If you are reading Half a Yard then you may be wondering who are Meghan and Laura? So here is the best we can do at summing ourselves up in a few short questions. . .
How did you meet?
Meghan and Laura met in college when they worked together at an after school program for teenagers with disabilities. They later became roommates, and had EVERY class together in the special education program at their college. While they had their fair share of typical girl roommate tension luckily they stayed friends, and continue to get together on a regular basis for "home economics days".
What is a "home economics day"?
Meghan and Laura now live about a 2 1/2 hour drive apart from each other. When they get together they like to pursue crafty/gardening/cooking type activities together. They wish that they lived closer together so that they could do these things together more often. After Meghan attended a class at her local food co-op about making your own cheese Laura wanted to make her own cheese too! In the meantime, Laura was working on making animal baby toys made from organic cotton and stuffing. Meghan wanted to know how to make her own. So they got together and shared their skills. They realized that the sewing and cooking theme was very junior high home economics class, so they named the day "home economics day". Meghan and Laura have a few new home economics days planned in the near future and they will definitely document and share them with you!
Why did you start a blog?
Laura - Meghan sent me a link to my first crafting blog. I have been hooked ever since! I read many craft blogs and like to try out new projects. For me blogging is a good way to share my projects with others, but it is also a way to share my common interests with Meghan. I found myself sending pictures back and forth often with Meghan of things that we had made, planted, or cooked. Since we don't live closer to each other this is a good way for me to feel like I live close enough to craft and garden with Meghan and anyone else who wants to share in our dorkiness!
Meghan- I love reading craft, art and gardening blogs and always think, "hey! I could do that!" The thing is, I don't think I could do it alone. I have a lot of ambition but my execution sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. I spend a lot of time on the phone or emailing ideas back and forth with Laura, so the idea of a blog seemed to fit in perfectly.
Where do you live?
Laura - In the Chicago suburbs.
Meghan- Champaign, Illinois
What kind of job do you have?
Laura- I am a special education teacher in a high school. I co-teach freshman level algebra.
Meghan- I am a high school Special Education math teacher.
What is your crafting/gardening style?
Laura - My husband describes me as meticulous. My sewing projects usually turn out very neat and clean, but they take me forever! Once I get started on a project I include every little detail, and make sure that it is high enough quality to endure the wear and tear of regular use. I tend to get sucked into way more projects than I can ever finish, which means that my house gets neglected, and my projects are always done late. I am not very good at prioritizing. When Meghan and I both began our felt houses at the same time hers was done about three weeks before mine. And that was with help from my mom!
Meghan- I like deadlines and due-dates. I craft and garden very quickly. Once something is started, I like to finish it as soon as I possibly can. Laura gave my son these adorable little dolls that have stood up to a lot of play (including trying to bathe them... repeatedly). I am impressed by this because I also made my son a few dolls (during the time he was taking one nap! Under two hours from start to finish!) but they have needed a few patches in the last year. And probably won't hold up much longer.
When I garden I get so many ideas and throw the seeds into the ground, not in rows and then call it a finished job and celebrate. Forget weeding, that's not part of the joy of gardening.
How do you clean your kitchen?
Laura - Not often enough! Like I said, this often gets neglected when I get involved in a project of some sort, because I would rather be sewing or gardening than cleaning. However, I am a little bit of a germ freak, so when I do clean I really get to every corner, nook, and cranny. I actually like to have everything organized and neat looking, but since it is such a big project to get everything just right I tend to put it off. I am also concerned about the harsh chemicals found in most household cleaners. Therefore, I make most of my own household cleaners out of natural ingredients.
Meghan- every single night. I can't stand dishes in the sink or crumbs on the counter. I work quickly and do a surface clean. Don't look in my cabinets, it's not pretty. Ask Laura about the frozen moldy peach from when we lived together. Visually, my kitchen looks great though!
What do you think is the main purpose or theme of Half a Yard?
Laura - I would like to think that we have an eco focus. I keep all of my gardening organic, and try to reuse and redesign when possible. Most of our posts are related to cooking, crafting, or gardening but I find it interesting to try to do these things in a way that keeps the environment in mind.
Meghan- I like the seasonal and homemade themes. Thinking about the ramifications of every decision we make can get tedious, but it is an important exercise. Eventually it becomes a lifestyle instead of a decision which saves a bunch of time!
We would like to add a frequently asked questions page soon, but first we need questions from you! So go ahead and ask away. Post a comment or email us at halfayardblog@gmail.com and ask us anything you want to know. Then we will compile a list of frequently asked questions.
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