In this installment of Creatrix of the Moment, allow me to introduce you to Allison: outdoor addict, thrifting aficionado, paper craft queen, dog-mom, party consultant, loving wife, and entrepreneur extraordinaire!
Allison resides in Tennessee, along with her hubby and adorable fur-baby, Bailey. When she isn't doing outreach work at the Center for Civic Engagement or spending time with her family enjoying the great outdoors, she runs a wonderfully whimsical home and party decor shop on etsy called Hoopdaloop. Allison was so very kind to participate in the Creatrix series and I invite you to read along to learn more about this savvy, fun-loving, inspiring young woman!
Everyone loves a good party! If you could be asked to consult and provide the decor for any specific theme party right now, what would the theme be and why?
I would definitely go for a wedding and reception outdoors and then under a tent for the reception with a shabby chic, rustic vibe! I mostly feature custom paper garlands in my shop, but I would start with those and dream big (but affordable)! For my own wedding, I had a similar feel and spent many hours searching thrift stores for the perfect details and now that I'm older, I have even more ideas!
Do you usually decorate your home for various holidays? What are some of your favorite personal seasonal decorations?
Yes! Last Christmas was the first Christmas I shared with my husband and I spent a lot of time thrifting to find vintage wooden ornaments for the tree. I absolutely loved how it turned out! (Getting the idea that I dig thrift stores?!)
What is the difference between bunting and traditional paper garlands?
Well when people think of bunting, they probably think of fabric, but paper garlands are obviously made of paper. I love bunting, but I also love the versatility of paper garlands. For instance, I was consulting with a bride this past week on her wedding decor (that I am doing!) and was giving her a lot of ideas on how to decorate with her paper garlands. I loved the idea of taking large sticks or branches (think thin branches towards the ends of a tree limb) and putting them in a vase of jar and then draping paper garland over the limbs. You can't really do that with traditional bunting. This is also a great tactic for decorating Christmas trees!
Where do you find inspirations for the colors and patterns you use in your designs?
I have always been naturally drawn to colors. I think my brain unconsciously absorbs color palettes wherever I am whether it be shopping for clothes or taking a hike. I definitely love wild and crazy color combinations and natural hues. I spend a lot of time outdoors so it is definitely inspiring!
What do you love most about your work at the Outreach Center? What do you love most about creating items in your party decor shop? I love working with kids and teaching them that they have a voice in their schools, communities, and world at large. For my shop, I love working with customers! I do lots of custom orders and my customers always have such great ideas and excited to make their event whether it be a family get together or a wedding special and unique.
Please share your philosophy or thoughts on your particular "creative process". What one thing about creativity/being creative in general holds true for you?
People often limit creativity to "art" or "crafts" and may not think themselves particularly artistically inclined. But creativity is used and can and should be used in so many ways! A great meal, a fun date, an imaginary game with your kids, the way you arrange your furniture or even just your pillows, making something instead of buying it, going on a walk and noticing the shapes of the trees... so many ways. I think creativity is something we should all intentionally foster in our lives and others. For me, I have an Etsy shop and a blog which are obvious outward expressions of my creativity, but I also love to look at the shapes of leaves, cook a good meal, or create crazy imaginary worlds with kids.
If you were to describe your personality in terms of a color, what color would you be and why?
Can I cheat and describe myself as one of my multicolor garlands? This means I choose a mixture of colors bright neons and neutrals and primaries and on and on. I don't think I am consistently just one color. Some days I'm chill and relaxed like a blue, other days I'm a hot pink, ready to get some stuff done! and so on and so on. I will say though that my favorite color is blue! Pretty much any shade!
Tell us what you enjoy doing when you're not working.
Being outside! I grew up on a farm out in the country and spent most days outside playing when I wasn't in school. Even when it rained, I would head outside to do a rain dance :) Out in the country, out in nature... that's where my heart is. I like being outside best when my husband and pup are outside. I also love spending time with my family and friends, reading, and learning new things.
What two or three traits or abilities do you feel are crucial for any business owner or entrepreneur?
Dedication- because it's a lot of work and not always easy. Ingenuity- a lot of times you have to do the best with what you have and know to succeed. Love- you really have to have a passion and love for what you are doing. If you don't, you will probably burn out and even if you don't it won't be worth it.
Not only is Allison a most gracious interviewee, she also is a generous soul. She has kindly offered a coupon for 15% off the total purchase for any items in her store for the readers of this blog. Simply enter the coupon code mizcreatixrox to apply for your discount at her store, Hoopdaloop.
Thank you to Allison, for taking the time to share and for being an inspiring example of what a being a Creatrix is all about!
Be sure to also check out Allison's blog, A Girl and Her Scout as well as her Facebook and Pinterest pages.
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