Meet Amanda Johnston | Creative DIY Blogger

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

Hi Amanda, why did you pursue a creative career?

When I first started my business I was looking for a way to connect and build relationships with other moms while I stayed at home with my babies. I’ve always been a creative person by nature so while my kids were little I taught myself how to sew and began making kids decor. After the birth of my third baby it was hard to find the time to hand make items for my shop so I began sharing the fun things we did as a family. I wanted to document my ideas in a way I could go back and look at them, so the Project Whim Blog was born. I now share with other moms how to add WHIM to the everyday. We do DIY projects of all kinds, party ideas, crafts, recipes and so much more. Project Whim is all the ways you can add magic to the day to day of motherhood. It has been a wonderful, creative outlet for me while making friends with people all over the world! Some of my best friends have been met through Project Whim.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I love getting creative and making things “pretty”, but I’m a bit of a penny pincher. As I came up with ways to make a gift basket or do a home project I learned that it really doesn’t take a lot of money to add WHIM. With a little bit of elbow grease or maybe just sparkly ribbon or a printable pennant flag you can add magic. It’s more how you display it that makes a gift feel a little more special. Teacher gifts are one of my favorite things to make and we have shared some really adorable ones over the years! Snack boards, birthday party themes for the kids and home projects are other things that bring me a lot of joy.

My kids are the ultimate inspiration and the reason I do any of it. Watching their faces light up makes my heart explode. It has been fun the last few years because my girls like to join in and help. So you will see them often helping me with a new recipe or making favors and decorations for their parties. They are very hands on and I love that THEY are loving it too!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

We are so lucky to live in Colorado because we are surrounded by natural beauty. So showing off the great outdoors and hiking would be on my list.

A day trip to Colorado Springs to explore Garden of the Gods and the Broadmoore would be fun. A MUST stop trip to The Golden Bee for a beer and lunch.

Buena Vista is a cute town that we like to visit. They have hiking and rafting and the cutest downtown. We love to walk and check out the shops and breweries.

Pagosa Springs is another favorite spot. There is nothing quite like skiing the powder all day at Wolf Creek and then soaking in the hot springs. Alley House is great if you are looking for fine dining or Riff Raff Draft House is great for the family!

A concert at Red Rocks is a pretty special experience. I recommend that if you are visiting Denver.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My husband, Rex, has been the most encouraging person in my life. No matter what I wanted to learn or do he always pushes me to step out of my comfort level and try new things. Whether it was teaching myself how to sew or figure out how to build a blog he was very supportive. When I was offered my first big sponsorship he was the most excited for me and all the hard work and time I had put into my small business.

I attribute my creativity to my Grandmother, Mimi and my mother. They made every holiday and event extremely special. I learned skills like entertaining, hosting parties, handcrafting thoughtful gifts, decorating all from the two of them.

Website: ProjectWhim.com

Instagram: @Projectwhim