We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelley Westerman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelley, what do you attribute your success to?
I don’t believe there is ever just one thing that can be linked to the success of a person or brand. Like most things, there’s a number of different decisions and paths that lead your brand to where it is now. What has always stayed consistent along the way is staying true to myself. I realize how cheesy that is, but it really is true. It’s easy to want to follow the latest fad in hopes of jumping on a fast moving bandwagon and gain mass appeal. But when that happens, your brand becomes a trend follower instead of a trend setter. Honestly, that’s exhausting. I don’t want to spend my time trying to keep up with all of it and then reworking everything when the wind suddenly blows a different direction. People want to see what you’re doing, and how you’re different. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I first started my blog, Crazy Wonderful, I shared nothing but the DIY projects I was working on around the house. It was all DIY. We were young and I wanted to make the most of our budget. If a piece of home decor or furniture I wanted was out of reach I taught myself how to make it. When you’re self taught you learn a lot about what works and doesn’t work (mostly about what doesn’t work), but over time you build all types of useful skills that save you so much money. I look back at some of my earliest projects and cringe, but really that’s a good thing because I can see how I’ve grown and changed over time. While my budget is different now than it was in the beginning, I still stick to my love of DIY and making smart purchases. Creating a beautiful home isn’t out of your reach and it’s something you can start doing today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first time my mom came to visit us after we moved to Houston I took her shopping at Kuhl-Linscomb off Alabama St. The store is an entire experience in and of itself. MAI Antiques is another fun place to visit with lots of unique items. If someone was visiting around Spring or Fall, while not in the city, I would insist we make a quick trip out to Round Top, TX for Antiques Week. Some fun places to eat would be Saint Arnold’s Brewery, Little Pappasitos, and we would HAVE to hit up Sunday brunch at the Phoenicia MKT Bar.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My love of home comes from my desire to make a beautiful and comfortable sanctuary for my husband and kids. None of what I do would be possible without the support of them. I create content and share our home, our most personal space, with the world. Often times that means parts of our home have been turned upside down for projects. Without their willingness and encouragement to share the process it just wouldn’t happen.

Website: https://www.crazy-wonderful.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazywonderfulblog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazywonderfulblog/
Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/crazywonderful/_created/

Image Credits
All images taken by me

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