Greetings to my fellow Petalumans who are reading this today!  You can learn more about me here and browse the Project Gallery and Style Files for plenty of inspiration. Perhaps I’ll see you around town (I’m the gal with the paint in her hair). Thanks so much Lynn (and the Argus Courier) for the great article!

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Our oldest is home from college, so we were finally able to get together and snap the annual family photo. I don’t hire a photographer, I just set up the Nikon on the tripod with the timer.  We got lucky this year (unlike in past years when one of the young ones is pouting or frowning or making a face) and we finally took a good picture! 

Oh I know what you’re thinking, yes, that oldest girl of ours in the middle, isn’t she a beauty? Smart too, great grades, and studying to be a nurse practitioner, I’m so very proud of my stepdaughter. And those little ones sure are cute too, we’re very blessed.  

We’re an expressive family, yes we are. We can’t sit still just for smiles, oh no, ho ho ho.  We like to have a little fun with our faces… here we’re pretending to be angry or annoyed I think.  Which only led to more antics . . .

Like this reenactment of Home Alone . . .

and our version of Rollercoaster . . .

. . . and our very best “Bah Humbug”

There were many more, but I’ll spare you.  :)

As for the ol’ Christmas card, this year’s came from Tar-jay.  I liked its simple design and hard to beat price when you have to send out over 70 cards to friends and family. 

I feel so incredibly blessed this year. Blessed to have a happy, healthy family, the joys of friendship, and the relationships I’ve formed with so many of you. I have everything I want for Christmas ~ food on the table, three loving children, an amazing husband, and a cozy home.  When we have everything we need, then we really have everything we could ever want. I’m taking the rest of the weekend off, but I’ll be back next week with a few more posts to finish off the year.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, peace, love, and joy.   

See you all next week!  

… Oh one last thing, I’ll announce the winners of the last two giveaways later today by updating the posts and emailing the winners. .

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Want to know which designer I’d love to shadow for a day ?   What I’d buy if money were no object ?  My favorite Hepburn ? 

Have a look, right here !

Thanks so much Lauren. 

1. Your first post
2. A post you enjoyed writing the most
3. A post which had great discussion
4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written
5. Your most helpful post
6. A post with a title you are proud of
7. A post you wish more people had read

OK, today I’ll bite.

Here are my Seven Links:

#1)  My Very First Post.  First let it be heard all across the land that I’ve almost deleted my first post many times, but something in the back of my mind keeps saying, “Aw, how cute” every time I read it.   I confess that my very first post was about . . . . . chocolate shoes.  

I remember sitting there at my computer, stumped about what to write about (in hindsight, why???) and going to Google images and typing in the word ‘chocolate’. 

Somewhere between the third and tenth page, this image (pictured right) came up. 

So I wrote about it.  Right here.  My favorite thing about that first post is the one and only comment from across the sea.

Now that you’ve read my very first post, we shall speak of this no more.

It’s unlikely I will ever write about chocolate shoes again.  Although *confession* they are fabulous.   

#2  The Post I Enjoyed Writing the Most.    This is really challenging question to answer.  This online journal of my adventures allows me to connect with people across the globe that I’d never ever meet in my lifetime.  It’s really extraordinary.   I enjoy writing just about all of my posts, although some days I am sillier than others, like this one about fuzzy pillows. 

It’s too hard to choose any post I enjoyed writing the most, so I’ll select this post at random.  It stands out only because I forced myself to step away from my computer by traveling to a scenic spot where I truly appreciated the beauty in nature, and focused on what I really wanted in my life.  

#3)  The Post that Had Great Discussion.    It’s no secret that spray paint and I are BFFs.  One of the articles I wrote way back when that initiated some good discussion, was this article on Spray Paint: Pros and Cons.  Feel free to chime in and offer your two cents. 

#4:  A Post on Someone Else’s Blog I Wish I’d Written.   I had to dive deep into my Google Reader to find this one, since there are over 100 starred in my archives.  Here’s a good one:  Ten Tips that Will Take Your Home Design Blog to the Next Level by Maria at Colour Me Happy.  

Honorable Mentions:  Pink is their Signature Color by PW; Eye Lift by Katie at Bower Power; Picking the Right Paint Finish by Young House Love; What My Mother Didn’t Give Me by Clover Lane.  

#5)  My Most Helpful Post.   Gosh, I really don’t know.  That depends on who the heck is reading/Googling/suffering from insomnia/looking for something worthwhile to read around here.  My most helpful post is really a subjective call. 

But, if there was some sort of ranking based on learnedness I guess maybe just maybe this article about building your own laundry room drying rack just might qualify.   If you Google “DIY Laundry Room Drying Rack”, the article appears at the top, and has been ‘borrowed’ by many other sites, and even featured on Apartment Therapy last year.  

Plenty of folks have written to me, telling me they’ve built their own version, most recently Kimberly at Attempting Creative built this yellow version, love !

#6)  The Post With a Title I’m Proud Of.  Hmmm.  This is my ornery side speaking, but I think that would have to be the title that brought on the scandalous spam.  Can you guess ?  A Tale of Two Strippers.    Which almost qualified for a ‘most helpful post’ because the thankful feedback on that study of strippers continues.  

#7  The Post I Wish More People Had Read. 

I answered a reader inquiry back in May of last year that had some basic decorating tips for someone who was starting out redoing a space, but frustrated that she lacked the vision to pull it all together. 

I still subscribe to these tips in this article.   Pay particular attention to #6  ~  it’s a bit of eerie  foreshadowing, given our latest living room upgrades, and proof that if you put your mind to something, you really can achieve it. 

Now let me ask you, what’s your favorite post YOU have written or read ?  

Fellow bloggers, please tell me in a comment the post YOU are most proud of.   A fantastic DIY project ?  A scrum-dilly-umptious recipe ?  Tips on doing something (anything) better?  A poignant reflection on life ?  Bring it on, because I truly can’t wait to read it.

Readers (Non-Bloggers), please leave a link to any helpful or funny or interesting or informative thing that you have read online this year.  Go on ~ peruse your bookmarks.  Link up your favorite morsel you’ve found on the web, even if it’s simply your strange fascination with Lindsay Lohan’s looming jail sentence.   I won’t judge.   Well, maybe I will, just a little. 

First let me say that I still consider myself a complete amateur in this blog world and have incredible respect and admiration for those who are the real experts out there, who’ve been doing this for years and years.   They are the experts, and I bow to their skills and professionalism.   There are some bloggers out there that blow me away they are so awesome.   They inspire me greatly.   As for me, I’m still learning so much everyday, and I’m just incredibly thankful that anyone at all stops by to read and share with me.  

There were a few questions that kept coming up, so I thought it a good time to address them in a post.  And because it’s impossible for me to not have photos, please enjoy these pictures from the past that are completely irrelevant to what I’m writing.   Okay, here goes.  

Q: How did you get started blogging ? 

A: When I first started this whole thing on February 15, 2009, I had absolutely no idea where it would go.  I had stumbled across John and Sherry back in November of 2008 when I Googled how to do something, and This Young House, now Young House Love came up on my screen.  I was so intrigued and so charmed but this sweet couple who shared the same passion as me: remodeling houses and DIY projects. 

We had just survived our own huge remodel, and I simply couldn’t get enough of home improvement.  It’s a subject I never get tired of.  That led to a few other blogs and all of a sudden it was like a light shining down from the heavens.   I was overwhelmed by all the creativity out there.  My brain kept thinking, “There are others like me, who love paint and power tools !” 

Then it occurred to me one day to start a little blog of my own.  It felt very weird at first.  I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning.  But I wasn’t deterred.  I just wanted to talk about what I love like these other blogs were doing, so I signed up for a free Google account on Blogger.  ‘Centsational Girl’ was my Ebay handle from years ago, so I went with that.  It seemed to capture who I was. 

Then I sent my playroom remodel to John and Sherry at Young House Love.  They were enthusiastic, and decided to feature it in April of 2009.  Then I just kept plowing away, writing about things that I love, like fixing up old chairs, dressers, and spaces.  I tried my best to focus on quality projects and interesting posts with content rich tutorials.   

I started getting featured here and there, for example by my friend Linda at Restyled Home, Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick, Rhoda at Southern Hospitality, Rachel at One Pretty Thing, and the SITS girls.   THANK YOU LADIES !!!   My followers slowly began to grow.  For several unique and creative projects, I was featured on Apartment Therapy, and I even had a recent feature on Design Sponge.  I always sign up for my buddy Kimba’s DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, and she’s been kind enough to mention me a few times.  All of this helped spread the word. 

Q:  How did you get so many followers in a year ? 

A:  I’ve never asked people to sign up as a follower as part of a giveaway, although plenty of blogs do and that is a very useful tool to increase your number of followers.    

Getting followers was very slow in the beginning.  For the first two hundred, I would write back and personally thank them for signing up.  Then it started to grow faster and faster and I couldn’t keep up with writing a personal note to everyone, although I believe that’s a really considerate thing to do.  I’ve noticed with every feature or mention on another blog, I tend to pick up more followers, but it really ebbs and flows. 

In my opinion, the best way to get more followers is to a) be social, and leave comments on other blogs and invite them to visit you and b) make your posts interesting, funny, or informative so new readers are intrigued by what you’re all about and want to stick around. 

 Q: How do you find the time to blog, finish your projects, raise kids, and have a law practice ? 

It’s very tough.  There is no down time.  I’m on the go from sunup to sundown.  With all the balls I’m juggling, it’s true that something’s got to give, but I’m pretty good at multitasking.   My kids are in school in the morning, so that is when I respond to emails or shop for supplies.  I do most of my projects in the afternoon when my children are home with me.   

Lately, I’ve had to turn down legal cases because I just don’t have the time anymore.  There’s a little money trickling in now with the blog, but hub’s job is the one that pays the bills, and I’m on a tight budget. 

I drink a lot of coffee, I rarely watch TV, and I don’t sit down during the day.  I write my blog posts at night after the kids go to bed.  And I have a very supportive husband. 

But there are many days I fall short.  The laundry always piles up, and often I’m just so darn tired.  Then I just don’t post anything the next day. 

Have you had any design failures, or projects that turned out to be not worth the effort?

OMG Yes !!!  I have a whole file of projects that I consider “failures” that started out as a great idea and in the execution turned out to be complete and total disasters. 

Example:  Remember my cement planters from last summer ?  They were great.  Then I thought it might be cool to make one in the shape of a gallon of milk and paint it white so I used a plastic gallon of milk for the form. 

It.Was.Ridiculous. 

The handle kept falling apart, it weighed a ton and looked so dumb.  Those pictures ended up on the cutting room floor, as have several other projects.  But I like what Einstein said, “Any one who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” 

And you can thank me for now for sparing your eyes from the hideousness of my “failure” files.

 Q:  I really enjoy the rescued and revamped section, but I would like to see more creativity.  It seems lately like everything revamped is just painted white! It gets boring.

Well I love love love white paint, don’t we all ?   Just about everything looks good in it.  And y’all know how much I adore ‘Heirloom White’ !!!   But there is so much  that can be done with stain, fabric, molding, trim, and incredible color.

I have little room left in my house for furniture, but I can’t stop the refurbishing, so I’m going to start selling some of my pieces in a local shop this year. 

I will be using a lot of color and fresh design elements in these pieces and writing all about it.  I hope you’ll follow along. 

What do you think makes a blogger successful?

It all depends on how do you define success.  Is it a certain number of followers ?  Is it a certain number of sponsors or advertisers ?  Is it a certain number of comments ?  Page loads ?  A dollar amount rolling in every month?  If you’re blogging only for the money, I have no advice to offer because I didn’t get into this for the money.  It’s nice to make a little money now, but I really do this for fun and because I love interacting with creative people.  

To me, a successful blog is one where you never ever get tired of writing about what you love, whatever that is and regardless of the numbers.  For me, it’s fixing up bedraggled objects and freshening spaces with simple decorating tricks.  It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to bed.  

I heard a quote the other day and it sticks with me.  “Don’t judge your insides by other’s outsides.”   This is so very true.  You’ll make yourself miserable trying to keep up or catch up or compare yourself with someone or some other blog you’ve decided is ‘more successful’ than you.  If you’re not in this because you love what you write about, then you will surely burn out.   

There are lessons to be learned from successful bloggers like Ree and Katie and Dusty.  These are real, funny, talented gals who are unique personalities and who also stay true to themselves.  It’s like Judy Garland said, “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else”.  Come what may. 

Get excited for next week’s Blog Anniversary everyone cause I’m kicking it off with some incredible giveaways, thanks to supportive friends and fantastic sponsors !

Happy happy Friday and have a great Valentine’s Weekend !

Leftovers from Christmas

White manzanita branches

Inventive children

Mischievous children

Whipped cream

Budding hyacinth

Citrus after the rain

The only bloom in the garden

Siblings that love one another

“Enjoy the little things, for one day, you may look back and realize

that they were the big things.”

- Robert Brault

It’s just not Christmas in our family unless we . . .

1.  Pay a visit to Santa. 

I refuse to stand in those long lines at department stores or malls and pay money for pictures with Santa.  Honestly, that’s my definition of hell.  I prefer take the kids to the free Santa at the local tree farm.  That’s where I eavesdrop and get a hysterical earful.

Here’s last year’s snapshot. My four year old knew her window was short so she’s wasn’t wasting a second.   The two year old never got a word in. 

“Santa, make sure the puppy carrier you bring me has the spotted dog, not the one with the plain brown dog, no I want the spotted puppy in the purple doggie carrier.  Make sure !  And I want the Polly Pockets with the puppies in the orange box.  The orange box, okay?  And I want the Dalmations movie, not the first one with the mean Cruella, the other one.  I want number two.  Number two !  Dalmations number two!  You got that Santa ? 

Oh.  And I think my brother wants a train.” 

2.  Pick the perfect tree from a local farm. 

We make several trips to the local Christmas tree farm because I’ll use any excuse to get out of the house, and they’re just so gosh darn friendly out there.  Fresh air, free candy canes and popcorn, a great petting zoo, that free Santa on the weekends, and plenty of gorgeous trees and garlands to choose from.  Bonus points cause we get to buy local.  Last year, a dozen of us went to pick just one tree and we had a crazy good time.

How cute is my Mom in the red ?

3.  Write a letter to Santa. 

There’s just nothing cuter than an authentic letter written by a true believer.

Exhibit A   

4.  Consume eggnog. 

In my morning coffee, in a weekly splurge on a latte from Starbucks or Peets, or even spiked with brandy at a party.  I heart eggnog. 

Must.Have.Eggnog.

5.  Watch our favorite Christmas movies. 

These three I savor every year.  They’re my favorites. 

“To my big brother George, the richest man in town!”

Of course, my kids prefer these classics:

6.  Listen to our favorite Christmas music and sing along. 

We love anything by Bing, Frank, Harry, Ella or Michael Bublé.  I never correct the kids when they sing the wrong words.  After all these years of the same old tunes, I prefer their versions. 

“…then one froggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say…”   

7.  Bake cookies with my girls. 

Here are my three favorite cookie recipes from Bon Appétit.

Images: Epicurious

Apricot Orange Shortbread Bars

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Pistachio and Cherry Mexican Wedding Cakes

8.  Use the force, Luke. 

Forcing bulbs is one of the things I look forward to most at Christmastime !  Paper whites and amaryllis always brighten the wintriest day.  Even after the holidays, I simply cannot wait for daffodils and hyacinth in January and February.

9.  Throw a Christmas party for friends and family.  

Last year we had almost a hundred people in our home – I decorated the entire house top to bottom and cooked for all of those guests.  No caterer, no kidding !  I’m still recovering from last year’s party so this year, we’re having a much smaller New Year’s Eve gathering instead. 

There’s been only one year in the last ten years that we’ve skipped our Christmas party, and that was 2006, the winter we were mid construction on our remodel.  In lieu of a party, I sent this sentiment in our holiday card. 

‘Twas the June before Christmas, so I said to my spouse

“The time has come to add on to the house”

The approval of plans meant more space in our home

All we could think was “Brushed nickel, or chrome?”

“Wait a minute” we heard, “You just had a baby,

Don’t take on this project, you’re both certainly crazy.”

“Nonsense” we replied “We both have a brain”

We paid no attention to the claims “You’re insane.”

July was the month that we poured the foundation

Funds paid for concrete, but no Hawaiian vacation.

Choosing cabinets and tile and a new kitchen sink

Include sleepless nights, it all drove us to drink

Through summer and fall as we lived in a rental

We knew they were right, we were certainly mental

Here’s December, our pocketbook and spirits diminished,

We still wonder if ever our house will be finished.

And so this strange year we must say with dismay,

Unfortunately at our house there’s no Christmas soiree

We wish all of you peace, and blessings from above

Merry Christmas to all, and we send all our love.

. . . and my tenth and final tradition . . .

10.  Open gifts on Christmas morning and cook a prime rib feast for dinner. 

What about you ?  What’s your December tradition ?  C’mon and fill in the blank. 

“It’s not Christmas unless . . .”

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no!  it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken.

-Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116

recited at our wedding

September 5, 1999

With my stepdaughter, at age 7

Mr. CG with our nephew, at age 5

Ten years today.

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Ooooooh, it’s all just soooooo purty!   Well at least I think so.  You’re looking at the nearly completed, totally transformed, new and improved Centsational Girl™!  I’ve been working with a site designer for the last few weeks with a new concept for where I want to take this blog, and we’re so close to achieving the aesthetic goal.   September is my birthday month, so this site is a Happy Birthday present to me from Mr. CG.  Awwww, thanks shmoopie. 

I must admit, I miss my peonies and my damask background a little bit, but the ‘bloom was off the rose’ so to speak.  Now I’m loving the new illustrated header and the amazingly organized navagation bar.

Say farewell to the old CG:

* Sniff Sniff.  Sigh *

I’ve moved from Blogger to WordPress for starts.   The new stylized header you see above will change colors through the seasons – look for the leaves to reflect new hues for every winter, spring, summer and fall.    Oooooooh, shmancy!

And check out this navigation bar !  Smooth sailing ahead.

We disposed of some of the sidebar tabs that I wasn’t using, so now navigating this site is even easier.  Our whole goal is to make your searches completely user friendly.  I’ll be organizing all of the tutorials by subject matter very soon under “Tutorials”.  You can find a list of all of the DIY projects under “diy”, all of the crafts under “crafts”, my thrift store transformations under “rescued & revamped” etc.

What’s new are some categories I cannot wait to fill!  ”spotlight” will feature whatever I’m focused on at the moment, whether it’s fashion, color, or decor.   “inspiration” will be filled now and then with beautiful images of amazing spaces.  And you’ll find all of our backyard adventures under “wine country”.

And we’re not even done!   We’ll be adding more flash images and video in the upcoming weeks and months.  Watch for more features as you visit, including an Etsy store this fall, and much more.

If you come up with a suggestion during your navigation, click on the temporary suggestion box to the left and give us your two cents.   Be nice to me, purty please.

Also, CG is now accepting sponsors !  Email me for vistor information and rates, or simply click on the “Sponsor” tab.

And the old button still works, but if you want to hop on the new and improved bandwagon, add the new button to your site by snagging the code on the sidebar. 

Fancy Shmancy New Button:

My greatest appreciation to all of those who read about my adventures on this site.  If it wasn’t for your readership, these upgrades would never have happened.  Thank you all so much ! 

Cheers to a bright future,

Kate

******  Please be patient while the site is in transition *******

Q from Jen and Maman Tattoo, Your girl’s room is so beautiful. What does your little boy’s room look like? 

For now, my boy’s room is very plain.  It has a bed, dresser, armoire, a train table, and light blue paint on the walls.  Nothing to photograph.  But I’ll be tackling his room sometime this fall. 

Here’s my inspiration photo for what I want his room to look like when I’m done. 

Image: BH&G Kids Rooms

Q from Jen, If you could have anyone design a room for you, who would it be? 

My current favorite designer is Barbara Barry, for her simple elegance, use of clean lines, a lot of white, and traditional style with modern flair.

 Image: Barbara Barry Company

Q from Pickles and Cheese Twerp, What is your favorite holiday?  Which is the holiday you most like to decorate your home for?

I deck the halls at Christmas, big time. 

Image: Martha Stewart

Q from several, How do you occupy your children while you’re doing all of your projects?  Do you have a nanny?

No nanny.  No way.  I’ve been a SAHM since the day my daughter was born.  But my children (who are 3 and 5) do attend preschool three mornings a week.  That’s when I shop for my supplies and run errands.  And quite frankly, my children are pretty good at playing independently.  I start them on a project, and then they play for 20 or 30 minutes by themselves.  That is, until they argue, and then I become the referee.

Q from Lindsay, NIkki, and Southern Mom, When do you sleep?  How many hours do you get?  Do you drink a lot of coffee?

I sleep 8 hours a day.  11 pm to 7 am.  And if I don’t have a cup of Peet’s coffee first thing in the morning, I am useless to the world and a complete grouch.

Q from Amanda, What is your favorite color to wear?

Whatever matches my date night cocktail.  Dirty martini?  Gray sweater.

Q from Callipygian Chronicle, Something has to give in this busy, crafty DIY life you lead.  What don’t you do to make room for all that you get done?

1) I watch very little TV.  A few HGTV shows and some news programs are really all I watch.  My TV is always off from 9 am to 4 pm.  I prefer soft music or talk radio during the day.  And we only have one cable TV in our family room. The kids sometimes watch videos on their VCR in their playroom while I make dinner in the evening. 

2) I fail miserably at folding the laundry.  I try to do two loads a day, but folding laundry is my true nemesis.  The kids are always climbing up and down my piles.  It’s embarrassing.  But at least it’s upstairs so no visitors can see my Mt. Vesuvius of laundry in the hall outside my bedroom.

Q from Jessica, What is your favorite go-to relaxing snack?

A bag of MnMs.  If I don’t have one bag a week, I’ll implode. 

Q from several,  Do you have a design/architecture/building background?  Do you have any formal design training, or is it trial and error? 

My formal education is in the legal profession.  My passion is design.  I’ve been through the building process twice.  I designed the entire floor plan for my home and I’ve chosen every detail, from paint colors to finishes.  When asked, I’ve given plenty of decorating advice to friends and family.  And I have some experience in home staging.  My husband is a real estate broker and appraiser, so architecture and design are a common topic in our home, and a common interest we share. 

I’ve invested as much in design books as I have in legal treatises.  Any free time I have, I spend educating myself in the history of design and how to improve other’s lives with creative and interesting spaces.  I like the law, but I love creating beautiful things, especially with my own hands.  It’s exciting to reinvent oneself. 

Q from several, How did you make the switch from full time law to part time?  How does your husband feel about all of your projects?

I used to be a prosecutor.  It was a very stressful job, but rewarding too.  When I left my full time position, I didn’t look back.  I wanted to be home with my babies.  I didn’t even practice law the first few years my kids were infants.  It was a Sippy Cup Sabbatical.   But now that they’re older, I take on a few clients now and then, doing some criminal defense work in minor misdemeanor cases. 

I don’t make very much money.  Mr. CG truly pays the bills around here.  When I was employed full time, I used to be fabulous, for more.  Now, I am forced to be fabulous, for less.  No more fancy vacations, handbags, suits, jewelry or fine furnishings.  I shop at Target and thrift stores.  But you know, I prefer it that way.  I value my family more, and things less.  It keeps me real.

And I have the most amazing supportive husband on the planet. 

Q from Natascha, What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

The best advice I’ve ever received is a saying that hangs in my kitchen:  “To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.”

By the way, you’ll notice my lovely 17 year old stepdaughter in the photo collage.  I’ve also raised her since she was 3 years old. 

I think the greatest impact I’ll ever have on the world is raising my children to be good contributing compassionate human beings.  I wanted to quote Jackie and say “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters very much”, but I’m convinced I’ll bungle something in some way.  And when they’re grown up, they’ll remind me of it, I’m sure.  So I’m just trying to be there for them as best I can before they fly from my nest.   

So there is your glimpse.  And perhaps your cure for insomnia too.  :-)

My twin tower transformation coming soon !

Cheers, Kate