A Beach Cottage Scoop – Interview with Kate

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 Ooh have a I got a treat for you today!

According to my inbox I know you love the interviews I manage to scoop on here & today’s is a good one…none other than the girl behind a very popular blog, the lovely Kate at Centsational Girl (and you can find lots of her great makeovers and projects here).

 I love her style, so fresh and breezy, a little bit more modern than me, I love that, and choc full of inspiration for a lovely home thats attainable by gals like us…

Grab a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy, this sweetie packs in a lot in her life…

So we all know you from your wonderful and inspiring blog but what about the other side of you, what do you like to do in your time off?

Sleep!  Seriously, I love to sleep in until 9 a.m. undisturbed on Saturday mornings.  My hub is kind enough to indulge me on the weekends, isn’t that sweet?  I like to go for a run once or twice a week ~ it helps keep my energy up and clear the cobwebs.

Oh boy that is really sweet…and how funny we must be twins, I love to sleep-in too and Mr BC regularly indulges me in this…

I also love going to movies by myself !  It doesn’t happen very often, but I do indulge now and then.  And lately, I’ve been learning how to edit videos, so I’m making mini movies of our family’s adventures, documenting my kids growth, and remembering how they used to have squeaky little voices when they were very young.  

hmm, I may have to add mid-day movies to my week Kate…good one :-) 

But most of what I do in my spare time I blog about, which is crafting, sewing, baking, or getting inspired by great design found online, and in my many subscriptions to shelter mags. 

 me too lol!

Are you a girly girl?  Where’d you like to shop for clothes and shoes and bags?   

 I don’t consider myself a girly girl in the sense I’m not into spending tons of money on pedicures, facials, getting my nails done, or other kinds of indulgences.  I don’t care for perfume and I wear very little makeup.  However, I am gal who is attracted to feminine touches and elegance in design.  I love to surround myself with gorgeous textures like soft ruffled cottons and silks.  I am always drawn to French inspired rooms, with sparkly chandeliers and white distressed furniture with plenty of curves.  I adore mirrored and metallic décor (in moderation, not overdone) and just about anything that resembles the glamour of Old Hollywood. 

 I shop for basic everyday clothing at local outlets or stores like Kohls.   For classic and stylish clothing for events or going out with friends, I frequent a few boutiques in town, and I also like to shop my local Ann Taylor and Anthropologie for seasonal updates to my wardrobe. 

Tell us one thing we wouldn’t expect about the girl from CentsationalGirl. 

I love musicals and I like to sing in the shower.  I try to make my kids laugh by singing in different funny voices too.  I have a pretty good voice and almost pursued a stage career, but I chickened out and opted for a ‘sensible’ legal career, which I’ve also abandoned temporarily, fancy that.

 wow..so we’ll be expecting a podcast of you singing anytime soon??!!

So you hung up your lawyer gowns to be a Super Blogger, do you miss that world at all? 

 Yes and no.  I miss the intellectual aspect of the law, the legal analysis, the fly by the seat of your pants debate that takes place in a courtroom, that was the fun part.  Whenever I watch TV programs about lawyers, I laugh a bit because being an attorney is made to look so glamorous, when most of what you do as a lawyer, like the long hours of research and writing, is nothing they’d ever show on TV.  I do not miss the long hours or stress that comes with the obligations and burden of proof placed upon a district attorney, but I haven’t ruled out going back to that job someday once my kids are in full time school.  I respect and admire all the hard work that prosecutors do in the pursuit of justice. 

 wow, I can only imagine how both fabulous and stressful that world must be..

Tell us a little bit about the garden at your place?  What have you planted and what has been a success? 

Our garden has taken shape bit by bit over ten years, first the basic design included a lovely lawn and a border of boxwood shrubs.   Over the years we’ve added plants and trees here and there, including fig, apple, and cherry trees.  Our hydrageas never disappoint, we have three different varieties.  I have two dozen French lavender plants I harvest every year.  Our petite syrah grapes are our pride and joy.  We harvested our first crop in 2007 and the next year our wine won a Gold Medal in the amateur division in the Sonoma Marin Fair.  We couldn’t believe our success !    

Well we know it’s been asked before but here’s the old balance question….just how do you get it all done..I’m still trying and failing myself…running a successful blog, being a mum, looking after the house…is there a secret I don’t know about?

I wish I had the secret, I’d bottle it and make it rich!   Keeping the perfect balance in our household is a near impossible task, but I keep trying everyday.   I see it all as a juggling act, and I always have several balls in the air at once.  The priority is always to take care of my little ones first, make sure they are dressed, fed, clean, and keeping them busy with age appropriate tasks.  The blog comes second.  I don’t even sit down to check emails, comments, or other blogs in my reader until my kids have their morning needs met. 

One of the best tools I use as a multitasking blogging Mom is the power of saying ‘No’, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed or stretched too thin.  I’ve taught myself to feel no guilt by declining invitations to things that are likely a waste of my time or money, such as excessive lessons for the kids, or all the clubs or activities sponsored by the local schools and communities.  I volunteer in the classroom, I attend many field trips, but beyond that, I just say ‘No’, and that has helped me stay sane.  

Do, like me, you have a million and one projects going on around your house at any one time, is you house really as fantabulous as it looks or do you have a room like I do that I call the ‘study’ that is filling up rapidly withi junk… or are you finish it first and keep it tidy kinda gal? 

I’m awful at having a million projects going at once!  Yes, it’s true, we have our share of messes around my house, and the dishes and laundry are never ending.  I believe that’s true for all households.  I often show our house at its very best because I don’t think people are interested in seeing pictures of a mess, after all, that’s not what I want to see when I visit other blogs.  We’re all human, we all have messes here and there, but showing it off all the time just to ‘be real’ isn’t for me.   However I do appreciate a great ‘before’ picture followed up by a fantastic ‘after’ and quite often the best ‘before’ pictures have a fantastic mess!   And I do have a dumping ground, it’s my garage, and it’s always a disaster zone. 

How much do you love your power tools ;-)?

I love my power tools and supply closet even more than my clothes closet!  My tools are often the source of my ability to complete my DIY projects.  My jigsaw was necessary for my upholstered headboards.  My compound miter saw was essential to our wainscoting project.  My sander and paintbrushes and power drill are all important to me.

know anyone ’round here who needs headboard makeover ideas lol???

How did you get into the blogging world…what are the best things about it, what don’t you like about it…do you find yourself permanently attached to cyberspace?

I started writing about home improvement after we survived a huge remodel, which is a little backwards.  Had I know about blogs back in 2006, I would have documented our nightmarish remodel all along, and with the advice of a few readers, kept my sanity more intact!    I love the socialization aspect of blogging, and the ability to learn and be inspired by other creative people.  The part I do not like is the business side and all the bookkeeping required with running a blog that has become a small business. 

 I try to detach myself from the computer as much as possible.  I know that means I miss a lot of what’s going on, but I find my eyes start to glaze over after too much time spent online, and I just need to shut it down, take a walk, pick some flowers, or enjoy my family.   I believe there is just as much inspiration to be found by exploring the world outside my door as there is on a computer screen.  

me too, I now just hit my fave few blogs..even if it means I miss stuff…

Ok, that’s it, hope you enjoyed…go say G’day to lovely Kate

I’m off to do some painting and order that wallpaper…

Beach Cottage Online Store revving up to open!

…& international shipping baby