I know it’s already the first week of 2014, but I wanted to take one last look back at 2013. I’m calling it “The Year That Threw Me for a Loop” — in both wonderful and challenging ways. It was a pivotal year for Studio DIY: enormous growth, an engagement, and some health setbacks for my family and me. The rapid growth brought sleepless nights and an apartment that often resembled a party chaos zone. Below I’ll recap the top posts of 2013 (you clearly love balloons), share some behind-the-scenes outtakes, and outline a few things I’m planning for 2014.
Most Popular Posts of 2013
(Based on Pinterest and Google Analytics — a non-scientific combination. I included six because I couldn’t narrow it to five.)
Ornament Balloon photo by Mary Costa Photography; all other photos by Studio DIY.
1. Giant Crepe Paper Roses: I made these for a Martha Stewart and Jurlique collaboration and shared the tutorial on a whim. They blew up on Pinterest and became my most popular post of the year.
2. Confetti Dipped Balloons: I posted this after a server crash took my site down for a few days. By the time I checked in after meetings, the post had already been pinned thousands of times. They’ve continued to be insanely popular.
3. Balloon Surprise Box: This was my first post featured on BuzzFeed and it drove a huge traffic spike. I still think the idea of receiving a box of balloons is the best idea ever, and I have plans to reinvent it this year.
4. Conversation Heart Cakes: Conversation-heart themed projects are among my favorites, and apparently you love them in cake form too — a perfect fit for Valentine’s Day inspiration.
5. DIY Giant Ornament Balloons: Despite being posted in December, this project ranked fifth for the year — a spontaneous favorite that was fun to create.
6. Donut Balloons: 2013 felt like the year of the donut. While analytics show confetti balloons and roses as top performers, the comments, tweets and re-grams made it clear: we all love donuts. This was probably my personal favorite project of the year.
Maybe I should just become a balloon blog — honestly, I wouldn’t complain.
Outtakes
Shooting outdoors with dozens of balloons yields some memorable outtakes. Yes, I really do stand outside in a giant cake costume sometimes, and yes, people do look at me funny — welcome to LA, where quirky photo shoots are normal. Below are a few behind-the-scenes moments that didn’t make the main posts, including a photo where I look like a crown-wielding mobster.
I swear I look like I should be in an alley facing off with another crown-yielding mobster here.
We often shoot against this wall. Jeff stands in the street to get the shot while I warn him about traffic — a hazardous but important job.
That time a donut balloon made a run for it.
There was no stopping it. I don’t support letting balloons loose for environmental reasons, but I couldn’t help laughing at the sight of a donut drifting over LA.
I like to dance between and even during shots. Pineapples were another big theme in 2013 — they might stick around into 2014.
Behind the Scenes
The finished shots on this blog often look tidy, but behind the camera things are usually chaotic. I style carefully, but multiple projects and tight deadlines mean you’ll often find half-finished backdrops, props in odd places, and general creative mess. Below are a few glimpses of that mess — the reality of creating DIY content day after day.
How many Studio DIY projects can you spot in this photo? I count five.
I helped make a 5′ x 8′ photo background for a store opening — where else would it go but the curtain rod?
Sometimes I don’t clean up one project before starting the next. This photo shows the tail end of a honeycomb backdrop and an early test for a giant balloon project. Also: donut and heart piñatas love photo-bombing.
Leftover confetti wands, peonies, and sprinkles — evidence of a busy creative process.
Sometimes props get mishandled at a studio. A cake that was squished in a too-small fridge got rescued and repaired — you couldn’t tell it had been smooshed.
And Just a Few More Things
I can’t thank you enough for the support Studio DIY received in 2013, so I’ll skip the overly sappy gratitude and address a heavier topic that showed up as my audience grew: nasty comments. As visibility increased, anonymous critics started making remarks about my body. I want to be open about this because many of you defended me in the comments and that meant a lot.
People questioned my weight and made assumptions — that I didn’t eat, had an eating disorder, or that photos were manipulated. None of that is true. When I was 13 I was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer that led to a total gastrectomy — I don’t have a stomach. That surgery means I can only eat small amounts at a time and my body doesn’t absorb nutrients normally. As a result, it’s very difficult for me to gain significant weight. I also have food sensitivities, so if I’m not eating at an event it’s likely because something on the plate doesn’t agree with me, not because I won’t eat at all.
I’m 11 years cancer-free now, but there are lasting effects. In October I was hospitalized for severe anemia because my body can’t absorb iron; I now receive IV iron treatments periodically. I also had a minor pneumothorax (a collapsed lung), which recurred and required surgery around the holidays. I’m healing now, and grateful to be able to work flexibly — when I’m having a tough day I can work from home instead of losing income to a limited number of sick days in a traditional job.
If you’ve followed my medical updates, you know these issues are related to my earlier surgery. I wanted to share this background because you, the readers, have been supportive and because my experience helped shape my career. Being sidelined during recovery as a teen is what led me to pick up a sketchbook and discover my love of design and crafting.
Now, on to 2014!
Photo by Mary Costa Photography
Here are a few things I’m planning for 2014:
1. Our Wedding — I won’t turn this into a wedding blog, but I’ll share occasional updates and plans, probably about once a month.
2. New Series — I’m finally launching a few series I teased last year: a DIY date night series, a cake decorating series, and other new project streams.
3. A Real-Life Studio — Studio DIY needs a proper workspace. I’m working toward finding a dedicated studio or a larger workspace in a new home.
4. Sponsors — I loved collaborating with brands in 2013 and will continue to work with sponsors that fit the Studio DIY aesthetic. Every partnership I pursue is with brands I genuinely like and projects I’d create regardless of sponsorship.
5. Conferences and Speaking — Due to recent lung surgery I can’t fly or go to high altitudes right now, so I’ll miss Alt Summit this year. But I’m excited to be speaking at Craftcation in April — my first speaking engagement.
That wraps up a long post. Thanks for sticking with me, supporting Studio DIY, and being excited for what’s next. If you have any questions about the topics I covered — medical stuff, behind the scenes, or 2014 plans — ask in the comments. I’m an open book.