All About…Me!

Hello…it’s me, Heidi…the creative mind behind Eleanor Rose Home! I thought it might be fun to write a blog post all about me. (Well, I thought it was going to be fun until I realized I had to really think about what I was going to write, this was a much harder blog post to write than any I had done previously!) I am a private person and opening up myself to people, especially people I don’t know is extremely difficult. I love reading and watching the personal stories of bloggers and influencers I follow, so I know that if I want to grow my brand and followers, I need to open up and let people in and get to know me. One thing I’ve learned since officially rolling out Eleanor Rose Home, is that this journey is not just about me. It’s about community. Without the likes, shares, and follows of others in my community, my content would not be seen. I am learning that I need to open myself up and be ready for all of the feedback including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Of course, the journey to opening myself to others is not an easy one. I will continue to struggle with this forever, it’s just the way I am wired and my personality. But, life is all about conquering our challenges and struggles, and that is how we become better and stronger individuals.

I asked my children, Nadalee (19) and William (14) if they wanted to ask me questions that I would answer in a blog post. Both agreed excitedly! I was shocked at the depth of their questions. I was expecting, “What’s your favorite color?”, or “What’s your favorite food?”, not the hard questions that they came up with. So, here you go…here’s a little bit about me!

Where are you from?

I am originally from Iowa…Belmond, Iowa. A tiny town, in the middle of nowhere. When I was 7 years old my parents, sister, and I moved to Franklin, Massachusetts. A bigger town, not in the middle of nowhere. Which is where I grew up and lived until I meet my husband and moved to the south shore. My parents, my sister and her family moved back to Iowa about 6 years ago, so I am the only one left in Massachusetts!

What is the main reason why you want to be an influencer?

I don’t necessarily want to be an “influencer” but I do want to share my ideas with others about home décor and styling through my blog and social media. I’ve always loved styling and decorating my home, and have always dreamed of sharing that passion with other people. I just never knew how to do that, until recently. If one day I could turn Eleanor Rose Home into an influential brand, that would be amazing!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In 5 years, I see myself with a few more gray hairs, a couple more wrinkles, and another inch or two around the waist. But, I hope I am still happy and living life to it’s fullest, my fullest. I hope I am the mother to one college graduate and one high school graduate. I hope Eleanor Rose Home continues to be a passion of mine, and will hopefully continue to grow in the next 5 years. I would love to become a brand ambassador for businesses that I love such as Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, or Arhaus. I would love to travel more in the years to come to places like Europe, Iceland, Caribbean Islands!

If you had the option to move to any state or country what would it be and why?

I don’t know where I would want to move to. I love our home , the secluded location, the four seasons, the proximity to the ocean. I do love warm weather so maybe a second home somewhere warm one day, but where I have no idea!

 What is your favorite holiday?

I would have to say Christmas. I love the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, even though that time can be stressful with finding the right presents, attending parties, etc. But, what other time of year has it’s own movies and music?! I love decorating the house and having the ambiance of the Christmas lights. And the time with family is priceless.

4th of July is a close second…..

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?

I think I would take my blanket (yes the one I’ve had since I was a baby, can’t sleep with out it), ice tea (I need my ice tea!), and my phone (does this need explanation…well maybe it wouldn’t work and would be pointless…but what if it did?!).

Do you ever see yourself being comfortable enough to always want to show your face?

No.

I have hated videos and pictures of me since I can remember. This is the hardest part of social media for me, showing my face and talking on camera. If I could just share pictures of just my house, family, and Eleanor I would just do that! Someone recently asked me, “Isn’t it hard creating content all of the time?” Content is the easiest part for me! Opening up, showing my face & my voice, and sharing who I truly am, is the hardest part.

Do you have any phobias?

Yes! I have an extreme fear of heights. Even getting up on a ladder a couple of steps makes me get butterflies in my stomach. I can actually remember the first time I knew I had this fear. I was probably 5 or so and my family and I went to the state capital building in Des Moines, IA. We may have been on the 2nd or 3rd floor, and I leaned over the railing to look down below and I got an awful feeling like I was going to fall. I remember having to lay on the floor and crawl away from the railing! I’ve been afraid of heights ever since!

I’m also afraid of germs and getting sick. I never was fearful of germs until the kids started elementary school and every bug they brought home, I got! Now, I clean and sanitize everything and never touch my face when out in public. COVID may not have helped with this fear!

Who is one person you have always thought of as a role model/mentor?

I don’t think I’ve always had someone that I’ve considered a role model or mentor. There have certainly been people throughout different stages of my life that I have looked up to. Over the past couple of years, I’ve followed Liz Marie Galvan on Instagram, and she has become someone that I admire and hope that one day, I can have a similar success that she has found. She has a successful blog and a large following on Instagram. Liz always tries to find the positive in every situation but she is also honest about her day to day struggles, especially with infertility and mental health issues. Not only do I love her positivity but I love her style and how she has transformed her Michigan farmhouse.

What has been your greatest achievement in life?

My greatest achievement would be my children! Seeing them grow up to become capable, kind, smart, caring, and independent individuals is so rewarding. It makes all the hard times as a parent worth while.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

This is a little embarassing…it takes me about 2 hours to get out the door in the morning. I don’t know why it takes me so long to get ready, it just does. I like to be able to take my time and not rush in the morning. If I have to rush in the morning to get out the door, the whole day just doesn’t feel right. I am all about routines…all of the time!

Here’s a fun fact you probably didn’t know about me! I don’t need an alarm clock to get up in the morning. Doesn’t matter what time I have to get up, I can tell myself the night before when I need to wake up and I just automatically wake up at that time. My husband thinks I just never sleep!

Where does your inspirations for your own home décor come from?

I find inspiration everywhere. From the outdoors, to other people’s homes, to influencers online, or even searching for a product and seeing how that product is styled online. Pinterest is another place I find inspiration. If I have an idea and not sure how to run with it, whether it’s home décor related or food/recipe related, I can look on Pinterest and be inspired by the pictures I see and it might give me an idea to do something differently than I originally would have thought.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was really little I wanted to be an Avon lady. My mom had a friend who sold Avon and she would give me her old catalogs and samples. I loved looking through the catalogs and pretending to sell makeup. After that I wanted to be a teacher. I had a whole classroom set up in my bedroom with teacher decorations, a desk, planners, seating charts, copied papers. I loved having piles of paper and directing everyone, the pretend students, on what to do. None of my friends ever wanted to play teacher with me, because I was too bossy (I guess things haven’t changed much!).

Besides sharing your face online, what is another big challenge you have faced being a blogger?

One challenge that I think all beginner bloggers face, is being seen. That means, having your content seen by others and interacted with. There are so many bloggers for people to follow, that to stand out and be noticed is almost impossible. What I am realizing as I navigate my way through blogging and social media platforms is that it is all about human connection. If you don’t connect with someone on a personal level, they are not going to follow you.

What do you do when you’re not working on your blog?

When not working on my blog, I am probably at work. I am the Operations Coordinator for a landscape company. I make sure everything on the operations end of the company is running smoothly for multiple departments. It is a fast paced job, and I love that everyday is different when I come to work. When I’m not working, you can either find me shopping (usually online), snuggling on the couch with Ellie, or styling or redecorating an area in our home. I’ve also started spending a lot of time on Instagram, posting pictures of our home, and trying to grow my brand. That has been really fun over the past few months, as I have meet so many like minded people with similar interests and I look forward to meeting many more!

I look forward to sharing more of me and my home with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Xoxo ~ Heidi