We asked and we got it. Thank you so much to all of you who participated in our listener, 'write in'. The experiment proved to be quite a success as we received so many tremendous comments and questions via Twitter, blog commenting and emails. Because of its success, the show went a bit over our normal time and will be broken into two parts. Thank you to all who contributed!
Part 1 Topics: Peggy Bryant asks about affordable decorators; Anon asks about designers working room by room; Nora asks about staging; Beth at Style Redux asks about blog etiquette; Jillian asks about blog etiquette and a design question that we forgot to answer (apologies to Jillian!); The NeoTrad asks about our mentors, muses and idols; Anon asks about our favorite white paints.
Part 2 Topics: Anon asks if we're all making a living as decorators; Patti Friday of Liberty Post asks about trends; Terry of Architecture Tourist asks about the value of a designer; Sam Twain asks our views on environmental topics as related to design; ElizGonz asks about lighting; and Sharon asks about placement of appliances on angled walls.
Comments
I have to say I personally don't like it when people I've never heard of before send me e-mails asking to exchange links--it just feels spammy. I think new bloggers should be advised against that sort of thing--it's just not good blog etiquette. Building relationships is always better in the long run, and a "Please add me to your blogroll!" e-mail starts things off on the wrong foot.
Adsense is paying off for me pretty well. I love getting the check in the mail at the end of each month. I figure it justifies some of the time I spend on the blog, at least!
I do worry about the links that sometimes appear, though, because we don't have much control over that. Ninety percent of the time they are well targeted, but then some bizarro things sometimes pop up. If anyone knows a way to make the ads "G-Rated," I'd love to know. It's something I need to figure out.
I really enjoy listening to your conversations while I work on uploading photos each week. It makes the time fly for me. Thanks, ladies! :-)
"Gypsy boho" what the heck is that?
It's "Kenneth Brown" his HGTV show is "reDesign." which is unique because he mentions budget, how long it takes, and things that went wrong. kennethbrowndesign.com
On communicating value: My architect friend says: the same money can produce a good house or a bad house. Ditto interiors and landscape.
On an unrelated topic - I can't help thinking if Karen Carroll had any idea about Southern Accents closing when she was on in June. Very sad news.
I actually loved hearing your answers to the snarky question about making a living decorating... You handled it really well & 'm in the same boat. I also think that in this business (it's nature being so creative) that most of us are drawn to other creative outlets & ventures & are constantly coming up with new ideas & new ways we can create beauty/make money/ get our names out there. It's who we are.
anyway, great one as usual!!
xoxo,
Lauren
xo Lidy
Just to set the record straight, Kenneth Brown hailed from Louisiana, not Cali or Canada - my bad. But, he was on HGTV's Designers Challenge, winning 5 out of 6 appearances, per wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Brown_(interior_designer)
His show reDesign, which did show more of the nuts and bolts of design, went off the air a couple of years ago. His website is: http://www.kennethbrowndesign.com/
But, we were right - he is the cute blond guy!
As for Future Topics/Questions:
1) Favorite Movie Houses/Homes/Sets? Always a fun topic!
2) Decorating for Parties/Entertaining? Do you move your furniture around for parties? Add extra chairs/tables for big events? What about hosting for a charity group? Extra Lighting? (perhaps say a word here about candle safety LOL!)
3)As a decor book/magazine junkie (is there a 12-step program for that problem LOL!) what books are on your upcoming lists? I know that there are literally LOTs of decor books coming out in Sept. and October for the Holiday Season! I have at least SIX on my list at Amazon!
4)Perhaps for a Halloween Topic: Have you EVER been in a haunted house? I HAVE stayed at a very old haunted inn on Cape Cod (no -- I stayed awake and did NOT see the ghost!)-- and now ask my dinner guests: "Would YOU stay in a haunted room/house?" "Would you sleep or stay awake??" Just some fun questions! ((after all -- I really do live on Lot 13 on Cemetery Hill!!)) AND -- has a house/home ever given you the "willies??" or the "creepy" feeling? LOL!
Just some fun questions for possible future topics!
Jan at Rosemary Cottage
I always get excited when I stop by TSR and see new podcasts are up. :-) You guys are so generous to share your opinions on so many interesting topics. I just recently put a gentle request on my blog asking to be omitted from any future tags/awards...my time is so limited since I work outside the home full time. I recently had a bad experience with Adsense. I signed up and allowed a group of ads onto my blog. They were appropriate at first...all about porch design and even one about table skirts. Then the second evening of having the ads on my blog, I brought up my blog around midnight and there, flashing off and on in BRIGHT ORANGE color, was a 4 inch ad for a product that belonged on an X rated blog...I about died. No telling who all saw that! I wisked all the ads off and haven't participated again. And yes, I had even used their "filter" system that was supposed to eliminate any chance of those type ads and I still ended up with this x-rated ad! :-( I won't put any Adsense ads back onto my blog until I know something like that will not happen again.
Thanks for another great podcast!
Susan
Best,
Michelle
Toma