For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed using my hands and heart to create beautiful things for friends and loved ones. I’m Lisa Tutman-Oglesby and if you’ve spent any amount of time on this blog, you can see I’m pretty hooked on creativity. I always have been. I delight in the simple rewards that come from taking raw materials, applying a little elbow grease and imagination and making something wonderfully unexpected. I’ll bet you’re the same way.
As you explore Celebrate Creativity, you’ll notice I’m pretty passionate about many things including (but not limited to) yummy recipes, sewing, gardening, decorating and photography (just to name a few interests).
There are no limits when it comes to the number of hobbies one person should indulge in. I firmly believe you should do what you love and you’ll love what you do. It’s a motto I take to heart.
I’m a diehard bargain hunter, DIYer, crafter, collector of fabrics and vintage dishes, home décor enthusiast, wife, mom of two and a Virginia transplant. I relish taking the everyday and the ordinary and transforming it into pretty darn extraordinary, without spending a fortune to do it. This blog, Celebrate Creativity is a natural extension of that affinity, and I hope you find inspiration on this site here to make your home and life even lovelier.
Before turning my attention to Celebrate Creativity, I spent more than 20 years as a television news reporter and anchor, starting out as a young pup at stations in Flint, MI and Indianapolis, IN, before moving on to top market stations in Atlanta, GA as well as in Washington, D.C. where I was a White House/Capitol Hill correspondent. I eventually landed at NBC in Chicago, IL where I spent more than ten years, and it’s also where I won a Regional Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence. That golden statue of a winged lady holding a raised globe is right at home on my fireplace mantle.
My experience as a journalist greatly influences my news-you-can-use blogging and storytelling approach where I blend words, vibrant images and videography to inform, entertain, educate, enchant and hopefully, inspire too.
I’ve been fortunate to have my writing, photography and projects appear in some wonderful books and magazines including Romantic Homes, Crafts ‘n Things, Creating Keepsakes, Apronology and many more beautiful publications. Perhaps you spotted me as a finalist in Country Living magazine’s 2012 Blue Ribbon Blogger awards competition. I didn’t win the category but it was still really cool to be nominated and in the running against some of the biggest bloggers out there. I was also featured in the book, Blogging for Bliss by Lark Books (2009) and my popular handcrafted cookie mix gift sack project appeared in the December 2015 issue of the French crafts magazine, Creative. Also, keep an eye out for the cookbook, Sunday Dinner published by University of North Carolina Press (2015). I styled and photographed the cover image and you can read more about that experience HERE.
You can also find more of my photography, crafts projects, recipes and baking tips in Country Sampler’s Celebrating Everyday Life magazine (2017), Bake from Scratch/Feed Feed special Holiday Cookies publication (2017) and Country Sampler Autumn Decorating (2018) and the German magazine Landhaus (2019) and Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Christmas (2020) and The New York Times (2020).
My commercial photography has included partnerships with a number of highly-recognized brands including; Calphalon, Oster, Amoretti, Jord and FTD ProFlowers.
Over the years, this blog has evolved from an arts and crafts-centered site to one that primarily focuses on food, styling, and food photography. But do check my archives and topics in my navigation bar drop down menu. Creativity in all its forms continues to sit at the heart of this blog.
My aim is that you’ll take my mouthwatering foods, colorful tutorials, doable step-by-steps and a host of other offerings and put them to good use to make your day easier, more beautiful and just plain fun.
Take a look around this site. Try a new recipe, tackle an interesting project or attempt a craft you never considered before. I think you’ll find plenty around here to tickle your fancy and get your creative juices flowing.
From my heart to yours, I hope Celebrate Creativity helps you create a home and life you love while also inspiring you to reach new and exciting creative heights.
I’m behind you every step of the way.