April Q&A

I posted a questions box on Friday to stories and wasn't able to get to everything so I wanted to finish up answering them here!
Any recent FBMP purchases?My most recent one was a toile printed armchair and ottoman. It was listed for a great price and it was slipcovered and I just adore it. I think eventually I'll recover it with another print so it can match whatever room it's in, but for now, I love the blue toile print. 
Favorite needlepoint finishing?I obviously love ornaments but I'm getting some finished as magnets and a few into trays, which I'm really excited about. 
What is your favorite needlepoint thread and how do you pick your colors?I loveeeee Vineyard Silk. I think they can do no wrong and have an amazing range of colors. They really work best only for 18 mesh. 13 would probably be silk and ivory! For picking colors, I really just choose what speaks to me and what works best with my vision. It's half the fun finding the *perfect* shade. 
What are you most looking forward to?My 30th birthday is coming up and Andrew and I are going on a vacation! I can't wait to just be at the beach and needlepoint the days away.
Best newbie tip for needlepointing?Find something small and simple, but still something you love! Starting small is always best so you don't overwhelm yourself and you can treat it as a trial run and practice for your next project.
I'm moving to NYC, where should I live? And do you have a hairstylist you love?I always tell people to live near work. You'll be going there every single day and your commute will take up most of your life lol. If you're new to the city, try and stay within the grid since it's easier to get around (below the park and above Houston St). My hairstylist is Brandon and is amazing :)
What is your must-have beach bag?I really like something that is either vinyl (so it's easy to wash) or straw (so sand falls out). Something like this has been a favorite of mine over the past years.
What's your favorite shade of the new merit lip oil?I love Au Naturel!
Do you have suggestions for a wedding registry?Get things you need and will use. If not, just ask for money! Our most used item is a knife set.
What are you watching right now?We are two episodes away from the finale of Homeland and watched The Orange Days (Hulu) which is a documentary about Nickelodeon. I just finished Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+), White Boy (Netflix) and Miss Sloan (Netflix). Next on my list is The Octopus Teacher (Netflix).
What's your favorite part of being a business owner?Getting to sleep in. Having a set schedule/boss/office/hours was always the worst part of my jobs before. Now, since I'm my own boss, I let myself sleep for as long as I need when I can. There is some kind of myth that success means getting up early. I don't subscribe to that thought process!
Have you done a full house tour?I haven't, no. I don't have any plans to in the future either just for privacy reasons.
Whats the story behind Penny in Penny Linn Designs?I was going to originally name my store after my cat Dixie but changed it before launch to Penny as an homage to my grandmother, who first taught me how to needlepoint. You can read more about the name here!
Do you buy second-hand clothes often? Do you have tips?I don't know how often but I usually look for things I love in other colors/sizes. My tip is to always do research on the seller and ask questions!
What size nap dress did you buy?I wear a size small.
Do you have siblings?Yes! I am the youngest of 6. 4 of which are step-siblings.
Do you paint freehand or go off a picture?I usually look at a photo for inspiration but I draw most things on my iPad first and then transform them in a needlepoint software I have before moving to canvas. Sometimes I'll draw on graph paper too!
Do you foresee yourself quitting blogging anytime soon?I don't think it'll be in the next three years, no. But eventually, probably yes. I think as I get older and want to stop sharing my life as much online I will move to more to the Penny Linn Designs side of the business.
Do you keep all the clothes you try on?I don't! I usually tell you guys what I keep and what I don't. Whenever I film try on hauls it's really just my first impression and my first look at how everything fits on. Then I make a recommendation if it's worth it or not. I would do the same in stores but it's hard to film and I want to be able to give better reviews that are more indepth.
Favorite foundation for dry skin?Go for a tinted moisturizer! I personally love and have this one. Get a mini size to test out first and make sure you like it! Thoughts on The Challenge?It was... ok? I obviously am going to miss Leroy so so much. He's been my favorite since day 1. I just didn't have my main people that I love on for long this season. And some of the challenges were dumb.