About Stephanie

What inspired me to write DIY content

My favorite thing to do is truly to make things. I learned if I can make something for someone else, with someone else or teach someone how to make something, it is even better. My love for art, cooking and DIY all started at an early age. Frustrated with the various pile of mess in my room when I was 10, my mother finally just made a sign for my door that said Creativity, isn’t pretty.” Mind you, she was the one who inspired my inventive DIY skills. One night before the Halloween costume contest at school. I told her I wanted to be Paddington bear. Instead of laughing or saying “no,” she ran to the fabric store to buy fur and made me lay on some newspapers on the floor so she could make a pattern. I began to see and believe you could make just about anything you set your mind to.

Home

Home is Austin, Texas, where hot days, Tex Mex and cool music are plentiful. I attended school here at the University of Texas, where I studied art and design. I still love to paint with oils when I find time. I have three somewhat adult kids, so I am finding much more time to do some of my favorite things, which in addition to crafting and cooking, include hiking, reading, visiting museums and galleries, or traveling.

Four Words that Best Describe Me

Inventive
Determined
Patient
Giving

My Favorite Holiday

Definitely Christmas. From wrapping gifts and making bows, to making and eating lots of food, to spending time with family, no other holiday comes close.

My Favorite DIY Blogs

Paper and Stitch
http://paperandstitch.com

Such amazing photos here, in my opinion, the best of the best in the DIY blogging world. She never ceases to impress me with the creativity of both projects and images.

Apartment Therapy
http://apartmenttherapy.com

My go-to for home decor styling tips, inventive DIY ideas for decorating, plus cool seasonal ideas.

House of Wood
http://houseofwood.com

I not so secretly want to become an expert woodworker someday, but for now, I live vicariously through House of Wood and following their incredible DIY projects. All are well explained, and expertly photographed, with lovely original designs.

Instructables
http://instructable.com

It’s less slick than the glossy DIY bloggers I usually favor, but this crowd-sourced site allows users to submit tutorials for anything you can think of – and a thousand things you would not have. So the lack of perfectly lighted, styled photos is made up for by the broad range of content, the sheer number of posts you can be inspired by. They also run cool contests on various themes, and I love following the finalists when these wrap up.