Saturday Spotlight: JoAnne from A Pocketful of Blue

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 I"m happy to introduce you to JoAnne from A Pocketful of Blue!  (I just love that blog name-it sounds so fresh and fun!)  JoAnne is a sweet blogger, and I always enjoy seeing how she decorates her pretty home.

Please sit back, relax, and enjoy getting to know her better.

Hi Everyone!  I'm JoAnne from A Pocketful of Blue where I share my love for decorating and creating a cozy home for my family.  The very sweet Susan invited me to share a little more about myself, some things I haven't shared on my blog.  A couple things might surprise you a little.

I grew up with three sisters in a small town in Ohio and in a small house with only one bathroom.  Including my Mom, that's one bathroom for five females! And it was a small bathroom at that.  I don't know how we did it!  It looked similar to this one below.

 My parents divorced when I was young so when we spent time with my Dad, life was a little different.  You see, my Dad is a country guy.  He is a cattle dealer and he actually owned a stockyards for many years.  I think I knew what a cow patty was before I knew what a hamburger patty was!  : )  As I look at this picture, I can still hear the sounds of the cattle.

After high school, I went to college, got a degree in Business Administration, and worked in accounting for many years.  I got married a bit late, at age 32.  When we decided to start a family, it just wasn't happening.  We spent three years dealing with infertility.  This was a very sad time for me but finally, we had our wonderful son who is now 16 years old!  A few years later, we decided to adopt a child and at 15 months old, we brought home our sweet, blond, curly haired daughter from Russia.  She is now 12 and I can't imagine life without her.  We went through a lot to have our family but of course it was so worth it!

I must mention the fifth member of our family.  On my blog, he is known as my "Blog Boss" but he is really our sweet kitty, Sox. Of course he gets his name from the fact that he has white paws.  He's a big, chubby cat but we all love him and he can be counted on to give us something to laugh about.

I worked part-time for a while when the kids were small, but in my heart, I really wanted to be at home with them.  So for the past several years, I have been taking care of my hubby and kids and indulging in my love for decorating and creating a cozy home.   I have always loved to decorate, but having more time at home has really awakened my creative side that I didn't really know I had.  It is really a passion of mine and after discovering blogs, I eventually had to jump in myself.  It has been such a fun and inspiring experience.

Seven years ago, we bought an older home on about 1 acre of land.  The house really needed a lot of work and we still haven't run out of projects!  The first major renovation we did was the kitchen and  I love how it turned out.

Last year we added a large dormer to the second floor primarily so we could remodel the teensy, old bathroom into a larger bathroom that would work well for our kids who are growing up very quickly.

Cottage style is my favorite style of decorating.  I'm really drawn to the casual, cozy and charming feeling that it creates.  I also love to shop for special pieces for my home and I'm always looking for a bargain.  I will often transform a piece with paint to make it work.

Last fall, my husband and I celebrated our 20th Anniversary.  I have always wanted to visit New England so we took a trip to New Hampshire.  It was a wonderful trip with picture perfect weather.  Such a beautiful area of our country. We stayed at a wonderful old inn called The Hancock Inn.

I share many more pictures from our trip on my blog.

At this point in my life, I am really happy and content.  I am so fortunate to be doing what is most important to me.  My life isn't perfect and of course we have our ups and downs like everyone, but I'm very thankful for the life I have.

Thank you so much, Susan, for inviting me to share a little more of the personal side of my life.  

I would love for you all to visit me at A Pocketful of Blue and I love comments so if

you have the time, I would love to hear from you!

JoAnne, thanks so much for sharing-I really enjoyed this!  Please visit A Pocketful of Blue then head over to Kris's blog where you'll meet our first ever male Spotlight, Ron from Uptown Acorn!
Have a great day :)