Jeanne Winters is a wife, mom, artist, blogger, and author of Inspirational Home: Simple Ideas for Uplifting Décor and Craft. We share a passion for creativity (although she’s quite the crafty girl and I’m not allowed to have scissors). We also love finding new ways to share our faith and encourage others. I know many of you are the same way. So when Jeanne agreed to let me interview her for my blog, I was thrilled.
To kick off our interview, do you have a simple and creative idea for us?
Yes! My sweet husband picked some wildflowers for me on his way home from work yesterday. 🙂 I popped them into an espresso cup to dress up a side table. Some leftover fuzzy purple ribbon and a sterling silver “Jesus” charm add the finishing touch!”
It’s fun to see how who we’re going to be shows up even when we’re little girls. Share a story with us about being creative from your childhood.
Hmmm, like the time I drew all over my sister’s and my dressers? Definitely artistic expression, but unfortunately, it didn’t end very well. 🙂
I was always drawing, coloring, and painting, though. Some of my earliest works were cartoon characters copied from an old collection of comic books passed down to us – Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, Archie’s gang, etc. I moved on to portraits of my little friends, but I’ve never done people professionally. I love when I can get away from the computer and draw or paint “for real!”
For those of us who are intimidated when it comes to trying to make our homes beautiful (like me!), what insights can you give us to make it a little less scary?
I think you should first ask yourself if your home is a loving & safe haven for you and your family. If the answer is “yes,” then relax! It’s already a beautiful place to be! 🙂
Anything beyond that – like improving the esthetics – is icing on the cake! Now, if you enjoy a little frosting … read on. 🙂
My advice is to think of decorating as making your home “Holley Beautiful” [or Holley & Mark Beautiful]. For example, do you think flea market chic is charming or do you cringe at the sight of peeling paint and distressed wood? Are you obsessed with mid-century modern or do you get a chill from the stark, perhaps un-cozy furniture? Start with knowing who you are and what works for your lifestyle. Are you outdoorsy, elegant, fun, casual, colorful, quiet, modern, social, etc? Your home should reflect that. Be true to yourself and people will see your beauty reflected in your home.
A very simple rule is to be conservative with the big ticket items, and have fun with the rest! Scatter throughout with unique touches to give your rooms personality: The mementos from your childhood captured in a shadowbox, the vase from the art fair as your dining table centerpiece, the collection of family photos lining the staircase, the dishes from your grandmother on display in the hutch, etc. Surround yourself with beautiful memories and items of your heritage, your interests, your hobbies, your travels.
If you dare, share a beautiful anomaly with us.
The fact that the ideas I share are simple, inexpensive and easy to do is no marketing ploy—I love to design & create, but am sorely lacking in patience! … not to mention time and money to do things any other way! 🙂
What are your dreams for the future?
When I think about the future, my children come to mind first – for them to be healthy and joyful and tight with mommy & daddy – then I pray I’m able to continue to bless others through my arts & crafts without taking anything away from them! I have many more products, paintings and ideas on the horizon!
If you’d like more great ideas from Jeanne, be sure to buy a copy of her book Inspirational Home: Simple Ideas for Uplifting Décor and Craft. Please also take time to visit her delightful site and blog. And look for her new gift line in Hallmark stores now!
This week I’m giving away a copy of Jeanne’s book…
AND just in time for summer sipping or displaying flowers, this gorgeous “Living Water” (John 7:38) carafe she designed for DaySpring…
To enter, leave a comment sharing one simple idea for creatively expressing your faith by midnight on Thursday. Or if you’re like me, you can tell us about a crafty friend of yours and what she does. And if you’ve got a blog post or link to share be sure to let us know so we can visit!
Thank you, Jeanne, for sharing your heart and ideas with us.
Let’s all pass along this post to others so we can help our new friend creatively encourage even more women!
