The Blog Trigger and a Little About ME – Down the History Trail
Since I showed the lousy addition to the front of my home, which was bastardized back in the early 60′s, here is the interior of the space. My office and me. Crappy photo because it was taken by the computer video cam with it’s blinding light, hence the washed out look, and hunched down pose, but that is a sunburned me today, well, yesterday actually in blog time.
I have been reading blogs for a long, long time. My favorites are of course gardening, but I also like the interiors blogs. Beautiful architecture and gorgeous gardens are shown along with the highly designed interiors.
I am an inside/outside/connection kind of designer. My gardens are usually an extension from the inside of the home to the outside, creating views and vignettes along the way.
I love architecture and interior design. And you probably guessed by now, fine art, and illustration too. Pretty much, design of all kinds. I have been drawing and building stuff since I was three. I used to draw horses and build miniature stables and tack rooms. I had real horses, by the way. Here is my first prizewinning P.O.A. pony below. Wasn’t she a beauty?
My background and education includes years of graphic design as an illustrator (all during the year) and window dresser (during Christmas only) for a prestigious department store in Pennsylvania. So beware, I will post a lot of holiday decorations at 664. And I use flowers too, like the faux roses on the live Christmas tree below. But our next holiday is Halloween, so here is a taste.
I am quite the little crafter at Halloween. No pumpkin is left unadorned. If fact, a pumpkin patch and corn maze is at my partner’s business for the kids this year. His family owns and runs Erway’s Christmas Tree Adventure in Wilson, New York. I designed the website, so I know I have updating to do. So if any of you lovely readers are in that neck of the woods, it is great fun for all. Just a shameless plug here.
These are some of the hundreds of ads that I hand illustrated. All were in pen and ink wash. Very rarely did the store do color ads, and when I did one, it was a one color run.
I also designed store floor plans and store fixtures for housewares and toy stores. My work below.
This is what led me to pursue architecture as a career. One type of design leading to the next; small to big; flat to 3-D.
This is a project of an Interpretive Center that I designed while working for a local architecture firm.
It was one of the first projects that I was given to execute from the conceptual beginning to the final presentation to the client, a local town board.
The building was on a floating slab and elevated above the brown field site. It was to serve as a pilot program to assist other communities faced with similar problems reclaiming brown fields.
The project was one of fifty industrial waste sites along river front property, reclaiming lands compromised by past actions.
The land is a wetland, nature preserves property, and the building and landscaping were designed sympathetic to this constraint. A landscape architect was responsible for the site, I was the architect selected for the building design. This project leads to the interest in landscape design.
Hey, the long road has been interesting and fun, and I like fun. Lots of computer work and experience, but never a blog. Until 53 days ago.
So what was the catalyst, you ask, after my varied and interesting careers?
How my inception into blogging came about was really pivotal. One day I was reading The Garden Fairies post here. Siobhan had made a comment on Niagara Falls and I felt compelled to comment. My first time commenting ever on any gardening blog. And not only did she graciously answer my comment, she did a post about it. WOW. I was excited. I then started commenting all over the place, thinking all garden bloggers must be so nice.
Blogging is actually easy for me because most of my design work is done on my Mac computer, usually seven days a week. When I think of something to say in the blog, I type it into a text editor and keep working. Both huge monitors are covered with windows of job designs, photos and reading fun.
So what comes to my inbox one day, but a message from Meredith at The Enchanted Earth blog. I won a contest! And I did not even realize I entered one. Cool and happy, happy, happy. I never win anything, so I guess forging into the world of blogging and commenting has a reward. I was so right; all garden bloggers are nice people.
So I am expecting a present, and guess what, it arrived today in the mail along with a very thoughtful hand written note. I received a beautiful, and I mean beautiful, set of post cards, gift cards and greeting cards designed and photographed by Meredith. She has a site where she sells the images and cards, here. You must stop by, her work is really incredible. My favorite image is on the left. So pretty, it makes me wish I were right there in that blue sky filled field on that puffy cloud morning.
I want to thank Meredith very much for this gift, and pass along my sympathy for her recent loss. I lost my mother last Christmas, so I very much know how hard it is for her at this time. Stop by her blog and send your condolences. I know from experience how much that means.
She has a great many friends in the blog world, and I am sure many, many prayers are with her.
I am having a great time blogging. And either learn something or I am surprised by something almost daily. Today is full of surprises.
I just got back from Blotanical and guess what, another good thing just happened. I was been accepted as a blog only a few days ago and my blog is appearing all over Blotanical. Whoa. Hold the ponies, there. I am surprised.
Looky here.
Since I am so new to Blotanical, I do not even know what all this means yet. Blogging is a learning experience. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, readers and Blotanical.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude, but I have a favor to ask.
And Here.
My favor has to do with why I am blogging in the first place. It is not for all the cool things that are happening today and lately, but I have to admit they certainly make blogging rewarding.
And Here Again.
I did have a bit of a motive for starting to blog. And I hang my head low as I admit this. I shared my reason with one blogger, but now my reason has morphed into many.
I have been reading blogs anonymously for eons, and have been watching from the sidelines. But when the bloggers came to Buffalo during the Buff10 meet, those that I have been following for some time, I saw the fun that they were having traveling and visiting. I wanted to be part of that experience.
So I went beyond mere commenting, to creating a blog. Since then, I have met some of the bloggers by commenting on their blogs, and some I met while they were in Buffalo, like Siobhan and Lisa, the Garden Fairies. Again, I was right, garden bloggers are the nicest people.
Great fun. So, now that you know me a bit, I am hoping to get an invite (my favor) to the next Bloggers meet in Seattle, if the rumors are true. Shameless I know, but I do not want to resort to begging. LOL. 48 post later and happy (my new motive) to blog,
Donna
Wonderful post! Welcome to really blogging. I love your pony! What great memories you must have. Your illustrations are quite impressive and I think your office looks cozy and lovely. You do too by the way. ;>)
Thanks much, glad you stopped. I am starting to get to know the people behind the blogs better. Hope to see you in Seattle.Plug, plug, plug.
Thanks for your comments and your picks and welcome to blogging in a new way! I love your work — your illustrations are lovely.
I’ll be stopping by again soon,
Elizabeth
Thank you so much. I am really enjoying this new experience. It lets me tie together so much of what I do professionally and for fun. I stayed on the sidelines too long. Bloggers are great people.
Great post and congratulations on finally starting up your blog. My Christmas tree gets decorated just like yours!
I love using flowers to decorate trees. I had a blue hydrangea tree in the blue and white kitchen, and two flanking poinsettia trees in the dining room. All dollar store finds. I bet your tree is lovely. I use gold ornaments, white and apple green balls, and small clear or crystal decoration. How about yours?
Hi Donna! Wonderful post! Where to begin…first, you are obviously amazingly talented! What a joy to connect and witness your various projects, history and skill. Honestly, your christmas tree to breathtaking and inspiring. I’ve been in the mood for change re. our tree, and your expertise may just be the catalyst. What’s holding me back? No. 1, budget. These wonderful decorations are pricey and unfortunately, I must prioritize. Bummer. No. 2, I’m a sap and hopeless lover of all things family/my children. My decorations consist of endless ornaments that don’t match but have been given to me by my parents who have given me (and now my children) an ornament every year. They are not cheap, tacky ornaments…all very beautiful and unique symbolizing something memorable of the year. However, they don’t produce a coordinating scene in any way. I’m contemplating two trees…one family/traditional and another purely decorative. I’ll look to you for inspiration this year!
I’ve rambled so much…I’m glad you decided to blog, and should not hang your head in shame for wanting to be part of the gardening community. It is, as you have found, a wonderful, welcoming, friendly place to be and everyone is fantastic, supportive, and encouraging. It’s one of the few places I’ve found where beginners and masters gather together without boundaries, expectations, or inhibitions. All things gardening…love it!
That’s all for now…feel like I’m writing a 3 page letter!
Thank-you so much for all the kind words. I am sure your tree is lovely. The key to having a variety of ornaments is to have one unifying factor tie them all together as a group. Like the white roses. They are from the dollar store and I cut them all apart to distribute them throughout. They take up a lot of space cheaply. The other ornaments relate by color, or shine. I also take unrelated items and turn them into Christmas decorations. I also have four trees, so if you have two, that will allow you to start one in your own families tradition. My nurseryman partner has a tree farm, so I am fortunate to get as many trees, garlands and wreaths as I want. We also have done homes for Christmas for clients. I created the Christmas Tree Farm website, signage, brochures, etc, and have designed the front of their lodge. I also help during Christmas too.I love Christmas and love to decorate. I hope I do not bore the gardening readers with my creations. I may have some demos and advice along the way if it proves popular. I also may put my email contact on the site, so I can have readers mail in design dilemmas and I can recreate them as a new design in Photoshop. Not sure how to do this yet. I have no plans on charging so I want to see how to have the submissions be quick for me to do, otherwise it would quickly be overwhelming. Maybe a one a week or month deal. I do this for clients all the time, so I thought it would be fun for readers. I am like you a bit. Sorry about the ramble.
Nice post about how you got here – I actually started my blog last winter so I could go to the Buffalo meeetup, and no one invited me, I just signed up, went and had a blast – hope you will be able to do the same:)
Good to know. I am sure I would have fun too. Seeing all you guys from the sidelines gave me the kickstart to blog. I knew that had to be a requirement, and I am never short on anything to say or post. Stuff happens at work all the time that is either funny or weird. I just have to jog the memory for it. But at 56, that gets harder every day. I only wish I was good about taking and keeping photos. I rarely ever take photos on jobs. Mostly because of privacy, but also time. Now with my iPhone, better chance of having it with me. My old phone took teeny, tiny photos.
Too neat your reason for beginning to blog. I think garden bloggers are really nice folks for sure. I’ve met a few but not gone to any meet ups. I would’ve thought you had been blogging for longer than 53 days! Wow! You have such an awesome site and such neat posts. Those illustrations and designs are really something too. P.S. I think you don’t need an invite to the meet up and they will all surely love to meet you whereever it may be next but if I were going I’d invite you. Just be sure to watch for the announcements and get in early as sometimes it seems the slots are limited. I’ve been blogging since the first meet up in Austin and sometimes the organizers do a blog for updates and for folks to sign up.
Love your comments. So nice of you. Like I said….
It would be great to meet all of you, so I will keep eyes peeled for the announcement. Who decides the location? Is there like a president of the bloggers? I have been to all but two states in the continental US, and Washington is one of them. Oregon too, and they are probably two of the prettiest states. I love Utah, Arizona and New Mexico for beauty also. The sunsets and colors. No wonder Georogia O’keefe painted such lovely modern flowers in New Mexico. If I lived there, that is what I would produce in art, that place inspires.
I wouldn’t have guessed you were new to blogging. Your skills in design show in your blog. I am not as active in blotanical or even blogging as I used to be. I seem to have a lot going on. I don’t plan on giving blogging up, though.
I see others have let you know you don’t have to be invited to a meet up. I’ve been blogging almost 3 years. I live in Nebraska, and haven’t been able to make the distance to one. I would love to try for Seattle, but have some bills that probably won’t be paid off by then.
I hope you can make Seattle. Your blog is so interesting and I love your photos. Would love to meet you. You got a great shot of a squirrel in one post. My nemesis by the way. Little devils are all over the place here. And I feed the birds. The squirrels are so greedy and destructive. They ruined so many feeders.
Donna, I found it. Great post. Cute photo with a little of the deer-in-the-headlights look from the webcam. Enjoyed talking to you so much. Can’t wait to meet. Carolyn