I have the beautiful soul Andi from PidgApeg here today. If you haven’t heard of her, I’m positive that you will love her just as I do. She is a wife and a mother of six. She has not one, but three etsy shops. She is a writer and has already written several books. She is hilarious, stays true to herself, is grounded, organized… amazing.
What is the meaning behind PidgApeg?
Haha! I’m such a dork and how did I know you would start with this since you already know the story. Eh hem… I used to be the operations manager for a property management company. So, my co-worker, Molly, brought me a fax. I asked her who it was from. She started giggling and said, “Aww, how cute. It’s from Pidgapeg.” I’m like “What, how cute is that?” So we went on for a minute or so how funny that name was and what it meant and oh how cute... I took the fax and looked at it again. At the top of the page it was smeared. “Uh, hey Molls. It says Pg1.jpg.”
We were laughing. {I’m very easily entertained.} So, from then on out everything was “Oh man, that’s so PidgApeg!” Or, “Haha! You pulled a PidgApeg!” When it came time to pick a business name I figured that one didn’t have any limitations between my shops as to what I could fill them with. I tweaked the spelling to help with pronouncing it. I got the nickname “Pidg” from Etsians. Through sales and chatting they just started referring to me as Pidg.
What is your story about why you blog? What direction do you wish for it to go in?
Can I be honest? This is a whole diabolical plot to take over the world. Sure, I have 6 minions at home but they’re just the tip of the iceberg…Huh? Oh… wink.
Umm, I started blogging to network for the shops, to build a platform for my writing and a few other friends to display their talents. And of course the ‘cheap’ therapy is helpful! Truth be told I would love to gain an actual following so that others will want to follow our compilation of writings and tell others about us. I like the community of blogging; the support network. I think we need to all put our hopes for our blogs in the same pot, then divide and conquer on how we can best help each other reach our goals. It’s do-able chickees! Lot’s of great minds out there!
Where do you get the inspiration for all of the beautiful things you make?
First of all, thank you Salena! You are the sweetest…truly! The jewelry inspiration comes from my girls. All 4 of them are so different and each piece is a compliment to their personalities. Also, there is a series of novels {unpublished work} one of my besties has written. I’m addicted and her characters also play a role in my jewelry. PidgApeg Cottage, that’s for me. I have an addiction to homespun crafts and nature itself. I love creating. Dang, if my kids would cooperate I could pump out so much more that’s locked in my mind. Generally, just looking outside gets my creative juices flowing…especially Fall!
What advice do you have for other blended families.
Be tolerant, be willing to embrace change. Love others for their differences and be patient. Bless my husband that he took us all on. And he loves us. {Truth be told, he loves my kids; I happened to come with the deal!} He takes the time to realize sometimes, even though he doesn’t understand it all, it’s just the way things are done around here. We on the other hand give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s still new to certain issues. {especially in the beginning} He doesn’t have any biological kids of his own. He woke up one day and had 6. {Actually when we began dating I had taken in 2 other teenage girls so I actually had 8 kids.} Don’t sweat the little stuff, it only gets in the way.
Love unconditionally, the rest will work itself out.
If you and your husband received an all expense paid vacation (sitter included) where would you go?
Haha! I just read that to Po and we both agreed – absolutely nowhere! We’re such nerds. We’re both homebodies and would love the quiet and time to ourselves with everything we needed right here. I would love to have time to go out to an uninterrupted dinner with my parents. {unless they were the sitters, poor things!} If they gave us money instead of a vacation, we would fly in a few close friends and Po’s family. Does that count?
How do you find the time to have quality time with all of your kids?
We have “dates”. My kids have been raised to be simple so just running errands is a nice time if we get one-on-one time. I seriously do have 5 chairs in my craft room that are filled daily. Not always all at once so we can have those few moments together. We do lots of snuggling and chit chat anywhere we can. They trade in church on who gets to sit next to me and Po and whisper funny things. We absorb every possible moment we can find. Honestly I am not as successful as I know I could be, because I don’t send my children out of the room when I’m working. But they know they are loved, and they know they are heard. Oh, and my daughter in college calls everyday on her way to work and we email throughout the day. Quality time doesn’t have to be long or extravagant. It just needs to happen consistently, even if it’s in short bursts.
Besides blogging and crafting, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I love baking and cooking from scratch. I love eating. I love writing. Fine, I write, and write and if I’m not writing I’m thinking of writing. I have a love affair with the written word. I ache for it. Strangely enough, I don’t have the time to read much anymore, but oh I would if I could.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned about yourself through blogging up to this point?
To be me. Some days I’m spiritual and {slightly, hopefully} inspiring. Most days, I’m quirky and ADD. Sometimes I’m ornery. But at the end of the day, or post, if you will; I have to stay true to me. It’s hard for me to walk on eggshells around others. I wouldn’t want others to do that around me. I know there have been a few posts that people don’t agree with and I’m so alright with that. That’s part of being them. Whatever is written or expressed needs to come from me. Just as we all have the ability to choose our bloggy favorites; so should be the choice to choose what we write on our own piece of the bloggy block.
How do you balance your life? Are you the type of person who sticks to routines and schedules or easy going and laid back?
I am a list maker, routine writer-outer and schedule freak. But…I have children. So, I have adapted to the laid back routine and have become the queen of improvising! We do the best we can. I make a plan and then allow for change. A sense of humor equals balance. Anything I can’t handle is then doused with prayer and followed by a large dose of laughter …usually at myself!
If you could visit Hawaii what are three things that you must do once you get here?
Umm…visit Salena and babysit the girls so she and Rudy could go out by themselves.
Go to the USS Arizona Memorial …I’m a World War II junkie
Go scuba diving. I’m a certified diver that can’t afford to dive.
{Maybe I should stand on the freeway off-ramp and hold up one of those cardboard signs…good idea? No? wink}
How were your school years and how do you wish for things to be different for kids?
My school years were fine. Honestly, I loved the education, I hated the people. {Endearing, I know…wink} I was the type that knew everyone but didn’t have friends. I didn’t like cliques so I stayed away from them. The drama was what I hated about school. Kids now, dang, it’s the same thing only multiplied by 100. I wish days were shorter and filled with a more concentrated time for actual education. When I home schooled my oldest our school day was 3-4 hours and she ended up skipping a year and graduating early. {we just bypassed public middle school and she went back in for highschool} I wish that kids could be kind to each other….and world peace…ya know, all the same stuff.
What is the most important thing you wish for your kids?
Only one? Really Salena? Sheesh… world dominance…no, heath…wealth…happiness…. No, dang it that’s 3. Okay, fine…
Truly? A testimony of Christ. There, that wasn’t so hard. I really believe that through that they will be enabled to love themselves then in turn love others. Everything comes with a true testimony of his atoning sacrifice; the ability to forgive, to be obedient, to remain worthy, to have charity. If they might shine His light throughout their lives, then I would feel pretty darn complete.
Complete this sentence: If you really knew me, you would know that I ______.”
That Salena totally set me up and made new questions! What?! All of this pondering and stuff, you know I’m wordy. This is going to be the longest blog post EVER! Haha! Okay, {deep breath}
“If you really knew me, then you would know that I have been blessed to see darkness turn to light.”
I laugh, and joke; I’m sarcastic and witty. {Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway.} But honestly, there are deep, unyielding scars. I choose to turn those reminders into strengths and find the small, daily blessings that line those nimbus clouds. I’m a fighter. I’m a survivor. I am grateful. I am blessed.
Who is the most inspiring person to you at the moment?
I’m cheating again. There are 6. I birthed them all, I was there, it was beautiful. {wink} They are my everything; my breath, my light, my instructors in life, the reason for my existence. They give me purpose and strength. They pick me up when I feel I can’t stand any longer. I am their guardian but they are my angels. Awful things…I’m so glad their mine.
Thank you, thank you Salena for having me! You are so one of my bloggy buds and I’m happy to say we have a real friendship on the side as well! Soon, when I get my act together, maybe you can come over and visit me where the readers are friendly and the writer is well…a little un-well. {wink}
loves,
Pidg♥
THank you Andi for sharing this time with us.
When I read her interview answers I was humbled and convicted. Please visit her blog
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| PidgApeg Blog |
Tell her I sent you. She is a busy woman but she will be on the other end of that comment box with a quick reply as if you’re the only one. I honestly don’t know how she does it.
I have two more mommas lined up for a Q&A Interview, stay tuned…
