Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Blogiversary 6: You Asked, We Answered

Get ready to cringe! It’s time for our annual (and always amazingly awkward) Q&A video. Just like in past blogiversary weeks, we invited you guys to ask us some personal (i.e. non-decorating) questions over on our Facebook page last week. And after over 150 questions came rolling in, we sat down and answered as many as we could while Clara napped one afternoon – and then culled it down into this 20 minute video. Among all of our mind-blowing, no-holds-barred revelations (note the sensationalism) you’ll learn:

  • If we’d ever let readers vote on the decorating choices we make
  • What blog post we regret writing
  • Our thoughts on snarky message boards
  • If we ever think about reversing our no-swag policy
  • If we won the lottery, what we’d change about our lives
  • What our neighbors think of the blog
  • If we regret choosing our blog name
  • What ceramic animal I’d save if our house was under a zombie attack
  • How we keep the blog from consuming our lives
  • If our marriage is perfect (spoiler alert: nope!)
  • Why I’ll probably never cut my hair super short again
  • If I still own just one bra
  • THE MUCH ANTICIPATED POSSUM-IN-THE-BASEMENT STORY!!!

So now that you’re most likely on the edge of your seat (… or not) here goes nothing:

So there you have it, another year of us blathering on about personal stuff and mythical horse sized ducks and mysterious mammals in our crawl space. Did anything surprise you? Or spark another question in your brain? We can’t promise we can answer every one of them in the comments here, but feel free to ask away as potential future fodder for next year…

Psst- Want more awkward? Here are the Q&A posts for 2012, 2011, 2010 & 2009: Part 1 + Part 2.

_______________________________________

Oh but before we go, let’s talk about you guys for a second. Each year we love finding out who the heck you guys are, and then on Friday John can make a nerd-tastic infographic all about it (last year’s had Beyonce in it, so it might be hard to top that).

Comments

  1. Denise says

    I loved both videos, they made me smile or laugh throughout the entire 24 minutes or so. Sherry, I love the way you use your hands to express yourself, true Frenchman!

    Reply

  2. Emily says

    John, you should definitely take up whitewater kayaking! Aaaanndd Jackson Kayak is #1 for our whitewater kayaks. It’s tons of fun. If you ever find yourself coming through middle Tennessee you should come and visit our factory. I’ll warn you though, I’ll be a one girl mob squealing, giggling, and jumping up and down. I’ll be mighty embarrassing. :)

    Reply

  3. Courtney says

    I notice Clara sucking on both of her thumbs… Is that right? My daughter is (was) a thumbsucker….. She is 5 1/2 and hasnt sucked it since 2 days before she started kindergarten! 6 weeks strong. Woo hoo! Such a hard habit to break, but man are they cute doing it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, John and I were both thumbsuckers too, so it seems like it’s in her genes. We both thankfully outgrew it though, so we’re hoping she does too! And surprisingly the dentist said it hasn’t affected her teeth at all, at least so far!

      xo
      s

  4. Rhonda says

    I love these interviews! I also just realized I’ve been reading your blog EVERY DAY since before Clara was born….it’s crazy. You inspire me to do things I never would have thought on my own. Keep doing what you’re doing! Happy Blogiversary!

    Reply

  6. jess says

    Gah! I didn’t have a song stuck in my head until the end of the survey. trickery, i say.

    Oh no, I’ve said too much
    I haven’t said enough

    I thought that I heard you laughing
    I thought that I heard you sing
    I think I thought I saw you try

    Reply

  9. Emily says

    Thanks YHL for keepin’ it real, as always :). Great videos and love little Clara- such a smart girl! Well done on all fronts. Happy 6 and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you :). Also, Burger’s feature at the end was awesome!

    Reply

  13. Laurie says

    And now I have REM in my head!

    Seriously though, my background (and day job) is in adult education and you guys do a beautiful job with your instruction and project management focus on your posts. I think it is really well done and clearly you are successful for a reason. You are right to ignore snarky comments. Some people just resent other people for creating something. Chris Hardwick on the Nerdist podcast has talked about this a lot. Creating content is hard but very cool and never listen to the people who try to tear it down. Those are just folks who can’t create themselves.

    Keep doing what you are doing!

    Reply

  14. Leslie says

    Apparently on the “snark sites” right now, there’s a conspiracy theory that Katie Bower is carrying your secret surrogate baby… PLEASE comment on this for us!

    Reply

    • Andrea says

      That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I commend the Petersiks for not paying attention to the snark sites.

    • Katie says

      Wow, you know you’ve made it when these crazy rumors start swirling! What are these crazy snark sites? Please tell it’s not still The Nest! If they are churning out National Enquire type stories it may be fun to check out. ;)

  16. Caity says

    Blogiversary video day! One of the best blog days of the year :) Did anyone else get teary at how big Clara is now? Just me? Ok.

    Also, that last bark at the camera was perfect! Hilarious! Love seeing your little family :)

    Reply

  17. mp says

    I kept having to pause this video to do work things (p’shah! jobs!) and the best thing is that every “freeze frame” you two were just looking at each other laughing so lovingly.

    It feels like the reason you both are so successful because it’s obvious there is such love between you.

    Reply

  18. Sarah M says

    You guys crack me up…but I must say the end of the Clara and Burger show had me snorting coffee through my nose! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  19. Julia says

    Oh Sherry, you don’t look like a cartoon… You look fantastic! Have anyone told you you resemble Amanda Peet?
    You guys rock.
    Hugs from Argentina, J

    Reply

  20. Rachel says

    The infographic won’t load!!!!!! :( wwaahhhhh
    It says the google drive is currently unreachable.
    Major sad face happening.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      OH NO! It’s actually the survey (the infographic comes on Friday) so maybe that software – it’s through Google – is blocked at your office? Maybe try on a smart phone or at home if you’re at work? So sorry!

      xo
      s

  21. Alice D says

    This comment is not about the post (I am at work and it is being blocked- will have to save that fun for later). I was flipping through Garden & Gun last night and recognized the photo of Clara in the Virginia is for Lovers section. Lo and behold, the entire fam is representing the Commonwealth and the Virginia is for Lovers campaign! Wahoowa! I was unreasonably excited and tried to convey how cool this was to my roommate- sadly she did not get it. Way to go Team P!

    Reply

  22. Alivicwil says

    It’s, like, 1am here in Aus, so I watched the Clara/Burger video for now (and will watch the other tomorrow!). Hi-larious! PMSL at “Are you a barky dog?” *ding-dong*

    And how fun was that survey?!
    Super excited to be able to answer “bun in the oven” (or whatever the option was… Did I mention it’s after 1am here?) – my first survey ticking that box! (Much more exciting than the first survey I had to tick the 30-34 bracket! :) ) Exciting phonecall tonight – turns out one of my oldest friends and maid-of-honour is knocked up, too; due 3 weeks before me! (Though she’s on her third and I’m only just starting out!)

    Reply

  24. Maggie says

    I enjoyed this post an have been reading your blog for a while but what moved me to post, Sherry, were your comments about how you feel you don’t use your BFA enough and are worried about painting- as an art teacher who also went to an art college and has a BFA I have this quote to share with you-

    “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’ then simply paint and the voice will be silenced”. Vincent VanGogh

    It has inspired me when I have been worried to paint for fear of the results. Also, as you even mentioned her in your video…

    “You must do the thing you think you cannot do”. Eleanor Roosevelt

    I recently turned so of my favorite inspiring quotes into hand lettered signs and hung them in a cluster on the wall of my apt to remind myself of them every day!

    Reply

    • heather says

      You cannot let fear stop you from anything in life. Self-doubt is bred to make us not reach our potential. This is something I had to work on for a long time, and now I can easily identify that “fear” voice as something completely useless in my life and work at moving on from it. Do not listen to it and fall prey to it’s ridiculous lies.

      Pull out those brushes, get out the paint, make fear bite the big one and just start. It doesn’t need to be great. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be you. Don’t keep it in. Don’t do this for us or to share – do it to beat that blurg inside you and to do what you love.

  25. Michelle says

    As always, these are my favorite posts! I almost melt watching John watch you, Sherry.

    So sweet! So cute! Big cheesy grin on my face the entire 20 minutes.

    Reply

  27. Shauna says

    The most adorable family. Love love love the personal touch you give, and such a quality job! What will you say about it in 30 years? You will love it, you won’t say it was awkward, you’ll say, “My God we were really good-looking and smart young people, weren’t we?” And you’ll be right.

    Reply

  28. Reenie says

    Cute videos ~ Love John’s expression at the end about Sher-dog owing 2 bras now ~ ~ Snap!!

    Love Clara Burgers video also…. so cute when you both say AHHHHH together when Burger licked her.

    Congrats to 6 years! Woot!!

    Reply

  29. Rebecca says

    My daughter also sucks both thumbs and stops at any moment for a thumb sucking break! :) Just made me smile to see Clara doing the same.

    Reply

  30. Ellen says

    Oh my! I just finished watching and although I love you both I was so excited because I knew there would be some burger viewing somewhere in there!

    I have a Yorkie/Pom mix named Gracie and she always loves seeing some Burger video. I put it up on the computer and she barked right back at him and did her happy wagging tail dance. She and I thank you!

    On a side note I live in NC and my family is in MD. When I drive through Richmond I always wave to you. Yes cars around me I am the crazy person waving in my car. :)

    Reply

  31. teresa says

    I’ve noticed a few times now that Clara seems to suck her thumb a lot. As someone who sucked her thumb (I’m embarrassed to say) until she was in 5th grade and was forced to stop by getting braces, which were at least partially needed because of the thumb-sucking, you should try to break her of the habit. I know it’s not easy (clearly my parents pretty much failed at it!), but it can really push your top teeth out and bottom teeth in, and braces are not fun (I had them twice). Unfortunately, I don’t have a good recommendation for how to get her to stop. I guess it’s probably not a big deal until her adult teeth come in, but something to think about. I realize this is sort of a weird, long, rambling comment. Sorry about that :-p

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Teresa! John and I were both thumbsuckers too, but we both thankfully outgrew it before our adult teeth came in, so we’re hoping she does too! Surprisingly the dentist said it hasn’t affected her baby teeth at all, at least so far!

      xo
      s

    • Vera says

      I don’t want to be rude but I think it is a big deal. Not only it is bad for her teeth and her thumbs, it looks horrible. She is a big girl! Why don’t you (the parents) tell her to stop? Even if you have to say it thousand times a day, she needs to be reminded that this is not what big girls do. I’m sorry, but saying that you were a thumbsucker as a child is just as excuse so you don’t have to deal with it.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We talked to her dentist and her doctor about it and they’re not overly concerned, so we’re not either. I think all parents choose their battles, and if this affected her health or her teeth it might be different, but hearing from them that most kids outgrow it soon (and knowing personally that we did as well) encourages us to choose other battles. Goodness knows there are many with three year olds!

      xo
      s

    • GG says

      What my mom did for me was to paint only those nails with nasty tasting nail polish and told me if I stopped sucking on them she would let me paint the rest (It tasted really nasty and I was obsessed with nail polish and wanted it on all my fingers so it worked really fast)

    • Michelle says

      I think you two are pretty sharp cookies. Clara is a smart and happy child. I think you both are great parents. I think you have it under control. I have had two of my three kids suck their thumb. They both needed braces. More because their jaw was small and teeth were big. Petite bones here. Honestly, seems braces are the “in” thing because I see them on kids who don’t really need them. they are on 9 mo and then off. More kids where braces now than don’t.

      Great videos, btw!! I have a barky dog too who does the same thing with the door bell. I love watching the interaction between you both. Sherry, yes, dig out those paints. Do it for you and just have fun.

    • Kate (Not Katy) says

      Chiming in on this a week late, but I’m in the “let Clara grow out of it on her own” camp. I sucked my thumb pretty much until I graduated high school (only at night and only to fall asleep by then). I didn’t need braces, though I’m sure some of that was due to a lucky combination of thin fingers and facial shape. My mom has told me she asked my dentist about how to break me of the habit when I was 8 or 9. His response? “It’s not damaging her teeth. Let her be. I promise she won’t still be sucking her thumb on her honeymoon.”

  32. Andrea J says

    Ahhhhhh, you chose my question (zombie attack!) to answer! :) I loved both videos… and the final question with Burger had me laughing so hard! John & Sherry, thanks for keeping it real.

    Reply

  34. Jess P says

    Loved it all, but Burger did steal the show. “Are you a barky dog?? ding-dong had me snort-laughing in my office…then I pretended that I was choking on something to hide the embarrassingly loud snort!

    Reply

  35. Jess says

    Let’s just discuss how much we would all LOVE to see you paint, Sherry! And there is not “bad” painting – art is kind of all about whatever you make :)

    Also, shut up Clara + Burger = adorableness. Loved that whole video, but especially the end :D

    Reply

  36. shana says

    This is the first one that I have watched and it was great! And the Clara/ Burger one is adorable, she has such clear speech and a lovely voice!
    I especially liked your response about snarky comments. Even though I really like the majority of your choices I tend to only post about things that I don’t like or might change or add on too, mainly because you get so many responses that ohh and ahh over everything I do not feel the need to add yet another. I try to write a response and then sit on it and look at it again before posting to make sure it doesn’t read as snarky. Hearing your take on snark/ people imposing their opinions will really make me think even more about my comments before I post them. (BUT… I really do hope that the replica of my grandma’s wooden geese flying south do not make their way back onto this houses’s walls)

    Reply

  37. Mandy says

    This is adorable!

    Completely off topic… I am buying a nail gun and compressor in the next week and I was wondering how you guys liked yours. I stalked the site a bit to see what you guys had and was wondering if you had a mini review of it after having it a while?

    I am looking to spend under a $100 like the one you have, but I thought I’d ask your thoughts.

    Happy Wednesday!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Still very happy with ours! You’ll want to get a new hose (a stronger yellow one from Home Depot is our choice) and otherwise it should be great! Our only regret is not getting it sooner (it would have sped up so many other projects if we invested in it a few years back).

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Back in advertising, definitely! We both loved that profession (especially once we moved to VA from NYC and the hours were less intense). I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up back in advertising someday!

      xo
      s

  40. Stevie says

    Here’s my question that I forgot to post on FB (oops!):

    Sherry – has anyone ever told you how much you look like Emilia Clarke? (She plays Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones).

    Seriously, she’s your dopple-ganger. Your bad ass dopple ganger. Only with dragons instead of ceramic rhinos.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I love hearing that! She has dragons and a super cool accent and I want to be her when I grow up. My secret dream is to get to meet her someday and do that skit where you pretend you’re looking at your reflection in a mirror but it’s just the two of us being weirdos. Don’t think that’ll come true though…

      xo
      s

    • Alicia M says

      I noticed John’s hair too! I wasn’t sure if you guys had just finished painting more blue trim, if it was the lighting or if it was indeed gray. I think it’s a great “distinguished” look!
      #sorrysherry #nottryingtostealyourman #hashtagoveruse #timberlakevideowashilarious #lololololololol ;)

  42. keisha says

    1) I watched the whole thing. Those who know me well know that I don’t watch 20+ minutes of anything on my computer. Awesomeness. Thanks for sharing that with your readers!

    2) I think you should enlist the skills of Ernie Brown, Jr., a/k/a the Turtleman, to fix your possum problem. I’d watch that!

    Reply

  43. Becka says

    I agree with a few other commenters, I LOVE Blogiversary week! You two are just so much fun to watch, I love your goofy answers and the way you crack inside jokes and laugh at, and with, each other. You’re the best! You guys make my day, every day.

    Reply

  45. Lesley says

    The videos were absolutely fab ! I need to go back through and read the previous Q&A’s.
    Thanks for the honesty insight .. Very refreshing

    Reply

  49. Jen W says

    HA! Give a doorbell heads up! My two dogs went ape poo with the doorbell and Burger barking – just about lost my laptop to the floor. Got to love little dogs! :)

    Reply

  50. Layne says

    Yes, I did watch both of these at work – worth it! Congratulations, Petersiks! Here’s to many, many, many more years of successful projects and fun videos. You’re the best AROUND!

    Reply

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