Happy New Year! I’m here to ask you to do a huge favor. Are you ready? I’d greatly appreciate if you would be willing to answer a few questions for me. Yep, a survey. I really want to know why you visit our blog, what you like in other blogs, and if you have suggestions for new content to add.
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it?
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours?
Thank you in advance for your comments, support and help. I love blogging, and I would love to improve this little blog in any way possible, so we’re completely open to suggestions.
ourhumbleabodeblog.com 
I read religiously: Our blog ourlittlebeehive.com, of course, Young House Love, That Wife, Domestic Adventure, and then a bunch of others that I don’t read through every single post.
I’d love for you guys to come to our house and help us with our DIY projects. Ha!
I don’t remember how I found you. Maybe housebloggers? Maybe YHL? I’ve read ever since and am glad to see that you now have an RSS feed so I can put you in my reader instead of in my inbox.
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
Young House Love, Manhattan Nest, Centsational Girl, Isabella and Max, Making it Lovely… Among others. I generally like “simple” DIY projects that have a big impact. Or tips to make everyday things easier (ie how you organize things, etc)
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it?
I’d prefer that you attempt whatever projects you think fit with your house.
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
I think probably YHL. I’m subscribed in a reader so I read all of your posts.
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
Don’t have a strong opinion here. Looking back at your blog it seems to have a nice balance of post types.
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours? Actually I don’t.
Your blog is a “must read blog”, I read it daily! 🙂 I also read Young House Love, IHeart Organizing, Bower Power, Centsational Girl and a few others. I really, really like the DIY’s, hard ones, simple ones, all of them. It has made me not so afraid to try things in my own home…I have lots of ideas for 2011. I think I found you through YHL, but I’m not sure. I think I’d like to see more sewing DIY’s, just because I got a sewing machine for Christmas and have no idea what to do with it. I do know that I’m going to try your napkins though, hopefully soon. I do make resolutions, and as usualy getting healthy and organization are on the top of my list this year, I am really going to stick to both of them though, our whole family is this year!
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
Brooklyn Limestone, Better After, Bower Power, Centsational Girl, Honey We’re Home, IHeart Organizing, Manhattan Nest, Thrifty Decor Chick, & YHL are my most read. DIY and furniture posts are my favorite topics.
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it?
No. I think you guys do a good job at DIYing for your home.
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
I found you through a comment on YHL. I’m a subscriber, so I read posts as they appear.
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
I’m a new reader, so I’m still catching up. So far, so good.
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours?
My husband and I just bought our first house in November, so we’re renovating that, naturally. We’re hoping to start updating our own blog in the coming months as well.
I’m not sure if I can be much help, but here’s my best shot:
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
I usually have over 500 posts in my Google Reader at a time, but my favorite blogs are the ones that include mostly unique content. I love seeing the journey that a blogger takes decorating or renovating a house.
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it? Hmm, whatever your house needs. I do love seeing step-by-step instructions.
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
Probably through comments or other blogs? I’m subscribed in my Google Reader.
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
You’re doing great!
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours?
I’m going to actually finish the projects that I start :).
1. I love photography blogs and creative/crafty blogs. Here are my daily reads: momtog.com, treyandlucy.blogspot.com, http://www.justagirlblog.com, libby-bonjour.blogspot.com, and smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com
2. I love DIY projects, but can’t think of one to have you try at the moment.
3. I love your projects and how you explain how you’ve done them. They are simple and don’t cost a lot of money. I’m a subscriber and read every blog and have recommended some of your projects to friends and family when they ask about something they are thinking of making. Like recently my SIL said she was making pillows for her couch, I forwarded your blog to her.
4. I’m not missing anything from your blog. I love every post you do.
5. NY Resolutions… I honestly haven’t had much time to think about it. We are moving into a new home this week, so I don’t know if these are resolutions…but I have lots of projects I’d like to tackle by the end of 2011. We’ll see if I get them all completed. I also would like to get into better shape, but that’s something I try to do every year and the past few years it’s been difficult because of having two babies…they really didn’t help me much with that goal 🙂
Hi Amanda. First of all, a very happy new year to you and your family. I found so much decorating tips and inspirations from your blog so thank you so much for that! 🙂 Here are my survey answers:
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
I like The Lettered Cottage, Ana White, Young House Love, Centsational Girl, Clover Lane, Grace Happens, Modern Jane Design, and of course Our Humble Abowed! My favorite post topics are mainly anything about decorating tips on a budget, before-and-after renovation photos (I love it when bloggers post the step-by-step procedures of a renovation/project with photos), and anything about parenting.
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it?
I think you guys are awesome and can do any project you attempt. I think I would like to see you renovate carpet stairs to wooden stairs (although I’m not sure if your stairs are carpeted right now). I am not sure how your kitchen renovation is coming along (you’ve mentioned in a post that it’s one of your future projects, and I am just curious as to what kind of countertops you’ll be using. One of the blogs I read — Modern Design Jane, used material for wood stairs for her kitchen countertops and it looks great and cheap too!).
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
I think I first saw your blog from YHL, where they featured your DIY marble dining table. I got hooked since then! 🙂 I check your blog everyday.
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
Love it the way it is!
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours? Actually I don’t.
I don’t coz I’m no go at keeping them 🙂 But one I actually kept was starting my own blog.
Hi Mina,
We recently carpeted our stairs when we finished our basement. Unfortunately, our stair configuration won’t allow us to convert to wooden treads with painted risers, which I would love. We added an extension and the treads are MDF, completely seperate from the other tread, so it can’t be done. And the carpet is less than a year old, so that won’t be happening any time soon. I wish, though! As for our kitchen, we’re still planning becuase our cabinet bid was a lot higher than we hoped for. We are considering using the same marble that we used on our DIY dining table because it’s super durable.
Hope that helps!
Amanda
1. Favorite blogs, yours 🙂 plus Young House Love, Three Men & a Lady, Life in the Fun Lane and Pioneer Woman. I love everything from reno’s to smaller DIY projects – your pillows were fab, and I loved seeing the pics of the beautiful mouldings your dh made – they’ve been a great inspiration for our bathoom reno and all its custom mouldings. Keep it coming!
2. I’ll happy to follow along with your flow of projects, you’ve got a great mix.
3. I found your blog after YHL’s link to your dining table, and been following ever since. I check in most days if there’s a new post.
5. My new year’s resolution is to keep up with my blog postings 🙂 which are supposed to help keep me focused on our renovations too. I’ve made a list of what we want/need to get done…it turned out much larger than maybe possible… I really want to have sinks in our bathroom again 😉 Such is life with renovations!
Thanks for creating a great blog – the ideas and inspiration have been great! Keep it up!
Nikki
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics? This one! And DIY Showoff, Ana White, YHL, Atypical Type A, Apartment Therapy House Tours, Nuestra Vida Dolce… I’m kind of new to my google reader, but those are my favorites so far 😉
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it? Errmmm…. can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but I’m really in to building lately- my husband bought me lots of tools for Christmas and I’m hunting for awesome projects/ furniture to build!
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Are you a nestie? Or I might have found you through a google search on DIY trim (my next big project!) You’re in my google reader, so I see every day if there’s a new post
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on? I love DIY. All of it! Little crafty projects, sewing, woodwork, serious building, painting. Love it!
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours? Yes, but I’m trying to keep them sort of secret so there’s no pressure (for once!) to do them LOL! But they have to do with organizing/ cleaning better, and stress/yoga/meditation
1. Young House Love, Bower Power, Centsational Girl, Design Sponge, Ikea Hacker
2. Anything on Ikea Hacker. So cool!
3. I first saw you on Young House Love. I like your smaller projects and tutorials. I subscribe to your blog through email, so I read almost all of your posts. I think the only one I didn’t read was the Tom’s of Maine giveaway. It seemed kinda of weird that you were sponsored by them.
4. I’d like more kid projects. You are a mom, so I’m sure you know about storing kid stuff, or even a list of your favorite kid stuff, things you like to do together, projects you do with the kids, etc.
5. This year I vow to lose my baby weight! 🙂
1. YHL, Bower Power, hyperbowle and a half and some twilight series blogs. I just started on DYI blogs some weeks ago, first YHL (found through ikea hacker) than lots and lots of them and now that I know what I like I am letting go of most again…
2. I love most of your pillows and look forward to those you showed in the past saying you might attempt to make them…
3. I found you through a comment you made on YHL, have been coming back almost daily since
4. Your mix is fine for me
5. We are building a house this year, so my resolution is to keep my blog updated on the progress for family and friends…
1. What are your must read blogs? What are your favorite post topics?
– I read you (of course), young house love, bower power, making it lovely, rambling rennovators, centsational girl
– i like tutorials like refinishing furniture, goodwill/craigslist finds, window shopping, how to decorate bookshelves, organization…
2. Have you seen a cool DIY project (or just something cool) and you’d like us to attempt it?
– hmmm…i plan on tackling the famous book page wreath, but i bet you could do it better!
3. Do you remember how you found Our Humble A{Bowe}d? What keeps you coming back? How often do you read our blog? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
– i found your blog through one of your comments on a YHL post. I subscribe via email, so i read it on there whenever you post!
4. What type of posts would you like to see more of? Less of? What is missing from Our Humble A{Bowe}d that you would like to see? Have you seen something in our house that you’d like more explanation on?
– how to style bookshelves, how you arranged your office storage & I would like to see more of your basement
– reader-submitted photos are something i like too
5. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what was yours?
– organize our cellar, laundry room, & home office
keep up the great work! 🙂
1. My must read blogs are Young House Love, Censational Girl, I Heart Organizing, Money Saving Mom (and a few other local couponing blogs) and yours of course! 🙂 I love DIY projects that are simple and intersesting. I’m not too creative, so I scan these blogs for ideas, and I love give aways!
2. I would love to see you tackle a DIY roman shade. I currently have two windows I would like covered with roman shades and I can’t seem to find a great pattern. And keep up the good work, I love to see what you come up with! Again, I’m not that creative…. I’m creative by copying, so keep it up!
3. I found your blog through Young House Love, I believe they featured a before and after of yours? I’ve been hooked every since.
4. I love to see your goodwill/ross/tjmaxx finds and what you end up doing with them! Maybe some ways you keep your home organized? That always intrigues me.
5. I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. My husband and I just bought a home and we are taking on some minor DIY projects, so we are resolving to get those done 🙂 Also we are expecting our first baby in the Spring, so money saving and time saving projects are a must.
Thanks for your blog! Keep up the good work.
Happy New Year Amanda 🙂
1. Your blog, YHL, Infarrantly Creative, Bower Power, Beach Brights, Ugly Then Pretty…. too many to name!!
2. I really like the variety of projects you include in your blog – a good mix of DIY, reno type stuff and more crafty things… for I think just keep doing what you’re doing 🙂
3. Found your blog through a comment on YHL… I now read daily
4. I like your organisation posts… and anything before and after. Even though I love so many of your projects, I actually think one of the fav posts of yours was the one on preparing the guest room for guests…. I’m busting for our next interstate visitor as our guest room is looking soooo fab now!!!
5. New Years Resolutions are to attempt more craft projects, finish our renovations at home, give more hand made gifts to friends and family, and take more photos of my son.
Keep up the good work! 🙂
Can’t wait to see what you do with your kitchen renovation! I’m sure it will look awesome. Is there any chance that you could post how your home office built-ins were done? I have a very wide wall on my loft, and we’re thinking about doing built-ins for books and the tv, vcr etc. Yours look so neat and simple, but I don’t know where to start. Thanks.
1. http://www.copycatchic.com http://www.thelovelive.net my favorite topic posts are design and family related. they are often inspiring. also i love before and after pictures and theres no such thing as too much detail!
2. can’t think of anything off the top of my head
3. I found your blog through CCC, i read it weekly though but would love for there to be daily posts, even if they are short.
4. Im skipping four for now due to time constraints.
5. News Years resolution is to be more physically active, more specifically I’ve set a goal for myself the entitles going to the gym, attending a yoga or pilates class 100 times for the year. averages out to about twice a week, wish me luck!
P.S thank you for all the time and effort you put into your blog, i deeply appreciate that you so willing share details of your life with all of us!!
oh no, that was suppose to say http://www.thelovelist.net my apologies!
I’m a little late… but thought I’d join in anyway. Finally playing catchup with the ‘starred’ items I’ve been meaning to respond to!
1. Imperfect, Newlywoodwards, YHL, Bower Power and anyone posting pretty inspiration images or renovating an older home
2. … not exactly
3. I don’t remember how I got here, but I just added you to my google reader and enjoy the renovating posts the most. I go thru my reader several times a week. I really love just reading about renovations and getting ideas on how to maximize smaller spaces. And we’re getting ready to refinish our basement, so I enjoyed reading about yours.
4. Just keep being yourself 🙂
5. I didn’t really make a resolution, but we’ve got lots of house goals – if those count!
In response to your survey….
The thing that keeps me from reading your blog more frequently is that I’d really like to see some original ideas here. I feel like I’m rereading many of the things I’ve already seen on other blogs (especially YHL! For instance, you copy the way they strike out text in your attempts to make funny comments; you did your Goodwill tour almost exactly like their GardenRidge tour; you copied their ad art idea — which you at least cited. And your wish list is just like Katie Bower’s wardrobe wish list, etc.) I’m a fan of DIY blogs and read many of them, and would love to find more originality in yours. You seem like a creative person, so hopefully you can come up with some ideas on your own to show us!
Hello Mel,
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. I’m sorry you’re disappointed with my blog, but I like the style I have. If you see writing and post similarities between me, YHL and Bower Power, it’s purely coincidental. I understand that some of the content I write/post about has been done by other people, but I show my adaptation of an idea. Your examples of YHL’s Garden Ridge post and my Goodwill ‘What Not to Buy” post having the same format, yeah, there are some similarities (not intentional), but that’s because the idea is essentially the same: going through a store either showing what you like or don’t like. In YHL’s case, it was a mixture, in my case, I showed what made me cringe. MOST people, myself included, thought that post was funny (and original). Also, a wish list is just that, a wish list. So, if Katie Bowers clothing posts are similar to my house wish list, I don’t know what to tell you. Next, I suppose you’ll say that I copied YHL and Bower Power by having a baby this year, too.
ANY of the ideas I see online, tackle myself and blog about, I give credit to the original source.
I see that you’ve left three comments on my blog, all of which are in some way negative. My response to your negativity is this: if you don’t like my blog, you don’t have to read it. If you do read it, I would appreciate constructive criticism, not an accusation of copying or stealing.
I feel that people often take blogs and bloggers for granted. We don’t get paid to so what we do. We blog because we love it and we’re passionate about it. A lot of time and effort is put into my blog and the nice, supportive comments are what keep it going. When I read hurtful and insulting comments like yours, it really does affect my mood. I really don’t understand why people take time out of their lives to be negative. So, I ask you this. If you do continue to read Our Humble A{Bowe}d and dislike the content, please quit reading or keep the negative comments to yourself. If you have something constructive or encouraging to say, please share.
I don’t mind if readers don’t like a specific project and leave a comment about their feelings (it still hurts to read it because I put effort into that project), but when you’re saying you don’t like me (by saying I don’t have any original ideas and only copy things I see elsewhere), it gets more personal and that’s where I draw the line.
Please remember that behind every blog, there is a blogger. We’re people with feelings and deserve some respect.
Best,
Amanda
I found your blog by reading YHL. I also read YHL, Bower Power, The Pioneer Woman, Centsational Girl, Thirfty Decor Chick. I just started reading your blog but love everything I see. I feel like you are writing to your friends and enjoy that the most. I check in on your blog several time a week. I am glad you have lots of pictures with your projects. Just keep doing what you are doing. I also like when blogs like to a reader Before and After (I think that is how I found you). My goal for the new year is to be brave and tackle some DIY projects. Thank you for sharing!