Q + A day | In which you can ask any and every question

You’re not too late!

I really love maui. We’ve been a few times and can’t wait to get back there.

Here is a post about some of the restaurants we enjoy: https://jonesdesigncompany.com/food/the-tastes-of-maui/

We have stayed in Wailea (so gorgeous, manicured, fancier resorts), Kihei (more local, mainly condos) and Kaanapali (probably our favorite). I love snorkeling in the water in Napili Bay, eating fresh Poke, shopping at Whaler’s Village. On one trip, we did ziplining in upcountry, which was fun. I have no problem just hanging out at the pool or beach all day though :)

Enjoy!

I have not painted furniture. I think there is a paint additive that you can add to the paint to make it less crunchy. Search around on this big internet and surely you’ll find someone who has done it with great results.

Thanks for your nice words!

I am on a regular routine of a handful of supplements – Magnesium, Wormwood, Butyrate, Ferrasorb, Forskholii, I Glutamine, Soluble Fiber, Garlic, Probiotic. I take most of them twice per day, with my iron supplement in the middle of the day. I’ll tell you, I am not a big fan of taking pills a million times per day, but because I am seeing results, I have stuck with it. Be sure you check with your naturopath to get the combination that works for your body and your symptoms. This combo has taken us a little bit of trial to get to, so I’m sure your body will be the same.

We did use to do some custom blog design and created a class all about blogging a few years ago. It is not currently open – not sure we will open it anytime soon … You might enjoy Amy Lynn Andrews – she has lots of great info about blogging on her site: https://amylynnandrews.com/

What a sweet Nana you are to think about your grandbabies and children!

My mom and mother-in-law have beautiful homes and have been able to keep the aesthetic without stressing about little ones breaking things or destroying furniture. I have always held the belief (and they do as well) that it is okay to have a pretty home with children – they can learn to not touch things or keep food and drinks in the kitchen or only build forts on the playroom couch, not the nice living room one. This sounds sort of unfriendly and mean, but my kids have been just fine with these boundaries. So I would say, keep fragile or precious collectibles out of reach – for your sanity, mainly, have throw blankets at the ready for covering your furniture if you are snacking on the couch, collect toys in baskets to bring out when the grandchildren come over and you should be set!

Great questions!
1. There are so many key pieces of creating a blog so it is hard to narrow it down to just a few … but, my best advice is to choose a topic that you are wildly excited to talk about, something you are an expert in and is specific (ex. instead of “cooking” go with “crockpot cooking”). There are so many blogs out there, but even more readers. Put your very best content out there to attract the types of readers who will be interested in your topic.

As far as monetizing, you are probably very aware of the types of income options for blogging: advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, creating your own products (e-commerce, memberships, services + classes). What you choose really depends on your niche and talents. Our income comes from a combination of almost all of these.

2. Hmmm … what has made the work we do successful …
Having Ryan working with me behind the scenes has been vital. I am not naturally a great business person, but Ryan is. Combining my aesthetic, work ethic, follow-through, and voice with his vision, marketing ideas + implementation, using the right technology and a bit of happy luck has led to our success. It has not been without a massive amount of work, so never underestimate that! As you are starting out, try to find someone smarter than you who you can run ideas by, get advice from, work through roadblocks with. Having another perspective is so helpful!

3. Take one little step, see how it feels, and if it feels right, keep going. Again, find someone to keep you accountable. And be okay with starting slow. It’s so hard (especially when everywhere you look it seems like people are miles ahead of you! I feel this way, too, so don’t be discouraged!), but just do your thing and keep moving forward.

I hope this helps! I am excited for you as you venture into your own thing!

I was working with my sister on a good Seattle guide! I’ll put it together asap.

Hi Kyrie,

Sorry I didn’t answer those! The olive oil is from Target. I confess that I reuse the bottle and fill with other olive oil that comes in less pretty bottles :)
The crock is from a local farm store. Apparently they are used for pickling! Not how I’m using it, but I love how it looks.

Thank you Debbie! I have posts about summer fashion, my workout routine and books coming soon!

It’s a constant struggle! We have a few rules and I feel mean sometimes, but it keeps my house cleaner and that’s worth it :)

Legos have their own area (third floor) and pretty much stay there. Nerf guns and swords are only allowed upstairs or outside (see? mean). Audrey keeps her dolls stuff and dress-up in her room.

I think it’s helpful to have a place for everything. Baskets, bins, etc so the kids know where to put things and it helps keep things from littering all through the house.

And, you better believe our house is messy! I am a little crazy about having it all picked up by the end of the day (and if I’m not careful, I could spend the entire day picking up after the kids). Ryan is good about having the kids pick up for themselves – I’m getting better about reminding them and not expecting it to be perfectly perfect.

Hi April! Thanks for reading and for asking your question.

So, two things:
1. Keep thinking and wrestling with what unique perspective you have to offer. There is something in you, for sure, and if you are feeling this pull toward writing, keep searching it out.
2. Blogging is wonderful, but make sure it is really the right platform for you to be creative.

Recently, one of my closest friends was sharing with us her newest online venture and said a few things that felt like red flags. “I can’t stand sitting at the computer all day”, “social media drives me crazy”, “my favorite jobs have been as the #2 with lots of responsibility”.
On the opposite side, I would say I love working alone, I enjoy writing and designing and editing photos on the computer and while I don’t use all social media, I very much enjoy creating content for instagram on a regular basis.

I tell you this because as much as blogging is fabulous and may be the perfect thing for stay-home moms to do as a side job, it’s pretty important to make sure it is right for YOU and your personality. For my friend, blogging and running an online business out of her home were not the right fit. For me, it’s great.

One little tip is to recall what those closest to you ask your advice on. Decorating? Fashion? Health + wellness? Are you the funny one? Or the serious one? Figuring out where your unique voice comes in is so important before you jump in to a new creative venture.

I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for reading!

I did the designs for paper works for two years, then hired a friend to design for two years and now I’m back to designing :)

Hi Sarah – wasn’t that road trip wonderful?! I loved sharing as much as possible while traveling.

Creating a budget is not perfectly formulaic, unfortunately! It greatly depends on how long you’ll be traveling, where you’ll be staying, if you are mainly sticking to national parks and outdoor activities that are inexpensive, or doing more city sight-seeing and eating out, which can be more costly. Our trip was a big combination of both. When we were doing more outdoor activities (Yosemite, Redwood Forest, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone) our spending consisted mainly of campground lodging, groceries and gas. While in cities, we spent much more on tours and eating out. We are foodies, and with a big family, our eating out expenses were pretty high. For us, that felt worth it, but your family might be different. I wish I had better pointers on budgeting, but it really is up to how you prefer to travel, sight-see, dine. Hopefully this is somewhat helpful.

Thanks Natalie! I love Holly Mathis, too.

We were not super emotional about selling the airstream at the time, but now we sort of wish we kept it, just for sentimental reasons. It really is not big enough for our family – we just barely squeezed in and as the kids get taller, it just won’t fit us comfortably. We sold it to a missionary family who needed a place to come home to on their sabbaticals and are parking it on their family’s property. So it felt great to pass it on to a darling family.

We will probably camp in a trailer again. My parents are avid airstream travelers and are dying for us to go with them, so maybe someday.

As for photos, we have done very little! We need to. Ryan threw a book together, but we’d like to do one that is chronological with details. It will take forever, but something we really want to have.

The white curtains are from Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40111992/), curtain rods and rings

I don’t know if there is a perfect rule for how to hang. I like them up high to make the room appear taller, but where exactly depends on your room.

That is so thoughtful! Yes, my best friend K.C. moved to san antonio a few years ago and her husband is doing great. He has a tumor in his brain, but it is not cancerous and does not seem to be growing or causing any trouble. So for now, it is just regular checkups to monitor but we are grateful it is nothing more! Again, thank you for praying for them and remembering!

Hi Marty! I agree, my mother-in-law is darling :)

Would you be up for an online consultation? There are many designers who offer their services virtually. Typically you send in photos and your questions and they come up with suggestions, design plans, color schemes, etc. It is not something I do currently, but I’m getting closer and closer to offering the service :)

in the meantime, look online for your favorite bloggers/designers and search around to see if they offer their design services virtually.

I am neutral about accent walls. Sometimes they can feel a bit dated, and sometimes they feel totally intentional and perfect. I read once that the best place for an accent wall is behind the bed to allow it to be a feature, and I would agree with that. The great thing about paint is that it is so easy to paint over if you hate it. So I say, go for it!

Oh my goodness – this winter was the WORST!!!! So much rain. So many gray days. So little sun.

The winters and early spring here are not our favorite. But the summer and fall totally make up for it. We have to keep reminding ourselves during the dreary days that sunny, blue sky, green days are coming.

Tips for getting through: always, always plan a vacation to somewhere warm and sunny in February or March. Take up snow skiing (so when it is rainy in the city, you know it is snowing in the mountains and it gives you something to look forward to). Paint your walls a warm color and bring houseplants into your home for fresh greenery/life.

As for your new baby … congratulations! What a sweet time. I was just chatting with my hairdresser who had her first 8 weeks ago and it reminded me of those magical first few weeks with our newborns. Best advice: give yourself so much grace and release yourself from expectations. Every birth, every newborn, every mothering experience is so different and you just have to embrace your own. Ask for help, nap as often as you wish, accept offers for meals.

Newborns are so portable, so you should be able to get out and about this summer. Look for concerts in a local park, spend time near the water, go for easy walks or hikes. I am so happy for you and your new family!

1. I don’t have another happy hour episode lined up – I’ll pressure Jamie to have me back on :) I have not done any other recent podcasts. I’ll keep you posted when I do another.
2. I’m loving these podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/that-sounds-fun-with-annie-f-downs/id944925529?mt=2
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bridgetown-audio-podcast/id84246334?mt=2
http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glorious-in-the-mundane-podcast-with-christy-nockels/id1128636404?mt=2
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hopewriters/id914574328?mt=2
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-popcast-with-knox-and-jamie/id712316884?mt=2

3. Instagram stories. I’m mixed. I don’t like that they go away! I think my first goal is to record more coffee chats – maybe a bit more casually, with segments to make things smoother. We’ll see :)
4. We’re taking it pretty easy this summer with just two vacations to the warm side of Washington, but I’ll see if I can put together a packing list for those.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Navy sounds wonderful! Will look great with all of the green and still vibrant with snow. Many people love Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. It’s a really beautiful deep navy.

Well thanks for making me feel good :)

A typical day looks like this:
Ryan gets up with Ethan and gets him to the bus by 7:30.
My alarm goes off at 7:35 and I push snooze until at least 8.
8:00-8:40 get the three younger kids ready for school (they dress themselves, usually have already had cereal), make lunches, do audrey’s hair
8:45 drop kids off at school
9:00 back home, pick up the kitchen, sometimes I make breakfast for me and Ryan, sometimes I just grab a yogurt/granola.
9:30 – 10 read my bible + pray. (doesn’t always happen, but this is my goal)
10 – 10:45 barre workout in my studio (a few times per week) On mondays my aunt comes over for a work meeting. On wednesdays the kids have late start (they start 1 hour late).
11 – 3 work
3 – Ethan home. Sometimes I keep working until the younger kids get off the bus at 3:45
4 – 6 hang out with kids, go to a friends house, putz around the house
6ish make dinner (on Tuesdays the kids have track and gymnastics, so that night is different)
7 do dishes, pick up house, hang out
8 start bedtime. Sometimes the kids shower, usually they all read for 30ish minutes, sometimes we just let them stay up late and jump on the trampoline. On Wednesdays, we watch survivor.
9 kids in bed. If I am posting the next day, I work on my laptop on the couch until 11ish. If not posting, I’ll shower or read or watch a show and fold laundry.
11:35 Jimmy Fallon with ryan. We stay up way too late.
12 in bed. Sometimes we’ll get in bed earlier, but not usually before 11.

And that is my typical day.

Could you find something unconventional and meaningful? Like a collection of something? I remember seeing an old windmill top hung on a big blank wall and it was super cool. So depending on where you live or some backstory, maybe there is a salvage material/tool/collection that would be interesting to display?

Also, don’t be afraid to leave a wall blank! We need a place to let our eyes rest when looking at a room.

I did read a post about painted floor tiles before I did my fireplace. Here are two:
http://abeautifulmess.com/2016/08/faux-cement-tile-diy.html
http://remingtonavenue.com/2015/08/the-girl-who-painted-her-tile.html

I am self-taught with graphic design. I started designing stationery and did custom invitations right out of college for friends, which turned into a pretty decent part-time job doing custom christmas cards for about 7 years. I have taken an Adobe Illustrator class from a local college and was so happy to know that I had taught myself quite well!

Jones Design Company started with custom stationery design in 2002, I began blogging in 2009, started selling artwork in 2010, opened our membership in 2012, started teaching online classes in 2013 and Ryan left his fire fighting job in 2016. During all of this, Ryan has been right beside me as a business partner and without his knowledge/passion/vision/direction, I have no idea where JDC would be.

It is not at all important that the kids go to Azusa Pacific University. This is a fun question, though! We are thinking about college (mostly about how in the world we will ever pay for 4 kids to go to school!) and we have conversations with the kids fairly often about education and interests and college. Our biggest piece of advice for each of our kids is to choose a school that fits their interests. APU was perfect for me and I would be very happy if any of our kids decided to go there, but it is more important that they choose a place that is best for them. I really do want them to go to a four-year school and live away from home – I hope this is what they choose.

What a great memory!

Yes, we all wore the same dress. My older sister was engaged first and we all went to this local wedding boutique where she picked out her perfect custom-made wedding gown. A few months later, Ryan and I got engaged and our wedding date was a few months before hers. Graciously, she let me wear the dress first. Two months later, she wore the dress and two years later our little sister wore the same dress. We all made minor changes to it to make it our own, which worked well for the classic strapless style. I love that we all wore the same dress!

I have a new summer fashion post coming up :)

How do I stay slim … probably the most annoying answer is that I inherited my dad’s slim genes, so that is part of it. But we do eat healthy and I do Barre3 a few times per week (an upcoming post!). We still use Hello Fresh for our dinners and eat out about once per week. The kids are good eaters. Maybe not Audrey, but she’s getting there. Ethan, our oldest, eats gluten and dairy free (by choice, crazy kid) and so we try to accommodate him. Ryan would wish that we ate even healthier, but I think we’re doing pretty well.

A few years ago we joined a consulting program called Strategic Coach that met in southern California every quarter. While the content of the program was great, the very best part for us were those quarterly getaways where we could focus on business, dreaming, connecting separate from our regular distractions. We said we would continue to plan those quarterly business getaways … and have not made it a priority. I think that’s where the couples in business thing stems from. It is so difficult to see the bigger picture when you are doing it day to day. We need to step back a little for perspective and a chance to dream together.

Let me come see!!! I think it’s pretty classic to do black windows. White will be safer, sure, but black is pretty gorgeous. Yes, I’ll come over.

I don’t talk about parenting on here much, do I?! And yet, it’s a big part of my life. We love our kids and they are pretty great. Not perfect and we have our share of issues, but I think we’re pretty good parents :)

Our main goal with raising our kids is for them to be respectful, kind and fun to be around. I’ll throw in responsible and generous, too. Part of this is allowing them to make their own choices and giving them lots of freedom – especially when they are little – so they can learn how to make good choices. We’re not super strict and we’re not super lenient, either. When they were little, there were lots of time outs and we spanked the first three, but not our fourth. Why? I think we just didn’t find it necessary or helpful. I’m not totally against spanking, but it’s not my fave, either.

I was just having a conversation with a friend who has four little boys (9 years, 7, 4 and 1) and shared that when our third was about 4 he was super naughty and would hit me. I remember having this moment where I realized all he was looking for was affirmation and attention from me and his little 4 year old self didn’t have any other way to ask for it than by being physical. So I decided that every time he hit, I would hug him. And you know what? The hitting stopped. He just needed more love.

Now that I am out of the little, little stage, I am reminded that they are just babies. They don’t know any better and can’t express themselves and really they just need to know that their mommy and daddy think they are the best thing in the world.

As for how Ryan and I differ – he’s probably less patient, but more fun. I’m more consistent, but need my space (preferably by 8pm).

I like BeautyCounter products – their tinted moisturizer and concealer pen. I have also used Neutrogena tinted moisturizer for a long, long time and like how sheer it is.

I have a few tidbits :)

1. create the best content you can. This includes photos, graphics, style of writing.
2. be consistent. Set a realistic publishing schedule for you – whether that is 5 posts per week or two. Find a rhythm in your posting that works for you. At the beginning, it is important to keep adding content – if you go a month without posting, it will be very hard to gain any momentum or consistent readers.
3. Start an email list. Unique visitors and social media followers are terrific, but you have no way of communicating with them directly without their email address. Use a email service (we use Active Campaign, but you could also try Mail Chimp or Aweber).
4. Make sure you are writing about a topic that is enjoyable to you!

Hooray for starting your blog! I can tell that you are excited and that makes me happy :)

I have answered a similar version of this question a couple of times, so go back through the comments to read those answers as well.

My best advice for you as you begin and think about monetizing your blog:
Pick your topic thoughtfully.
I am so broad in what I blog about and while it makes coming up with content fairly easy, it makes monetizing a little trickier. Here’s what I mean: I have a very large email list, but on that list is a group of readers who are interested in free printables, a group who likes my home decorating posts, a group who is here for the diy projects, a group who is interested in graphic design, and so on. So when I offer a new class or product, only a small percentage who is interested in that particular service/class/product will purchase. If I were to blog about only one topic (say, graphic design) and offered only products/services/classes related to graphic design, I would likely have a higher conversion rate on those offers. My topics of interest are quite broad and my offerings are broad as well. Because we have a pretty well-established blog, this works fine for us, but it would be easier if we stuck to just one subject and did a really good job on that one topic.
So as you choose what to write about, you may have more success if you narrow your topic. Make sure you LOVE talking/writing/thinking about it and then go out and create awesome content.

Best of luck!

I will write a post in the next few weeks with all of the chicken details, but in answer to your questions:
1. They are not much work. And not as gross as I thought.
2. We just moved them outside to their coop two weeks ago and we have to clean it a few times per week. So far Ryan has taken care of it, but we’ll get the kids on a rotating schedule.
3. The chickens do roam our yard. We let them out in the morning and they just stick together wandering and pecking and sunbathing on the patio. At around 5:00, they make their way back into their coop for the night. It’s pretty crazy how their internal clock works!
4. We do have a pet/owner relationship with them. The kids like to pick them up and play with them. They just feel like fun little pets wandering the yard. The more you handle them as babies the more friendly they are as adults. Two out of six are not excited about being held, but the others do just fine.
5. I still feel fine eating chicken. For some reason it feels different? I’m not sure why.
6. The kids are happy to help with them. We’ll rotate cleaning and feeding responsibilities so each takes one week per month.
7. We left for a few days during spring break and had a friend stop by to make sure they had enough food and water. They are very low-maintenance.
8. We haven’t lost any to preditors. Ryan basically built fort knox, so I’ll be surprised if anything gets in the coop. We saw a falcon flying overhead this afternoon – there is always the possibility of a bird of prey sneaking down while they are out free ranging …
9. No eggs yet. They should start laying in the next few weeks.
10. I think we would do it again. We’ve probably spent close to $800 on the darn things with the coop and supplies, so it hasn’t been the cheapest pet experience.

A little of both. My dad has always been thin and I think I have a bit of that in me.

But also, I like to do barre workouts. I have tried lots of different ways to exercise (running and cross fit are definitely not for me), and when I tried barre for the first time I was completely sold. I think the key is to find something that makes you want to do it again. I have never felt like that about exercise, but after I do a barre workout, I want to do another. I’ll post more details about the barre stuff I do.

Both Ryan and I have ambitious dreams, so we’re always talking and scheming and changing our minds about how we’ll renovate and decorate. Budget is a big consideration – especially if you do not plan on staying in your house long term. This is probably our biggest hurdle. We don’t want to over-improve to the point where we do not get at least part of our investment back. But we also really value how we live in our home and sometimes making updates just for the sake of enjoying our home more is totally worth it.

Start with small projects. Paint is so inexpensive and can be changed relatively easily. Maybe start by painting a room or a piece of furniture to grow your confidence.

We really like the dark cabinets and don’t have any regrets. The main thing I don’t love is how dark our floors and counters are as well. I am dying to replace the dark tile floors with warm wood and the counters with something solid and not speckled. So my best advice is to make sure you have a balance of warmth and cool, dark and light throughout your space.

I always wanted four! I actually wanted four girls, but that didn’t happen :)

I have two sisters (I’m in the middle) and we always felt like things would be more even with one more so none of us were left out. I also loved the idea of having a big family. Four is wonderful! We started having kids fairly young (I was 25) and they are all two years apart. I was pregnant or nursing for a solid 10 years of my life. I see my sister with two kids and think things would be much less chaotic and less expensive, but we really do love having a big family. Always someone to play with, always something going on.

What color is most seen in your closet? If you have lots of reds, go red! It is likely that if you wear the color, you will be able to live with it on your door. I think an accent on the door sounds nice! No need to have your door and shutters match.

Ancestral is a cool color, but definitely has weird undertones. Sometimes it reads gray, sometimes army-ish green, sometimes a little blue. Not quite right it you’re looking for gray. One of my favorite deep warm grays ever is called Texas Leather by Benjamin Moore. Maybe look at that color?

We are excited to live in our new city this summer because we are so close to the water. I imagine we’ll spend a lot of time boating, crab-hunting, playing with friends. I am signing the kids up for a couple of camps, as well. This will be our first time doing camps and I think they’ll enjoy it. Check with your parks and rec department – there are often great options for many different interests.

The Blog Class is not currently open and we’re not sure if/when we’ll open it again. I will keep you posted!

Great questions. We were never super in love with our old town. What we loved was our neighborhood and the community we built. We talked about moving regularly and wanted to be nearer the water, restaurants, shopping, amenities and a better high school. We were also ready for a change from our teensy yard in a neighborhood to something a bit larger and more private. It was so wonderful to raise the kids when they were little in a neighborhood with lots of other moms and little ones, with a neighborhood park and the safety and freedom to let the kids walk to their friends’ houses. We loved our time there and the friendships we built. There was a change that started happening a few years ago and it felt like time to try something new. We craved more outdoor space and I was ready to not look out every window at my neighbor’s house :) We LOVE our new town and house and property. The kids are adjusting so well to their new school and have made lots of friends. Really, we could not have asked for a better transition. It is hard to leave something you’ve known and loved for 10 years, but we needed this move for us creatively and as a family.

The Blog Class is currently closed, with no big plans to reopen at this time. Ryan may be putting together a new site with all of his online business expertise and I will definitely tell you about it when the time comes!

We have! One of the amazing things about moving to our town is that we have friends from college who live nearby. They are super connected and have been so helpful for us finding doctors and churches and activities for the kids.

I think this might be a case of ‘use what you know’. I have been using afterlight for a long time and so I’m comfortable and quick with it. It probably has more features than the instagram editing, but if you like the results of instagram editing and are comfortable and quick using it – stick with it!

Thanks for asking!
1. When we were on the road trip, my instagram community was SO helpful in pointing us to the best restaurants/shops/sites. I would mention that we were in a town and suddenly everyone would throw out where to go. It was fabulous! If we get ourselves organized enough, we’ve talked about putting together a whole book about the trip, our itinerary and including all of those local suggestions.
We also did lots of google searching – like “what to do in Chicago” and “farm to table restaurant Chicago” and “kid friendly activities Chicago”. Thank goodness for the internet!