Friday Guest Blog Interview: Ruffles and Stuff!

This week my guest blog interview is inspired by everything handmade… and it’s wonderful! Take a journey with me to visit Disney of Ruffles and Stuff and her beautiful DIY world.

As we approach the holidays and our wallets become a bit barer (and our New Year’s resolutions a bit stronger!) I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you to a very lovely lady that embodies all things crafty and (most importantly!) pretty. A personal resolution of mine is to cut back on the ‘purchasing’ and up the ‘repurposing’ for home decor — and Ruffles and Stuff is the PERFECT blog to meet such requirements.

What’s most exciting is that all images in today’s interview are projects handmade by Disney herself! She covers the gamut of delicate slippers (see below) to framed flowers and ruffled lampshades (after the jump). Disney also designs and creates beautiful clothing (see Chanel-inspired cuffs above) for herself and her two year-old-daughter.

Disney shares that her two greatest joys in life are rain and coffee (she’s a Washington native) and that “other than reading Dr. Seuss and scraping play-dough off of the floor, my favorite thing to do in my spare time is craft!”

I love that her living room walls are black and that she offers step-by-step directions on making your own bib necklace… and you must read her answers to the four PDB questions (and check out pictures of her home makeover and projects) after the jump!

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{PDB Interview with Disney of Ruffles and Stuff}

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What inspires your design style?

Just about everything, really! I’m constantly looking for inspiration, and the hunt for the next project is always in the back of my mind. One thing I find really inspiring is fashion. More specifically, the older, more ladylike fashions of Jackie O, Coco Channel, Audrey Hepburn, etc. I love to take those classic colors, pleats, ruffles and bows and apply them to all areas of my home! Whether it’s a new dress I made for my daughter, or a pillow I made for my sofa. I also find a lot of inspiration by strolling through tiny, hole-in-the-wall thrift stores, and looking back to History. I’m convinced that they stopped making almost anything good about a hundred years ago, so I love to look back and try to bring back some of what they had in the good ol’ days :o)

What do you love most about what you do?

The fun of it! Most of the projects I work on are all focused on a common goal: making my family’s life more comfortable, beautiful, and enjoyable! And since my budget is usually $0, I focus a lot on recycling and repurposing things, and I absolutely love the challenge that it brings! Making something beautiful out of an object that most people would just throw out gives me a great feeling. It’s one more way that I can be a good manager of my household, and it’s good for our environment as well! Another thing I love about my blog is that it’s given me the opportunity to meet some amazing ladies who have some of the same interests as me. I used to think I was somewhat alone in my love for all things crafty, so it’s been so wonderful to be opened up to this whole new world!

What are your favorite design trends?

Well obviously ruffles! That’s a trend that is really running full force, and I’m crossing my fingers that it will last for a long time. They’re so feminine, and I love anything with a glamorous, feminine, or vintage feel. I also really love formality. Dark colors, velvet, silk, grand chandeliers, mirrored furniture, and everything in it’s place! Some people don’t like feeling like they live in a magazine, but I’m completely the opposite. I love it when everything is fancy! I also love handmade things, although I’m not sure how those fit in together. :o) But I think my absolute favorite trend of late is how designers, whether they are clothing, interior, or otherwise, are really encouraging people to put their heart and soul into what they have around them, and really let their personality shine through their possessions. I love random uniqueness, and there are fewer and fewer cookie-cutter designs out there, so I think that is fantastic!

What are three design suggestions that you would like to offer our readers?

{1} Forget about rules, forget about what your friends will think, and forget about what the magazines are showcasing. Design for you and your family. If you love it, it will look perfect, and perfectly natural! I used to constantly change my wardrobe and decor, and then I finally decided to scrap everything and only use what I really, really loved. Like black paint on my living room walls! While it may not be everyone’s idea of comfort, I find myself drawn to that room, and I feel great in it!

{2.} Don’t try too hard. Inspiration will come at the right time if you wait for it. I’ve created many disasters simply because I was insistent on having something a certain way, or, more often, within a certain time frame!

{3} DIY. Any time you want or need something new, always ask yourself if it’s possible to make it first. You’d be surprised with what you can come up with! There are tons of great ideas and tutorials available online, and you will love and appreciate your possessions so much more when you’ve created them yourself!

Thank you, Disney!
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