Design Improvised and Haeley: 12 Blogger Christmas

Welcome to Day 8 of the 12 days of Blogger Christmas! I adore celebrating the tremendous work of talented people so thanks for indulging me in all this fun!!

All 12 ladies featured in this series make blogging look effortless and today's designer, artist, publisher, marketer is no exception. Haeley is the mastermind behind Design Improvised, and she's always filled with good ideas and approachable design (who can resist a pom pom balloon?)

Design Improvised is really just a natural extension of all the things I have loved doing for as long as I can remember. Even when I was working 60+ hours a week as a management consultant, my favorite thing to do on the weekends was to clip ideas out of my home magazines and use them as inspiration for DIY projects around the house. I left consulting 4 years ago upon the birth of my first daughter and started the blog shortly after that as a way for me to catalog some of the projects I’d done and share them with family and friends.

I knew I really wanted to stay home with my daughters while they’re young, however it was also really hard for me to give up my professional identity and goals. In many ways, my blog has filled that gap by giving me something to continue to grow and evolve while serving as a creative outlet.

Design Improvised focuses on easy, accessible home decor & entertaining projects that make a big impact. As a mom of a two-year-old and a four-year-old, I have very small windows of time to work on projects. Almost everything I make can be done in under an hour for under $20. I use simple materials and avoid power tools (unless you classify my beloved glue gun as a power tool!).

Design Improvised's projects have been featured on Apartment Therapy, Daily Candy, Babble, and Better Homes and Gardens among others. In addition to writing at Design Improvised, I contribute to The Land of Nod and Hayneedle blogs.

Pom Pom Balloons - this particular project went viral and continues to be the most popular DIY on my blog. It is at the essence of what my blog is all about - simple projects that make a big impact. Who would've thought you could hot glue pom poms to a balloon to transform them, but it works and you can whip them up in minutes before a party!

My Craft Room / Office Reveal - after spending years crafting at the kitchen table, with my craft supplies taking over most of the living space, it was a dream come true to get my own dedicated craft space upon our move to a new home this summer. I had dreamed up what this space would be like well in advance of the move, and it was so fun to see it come to life. My girls and I are in there daily making a mess, and I love every minute of it.

Dress Up Birthday Party - I love planning our girls' birthday parties and I try to make them special events without going over the top with the decor and budget. My daughter Stella's recent 4th birthday dress up party is a great example of my favorite type of party - filled with simple DIY touches that don't break the bank.

I would love for Design Improvised to be considered one of the top sources of inspiration for achievable, easy DIY projects that anyone can do! However, I’ve never really considered growing my blog as an end-goal in itself, I’ve always seen it more as a means to an end. A couple years from now, I’d like to be working full time again, but in a role that lets me combine my business background with my creative passions. If Design Improvised can open up opportunities to do that, I will consider it a huge success!

I would love to continue to grow my readership, make enough income from blogging to cover my girls' preschool costs, and carve out a few more hours each week towards DIYing!

P.S. I'm once again joining in 30 days of sketching Elizabeth, Nicki, Kim, Melanie, and more will be posting their sketches on Instagram, #30sketches, and I'll be sharing mine in the post script throughout January! See all of the sketches over here on Pinterest.