How Holly Does It: Tips for an Animal, Artist Friendly Home

I’m finally back from my turkey holiday extravaganza! One of my favorite aspects of writing is having the opportunity to interview and learn about how different people live, what makes them unique and interesting. One very good friend, Holly Milner, fits that “unique” qualification perfectly, and I decided to dig a little deeper into her exciting life, and hopefully, you can steal some ideas for managing your own home in Holly style! Holly is a fun, artsy, animal-loving enthusiast, and I wanted to know exactly how she keeps her family of ten animals in line while remembering to enjoy it all. For Holly, I don’t think it takes much effort on the enjoyment front, but she does have a few tips for managing a house full of pets. Her vibrant bungalow abode is sure to entice inspiration!

She also makes time for a job, a fiance, and creating beautiful hand-made earrings and recycled goods that she sells at etsy.com and a variety of shops in Knoxville, Tenn. Read on, and if you want to see her items in-person, be sure to visit her this upcoming First Friday in Knoxville, December 4, at Earth to Old City in Market Square from 6 to 9 p.m.

Let’s get started!

What are you currently creating and selling to the public?

Currently, I have OlioTree earrings for sale at Earth to Old City on Market Square, Aimee’s Bohemian on Sutherland Ave, and Variations by Victoria on N. Broadway. I also sell items on Etsy; you can visit my store at OlioTree.etsy.com. I make these earrings from various items such as, but not limited to, prints (relief, intaglio, and lithography), exposed and processed negatives, preserved leaves, vintage scarves, and children’s books. I make them all with sterling silver hooks.

I am currently expanding my OlioTree collection to feature bags, pillows, and other accessories composed from recycled materials that I pick up from local thrift stores. I love giving life to an object that someone else has found fit to discard.

The First Friday in December, I will be debuting this new line of products at Earth to Old City on Market Square from 6 to 9 pm. After the debut, these items will be available online through Etsy and at the other stores. The things that I create are always revolving; I like to keep things fresh. I don’t like to make anything twice, which is ironic considering my formal training in Ceramics and Printmaking. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in December of 2008 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

I find inspiration in my surroundings and life in general. I have several recurring shapes in my work, and I’m not exactly sure where they come from. I like to rely on intuition as much as possible. My Reiki training influences my art in that way. I like to keep things fresh by always experimenting and not planning too much.

How many animals do you have, and how do you manage them? Any tips?

My fiance, Ryan Boos, and I live with 4 dogs (Rocko, Wembley, Leo, and Paige), 2 cats (Sage and Abby-Gail), and 4 hens (Jubilee, French Fry, Lemon Belle, and Coraline). We are strong believers in adoption; there are so many loving animals in need of a home. I always suggest checking the shelter before you buy from a breeder.

All of our animals are rescues with the exception of the hens and Leo the champion Jack Russell Terrier. He won the Russell Relay for Life 2 years in a row, and scored enough Canidae dog food to feed our pack for almost 2 years!

We all live in a 1200 sq ft bungalow in Old North Knoxville that was built in the late 1800s. When you live with that many animals, organization and routine and cleanliness became key elements to creating our happy home. I prefer to catch fur in a brush before it has a chance to hit the floor; sometimes I save it and use it for a sculpture. Forget carpet, plush area rugs, or floor pillows because they just turn into big pet bed fur traps. Hard floor is the only way to go in my opinion. We stick to small rugs that are washable; I love colorful cheap rope rugs!

As crazy as it may sound, it is easier to have multiple animals because they form their own little pack and keep one another company. Luckily, our animals recognize us as the leader of the pack; we would have major dominance struggles if this was not the case. We have a large privacy fenced backyard that is essential for our sanity. You must have a place for you pack to let out their energy and be happy healthy animals!

The dogs are nice enough to share their yard with the hens. They have their own fenced off section of the yard with their coop. The dogs can’t get to them, and surprisingly they don’t try to. I let them know that the chicken area was off limits by acting like a dog and guarding the area when we first got the girls. This may sound crazy too, but growling at them worked well. You have to learn to speak their tone and body language; if they respect you as master, they will listen.

The hens, or the girls as we call them, have been a wonderful addition to our family. In the mornings Ryan cooks a delicious breakfast while I do chores like sweep, clean the coop, brush the dogs…whatever needs to be done. We are a very good team; he is a talented cook and I like to get my hands dirty. He will cook oats for us and the girls, and they get so excited when they see me bringing a bowl out to them. The girls get to free range in the yard while breakfast is being prepared and the dogs are eating their morning meal (compliments to Leo of course) and hoping Ryan will be clumsy enough to drop some sharp cheddar. They are very comfortable with their backyard routine, but you do have to keep a very close eye on them and any predators, like hawks, that may be lurking over the ridge.

Balancing chores is essential to keeping all the animals; neither of us could do it alone. Our hens are right at laying age, but now that it is turning cold, it will probably be spring before they start paying rent with eggs. That element will make breakfast that much more enjoyable. We already get a lot of food that we use from our backyard garden. The cats are the only animals that don’t go outside, and they don’t seem to mind. Sage was an alley cat that we brought in from the streets after we got him checked for everything at the vet. He doesn’t even offer to go out anymore; he knows he’s living the life now. There is plenty of action inside, and they get to enjoy the wildlife from the windows. Sage has just recently discovered that he can watch the chickens from the back window. We are lucky that everyone gets along so well; We feel it has something to do with the positive energy of our home.

Your fiance, Ryan Boos, is a musician and artist, too. How do you use your space in your home to optimize an artist-friendly vibe that is conducive to creativity?

When we first moved to our home we shared a 13×13 ft room. We were always bumping into each other or being too loud…the list goes on. It was not working at all, so Ryan kept that room, and I moved my things into the front sitting room which is also 13×13 ft and we moved the couch in his room. We are happy now! He has a quiet place to record music, write, edit photos, study, read, or do whatever he wants, and I have a place for all my gadgets and supplies. I can spread everything out and play my ipod as loud as I want. This correlates perfectly with the organization that I mentioned earlier. I can not focus or begin to create anything if my space is not in order. It is so wonderful to have your own space.

One of the great aspects of your home is the bright paint colors you chose. What was your process for interior decorating?

Before we closed on our house we went to Lowe’s and purchased paint, and as soon as we got in we started painting. It was really fun picking out the bold colors of our house. Since it is a bungalow, you can see all the colors from every room when you stand at certain areas. Before we moved in we went to Lowe’s (Home Improvement Store) and picked out a ton of of paint cards. I drew a diagram of the house and we went to Sunspot for dinner and PBR. We narrowed down the colors and then we placed them on the diagram to see how they all went together. It was really fun!

We love to rearrange furniture; it gives such a new feeling to the room. I’m lucky to have a man that will live in a home with such bold colors; they really set a mood for each room. I find that I use a lot of the colors from our house in my art.

Paint Color Note: Holly and Ryan used Valspar satin finish paints. They chose the following colors: La Fonda Spanish Dancer for the bedroom; Mother Nature for the bathroom; Brown Mustard for Holly’s arts room; French Violet for the kitchen; and Tantalizing Teal for the living room.

You’ve lived in Knoxville all your life. From a local’s perspective, what are your thoughts on the City’s growth?

I love the size of this city. Not too big or too small, it’s just right. There’s a lot of great music that comes through this area. We’re so close to the mountains, so that makes it nice. The only downfall is the air quality; everything sticks in the valley. I grew up in Fountain City, so I’ve seen the progression of the city. I have watched the downtown area grow from abandoned buildings to thriving businesses, and that is very exciting to me. Even as a small child, I saw the potential of the city, and I thought it was really a shame that it was so abandoned. I’m happy to see that it has evolved into such a progressive town.

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Tags: accessories, animals, bags, bungalow, chickens, choosing paint colors, earrings, Etsy, First Friday, hand made, home decorating, Knoxville, paint colors, pillows, recycled items, Tennessee, Valspar