KariAnne Wood is the author of four best-selling books, including So Close To Amazing, The DIY (Decorate It Yourself) Planner, and The DIY Style Finder. She writes the decorating and lifestyle blog Thistlewood Farms from her project-filled historic home in the busy Dallas Metroplex where she lives with her husband and four children.
KariAnne has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas, Country Living, Flea Market Decor, Country Woman, HGTV Magazine, the Cottage Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Reloved, and This Old House magazine, and on popular websites including the Today show, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Apartment Therapy, Good Housekeeping, MediaKix, Bob Vila, and Buzzfeed.
Q&A with KariAnne Wood
What interests you most about taking on DIY projects?
I am a yard saler. I never met a piece of junk that I didn’t like. Seriously. And when you collect junk? Guess what happens next? Projects and more projects. I love the idea of taking something that someone else was going to toss or throw away and giving it a brand new life. That’s my favorite part of being a DIY’er.
What creative areas do you prefer to focus on?
I love to paint furniture. When we bought our first home and we didn’t have any money left over to decorate, I had to get creative. So I’d shop thrift stores and yard sales and find furniture that needed a little bit of refurbishing. It became a challenge for me to decorate a room for as little money as possible.
What do you consider to be your greatest business accomplishment thus far?
I am so proud to be a published author. I’m working on my 6th book right now and I love the process of writing and photographing. I write decorating books all about how to create a home that you love on a budget.
What has been your most difficult project that you’ve tackled?
One of my most difficult projects that I tackled with my husband was a painted hexagon wall with an ombre paint pattern. It was all about math and that was not my best subject in school. And then? As if that wasn’t difficult enough, I decided we needed to make wooden hexagon shelves, too.
Do you have a brand partner that you consider to be your favorite?
There are too many that I like to name a favorite! I am honored to serve as a brand ambassador for Sherwin-Williams, HomeTalk, Jeffrey Court and BHG Live Better to name a few. Some of my other favorite brands are FrogTape, Lamps Plus, Homes.com, Overstock, Beth, Bath and Beyond and Home Depot.
Which platform helps you to reach your audience the most, and how do you keep them engaged?
My favorite platform to connect with my readers is my blog. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adore the people that read the blog. They leave the best comments and uplift and encourage me every step of the way. I love interacting with them in comments and reading e-mails. If you read the blog—I count you among my friends.
Based upon your personal experience, what’s one piece of advice that you’d give to blogger/influencers?
Someone told me this when I first started and I have never forgotten it. Be yourself. Yes. You. Wonderfully, amazing, incredible you. And here’s why. There is only one you in the world. Only one person with your story. One person who looks like you and thinks like you and has your amazing talents. Use your blog to share that with the world.
What’s one fun fact about you that our readers would be surprised to know?
That I was hula hoop champion of the fourth grade.
What do you like most about HAVEN Conference?
There are so many things. I love learning. I love meeting new people. I love the connections I’ve formed over the years with bloggers and influencers and brands. My number one way to grow your blog that I recommend to everyone? Go to HAVEN.
What do you want your audience to take away from your presentation at the Heart of HAVEN virtual conference?
I want them to be inspired. I want them to learn to think outside the box. I want them to understand how amazing they are. I want to give them actionable tips that they can use to grow their blog and their business.
- You can follow KariAnne Wood on social media at: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
Q and A with a HAVEN 2020 Speaker Series
(This section will be updated as more articles are published)
Amber Kemp-Gerstel
Heather Cooke
Carmen Smith
Jessica Litman
Corey Hudson
Wendy Zock
Racheal Jackson
Jessica Russell
Cara Newhart
Jess Crow
Tracy Pendergast
Brittany Norman
Jenn McMurray
Karen Snyder
Yuni Min
Kera Jeffers
Kate Smith
Erin Marshall
Erin Ruoff
Rachel Rosenthal
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