This interview with Making Home Base discusses DIY projects, home decor, family life, military hangings, and much more. Click here to read about Chelsea & why she is such a fun one to follow and learn from.
Hello, hello! I hope you had an enjoyable week!
Any big weekend plans? We are heading to a “battle of the food trucks” this morning where they’re all serving brunch! I think after that we’re going to run over to our local botanical gardens and let the girls have some water play and run around. We don’t have much to do around the house, so we’re going to take advantage of summer temps that aren’t too brutal yet and enjoy some outdoor family fun. I hope you’re able to squeeze in a bit of fun too. 🙂
I’m really, really (!!!) excited to share today’s feature about my girl, Chelsea. Super quick story and then I’ll let her do the talking. 🙂
I found Chelsea via Pinterest four years ago while we were living in Arizona. I was searching for house projects before we moved into the home we were under contract with in Kansas, and I felt like I found a new internet best friend! We had so much in common, including the military, being “girl moms” to babies, being around the same age, and so much more. I have only done this one time, but I actually emailed her personally that night to let you know how crazy it was that we had so much in common and how much I enjoyed her blog.
She emailed me back within hours, and I kid you not – we’ve been friends ever since. We text and chat via video calls frequently (mostly about blogging stuff, but also about life stuff too), and I’m just so grateful that this weird internet world gave me her as a new friend. I am obviously pumped to feature her today! Meet Chelsea. 🙂
Making Home Base
Q: Hey my friend! In three sentences or less, tell us a little bit about who you are.
A: How fun is this? Thanks for having me, Erica! I’m Chelsea, I’m a mom of two girls and full time blogger at Making Home Base. I split my time playing with MLPs (My Little Pony) and scheming up new ways to style my home. A couple of things I love are the beach, taking road trips, Disney, and trying new recipes.
Q: When did you start your blog, and what topics did you originally intend to cover?
A: I started my blog just after I had Peighton (my oldest daughter) in 2012. When I began, my home was to fill a gap I saw in the home decorating niche. I wanted to provide more rental friendly decorating ideas to show women that you don’t have to be able to completely renovate a home to make it your own.
Q: Prior to buying your current home, you spent a lot of time making your short-term rentals or on-base housing beautiful and comfortable. What are your tips for others who want to personalize or freshen up their temporary houses?
A: That’s right. We’ve lived in a ton of rentals/on base houses so it’s always been a goal of mine to make any space feel like “home.” The biggest tip I have is to just decorate anyway. Whether you’re in a rental for six months or six years, I think it’s important to make it your own. Until you put your own style in the space it will never feel like yours. In addition to that, some of my rental tricks include throwing down area rugs to hide hideous flooring, don’t be afraid to paint (even if you have to paint it back), and I always, always, remove vertical blinds. They are the worst!
Q: How would you describe your decorating style?
A: I describe my decorating style as coastal casual. I decorate with a lot of blues, whites, and natural elements which gives a very beachy vibe. I say it’s casual because there’s nothing in my home that is off limits from kids or husbands. If someone spills chocolate milk on the sofa (it’s happened), it’s not the end of the world. It’s expected that pillows will end up on the floor, and that toys will become part of the décor. That’s okay with me.
Q: Your blog has evolved quite a bit the last couple of years! What else do you share on your blog now besides home decor and projects?
A: It really has evolved. When we purchased our home almost three years ago, I began sharing a lot of renovation/DIY projects in addition to my typical décor posts. I also share decor shopping guides and in the last year I’ve started sharing more outfit inspiration. I wouldn’t say I’m a fashion guru, but I enjoy sharing affordable outfits for the average mom on the go. Think classic, cute, and casual outfits that you can wear for preschool pick up or date nights out.
Q: Tell us about your beautiful girls! How old are they and what are you enjoying the most about the stage of life you’re in with them?
A: My girls! Peighton just turned 6, and Millie is 2.5. Whenever people tell you to savor the moment, believe them! Every stage of life is truly better than the next. I’m enjoying this time because my girls love playing with each other. They spend hours building castles and hotels for their toys and it’s really fun to see their imaginations running wild. Peighton our little love bug. She cares very deeply about every living being from the worms she saves to her friends at school. She is also at the age where she is learning more responsibility so it’s really fun to see her take her “jobs” very seriously and the pride she feels when she completes a task makes my heart swell! Millie is our firecracker and keeps all of us on our toes. We never know what she’ll say next and usually, it’s hilarious.
Q: You’ve lived in so many incredible places with the Navy. Do you have a favorite duty station? What are you most enjoying about living in Jacksonville?
A: We always talk about how blessed we’ve been to have such great duty stations. Literally, every place is better than the last. I hope our luck continues! We absolutely loved living in DC. It was before children, we took advantage of living in a big city and enjoyed all of the activities the area offers. We also traveled all over the northeast while we were there which was wonderful! Jacksonville is my favorite place for many reasons – it’s a wonderful big little town. We’ve met amazing people, my girls have had the best school, our neighborhood couldn’t be more perfect for us. Jacksonville has been everything you could want in a home. What we love most about Jax is it’s rich history, it’s beautiful beaches, and it’s close proximity to many other vacation spots.
Q: What has been your most gratifying, rewarding, or just plain fun experience as a blogger?
A: Blogging has surprised me in so many ways. The most gratifying experience is always when you hear from readers you’ve helped. Sometimes writing a post feels like letting go of a balloon, you don’t know where it’s going to go. So, whenever I hear from a reader that’s been inspired by my ideas is a great feeling. Also, blogging has brought so many incredible opportunities from traveling to friendships.
Q: Where should new readers start on your blog, Making Home Base?
A: If you’re brand new to MHB – I’d suggest staring with my 15 Tidbits about me which you can find here. Then, visit this post where I discuss Why I bother decorating a rental. Lastly, if home tours are your thing, you can peek inside my home in this post.
Q: Where can we connect with you on social media?
And just for fun…
- Netflix or cable? Hulu actually!
- Morning or afternoon at the beach? Morning
- Duvet cover or quilt? Both!
- Salon manicure or DIY? DIY – honestly, manicures don’t last because I do too many actual DIYs ha!
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Thanks so much, Chelsea!
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Is this your first time to Whimsical September? Welcome!
Hello! I’m Erica, the blogger behind Whimsical September. I created the “The Saturday Sit-Down” series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured on “The Saturday Sit-Down”. I promise you – there’s some GREAT ones!
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo