Tour through Blogland

Today is a little different. Today is a quick look into the mind and process behind Maison de Pax. Yikes. Run away now. Just kidding! Maybe. 😉

DIY planked American flag at maisondepax.com #tutorial #patriotic #july4 #decor #whitewashed

Seriously, Jamie from So Much Better With Age (who has such a beautiful home and wonderful vintage French style!) asked me to be a part of this tour…

jamie headshot

So here we go. I’ll answer four fun questions for you today, and then share with you three of my blogger friends who will be posting similarly either this week or next. Hopefully, you can meet some wonderful new blogs in the process!

Ready for my exposé?

1. What am I working on?

Fabulous "vintage aqua" bookcase makeover for adorable and functional playroom storage at maisondepax.com #makeover #furniture #paint #diy #tutorial #chalkpaint

My attic. And my laundry room. And my playroom. My sanity. With our precious baby girl born just 2 months ago, I’ve been doing my best to choose family. Choose joy. And manage to fill my need for creativity and productivity in the process. So yes, I’m working on all those things I crossed out, but they are not the priority; they are just the icing on the cake.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

gorgeous living room makeover at maisondepax.com

I love juxtaposition {former English teacher alert!}. I like chippy, rustic, and primitive next to elegantly carved and curvy. I like industrial meets classic meets rustic. I like a little of everything, and I like to think that I find a way to combine them that’s both beautiful and tasteful. I also like to think that I meta-think a lot more than most. {Forgive me, for I am, at heart, a HUGE nerd.}  I cook, and clean, and decorate, and DIY… and I tell you how to do it, too… but I try to think through the reason behind why I do it. And why you might want to do it. I think everything we do in our home adds to the story it tells and the environment it holds, and I want to find peace there. I want to be purposeful, thoughtful, intentional. I want to enjoy the process of making over my kids’ playroom as much as the product. But now I’m beginning to answer question #3…

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Summer Home Tour full of beautiful inspiration at maisondepax.com

I believe that the best way to learn something is to teach it, and by writing down the purpose behind most of my madness creativity, I’m able to process and internalize the goals I have. Plus, I love beauty, design, and all things home, and I’m excited to share them!

4. How does your writing/ creating process work? 

Unfinished Laundry Room (1 of 4)

I was just telling Mr. Pax the other night that I need to exercise more self control and not start projects that take two hours when I only have 10 minutes. That is my tendency, and it is both how I accomplish so much and why I am so crazy from time to time. 😉  I’d like to say that I spend hours scouring Pinterest and design resources, but the truth is that I don’t have time. When something catches my fancy or my mind, I start dreaming about how I can accomplish it. And I find ways to do it – usually during naptime and in the middle of the night… But if I can include my kids, I do. My four year old has stained, painted, sanded, stirred cement, drilled, and glued. It usually ends in much bigger messes and much more chaos, but it creates memories that are worth it.

Now I want to let three of my friends from blogland introduce themselves to you:

april headshot

April at House by Hoff: Mom, wife, teacher, decorator, photographer, thrifter, blogger… it seems I wear a lot of hats! Join me as I strive to keep my life balanced and organized in a house that gets decorated (and redecorated) by the day!

jen headshot

Jen at Migonis House: My husband and I are fixing up the Cape style home we bought four years ago in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Join us as we renovated, decorate, and live large in a small space.

kelly headshot

Kelly at My Soulful Home: Putting heart, mind & soul into all I do & sharing it with you. A mom, wife, blogger and former attorney. Bursting with ideas, always creating and having fun with my girls. Decorating, projects, garden advice & recipes. Come on by My Soulful Home for a visit. Let’s get to know each other a bit!

Go visit these gals and say hi! And tell me, is it fun to hear about the chaos process behind blogs you read? Or is it kind of like removing the mystery from a magician’s show? 😉

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9 Comments

  1. Loved reading your answers Rachel…we have a lot in common….not only the fact that I love the word juxtaposition as well! Thank you for asking me to join this innovative tour!
    Kelly

  2. Love this Rachel! And yes, my #1 answer would be totally the same as yours!! I start more projects than I can finish! Lol Your blog is such a refreshing place of inspiration!

    1. Thank you so much, Kendra! It is amazing how projects and mess can multiply if we’re not careful, isn’t it? 😉

  3. Pingback: Inspire Me Please - Linky Party -

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