Jul 22, 2010

A glimpse of Renee…

Hi, it’s Renee and I’m going to share a few things about me you may not know.

First of all, I’m not fancy! I’m more the “girl next door”.  I love white shirts, one of a kind items and I have a quirky, funky side to me fighting to get out.

28524_123118221036113_100000138079389_314781_1745840_n Me with 3 friends at Thanksgiving Point.  Ingrid, Renee Diane, Shawna

I’ve been blessed with many incredible, wonderful friends!

I love my family of four energetic, active boys – ages 28-18 and my great husband. My oldest son is married to a wonderful wife and has three children.

My beautiful grandchildren are the best!  They live to far away (while my son is in medical school) but I go see them a couple of times a year and we talk on SKYPE every week so they won’t forget me and I can see them growing up during the time I’m not there.

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2 yrs old,  2 months, and 4yrs

Advice moment…

I’m a late bloomer - so all of you who think you’re too old to start something new, go for it. I came up with the idea of the Clip it Up when I was 49 and started the business at 50. So I’m not sure if that’s a mid-life crisis or not (I really don’t think I want to live to be 100). I can’t believe I just told everyone how “young” I am!

My creative BFF is Diane Schultz who is the owner, designer of Graphic 45. We met in Chicago a couple of years ago at her first show. We’ve bonded for life and could spend every day shopping for old treasures! We are so dangerous together! We love to go digging through “old, rusty, dirty things” for treasures, creating together, laughing and sharing ideas and projects. It’s been so good for me to have someone in the business so we can vent to one another.

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Here’s Diane relaxing in my new craft room working on her new designs while I’m working on some fun projects for her booth for CHA Summer. We’ll post pictures of what I made after CHA starts! Don’t want to spoil the surprise!

I’m going to be an empty nester next month. Now don’t take this wrong – I LOVE my four boys, but I have been a very involved SAHM helping with soccer, football, paintball, cooking, cleaning, Student Gov’t (when my sons were officers for multiple years), PTA, girls, etc. I will miss them, but I’m thrilled to finally have the house alone with my husband again, less cooking and cleaning and hopefully getting to bed earlier! I can’t fall asleep until they come home so I start projects and then I stay up even later! I have friends who are going to be empty nesters and say, “What am I going to do with my kids gone?” and I’m saying, “I can’t believe I’m finally going to get to do all these fun projects I’ve put off!”

brenton grad                                    Graduation of my baby!

With everyone gone…I’m taking over one of the largest room in the house and making my “dream” creative room. It’s over the garage and this room has served a lot of purposes for our family, but now it’s going to serve the purpose of making me very happy and hopefully very creative! My husband jokes that I’ll never want to leave the room and he could be right! It’s a work in progress (hence the hanging electrical wire coming down from the ceiling) and I still have a long ways to go, but here’s a sneak peek. I promise we’ll post more when it’s done. Now for all of you that may be jealous of the size of the room – trust me, I’ve waited a LONG time and I feel I’ve earned it!

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I love to alter jewelry, clothes, hats and whatever I can get my hands on. I could spend all day creating.  Here’s a picture of one of the many corsage I made for my son’s date for a prom.  For two years I’ve made his, and most of his friends corsages to match the dresses of the girls. I always disliked the flower ones, so I take antique jewelry and make more of a bracelet so they can use it again.

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I’m into rusted metal. I love the search for fun unique pieces that I can make into something else. I love antiques (since I’m starting to become one myself!) I’m not into the fine fancy ones – I love the chippy shabby chic look. I could totally spend my time being a “picker”. In case you haven’t seen American Pickers you may not know what a picker is. It’s someone who goes around finding treasures looking through others junk. I love the workmanship of the old pieces because  they took pride in their design and work.

I’m a Christmas person! Everything on the main floor of my house comes down and x-mas goes up. It is really organized and it only takes me two days (if I have a good helper). It’s a ton of work, but it makes me so happy especially when things get so crazy, it’s my place to retreat and remember what Christmas is all about! I love my home at x-mas! It’s hard to only pick a few pics since there is so much to see. 

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Not the best photos, but at least you can get a feel for it.

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I re-did my garlands last year and I only do it when I have to because I have so many, but I thought they turned out fun! 

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                         Even the chandelier gets some x-mas cheer!

I love to take photos. My favorite ones are candid shots when people aren’t looking and action shots at Lake Powell. 

I love the scrapbooking and quilting markets we go to because of all the fun, extremely nice and creative people. It makes all the hard work worthwhile!

I’ve loved working with two of my five sisters so I’ve included a couple of shots of our New York Trip to the National Stationery Show where the Ribbon Organizer won Best New Product Award. We stayed a few extra days and saw the sights, went to plays, laughed and enjoyed ourselves!

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      Me, Dianna and Carolyn

Our family has been going to Lake Powell for 24 years and we love it. If you don’t know where or about Lake Powell, you should find out!  It is beautiful, relaxing, and a slice of heaven on earth. You can’t believe the beautiful narrow canyons that just keep going and going.

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This picture is at sunrise from our last trip.  The houseboat makes roughing it just my style! Isn’t it a beautiful spot to park?

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We had a great sandy beach with shade in the afternoon for horse shoes, going down the slide and playing in the water.

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We wakeboard, Sky-Ski (even I do it) and have a great time as a family with our friends!  This is one of the guys from our trip doing a jump on the Sky Ski.  I wish I could say it’s me who can jump that high, but I’m afraid of heights!  Good excuse huh!  Plus, who would take the pictures that make them look so good!

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Well, thanks for letting me share some of my personal life with you! Nothing too exciting! I’m happy with the many gifts, talents, friends, God and family that bless my life.  I’m truly grateful for all I have!

Please leave a comment on what you love to do with your favorite best friend, your favorite holiday that you decorate for, or your favorite vacation spot with your family, or all of the above!

We will be drawing a lucky winner  on Monday July 26 from those who comment for a free Swinging Wall Arm, Under the Shelf Rod and a Wall Mount!  I love these products because they can be used in so many ways and in so many different rooms in your home. 

Good luck and I look forward to reading your comments!

Renee

35 comments:

  1. Ah - I feel like I know you now! Thanks for sharing and you take wonderful photos! Love the houseboat/water shots! And your decorations are STUNNING! I bet even more so in real life. :)

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  2. You are an incredible woman! My favorite holiday would be Halloween. I love to carve pumpkins and put fun but quirky decorations. And I don't just decorate the outside of the house I have to do the inside as well. Nothing like cauldrons and bats to wake up to in the morning. Lol.

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  3. OMG thank you for sharing your life, your loves with us. Beautiful photos, I love the jewelry!!!

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  4. Renee, what an incredible blog post!! I LOVE all the details!! Did I hear you say you are going to be at Summer CHA?? Just might have to stop by and bring you a cow for your kitchen (totally joking!!! LOL)

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  5. I love Christmas too! Your decorations are amazing!

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of YOU. Love it and love that Christmas decorating. My kinda gal.

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  7. Nothing too exciting!?! Are you kidding me!?! VERY exciting! I love these late bloomer stories! There's hope for me yet to get it in gear and be brilliant! I love the pic of your room and of your decorating! I love the show American Pickers! I want to go out with them and see what they see! Fascinating glimpse at the life that you lead! I love to decorate for both Halloween and Christmas! Christmas definitely fills me with a sense of family and home, and I love it! Awesome post!!

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  8. Its been so great seeing a little glimpse into everyones life. Love your pics all of them an your grandkids are adorable! Honestly you look much younger than 50 so good for you!!! I love to decorate for Halloween it's my fav holiday because it's just fun, no pressure to get the right presents and the decorations can be a cute or as grundgy as you'd like. My boyfriend of 11 years is my best friend and we love to go to our camp on the lake in the summer, I get the best pics there with the kids and their friends water skiing and tubing and our 4 pugs just love the water. Thanks for sharing so much about yourself with us : )

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  9. My favorite holiday to decorate for is Christmas - I have so much stuff that I don't have room to put all of it out!

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  10. Thanks so much for sharing!I've never really had a best friend so you are very blessed! Every year, I like to recap what we did as a family during the year so I will take a CD. On one side I put our family picture and then the other, I list all the thing that happened throughout the month and then punch a hole through the top and then hang it on the Christmas tree. It's fun to read year after year, what we've done together. The memories are fun to remember!

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  11. Dear "girl-next-door", Can you come live next door to me so we can play. I love your enthusiasm, your love of Christmas and those beautiful "Grand"children, your never ending energy (Mom of 4 boys,whoa!), your creativity, that corsage idea is wonderful! I LOVE your creative space and your vacation pictures. I love especially that you shared your life with all of us. Thank you for that! May you find peace, joy and a little relaxation in your future journey!!

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  12. Aren't grandkids fabulous? I am blessed with one grandson who just turned 2. My daughter who blessed me with this sweet pea is my best friend! The only holiday I decorate for is Christmas, and we put out an electric train every year that goes around the tree. We will be taking our annual family vacation in September and going to Estes Park, Colorado. We LOVE that place!

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  13. My Best gal lives in Vegas. And she's a scrappy gals so we share alot in common. Since we can't see each other we talk daily. We have hour long phone crops, and chat until crazy hours in the morning. I hope one day soon we get to do all these things and more face to face. :)

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  14. Awwww Renee-thanks so much for sharing so much of YOU! I sooooooo want to come to your house for Christmas-I'd be in heaven!!! I LOVE Christmas and decorating for it and really, really love a Christmas tree with white lights on ALL the time-when ours is up I can see it from our bedroom when I'm laying in bed and I so enjoy going to sleep with the soft glow it puts off with the high temps here in the Dallas area right now Christmas sounds so wonderful and refreshing.....

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  15. Hey girl... I hope i'm as cool as you when I'm your age... as young as that is! ;)
    And can you come decorate for me at Christmas? LOL! I could be a very good helper! LOL!
    And lst but not least... you are simply beautiful! Insidea nd out...((HUGS))

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  16. And I forgot to mebtion how precious your grandchildrenare! That little 2 monther is the same age as my younges... and I just want to kiss those cheeks of his!! :) they are all just beautiful!

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  17. congrats on the new room. I love to vacation in different places every time. and me and buddy loves to read. and we like to go to booksignings together. That houseboat looks like fun. We could really try that one summer since the TN river is about 20 minutes from our house.

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  18. With my best friends I love to talk talk talk. We could just gab for hours! The only holiday I really decorate for is Christmas, but I love it. Christmas dishes, the tree, the scents, everything about it makes me happy. My kiddos are still little so we haven't done much vacationing with them since they were born, but we used to live in california and miss it so much, we get back there every chance we can get.

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  19. Wow! So nice to meet the wonderful lady behind such wonderful products. We are actually off to the family cabin - leaving tomorrow! - for ten days of fun and R&R. In fact, I should be packing instead of writing this! lol. Thanks for a chance to meet you & the opportunity to win a great prize!

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  20. I love Christmas have have so much stuff we have to rotate what we use each year. Your photos are great what a lovely family and friends you have. My friends and I love girls getaway weekends! Thanks for sharing with us

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  21. I am the LUCKY 'creative bff' and I can't begin to tell you all how wonderful that is! Renee is not only one of the most creatively talented women I know, she is also the 'true-blue-est' of friends. She is a blessing in my life and the lives of all who know her! The two of us are dangerous together—in the most delightful way!
    Thanks Renee—for EVERYTHING!!! Diane

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  22. My favorite holiday is Christmas because of its significance and also because I was born Christmas Eve.

    Your decorations are amazing! And I thought mine were pretty good.

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  23. Thanks for all you shared! So much you have to be thankful for...great friends, wonderful family (I have 4 boys too, but aged 3 months to 14 years)& a wonderful company created! My BF moved from Canada to Kentucky 1&1/2 years ago & then back to Canada (but still 10 hours away) last summer. Long phone calls after the kids are in bed are our mainstay now.

    Our family's fav vacation spot is now Disney World, especially Typhoon Lagoon - we could spend a whole week just going there!

    Fav holiday..Christmas hands down. Love the outside decorations, especially with a topping of fresh snow - we get about 5 feet each winter!

    KellieD (SK, Canada)

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  24. By far my favorite holiday to decorate is Christmas...every year I'm starting earlier and earlier to decorate! I have two Christmas trees in my house, one for each floor! I have garland everywhere and Christmas dishes and bedding. My son was born on boxing day here in Canada, the 26th of December for those of you who don't have boxing day lol! So now we have even more to celebrate at Christmas!

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  25. I love all your decorations! My favorite holiday to decorate for is christmas. So excited because we are in a new house this year so can't wait to decorate it.

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  26. I would have to say that I love to decorate for Halloween. It's my husband & little girl's absolute favorite, so seeing their happy faces makes all the pumpkins & bats totally worth it!

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  27. I love to decorate for Halloween, since it's my husband & little girl's favorite holiday. Seeing their smiles at all the pumpkins & bats is totally worth it!

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  28. What a great little bio, Renee! Love your scrap space as I am getting my own space above the garage - very inspiring.

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  29. I love to decorate for Halloween! It's my husband and little girl's favorite. Seeing the smiles on their faces with all the bats & pumpkins is totally worth it!

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  30. You have a wonderful, inspiring story! Thanks for sharing!

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  31. My BFF and our husbands love to go to the movies. We prefer the theater experience more than watching a movie at home. However our favorite thing to do is go on a cruise, which we do once a year.

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  32. I`m a Christmas decorator like you. My OH says can we cancel the decorations this year? because they take so long to put up. Guess the answer. I have my first Grandchild due in October so it will be lovely to have a child around again.
    Sue L in the UK

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  33. Thank you so much for sharing about yourself with us all! I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, your lovely Christmas decorations are Simply Amazing! (pun intended!) I'm totally loving that amazing crafty room, what a treat!

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  34. We are both lucky to have our stories include the most beautiful woman inside and out that I have ever met, Diane Schultz.

    Thank you for sharing your life with us, the best part of this industry is the people. I am blessed everyday!

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  35. Wow Renee, thanks so much for sharing, good thing I dont live close to you or I would be stopping by all the time just to be inspired. I love your new craft room and can invision all of the wonderful things that will come to be created there.

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