We asked Ashley from Simply Designing 16 quirky questions! This Indianapolis-based blogger and interior designer spills her biggest DIY fail, and shares some great ideas for inexpensive home projects. Head on over to Simply Designing for some creative DIY projects, and to read the rest of this interview!
What’s your DIY weapon of choice? Oh that is a tough one. It depends on the project, but I do love my hot glue gun! I also love almost any power tool!
What are 3 words to describe your blog? Creative, simple, do-it-yourself
Tell us about a time when you had a DIY fail (we’ve all had them!) Ha, I love this question! I actually blogged about my biggest DIY fail here. It took us a few tries to actually refinish our stairs correctly, but we finally got them looking perfect! Although it was initially a fail, we learned from our mistakes and grew so much because of it. It ended up a big success, and I am grateful that I can help others avoid the same pitfalls we made!
Words of wisdom for someone remodeling on a budget? Shop around. Don’t be afraid to buy online. Get crazy creative with materials, tools, and inspiration to keep your budget low while still getting a look you love. And don’t be afraid to just plunge in and do-it-yourself. But DO call in a professional when you need it!
How did you become interested in blogging? That is a great question. I have always loved creating and decorating so when I discovered that I could blog about it, a whole new world opened up to me! I dove in head first without a second thought, I had no end goals in mind and no idea where it would take me. I have loved every minute of it and I never would have believed where I would have ended up, or the opportunities that have come my way. It has truly been an amazing adventure!
Strangest decoration in your house? Hm. This is a tough one. I don’t think any of my decorations are too strange, but I did recently use a really unique material in this project here. I was working on this really fun IKEA Hack where I turned a white IKEA bookcase into a beautiful Industrial Cabinet! And I wanted something unique for the inset portion of my cabinet doors. I wanted something with a little texture and visual interest. So we ended up finding this prisma clear acrylic to use for it which looks simply stunning and amazing! And no one knows what that really is! The typically use for this material is to cover florescent lights in office building. Seriously! It doesn’t look that great for lights, but it looks really amazing in my cabinet!
DIY Industrial Cabinet via Simply Designing
Hardest part about blogging? The hardest part about blogging is that I don’t quite fit into any category. I am not a mom who works out of the home and can compartmentalize her job vs home life (I have done that), and I am not a stay at home mom (I have done that too), because I also own a business. So it becomes challenging to constantly find balance in my life. I get the best and hardest of both worlds! I am able to make my own schedule and I am able to be at all the important things with my kiddos, but I also have to have self discipline and say no to some fun things so that I can run my business at the same time. The work is never done, I am never caught up, but I also get all the benefits of being able to spend as much time with my family as I want to! So even though it is hard, it is 1000% worth it!
Best part about blogging? The best part about blogging is that I get to wake up and do something I love each and every day! I am able to be home with my kids, and I enjoy putting my family first, but I also have something that challenges me, excites me and is something that I love to do!
Head on over to Simply Designing to read the rest of this interview!
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