inspired by | lindsey

each friday on the kreatid blog, I’m shining a spotlight on a different person who I admire on a regular basis…the people who inspire me (whether in person on on-line) to strive to live every day, creatively.no matter what their creative medium is,no matter what their vocation is,if I admire them, you’re gonna be introduced to them!in·spi·ra·tion [in-spuh-rey-shuhn] nouna thing or person that inspires.today's inspiration is of someone I have gotten to see evolve from a young college womanto someone who is now my brother's wife.she is the mom to my littlest niece and the owner of Linny Jane Vintage...a vintage retail boutique she run's mainly from her home/facebook/and instagram but occasionally, like THIS weekend, at show's like Junk In The Trunk.(if you're in the PHX area tomorrow, you NEED to stop by her boutique...she is a crazy amazing curator and repurpose-r or all things vintage!)because I've gotten to see the progression from single to business woman/wife/mom...it's a little hard for me to describe her to you. :)I could tell you about her wit...her dry quiet sarcasm catches me off-guard occasionally andI literally cry from laughing,I could tell you about her compassion...I literally have seen her in the middle of a desert holding back the hair of a high-school girl the entire weekend away while the said high school girl had a bad case of the stomach flu. SHE. HELD. HER. HAIR. compassion award for the rest of her life. ;)I could tell you about her creativeness and ability to see beauty in things old and forgotten, and has the ability to make them new and hip.yup, I said hip. it's a thing. ;)I could tell you how loving she is to my niece and how amazing of a mother she is and is going to continue to be.or I could tell you about her love for my brother...she literally is a perfect match for him! :) but my favorite story of all time was from when they were dating...sorry, linds...this is happening. ;)they were still in the awkward "does-he-like-me-or-are-we-still-just-friends" stage of almost dating and my brother threw up his hand for a high-five after some competitive group thing they were doing...typical guy move...well, lindsey translated that as an opening for a hug, so hug she did...they're married now - so turning high-fives into hugs is good dating advice, I guess! ;)but I guess the thing I want to to describe to you the most is how good of a friend she has now become to me...she is a listener...she is an encourager...she is biblically wise and gives sound advice...she's witty and surprising...and she is most definitely someone I am proud to have as my friend.meet, lindsey. :)

if you had to describe “you” in five words, how would you describe yourself?

curious, silly, pokey, loyal, & messy. :)

you like to blog about your cute family occasionally - what are your top five character-traits for each of them?

Josh: Strong, manly, hilarious, gentle, brave Lila: observant, silly, joyful, sweet, cuddly

what furniture pieces/projects are your favorites in your house? why?

We have some old school lockers and I love them. I love the industrial look - they are in our kitchen and provide so much storage. I also bought a hanging wicker chair - I bought it to sell but I am not quite sure I can give it up. That's a common problem around here!

who do you look to for inspiration in interior design/diy-awesomeness?

I sell at a local Vintage Market here in Phoenix twice a year, called Junk In The Trunk and I am super inspired by the other vendors there. I follow them on Instagram, Pinterest, blogs, etc. (do I sound like a stalker?) To name a few of my faves would be Junk in the Trunk, The Blue Eyed Owl, Grungy Gals, Moonstruck Vintage and Shabby Junker. These ladies are great at repurposing, finding unique decor and have a great eye that totally inspires me.

what's your favorite inspirational quote/Bible verse?

"who cares who likes you - just do your thing" - those are wise words from my husband and a huge encouragement to me. Reminds me that not everyone will love what I do - but my security isn't found in people's opinions or different tastes:)

what lights you up on a daily basis?

Honestly, I love being able to help people decorate their homes with fun finds. To take something ugly and tossed out - clean it up, add some paint and make it new again really makes me happy. I love old things - and while 90 percent of thrifting and treasure hunting are particle board tv stands from 1997 - I love finding the hidden gems - the globes, the funky desks, the forgotten picture frame. You never know what you're going to get when you go looking - and that's pretty exciting to me.

where would you escape to in the world if you could? why?

Probably a beach somewhere - that was next to a Goodwill that was next to a coffee shop that was next to a Gap. Yep. That sounds about right.

if you could be a super hero, what super power's would you have? what would you name yourself? :)

I would love to have x-ray vision so I could look inside people's houses and see how they decorate;) I would call myself Captain Creepypants - that seems fitting.

where do you find your guilty pleasures? food, tv, etc...

Um...I am a huge Breaking Bad fan. LOVE it. Also I never met a chunk of cookie dough I didn't like.

do you have a collection? or do you want to collect anything?

Sigh. I seem to have a slight obsession with anything that has to do with school. I love globes, flashcards, a/v carts, chalkboards, flashcards....it's nerdy I know. Also animal heads. Not real ones, but ceramic, cardboard or wooden ones. I am currently looking at four as I type and realizing I may need to scale back.

when did you get involved in interior design/vintage-awesomeness?

I've always loved decorating a space. I decked out my college dorm room in gingham and raffia and I one time had to seriously confront a roommate on the color of her couch. I would say I really got into it after Josh and I bought our first home. Our home was built in 1986 with very few updates - I think I felt like just about any change would be an upgrade - and it took away the fear of ruining anything new:)

what's your hardest piece you've ever worked on?

I am working on a crazy dresser right now - I got is for 5 bucks at a garage sale but it was yellow from old polyurethane and some of the drawers were coming loose. They were also sponge painted which took me back to the nineties. Anyways it has required a can of stripping agent, hammer and nails, tons of sanding, paint, a 44 ounce of diet coke and a whole lot of love.

top three favorite colors? why?

Grey, coral and blue. Grey is such a great modern neutral. It gives a little depth to a space without being too dark - and coral is the closest I can get to pink in our home - Josh doesn't like the house to be too girly - so if I tell him something is orange he usually goes with it:) And blue - well - who doesn't like blue?

are you OCD about anything or pretty chill?

I am totally OCD. Don't let me near a label maker. I get a little crazy.

something that is from your childhood, that not a lot of people know about?

I was incredibly OCD about keeping all the parts to my toys together - my brother would taunt me by hiding pieces of my Fisher Price Doctor's Kit.... but who's laughing now because these babies are like collectors items. Well not really, but my daugter Lila plays with them and I think that's pretty cool:)

what is a nickname(s) you've been called in your life?

Linny, Grams (I have old lady tendencies), Stamminator.

favorite article(s) of clothing?

I probably shouldn't have as many pairs of colored pants as I do - but it is a sickness.

favorite band/song for inspiration?

I love pretty much anything by Bon Iver, mumford and I also love a little country music.

favorite three blog’s you like to read?

1. Emily Henderson 2. Design Sponge 3. Vintage Revivals

top three magazine’s you would buy?

Flea Market style, Real Simple and US Weekly (don't judge) :)

if you could encourage young women (14-21) to be anything, what would it be?

Secure in who God made them - still trying to grasp that one myself ;)

if you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?

I would love to help put Anthropologie store displays together.

who have been the key-influencer's in your life? why?

My husband has been incredibly supportive of my style and dreams;) He has helped me move furniture and sacrificed his garage for me. I also love the designer Emily Henderson - she uses color, antiques and lots of patterns in her spaces and I love her style.