Good morning, so happy to present Beth and Kristy of Design Chic for another Behind the Blogger. Their beautiful blog is a guaranteed treat for some serious eye candy and is a daily habit of mine. This mother daughter duo started a design blog about two years ago and their exquisite taste shines through in each and every post. I love what they post about, everything from shutters, front door entrances, magnificent gardens, luxurious libraries, they put their chic spin on things and its always worth a look. This mother daughter duos' effortless and graceful style always brings the most beautiful images with lots of specific details on any given subject related to design. I have gotten incredible ideas and inspiration from their blog. As if that is not enough they are both incredibly kind and gracious. I truly enjoy their blog and if you don't know it already, recommend that you stop by and say hello. I promise you too, will want to make it a daily habit.
Click on the header to visit Design Chic and thank you again Beth and Kristy for participating!
So....... what inspired you to start blogging in the first place?
Kristy: I was quitting my full-time job to start freelance writing and, while writing for some other people's blogs, became interested in starting my own. I threw the idea out to Mom, and she suggested we do a design blog as a compilation of all the things we love. She finds all the pictures, which is really the hard part, as you all know, and I do the writing.
Beth: I was already spending a lot of time looking for design inspiration for projects and it seemed like a good way to justify a guilty pleasure.
How did you come up with your blog name?
It started as Design Chic Mais Pas Cher, as our original concept was to feature gorgeous design on a budget. But, lets face it, sometimes great design is all about the splurge! The Mais Pas Cher was dropped fairly early on, and Design Chic was what was left.
Do you have a favorite all time movie?
We both love the Steve Martin version of Father of the Bride and have seen it probably a dozen times. It's such a feel-good movie, and it never gets old.
You get to spend a month in the European countryside.....is it Italy or France?
Italy! It's hard to see Under the Tuscan Sun and not be a little envious.
Favorite meal? We live three hours apart from each other in North Carolina, but we both agreed the majority of our favorite meals have been eaten at Chef and the Farmer, the most incredibly amazing restaurant in Kinston, which is where I (Kristy) live. It's southern cuisine with a gourmet twist and the combinations the chef creates are simply brilliant. We are both fairly picky eaters, and she has gotten us to eat things we never could have imagined--and absolutely love them!
Tell us as little or as much as you want to about your family.
We are a mother and only daughter. Mom and Dad have been happily married for 30 years, and I have been married to my wonderful husband Will for three and a half years and we are expecting Will IV, our first child and Mom and Dad's first grandchild, in September! Mom has three sisters and some of our best family memories are of the week-long beach trip Mom's parents take the whole family--aunts, uncles, cousins, etc--on every year.
If you could have any career what would it be?
Kristy: Writing is my first love, and while I enjoy journalism very much and went to school for it, since I've been freelancing I've written a couple of novels and have been shocked by even how much more I have enjoyed that, so I guess, at this point, becoming an author is what I daydream about. Now to find an agent, publisher, etc...
Beth: I want to be Greg House on House. I have always been interested in medicine and puzzles and would love to help people but have a bit of a germ problem.
Favorite design style? Traditional with a twist. Every room needs a touch of whimsy to liven it up!
If you could only live in one color what would it be? If you've ever seen our blog, it's pretty clear that it's white! Whether it's houses or clothes neutrals are so versatile and always chic.
Favorite season and why? Beth: Spring. I love the flowers and mild weather.
Kristy: Summer. I know it's ridiculously hot, but I love spending weekends at the beach and the general air of vacation. Everything seems more relaxed!
Design icon?
Beth: Phoebe Howard. She could design for me any time sight unseen.
Kristy: Mary Macdonald. I love watching her on Million Dollar Decorators. She picks beautiful, timeless pieces but puts such a fun, whimsical spin on a room.
One place you haven't been that you want to visit.
Beth: Bali.
Kristy: Egypt.
What's your number one pet peeve? People who forget their manners!
What are the two best things about blogging? The people we have gotten to "meet" and the constant design inspiration.
You get to have a private dinner with any two people in the world, they can be from the fashion, design world, literary world, Hollywood, politics,etc....your choice. Who are the lucky two? We have both been obsessed with Colin Cowie's organizational prowess (not to mention design!) since reading Chic a few years ago. We would like to have dinner with him at his fabulous and fabulously organized home to pick up a few pointers. And we'd like to bring baby Will, mostly because there is no once else in the world we would rather meet right now, but also because it would be interesting to see a baby thrown into that orderliness! With his impeccable manners, we are sure Mr. Cowie would handle it magnificently.
Do you have a favorite saying or quote? Roald Dahl: "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
Most overrated trend right now? Starburst mirrors. And we both have them!!
Reading anything interesting that you want to share?
Kristy: I'm reading Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lit by Mary Kerr and The Birth Partner. They are all quite fantastic, but, if you aren't pregnant, The Birth Partner could be a bit of a snooze! Beth: I'm reading Little Bee Chris Cleave. So far, it's great!
You are 18 again. What do you do? Stay up all night and still look great the next day!
What are your plans for the summer? We just returned from the week-long family beach trip, so the rest of the summer is beach weekends, baby showers, 85th birthday bash for our mom/grandmother and generally getting ready for the baby.
In ten years I will be....
Kristy: Thin again!
Beth: Having camp BB (spelling TBD... We'd love to have some input: BB, BeeBee, BeaBea, BeBe...or any other suggestions.). That's what my grandmother name is going to be.
If you could live anywhere on earth and money was no object where would you go?
Beth: I'd have a gray shingled beach cottage somewhere on the sea.
Kristy: I would want to split my time between NYC and NC. I can't think of anything better than getting to have both the fast pace and the slow, a small living space and a large and crowded streets and wide-open spaces.
Best tip or two for any new bloggers reading this.......Making friends with bloggers with similar interests is crucial because it's an instant support system. Other than that, it's all about being patient. The first day we got 100 hits it was like winning the lottery. Ditto the day we first got 1,000. It's so fun to watch your followers, email subscribers and hits grow!
Blogging to me is addicting and fascinating.
Thank you so much Beth and Kristy for participating! Here is a little recap on the things they love.....
Thank you so much Beth and Kristy for participating! Here is a little recap on the things they love.....
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