Just like last year, we answered a wide range of personal and random questions from our Facebook and Twitter friends to celebrate this year’s blogiversary. You asked over 200 questions (you’re a curious bunch!), so we couldn’t get to all of them, but we picked a bunch to share. Here’s a polished round-up of answers—hopefully we’re more entertaining here than we sometimes feel in person.
Q: What is the weirdest question you have ever been asked? – Jessica
Sherry: Someone once asked me while I was pregnant if I wore thongs. I misinterpreted it at first and talked about flip-flops and arch support—awkward. I’ll politely plead the fifth on the rest.
Q: Besides Burger and Clara, if you were stranded on a deserted island what five things would you each want? – Sara
Sherry: Sunscreen, sunglasses, an endless supply of chocolate-covered bananas, a magical TV with reception, and a camera (Clara and Burger would do plenty of adorable things worth capturing).
John: A kayak (for fun, not necessarily escape), 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 love Richmond and don’t plan to leave, but we’ve learned to never say never.
Q: Do you guys only eat organic? – Allison
Sherry: Not at all. We enjoy organic options and farmer’s markets, but we also indulge in Oreos and other junk food. We aim for balance—healthy meals most of the time, plus the occasional binge.
John: We’re human.
Q: How did you know the time was right to start a family? Were there pre-baby financial or personal checkboxes? – MariaJose
Sherry: It felt right one morning—seeing family with babies made us think we could do it too. So we gave it a try.
John: If you wait to check off an imaginary list, you might never feel ready. We went with instinct.
Q: How many kids are you hoping for? – Stacy
Sherry: We don’t have a definitive plan. Sometimes we imagine a big family; other times one more seems perfect.
John: We’d like Clara to have at least one sibling, but for now we’re content with one and will wait a few years before deciding anything else.
Q: Do you ever disagree about designs or purchases? – Susanna
John: All the time. Our rule: if we don’t both agree, we don’t buy it. That keeps the house free of resentment and impulse purchases.
Sherry: It works—everything in our home is something we both wanted.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to? – Christine
John: We listen to a wide mix: Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Black Eyed Peas, Death Cab, Eminem, The Killers, Britney Spears, Lily Allen, Vampire Weekend, Lady Gaga, and a lot of other stuff. We’re all over the map.
Q: Sherry, did you have pregnancy cravings? – Erin
Sherry: Baked potatoes were my go-to—starchy, bland comfort during long bouts of morning sickness. Later I craved chocolate milk and lemonade. Oddly, onion rings made me sick the whole time, but now I can eat them again.
Q: What do your neighbors think? – Stephanie
John: One neighbor is in her eighties and may not follow blogs, but some people in our neighborhood recognize us and occasionally comment on things like new curtains. It’s always a little funny.
Q: What quirky habits drive each other nuts? – Laura
John: I broke Sherry of leaving dirty dishes on the counter—now she loads the dishwasher. That started when she was pregnant and couldn’t bend easily.
Sherry: John has a habit of “sneaking” candy into the grocery cart. We unpack bags and find random treats—he’s charmingly sheepish about it.
Q: What are your cultural and ethnic backgrounds? – Patricia
John: I’m half German (grandfather changed his name at Ellis Island) and part Swedish, Swiss, and Irish.
Sherry: I’m Italian on my mom’s side and Austrian on my dad’s side.
Q: What might readers be surprised to learn about you? – Constance
Sherry: Performance anxiety—also, I once appeared in a Dr. Pepper commercial.
John: I’m obsessed with Dr. Pepper, and when I moved to NYC I vowed not to get attached to anyone—luckily I broke that promise and met Sherry.
Q: What are your career goals? Do you plan ahead or play it by ear? – Christa
John: I don’t have a rigid career plan. I aim to support my family and enjoy the work—whether that’s blogging, home improvement, or advertising.
Sherry: I’d love to someday fix up a second property to rent. It’s a long-term idea inspired by John’s dad, who invested in rentals for his kids’ futures.
Q: What were you like in high school and college? – Lindsay
John: I was a band geek—French horn player and band council president. In college I joined improv and an honor fraternity.
Sherry: I was loud, energetic, and arts-focused. I swam competitively and studied fine art in college before switching to advertising. Still loud, just with different hair.
Q: Does John still do improv for Sherry? – Jamie
Sherry: John makes me laugh constantly. His sarcastic one-liners and improv instincts make him hysterically funny—he can make me spray milk with laughter regularly.
Q: List three essentials for a successful marriage. – Lissa
Sherry: Sense of humor, respect, flexibility.
John: Laughter, communication, admiration.
Q: Who does the cooking? Any go-to dishes? – Tracie
Sherry: John cooks most of the time—lucky me. He makes a great cold pasta with avocado and chicken and is working through Jamie Oliver’s recipes.
Q: Any DIY projects you regret? – Keighley
John: Our house circa 2006 was a design mess—thankfully we kept evolving and improving it over time.
Sherry: We learned by experimenting with layouts, colors, and styles until the house felt like us.
Q: With all the work and Clara now, do you find chill time together? How do you keep the spark alive? – Michelle
Sherry: House projects help keep us connected. We also have simple “date nights” a few evenings a week after Clara’s asleep—TV and ice cream on the couch are perfect.
John: It’s the small routines that matter—reading to Clara, painting together, or simply watching a show and talking.
Q: Since you work together from home, do you ever need space from each other? – Emily
Sherry: Yes—sometimes one of us suggests the other take a run, shower, or walk as a gentle way to get some breathing room and come back refreshed.
John: Maintaining humor and scheduling small amounts of alone time keeps things healthy.
Q: Do you ever feel inadequate, and how do you handle it? – Polina
Sherry: Definitely. We cope by remembering that opinions vary and focusing on what we enjoy. Most people are somewhere in the middle—neither extreme fans nor critics.
John: It comes down to enjoying each other and the work we do. We can’t please everyone, so we aim to be happy with who we are.
Q: How do you save money while socializing? – Judith
Sherry: We invite friends over and host inexpensive dinners—spaghetti feeds a crowd and keeps costs down while being fun.
John: Trading house-hosting with friends reduces the need to go out all the time.
Q: What from your childhood can you’t part with? – Dan
John: I still have my baby blanket with sheep on it; it’s now Burger’s blankie and a small family heirloom.
Sherry: I keep tiny saddle shoes from when I was a toddler—maybe Clara will wear them someday or we’ll turn them into nursery art.
Q: If you won a big lottery, would you move into a mansion? – Maky
John: We’d likely buy several modest old houses to renovate and rent—our idea of fun.
Sherry: We’d still hunt deals and enjoy DIY—tiling our own bathroom with clearance tile would probably still make us happy.
Q: How messy is your house right now? – Sarah
John: About a 3 out of 10—tidy but lived-in.
Sherry: Projects can push it to an “11,” but since we were selling for a while, we tried to keep things presentable.
Q: First and most recent concerts? – Nichole
Sherry: First: Warped Tour in eighth grade. Most recent: Panic! At The Disco or Rooney—can’t remember which.
John: First: Trisha Yearwood as a kid. Most recent: also Panic! At The Disco or Rooney—one of those.
Q: Most embarrassing moments? – Alison
Sherry: Being recognized in public is always awkward—we’re dorks and tend to blush and stammer. Sorry if we underwhelm!
John: I once fainted at work and landed on my boss—epic and mortifying, but I was okay afterward.
Q: Has Clara changed your relationship with Burger? – Heather
John: We worried about sibling bonding, but Burger and Clara fit into our family beautifully.
Sherry: We adore both of them. They’re each a huge part of our family, and everything adjusted well.
Q: What’s the strangest result of your “fame”? – Amber
Sherry: Calling it “fame” still feels odd—we’re just two bloggers. Seeing our house photos in magazines in other languages, though, is unbelievably surreal.
John: It’s mind-blowing to realize people across the globe are looking at photos of our home.
Q: Who handles tasks the other dislikes? – Emily
Sherry: John changes most of the diapers—he swapped chores by taking on “exports” while I handle the “imports” (feeding).
John: Sherry wraps presents and styles them—she’s the household gift manager.
Q: Was the transition to parenthood easier or harder than expected? – Sarah
John: People warned us about losing track of days and becoming zombies, but we were pleasantly surprised.
Sherry: Clara is a great sleeper, and parenting has felt manageable and joyful so far. Burger adjusted well too, which eased our worries.
Q: What TV shows do you watch besides HGTV? – Katie
Sherry: We watch Flipping Out, The Real Housewives (DC and NJ), Glee, Top Chef, 30 Rock, The Office, SNL, America’s Next Top Model, and Grey’s Anatomy—good TV is a reward after a long DIY day.
Q: Do you ever have bad days? – Heather
Sherry: Absolutely. We have bad days like anyone.
John: Our blog doesn’t show every annoying behind-the-scenes moment, but we do share flops and lessons when projects don’t go as planned. We try to keep things light and remember: it’s just a blog.
Q: Any regrets about the weeks before Clara was born? – Sarah
Sherry: John was at lunch when I went into labor—he ran out, we rushed to the hospital, and a few hours later Clara was here. We’d maybe plan time off differently in hindsight, but the surprise made for a great story.
John: It all worked out, so we wouldn’t change much.
Q: Will you homeschool or use public/private school? – Priscilla
Sherry: We plan to enroll our kids in public school. Both of our experiences with public education were positive and we have confidence in the system.
John: Clara might even follow in her dad’s footsteps and get into a magnet public school someday.
Q: What green projects are next? – Jennifer
John: I want a bat box.
Sherry: And a bee box to encourage pollinators—and when we move we’ll consider reusable moving options we’ve heard about.
Q: Do you exercise? How do you stay fit? – Anne
Sherry: My current exercise is carrying Clara, nightly walks, and nursing. I watch what I eat if needed—sometimes bigger pants help too.
John: I sneak in morning runs and gave up a gym membership after changing jobs, but I’ve kept up some running training.
Q: Would you ever travel without Burger? – Julia
Sherry: He came on our honeymoon to Alaska, so we prefer to travel as a family. If he’d be happier at home with family, we might consider leaving him behind for his comfort.
There you have it: a lot of questions, sincere answers, and hopefully a few laughs. Thanks for reading—and for being curious.