Crafty Q&A: Life Blessons

Hi, everyone!

I’m really excited to kick off a regular new Q&A feature, which will affectionately be called Crafty Q&As. I’ll be featuring talented and crafty bloggers (as the name probably suggests). I can’t wait to share lots of crafty goodness and inspiration with you all (and possibly introduce you to some amazing bloggers you might not already know)!

So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you to the talented and very inspiring Carmen of Life Blessons.

Carmen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband. She shares what is going on in her life, her faith and all her domestic ambitions on her blog Life Blessons.

1. Tell us a little bit about your blog, Life Blessons, and how you got started blogging.
Well, I’ve had a couple of blogs off and on over the years, that I dabbled with. But when I moved to Atlanta with my husband and knew no one here but him, I decided to use blogging as an outlet to share what God was doing in my life. I wanted it to be a place where I could use my talent of writing and my opportunity of having ample time on my hands to give God glory for all he’s done and hopefully offer encouragement to others. The idea for the title came by combining the two things I wanted my blog to revolve around: the blessings and lessons that God was working in my life.

2. What do you love most about blogging?
I think what I love the most about blogging is the intimacy it enables. It can be really hard in normal, everyday conversation to share your hardships and struggles and fears, especially in terms of your spiritual life. But on my blog, I can put to words what I’m going through, what I’m learning, and anyone can come by, read it and (hopefully!) be inspired or encouraged.

3. Any advice for others who would like to start sharing about their lives and faith on a blog?
I think that the hardest thing about sharing your faith is overcoming the fear of what will happen when you bare your soul like that. I used to cringe sometimes when people who aren’t believers told me that they read my blog because I was afraid that they would judge me or stop liking me or laugh at me. But I was surprised when a girl who isn’t a Christian told me, so sincerely, that she loved reading my blog. I honestly wondered, “Why?!” But I’ve come to understand that I shouldn’t be surprised that even those who don’t yet love God won’t be attracted to his love and power and mercy, which I strive to share on my blog. You never know how and to whom God is going to use your words to impact others!

4. You have such a lovely style with a vintage flair (both in your wardrobe and your home decor). What are your favorite vintage finds?
Oh, thanks, Katie!! I appreciate that compliment tremendously!

Let’s see, some of my favorite vintage finds probably are ones I’ve incorporated into my home décor, including a hodge podge of paintings and frames from the 60s and 70s, a handmade bedspread covered in little green swiss dots, my 1950s-ish wood dining chairs, and (my all-time fave) a gorgeous dark wood buffet that is so huge and hulking that it’s still sitting in my parents garage, waiting for the day when I have a home of my own and don’t have to haul it up a few flights of stairs!

5. Do you have any tips for thrifting and incorporating your finds into your wardrobe or home?
My first piece of advice would be to find a thrift store you like. If you look, you’re likely to find tons of thrift shops in your city, but some are usually better than others. (My experience has been that the ones near wealthier areas are usually better!) That will give you a leg up on finding better stuff to begin with. Also, be willing to take something that is imperfect (as most thriftstore finds will be) and experiment with ways to make it better. I’ve learned not to be afraid of sewing my own hems, taking shirts in on the sides or adding embellishments. Or with home décor, let spray paint be your best friend! The good thing about these tactics, is that even if you end up ruining the item, you’re only out a couple of bucks. But the flip side is that you have the opportunity to turn the object into exactly what you want, in the exact shade or size you need it. That always wins out for me!

6. You’ve featured some great crafty projects on Life Blessons (making your own shampoo, your own cosmetics, etc.). Anything currently on your “to-make” list?
Oh, there is always something on my “to-make” list, although some are more practical than others. I’d love to revamp the desks that my husband and I built last spring, with hopes of making them look less noticeably handmade. (It was a lofty experiment that did not live up to our expectations, but I still would like to try to make the most of it.) I’d also really love to create some terrariums!

7. What’s next for Life Blessons? Any creative dreams on your heart right now?
That’s a really good question, and honestly, I don’t know what’s next for my blog! It feels like I’m in a season right now when everything is up in the air and able to change: I’m looking for a new job, contemplating moving to a new apartment, still trying to discover what’s my “mission.” So I haven’t given much thought of what will come of my blog, although I do want to protect the integrity of focusing on matters of faith rather than just posting for the sake of posting. That might mean less posts in the future or it might mean no changes at all!

8. What inspires you?
The things that inspire me most are things that are unique and one-of-a-kind, whether it’s from a beautiful piece of artwork or an inspiring phrase in a book or a surprising color combination. I love being able to look at things in new ways and see new ways of piecing images or outfits or decorations together.

9. Just for fun: Share three random facts about yourself. :)
1) I had a 10 week engagement to my husband before we got married, and even then, we got married before we’d even been dating a full year! Sometimes spontaneity totally works :)
2) I think it took me until I was 21 years old to be happy with my style and comfortable in my own skin. It’s a shame to think it takes that long to stop caring what other people think or expect, but I’m just thankful I finally have!
3) The greatest compliment I’ve ever received about my decorating was when a friend came over and told me my apartment looked like Anthropologie. I don’t know if I can ever top that! (On the flip side, one of my husband’s friends said that our place looked like a “bachelor pad.” I wasn’t quite as flattered!)

Thanks so much for participating, Carmen! :-) Visit Carmen’s blog, Life Blessons, to learn more and follow along on her latest adventure.

Interested in being featured in a Crafty Q&A? E-mail me at letterbirdart [at] gmail [dot] com.