Christy Kirwan Interviews prestonandkate
Insights from a Happy and Creative Couple
Yours is the first HubPages account I've come across that is run jointly by a couple, and I think it's a neat idea! Do you both work together writing Hubs, do you take turns, or does one of you do most of the writing?
Well. This double duo type work can be a bit tricky. Kate is definitely the writer and picture taker, but these projects would all get stuck half way undone if Preston wasn’t around. Even the quilts. When Kate’s blocks aren’t lining up, he pulls out his geometry skills and explains that all the seam allowances are too big. If nails, hammers, or screws are involved, Preston takes over all the work.
See, here is the problem though. Preston has an over anxious spirit to get a task done. Sometimes he just keeps working and working and Kate doesn’t realize he has practically finished a project before she had a chance to take any pictures. Trying to re-do a project for the sake of some good Hub pictures gets a bit tricky.
It’s all good in the end, though. We always seem to learn something new about each other with every project.
You mention in your profile that you've just had your first child. Congratulations! Are there more baby-themed DIY projects on the way? What do you plan on making next?
Yes! We hope to do some more baby themed posts in honor of our little guy. Considering all his belongings have taken over our house, some homemade storage bins or toy organization brainstorming is in the works. We know something has to be done so the toys can find homes and all the outgrown clothes can get stored away. And, if winter decides to stay this cold until June, Kate will be posting a few Hubs about keeping a one year old entertained in the confines of a house.
You're first-time parents, avid DIYers, writers, frequent church volunteers, and music teachers. How in the world do you find time for it all?
Hmm. We have never been asked ‘how do you find time for it all.’ We don’t feel like we are overly busy people.
Our best answer is that we make great efforts at being very intentional with our time. We make it a priority to be home most evenings of the week. We are very cautious about making ongoing commitments. Also, we set family goals and review them monthly.
Maybe we can accomplish a lot because we do many of our projects together. A lot can get accomplished when two people are working at the same time, and we seem to almost always finish what we started. Possibly doing projects together keeps us motivated. We have fun and it’s easy to push through the monotonous parts of projects when you have someone helping you.
Of all the projects you've worked on together, which is your favorite and why?
Let’s see. We have this re-upholstered 1900s fainting couch that we acquired at an auction a couple years ago.
We were walking through a home full of furnishings that were to be auctioned off that afternoon. We were with Kate’s mom, and we made a comment while looking at this old, dirty, floral, and tasseled fainting couch. We said, ‘Wow, that is one interesting piece of furniture.’ We left the auction content and empty handed. Well, Kate’s mom had other ideas. We guess she thought our neutral comment meant we really wanted this old smelly and horse hair stuffed fainting couch. When the piece came up for bidding, Kate’s mom won the bid.
Needless to say, we ended up back at the auction…this time loading a much unneeded fainting couch.
After tearing this piece of furniture apart, we re-cushioned it and re-upholstered it with some great fabric. This unique piece of furniture has now become the statement piece of our living space. Good thing Kate’s mom had ideas of her own.
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