This past weekend was a really stressful one for me, work-wise.  There were some pressing issues at the office that just couldn’t be left alone after 5 pm Friday, and ended up consuming most of my Saturday.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, I thought, as Saturday afternoon was the very first DC-area blogger meetup that I’d organized with my blog buddy Christina.  I’m not sure I let on to anyone just how much I was looking forward to this, but I really was.  While last year I was focused and introverted as I launched my business, this year I really want to focus on building community both online and here in my area.   Going out on a limb to schedule a gathering like this was the first step towards that goal.

Because I’d gone out on that limb, I was really nervous!  What if people didn’t like each other? (or didn’t like me?)  What if everyone thought it was lame?  What if – heaven forbid – no one showed up??  Yes, I know, I worry too much.  Add on the stress of work, and the fear that work may not be concluded in time to attend my very own gathering – and I was just a mess.

But Saturday afternoon I did manage to tie things up with work long enough to escape to Caffe Amouri for meetup.  I’m so glad it worked out, because it injected a much-needed dose of happiness, laughter, energy, and inspiration into my otherwise dreary and stressful weekend.  I returned home super, super happy and excited.

*Edit: Toya is not pictured. She's a party pooper and left early. (Just kidding, she had a prior commitment.)

I often see happy posts from multiple bloggers, all rambling on about how awesome their latest blogger get-together was.  And while it was exciting, I have a broader message for all of you who didn’t live close enough to attend.  I’d like to challenge and encourage you to initiate a meetup of your own in your town.

If you do plan a meetup:

*Partner with another blog or twitter buddy, or even a non-blogging friend.  That way, in the worst case event that no one else shows, you’ve got each other to hang out with. :)

*Pick a neutral, safe place for the first meetup.  You don’t want to invite strangers into your home.

*Finally, I’d encourage you to do what we did – open it up to bloggers, twitter followers, and facebook fans.  In my opinion, at least, blog readers are just as important a part of your blogging community as blog writers are.

There’s something awesome that happens when you get a group of blogging ladies together.  I’m not really sure how it works, because we don’t all blog in the same niche, but you put us around a table and the conversation and laughter flows. It’s something I hope to enjoy again, and something that I truly wish all of you could join me for.

But in the mean time, as we wait for teleportation to become a reality, I encourage you:  go forth and create your own blogging community!

Finally, here’s a list of all the awesome ladies who gathered, and where you can find them.  I really encourage you to check them all out!

Michelle has just started a blog as she prepares to own her own home (show her some love, guys!) at Two Streets Over, and she tweets.

Christina blogs at The Scrappy Housewife (and she & her husband just launched a cooking blog as well), and she tweets.

Kimberly (who is the first twitter friend I’ve ever made, awesome!) blogs when she’s not busy wrangling her two little boys, and tweets like a fiend!

Rachel sells her art in an awesome Etsy shop, blogs at Funnelcloud, and tweets.

Steffanie sells awesomely eco-friendly laundry soap on Etsy,  blogs, and tweets.

Lauren (who recently got engaged!) blogs at Laurenchanting, and tweets.

Sarah (who was the first local blogger I ever met) blogs at Sunny Side Up, and tweets.

Toya (who makes ah-MAZING healthy snacks) blogs and runs New Family Naturals, and is being encouraged to tweet more.

Yesterday, I got an awesome comment from Meghan, letting me know that Nate Berkus featured “my” Tempaper on his show.  Not only did her comment crack me up, it reminded me that I owed you guys an official review of this temporary wallpaper that I applied to my guest room wall.

Tempaper is a temporary, removable wallpaper that is made in the USA – yeehaw!  It’s potentially a great temporary wallcover option for renters, or people who just don’t want to go to the effort of stenciling a wall (or two) for dramatic effect.

When I opened the roll, I was pleased by the rich color and sheen of the design. 

Read the rest of this entry »

It just hit me:  The arrival of February means there’s a few carpentry projects that we’ve been chipping away at for over a month now.

Exhibit A: a lovely table that I built from scratch.  I won’t tell you where it’s going just yet, but I’m too excited to not to give you a sneak peek at it!

Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan and I spent our MLK Day holiday knocking out a ton of much overdue wedding planning tasks.  The first stop of the day was a meeting with our DJ, James McKay of Crow Entertainment.

Initially Ryan and I had asked my brother Jon to fill in as the DJ, since he and his father-in-law used to DJ on the side, and have the full suite of necessary equipment.  My brother did me an enormous favor by filling in as DJ for my best friend’s wedding last summer, and everyone loved him.  However, he and his wife will be attending our wedding with a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old in tow, so we realized that Jon will have his hands full enough without playing the role of wedding DJ.

Ryan and I found Crow Entertainment at a vendor event held by our wedding venue.  Read the rest of this entry »

Remember those modern wooden nightstands that Ryan and I built 1.5 years ago?  Well, they’ve been gone since October, when I sold them in a yard sale.

After living with them for a year, I realized that we had no need for large nightstands, and they were just another piece of furniture that we had to dust and keep clutter-free.  Oh, and having the open bottoms?  The pet hair that collected was ridiculous.   I don’t know what on earth most people use enormous nightstands for, unless they are living in a small apartment and need to maximize space.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s official! Christina (The Scrappy Housewife) and I would like to invite any of you locals to join us in Vienna, VA on Saturday, Feb 4, for a Blogger / Facebooker / Tweeter meetup. (Really, we need a better word for that, because that’s just a mouthful.)

We’ve decided to kick things off with a cup of coffee or pot of tea at Caffe Amouri, where we can sit down and actually talk to each other in real life for the first time. :)  Then, if weather permits and we’re in the mood, we may stroll down historic Church Street, and peek into the shops along it. It’s pretty pathetic that, after 1.5 years here, I still haven’t visited the locally-owned shops in my own town. Read the rest of this entry »

Good morning, friends.  Today I’m just going to share a quick Q&A with you.    When I saw the Q&A that Mikalah posted yesterday, I was inspired to write a little.  I often don’t do those long Q&As that circle the blogosphere, because I don’t want to answer 35 questions about myself and my life.  But this one – only 12 questions – I can do. :)

1. How long have you been blogging?  Read the rest of this entry »

Do you remember when I was pondering if I should move my sewing studio?   As soon as Ryan woke up that day I asked him – I just couldn’t wait – and he was totally ok with it.  I dove straight into that switcheroo with gusto, let me tell you.  Anytime I have a chance to move furniture around or rearrange a room I get excited.

It’s times like this when I have a pang of envy for full-time bloggers who can start a project and just tear through it in a few days.   I started moving the sewing studio to the basement on New Years Eve weekend, and it took until this past weekend to get to 90% completion.  Because this project would directly affect my business, we made it a top priority, but it still dragged out. Read the rest of this entry »

• Window Frame Jewelry Display {Tutorial}
• How To: DIY Decorative Storage Box
• Seriously Awesome Jewelry Storage
• Rental Decorating 101: 6 Tips for Painti…
• Studio Closet Makeover (aka Elfa vs. Clo…
• Hat Storage: Repurposed Take-Out Contain…
• Rental Friendly Temporary Wallpaper? {Le…
• Clutter Control: It’s in the pot
• {Kitchen Storage} How to hide a dish rac…
• Living Room: Painted!

• My first official “blogger meetup”
• A Thorough Review & Tips on Decorating With Tempaper
• The Waiting Game: Furniture in Progress