Premium Doesn’t Have to Mean Pricey: I Got This With Veena Crownholm
Transporting delicate projects is made easier with in-car tech; that the Kia Sorento is beautiful doesn’t hurt either.
Surrounding yourself with beautiful things doesn’t mean you have to overspend, or even spend a lot, says DIYer Veena Crownholm. That’s the magic behind many of her popular crafts that dress up tables, rooms and outdoor spaces all year long.
This idea extends to the Kia Sorento, which also allows her to have everything she needs to make each journey easy and comfortable.
Disclosure: This post is part of “I Got This,” a content series sponsored by Kia and featuring craft expert Veena Crownholm and the Kia Sorento . Veena shares her strategies and the car features she relies on to make time for the most important things in her life.
We followed Veena through a typical day: getting her kids ready for school, drop-offs and pickups, a trip to the thrift store for craft supplies and taking time for herself at Pilates class. Then it was off to work, prepping a craft project before heading to Hollywood to tape a TV segment.
The Magic is in the Details
The perfect project starts with a flash of brilliance, in this case, crisp blue and white china plates spied in a thrift shop. Veena knew they would make the ideal tiered server for summer holiday tables. She found the plates on her daily journey, a route that takes her through neighborhood streets, a busy downtown and the freeway to Hollywood.
The trip can be stressful, not to mention tough on delicate craft projects.
To make each trip easier and less stressful, for Veena and her projects, she relies on tech and features in the Kia Sorento to make the drive effortless.
Read: How the Kia Sorento Helps to Make Room for What Matters Most
Tech That Speeds the Trip and Makes It Easy
We don’t really think of driving as a chore—until something rolls around in the cargo area or onto the floor and makes a mess, or worse.
And that’s where Veena’s favorite features in the Kia Sorento HEV X-Line SX Prestige come into play. She loves using Auto Hold at traffic lights and in the school pickup lane. Once the Auto Hold button is pressed the car’s braking system holds the car in place until she presses the accelerator. This gives her more control and allows her to relax and not ‘creep up’ at an intersection or in the school pickup lane, reducing short stops and the risk of things falling over as she drives.
She also shared how she loves the leading vehicle alert: this notification on the driver’s display lets you know when the car in front of you has moved. When your mind has wandered to figuring out project details white sitting at a traffic light, it’s nice to get a prompt, rather than a honk from the car behind you, that traffic is moving.
Read: Putting the Kia Sorento to the Ultimate Test: Winter in Colorado
Thoughtful Features For Transporting Thoughtful Projects
Making a delicate craft out of vintage china is one thing; transporting it is another, and one that Veena is very intentional about. She always keeps a cargo net in the rear of her car for transporting delicate things as well as for holding grocery bags so they don’t spill.
The usefulness of the cargo net is obvious. What was less obvious, though, was how useful the household outlet would be that afternoon. As Veena brought her projects to the car to head to the TV studio, she noticed one needed a quick repair. She pulled out her glue gun, plugged it in and quickly made the fix.
With her projects ready for showtime, she strapped the tiered server into the front seat for transport to the TV station. “I always put my passenger in the front seat,” she said of her most delicate projects. The center console cupholder was the perfect place for her other project: A glass vase with a “bouquet” of flowered pencils.
Read: I Got This: How Veena Crownholm Finds Calm Amid Chaos in the Kia Sorento
Premium Design and Features Complete the Picture
Looking the part isn’t enough, Veena will tell you. Function is just as important, an idea that threads through her life.
As a crafter, her projects have to be easy to make, function perfectly and look great. This “form plus function” is part of her personal style and is seen in all she does, from her clever craft room filled with thousands of supplies, to how she dresses for each outing in front of the camera or her easy relaxed style when she’s not working.
That things look beautiful and function brilliantly is an idea that extends to her car, and this is what she loves about the Kia Sorento: The interior space is open and filled with elegantly upholstered seating in all 3 rows; the technology is easy to use; intuitive features make each journey easy and pleasant. The hybrid powertrain is quiet and efficient.
All together the Sorento’s premium features add a refined feel to the everyday journey without the weight of being overly pricey. But that’s the goal: To surround yourself with beautiful things without overspending.
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