FAQ


FAQ | B3HD Overview

Because a blog isn't intrusive enough.
Everything else you could possibly want to know.
And then some.

But really - WHO are you?
Bernadette. Robert. Mary Christmas. (RIP Ashley). We are us.
We live in Snoqualmie, WA, a suburb of Bellevue.
Which is a suburb of Seattle in the far left corner of the United States.
Yes, far left is so very fitting.

Except for my closet Republican puppy dog. 

I am: k12 Ed Administrator, world changer, un-mom
He is: Finance geek, world traveler, photographer
She is: food motivated, chunky monkey, Ms. Cotton Toes

3 - number of beings living in 4300 sf of space.

But...you're not a professional designer? 
This is blogland. You don't actually have to be a verifiable "expert" to blog.
Trust me.  I know this.

52 - number of tutorials I commit to completing on b3hd this year.

Are you PR Friendly? 
This is a PR friendly blog.  Within limits.
I will only enter into AUTHENTIC relationships with brands. 
If you want to be my PR friend, you should:

1. Have a fantastic product | service | opportunity that I pay out of pocket for.
2. Read my blog.  
3. Think outside the box.

Let's think of a win-win opportunity together.  
Like I do with my real life friends when we do things for each other.

41 - My Klout Score last time I checked it.
Hint, hint - good friends give and receive props for a job well done (aka +K)
47 - My PR (Pin Reach) Score last time I checked it.


If I email you my stuff, will you feature it?
Probably not. But sometimes, it is just too good not to.

I get almost a ton of emails.  On a slow day.
Please, Do send me another.

If you REALLY want to get my attention, you should tweet @B3HDtheBLOG.
I think I have Adult ADHD.  Thankfully, I'm self aware. Medication is next.

900 - average number of emails I get in any given day. Damn you Pinterest.

Why a blog?
Mostly, because in real life, I am socially awkward.
In a nutshell, I love to share, I like to write and I have a gorgeous home.
And it is a lot easier to justify blogging than pinning on Pinterest all day.

6 - technically. This is my 6th blog.

What does B3HD stand for?
B3 (Bold, Beautiful, Brainy - B to the third power)
Home  Designs

It is an off shoot of B3 Home Designs which is an offshoot of B3 Designs.

25 - at least. # of "B" words I thought about using.
3 - my favorite number.

What's your favorite non-word?
Ya'll's (I AM from Texas...)

1 - contractions in that word, the last apostrophe is possessive.

What inspires you?
Nature. Pinterest. Blogs on my blogroll . Pinterest. Catalogs. Magazines. Pinterest. Hardware Stores. Garden supply places. Pinterest. 

Notice I did NOT say TV.

Unless we're talking about Toddlers & Tiaras
Or the Real Housewives (Atlanta and OC), then who has time?

85 - Pinterest Boards as of the writing of this page.
One of those boards even won a $500 shopping spree to WS
Do you ever respond to comments? 
Almost always.  
Unless you make it impossible for me to do so.
If you say something relevant, I will re-comment on the post. 
Or, If I can hit reply via email and reach you, I'll do that. 
Sometimes, I do both.

You are almost guaranteed NOT to get a response if:
  • You are a no-reply blogger. Google it.
  • I have to go to your blog and look up your contact info.
  • Your comment demands something (ie, "Hey, Follow me back?")
  • The power is out.
  • My phone isn't charged

8 - average number of comments p/day.  Chances are HIGH I'll respond.

Does your photog husband take your pictures?  What does he shoot with?
Not usually. He teaches me a thing or two and then makes me do it.

Here's another handy list to serve as a guide to b3hd photo credits.

Me:

Him:

The Dog:
Silly camera makers and their design flaws.  
Why must shutters generally require thumbs to operate? 
Dew claws just don't cut it.

6 - average number of shots it takes for me to get "the shot" I'll actually use.

You have interesting stuff. 
Where do you shop?
Depends on what we're buying.

My vintage globes | mostly Goodwill -Des Moines (WA)
Most of my wood (ie these cars) |Goodwill - Bellevue
Really awesome paper like my Bird Coloring Book | Goodwill - Burien
I find vintage Native blankets | Goodwill - Tukwilla
I get neat calendars turned wall art |Craigslist and Freecycle
I get wicker (Baskets and rounds) | Goodwill - SoDo | International District
I find lots of great fabric at the Value Village, Burien.

I find GREAT pieces like this kiddie school desk | Goodwill - Renton.
     Just don't EVER ask them to help you load it.

Salvation Army, Burien used to be my go to place for books.
     Sadly, it is now closed.

Every year I try to pick the Annual Pacific Galleries Flea Market.
Often, I find galvanized buckets and fishing floats at local PNW yard sales.

Gilman Antique Gallery | Issaquah and Two French Hens Antiques | Burien are splurges.

Still looking for GREAT flea markets the likes of the one I grew up with and sold at in El Paso.

18 - number of collections I've started. Hoarders will be here in a moment.

I want you to hack something. 
Do you take suggestions?
Only reasonable ones. 
Check out my blog to see the TYPE of stuff I hack.  
If it is gardening or crafty (sewing is pushing it), then drop me a line.

I'll stick a pin in it and one day, I'll get on it.

My most popular hack so far:
Restoration Hardware discontinued Firebowls.

4 - number of times a day one of my co-workers says "You could so make that."

Are you a bitter Breeder Hater, career women?
Yes and no.  I'm not a Breeder Hater.  Of puppy dogs (I just love mutts) or human beings.

I am bitter though.  And infertile.  Here I am, well off, stable, loving and caring and I can't just get knocked up every 10.2 months like some folks who should be forbidden from ever having sex again.  Our God is a vain and cruel one...

$34,000 - Buy in to the mommy club. Million Dollar baby here we come.

Is your dog a mutt? 
Of course. She even has the black tongue spots to prove it.
I'm on my second (and final, after this I'm going black) interracial marriage.  
It is kind of a given that my dog would be a mutt.  

We do live in the fancy part of town where purebred Labs are the dog of the day. 
Super smart dogs, but also kinda fat. 

And also, I grew up a military brat with a police offer favorite uncle.
German ShepHERDs (I write it that way to remind me that when mini mutt tries to "herd" me towards her puppy dish, she can't help it, it is hereditary) were the only dogs I knew.

Sheherd and Lab mix = best of both worlds. Super smart | super athletic.  

In Ashley's case, she left us way too soon. 
     (Parental Advisory - that is a TOUGH post to read)

In Mary's case, she is just growing into her own.
Complete with her own puppy cam (well, actually, two of them) so that we can watch her cotton toes prance about while we're at work.

4 - number of white spots on Mary Christmas. (two back paws, chest, chin)

Who names their dog Mary?
The same folks that refer to her as Cotton Toes, Monster Mutt, Old Bearded Lady, Aggressive Chewer, Chunky Monkey, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Snuggle Bunny, Mutt Mutt, Pudge Muffin, Cutie Mutt and...

Yes...the same people who fought over spelling it "Mary" (like a human)
or "Merry."  As in Merry Christmas.  

Because everyone pronounces our last name "Miracle." 
And we got her 8 days before Christmas.  
And she came right after we vowed to never love another mutt.At least not until the spring.

She was our Merry Christmas Miracle.
It so fits her.

For the record, Ashley started out Ashy (she had a black coat with brown spots)
Someone thought that name was too "hood" for a Ridge puppy.
Probably the same someone that made us spell Mary with an A.
I think he's a Republican...

2 - the number of awesome dogs I've been blessed with.  1 at a time, sadly.

Is your husband a Republican?
I'm not sure.  I've composed this chart to think it through:

Probably a Republican:
Can't possibly be a Republican:
I still don't know.  It is a draw.
Maybe he's in the closet. With the puppy dog.

0 - the number of minutes I devote to YOUR political affiliation.

Do any of your projects ever fail?
Oh do they ever.  From non-fillable lamps, to the exploded sunburst mirror,  to the PB Edison Chandy fail,  to free for a reason deck chairs. We fail splendidly.  

That said, he plans EVERY thing so he doesn't fail at building our office built ins or building, from scratch, the built in speakers for our surround system. Yes, the ones seen in the last photo of this post about a Ballard Designs decor Hack (the typewriter letters) for our entertainment center here - yes, that is a political ad.  Go SuperPACs! 

I don't hate him though.

5:100 - Frequency in which my projects fail.  I'm a lucky Sagitarian. 

Do you celebrate Christmas or Kwanzaa?
Are you asking me that because I'm black?  
You do know not all black people celebrate Kwanzaa right? 
In 2010, we tried to celebrate Christmas. 
In 2011, we were successful in creating a new Christmas tradition and all. 
We got this far with Kwanzaa in 2011.

96 -Minimum number of ornaments required to decorate an 8 foot tree.

I want to blog. Can you talk me out of it.
Answer these questions:
  • Can you live the rest of your life on Nana's small inheritance?
  • Are you a loaner that doesn't have real friends to, like, go out with?
  • Do you want a divorce when you call your husband John? Again?
  • Do you type 80+ words a minute?
  • Do you own $5000+ in camera equipment?
  • Can you devote 19 hours a day to obsessively checking your stats?
  • Can you go 4 days straight without bathing?
  • Do you have horrible grammar?
  • Does your Firefox web browser only crash 17 times a day (or less)?
  • Do you suffer from Carpel Tunnel Syndrome or kyphosis?
  • Do you want to only be seen in public at for blog conferences?

If you answered yes to any one of the above questions, then no.  
I probably cannot talk you out of starting a blog.

Good luck with that.

That completes the overview.

More questions?
Drop us a line and if it is asked often enough
or fits the flow of the randomness here
we'll update these FAQs as necessary.
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