Blogger Interview with UrbanCountryStyle

Before I started the blog, I had researched and studied other bloggers to decide how I want to represent myself and my content. I came across Suzie Salmon’s blog, Urban Country Style and fell in love. Suzie showcases her talent for interior design, a discerning eye for fashion and shares recipes and meal ideas that would put Martha to the test while making the rest of us drool. So I was delighted when I asked if she would oblige C&C for a blogger interview and she said yes!  Sometimes we forget to listen to the “voice behind the blog” and become too enraptured with the subject and photos at hand. I’d like to think my Q&As: below give us some more background into the makings of UrbanCountryStyle.

Q: From your bio it seems like you are girl with rural roots that managed to keep that “feel” instilled in your city lifestyle. What would you recommend are some key elements to maintaining the “country” feel in your home while deep in the urban jungle?

A: I’m more of a small town girl than “rural”, as in I never grew up on a farm or ranch. I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island and always dreamed of “getting out”. I think that was my first conscious thought actually! And while I DO love the city, now I’d rather visit it than live in it. I crave a somewhat reclusive lifestyle with big skies and open range but since that’s not possible at this moment, I try to make our home that sanctuary in the mean time.
To achieve that, I have to say I’m fortunate enough to have moved through the phases of decor that I am NOT. Thankfully, the all black furniture with shiny black plastic-ish coffee tables was only a phase! That said, I’ve always loved antiques…but more the “rustic” than the “valuable” kind. No, you will not find any Louis the blah blah blah in my house! I’m more about reclaimed wood, painted paint over old paint, and the rust underneath the paint than I am about solid mahogany or something a former French King owned! So, I’ve found a way to toss that into the mix and add in a little bit of shiny stuff into it all to make it more “whole”. I have the same rule about furniture that I do about art. If I love it (and I love rustic AND refined) I’ll find a way to put it in my house. Hence, my UrbanCountryStyle was born!

Q: What are your greatest passions in life?

 
A: I’m glad you put a plural on that! I’ll try to list them in order:

 
1) My family-four years ago we lost my brother and I helped take care of him while he passed away. This profoundly changed how I look at life and what my priorities are. At the end of your life, I don’t believe anyone wishes for another meeting at the office or a business conference! What we all want is those we know and love to be nearby, so I will always make them my priority!

 
2) Our home-I spent many years working outside the home and while I never neglected it, I didn’t really get the time I wanted to truly turn it into our own personal sanctuary. Now, I treasure the time I get to spend making this the best retreat we can have…My aim is to have it be the place we want to ultimately be so that no matter where we travel we are always happy to come home.

 
3) Our Food–again, after so many meals of having to prepare things that fed us versus feeding our souls, I love to cook and turn our dining experiences into a moment where the world stops and we take time to just enjoy each other and the food in front of us. These kind of meals take time and commitment…”slow cooking, without the slow cooker” I like to call it. 
 
Q: You mentioned one time that “Smart is Sexy” (which I love and is such a positive message), on top of having an amazing eye for fashion and design, you are an educated lady. If my memory recalls you mentioned in a prior comment that you are a nutritional-bioanthropologist? Any chance you can explain what one does when they are that?

 
A: First, I want to clarify that when I said “smart is sexy” I was not simply referring to book smarts, grades, or educational achievement. I know many people who have never attended school past grade school and they are some of the smartest people I know! I think some of the smartest women I have ever met are those filled with the ingenuity to provide for their families with little or nothing of monetary value. Let’s face it: it’s easy to provide if money is no object! But I know many women for whom this is not a reality; yet, they defy all odds and create homes, sanctuaries, raise children, and operate businesses that would rival any money-rich person’s lifestyle in spades. These women are my inspiration and those I consider to be the smartest (and sexiest!) among us. That said, there’s also the flip side to this in which I’ve witnessed a woman play dumb because she thought that was somehow attractive. I think that is the exact opposite of sexy and not only diminishes her worth, but also negatively impacts all women by setting up the expectations for our behaviour that are just not compatible with our capabilities.

As for anthropology, I will do my best to define a few concepts without turning this into a first year anth course. If you are already bored, I’d just skip to the next question :).
Anthropology is a discipline that looks at the human condition through time. Who are we? How did we come to be? Why are we all so similar yet so different? Most people think of anthropology as purely a cultural study perspective, but Biological Anthropology takes anthropology and marries it to biology. It’s research questions ask things like, “are hunter/gatherers healthier than sedentary populations?” (note: I’ve overly simplified this). Bio-Anth researchers take more into consideration more than just the physiological that biologists would consider when conducting their research. Bio-Anth researchers implement what is known as a “bio-cultural” approach. I think it is more holistic when considering an investigation because you can become far more specific. Nutritional anthropology takes that bio-cultural approach and applies it to food and nutrition. Why do we eat what we eat? What impacts our food choices (eg. climate, oil prices, political mandates, religious values, etc). My own personal research moves that discipline into the Public Health sphere by examining how those choices, and what effects them, has an affect on our health and my particular sub-sub-sub specialty which focusses on Aboriginal health via Aboriginal food safety and security.

Q:  I’m always excited to see Suzie’s new ideas and projects on Urban Country Style. What has been some of your favourite to-date?

 
A: My ultimate favorite is the tablescape “Give me Silver Blue and Gold”. I really did wake up with that song in my head that morning and the tablescape just flowed from it!

I also loved the transformation of our living room in our current house. It was a very 70s subdivision with a few 80s updates kind of place when we moved in. I didn’t want to do anything too major because I want to maximize my return on this investment when we sell it, so I was pleasantly surprised what removing a bit of wood panelling and painting did for the room! 

Q: What are some things followers expect from UCS in the future?

A: Well, I’ve never really asked them! I guess I’m afraid to turn it into a democracy because I kind of like being UCSs dictator (LOL). I can say that the posts that draw the most hits are far and away the “what I’m wearing” fashion posts. Those are usually double or better all the others. But that’s not going to stop me from posting my food and home decor pieces. The food takes the most work but is always satisfying not only for the blog but for my family. Ditto on the home decor!

Thanks so much to Suzie for the interview, to learn more about her style, decor, travel and cooking you can find her on Facebook or her Blog.

Suzie Style

Suzie at Home