Today we are welcoming Suesan from Frou-FruGal. Suesan’s blog is a wonderful mix of unusual, thinking-outside-of-the-box craftiness, with a ton of quirky stories thrown in. You never know what you are going to find when you click on her page and that is one of the things I love about her. My buddy Tom Selleck, his mustache and I are happy to invite her to our Green Room.
And then Oprah says her Green Room is overflowing again, so she sent over Gary Busey. Between you and me and the lampost, I have it from a reliable source that the Green Room at Oprah’s studio has plenty of room for Gary. She was just tired of trying to keep him from wandering all over the set, looking through her underwear drawer, eating all her Thin Mints and distracting her camera crews with long-winded acronyms such as: “Relationship- Really Exciting Love Affair, Turns Into Ongoing Nightmare, Sobriety Hangs In Peril”, or “Chaos- Criminal Hate And Overwhelming Sloppiness”, and “Fear is the darkroom where the devil develops his negatives”.
And just when I thought I had Gary situated with a nice jigsaw puzzle in front on him to keep him out of my underwear drawer, Oprah also sends over Meatloaf. Nope, not the food. That would have been very nice of her.
You know I’m not the best at cooking and JillyBean and Rastus from the Waffle House have a prior engagement so they were unable to cater. Seems they have a wedding to cook for today and most folks around here get pretty upset when the hashbrowns are not set up at the trailer park in time for the reception.
You know I’m not the best at cooking and JillyBean and Rastus from the Waffle House have a prior engagement so they were unable to cater. Seems they have a wedding to cook for today and most folks around here get pretty upset when the hashbrowns are not set up at the trailer park in time for the reception.
Nope, Oprah sent over Meatloaf- the entertainer. You remember- “Paradise by the Dashboard Light?” “Bat Out of Hell?” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad?”… Crickets…Okay, for those of you that are young enough not to remember him, he was a popular singer in the 80’s, named after an even more popular main dish.
Apparently, Meatloaf and Gary Busey did not get along while filming the latest season of Celebrity Apprentice. In fact, it came close to blows between the two. Oprah has an unusual sense of humor. I will be sure to send her a thank you note.
Tom, please referee Gary and Meatloaf, or is that Mr. Meatloaf? Meat? Well, whatever. Suesan and I will go out on the patio where it is quiet to do our interview.
Suzy: Tell me a little about yourself, your family, your other hobbies…
Suesan: I’m the third daughter in a family of seven. There are 6 girls and one boy and we’re spread out over 28 years. In fact, my Momma was expecting my baby sister at my wedding! I’ve been married for 23 years to a guy who is happy to let me be me. We’ve lived in 19 homes and 7 states. We have 4 children. My oldest two are grown and live on their own.. I’m also the reluctant owner of a Fur Child Beagle who annoys me most days, but brings such joy to everyone else that I endure his presence.
Suesan: Some of my other hobbies: I’ve played the flute since the 4th grade. I play well, but only a few times a year. I’ve been teaching myself the piano and violin, but my interest comes and goes. I love to read mostly happy stories but I also love a good mystery. I crochet, knit, embroider, sew, but I may do only one project a year of that kind.
Seusan: I’ve remodeled 4 houses, but I’m renting now so my power tools are getting a break. I usually say that when it comes to remodeling, it’s easier to say I’ve never laid my own carpet but pretty much everything else I’ve done. Since we moved back to Ohio a year ago with very little furniture, I’ve mostly been focused on acquiring pieces I love and making them my own.
Suzy: When and why did you start blogging, and where would you like your blogging to lead?
Suesan: I started blogging early 2010, but I ditched my first few attempts. frou-fruGal started in July after I’d worked out some of the kinks of blogging. When we moved back to Ohio, I was having a hard time making friends and getting to know people. I work from home so my options of meeting people were limited. Blogging helped me connect with others. I also wanted to start writing a book, but I needed to get practice writing. I was working on a lot of projects and friends and family wanted to see what I was up to, so the blog was a natural fit for me. I’d like to continue to grow my blog but I haven’t really defined what’s next for me. I know what I don’t want to do, though, which is a start.
Suzy: Can you tell us a few things that most folks don’t know about you?
Suesan: I have 6 toes on one foot. I’m kidding. I pretty much put it all out there. The thing I’ve yet to talk about is that I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life. I’m a naturally happy, cheerful person that’s quick to laugh and most likely to make you laugh. It surprises people when I tell them that I have depression. I am mostly able to manage my depression, but winters are harder on me than most people. I yearn for sunshine. Exercise is key to managing my moods, but I’ve had a foot problem for a year that I just had surgery on to fix. It’s been difficult to exercise, but I’m anxious for my foot to heal so I can get back outside and walking.
Suzy: Well, I want to say that I totally love the way you accessorize your cast! Leopard print duct tape. Ha!
Suzy: Do you have a blog schedule where you post certain things on certain days, or do you just post what is in your head that day? For new bloggers out there, do you have any helpful hints regarding content?
Suesan: I tried to have a schedule, but the thing I’ve learned is that my creativity is hard to reign in. When I try, I usually just end up frustrating myself. I’d like to get a backlog worked up of stuff so I could have more of a schedule, but I’m not a routine person by nature, so that doesn’t come easily to me. I do make a list of posts I want to do and projects I want to try.
Suesan: As for content, you can only be you. Be the best you. Having a blog has sharpened my tastes and helped me define my style a bit, but I still would have trouble telling you exactly what that style is. I’d see something someone made and would think, “I can do that” and then I’d do it, usually putting my own spin on it. However, what I failed to do initially was ask, “Do I really want that in my house?” Be true to yourself, but recognize that defining your style and tastes make take some trial and error.
Suzy: Since I’m kinda a crafty blog, I have to ask. Are there any particular crafts that you enjoy doing the most? You seem to have crafty ADD like I do.
Suesan: Definitely have the ADD. I love the stage of trying to figure something out. How would I make that? What technique do I want to try? What color and texture do I want it to have? What are the mechanics behind it? Once I have that figured out, it’s all kind of grunt work. Blogging holds me accountable and forces me through those stages that are boring to me. Since I don’t like repetition, I’ll most likely never have an Etsy shop of things I’ve made. My things tend to be one of kind, mostly because I can’t force myself to do it again!
Suzy: Since I’m also kinda a sitcom blog, my buddy Tom wants to know if you have a favorite TV program? Other than anything starring him of course.
Suesan: I love spy shows. I adore Drop Dead Diva and can’t wait for it to come back.
Suzy: Tom wants you to know that his current show could be considered a spy show to some. Not that he’s trying to influence you or anything…
Suzy: The blog community is full of wonderful folks. Can you tell me some of the blogs out there that you like to read? (They don’t have to be crafty blogs).
Suesan: I love Life in the Pitts and Tidbits from the Tremaynes and Vintage Revivals for their truly genuine voice. They are funny and I love to read them. I also love House of Hepworths and House of Smiths, two very funny ladies with some great ideas. I will read everything Miss Mustard Seed and Funky Junk posts too, because I think those women have truly learned their style and stay true to that style.
Suzy: Thanks so much for stopping by, Suesan. It was a real pleasure meeting you! Please take a moment and swing by Suesan’s site Frou-FruGal and see what she has going on. I guarantee you will leave there not only with a smile on your face, but a whole bunch of new ideas.
And it looks like we need to get back in there and break up a fight. Tom and his mustache did his best to be referee, but it seems that Gary told Meatloaf that “MEATLOAF” stands for Master Ego And Total Lazy Old Aging Fool. Of course, Meatloaf took offense and tried to turn Mr. Busey into hamburger.
With a side of crazy.
So I am going to have to step in and separate them. The rule is no fighting in my Green Room. My National Enquirer collection could get damaged. And we know how disastrous that would be. So Gary can go back to Oprah’s Green Room. I’ve had enough of the craziness. Oh, and Gary, before you leave please return the underwear that you stuffed in your pocket.
…Ummm… on second thought- keep it.
“Your imagination is the hood ornament on the car of creativity” – Gary Busey
With a side of crazy.
So I am going to have to step in and separate them. The rule is no fighting in my Green Room. My National Enquirer collection could get damaged. And we know how disastrous that would be. So Gary can go back to Oprah’s Green Room. I’ve had enough of the craziness. Oh, and Gary, before you leave please return the underwear that you stuffed in your pocket.
…Ummm… on second thought- keep it.
“Your imagination is the hood ornament on the car of creativity” – Gary Busey
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