Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm a working mom with two silly boys, Xander (age 3) and Noah (age 1). I spend my work days helping children with their speech, language, voice and swallowing disorders. The real fun happens when I'm at home with the boys, chasing them around and pretending to be a super hero. I blog about their silly antics at Simply Stavish.  There you will also find the weekly speech and language feature, Words In the Sand, where I teach parents how to grow their child's speech, language and feeding development through everyday moments.

In addition to blogging, I have a bit of a yarn addiction, which I feed by wiping out the boring boy clothes syndrome one sweater at a time. I loves to decorate her house, including Xander's superhero theme room and Noah's owl nursery .

How did you first become involved in blogging?
I first started blogging in June 2008, when I became pregnant with my first son as a way to keep a virtual scrapbook of his pregnancy, birth story and then growth and development.  I mainly started it as a way for friends and family to see updated photos.  Since then my blog has become a creative outlet for myself and a way to give back to others.  It has also inspired me to become a better photographer, as I
learn how to shoot in manual with my Nikon.

Tell me about some of the people you’ve met while working on your blog?
I have met so many amazing ladies through blogging.  Friends who I'm sure will remain friends for a very long time.  I am so happy that I met my closest local friend Heather of Sugar N Spice Life (http://www.sugarnspicelife.blogspot.com/) who lives just 5 miles from me .  We met through blogging about building a house through Ryan Homes.  Just this past summer, I had an amazing time meeting in real life many of the bloggers I have been following for quite some time. I also was able to meet more local DC bloggers, which was a blast.

What do you do when you aren’t working on your blog?
I love to knit and dabble in sewing.

What web sites do you visit every day?
Many of the blogs I follow through bloglovin.  It is the easiest way to stay on top of the blogs you want to follow.  Other than that I visit hootsuite for twitter, Facebook, and pinterest.

What is your favorite drink – and where can you find it in Northern Virginia? 
My favorite drink is sweet tea which is hard to find anywhere in the DC area.  Well, you can find it but it's not the best quality.  :)  This summer we figured out the perfect recipe to make the best sweet tea.

What book do you casually put out on your coffee table to impress visitors?
We have a huge ottoman that serves as the coffee table but it's more of a place for the boys to play these days.  I don't recall ever putting books on it.  They would for sure get destroyed if I did.

What are your top 3 favorite people/places/things in Northern Virginia?
Shopping:  Tyson's Corner Mall. Place to hang for the day:  Old Town, Alexandria (so many great shops, restaurants, a fantastic  playground, and a great place to shoot candid photos of the boys). Favorite Indoor activity with the boys:  The Soft Playroom at the Chinquapin Rec Center.

What is your goal for retirement?
Oh geesh I wish I could retire right now.  I would much rather be at home with the boys than working.  I hope to retire around 60 though.

Do you have any advice for women who would like to start their own blog? 
Just do it!  There is a fantastic blogging community!  Find your tribe of people who are starting up a blog the same time you are and learn together.  Don't be afraid to ask establish bloggers questions. Also get out there in real life. Go to conferences to make connections and learn.  Blogging is constantly changing and a great community!