Saturday Spotlight: Cathy from My 1929 Charmer

Hi, everyone!   Kris from Junk Chic Cottage and I wanted to do a regular feature on our blogs, something unique that hasn't been done before.   So we came up with an idea to 'spotlight the real life behind the blogger' in a more personal way.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland, and we thought it would be fun to bring you a closer look at the person behind the blog.

Every week on Saturday we will spotlight a blogger and have them tell us a little bit about themselves and their blogs.  You will be able to see and read about each of the bloggers on both Kris's and my blog. 

Today you are in for a real treat!  My guest is Cathy from My 1929 Charmer and she's so much fun!
I found Cathy's blog shortly after I started blogging almost 2 years ago.  She had a weekly link party that I enjoyed linking up to (and still do!)  The first thing we have in common is that both of our homes were built in 1929!  We also share a love for 'good junk'.  Cathy never fails to make me laugh with her comments on my posts (even though they usually involve threatening me with bodily harm!)
Please sit back, relax, and enjoy getting to know Cathy better.

I am so flattered that Susan asked me to be a part of her "Life Behind The Blogger" series. Actually, I was a little surprised since Susan and I have...what shall I say...a junkin rivalry going on! To be honest, it's no contest...Susan would win by a mile!

All of us know the great finds Susan shares and I drool with envy. Do you remember when she shared her vintage floral frogs? I was pea green with envy and left a friendly comment: "Well if I was to stop over I might just accidentally push you, gentle like, but enough you just might fall on one of those floral frogs! Boy wouldn't that be a sight! Then you'd be walking around with floral frog holes all over your rear end!" I just couldn't help myself, really!

The last photo I can remember liking of myself was....

when I was five years old! This was one of my most favorite dresses.

In order for me open up and share a bit more about myself I have to feel, well, more comfortable...

There that helped...me at 62! ! This reflects who I am, a person who loves to joke around while enjoying life with a sense of humor.

Let's sit on the deck and chat a bit! My name is Cathy and you might know me from my blog, My 1929 Charmer. I come from a very large family and I am the middle child of 10. I did not have an easy childhood and developed my sense of humor to survive those difficult years.

My Mom, Wanda, was the most influential, loving and creative woman in my life. Mom's creative spirit lives within me every day! Oh how I loved her!!!

It will be 16 years in September that I married my dear husband, Chaz. We had a garden wedding and I made all the food for 110 guests. Let me tell you that was the craziest thing I ever did. Talk about stress... being a bride and the Chef in one day!

I owned The Charmer before our marriage when Chaz moved in, you see he really didn't have a choice, I was NOT moving. The Charmer was built in 1929, a Sears "Mitchell" model home.

Our dinning room last fall, I am a lover of pattern and color!

Our kitchen remodel...

Our stairway.

A little bit about before I started blogging? I graduated from college with a Microbiology degree and my specialty was in Mycology (5th kingdom, fungus/mold). Fungus/mold are the coolest and some pretty amazing fungi. It was exciting for me since I am ravenously curious about nature.

Aren't they beautiful, the 1) Zycomycete; 2) Exophiala salmonis; and 3) penicillin (where the antibiotic came from). Every day I was privileged to view these beauties. I have a microscope at home, and I'll go for walks in the woods to collect specimens! I've been know to leave mold growing on food in the frig...so I can view them under the microscope. I know weird!

Mycology also lead me to the coolest position I ever had, I worked at Brookfield's Zoo Laboratory. I shook hand with the apes, touch poisonous snakes, pick worms out of chimpanzee poop, etc. It was an exciting time since I love animals so.

Then a tragic event took place in our lives, my sister, Christine, died very young and unexpectedly of a major heart attack! This was the catalyst to do something I was passionate about. I quite my job, attended and graduated from Culinary School! After school I started my own Personal Chef business, It's Dinner Thyme, until I retired at 60.

A professional shot of me in my chef's jacket!

Whether I am cooking, gardening, baking, sewing or creating...I am enjoying it so. When I retired I needed another venue to share my passions and blogging has become this to me. As long as I am creating in some sort of way, I find my soul is happy.

I'm am a decoraholic, thriftaholic, stitchaholic and gardenaholic! No one should limit themselves to just one addiction! Go big I always say!

I love needlework of any kind! Just a few of my needlework projects...

1) How To Make An Ann Taylor Lampshade; 2) Knitted Fall Leaves; 3) Burlap Trimmed Curtains (tutorial) and 4) Pinch Pleated Curtains (tutorial)

Another passion of my is gardening. I received a Master Gardener Certificate though the University of Illinois Master Gardening Program...

1) The top two photo are our front garden; and 2) the bottom two are a few garden rooms in our back yard.

I hope you've enjoyed your time here getting to know a little bit more about me. Thank you Susan having me here today.

Cathy, I really enjoyed getting to know you better-what an interesting life you've had!  I definitely need to hire you as my personal chef, since I hate to cook!  "Will trade junk for meals"...does that sound like a fair trade? ;)
Please visit Cathy at My 1929 Charmer, then head over to Kris's blog to read about June at Laughing With Angels.
Have a wonderful day!