Do you have any friends who are so perfect you want to hate them but they’re so amazing you absolutely adore them? Let me present the flawless Jen Woodhouse from The House of Wood. Here are three reasons why I’m quasi-infatuated with Jen… 1. She didn’t start out as a builder (see here…), but her creations are clever and ambitious and impeccable. 2. She’s as generous with her time and expertise as she is talented. I casually emailed her a while back about a question I had about a project I was doing and plans I was trying to make online… She just emailed me back WITH THE COMPLETED PLANS. Wha?! 3. Her blog is like the tip of the iceberg… she can sing… she homeschools… she’s a military wife… want me to go on?? If you want to see pretty projects… go visit Jen. If you want to see bad ass builds… go visit Jen. If you want poorly decorated Christmas trees… stick with me. Ha!

Sunday Seven with the House of Wood

Question 1: Why did you start blogging?

Reading blogs like Young House Love and Ana White was so inspirational and motivating. They shared personal experiences and created beautiful homes on a budget and to see real people tackle real life challenges gave me the confidence to try. As soon as I discovered that I could DIY too, I was hooked and wanted to share that passion with everyone else. It’s addicting, empowering, and contagious!

Question 2: What has been your proudest moment as a blogger?

Oh, goodness. Just getting to do this as a full-time job is pretty humbling. I get to stay home, raise my kids, and contribute to my family. That’s pretty validating.

Question 3: What is the hardest thing about blogging?

Maintaining a healthy work/life balance! It’s impossible to juggle being a mom, homeschooler, blogger, builder, creative, small business owner, promoter… it’s overwhelming just typing all that out. Oh, not to mention trying to keep up with the always-changing demands of social media. As women, we want to do it all and do it all perfectly, so I constantly have to remind myself that I can’t and to extend grace to myself when I fail (daily!) to live up to these unrealistic expectations.

Question 4: What is one thing you wish you’d known early on with your blog?

I wish I’d recognized my value as a content creator sooner. It took forming my LLC to understand that blogging was not just my hobby, but my business and livelihood. To boldly require fair compensation for my ideas, inspiration, time, labor, and influence and not apologize for it.

Question 5: What’s one fun fact about you?

I’m an Army wife! I was raised as an Air Force brat and never thought I’d marry right back into the military. I’ve moved all over the world every 2-4 years – it’s the only life I’ve known so if I’m in one place for too long, I start to get restless. Oh, and I have a gold tooth! Just call me Flava Flav. 😉

Question 6: What’s your favorite post (and why)?

Probably my kids’ beds (here and here). I made them both and have watched countless others do it too – I love getting to see the results of my work in a tangible way. When readers feel empowered to make their own furniture based on my projects, it’s just the most gratifying feeling.

Question 7: What are your blog goals for the future?

My ‘To Build’ list is miles long, so hopefully if I cross some of those things off my list in the next year, that would be a win for me.

Follow Jen on Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube to keep up with all of her many projects. She posts regularly on Instagram and has a shop where you can BUY some of her most popular builds!

To get caught up on all my Sunday Seven features… CLICK HERE.