Meet the Baby Moxies || Life of a Princessitect :: Passion for Design Starts Young

Update (2024)

Evyn and Eva who you have occasionally seen on this site are now in college. I know. Wow! Time flies.

Evyn is a 2nd semester Junior at Towson University, my alma mater  – we live walking distance from the campus. She’s a Mass Comm major with a Minor in Marketing. Go figure! She’s currently looking for internships if you know anyone. She’s a bright and capable person – a master decorator – and I have no doubt that she will be making an impact in the Business world soon.

Eva my youngest is (after taking a semester off) in her first semester at CCBC – Essex (also a school I attended). She works pretty full time at the Home Goods store Kirkland’s, again go figure! All signs seem to point her ultimately joining – Mrs. Moxie for a career in real estate.

Read on to see just one of the stories I posted about them back in the day. It was part of series called #letsblogoff on Twitter. The question was asked: Where do you get your (blog) ideas from? Cheers! ~jb

 

*******

I’ll admit it.  When I saw it I said to myself, “This is simply, the most brilliant blog post . . . ever!”

And let’s say, by chance, that that lead in wouldn’t entice you enough to click over — I’ll just go ahead and drop it. It was Bob Borson from LifeofanArchitect.com interviewing his then six-year-old daughter Kate . . . on various things. But if you do happen to have a few minutes — I say then, please click; it’s worth your time.

Now — I’ll also admit, I’m the kinda guy (historically) that doesn’t have too good a time with — “Damn! I SHOULD have thought of that first!”  (I know, it’s a character flaw and I am working on it). That, and I’m also not the kinda guy who sits well with a feeling of “copying” other people’s . . . ideas.

I mean — ya know, I have two darling little “prodigies” myself, and maybe I haven’t focused enough of my attention on them, here.  But why wouldn’t I?  Because it has been done?  No.  I mean — I was eventually gonna do it anyway, and it fits.  How could it not?  How could they not take on (through osmosis or something) at least some interest in, well . . . houses?  Mom a real estate agent, and dad a working-around-the-house-most-weekends, semi-professional *ahem* . . . handyblogger.  And Ahyeah! *grin*

As the misses and I began talking about “their” bathroom (the hall bath project that you may have heard me speak of) — I wasn’t surprised.  And while the wife and I were off in another room chatting . . . the oldest (Evyn, yes, seven) walked in and whipped it out.  She presented it (and others) saying, “This is what I want our bathroom to look like.”

“Sweet!” I said. We finally had a schematic to work from << and yep, an embellishment.

*******

Our bathroom through a 9-year old’s eyes:

a seven-year-old's rendering of a Hall Bath

A few days later I came home to these:

Evyn presenting her new house models

I was impressed by the fact that she thought to do the interior, before assembling (though admittedly not her best crayola work — and an owl? . . . Really?):

Evyn's house model the interior

But of course with any work comes . . . well . . . Critics:

Eva critiquing seven-year-old Evyn's design

And anyway, Eva’s style is more *ahem* minimalistic (but I best check here for whether I am using that term correctly):

My Eva's Style is far more minimalist

*******

So I got to wondering where these “ideas” and their “execution” come from.  Legos are certainly not the same as they used to be.  Kids these days don’t have that log thing and/or an erector set.  Not much in the way of getting them into . . .  modeling — I’d say.  Yeah, of course there is this giant dollhouse we’ve had set up in their playroom for years. It’s a big one; in fact, it is an “outdoor” piece.

Here:

7 Year Old Decorating First Step Dollhouse

As I took these pics, Evyn tells me, “I could put the bed on the second floor, but then there wouldn’t be a place for everyone . . . *hand gesture* . . . to hang out.”  She tells me a few more things, and then I ask, “Where do you get your inspiration from?”  Her answer:  “…from our house.”

I mean — it is a hobby that both Evyn and Eva enjoy.  They regularly unload and reload this thing.  And too bad if it doesn’t match our overall room decor.

Still in her zone, she then says to me, “Dad. Ummmm… How many people are going to see me online?”

Boy and Girl Barbies Hanging In Staged Dollhouse

“Well Evyn . . . AAAAAA LOT!”  . . . She smiled.

*******

You know I wish I had some room left for notes on the completed bath.  I don’t.  But there is time to say these things:

In a recent parent/teacher at Evyn’s school, her teacher said of her, “She is (a quote) great with money, and she’s whiz at geometry.”  Now picture me — *thought bubble*, “Hmmmm . . . A Princessitect!” And Okay, it’s a little weak — not my best for sure, but I just needed something to go in that little bit called — a title, above.  And there I had it — an idea (for an idea).

So where do my ideas come from?

Well, Bob Borson, of course! No, actually (and Okay, some): My ideas can strike anywhere, at anytime, and sometimes . . . they can be inspired as a “reaction” to something I am reminded of, or to something someone else has already done.  And funny thing is . . . maybe my daughters are like that too.

Oh, and I’ll say this.  It’s actually kinda simple.  My most inspired ideas come, quite frankly, when I am sleeping.  It’s true, and hi-five to anyone that can groove on that.  And if you don’t believe me, check me — 6 to 9am, daily, because yeah — you’ll find me just crushing it . . . just trying to get ’em all out.

*******

Thanks reading and if you ever wondered how that bathroom turned out, here >> After and Before with American Standard.