keep doin’ what you’re doin’!
1. Hi Katie! I’m Suzanne, 29 (God, that sounds old…why am I in total denial?), living in Sarasota, FL (yeah, I know, my neighbors are your grandparents and great-grandparents). I married my awesome boyfriend in Sept 2007…no kids yet, although I’m getting the every-baby-is-adorable-and-I-want-one-of-my-own bug. I’m work for an insurance company bc I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
2. So I try not to get too absorbed in blogs – my husband calls me Dell at night because he says its all I do is look at the computer…whoops. I limit myself to you and YHL. I am a TOTAL beach/sun loving girl. We try to get out on the boat, go to the beach or somehow get some sun every weekend (Mom, I’m gunna get cancer, but I learned it from watching you!). I love Wipeout (hilarious), the Office and Jon&Kate plus 8 (before they went Hollywood…now they get on my nerves).
3. If it were acceptable to NEVER wear shoes I wouldn’t! I’ve done it so much I’m immune to hot blacktop and walking across my parent’s crushed shell driveway (and no, I’m really not white trash!). I’m not very creative in decorating, my I’m a REALLY good copier!
4. I love your craft and decorating posts – (see above about copying). Love that you are creative and do it on a budget. Although I do get really jealous with your craiglist finds!
Keep doing what you’re doing – you’re hilarious. Oh, and since this is my first post, I’m officially telling my boyfriend we’re friends : )
I am Lauren and live in St. Louis, Missouri. I am a 26 year old newlywed and I am also a 5th grade teacher. Love reading your blog 🙂
1. I’m Erin, 25, married, one baby boy, one crazy dog, two crazier cats.
2. I love your tutorials. I refinished a table with the dark oak you recommended, and it’s delish.
3. I love Cinnabons. I always want to save the gooey middle for last, but I’m usually too sugared out to truly appreciate it by the time I get to the middle.
4. I’m a sucker for before/afters.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? What is your name? Age? Job? Location? Kids? Marital Status? Pets?
***Vica,26, I work at a Accounting Firm, not an accountant. Married, ATL, one wonderful son named Roger who is the cutest boxer in the whole world.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? Favorite bacon dish? Favorite Tv show? – I like how to and do it your self project. I like to think of myself as a jane of all trades master of none. SO I am alway trying and new projects. I think I have way more than 50 blogs on my reader, I am obssessed I know. They range from news, to Atlanta, to YHL, to What I Wore. I love Pasta Carbonara loaded with bacon. I watch way too much TV but my favs have to be Always Sunny in Philly, Brothers and Sisters, Scrubs and LOST
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Anything else you would like to announce? **I am a Sawyer Chic**, I sometimes obssesively bake. Pirate, Why can’t I have both?
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok.
– I like the how to craft Idea and basic decorating. I have a lot of problems with colors and tend to be to Matchy so I am always looking for tips. I like your craigs list stuff(probably cause I live in ATL)
Hey Katie! First time commenter here. Found your blog a few weeks ago through YHL.
1. Personal details – Marie; 28 yo; DFW, TX; Administrative Assistant; no kids (yet-grin); one adorable cat!
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? We are in the process of buying our first house, so I’m obsessed w/ all things home decorating right now. I am cheap, so I love a good Craigslist or Goodwill find and then transforming it into something fab. I also love photography (and wish I were better at it, though I don’t practice that much so that’s why).
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I’m also a blogaholic, I have a lot of time on my hands w/ my job (at my desk) and google reader is my bff. 🙂 I secretly love the Jonas Brothers and Zack Efron too (see age in #1), sigh.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Definitely love home decorating; crafting; before/afters – furniture, rooms, anything b/a really; tips for finding fab things for cheap!
Hi, I’m Heidi. I’m 26 and married to a pretty cool guy. We’re in that stage where we don’t have kids (besides our two dogs) and we’re saving for our first home. Basically, we don’t have a ton of responsibilities at the moment and we rather like that. I enjoy your blog because it’s ridiculously funny and informative at the same time. Plus, I like potty humor.
1. Personal details –
What is your name? Katie
Age? *almost* 25
Job? Genetic researcher
Location? Virginia
Kids? Not yet
Marital Status? Married
Pets? Two boxers
2. Preference details –
Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Home improvements and the like
Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? Yours, Brooklyn Limestone, Making it Lovely
Favorite bacon dish? BLT
Favorite Tv show? How I Met Your Mother
3. Random details –
Ninja or pirate? Ninja
Heels or flipflops? Flip flops!!
Anything else you would like to announce? Not that I can think of 🙂
4. Question –
More craft ideas? Yes
More Before/Afters? Yes
Everything else I don’t care!
My name is Abby. I live in Cincinnati, OH with my husband. We have two dogs and two cats that keep us very busy. We have spent the last two years slowly renvoating our 1913 home, with many more projects left to go.
I love decorating posts, cheap finds, and furniture makeovers. I’m currently working on a makeover for a cheap craigslist buffet.
I love cheap and easy tips so keep em coming. I work in fundraising for a nonprofit so frugal is my middle name. . .ok well it’s actually Marie, but you get the idea.
1. C, 20-something, married, living in the midwest, office manager (for now!), and no pets (yet!)
2. I have a tough time with favorites. Indecision in my nemesis!
3. I have to pee. 🙂
4. Just keep up what you’ve been doing. Love it. 🙂
Hi! I have never commented. I am a 35 yrs old, married, and work as a Director of Marketing and Compliance for a Registered Investment Advisor. found your blog through “This Young House”. I love reading about home improvement, decorating, food/recipes, general life stuff.
I am Rebecca, 22, just finished my senior year at college. I’m an interior design major at a school in Mississippi, and I just started my internship in Alabama.
Reading blogs help me get through the work day. I can’t get enough of Sour Patch Fruits (not the Kids). It irritates me that people think that interior designers only decorate houses. I drink about a gallon of sweet tea a day.
I love seeing photos of your projects and things that inspire you. I would love to see more.
I’m Maria, 30, a phd student in Michigan who is blog-obsessed as a means of procrastination.
I read this blog mostly because of the humor. I often laugh out loud (but very quietly so as not to disturb the hard-working phd students who I sit near) at a funny turn of phrase or interesting photo. Your blog has great personality!
I too am obsessed with bacon. I eat so much that my boyfriend recently forced me to get a cholesterol test (which by the way, revealed me to have excellent cholesterol levels).
Just keep doing what your doing. It’s great!
What is your name? Amanda
Age? 27
Job? Benefits Consultant (employee benefits)
Location? Grand Rapids, Michigan
Kids? Not yet
Marital Status? Married (almost 1 year!)
Pets? German Shepherd puppy
Favorite ABP posts? I like all your posts. You crack me up!
Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? I follow at lot of home decorating, DIY and photographers blogs. Oh, and I LOVE Google Reader! A few favs: This Young House; bobbi+mike; Dooce; Matt, Liz and Madeline; My Life in Transition; My Sweet Savannah; Freckles Chick; Just a Girl; The Lettered Cottage; ETC ETC
Favorite TV show? American Idol, Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Most shows on HGTV& DIY Network (Damn, do I really watch this much TV!:) )
Random details? I met my husband online
More on ABP? Craft ideas, Photoshopping, Before/Afters, DIY project instructions, Day-to-day life between you and your boyfriend
1. Lucy, 29, attorney in DC – I live with my boyfriend and hopefully a house (and a wedding) are in our near future
2. This (and YHL) are my favorite blogs. I read you both every day, but this is my first time commenting. Oh! And my favorite bacon dish is to slather it with maple syrup and bake it in the oven. Mmmmmmmmmm. Sweet and crispy.
3. Your update of the format actually convinced me that maybe it’s time to try out bloging for myself. So, I have a little blog started just this morning!
4. There is nothing I enjoy more than a Before/After shot. So inspiring! Also, I really like your lists for each month. I’m obsessed with lists and it’s the basis of the new blog.
1. Personal details –
Hi I’m Diana from Houston, TX! I’m 24 and my husband and I have been married for a year. We don’t have kids yet and aren’t planning any for a few years. No pets either!
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? Favorite bacon dish? Favorite Tv show?
My favorite ABP posts are the ones where you take cheap Goodwill items and make them look like a thousand bucks! Favorite blogs…yours of course! and YHL 🙂 Bacon dish…have you tried these jalapeno thingies?? http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/ Deeeee-lish!
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja, and flip flops 🙂
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Definitely craft ideas! I love seeing reader redo’s before and after pictures as well.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU?
What is your name? Laura
Age? 27…officially late twenties, eep
Job? Technology
Location? Dallas
Kids? Not yet
Marital Status? Married 11 months…holy crap, has it been that long already?
Pets? On the search for a puppy
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? I love seeing photos of your home and your before and afters…pretty much everything.
Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? YHL and a gazillion other interior decorating, general life, and personal finance blogs
Favorite bacon dish? Bacon, straight up
Favorite Tv show? The Office and anything on HGTV
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Anything else you would like to announce?
I think someone already mentioned it, but I saw an ad today for bacon-flavored vodka and thought of you.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok.
More before & afters, more Craigslist finds, more videos, and more photos of your house. Basically, I want MORE BOWER POWER.
Where are the photos you upload stored? My work blocks Photobucket and the like, so I can only check out ABP at home (tear), where my husband totally doesn’t get why I’m obsessed with the bloggity blogs. Also, since you switched to wordpress there’s no blog title in my Google Reader, FYI.
Howdy! My name is Lauren, I’m 26 years old (good grief when did I get so old?), live in Washington, DC, and I work for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The most interesting thing about me right now is that I’m getting married in November to a smokin’ hot man. And we LOVE bacon. In fact the hubby to be just made me a ham and cheese salad. OMG – delicious. We eat bacon everyday, making you a girl after my own heart. I love you blog and love before/after pics. You are hilarious and are a joy to read everyday! Simply Seleta, Pioneer Woman, This Young House and Seelys.blogspot.com are my fav blogs. Keep up the great work!
1) Hi Katie! I’m Mary, 28, librarian from the far southwest ‘burbs of Chicagoland. Married 1 year, no kids (yet, but we’re working on it), and we have a neurotic little cat named Eddie.
2. I do love me some bacon! Mmmm, bacon. I also like spurting out random Simpson quotes, drinking cups of tea, and puts random objects in the right place and in alphabetical order (I was born to be a librarian, I guess).
Paula, I am with you about So You Think You Can Dance – I am a woman obsessed every summer.
3. Random details – I wore flip flops all the time until last summer, when I broke my left foot stepping over the curb while wearing flip flops. Have I mentioned that I’m a total klutz? Anyways, as a warning to all you flip flop wearing gals, beware or you too will spend the summer in a large black boot and have a throbbing feet every time it rains.
4. I definitely want to see more crafts (affordable ones!) and I want to know where you got all of your beautiful stuff!
1. Personal details
Melinda and I am 25 years old and in the process of buying second home with my husband. We have two dogs, a Bentley and a Harley! lol
2. Preference details
My favorite post so far (I’m a new reader) is the post about wedding pictures in the hallway! I wanted to mimic it but not sure how…I don’t have my photos on a CD just the print outs and I don’t know if you can make them that sepia tone now! If I’m not watching HGTV, which doesn’t happen often, I’m watching George Lopez..he’s halarious!
3. Random details
My boss just had a baby and will be out for two months….I’m having so much fun!
4. Question
Well, I love the new home tour…I like that all the pics are in one place. I would love to see more crafts..I’m not creative at all and I need help!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU?
What is your name? Amy
Age? 39
Job? Mental Health Admin
Location? WI
Kids? Nope
Marital Status? 18 yrs (first & last)
Pets? 2 dogs, 1 cat
2. Preference details –
WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Before & Afters & videos (like what you & Sherri YHL did)
Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? BP of course, YHL, MIL, The Stamford Wife
Favorite bacon dish? Bacon wrapped little smokies glazed w/Brown sugar & baked
Favorite Tv show? Real Housewives
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I love PB on toasted English Muffins – is that random enough?
Ninja or pirate? Hmmm, don’t know.
Heels or flipflops? Flipflops for sure, but not often in WI
Anything else you would like to announce? I wish the look of the outside of my house represented the inside.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? No
More craft ideas? Yes
More photoshopping fun? YEAHH
More Before/Afters? Absolutely
Maybe a picture of heaven? Would that be the Dairy Queen?
Oh, and I forgot to mention the photoshop thing you’ve been doing lately is genius! I tried to do it with the home we are purchasing and couldn’t get it right!
Hi Katie!! I loveeee your blog! Its my daily read!
1. Who am I? Aimee, 23, recently married to Michael (8-11-07) and recent mommy to Paige (11-13-08). I am a high school special education teacher (my true passion in life!)
2. My Preference Details: I love your simple, made-at-home-with-what-you-have projects. Like your “hometown” word collage! So cute!
3. Random Details: I wanted to cry-laugh-smile-hug you and Sherry from YHL when I saw the picture of you two together! 🙂
4. Questions: I like to see more of the “unseen” parts of your house… like closets, fridge, drawers… It’s neat to see how different people organize those places! 🙂
Thanks for all the laughs!
1. Personal details – Hi Katie! My name is Priscilla. I’m 24. I’m a full-time marketing coordinator at a credit union, part-time blog stalker. I live in Minneapolis. Dated the bf for 9 years!Just got married this past March. No kids or pets!
2. Preference details – I love DIY and home decor blogs like yours and YHL. Mainly because I think I can DAM (do anything myself). =D That said, I also am a sucker for reality shows on HGTV, TLC, E!, etc.
3. Random details – I should be working right now, yet I’m online filling out this survey. lol.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I’d like to see more organizational stuff (ideas for inside cabinets, pantries, rooms, closets, etc). otherwise, love your blog as is and your ridiculous sense of humor. =D
Hey Katie! Long time follower, first time to leave comment.
1. Personal Details-My name is Robyn,I’m 31,live in Sweet Home Alabama, married to boyfriend for 2 years.I’m a Mapper. I make Maps.Yeah, I know… I’m a dork.
2. Preference Details- What is your cup of Tea?I love to see decorating and home improvement posts.I love BP,and YHL.When it comes to Tea,make mine sweet! (Pint Jar, no cups please) 🙂
3. Random Details-Tell me something otta the blue? I knew I wasn’t the only gal who was addicted to bacon, and Honey, what would we do without the good ol’Goodwill? And,I always wanted a jeep like Daisy Duke.
4.What in the heck do you wanna see on ABP? I really like before/afters, and good thrifty deals.Katie, your house is precious, and I love wedding pictures too. More bacon pictures are always welcome 😉
I think you know me. I’m married, live and work in the ‘Ham, am your new best friend, etc. I have a blister on both of my pinkie toes and am going to need to hear the low-down on the Great Blog Switch of 2009 as I am about to embark on one myself.
Fun! I hope this is interesting for you!
Betsi, 27, Marketing, Chicago, no kids, pet soon!, Married to a gardening, cooking and cleaning fiend. I’m a lucky lady. I love your before and after posts, and they have really inspired me to DIY more and buy less. An interesting fact about my house is it is a 101-year-old building and we have no AC. We do have window units but never use them (or even install them, we like the breeze!). We live close to the lake so it’s possible to get away with this pretty much all summer. Its so nice to get out of the AC vacuum we work in all day.
I’d like to continue seeing the before and afters, your little design how-tos (great for us who are not so naturally savvy), and I always love any good deals you can pass along! Thanks for keeping up such a fun site!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU?
Alexa, 24, living with my adorable long-term boyfriend in San Leandro, CA. I work in Parks and Recreation and there are two dogs, two cats, five aquatic turtles, a pond full of fish and two pond frogs on our property.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I love all of your DIY posts. Favorite blogs include yours and ThisYoungHouse (duh!) and I read A LOT of other house blogs, so I’ll just leave it at that, heh.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja! Flipflops! Waffles (not pancakes)! I’m graduating with my B.S. in Recreation, WITH HONORS, on Saturday… whoo!
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? More craft ideas, DIY things, awesome and cute things, funny things and lots of before/afters.
Peeking around the lurkdom pillar … I am Becky, and I believe I am your oldest reader. I will be 52 next week. And you can keep the Brad Pitt, I have my own. We’ve been married 28 years. I used to teach elementary school but now I am at home, playing in my house, sewing, decorating, gardening, reading, walking, cooking, painting, knitting, crafting, and mentoring young mothers.
We live in Florida and have 3 grown sons, no daughters-in-law, no grandchildren, and no pets since our beloved Abby died 2 years ago.
I don’t eat bacon. I hope that does not mean we can’t be BFFs. I do eat tabouleh and veggie sandwiches from homemade 100% whole wheat bread for which I mill my own grain.
My cup of tea is young decorating. You will not find any plastic on seat covers in my house. For my birthday next week I got two early presents. One was the permission to paint a dreary, dark red wall a light, springy green and a black entertainment center white. And I also got a power tool. Grunt! A few years ago I got drill bits in my Christmas stocking. And I was thrilled!!
I am always happy to see a post from (the new and improved)ABP2 and will continue to check your blog daily. You keep me on my toes and give me new ideas all the time. I love to see your redos of anything … furniture, rooms, yards, etc.
Thanks for the fun!!
Obviously you have more than 10 readers!
Scanning through your comments, I may be your oldest reader (great, pass me the walker).
1) Personal details – Lori, 46 (!), married to my college sweetheart with two teenagers, one boy, one girl and a sweet Westie. We live in Richmond, VA
2) Preference: My favorite of your posts have to do with decorating your gorgeous home,bargain finds that you share resources for and your co-posts with YHL. That said, I really like all your posts and appreciate the variety and humor that you offer.
Favorite blogs besides yours: YHL, Pioneer Woman, Emmylu, Eddie Ross.I have 80 in my Google Reader.So far.
Favorite bacon dish – straight up, cooked crispy
Pastimes: avid reader of both blogs and books, cooking, decorating on a budget
3)Random: I leave for the beach in three days! Woohoo! And I adore brownies…can’t have them in the house.Also, I love Etsy but find it overwhelming in the sheer amount of wonderful things, and I don’t have a blog because I am too lazy and hate to write
4)requests for ABP: looking forward to the list of where you got the items in your house, more entertaining posts (what you served to eat, etc), more shopping posts. Frugal ideas too.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? What is your name? Age? Job? Location? Kids? Marital Status? Pets?
lisa, 36, child wrangler in Minnesota married for 11.5 years with 2 hysterical daughters ages 4 and 1.5 years old. One beloved cat, Murray aka MoMo… some days MoFo
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? Favorite bacon dish? Favorite Tv show?
I’m really into design and dyi blogs…obsessed really.
Favorites. yours of course, This Young House, The Lettered Cottage are my favs.
Bacon with eggs and hasbrowns.
Right now. So You Think You Can Dance. It it normal to cry while watching this?
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Anything else you would like to announce?
Every year I find myself a signature dance(this year….Disco Roll) and bust it out at random places ie Target, Museum ,Park, funeral…no place is off limits.
Oh and ningas and flipflops
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok.
I like before and afters. Maybe a weekly link blog of the things out in the interweb that swelled your heart.
Keep the funny coming!
Hi Katie! I found you @ YHL and have been lurking for a few months now. LOVE your blog so here ya go!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? I’m Hattie, I’m 26 and have been married to my cute husband for two years in June. We’re both teachers: I’m a school librarian and he’s a math teacher so in a week we’ll have over two months off together (yay!). We live in the boonies outside of Richmond, VA.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I love your blog, YHL and a slew of other home blogs I keep finding. I have a blog I started in January: http://littleredroost.blogspot.com
I love BLTs and anything with bacon and cheese!
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? for 11 years all of my purses have been made from duct tape.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I love everything! I think my favs are cheap finds and ideas and craft ideas. Keep the laughs coming 🙂
Hey, am I too old to hang? ‘cuz at 37 I’m feeling a little Janice Dickinson-ish among the next top model’s!
1. WHO ARE YOU?
What is your name? KIMBERLY
Age? 37
Job? 1st GRADE TEACHER TURNED DOMESTIC ENGINEER 🙂
Location? OKLAHOMA
Kids? IDENTICAL TWIN GIRLS
Marital Status? 10 YRS!
Pets? A DOG, MALTI-POO
2. WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
I am all over the blogosphere reading The Pioneer Woman, MckMama, YOURS, Everything Turquoise [which happens to be my new favorite home accent color as well as clothing color], A Soft Place to Land, …And Babies Make Four.
3. Random details – born & raised overseas in a tropical rainforest swimming with pirhana, now living in mundane middle America in suburbia…NO mini-van for me, though!
4. WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Lotsa pictures! More Before/Afters! More Craigslist finds and what to do with them!
PLEASE, more humor…you’re kind of lacking there. [heh heh] I especially love your usage of similes…you make me laugh out loud!
I think you already know a little about me 🙂 But I looove your blog and I love everything you post about! I love all of your decoration/inspiration posts 🙂 And you are stinkin hilarious 🙂
um, and now I am CRAVING bacon-greeeat 🙂 ha
Hey Katie it’s MrsRoy06! I’ve commented a few times, and you’ve been ever so gracious as to comment over at my blog a time or two. Feel free to come back as often as you like. 🙂 Here are some more deets about me!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? My name is Liane, I’m 23, I’ve been married for almost 3 years (anniversary: 8/13, feel free to send presents), we live in Western New York, and I’m a nanny. No kids. Yet. 🙂
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I love your decorating posts, your house is beautiful. Also loved your place setting movie with Sheri. 🙂 I love love LOVE style blogs right now and stalk numerous women daily just to see what they wore that day. Creepy, yes. But I need outfit inspiration a lot. And the fashion blogs really do help! Favorite TV show? Toss up between: Lost, Chuck, and Dancing With the Stars. I’m diversified. 🙂
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja definitely, I get sea sick. Give me a good pair of heels any day- have you heard of Shoedazzle.com? It’s my new shoe crack- love it! 🙂 As for other things I’d like to announce, I started my own company a few months ago, it’s a wedding assistance business, and I’m super excited about it. However, advertising is WAY more expensive than I expected it to be, so I’m considering selling my body to pay for space at a bridal show. Just kidding! 🙂 But it is expensive.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Definitely loving the decorating ideas, like the cool “print such and such on your computer and frame it” awesomeness. I love easy decorating. More movies about decorating would be fun! Also, do you consider yourself a fashionista? If so, how about some fashion/beauty related posts- b/c as I said, that’s what I’m addicted to right now. Other than that- keep the bacon coming!! Thanks! 🙂
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? My name is Andrea and I’m 26. I am a CPA. I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart for 3 years. No kids yet, except for our golden retriever Gregory that we love like a child.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? All of your posts make me laugh! I read your blog, YHL, and a couple others like that, as well as all of my friends’ blogs, who like me have blogs just about our lives.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I live vicariously through people like you who have homes that you can decorate. My husband is in the Army and so we don’t have our own home yet. Someday!
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Keep on doing what you’re doing! Very entertaining and educational!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? MC, 27, married to Hubby for almost 2 years, homeowner of a little over a year.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Maybe your favorite ABP posts? Potty Humor! I love that your blog makes me laugh! I love your before and afters as well.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Pirates. Also, Yoplaits’ Strawberry Shortcake yogurt tastes nothing like strawberry shortcake. MAJOR dissapointment.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven?
Before and afters!!! Can we get a basement update? I’d love to see how that’s progressing! I would also like to see you give me free stuff — I know you can hook me up!
1. Personal details My name is Chese’Qua (some people call me Ches) I am 30 years young married for almost 6 years and have a 5 year old son.
2. I love all of your ABP posts so its hard to say, but my favorites would have to be anything realated to home decor and crafts. I love thrifting so posts about el chepo stuff really makes my heart go pitter pat.
3. Random Details, Lets see how about I was addicted to watching the Biggest Looser to get motivated to shed some baby weight, but always found myself eating a bag of chips and drinking Mt. Dew while watching.
4. I would love to see posts about “dating your hubby/boyfriend”, it seems like my marriage has been in a rut for a longgggg time so advice would definately be taken. Also more decor, before and afters. Your blog is fantastic….Keep up the excellent work.
Ohh, another chance to talk about myself? I really shouldn’t but since you asked…
1. Personal details – I am Shannon, I turned 29 yesterday. I work full time in marketing outside Philadelphia. I’ve got a husband but i’d rather have a vampire boyfriend. and a cat too. i’d also rather have a vampire cat.
2. Preference details – You could photoshop the box that photoshop comes in and I’d be thrilled. I also enjoy when you make inappropriate remarks, that’s my real fave. My favorite show is Family Guy, mostly because of the aforementioned inappropriate remarks.
3. Random details – My belly hurts because an entire dept just got laid off this afternoon at my work…oh look and here i am on the internet, not working…im such a smart cookie.
4. Question – I want to see whatever you’re puttin out, I ain’t picky.
Hey Katie, I don’t know what happened to my previous comments sorry! .. but any who..My name is Robyn. I’m 31. Live in Sweet Home Alabama. Married to the boyfriend for 2 years. I love ABP, and TYH. Love Bacon, and the Good ol’ Goodwill.I love all before/afters, and decorating on the cheap tips.You are hilarious! Your house is Precious! More Bacon Pics!!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Meg, 26, Advertising, no kids yet, recently married and have a beautiful dog.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? Favorite ABP posts – States of the Union: Craft of the montage. Favorite blogs – for now mine, b/c I’m new at it and trying to make it great! Please check it out! 🙂 ChasingDavies.blogspot.com Favorite bacon dish – I don’t eat bacon Favorite Tv show – anything reality, I know bad…but currently – Real Housewives of NJ!
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I love to eat peanut butter with chocolate chips. My dog gives high fives.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? More do it yourself crafts! I love it!
Hey Katie!
1.I’m Nikki, 30-but just barely, in Alabama, married 11 yrs, mother of 2 (one here one on the way), SAHM, with a dog named Ace that is the meanest but cutest yorkie you will ever see. If you want him he is yours!
2.I like black coffee and a good laugh, just not at the same time. Coffee coming through your nose burns. A few of my favorite blogs are ABP, TYH, FC, and of course mine. Here is my favorite bacon dish at the moment http://nikkisnacs.blogspot.com/2009/06/blt-quesadilla-wrap.html. Try it.
3.I play the trumpet. Is that random enough? I don’t mean I played in high school, which I did, I mean I could get it out right now and still play. Don’t judge. and Flip flops all the way.
4. Just keep being you and doing what you have always done. I like the humor, the crafts, the bacon, the DIY, the before and afters, the great deals, the craigslist only that just makes me wish I didn’t live in such a small town. I always want to drive to ATL to get stuff off of craigslist.
5. I’m going to steal this and do it on my blog, just so you know, and Happy Blog Anniversary! Now say all of this slow, with a southern twang, and that is how I sound.
OK, OK, I’ll bite. I mean clearly we ALL love talking about ourselves!! Who doesn’t?
1.My name is Kristina, I’m 29.5 and yes I am counting the months down to my 30’s. I’m a HR Administrator in Dallas, Texas. Married 2 years, no kids, 2 Dobermans, 1 fat cat.
2. Of course *my* favorite post was your bedroom redo (modeled my bedroom after yours) I love before and afters. It’s a instant gratification thing I think.
3. I am afraid of toilets. I will not touch a toilet to clean it, or plunge it and I refuse to use toilets that automatically flush. My fear is that they will over flow and it freaks me out. I have good bathroom habits tho, don’t worry!
4. I love the redos and I love the craft projects too. The furniture makeovers have given me so many great ideas. Keep up the good work girlie 🙂
Personal- Sarah, from Richmond, 23, newlywed and new home owner (haven’t moved yet!)
Preference- love inexpensive design suggestions, including how to find good stuff cheap! Or repurposing items or cheap diy art!
Random- we’re having a party at our new house in a week and we haven’t moved in yet, have tiling and drywall still to do and haven’t installed the new toilet yet.
1.I’m Stephanie, been married almost six months, work from home for a translation company which means waaay too much time to browse blogs, have a cute little puppy
2. I love before/afters, funny posts, decorating… whatever 🙂
3. I’m doing the Master Cleanse/Lemonade diet right now and that bacon photo just about killed me. I’m only on day 3 so at least another week before solid food!
4.Love everything! really
Hi Katie, my name is Kathleen and I’m happy to introduce myself. I’m 27, I’ve been married for 8 months, I’m an oncology nurse in a big hospital in Houston, TX, and my husband and I have been in our house for 6 months now. We have two dogs and no kids. We’re very involved at our tiny church. I really enjoy everything you write, and I love your sense of humor. I especially like your random crafty ideas and bits about your personal life. One of these days I might have to take advantage of your photoshopping skillz because that is something I’m sure not good at. Nice to meet you. 🙂
Hi, Katie!
I’m Cheyenne. I’m a 29 year old attorney and wanna-be writer/blogger. I am in Dallas. I am in a great relationship, no kids, two cats (one of which is abominably stupid and the other of which is rip-out-your-eyelashes annoying).
My cup of tea…oh, where to begin? I love home decorating blogs, DIY instructions especially, DIY wedding ideas (a girl can dream!), frugal living blogs, writing, reading, dancing, health, fitness, natural and organic foods and beauty products, and LIFE!
Random fact: I am eyebrow ambidextrous. Sexy, right?
I’d love to see more DIY and before/after blogs from you.
Thanks for making me laugh on a daily basis!
1. Laura, 34 (yikes, that’s old!), married to the best guy ever (sorry everyone, I got him!) for almost 5 years. He just got out of the military and we settled back in our home state of WA. (I feel like I’m the only West Coastie out here; I’ll never run into Bower Power or TYH) We have a cutie pie daughter, almost 2, and a cutie pie dog, 3. We bought our first house two months ago, hence my new addiction to blogs. I was a teacher/librarian for 9 years, but now I’m home until our daughter (and maybe some day her non-existant siblings) is in school.
2. Favorite posts – before and afters! I am GOING to try the awesome furniture stain that you did; and I love your crafts too. I WILL make a WA print like your Jersey and Tennessee one! Love the idea of making a pillow out of placemats: gotta do that one day too.
3. I love math and science, middle schoolers and 5th graders and children’s lit/young adult literature. And my husband and I fell in love backpacking – no joke. We were just hiking buddies until one day . . . we realized we really liked each other, shocking all of our families and friends!
4. More before and afters – love your house and your style (duh, why else would I follow your blog?) and yes, easy crafty things . . .
I told you people would jump at the chance to answer your lil’ questionnaire! It must be the pirate/ninja thing. Polarizing question. Anyway, you probably know this but:
1. Sherry, 27, married to John, mother of Burger
2. Favorite new TV show is Here Come The Newlyweds. How could we have glossed over this last night? It’s hee-larious and the couples are a trip.
3. Pirates. In heels.
4. I want to see the picture of your laser eyes. Pleeeeaaaaase?
xo,
s
I LOVE how many people are responding to this!
Ok, here goes:
1. Me: Lindsay, 30, aerospace engineer, Los Angeles, engaged (but too busy to actually plan a wedding, apparently)
2. My tea(!): I love the pictures and the before/after shots.
3. Random: I don’t get brain freeze. I seriously missed my calling as ice cream eating CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!
4. What to see: I like it all! I like the mix of things you post. 🙂 (though I guess I’ll pass on the Hills episodes..) 😉
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU?
What is your name? Michele
Age? 30
Job? engineer, I work at a vaccine manufacturing company
Location? Lehigh Valley PA
Kids? NO!
Marital Status? Yes 🙂
Pets? Not yet, hopefully soon a puppy and a kitten
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
Maybe your favorite ABP posts? So far I like all of them, I love your sense of humor
Favorite blogs (maybe yours)? I do like my blog, I follow too many to have a favorite.
Favorite bacon dish? A nice egg sandwich with really crispy bacon and a nice sharp cheese
Favorite Tv show? Right now Weeds, but it changes, of all time Veronica Mars
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE?
High heels! Random details, I am married to my high school sweetheart and he is a couple of inches shorter than me, maybe he should be wearing my heels? Other than that I LOVE photography.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP?
I love the decorating posts, we just bought our first house and decorating it is consuming all my energy. Since I also love photography more of those posts would be welcome too. And I will definitely comment on those!
1. Joanna 23, married over a year obsessed with decorating and fashion, southern girl living live in west coast Florida
2. I also like the home decorating you remind me of my girlfriends I love a girl w/ inapropriate humor 😉 my home is pretty cookie cutter and im trying to turn it into a home with island character!
I love bacon on everything!, fave blogs are yours and simplyseleta, favorite tv show- the office! I also have a blog its http://www.high-heeledwife.blogspot.com it’s pretty boring but im trying!!
3. Um im pretty paranoid, im southern but my families from dominican republic, and right now it’s 94 an dim drinking a beer 🙂
4. more design posts, more photoshopping please!! I love your blog your really doing such a great job w/ it!
1. Personal details – John Petersik, 27, Half of This Young House in my spare time, office desk monkey in my full time, Richmond Virginia, Zero kids (except for the furry chihuahua child that is currenly whining at me). Married to a beautiful goofball named Sherry.
2. Preference details – I prefer to eat oversized restaurant meal portions in order to win a plaque on the restaurant’s wall (woah, ABP inside joke alert). That and play racquetball with Jeremy.
3. Random details – I have an unnaturally large space between my big toe and the next toe (the pointer toe?). Sherry makes fun of me for it. She calls it my “parking space.”
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? More hilarity, por favor. Particularly in the form of pop culture analogies/metaphors. Plus I can’t wait to see your basement dry walled.
Keep up the good work, Katie!
My name is Meg, I’m 24 and live in Missouri. I work in property management, so I get to see all sorts of different decorating styles… if you can call it a style in some places. I just started my own blog thecottageapartment.blogspot.com to document the projects I take on as I move again.
I found ABP after reading about the closet crashing when TYH came to visit. I may have been blog-stalking you for awhile and have read back as far as I could. I also cry during Grey’s Anatomy and have an affinity for bacon. There’s actually a recipe for bacon cupcakes I’m flipping dying to try.
I love your projects and plan on using them in my own place, namely all the things you put in frames (the States of the Union project). I want to see more more MORE of your creative side… I think you’re positively brills.
On a random note, I just read a blog about the most insane hamburgers around the world. One of them was a bacon cheeseburger. Innocent enough, right? Well the burger is actually made of ground bacon and it’s topped with cheese. Hello God? Thank you!
WHO ARE YOU? I’m Karen from Alabama. I’m 25 and have been married for 2 years on June 9th. I teach Family & Consumer Sciences at a middle school (which is just a fancy name for Home Ec). No kids or pets for me yet.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? A blog I enjoy that actually brought me to yours is This Young House. I check both yours & their blogs daily. I also look up celebrity gossip…it’s a guilty pleasure.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I don’t drink water at Mexican restaurants. I think it’s because I know you’re not suppose to drink water in Mexico…I know this is a problem.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? More photoshopping fun and more Before/Afters would be great.
Fun post! 🙂 Thanks.
Hi Katie- I have never commented before, but LOVE your blog! I found you through TYH.
I am Carrie, going on my 2nd year of being 29 🙂 I live in Phoenix with my husband of 3 1/2 years and our fur baby, dog Sadie.
Oh, I am a teacher who is enjoying her summer break!
I love everything you put on your blog. Love your sense of humor! While reading someone else’s blog the other day I saw that they had posted a picture of bacon bandaids, sold at some store in Minnesota. Immediately thought of you and your love of bacon.
Out of the Blue: Would be my guilty pleasures at the moment: Reality TV and chocolate soy milk.
Keep up the great work! I enjoy reading every day, especially posts on house decorating, as it is one of my favorite things to do.
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Amy, age 29, shoe designer, Jersey City, no kids yet, but a newlywed!
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
I love home design and house-y blogs such as yours. I’m a sorry I dont et bacon, but I imagine if I did it would be bacon-wrapped scallops. My favorite tv show is Trueblood!
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE?
I’m totally loving the book Hawaii by James Michener. It’s so magical!
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP?
Love before/afters, anything on home decor, organization, recipes and entertaining ideas, cool finds.
1) Ashleeeeeeeeey, 24, Executive Assistant, Los Angeles, no kids, and living in sin (and loving it)
2) I love the Olsen’s, elephants, and my boyfriend Jeffrey
3) I call my sister my Pis Wis Miss. Many reincarnations of Sister and this is what i come up with…
4) More collaborations with Sherry from TYH!!
1. I’m Barbara, age 55 (ouch – I feel about 32), unemployed since layoff 5 mos. ago, Northern California, married, 3 sons (15, 19, 21), 2 dogs.
2. Found you through TYH, love your humor, love the random nature of your blog, the Craigslist finds, home decorating ideas, and talk of your boyfriend. I gave my son bacon band-aids for his b-day and have always wanted to try deep-fried bacon. I’ve got lots of favorite TV shows from 24 to Animal Precinct.
3. Babies are cute but teenagers are the best!
1. Personal details –
I am Robin! I am 27 years old, and I work as a Visual Merchandiser at IKEA. I live in Atlanta (just like you! we should be friends!) No kids yet, or maybe ever, I’m not sure I’m cut out for it, even though everyone in the whole world tells me I’d be an awesome mom. I have just spent the best year of my life with my boyfriend after reconnecting last May. We met and dated in 2000, but he was taken away from me by the United States Marine Corps just a few days after our first date. We lost touch, but he is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m so glad he found me…don’t laugh…on myspace! We are best friends and we are absolutely crazy about each other. I have 2 pets: one is cat-face. Contrary to what you may think with a name like that, he is a cat! And we also have the cutest puppy in the whole world…Piper. She is a 5 month old Puggle puppy.
2. Preference details –
My favorite Bower Power posts are hands down when you show a transformation in your own home. I love seeing how your rooms evolve. My favorite blogs are This Young House (of course!), yours, Decor8, MakingItLovely, HausMaus, DoorSixteen, I could go on forever, so I’ll stop now. I LOVE blogs and I read yours, This Young House, and Decor8 every single day. My favorite bacon dish is some thick-cut, fresh sliced bacon that is cooked until it’s still soft (not crunchy!!) and still warm from the skillet. You can’t top perfection!! (I am a HUGE bacon lover, by the way.) We don’t watch any TV (no cable, nor any desire for it), but we do catch up on our favorite shows with Netflix…LOST and the Office. The best show of all time is still Arrested Development. If I could only watch one show for the rest of my life, it would be that show! It was absolutely brilliant.
Other stuff I love: my family, the color pink, etsy, red wine, pajama pants, super soft suede flats, cold stone ice cream (!), Ghostland Observatory (best band EVAAAAR!!), exclamation marks, grey velvet sofas, light fixtures, mini coopers, uglydolls, sunshine, power tools, sweet tea, magazines, apple i-anything, puzzles, cupcakes, medium rare steaks, etsy, sleeping, taking pictures, facebook, chocolate, and getting my back adjusted at the chiropractor.
3. Random details –
I am one of six children, and we are just like the Brady Bunch, but all from the same parents. I’m the oldest girl, so I guess you can call me Marcia.
Another random fact is that I’ve been thinking of starting my blog for about 6 months now, but I haven’t done it yet. Why, you ask? I can’t think of the perfect name!!! Stupid, right? I just need to start it and figure that stuff out later. For some reason I feel like I need to start out with the perfect name. I’m a weirdo.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP?
Hills links…not so much. Keep it real!! We love what you do already, or we wouldn’t be here. Just like everyone else, I love your before & afters. I would also like to see you document a trip to the Pottery Barn outlet (and please please please tell us which outlet you go to….I really want to make a trip of my own!) I love your blog….and I vow to comment all the time. I know it is awesome to get some feedback 🙂 I also want to see more of you and the youngsters hangin’ out! I loved those posts, and they were how I found your blog!
I’m Melissa and I want to be your BFF! I recently got into stalking/lurking blogs and I love you, Sherry and The Lettered Cottage. I stumbled onto you guys while looking at wedding porn. I’ll be 30 next month and engaged to my BF of more than 5 years. No kids – two dogs. I live in the South and I have the best job in the world at a local TV station.
I love your decorating, “boyfriend” and before and after posts. Keep ’em coming!
Love BLTs – except without the lettuce and tomato (okay, sometimes big, fat juicy tomatoes. Lettuce is just filler). Mayo, bacon, mustard and pickles between toast — salty deliciousness.
RANDOM – I hate toxic friends (oxymoron, no?) and co-workers. It annoys me when people use that when they should use who. And I love to read — lately paranormal romances. Try Mary Janice Davidson and Katie McAlister. You won’t be disappointed. Oh yeah – and I love karaoke. Every weekend.
1. Personal details – I’m Claire, married to Tony, mom to Roxy and Sandy, in Peachtree City GA (obviously!). No kids yet, 24, I’m a media planner – which is basically advertising kinda sorta.
2. Preference details – I love the ABP posts about makeovers from cheap to chic. I’m a Goodwill lover and kinda poor, so I like that kinda DIY but in a realistic way decor. And any other blogs that talk about that kinda thing (but you are like, Bff’s with all those bloggers, so you know!)
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I have a very important annoucement – CANNONBALL!! (sorry, my attempt at pop culture humor is nothing compared to yours)
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? See #2. I love any how-to type things, because if left to my own devices, I usually screw it up!
Keep up the good work! I love your blog and always look forward to seeing a post from you in my reader!
ps – geez you’re nosy…. 🙂
p.s.- you have figured out the secret to getting people to comment on your blog…ask a person to talk about herself and she won’t shut up! (as evidenced by my ridiculously long answer)
1. I am Lauren, 26 (turning 27 in July), I am a first grade teacher and live in Northern Virginia with my boyfriend and dog Banner. We just bought our first house together and we move in at the end of this month!!
2. I really like all your great crafty projects that you come up with. I especially like the dining room sketch (and I really want one!!) and the picture thingys with words from Jersey.. okay that was a horrible explanation… I enjoy reading your blog and This Young House. I started reading your blog even before we knew if we got our house or not and my boyfriend would make fun of me. I just started my own blog.. it’s pretty lame compared to yours though. Oh and my favorite t.v. show hands down is The Office.
3. My boyfriend and I pretend that our dog (Banner) has this whole secret life while we are and he plays on a sports team (The Reston Beagles) We are losers. Maybe he should recruit Burger to play on the team.. j/k
4. I love your blog! Keep up the great work and thank you for giving the rest of us great decorating ideas. I also love seeing the great deals you get on things!!
My name is Lakeitha and I’m a 26year old stay at home Mother of 3 boys. I’ve been married for almost 4 yrs (July 7th). I live in Lithonia, Ga (5 minutes away from Stonecrest Mall!) My favorite pass time is blogging and second hand anything to rehab! I love all things design. Something random about me is I like painting alone. It brings me peace! I love everything about your blog. Actually I like your blog a lot better than the other ones who have over a thousand followers! Your blog and this young house. I also like how you guys bacame friends thru blogging. My luck is not that good!
1. Personal Details – I don’t know that I’ve commented before, but I do read your blog religiously, so I thought I’d comment on this. I’m Sarah, 20, a student at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. I have a boyfriend of 3 1/2 years and I have (or my parents have) a Scottish Terrier, a cat, a burro, and Scottish Highland cattle (live on a farm)
2. Preference details – My favorite blogs are definitely Thisyounghouse, your blog, and any other more popular decorating/design blogs. I love decorating although I don’t have a place to decorate other than a room in an apartment and my already decorated room at my parent’s house that I decorated last summer. I am obsessed with it, but there’s not much I can do but read and devour everything about the decorating world. I also love cooking, reading, and writing (I’m an English major in college).
3. Random details – The cows at my parents house are redheads like me – must be the Scottish heritage. I’m not good at thinking of random things.
4. Question – I really like when you recreated that Pottery Barn room for less money. I would love to see that once a month or once a week! It just shows how much good research and a tight budget will get you.
1. Gia, 28, married over a year and live outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I teach high school English and have only TWO weeks left until I have my masters in Educational Leadership and will have my principal’s license. I have LOTS of DIY projects planned for this summer (including my Golden Delicious Bathroom redo)
3. Randomness about me? I love smutty romance novels in the form of Nora Roberts and have recently found myself addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlain Harris. And I have always wanted to be a Southerner or live on a farm; my favorite movies are Gone with the Wind and Wizard of Oz
4. What do I want to see on ABP? Exactly what you have been posting. Help out us first-time DIYers with the step by steps and befores and afters.
2. I love seeing the decorating and DIY/project posts, but honestly, I love your writing and whacky sense of humor, so I will read it all. Love the befores and afters as well as cheap craft ideas.
1. Jen, 28-year old newlywed, mama to 1 furry (Barley) and 3 scale-y (Karl, Burt, and Cletus) creatures. But I don’t actually like the scale-y ones, so the hubby is their primary caregiver, and I am their primary ignorer. I’m an unemployed scientist (by choice!), considering either a) getting a job or b) switching careers. We just moved to Michigan 3 weeks ago and have been busy setting up our new home!
2. I come for the home improvement, and stay for the thrifting/potty jokes. (I try to blog about home improvement, but fall dramatically short on the potty jokes.)
3. I can flare my nostrils.
4. Yes. All of the above. Absolutely. And also, answers to these pressing questions: Do you think turkey bacon is an acceptable substitute for the real thing? Do you also *heart* chocolate-covered bacon or are you a bacon purist? Do you like your bacon microwaved or stove-cooked?
1. The name’s Emma, 23 yr old newlywed Preschool teacher in NC. My husband and I dote on a sweet boxer dog, no human kids.
(I commented once about my husband’s grandmother’s Creepazoid Doll collection to trump your “DON’T DO THIS” post a la stuffed animals arranged around your living room! )
2. My cup of tea is a mixture of bargain shopping, children, DIY projects, movies, and family time. Oh, and catching up on ABP and TYH. My daily reads 🙂
3. A Gruffalo has purple pricklies on his back, knobby knees and a poisonous wart on his nose (you asked for random, I gave you freakish preschool book ) 🙂
4. I would Love Love Love to see more DIY furniture/bargain shopping and creating treasures from “junk”. I love to read about your latest finds – they inspire me to search too!
1. Who are you? – Lynne, 46, married for 23 years, 3 kids 21,16 and 14. I just moved back to my hometown Melbourne Australia after moving around (a lot) for the past 28 years, including three years in the US when my husband was an exchange pilot with the USAF. Even have my own US citizen as a souvenir (my youngest was born in Spokane WA).
2. Cup of tea? – Reading,following my favorite blogs,real estate web sites,sleeping!
3. Random details-I almost didn’t comment when I saw how young everyone else is, thank goodness for Becky and Lori!
4. What do I want to see on ABP? – I love your before and afters but apart from that just keep doing what you’re doing, I love it!
Hi Katie,
Another first time commenter here.
1. My name’s Sarah I’m a Canadian who’s been living in Belgium for the last 3.5 years. Not married… yet!
2. Preferences for home dec and thrifting ideas – oh yeah the blog posts about the Youngsters were pretty hilarious!
3. Random detail: I was born with crossed toes
Love the blog it’s a daily read, keep up the awesomeness!
I’m a bit late to the party, but then I’m a half-a-day’s-worth of time zones ahead of ABP!
1. Personal details: Lynda. 27. Irish. Work for the national Irish broadcaster by day, write a daily column for Beaut.ie, The Irish Beauty Blog by night, occasionally post to my own blog when I get a spare moment! I live about an hour’s drive west of Dublin with boyfriend Himself in the house we bought almost three years ago – and I am still not finished decorating it. (I have actually taken today off work for a 3-day decorating blitz – it’s 10:40am here and I’m still in my pjs. Ooops.) We’ll be together 8 years in October. We have a West Highland White Terrier called Boris, and no plans to either get hitched or have kids thankyouvermuch. We like travel – lived in Chicago for the summer of 2005, have visited NY twice, and have plans to get Stateside again as soon as funds permit, will most likely be holidaying in Europe this year though. (Not as posh as it sounds, now – remember, Ireland is in Europe!)
2. Preference details: I like my bacon lean and crispy, either wrapped around a chicken breast or served with fried mashed turnip for dinner, or as part of a full Irish breakfast for, well, breakfast!
3. Random details: In Ireland, bacon slices are called rashers. So now y’all know what to ask for if you ever visit!
Apart from ABP, TYH & Beaut.ie, my favourite blog is probably Ish & Chi, Viv is such a sweetheart.
I am developing a bit of an Etsy and Twitter additction.
4. Question – I don’t really mind what you write about about once you keep posting, Katie! I like the DIY/how to house-y posts, but probably my favourite thing about the blog is your sense of humour.
Keep up the good work 😀
Hello! Wow 92 comments…guess that’s a lot more then the 10 you thought were following your blog!! Anyhow..my name is Carrie, 28 years old, and I live in Ohio with my husband and 2 kids…a boy and a girl!! I started reading your blog after I googled my paint color I just bought for my family room…Dusty Trail by Olympic Paint! Then I started checking out the rest of your blog and I love your sense of decorating style!! We are currently trying to sell our house and you have helped me figure out how to stage my house in a relatively inexpensive way!! I love reading all your ideas and your remodeling projects. I also never new of the store called IKEA until I read your blog…so now when I get my new house…I will be making the 1.5 hour trip there to stock up on some household items!! Anyhow…that’s about it for me!!
1. Personal details – My name is Allison, 23, and I live in Northern VA. I’m engaged to be married in August. No pets right now but I’d love to get a dog soon.
2. Preference details – I found ABP through TYH and I check both of these blogs several times a day (can you say procrastination?). I also love Style Me Pretty which is great for wedding inspiration. Right now I’m reading through your archives and your top 10 gym faux pas are hilariously true.
3. Random details – I love pink because it makes me happy and I’m becoming a lover of all things white. I don’t like wearing flats because I feel like an oompa-loompa. Plus being 5’0″ it’s nice to have an extra boost to smooch my 6’0″ soon-to-be-hubby.
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Before and after pictures are inspiring and make projects seem very doable. I’m always looking for new crafts and projects. My fiance and I just moved into our first home and I daydream about decorating.
I think your blog is fabulous! Keep doing what you do!
10 comments? Psh…look at you, almost to 100! whoop!
1. I’m Audrey, a 25 year old commercial interior designer from Charlotte, NC. I live with my hubby of almost two years and our loveable golden retriever, Charlie. 🙂
2. My fav things include blogs (I’ve recently become slightly obsessed), anything design related, my Nikon D40, cheesy reality shows and food. Mmmmm food.
3. I have abnormally large big toes – all the other toes are perfectly normal, but the big one is ginormous. Maybe my big toes and your big head and join evil forces and take over the world?
4. I’m always a sucker for before and afters, so keep em coming! I’m a big fan of all things crafty, so it’s great to get ideas from other blogs on that. I’m also trying to become an awesome photographer, so I’d love to hear any tips you pick up along the way!
Okay I have been reading your blog um? for about 3 weeks now and your inspiration is so awesome, keep it up!:) My name is Josephine, Jo, J? Either of those will be fine with me, most call me Jo, much easier to remember.I reside in Texas, born in Germany. I am engaged to a wonderful funny man named KC, just moved here from Seattle, WA. Blogs I enjoy of yours is your ‘remodeling’ of things. I like to see your before and afters, really gives me inspiration to create, change some stuff up! Something random is I don’t want reality shows or much TV at that? 🙂 I don’t EVERRRRR have time unless it’s after dinner and there is absolutely nothing going on afterwards (which is *ahem* rare.) Anywho, I have a blog, I haven’t blogged in a while, just started! You will have to check it out!
WHO AM I? Laura, 30, Boston (MA). Bought a townhouse with my hubby in September and have become obessed with design blogs in an effort to get ideas for decorating my pad.
WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? BLTs, your craft and design posts, reading about Sherry and John from TYH visiting your place. You guys all seem so nice – makes me want to leave the crabby New England people behind for cheaper housing prices and friendlier people!
TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Heel, definitely. Also, I was super-into writing my travel blog, and then totally lost steam and haven’t touched it in months. Boo! 🙁
WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I love your before/afters, craft ideas and DIY projects. They’re very inspiring! You have a gorgeous house and it’s great to know that you did so much of it yourselves. It gives me hope!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? My name is Laurie, I’m 42, happily married for 16 years, located in both central Canada and Arizona (not at the same time!), have 3 boys (2 are teenagers) and 1 gorgeous little Bichon named Daisy
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? My cup of tea is a POT OF COFFEE please, with cream and splenda. I like the homey posts the best, since that is what I live for, I also like reading Chez Larsen, Making it Lovely, TYH, Decorno…all those home decor porn sites! My own blog is http://damarkz.blogspot.com/, you might want to check it out since I am stealing one of your ideas for my own 😉
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Ninja or pirate? Heels or flipflops? Definitely a ninja in flip flops, stilettos make that clicking noise, not stealthy enough
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? Like, do you want links to The Hills episodes? More craft ideas? More photoshopping fun? More Before/Afters? Maybe a picture of heaven? Well, ok. UMMM, less Hills. I don’t watch that, never have…craft ideas is good, photoshopping is always fun. I have seen heaven and it is a bowl of praline’s and cream ice cream, so pictures of that, yes please!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? Jodi, 29, married 3 years to my college boyfriend and living in a built-with-our-own hands (and my dad’s general contracting skills) cottage/bungalow style house with our 2 year old cockapoo puppy Brady (I don’t care how old he is, he will still be my puppy!)
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I LOVE seeing how people repurpose or refinish existing items. Favorite shows – I like dark, smart comedy. Veronica Mars was my favorite, alas, it is no longer on the air, but I just love quick wit and sarcasm – the Office is a good stand-in right now.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Hmmm… I once cried when a middle school aptitude test identified my ideal career as a librarian – a LIBRARIAN!?! But… now I have a graduate degree from NYU in Library Science. Go figure! Also, I am a total organizational geek – my college roommates referred to me as Monica (not in a nice way, even though I was strangely proud of being associated with the anal-retentive tendancies of my favorite Friends character!) I can’t even tell you how happy a neatly organized, labels facing front, clearly labeled pantry makes me. Sigh. Also, we are a football obsessed family. Our 1st anniversary presents to each other were signed helmets from our favorite teams (me = Broncos, him = Giants). They sit proudly preserved in our TV room (I put them in nice archival cases to class them up a bit!) Heaven is a crisp fall day, a full football schedule, a bit pot of chili and maybe some apple pie (we live 2 miles from an orchard so it’s fresh pie all season!)
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I want to see more decorating and renovation ideas. I like to see what other fun, young couples are doing to their homes. I want a nice but youthful home – I have a lot of fear of “growing up” and getting boring!
Hey there, let me start by saying that I adore your blog! Your humor is right up my alley…keep it up!
Now, let’s proceed with the interview:
Who are you? I am Claudia, 22, construction coordinator. I have a wonderful partner and 2 adorable chihuahua mutts.
What is your cup of tea?
I love blogs, especially decor or design related posts. I love DYI related posts. They are so inpiring. I just bought a home and am trying to figure things out, so seeing your projects really pumps me up!
Something outta the blue…
Well I just started a party planning business, it’s called Flutter Bug Events. I also just started my very own blog, flutterbugdesign.blogspot.com, which is my personal journey in design and pretty things! What else, I am currently getting my contruction management degree and am a personal organizer on the weekends on top of my hectic 40 work week. I am a busy bee and I love it.
What do you want to see happen on ABP?
Just be your fabulous self! I love everything about this blog–the humor, decor, food, randomness…everything!
1) Heather, 23, Quality Assurance Analyst/
Future Architect, Idaho, No Kids, Married just
shy of 10 months with a possessed, perverted
cat and the sweetest Golden Retriever pup ever.
2) Love you, This Young House & Pancake and
French Fries. I love cream cheese desserts,
unique design ideas and The Bachelorette.
3) My husband acts like a cranky little kid
when he first wakes up and I find it patheticly
adorable.
4) More crafty-crafty and home updates.
I’m late on this one, but better late than never.
WHO ARE YOU I’m Casie, I’m 28 years young. I’m married to my best friend and we have 2 beautiful and precious pitbulls. I’m an administrative assistant.
WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA I really like your before and afters, plus all the good instructions you give to complete the projects at home. My favorite bacon dish is anything with bacon included, LOL. Favorite TV show is CSI Miami.
TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE I’m a huge procrastinator. I believe I need to be in a group of people that never meet b/c they procrastinate to much. Nothing ever gets done until it completely has too, I’ll put off anything. Don’t even get me started on what happens when a list of chores needs to be completed, yet “something much more fun comes along”
WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP-Anytihng you post, I’ll read, LOL. I pretty much love all your posts and keep the witty antics coming, they get me going through my long workdays.
1. Herro! I’m Emily, almost 28, married x 1 year to my boyfriend x 8 years. We just bought a house in Annapolis, MD and I stumbled on your blog while trying to figure out how the heck I’m going to decorate it. I should mention the house was built 200 years ago, and hasn’t been updated in about 40. Eeeek! Our family is made complete by our giant miniature schnauzer, Duncan. (Yes, “giant miniature” cancels out to medium, but please don’t tell him that, he’s pretty grumpy already.)
2. I love bad reality tv (with a soft spot for the bachelor/ette), fruity martinis, blogging, traveling, reading, and recently, home decorating. I love your before and after posts. They give me hope that our atrocious home will someday look fabulous.
3. Hmmm. Not feeling especially creative. My husband has 11 toes. Is that TMI? Feels good to get that off my chest.
4. Keep on making me LOL, I’m loving it.
WHO AM I? Kelly, 34, Suburb of Chicago. I’m a manager of project managers. Sounds like fun, yeah? Mother of a ‘spirited’ 19 month old. Found ABP through TYH (John & Sherry whipped up a mood board for my man cave about a year ago)
WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? running, being entertained by reality TV, reading fun blogs, listening to podcasts, and reading novels. When I first moved in to our home 5 years ago, we bought furniture but did not really ‘decorate’. I am catching up now.
TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? Flops, for sure. I could eat pizza every night with a glass of merlot or pinot for the rest of my life and be happy.
WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP?
I like the home decor & craft project posts, interspersed with personal life posts. Your writing makes me giggle.
Hi! Found your blog a few weeks ago when John and Sherri crashed your house. 🙂
I’m Summer from eastern PA. I’ll be 29 years in a week! Ahhh!! I’ll be the age my mom always said she was turning when her birthday came ’round. I’m in marketing at a medical device company. My husband’s a pastor. Married nearly 5 years, and trying to plan a fun vacay to celebrate. Any suggestions?! No kids (yet). And no pets. 🙁 Hubbie won’t allow them. Of course, our 3rd floor apartment/parsonage is not exactly conducive to a puppy right now.
*LOVE*LOVE*LOVE* The Office and Lost. And chocolate, shopping, laying out, Jesus, SLEEPING, reading, decorating, scrapbooking, being with family, Christmas, babies, blogstalking. 🙂 Some faves: The LPM Blog, TYH, decor8, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of your photography skillz. I’m just getting more into it myself, and a few months ago got my Canon Rebel! So, definitely can’t wait to see more posts about what you’re doing there and to hopefully pick up some tips!
Oh yeah, and love my super easy egg bake smack full of BACON!
I want in on this action too 🙂 No more blogstalking.
1. Hi, I’m Jess and I live in Boston. I’m 27 and “work” in marketing…I was recently laid off and am looking for my next job, hopefully for a nonprofit. My amazing boyfriend is now serving as my sugar daddy. He has 2 cats that I’m allergic too so I spend most of my time at his house on drugs…(claritin!).
2. I love Peppermint tea 🙂 And ABP posts that involve photoshopping and your bargain finds at Homegoods. I love the fact that I found your blog and TYH at virtually the same time and now get really excited when I see new posts appear in my Google Reader. I just started a new blog on living the green lifestyle- http://lowemissions.wordpress.com/ – and I can only dream of the day I put my own reader survey out there. Oh, and I’m a huge sucker for any of the major dance shows (So You Think You Can Dance, yeah!) and How I mEt your Mother.
3. Random- I’m a HUGE Red Sox fan and spent 6 weeks as an extra in the movie “Fever Pitch” with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. I was at Fenway at all random hours (midnight to sunrise) and got paid for it too. Unbelievable experience.
4. I’m a big craft nerd myself so I’d love to see more craft projects (how-to’s, inspiration pics) and maybe some more colloboration with other bloggers!
p.s. more random…are you a Saved by the Bell fan? I use to fake sick so I could stay home from school to catch the latest episode. I was convinved I was going to marry Zach. Anyway, you have to check out Zach Morris’s visit to the Jimmy Fallon show last week…so classic!
1. I’m Cindy. I’m 26 and I work for a Home Builder, in Edmonton, AB CANADA. I live with my bf and two cats.
2.I’m a design/decor enthusiast and have been following your blog for a good 10 months or so.
3. In 2 weeks we will be moving into our first house (well, my first house, his second, but first together). Designing a house from start to finish has so far been incredible, and I can’t wait until we move in so I can get started on the inside!!
4. I love seeing photos of your place, and your finds (even though we don’t have a lot of the same stores yet in Canada). It’s also great seeing DIYs and crafty-ness.
Keep up the fantastic work!
1.I’m Anna – 27 y/o – Newlywed living and working in metro dc area – just celebrated our one year anniv. No kids – working on pets.
2. Fav blogs are decor, marriage life, budgeting, fashion & shopping and randoms – yours is one of my fav’s and a Cup of Jo by J. Goddard and of course mine – entrylevelwife.com. Fav shows for me are Lost, the Office, Parks & Recreation and the Cleaner for Benjamin Bratt – he is a hottie!
3. Something random I want the Coconut/Java Chip frap to come back – also does anyone know if its true that you can’t access internet at starbucks anymore!!??!
4. I really like the before and after – gives me motivation for my dull apt. Also – i think it’s luck mag or cosmo – one of those that gets a high end outfit and prices it out and re-creates the outfit at budget friendly prices – that could be an idea to do with your rooms.
1. My name is Elizabeth and I am 30 y.o. (blerg, still not used to typing that). I am married to a super-cutie psychologist, and we live in Athens GA (close enough that maybe we could go to the PB outlet???) with our 4 Golden Retrievers. Yes, we are probably crazy for having that many dogs, but I’m a dog trainer so I have to have lots of dogs (that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it). I also have a “day job” as an ecologist (yes, I’m the one that begged to not plant privet of any sort).
2. I have lots of favorites b/c I’m fickle. I’m obsessed with kitchen and bath renovations, cow rugs, finding white slipcovers, and gardening. We don’t watch a lot of TV, but currently I love Real Housewives of NJ, pretty much anything on HGTV, Weeds, and the Rachel Maddow show.
3. We just made our second biggest grown-up furniture purchase, we want an outdoor fireplace finished before football season, and I refuse to sleep in my wedding ring b/c I’m worried I’m going to swallow it.
4. My favorite ABP posts are the how-to construction type ones…especially the kitchen and bathroom ones.
This post is over a year old, so I don’t even know if you will see this comment, but I’d like to say hi!
1. Personal details – WHO ARE YOU? I’m Lori. I’m 26 in my mind, but they tell me I am going to be 44 on my next birthday… What’s up with that? 44-year-olds are grownups who are competent in every way, and I feel like life is just getting started! I’m in Portland, OR, married 18+ years to a very tall boy (I can walk under his outstretched arm) and I have an 11-year-old bacon-loving daughter.
2. Preference details – WHAT IS YOUR CUP OF TEA? I have worked my way through over a year of your archives, and I am still excited every day to read more. I like Chez Larsson, Young House Love, and any blog about simplifying your life. I love bacon, but I don’t like crisp bacon or bacon bits. I discovered Friends in syndication (as a late-night nursing mom all those years ago) and still love it. My latest obsession is Pride and Prejudice. Book, movie (any version), fan fiction, you name it. My equally-obsessed coworker and I goof around by sending work emails in P&P-style language. It is excessively diverting.
3. Random details – TELL ME SOMETHING OUTTA THE BLUE? I’m afraid of fish. I have structural integrity issues (hate bunkbeds, overpasses, and parking structures). In my family, we say I am attending the University of Google Medical School. (I have a few random medical conditions and I’m constantly digging for info.)
4. Question – WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANNA SEE ON ABP? I chuckle at the pop culture references, but don’t need any more than you have now. I just love to see what you guys come up with: you are energetic, handy with power tools, clever at the before-and-after, and – BEST OF ALL – you do it on the cheap. I love it. Plus, you are hilarious. Keep going just as you are.
I think I just snorted my Toaster Strudel when I read you were afraid of fish 🙂 Thanks for your comment – I love reading about readers even if it is a little late.
XO – Katie
Yeah… it’s pretty pathetic! Picture me and the Tall Boy in a little boat off Catalina Island, all decked out in snorkeling gear. He lets me go first. I come up hyperventilating, spluttering “Fish!…. All.. over.. me…! Aaaaaaaughhh!!!!!” He pulls me into the boat, grumbling, “I certainly hope so! That’s why we paid all this money!”
He got to snorkel the rest of the afternoon. I got a sunburn.
Since the “trauma,” I can’t even go to an aquarium anymore.
Hi, I’m super late here! But as I’m reading my way through all the posts (and comments!) it feels like this one is today, so here goes:
1. I’m Jan Elizabeth, and I’m 46 years old. On my birthday I thought I was turning 47, then realized that made me a year younger than my best friend when I’d always been two years younger. I did the math and hey, I was a year younger than I thought! Yay!
I’m married for the second time, to my other best friend. We have three kids each (big ones, thank goodness! Six little ones would be a bit much.) and two cats and a gorgeous huge “white golden retriever”. I live in Victoria BC, Canada, and run a music studio.
2. My cup of tea is singing, playing piano, being with family, decorating and crafting. Currently we are covering our brick fireplace with stacked stone. It’s going to be gorgeous! I love ABP, Domestic Imperfection, Frugal Girl and a few other blogs. I love to read and watch TV and walk with my dog in our beautiful rainforests or at the beach. I feel very blessed and lucky to live here.
Another thing is I recently purchased a huge box of bacon ends from our grocery warehouse, cooked them all up and made millions of bacon bits! Homemade bacon bits, mmm. I kept a bottle in the fridge and put the rest in bags in the freezer. Awesome, thrifty way to make tons and tons of homemade bacon bits 🙂
3. Random: I made everyone scarves out of t-shirts for Christmas. It took four months to pick out the shirts in the thrift stores and I tried to get everyone’s favorite things, interests, childhood memories, etc. Each scarf had 11 shirts and involved about 60 feet of stitching!
4. I like your monthly lists of goals. I also like following your life story with your husband and family, and soon to be baby (you have to know his pic is all over these old posts.) I like that you don’t complain about your husband, people do that too much! He sounds like a great guy. I also like the thrift shop finds and reno projects, and your outrageous sense of humour.
Cheers, and thanks for a whole bunch of laughs!