Blogging her way to success

VisitingKristen Cadwallader's Rock Island home in search of simple do-it-yourself home design projectsis like looking for plants in a greenhouse. They are everywhere.

In the living room alone you'll spot a fireplace skillfully updated with paint, tile and wood molding, an impressivelibrary wall made with relatively inexpensive Ikea bookcases and flea market finds dressed up with paint.

These inventive "Why didn't I think of this?" projects did not happen by accident.Cadwallader works at it.

The Rock Island High School graduate and 34-year-old mother of two has forged a career as ahome design blogger, creatingmaterial to write about by dreaming up craft and decorating projects for her own home. She does the work, photographs the project from start to finishand posts it online withstep-by-step instructions.

Her bliss-athome.com blog currently receives about200,000 page views per month.

This substantial following led to her beingfeatured inthe August issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, andlate last month she flew to New York for The Stylemaker Event, adaylong programata swanky hotel.

Sponsored by the Meredith Corp./Better Homes & Gardens, it involved 70 peoplefrom across the country whom the organizers believe will be stylemakers in theareas of food, fashion and design.

Cadwallader is as amazed as anyone byall this.

How it all began

On a recent morning while sons Sam, 5, and Bryce, 10, were attending classes at Morning Star Academy in Bettendorf, Cadwallader perched on a living room chair with afluffy white poodle on her lap and explained that this pathunrolled serendipitously.

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Blogging her way to success