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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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August 15, 2011

Behind the Blog with…Ivy and Elephants!

Behind the Blog-PattiPaula

Welcome to another edition of Behind the Blog where we introduce you, our friends, to the fabulous bloggers behind the blogs we love!! 

We have had so much fun these last few weeks and while our previous guests were what you would consider more “seasoned” bloggers, we are thrilled to be introducing you to a couple of “newbies” today! It has been our extreme pleasure to get to know the lovely Patti and Paula who co-author the blog Ivy and Elephants. We know you will love them as much as we do!

Ivy and Elephants

So, join us in welcoming Patti and Paula to the picket fence!

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Up first we asked Patti and Paula to share with us the “Ins and Outs” of their blogging experiences


What prompted you all to start blogging in the first place?
Patti: “I love looking at blogs! There are so many fabulous ideas and decor it’s like having a constant supply of high end magazines at my disposal. I read the comments and posts and realized the close friendships and support these strong women gave to one another.”
Paula: “I had heard about blogging and was not interested in hearing that people were going to the store, caught a cold, or broke up with their significant others. Then a year and a half ago Patti was telling me about these “great blogs” she discovered. I thought this quite odd, “Patti visiting blogs…that’s crazy”. She went on to explain that there were people out in the world who also loved antiques and vintage designs and actually shared what they do with their great finds. Sometimes they would tell you how much they paid for an item and where they got it. I was amazed. Here was this whole other world out there that I had no idea existed. So she gave me two blog URLs to start off with. I went home, went on my laptop and entered a world that I just could not believe existed. Here was this parallel universe of amazingly, creative and passionate people. Over the next few weeks she would spoon feed me a few more blogs and I was hooked. Then of course it became an obsession. I use to be an HGTV junkie. Who needs HGTV when you have a world full of amazing people, sharing their creativity at my finger tips?”

How long have you been blogging? 
Patti & Paula: “We launched our blog on Memorial Day of this year. It truly was a memorable launch. We just celebrated our two month anniversary.”

What made you decide to “co-author” a blog together?

Paula Patti
(Aren’t these ladies just absolutely gorgeous??)

Patti: “We both love antiques and decorating and have been sharing ideas and sources for years, so since our tastes are similar (and we are neighbors) it’s easy to work together on this. About six months after introducing the blog world to Paula, which was last spring, I mentioned starting a blog sharing what we do with our antiques and vintage finds. Paula fell in love with the idea. So we spent the next year researching, planning, and of course continued antiquing, but with a different fervor.”
What is the story behind your blog name?
Paula: “After Patti shared her great idea about creating a blog I was ready to start planning. When developing a project I have to start with one of two things, if not both, a title and/or a picture. So I was trying to think of a blog name that was unique and represented us. The name actually came to me in a dream. I woke up around 3 a.m. and texted Patti the blog name. Funny enough, when I finally woke up for the day I wasn’t sure if I really liked it at all. Patti didn’t say anything about the text so I figured I was off the hook with the blog name. A few weeks later I asked Patti what should our blog name be and she looked at me strangely and said, “Ivy & Elephants”. Now where on Earth would I get such a unique blog name? We are sorority girls. Patti is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the beautiful ivy represents their organization. Also, I have always loved the variety of ivies she has around her fabulous home.  I am a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. One of founders was fond of elephants and collected them. Needless to say, my home is filled with Indian and African Elephants.”
 As “new bloggers” what has been the biggest learning curve for you?
Paula: “The biggest learning curve for me was the technical aspects of actually building a blog. Since Patti and I spent an inordinate amount of time blog surfing we created a self-imposed bar in terms of aesthetics and how to convey our stories and visions. There are so many amazing blogs out there we felt that we wanted to give our visitors a level they were accustomed to. Our goal then was to have an appearance as if we had been doing this for years when in essence we were just starting. Thanks to Karen Valentine, who created the eBook: Building Beautiful Blogs: A Beginners Guide to Blogger , I was able to build a template we could work with. I spent days and nights reading the eBook and working on the blog design by creating a practice blog. This is where I was able to try things out, fix what did not work, and add things that I liked from other blogs. I also ended up teaching myself  a lot about HTML codes and how they work.”
How do you balance blogging with the rest of your life?
Patti: “Sometimes it’s not easy as we both work (A LOT) but let’s just say there are 24 hours in a day and we make use of everyone of them! I might spend 4 or 5 hours just shooting pictures for a post. Thankfully we created an organizational plan which allows us to organize and share the responsibilities.”


Paula: “The first week of our launch, I was not playing the balancing act well at all. Our blog launch became a weeklong obsession. The first day of the launch I went over to Patti’s house and we noticed people, strangers, and well wishers were visiting OUR BLOG. Oh my goodness, this was insane to us. The excitement was almost unbearable. Then people started to comment, we started to jump up and down and scream. “Someone out there sees us”, I thought. The piece de resistance was when Vanna of Delusions of Grandeur  came by. You don’t understand. Vanna is one of our absolute favorite blog idols. She left us a comment. We screamed and hugged and screamed some more. The rest of the week we stared at our blog then we would blog surf like we had never done before. I would stay up until midnight blogging and I am not a night owl in fact eight o’clock is my bedtime. I would wake up at around four in the morning and blog surf some more. At every break at work I would reach for my iPhone and check our blog then blog surf some more. Then one day it hit me, time for the balancing act. So instead of walking in the door from work and running upstairs to grab my laptop, after walking in the door blog surfing on my iPhone, I now spend the early evening playing and reading with my 3 year old son, who appears on the Time for Summer Fun post, hosted by you wonderful ladies. I started cooking dinner for the family and actually eating with them again. I had to prioritize my life. Blogging is wonderful but God and family come first and I had to remember that. We have been bloggers for a very short time and I am still working on continuing to improve my balancing act. It’s a continuous work in progress.”
What are your top 3 favorite things about blogging?
Patti: “Definitely the people. Since starting the blog I have met so many wonderful people who encourage and support my every attempt. I feel I’ve made real life long friends. Then, the sharing of ideas comes next. So many fabulous and creative ideas, shared so willingly, make blogging my go to DIY source. Lastly, empowerment. Because of the support from my fellow bloggers I’ve become more confident and assertive. Who would of thought I’d put my ideas and thoughts out there for the world to see. I’m a new person!”
Paula: “1) Meeting wonderful, creative people who are willing to share their dreams and visions. I want to add the fact that these fabulous people are predominately women. I could not be prouder of that fact alone. We absolutely find the few men who blog about our common interests fabulous as well. 2) Having an opportunity to share my vision with people who are willing to listen and observe the talents of others. 3) Learning new design and DIY ideas from people from around the world. I call these the OMG moments. It’s a elevated from the Ah haw moment. You know when you surf a blog, and read and see what the individual has to say and you yell out loud “Oh my Goodness” or whatever “G” may use. Then you hurriedly save that post to your bookmarks and visit it often and say OMG all over again.”


 

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What has been your most popular project(s) with your readers?

Patti: “Feeling Cagey Part 2 was our most popular project with our readers.”


ivycage


“This post was about how we decorate with birdcages with antique and vintage items. On this particular post we incorporated a YouTube video to show two working antique birdcages. One of the birdcages is a clock and the other is a German automaton which is very hard to find in good working order.”

Paula: “The second most popular was Cloche Encounters.”


”This post gave us the opportunity to choose some of our favorite decorative pieces and showcase them under glass.” 
What is YOUR favorite project(s) you have ever done?
Patti: “Feeling Cagey was my favorite project. Birdcages, I just love them. I have them from the front to the back porch and in almost every room. I love finding new ways to use them and incorporate them into my decor.”
Paula: “My favorite project is Mirrors, A Reflection of The Soul, because I was able to play around with my grandmother’s childhood dresser at an angle with my camera and it reminded me of when I was a little girl looking into that same mirror.”

Mirror and Wreath

”My grandmother is my inspiration so looking into the mirror that my grandmother use to look into means a great deal to me.”
Have you ever had a project that completely failed and you did not show it on your blog?
Patti: “Not yet, since we are only two months old, but we are working on it (lol). I am sure in time it will happen. We spend quite a bit of time planning our posts. This goes back to balancing our lives with our blog. We are both very busy career women and mothers, so time is very precious to us. We spent a year researching and planning our blog before actually launching it so the next six months is already well thought out. Also, we feel that there is no possible way to “fail” on a project because a project is something that you did from the heart. Sharing the trials and tribulations of a project is a win-win situation.”

We call this next round the “If You Were Stranded On A Desert Island” Set of Questions! (original we know…)

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you want to have with you and why?
Patti: “A laptop with a super strong battery and super wifi so I can stay in touch with all my blog friends. A picture of my precious grandson to remind me that there is some thing worth waiting for.
I would take my faith so that I would never stop believing.”

Paula: “My Bible because it is a reminder that His Lord and Savior is with me no matter what.
A picture of my husband and son because it took me a very long time to find both of them and I love them so dearly. An Iridium Satellite phone, but not for the reasons you think. It has internet so I can blog with out any disturbances or distractions. I am a total tech geek.”



And if you could only have 1 person with you on that island, whom would it be and why?


Patti: “I would choose my daughter Ashley because we are so close and I cannot go a day without her. She is my best friend.”

Paula: “My husband, but there goes the no disturbances and no distractions I was just talking about.  Just kidding…sorta. My husband is the most supportive and wonderful man I know. He makes me laugh and knows just the right moment a prayer is needed.”

And last but certainly not least, we’re going to put Patti and Paula under the magnifying glass with Our Reader Questions..cause we know y’all are as nosy as we are!

MP900399239

If you could have one DIY or Creative Superpower what would it be? 🙂

Patti: “If I had Creative Superpowers I would be able to have my projects look like the incredible ideas in my head.”

Paula: “If I had DIY Superpowers I would build a very large fruit and vegetable farm and donate the harvest to families that need it most. Now of course the farmhouse would be decked out with all of my great-grandmother’s furniture and with all of the antiques I would find when antiquing with Patti.”


(And if we had Creative Superpowers it would be to bring all of our wonderful blogging friends together in one place (preferably someplace tropical)!)


We can’t thank you ladies enough for letting us get to know you better today and for giving us a glimpse at the Bloggers Behind the Blog! 
And thank you to our readers who joined us today for our fourth installment of Behind the Blog!  Missed the first three installments? Well, you can read them here and get all caught up! And stay tuned for future installments of Behind the Blog…
behind the blog graphic lettering
…cause you never know who might show up next at the fence!
Thank you for joining us, along with Patti and Paula of Ivy and Elephants, today at the Fence,
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13 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series

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Comments

  1. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    August 15, 2011 at 1:33 PM

    I’m heading on over to check Ivy and Elephants out right now! Loved the feature!

    Reply
  2. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    August 15, 2011 at 2:23 PM

    Such a great choice. I love their blog. Wonderful to know more about them. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  3. The Invisible Woman says

    August 15, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Great blog! I love the witty blog headings – “Cloche Encounters” – too cute. Thanks for a new place to visit each day!

    Reply
  4. Honey at 2805 says

    August 15, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    Nice feature on this blog and ladies!

    Reply
  5. Paula Jo @ Home and Garden Decor says

    August 15, 2011 at 8:41 PM

    I just loved the interview. I’m going to check their blog out. They both seem so nice, and I’m anxious to see what they will post, because they both seem a little like me. I love decor, birdhouses, as much as Patti and Paula does, and it will be interesting. Thanks for posting about them.

    Reply
  6. Rosemary@villabarnes says

    August 15, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    Thanks so much for featuring Patti and Paula. I am one of their earlier followers, and knew they had what it took to make a splash in blogland.

    Reply
  7. lvroftiques says

    August 16, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    Oh you two!!! I just love you guys!! I’m reading this and having an “OMG” moment myself!! *winks* I can’t believe you felt that way about my blog because I feel exactly the same way about yours!
    I too remember that feeling when I got my first comment and it shocked the poop outta me! (figuratively that is lol!) That someone out there actually looked and took the time to leave me a comment was such a shocker!….Actually I still feel that way, don’t you?

    Well the ladies here at “At The Picket Fence” couldn’t have picked nicer or more talented blogers to feature than you two! (((HUGS))) Vanna

    Reply
  8. Debbie says

    August 16, 2011 at 12:26 AM

    This is a new blog to me. Now, of course, I have to go and visit. Their projects look wonderful, but it’s their spirit that I read here that is the big draw.

    Reply
  9. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜@ Debbiedoos blogging and blabbing says

    August 16, 2011 at 2:43 AM

    Just discovered these fabulous ladies today. They are both so very inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Ann Marie of At Home With Ann Marie says

    August 16, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    Great post! Love the ideas, and I enjoy reading your fantastic interviews! Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Debbie--https://refreshrestyle.com/ says

    August 17, 2011 at 1:30 AM

    I love meeting everyone featured At the Picket Fence! and I already follow these ladies, it’s nice to get to know them better!
    Debbie

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
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If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

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Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

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