In the final interview of our Big Girl Blogger Series, Lauren from BlesserHouse is heerrreeee! If you love a good thrifting makeover, Ikea hacks like no other and a touch of southern charm, Lauren is the girl for you!
Man, oh man are y’all in for a friggin’ treat today?! It’s the last week of our Big Girl Blogger series and I’m already trying to figure out how I can make this at least an annual thing.
This was some of the most fun I’ve had in this blogging this and I’ve learned so much from these girls!
Kelli & Kristi from Lolly Jane
And now it’s time to introduce you to ….
Lauren from BlesserHouse!
Eeeeek! So, I’ve loved every single woman I got a chance to interview, but this one has a special place in my lil’ blogger heart. And regular heart because we’re neighbors and friends in real life!
We live super close to each other and funny story – her stunning colonial is in the same neighborhood my husband grew up in! Small world.
Oh, and something super cute? Our daughters are BFFs in real life. By that I mean tonight my Charlotte and Jordan are going with Robert and Olivia to a daddy/daughter dance. Cue tears.
Lauren has been blogging for 6 years and has the biggest heart you’ll come across. Always out to help, always willing to share tips and tricks and today she’s sharing them with ME! I’m so honored. Let’s dive on in!
Give me the elevator pitch to your blog!
If I had to sum it up: Budget-focused DIY without sacrificing style, simplifying designing & decorating, down-to-earth Southern heart
When did you start your blog and, more importantly, why?
December 2013. Robert and I had just moved into our first house. It was a totally builder grade blank slate, and we had hardly any money to furnish & decorate it, so I just started documenting my process on a free Blogspot blog. Somehow, it all escalated from there, and now it’s my and Robert’s full-time jobs.
What’s your favorite project/recipe/makeover to date you have done?
That’s tough. Our brick limewashed exterior is definitely in the Top 5. I love our kitchen, master bathroom, and back porch makeovers too just because it didn’t take any demo and only required some extra imagination and sweat equity.
Share one project you were excited about but it turned out to be a disaster.
Haha! So… we attempted to paint our concrete pool deck towards the end of summer, and it was the most time consuming process and way more expensive than we anticipated. So right now our pool deck is an absolute mess that we don’t see any point in trying to fix until spring. Our concrete countertops in our last house comes in second, I’d say. We have a bad track record with concrete, apparently.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given about blogging that’s changed the game for you?
Popularity and success are two very different things. You can definitely have one without the other. And also don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Vary your income streams and social media presence. Focus on your Pinterest for a while, then once you get the hang of it, add in an email newsletter. Then, add in Instagram. Then, Facebook. If all of your online presence is on only one platform, and that platform’s reach/traffic suddenly tanks, it’s not a great situation. Social media is borrowed land. So if you’re not focusing on your site’s SEO and your email list now, it could be trouble later.
Tell me one thing not a lot of people may know about you and/or your blog.
I never feel like “I’ve made it” or that I’m the greatest at blogging or photography or writing or decorating or whatever other skill set you want to throw in there. I’ve let myself fall into the comparison trap before, and I always thought in my first year of blogging that I would get over that one day. Nope! Imposter Syndrome is very real for me, and I know it’s the same way for many of my other blogger friends.
Finally, if the internet went away tomorrow and you were forced into another career, what would it be?
Interior decorator & home stager (since technically I need a license to be called an interior designer). I’m officially hooked and don’t think I’ll ever be able to do any sort of desk job ever again.
And an interview isn’t complete without a super fun lightning round. Let’s go!
- Coffee or tea? Coffee all da way! Pretty sure it’s mostly creamer though. So really the answer is creamer, I guess?
- Coke or Pepsi? Coke. The OG.
- Friends or Seinfield? Friends by choice. But I can recite both Friends and Seinfeld quotes on the spot thanks to my dad who is still obsessed with Seinfeld. There is a Friends/Seinfeld quote for every situation in life. Trust me. I’ve tested this. 😉
- SUV or minivan? SUV. Sometimes I do think how much more furniture I could fit into a minivan though. Hmm…
- Early bird or night owl? Night owl. I get my best work done between 9 pm and 1 am… and then hate myself at 6 am when the kids wake up. Repeat until I die.
- Indoors or outdoors? Indoorsy. Robert took me hiking ONCE. Instant regret. Words were said. I’ll leave it there.
- Paper planner or digital? Digital. Only because I am the worst at losing paper lists I write.
Okay, so was I right??! Don’t you love her now more than you already did? Well, let me just show you a few more of my favorite reasons to love her:
My daughter has played in this room countless times and I can attest that it really does look like this in real person. Well, okay, so add like allllll the girly toys on the floor, but you know what I’m sayin. Lauren keeps it real and knows I do too. You can see what it looks like usually once we leave in her annual messy house tour.
The girl knows what she’s doin’ in the bedroom. Not like that, you weirdo. But just look at this incredible guest room makeover they just did last year. I’ve never wanted to dive Scrooge McDuck style into a bed more than this one.
See what I mean about the bedroom thing though? My mercy. Our bedroom is in much need of a spruce up and in their master bedroom, they did this fabulous feature wall and alllll black. Gimme. I love the drama. IDK if you know this but it stays pretty dramatic over here.
That officially wraps up this series of big girl bloggers! If you liked it, I need you to tell me!
Did you like this series? If so, who would you like me to try to suck up to enough that maybe they’ll talk to me?
