Thank you so much to everyone that filled out the blog survey. I was so nervous about what the turn out would be, but you guys showed UP, and I love you. Overall there weren’t any major surprises, but it was still so helpful to hear from you all directly. One thing is for sure- I have a lot to explain and a lot of questions to answer. I really thought I’d only be getting a couple but no, you guys are overachievers. A promise is a promise- I’m answering all of them (those are all at the end if you just want to skip ahead and see my answers).
Because of that, this is going to be a really really really long post, so instead of summarizing every single result, I’ll get straight to the meat of it all.
See. No surprise. Home and decor have always been and will continue to be the foundation of this blog. DIY’s in general are obviously your favorite and why you come, so those aren’t going anywhere.
I always knew the inspiration posts aren’t the main course, and I won’t be increasing their frequency though many of you commented that you like them. One of the most asked questions from this survey is where I get my inspiration from… all the round ups, inspiring interiors, and links in Friday Finds are major sources of inspiration for me. Those posts are as if I’m mood boarding in front of you!
Around Town is the least favorite, though some of you specifically mentioned loving seeing places in LA. I’m going to keep that stuff to Instagram, and only post a travel guide if I go somewhere really notable, which is like, never, so definitely won’t be posting many of these.
Very cool to see an interest in the Real Talk column. I’ve hardly done many posts under this category, but so many of you commented on the one I did about Blog Life being very memorable to you. I won’t be forcing a regular schedule on this column, but good to know some of you just want to chat sometimes.
This was the biggest surprise of the entire survey. I really didn’t know there was so much interest in seasonal and holiday DIYs. Good timing, because the holidays are tomorrow, and projects are in the works.
But yes, overall, MOAR DIYs, I hear ya. And decor sources/cool product lists.
Behind the scenes and personal stuff are pretty rare around here. In short, it’s because of fear and insecurities. I don’t plan on doing these often, but it’s nice to know there will be some support for it.
These are all reasons that have ran through my mind at some point when I’ve looked at DIYs and knew I wouldn’t try them, and they’re what I keep in mind when I plan new projects. I would have selected my biggest reason to be impracticality, so I’m surprised that didn’t rank higher, but of course, we are all busy as hell, I know!
This is actually not bad. Higher than what I was expecting. Yay! Can you guys please share with me the stuff you make from this blog??
For the following questions I asked, I’m only going to address the most common answers for the sake of time, but please know I read every single comment and there was something constructive that I was able to take away from everything (thank you!)
Why do you read/visit/follow Homey Oh My?
- You like my writing. What. a. relief. Sometimes the writer’s block can get bad and I can’t even tell what I’m writing anymore, but I get through it by imagining that I’m writing to a friend, and so many of you said you felt as if you were being talked to as a friend. That’s because it’s true!
- You like the style and simplicity of the content. My goal for everything is to keep it simple, and it’s so encouraging to know you identify with my style. Many of you mentioned you liked the practicality of my projects, which as I mentioned earlier, is a big DIY criteria for me.
- You like the photography and styling. Thank you thank you. I work very hard on it. If I weren’t blogging, I’d want to be a photographer, among a lot of other things I guess, but yes I do love photography.
- You like the site design and simple layout. This is excellent to hear. I won’t be messing with it anytime soon.
Is there anything you’d like me to know about your experience with Homey Oh My, whether it’s a suggestion for improvement or just a general comment?
- Don’t change anything. This sounds like I’m tooting my own horn but seriously, most of you said this, which I’m very grateful for the positivity but also we can be real and admit that change is inevitable, yea? Sooo much has changed since the start of this blog for the better, and I’d want to keep going on that trajectory. Experiment, evolve, grow, insert other related buzzword, blah blah, you know what it is.
- More posts. I do plan on posting more, but not crazy more. The balance between quantity and quality is something I’m extremely wary of. I haven’t done much yet to push that balance, but I will always choose quality over quantity.
- More project variety. I agree. Most everything I’ve done thus far are DIYs that are pertinent to my life, which would sometimes involve doing a lot of repetitive things, or revisiting/re-doing past projects, because I for real actually live with my decor DIYs. All of this though, this survey and this long ass post, is about moving beyond that a bit (though not completely) and covering larger grounds. I’m there with you on that.
- More personal posts. There were certainly also comments that said no thanks on the personal stuff, but I do get both sides! I know I like my blog reading to have stories, or at least little nuggets of application to real life situations, but I also like things to be concise and straight to the point. I’ll figure out something in between because in the end, it’s just funner to get more personal.
ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
I combined/reworded similar questions but there are still a million ok let’s do this.
Do you ever mess up a project? What do you do with the things that just don’t turn out?
Yes. A lot. I toss whatever materials can’t be salvaged, or the whole thing :( but I always try to save whatever parts of it I can that are still useful, which is a lot of why you hear me saying on the blog that I have a bunch of garbage laying around, ha!
How do you afford such a nice place and decor in LA? How do you budget for decor?
For me, this has a lot to do with mentality, and the one I’ve adopted is “buy less, choose well,” or “fewer, better things.” After many many regrettable purchases I made from trying to take advantage of low prices, I’m now much more willing to shell out more for those few, perfect, soulmate pieces, because I’ve learned that it’s worth it.
I help fund my decor obsession by selling old decor on Craigslist, which has been surprisingly successful so far. For instance, I recently sold off a bunch of old furniture and decor and am putting those earnings towards a new sofa. It’s part of why redecorating has been taking me so long, but I will get there.
Yes, LA is very expensive, and I like to think we got really lucky with a good deal on our apartment. I think it maybe has to do with how the building is really old, there’s no central air, no parking (LA at its finest), and there’s only one laundry machine for the entire building that is ALWAYS full. I still do laundry at my mom’s!
How’s the house hunting going?!
It’s on hiatus. The housing market in LA is stupid ridiculous. It’s hard just trying to figure out where to live, and then the smallest, crappiest homes end up being really expensive. Honestly, it’s been depressing so far haha, so we’re going to wait a little longer and save up more. It’s a big reason for why I’ve turned a lot of my recent focus on editing our apartment- love the home you have, all that jazz.
Are you in creative field in your day job too? Do you work on Homey oh My full time? Could you imaging quitting your job any time soon, in favour of full-time blogging?
Announcement time: I recently quit my job to work full-time on the blog. Still transitioning and “figuring it out” but it’s exciting. My day job was in clinical pharmacy = zero creativity.
What made you decide to fully commit to blogging? What’s the force behind that helps you to keep up with the blog?
I became obsessed with blogging almost immediately. For so long before that I felt like I had been completely sucked dry of creativity, so I’d say the “force” was that blogging opened up a huge world of learning a million new things. I love that I’m constantly learning something new, and that growth is very addicting and it pushes me to keep up with the blog.
What made me fully commit to blogging is that for the first time in my life, I felt like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I was never able to say that about anything else I’ve done.
What do you think about commercialism in blogging? People promoting products (make up, clothes etc) through their blogs, no matter whether they enjoy the products / agree with values and philosophy of the company that sends them samples. What are your thoughts on that?
I don’t think it’s acceptable at all to promote a brand/product that you do not enjoy or agree with. I trust this is the minimum standard that any blogger should hold themselves to.
Next part: Still trusting that a blogger upholds this minimum, I might think that a product is a bit of a stretch in relation to a blogger’s content. So long as it’s not done excessively, my first reaction is to afford them as much understanding as possible, which is really biased of me as a blogger myself, but I can’t help it. I’d never condone selling your soul for free stuff, but I understand why commercialism in blogging exists. I truly wish we could figure out a way to monetize blog traffic without ads or sponsors, but that just isn’t happening.
What kind of camera do you use?
I use a Nikon D5200.
Who/what inspires you most? How do you stay inspired??
I get the most inspiration from window shopping and exploring LA. Fashion is a big source, too. The person who inspires me most is my parents (is that a cop out?)
Staying inspired gets really tough. The double edged sword of blogging is yes it breeds creativity but the necessity of scheduling content plus handling a million other things smushes creativity into a timeline, which forces it, which is exactly how to kill it, so I have many many moments of feeling completely uninspired. The best thing that I’ve found to do in those times is to get away and take a break. Even better if I can runaway to somewhere scenic.
do you ever do diy classes in southern ca?
Haven’t yet, but I’d like to. I’d definitely announce that here if I do!
What are you looking for most while shopping?
Hmmmmmmm, I guess I’m looking for quality things and simple designs. Recently I’ve been asking myself more is this trendy or will I still like it at least a year from now? Depends on what I’m shopping for as well, but typically I’m going for more classic items that I think I’ll love for a long time.
could you post more behind the scenes of the blog.
Yes!
How profitable are you as a blogger? How long did it take you to start making a real “salary”? What’s the main source of income through your blog?
I have not been making a “real salary” up till now because this blog was something I did in my free time in addition to working a full time job. Main income sources are sponsors, ads, and affiliate sales.
Do you plan on working on a book in the future?
Sounds like a really cool thing to put on the bucket list, but no real plans at the moment.
How do you (and bloggers in general) find time to do everything and make it all look so perfect?
I guess time management skills are essential to being a good blogger :)
I don’t know, man. At any given moment there’s 32 things that need to be done and I don’t know if this scatter-brained feeling ever goes away. One thing I’m learning right away about time management is that each day, down to every hour, needs to be planned in detail. Even still, I tend to underestimate the amount of time it takes me to complete a task, but having a basic outline of the day really, really helps. Using a timer to time tasks is good practice as well. Overall, I do not have the secrets! Teach me when you find out.
Do you think a home should have a theme (like minimalist, retro glam, etc.) or you should just buy what makes you happy? I’m in the latter camp but am curious about your thoughts.
I’m mostly in the latter camp too, but I think themes are so super helpful for setting guidelines and reducing chances of things like buyer’s remorse. When I first decorated my current apartment, I had that mentality of just buy what makes you happy and justified that whatever came of it would be my own “eclectic” style. For some this works, but for me, it was too random and never ended up making sense. It’s all about how much you know about your style. Back then I hardly knew what it was, but now that I have a much clearer idea and started recognizing the themes I love, it feels like “whatever” I buy now just comes together naturally, and it’s because I’ve become a lot more specific about what I like. So it’s a little of both!
Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or ten duck-sized horses?
I’m generally terrified of birds. I’ll fight the duck-sized horses.
Would you be open to shooting “How to Videos” so we can buy the supplies and make our own creations by following you through it?
Blah, video is scary, and I haven’t made any strides towards pursuing that avenue, but I totally see it as the future. No promises right now, though.
how did you enjoy your 3-day juice cleanse? honestly;)
I think what I enjoyed most is how flat my tummy got, but otherwise, it was ROUGH. I like chewing food, a lot.
I want to know if it’s possible to make a good income blogging.
It certainly is. Many bloggers out there right now are doing it.
where can i find a shrink wrap system in the miami area florida
I have no idea. I tried to Google it and then realized I don’t know anything about shrink wrap systems. Sorry!
When is your next gold/brass colored DIY project?
Probably soon. You know me.
I am a recent college grad and am interesting in pursuing a whole bunch of things. I love crafting, calligraphy, the arts in general, education, helping children…you name it. So I guess you can say that I’m “stuck.” I would love to pursue a career in something crafty even if it is a side-gig. Also, how did you end up with the look of your blog…it’s so hard coming up with the perfect layout.
Sounds like you should go into creative education!
I felt the exact same way of being “stuck” when I graduated college, only I had zero idea about what I was interested in or wanted to pursue, so you’re already way ahead of where I was. I also understand that having so many interests makes it hard to choose just one, but however you go about choosing, make sure to start taking action asap. I wasted a lot of time moping about my “quarter life crisis” and didn’t do much to explore options until this blog. If I had to do over that time in my life, I’d be a lot more on the ball about trying out anything that interested me, and not feeling confined about sticking to just one thing.
I ended up with my blog design by taking notes on what I liked about other blog designs: clean, simple, minimal, black and white, hey, a lot like my DIYs and decor style! I found a template I liked and hired the designer to do custom edits for me.
What is your favorite medium to work with?
Paint. Spray paint to be more specific. It’s the simplest thing to do for maximum impact.
What is your favorite media
Unsure if this is the same as the previous question? Social media? Instagrammmm.
Would love to know more about what made you move to LA and more posts about making a home there for yourself!
Aww, this is a cute question. Briefly: I moved here right after high school because my parents moved here and said that I had to attend undergrad in LA. Second biggest learning experience of my life (first is blog), in love with my city, and wouldn’t change it for anything.
How can i be a great interior design?
Do you just see things and get inspire or it’s a process? I get inspire with almost anything but then i get caught in the middle of many things and sometimes don’t know how to start.
It’s definitely a process, and I know exactly how you feel. I don’t have the answers to being a great interior designer, but I’d say focus first on figuring out what you like. Things become so much more clear if you can get really specific about your style and narrow down. Pinterest is the biggest tool I use for this. If you’re pinning all types of interiors, create a new super picky board reserved only for your best of the best all time favorite interiors. You’ll hopefully start to see themes or elements repeated throughout that can at least help you figure out a starting point.
What is it about black, white and gold that make them your favourite?
Black and white because of the high contrast. It’s bold, neutral, and goes with anything. Gold is a neutral too, but the best kind of neutral: the shiny kind. I think loving gold also has a lot to do with my skin tone because gold jewelry complements it best. I only wear gold jewelry.
What has been the biggest surprise to you about having a blog? What do you enjoy most about it? What have you learned from having your blog?
The biggest surprise was that people wanted to follow my blog haha. My mindset for so long was that there was nothing cool or special about me, so having the support of people I’ve never met has been and still is the most surprising thing about all of this. Another good answer is that I was surprised by how running a blog takes an incredible amount of time, more than anyone could ever predict.
What I enjoy most is meeting and collaborating with other creatives. The specific aspect about that is how this medium exists on the internet, which connects us all for instant feedback and interaction. It’s strange and amazing all at once.
The biggest thing I’ve learned from having the blog is to never stop learning. Sounds so cheesy. Life was so stagnant before as I coasted through a job I hated without challenging myself to look for something better. I had forgotten how to keep tabs on improving myself before I started blogging.
AAAAAAAANNNDDDD the question most everyone asked:
How did you grow your blog? Any advice for new bloggers? Would love to hear more about your journey and how you got to where you are :)
I’m going to be so annoying right now and tell you that I’m saving this answer for its own post, or maybe you’re relieved because this is the longest blog post ever and you’re dying, or you’ve already fled due to boredom and have no idea that the answer to this question is still coming. Point is, let’s take a break, and dedicate a whole other blog post to this most commonly asked question once and for all.
Thank you a bajillion for your invaluable feedback, your kind words, and your curiosity. Hope you found something here that was helpful or interesting or funny. We’ve got some good changes to plan and pursue <3.
I softened and mashed up a block of black clay so that it looked like a piece of you know what, then randomly stuck on small pieces of white clay. Next, I twisted the clay all over to help striate the white clay throughout before rolling it into a ball and smashing it down. Using the rolling pin, I rolled out the clay until it was just big enough for the hexagon lid to be placed on top of.
I used an X-ACTO knife to trace around the hexagon lid and cut out the shape from the clay. After removing all the excess clay, I cut the parchment paper around the coaster to be transferred onto a baking sheet. Once the sheet was loaded with all the coasters on top of parchment paper, I popped them into the oven at 275F for about 25 minutes. My sheet had a total of seven coasters, and I agree, that’s a weird number of coasters to have.
Once completely cooled, I lightly sanded down any rough edges before I traced each coaster onto the back of adhesive felt and cut it out, erring on the side of cutting slightly smaller than what was traced. Peeled off the backing, stuck it on the bottom of the coasters, and they’re ready…
I like this game.
The bulk of my focus lately has been on seriously editing my home, meaning getting rid of things that no longer spark joy and changing things up the way I’ve been saying for “forever” that I’d do. I’ve kept around most of my decor DIYs, and sure, I came to terms with how some just aren’t exciting me anymore. It’s what’s making me look back at past projects a lot lately, thinking about what I still like about them, what I don’t, or how I’d do them differently now. Like these fabric lid boxes I made a while back…
I still think they’re really cute, but I’m craving change for more minimal designs (you’ve noticed this I think!), so I did something about that. We’re re-covering boxes today, guys.
I cut along all the pencil lines which removes these two triangular pieces, one slightly larger than the other.
Lifting up one side of paper with tabs, I made a vertical cut and horizontal cut that lines up with the edge and height of the box. This cuts out a rectangular piece as shown in the photo above.
I applied Mod Podge on the inner edge of the box and folded the side of the paper with the tabs over the edge as tightly as possible, then repeated on the opposite side.
I glued down the tabs over each corner, then folded over each remaining side of paper up and over the edge of the box, using Mod Podge to secure it down on the inner side of the box like before.
One of the boxes holds my Washi tape (not quite all of them… because they don’t all fit…..) and the other holds small bottles of acrylic paint. I go in and out of these boxes a lottttt so we’ll see how they hold up. The fabric I had on the lids before peeled off really nicely when I removed them for this re-do, which makes me feel good about the potential of changing up these boxes later. For now I’m still obsessed with the grid, black and white, all that good stuff, you already know.
I used this gold Washi tape from Michaels that has a paper backing, which makes it easier to work with, but any regular Washi tape would work, too.
I cut up one inch pieces of Washi tape, then cut each piece in half length-wise to create these skinnier confetti-like pieces.
All that’s left is to peel off the backing of each piece and stick them onto the pumpkin.
