Just like last year we answered a batch of personal and random questions from our Facebook and Twitter friends to celebrate the blogiversary. You asked more than 200 questions, so we couldn’t get to them all, but we picked a bunch that were fun, revealing, or just plain silly. Here are our answers — edited for clarity, trimmed of repetition, and delivered in plain English.
Q: What is the weirdest question you have ever been asked? – Jessica
Sherry: Someone once asked me while I was pregnant whether I wore thongs. I mistakenly thought they meant flip-flops and talked about arch support. They clarified, and I’ve sworn the Fifth ever since.
Q: Besides Burger and Clara, if you were stranded on a deserted island what 5 things each would you have to have? – Sara
Sherry: Sunscreen, sunglasses, an endless supply of chocolate-covered bananas, a magical TV that gets reception, and a camera to capture Clara and Burger doing cute things.
John: A kayak (for fun), Yahtzee, an iPod (or an iPhone if there’s service), lots of ice-cold sweet tea, and a toothbrush.
Q: Would you ever leave Richmond? – Beth
Sherry: We adore Richmond and don’t want to live anywhere else, but we try not to say never — life can surprise you.
Q: Do you guys only eat organic? – Allison
Sherry: No way. We love junk food sometimes — Oreos, guilty as charged. We aim for balance: enjoy organic and farmer’s markets when we can, but also eat generic grocery-store food and the occasional binge.
John: We’re human.
Q: How did you know the time was right to start a family? Any pre-baby checklist? – MariaJose
Sherry: There wasn’t a checklist — one morning we just felt ready. Seeing family members with babies made us think, “We could do that.”
John: If you wait until you check off everything on a list, you might never feel ready. We didn’t over-plan.
Q: How many children do you want? – Stacy
Sherry: We don’t have a concrete plan. Some days we want a gaggle, other days just one more.
John: We’d like Clara to have at least one sibling. Right now we’re content with one and would wait a few years before deciding on number two.
Q: Do you ever disagree on designs or purchases? – Susanna
John: All the time. Our rule is: if we don’t both agree, we don’t buy it.
Sherry: That prevents resentment and keeps our house from filling with impulse purchases. John often asks, “Do we really need that?” which saves money and sanity.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to? – Christine
John: We listen to everything: Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Black Eyed Peas, Death Cab, Eminem, The Killers, Britney, Lily Allen, Vampire Weekend, Lady Gaga, Glee soundtracks — we’re all over the place.
Q: Sherry, did you have any cravings when pregnant? – Erin
Sherry: Baked potatoes — I wanted them constantly. I had morning sickness for over 100 days, so heavy, bland, starchy things helped. I also loved chocolate milk and lemonade; oddly, onion rings made me sick until after Clara was born.
Q: What do your neighbors think? – Stephanie
John: One neighbor is in her eighties, so she may not know what a blog is. Others recognize us and sometimes comment on our curtains or projects — which is always amusing.
Q: What quirks drive each other nuts? – Laura
John: I broke Sherry of leaving dirty dishes on the counter instead of loading the dishwasher.
Sherry: That habit started when I was huge with Clara and couldn’t bend easily. John’s quirk is “sneaking” candy into the grocery bags; we always find treats we didn’t remember buying.
Q: What are your cultural/ethnic backgrounds? – Patricia
John: I’m half German (my grandfather’s name changed at Ellis Island from Petrik to Petersik) and part Swedish, Swiss, and Irish.
Sherry: I’m Italian on my mom’s side and Austrian on my dad’s side.
Q: What would readers be most surprised to learn about you? – Constance
Sherry: I get performance anxiety and once appeared in a Dr Pepper commercial.
John: I’m mildly obsessed with Dr Pepper. I also once promised myself not to get involved while living in NYC so I could leave easily — then met Sherry and tossed that plan out the window.
Q: What are your career goals? Planned or play it by ear? – Christa
John: I don’t have a rigid career masterplan. I want to support my family and enjoy the work — blogging, home improvement, or even returning to advertising are all options.
Sherry: I’d like to someday buy and renovate a second property to rent out. It’s a long-term idea inspired by John’s dad, who bought rental properties for each of his kids over time.
Q: What were you like in high school and college? – Lindsay
John: I was the band geek — French horn, band council president, and voted “friendliest male in the band.” In college I joined improv and a coed honor fraternity.
Sherry: I was loud, enthusiastic, and sometimes bossy — a typical first child. I swam competitively, loved art, and studied fine art in college before switching to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in advertising.
Q: Does John still do improv for Sherry? – Jamie
Sherry: John makes me laugh several times an hour with sarcastic one-liners and physical comedy. He’s often the reason I spit out my drink from laughing.
Q: List 3 keys to a successful marriage. – Lissa
Sherry: Sense of humor, respect, flexibility.
John: Laughter, dialogue, admiration.
Q: Who cooks most often? Any go-to dishes? – Tracie
Sherry: John cooks about 99.9% of the time. He makes a great cold pasta with avocado and chicken and is working through Jamie Oliver’s recipes — kind of like Julie & Julia, but Jamie & John.
Q: Do you cook with as much gusto as you design? – Melinda
Sherry: I eat with gusto and leave most cooking to John.
John: I’m not a chef, but I enjoy learning and experimenting — similar to how we tackle home projects.
Q: Did the people who sold you your house follow the blog? – Evan
Sherry: The original owners actually wrote to us, which was a lovely surprise.
Q: Sherry, where do you shop for clothes? – Candice
Sherry: Mostly affordable stores — Target, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic Outlet, DSW. I love a good deal.
Q: What is your favorite movie? – Andrea
Sherry: Zombieland became a favorite soon after Clara was born — maybe pregnancy hormones, but I genuinely love it.
John: I enjoy quirky improv films like Waiting for Guffman and Wet Hot American Summer that I can watch over and over.
Q: Any DIY projects you now regret? – Keighley
John: Our whole 2006 house setup is a cringe-worthy time capsule — we learned a lot since then.
Sherry: We evolved our layout, colors, and style over time and are grateful we kept experimenting until things felt right.
Q: With all the work and a baby, do you find time together? Date nights? – Michelle
Sherry: Projects help keep us connected. We also enjoy casual date nights after Clara goes to bed — TV and ice cream on the couch.
John: A few quiet hours together in the evening do wonders for staying connected.
Q: How did the chair in Clara’s room work out? – Teresa
Sherry: It’s very comfortable and one of the places I nurse often.
John: I read to Clara in that chair every night as part of her bedtime routine — we’re happy with it.
Q: Do you ever get tired of working together? – Emily
Sherry: We give each other “me-time” prompts — a run, a shower, a walk — to prevent burnout.
John: Humor and breaks help keep us balanced.
Q: Do you ever fight? – Betty
John: Yes. Sherry can be loud and passionate; I can get sulky. But we remind ourselves we’re a team and usually resolve things quickly.
Sherry: We get peeved sometimes, but most arguments are about situations, not each other.
Q: Do you ever feel inadequate? How do you cope? – Polina
Sherry: We do feel that way sometimes. We pull ourselves out of it by remembering perspective: some people like us a lot, some dislike us, and most are in between.
John: Ultimately it’s about enjoying our life, each other, and what we do. We can’t please everyone.
Q: How do you save money when socializing? – Judith
Sherry: We invite friends over for inexpensive dinners like spaghetti, which is fun and budget-friendly.
John: It also creates a friendly rotation of hosting instead of going out all the time.
Q: What childhood item can you’t part with? – Dan
John: I still have a baby blanket with sheep on it that I handed down to Burger — now it’s his crate blankie.
Sherry: I have tiny saddle shoes from when I was a toddler that live in a closet box. Maybe Clara will wear them someday or we’ll use them for nursery art.
Q: If you won the lottery, would you move into a mansion? – Maky
John: We’d probably buy a handful of charming modest houses to renovate and rent — that would be fun and blog-worthy.
Sherry: We’d still deal-hunt and do projects ourselves because that’s how we enjoy spending time.
Q: How messy is your house right now? – Sarah
John: About a three out of ten on the clean-to-messy scale.
Sherry: Projects can push it to an eleven, but since we’re selling the house we try to keep things tidy.
Q: First and last concerts? – Nichole
Sherry: First — Warped Tour in eighth grade. Last — Panic! At The Disco or Rooney; can’t remember which.
John: First — Trisha Yearwood with my mom in sixth grade. Last — Panic! At The Disco or Rooney; same memory gap.
Q: Most embarrassing moments? – Alison
Sherry: When people recognize us out and we get awkward and beet-red. Meeting readers is always kind, but we’re dorky in person.
John: I once fainted at work and landed in my boss’s lap — that was memorable and mortifying.
Q: Has Clara changed Burger’s relationship with you? – Heather
John: We worried about how Burger would adjust, but he’s done great and we adore both kids.
Sherry: Clara was adorable from day one and everyone adjusted well — no unpleasant surprises there.
Q: What’s the strangest result of your “fame”? – Amber
Sherry: The idea of “fame” feels weird — we’re bloggers, not celebrities. But seeing our house photos in foreign magazines is surreal and flattering.
Q: What chore does the other always handle? – Emily
Sherry: John changes most of the diapers; he agreed to handle that if I take charge of feeding. He’s also the main cook.
John: Sherry wraps presents and makes them look festive — that’s her department.
Q: Was the transition to parenthood easier or harder than expected? – Sarah
John: People warned us about being zombies, but we were pleasantly surprised — Clara sleeps well and we adjusted.
Sherry: It’s been a nice transition and we’re thankful both Clara and Burger adapted well.
Q: What shows do you watch besides HGTV? – Katie
Sherry: Flipping Out, The Real Housewives (DC & NJ), Glee, Top Chef, 30 Rock, The Office, SNL, America’s Next Top Model, and Grey’s Anatomy — good TV after a day of DIYing.
Q: Do you ever have a bad day? – Heather
Sherry: Of course. We have bad days like everyone.
John: The blog doesn’t show every rough moment. We try to stay positive and share flops when they’re instructive so readers know we’re not perfect.
Q: If you could go back to the weeks before Clara was born, would you change anything? – Sarah
Sherry: John was at lunch when I went into labor. We had planned a big last-day-of-work celebration but ended up celebrating Clara’s birth instead. It was perfect in its own chaotic way, so we wouldn’t change it.
Q: Will you homeschool or use public/private school? – Priscilla
Sherry: We plan to send our kids to public school. We both value public education and have confidence in it, though we appreciate private options too.
Q: What’s next to make your life greener? – Jennifer
John: I want a bat box.
Sherry: And a bee box — we want to encourage pollinators and natural pest control. We’ll also explore greener moving options when we relocate.
Q: Do you exercise? – Anne
Sherry: My workout is carrying Clara, nightly walks, and nursing. I’m not a gym person — I watch what I eat or size up my pants if needed.
John: I still go for morning runs when I can and I’ve given up the gym membership but keep active outdoors.
Q: Would you travel without Burger? – Julia
Sherry: Burger joined us on our honeymoon to Alaska, so we don’t like leaving him behind. If he’d be happier at home with family, we’d consider it, but we usually travel as a four-pack.
There you have it — a long list of questions and honest answers. Thanks for the curiosity, the thoughtful prompts, and for sticking with us through the long Q&A. We’re not as mysterious as some people think — just two dorks who love projects, good food, and our little family.