I just got home from SNAP (a blog conference) late Saturday night. I took a 5 hour nap after church to try to recover from all the fun and late nights chatting. And today I am trying to get caught up with emails and other stuff that piled up while I was gone.

I am hoping to get a few posts up on the blog this week. I have some things I am pretty excited about!

If you are not the winner of the Silhouette, you can take advantage of the sale they have right now. If you already have a Silhouette, they have their vinyl on sale too. Here is the info and the code you need to use at checkout. Make sure to go to this page (www.silhouetteamerica.com/april), or the deal will not show up.

Thank you to all of you who entered. The winner of the fabulous Silhouette Portrait is………………………

Candy Covington!!!!

The snow has finally melted, my closets are in the middle of being cleaned out and organized, I just signed the boys up for spring sports, and I am slowly planting things in my garden!

I LOVE spring :)

After being cooped up all winter I am always ready to hit the ground running with all sorts of projects. But where to begin? What order? How?

Homes.com has come out with a FREE e-book with tips about cleaning and organizing your home.

I thought not only was the information awesome but the graphics and pictures were great. Hey, I am a super visual person ;) So go download it right now. It’s free!

And Happy Spring :)

I love when I get the chance to give away a Silhouette because I enjoy mine so much. I only wish I could give you all one.

If you are not the lucky winner today, there is still the sweet deal going on. The promotion goes until March 8th. If you go to {this site} and use the code HOUSEWIFE at check out you can get these deals:

And the winner is……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Lisa Wuich-Wenckus!!!

Congratulations Lisa! Please email me with your information so I can forward it to the Silhouette team :)

Wahoooooo! I get to giveaway a Silhouette Portrait machine! I love having a silhouette. I use mine ALL.THE.TIME. My main thing I use it for is DIY home decor items. But I also use it to make things for school, church, holiday decor, etc.

Here are some of the things I have shared on my blog:

Starting at the top left…..

* I cut out a damask pattern with vinyl and used it as a stencil to paint a lampshade

* Vinyl lettering of the title of “our song” in our bedroom

* I cut out stencils and painted fabric to make pillows for my family room

* I used the Silhouette Sketch Pens and the machine drew this artwork

* I cut out paper for posters for a county fair themed birthday party

* I used Silhouette Fabric Ink and a stencil that I cut out to make this clock pillow

* Vinyl numbers on my command center

* Heat transfer onto fabric. I actually have made a lot of tee shirts :)

* “Mind your manners” sign for my dining room

* Garden sign lettering that my kids painted for their rainbow vegetable garden

* Glass etching with a vinyl stencil

* Holiday (temporary) wall vinyl

* Monogrammed front door with contact paper

* Vinyl Christmas ornaments

There is also a killer deal going on as well. You need to visit their site on the promo page and use the code HOUSEWIFE.

Here are all the details:

 Go to silhouetteamerica.com/march to find the deal :)

You must be 18 or older to enter and a resident of the US.  The winner will announced on March 4th.  The sale goes until March 8th.

Here is how you can enter! (if you have any trouble with rafflecopter please email me)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Detours are interesting. Whether you are traveling through life or actually traveling on the road, sometimes we are told we have to take another path. Something has happened and the way we normally would travel has a road block, or is just not right for us at the time.

We traveled to Washington state this past weekend because my husband’s grandmother passed away. She was one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And while I am sad she will no longer be a sassy, spunky presence in our life, I am happy she is finally reunited with her sweetheart after 15 years apart.

While we we headed to Washington there was an accident on the freeway involving a semi truck that was carrying hazardous material. The entire freeway closed down and all of us travelers were told to take another path. We knew this would add another hour and a half to an already 12 hour drive but decided to look at it as an adventure. We had no idea what lay ahead on the highway detour and the kids were excited.

It was a prettier drive :) And 3/4 of the way through our detour we came across the most darling little town called Prairie City, Oregon. We chatted with the super nice gas attendant for a good 20 minutes. He had been to our town before. The we decided to check out the antique stores that were  also on main street. Our kids each picked out a tiny little treasure and we chatted with the owner for a half an hour.

We got back in the car and my kids exclaimed that this was the “best trip ever”. Normally we plug along and only stop for gas. With a 12 hour drive ahead of us, we don’t normally think we have time for anything else.  The charm of that little town that looks like it is from another time period drew us in. And it made the whole trip more enjoyable because we had taken a much needed break and tried something new.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile then you know my husband is in the architecture field and that the architecture world has been hit hard with the economy the way it has been. It is getting better, and he currently has a job, but he has been laid off 3 times in the last 3 years. I like to look at those as detours. We had to move off the path we were on and take a break.

Had he not been laid off he would have plugged along with his job and not taken many breaks or vacations because of trying to get ahead financially with bills and such. But the lay offs forced us to take a break. We were able to spend time together doing things we may not have done otherwise. They were detours that will make it take longer to pay off student loans and get ahead but they were worth it. My kids look back at those months when my husband was home as the “best time ever”.

Do you ever have detours in life or in traveling that have ended up being a blessing in disguise? I would love to hear your story. Leave a comment with your story :)

First of all, thank you to all of you who asked questions. My husband and I talk about blogging a lot but there were some questions that you asked that we had never discussed. It was so interesting to read through his answers.

He took this so seriously in the sense that he took 3 hours to write the post. He is a very detailed oriented person and very thoughtful in everything he does. His post was FOREVER long! He basically wrote a novel. You can expect his e-book to go on sale soon titled “How To Be The Spouse Of A Blogger”.

Just kidding :)

But truthfully, I did have to edit it down.

Here we go!

1.  What do you think of your wife’s blogging passion?  What is your favorite part?  What is your least favorite part?

    a.)  I am proud of her for her “blogging passion”.  Stacy has always been a focused person – when she puts her mind to something she tries her best to make it happen :)

    b.)  My favorite part of the whole blogging world is the community it creates. The blogging world that Stacy is a part of is full of people who are there to encourage others around them to try something new.  There is a learning curve for everyone.  You don’t have to be good at designing your own room, choosing the right paint color, or even knowing the right bedspread for your room, but what you can do is to try something out of your comfort zone.  If it turns out to be crap, oh well.  Just try again until you hit it right.

    c.)  My least favorite part has got to be the crunch time before a new room reveal is to come up.  Our house is not huge – around 1600 sq. ft.  Whenever there is a new room transformation there needs to be some place for everything that was in that room to go so we can repaint, change a layout or whatever.  A typical room transformation has typically taken at least a couple of months to finalize, but even then Stacy has to “get in the zone” with photo shoots, staging, and especially lighting for each individual shot.  It’s exhausting.  I do love the finished product, but it can be draining at times.

 2.  Do you ever get overwhelmed by the number of projects?

 Strangely enough, no.  It’s probably because we are getting a little bit closer to having our “fixer-upper” home complete with each project, but more than anything, I don’t mind the new changes because there is an overall sense of satisfaction that we figured out how to do something else we didn’t know how to do before we began.

 3.    What do you think of all the time your wife spends on the computer?

 This is an interesting question to me.  She doesn’t actually spend as much time as people think.  I have been asked this question several times, but a typical day for her is more in the realm of 2 – 3 hours.  The longest time comes after the photo shoot and she has to get on Photoshop and edit photos for her post – that can take all afternoon and into the evening to finalize.  Luckily those kind of posts only happen once in a blue moon.

 4.    What is the one thing that has changed the most because your wife is a blogger?

 There really isn’t much that is different.  That may be weird to hear, but it isn’t.  As I said in a previous answer, Stacy was born to be doing this.  We didn’t just decide one day that we would have to make a life change to start doing projects for her blog because it’s the way we were already living.  The only real change comes from her cataloging and presenting it in photos.  Some people put money into a new car, or go on trips – we plan the next renovation project or furniture build.

 5.    What is the one thing you just can’t wrap your mind around to whole blogging thing?

 Well, I guess it would be the new attention she gets outside of the internet.  It’s fun to do projects and for Stacy to present it on her blog, but it’s a little surreal when I am talking with someone and they bring up one of Stacy’s posts like it was an episode of a TV program.  The funny thing is that we know on our end that people read her blog, but it’s another thing when we meet people who recognize Stacy in the store and they B-line it over to us to tell her they read her blog.

6.    What is your favorite project that your wife has tackled?

It’s got to be our latest, the Living Room.  She spends a lot of time dreaming up each space (the seating, the storage, the displays, and even the little surprises).  I do help collaborate with her on what to do, but when it comes down to it she is the one who has the complete idea in her head.  I guess that means I am the nuts and bolts helper- I helped  but Stacy came up with the ideas and did most of the projects.

7.    How do you support Stacy in all her blogging endeavors?

I support in it all.  But to be more specific, I try to alleviate any extra stress when I can (like taking the kids out to the park or to the store when she needs to finalize a photo shoot).  Really, my helping comes off minimal because she tackles more than she probably needs to, but I help where I can.

8.    What is your favorite meal your wife prepares?

Her Spinach Lasagna.  I have always been a sucker for lasagna, but I still can’t make it as good as she can.

9.    What is it about Stacy that drew you to her?

Her charm, her wit, her smile, her “beautiful eyes” (add a Sid the sloth voice to that one), her love of children and the fact that we had the same goals and love of life. She’s easy to love.

10.    What is the best way to eat shrimp?

Grilled and in pasta!

11.    How is the world of architecture doing now?

I can’t say that I am a great source of information on that line, and it depends on what area of the country you live, but architecture did take a huge hit.  It will take some time for it to come back, but it will.

12.    If your sons were entering college now would you encourage or discourage them to be architects?

It’s hard to answer this question in a way that expresses how I really feel.  I love architecture, I love design, and I love creativity, but it better be something you love.  It can be very discouraging with this kind of economy, but you have to see things as they can be and not how they appear.  There will always be a need for architecture, even when things seem as bleak as they do now.  I think I would still encourage my kids to go to school for it if that’s what they want to do because I believe you should pursue your passion.

13.    What do you love most about your wife?

Her tenacity.  She can be very persistent about jumping in and getting to work. She seems to make things a lot more interesting and fun to do. And I love her commitment to the things that mean the most to her (God and family).

14.    Would you ever start your own blog?

 I am not a blogger. I don’t have the drive or the motivation for it all. Like I said before, I do see the value in them, but it really does require a commitment in time and sometimes resources to maintain.  I’ll leave that to Stacy :)

15.    Who is better at DIY? You or Stacy?

 How much trouble did you want me to be in?  Just kidding.  Of course its Stacy.  I am the grunt when it comes to projects.  (Or as I call it…..eye candy! -Stacy)

 16.    What advice do you have for other men whose significant other has just started blogging?

 Be patient….   That’s the best I have for that one.  It’s tough to get started, and there are a lot of ladies (or men) out there who have to jump into dark water, hoping it will be something worthwhile.  For us it all made sense as it was transpiring, but I have heard of many who can’t see beyond that.  Be patient and run with it.  If anything it’s a great way to put some more creativity out there for someone to see and hopefully inspire others to try something new.

THANK YOU honey for taking the time to do this for me. I though it would be interesting to share a man’s point of view of blogging and the behind the scenes stuff :)

Awhile ago I opened things up to you to ask me anything you wanted. I got all sorts of questions ranging from my favorite tool to what my religion is. I happily responded to them all either in an email or in a response post. I had such a blast with that post!

I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit and have you ask my husband anything you want :) And he will respond with his FIRST ever post on my blog. I have posted about him before, but he has never taken over and posted. I think it will be fun!

So feel free to ask him anything you want! You can leave the question in a comment or email it if you want to [email protected]

He will write his post in a few days after he has a chance to go through the questions :)

Real quick…… Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and I wanted to share with you our family’s tradition. If you follow me on instagram them you already have seen these. And if you don’t follow me there, then you should! :) We have an all red dinner with the kids on Valentine’s Day. The kids get to decorate the dining room and we all wear red. The food is all red (or pink) and we eat by candle light. We have done it for 9 or ten years now and they look forward to it every year! Here are a few shots of the prep and the dinner. The candle light makes everything look more orange than it really was (the noodles were pink and so was the cauliflower).

Oh my word you guys! I watched the voting results every day. I could not take my eyes off it as the votes kept coming in. I have been on pins and needles. You would think I was in the contest or something.

I want you to know that I genuinely think all the top ten projects are AMAZING. And there are a lot of people who have gained inspiration from you ladies. And that what this whole blog community is all about :)

I also want to thank Home Depot for sponsoring this contest. They are my Orange BFF and they make my DIY heart happy.

They are giving the winner a $250 gift card to help them with their next fabulous DIY project (totally jealous, by the way….).

So who is the winner? Drum roll please. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nikki from Grand Design with her Bunk Beds!!!

Congratulations! Please email at [email protected] with your shipping information so Home Depot can get you your Gift Card :) I am so happy for you.

Thank you to everyone who linked up, my guest judges, and those of you who voted. You all ROCK :)

Next Tuesday we will resume the regular weekly linky party “Show Me What Ya Got”.

I hope you had as much fun guessing as we did putting this thing together! I don’t think I have laughed that hard in a long time. And you should the pics that didn’t make the cut!!! WOW!

Did you guess which picture was mine?

Those bangs! Those pre-braces teeth and those eyebrows….. Gotta love the early nineties right?

Anyway,  there were so many of you who were soooooo close to guessing all the DIY bloggers correctly, but finally one person got them ALL right :)

Please meet the winner of the Before They Were Bloggers Contest. 

We thought it would be fun to share her picture from when she was a kid. This is far too cute to be considered awkward :)

Sara from Mom Endeavors

And now… the moment you’ve been waiting for… here are the match ups.

A. Pretty Handy Girl

B. Decor Chick

C. All Things Thrifty

D. Tatertots and Jello

E. The Lettered Cottage

F. Infarrantly Creative

G. Sawdust Girl

H. Funky Junk Interiors

I. The Idea Room

J. DIY Showoff

K. The Shabby Nest

L. Not Just a Housewife

M. Vintage Revivals

N. Southern Hospitality

O. Young House Love

P. Home Stories A to Z

Q. Beneath My Heart

R. Thrifty Decor Chick

S. House of Smiths

T. The Nester

U. The Inspired Room

V. Songbird Blog

W. My Blessed Life

X. The Shabby Creek Cottage

Y. 320 Sycamore

Z. Just a Girl

# Makely School for Girls

@ Remodelaholic

? Miss Mustard Seed

How did you do? Were you close? Check out each blog because most of them will be posting a side by side photo of themselves. I have to say that Beth’s mullet and Sarah’s glasses were two of my favorite :) Thanks for playing along!