Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind The Blogger



Susan from Must Love Junk, and myself 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 Susan's and my blog. 
May 17th
Donna from My Shabby Chateau



I know I say this every week but I really am excited to introduce you to Donna from My Shabby Chateau.  I have just recently been following Donna and so happy she said yes to Spotlight.  I think you are going to enjoy reading and getting to know Donna.  Donna is an adventurer and a sweet sweet blogger so enjoy.





Hi!  I'm Donna, from My Shabby Chateau.  I was so excited when Kris asked me if I'd like to be a guest here at "Life Behind the Blogger"!  So, a big thank you, Kris!
I began blogging a little over 4 years ago, and I can't imagine it not being a part of my life!  I've met so many wonderful, supportive and generous women here in blogland.  I am truly amazed at not only the creative spirit of so many bloggers, but how kind and thoughtful everyone is!
 I was raised on a farm here in Michigan, so I guess it's only natural that I love to dig in the dirt!
(I think I'll always be a farm girl at heart!)
To me working in the yard among pretty blooms, listening to the birds singing, and just being in nature are the makings of a perfect day!

 So come warm weather, you'll find me in the yard, tending to my flower beds and just having fun.
Our "chateau"!
My husband John and I have been married almost 14 years.
(he's known as "handy hubby" on my blog!!)
John has been a pilot for many years, and together we enjoy all sorts of flying adventures in his airplane!
We love flying out to dinner, often taking friends along.  We've also flown to Chicago, Toronto, and even over Niagara Falls!
While vacationing in Hawaii, we've also rented planes (yes, you can do that!) and flown over the islands, the views were just amazing.
 While living in Washington State a few years ago, we flew to the San Juan Islands, which were just gorgeous!
 That's Mount Baker in the distance.

We share our home with a fun and crazy little cocker spaniel named Katie.
She's just a little over a year old, and still very much a puppy.
Here she is as a little pup.  She grew up so fast!  Once she matures a bit, I hope to begin training her to be a certified therapy dog.  My goal is to take her along on visits to nursing homes and hospitals. She loves people, especially kids, and everyone always seems so happy to meet her, too!
John and I have a motor home, and we love traveling all over the place in it. 
 (That's my idea of roughing it!)
We've been from coast to coast, the southern states, and up into Canada. And of course we love camping adventures right here in Michigan, as well. Katie loves to camp with us, too!
John retired two years ago, after a life long career working for the airlines. So, that means we have flight privileges, and we love to take advantage of that!
Together, we've been to Italy, Ireland, Greece, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Austria, the Caribbean, and more!
Our very favorite place in the world is Paris!
Last May I celebrated a milestone birthday, by climbing the Eiffel Tower on my big day.
That's me taking a break about mid way up!
I'd climbed it before, but I was in much better shape (not to mention younger!), so it was no easy feat this time making it to the top. But, that was my goal, and I'm happy to say that I made it!


Sacre Coeur, below.
Chateau Fontainbleau, below.

The next few photos are in the gorgeous Alsace region of France, near the German border.


That's hubby, below, when we visited Monet's gorgeous gardens at Giverny several years ago.
Believe it or not, I really am a home body at heart!  One of my very favorite places to be is my craft room, which takes up much of the lower level of our house.
I found this cubby at a moving sale several years ago. It holds many of my crafting supplies, and the counter top is perfect for spreading out with projects.  John added the pegboard to the side, and mounted it on the wall, too.
It's so handy to have things right at arms reach!
I can decorate my craft room as girly as I want to!
This is where I create goodies for my Etsy shop, which is also a huge passion of mine!
Another passion, no, make that an obsession, is thrift shopping!  There is hardly a week that goes by that I don't visit one (or more!) thrift shops in search of treasures in the making.  Believe it or not, I rarely ventured inside of thrift stores before I started blogging.  When I saw the amazing things that other bloggers found while out thrifting, well, I was hooked!
So I'm always on the hunt for things that I can transform with a little paint and tlc, and add to my Etsy shop.  Even hubby has gotten hooked on thrifting, he knows just what to look for now!
It's no secret that I love all things that glitter!
I had fun making these little glittery French buckets.
Feeling stressed, tired, down?  Break out the glitter!
It's my remedy for chasing the blues away:)
Below are some glittered French themed Christmas candles I made for an Etsy client a few years ago.
One of my favorite things that I talk about on my blog are what I call "drab to fab" makeovers!
I love sharing projects that began with something looking a little less than great, like this cabinet, below.
And transforming them into something like this!
A decoupaged French cabinet.  Oooh, la, la!
I even lined the inside with vintage French book pages.
One of my latest projects has been learning how to stencil.
I shared this Parisian themed sign on my blog awhile back.

And this is my most recent stenciling transformation.  
I would love to have stop in and visit my blog some time!  It's always fun to meet new blogging friends!
Thank you again, Kris!!

Thank you so much Donna for letting us feature you today on Spotlight.  It was so much fun to learn more about you.  Love Katie she is adorable and what fun to have your own private plane to transport you to fun places.


Now that you have gotten to know Donna please hop over to Susan's Blog and meet another wonderful blogger Meg from Oliver and Rust.  Have a great week end.
Kris
:)

27 comments

  1. Donna, I love the glittery buckets and the craft room! Paris was one of my favorite trips too.

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  2. Thank you Donna for sharing your life with all of us. Love that you have a private plan to transport you to so many fun places. Katie is too cute. Thank you for doing Spotlight.
    Kris

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  3. Kris...Donna has been an inspiration for me for so many years! I love her blog, love her creations, love Katie, and think it's just so terrific that she and her hubby travel by plane and motor home all the time. The woman has no limits! And Donna...thanks for all the years of sharing your fun life on your blog!

    XO,
    Jane

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  4. What a great post! It has been wonderful getting to know Donna better. How fun and exciting to have traveled to all those wonderful places. The RV looks like the way I would "rough it", too. It seems to work great for Donna and her hubby especially since they can bring the dog along.

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  5. Hi Kris, So happy to see my dear friend Donna showcased here in your feature. She is not only very talented but an amazing blogger sharing lots of creative ideas to inspire and I am a huge fan of her designs and etsy shop.
    Hi Donna, loved this post and all you share about your travels, home, Katie and your creations. The pics are amazing. You have been blessed and your blog shares it with everyone in the blogging community. Congrats on this special feature! You are always an inspiration to me. Thank you so much!!

    Thanks Kris~ sure enjoyed it. Have a nice weekend.
    Hugs

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  6. Donna, it was fun learning more about you! How wonderful to travel with your hubby to so many fabulous places! And I love your Etsy creations :)
    Susan

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  7. Thanks so much for featuring me today, Kris! I was super excited when you asked me if I would like to participate. It has been an honor!!

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  8. Kris, What a great idea for a weekly post! Congratulations Donna for being Featured today! I love your STUFF!!

    Hugs,
    Jan

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  9. Wow! Donna'shome is beautiful! Love the photos of all the adventures! I think this is a great way to get to know others and a few new friends to my blog list. Thanks for sharing! Bonnie

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  10. It was such an enjoyable post loved meeting Donna ! .. What a lovely life she enjoys so many special moments for her and her husband to have shared together. And Donna your craft room is so charming.

    Love the New Saturday Post Idea !

    Sara

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  11. Thanks Kris for another "new to me" blogger.

    Now I have to head over to Donna's blog to read more.

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  12. Donna is so creative, and, a dear blog friend. Thanks for featuring her.

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  13. Now I am going to add Donna's blog on my blogroll too:)

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  14. Donna is SUCH a sweetheart - love that girl! Her adorable smile shows how cute she is in person, too. I'm so happy you featured Donna, Kris. I've known her a few years now from blogging, and she's one of the kindest souls you'll 'meet'!
    Congrats, Donna!

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  15. Kris, We all love our glitter Queen, Donna. She has made some of the cutest things out of her thrift finds.So glad you featured her today. It's been cold and chilly and we need some sparkle. :) xoxo,Susie

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  16. I have been following Donna since I started blogging and I love her posts and she is a terrific person. Excellent choice.
    Mary

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  17. Donna is one of the most awesome bloggers on here. I am so glad that you featured her. No one deserves it more. Love her to the moon and back!

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  18. WHAT? No deep dark skeletons to bring out of the closet and share with Blogland? I love Donna! She was one of the first people I connected with in Blogland- We started blogging about the same time. She forgot to tell people that she is known in Blogland as The Glitter Queen. I am the proud possessor of some beautiful things she has sent me over the years. If you don't know her and haven't visited her blog yet- You NEED to go there! Great feature- xo Diana

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  19. Hi Donna, Enjoyed seeing and reading about all the wonderful things you do! I have two things in common with you. I grew up in Michigan on a farm between Turner, Twining and AuGres. You have probably never heard of those little towns! My hubby and I lived in Pt. Huron, Michigan about 30 years after we were married. I love that little cocker and we have a little brown one. Aren't cockers adorable! We use to have a fifth wheel and loved to travel but we don't have it any longer. We did not climb the Eiffel tower but rode up in a crowded elevator! I did not like it at all! Thanks for sharing your life! Nancy at http://cozythymecottage.blogspot.com/

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  20. Donna is such a sweet lady and so talented too...I always love to see what kind of wonderful things she's up to!

    ~Trisha

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  21. I started following Donna when I first started blogging. She's such a great, and talented lady. I just love her!!! So glad to see her being featured here. Some of us call her the "glitter queen".
    Debbie
    xo

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  22. So fun reading this...Donna is such a sweetheart...and very creative! Thanks for sharing more about her!

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  23. Donna is truly the Glitter Queen. As a fellow Michigander, she is one of my favorite bloggers. Lover her crafting and traveling adventures. Always pretty eye candy on her blog. How wonderful that she's being featured.

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  24. wow--this girl has traveled! love her craft room! thanks for sharing her story, kris!

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  25. Looks like such a fun blog to follow! I'm headed over there right now! Great feature, Kris! Hugs, Leena

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  26. Wow Kris what a great feature and an exciting life they live traveling all over. I am going to pop over to see this one talented lady. Lov those buckets.

    Cynthia

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  27. Hello from a fellow MI resident. I love traveling and always dreamed that somehow working for an airline would give me those free travels lol! I in fact worked for the aerospace industry in Canada but not for the airlines directly. You have great projects on your blog.

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