Happy Tuesday Friends =) Today is Meet & Greet Tuesday, so grab a coffee and come meet today's featured blogger!
Today I would like to introduce you to Erica! She is the sweetest and has the most precious family! She blogs over at the Second House on the Right. So let's meet Erica =)
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hey ladies (let’s be honest, how many guys read blogs?!), I’m Erica the writer behind The Second House on the Right. I’m a Tennessee girl through and through and love our semi-small town that we call home. I graduated from college in 2007, married my husband Stephen in 2013, and welcomed our baby girl(S)…YES, twins…last October. Amelia and Mae Parker made a surprise and QUICK entrance one Sunday afternoon last October and have kept us on our toes ever since! I can’t believe they will be a year old NEXT WEEK!! I work full time at a large regional hospital as a Supply and Inventory Coordinator, yes it is as glamorous as it sounds! I’ve been here for almost 8 years and genuinely enjoy what I do. It certainly brings into perspective ALL of the people and jobs “behind the scenes” that make health care run. Hospitals are far more than just doctors and nurses. I love to cook and bake, host friends and family over for a meal or party, and decorate for all the seasons. I’m quite anxious at how our girls will take a Christmas tree this year! Anchor that puppy down and leave all the breakable ornaments in their boxes this year! I have a strong affection for Dr. Pepper, UT Football (#gbo), Predators Hockey, anything from the Pioneer Woman, Chatbooks, Instastories and blog reading!
How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start blogging?
I started blogging in 2007 or 2008. I was a single girl conquering the dating world, working, had my own little apartment. Life was simple, fabulous and a lot less expensive than life now!! At the time I painted custom artwork for friends and family. A friend of mine pointed me to a blog of a girl who did similar artwork. I started reading her posts about her paintings but she also frequently posted about her family and every day life….I was hooked. My first blog became a space to share about my family, my ramblings, my adventures and my side business…which grew big and quick and became more than I could keep with at times! My blog was named after two of my most favorite things, “Tulips & Aprons”. After Stephen and I got married, blogging took a backseat to becoming a wife. I wanted to spend my free moments with him, making our new apartment into our home, cooking and baking, having friends and family over…all the things that being a newlywed brings! We had been married about 6 months when we started house shopping and would move into our first house a few months later. Once life had settled down for us, I started to get the itch to blog again. I had never stopped reading blogs, in fact it’s always one of my very favorite parts of my day! We were married, homeowners and beginning to deal with some infertility issues; the blogging community is a great source of information but more importantly a community of encouragement. I was drawn back into it for the season of life we were walking through.
How did you come up with the name of your blog?
The directions to our house were simple: Turn left across from (insert longtime local landmark) and we’re the second house on the right. We caught ourselves saying that over and over and over to people after we bought our home and I remember telling Stephen, “If I ever blog again, I’m going to name it ‘The Second House on the Right’.” And here we are!
Of all your posts you have written, which is your favorite and why?
Oh gosh – so many come to mind! As difficult as they were I think the two posts I wrote about our first baby that we lost are my favorite. They are raw and from the depths of my heart. They helped me heal when I was ready and I go back to read them often still. You can read those posts here and here.
On the flip side, some of the most joyous times of my life I’ve shared on my blog just within the last year and half. I absolutely love going back to the post filled with video reactions of our “twins” announcement and then the girls’ birth story I wrote here.
For fun, I love a good “Confessions” post with my favorite gifs!
And this post all about an act of kindness by our youngest nephew will always be so special to me!
You need some encouragement. Who is your go to person for a little pick me up?
Nothing turns my mood around faster than listening to an episode of the Big Boo Cast OR Sophie Hudson on Instastories! She CRACKS ME UP! In real life, my friend Emilee is my go-to, uh yeah, for everything. We can bring up one of a million old memories in a second and laugh until we cry.
You have friends coming over to dinner tomorrow night. What are you going to make for a meal?
Either my Chicken Spinach Lasagna Rolls or BBQ Pulled Pork in the crockpot and baked potatoes in the oven to set up a Potato Bar!
You are planning an evening out. What's your favorite go-to restaurant for a fun time?
We don’t eat out near as much as used to. But we love hibachi restaurants or really great sushi! We splurged earlier this year and went to Jeff Ruby’s in Nashville. Probably our best dinner date yet! Loved it so much!!
If you could have a weekend away, just you and your husband, where would you go?
We could be in Destin on the beach in a matter of 8 hours and two tanks of gas! Relaxation, good food, quiet nights….sign us up!
What are some pet peeves of yours, and why?
How should we address this? Bullet points, numbering, alphabetically? Ha. I have several….many if you will. Let’s see what comes to mind first. I despise being talked down to. I can’t stand snippy tones in people’s voices. People who don’t use their turn signal. OR people who cut through parking lots instead of driving in the aisles as the arrows direct!! UGH!!! Chewing with your mouth open. Stephen leaves cabinet doors open throughout the kitchen! The Kardashians, Chelsea Handler, and Taylor Swift. There I said it. I hope we can all still be friends!!
What's your go to type of music?
I listen to most everything, but country will always be my favorite and my must-have! Eric Church…yes, please, all day long!
We’d all sleep late…late means 7am these days! We’d have breakfast, play with the girls, maybe run a few errands together, grab a quick lunch somewhere, come home for a nap, cook dinner for family or friends coming over and the girls would go right to sleep at their bedtime without fighting it. The mister and I would end the day watching either The Crown, The Great British Baking Show or Big Brother and probably eating a bowl of cereal!! It’s a simple day which is what I LOVE the most! The day is coming all too soon where the girls will be involved in other activities, school and school events and we’ll be running ourselves crazy and wishing for the simple days again. We’re enjoying this time while it lasts!!
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Thank you SO much Erica for letting me interview you!
I hope you all have a great Tuesday!!
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Thank you SO much Erica for letting me interview you!
I hope you all have a great Tuesday!!
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